| POST-MARDI GRAS 2024 NEWS -Oddero Barolo Class -White “Bargaindy” Tasting -Fish Fry Wines -New Arrivals TASTING EVENTS With the quiet of January and the madness of an early Mardi Gras behind us, we will be resuming tasting events! Keep an eye out for a pair of Beaujolais tastings down the line, but for March, this is the slate: Wine Class: Oddero Barolo Wednesday, March 6th 6-7pm – $150 The Odderos have lived in the commune of La Morra since at least the 1700s, and they are inextricably linked with the history of Barolo wine. Their modern reputation was built on the pioneering work of Giacomo Oddero, the fifth generation to run the estate, who expanded the family’s holdings in the mid-20th century to include parcels in some of the best vineyards in the region, and was instrumental in shaping DOC and DOCG regulations throughout the Langhe and Roero. Today, the sixth and seventh generations are running things, and elevating the already-exquisite quality and profile of Oddero wines! We were recently visited by Pietro, Giacomo’s grandson, who dazzled us with an immensely impressive lineup of wines from his family’s estate, including a number of cellar-release, older vintage Barolos. We couldn’t help ourselves – before he had even made it to his next stop, we ordered the last of several of these wines, knowing that this would be a terrific subject for our first class of 2024! In addition to three vintages of the Barolo Classico, we will explore several single vineyards: two vintages of the elegant Rocche di Castiglione in Castiglione Falletto, and Riserva bottlings from Vigna Mondoca (a prized parcel within Monforte d’Alba’s sprawling Bussia vineyard), and the legendary Vigna Rionda in Serralunga d’Alba. Join us and get to know the wines of a Piedmont producer who consistently raises the bar!  These are the wines we’ll be opening for the Oddero Barolo tasting:-Barolo 2019 -Barolo 2010 -Barolo 2006 -Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2019 -Barolo Rocche di Castiglione 2006 -Barolo Riserva Bussia ‘Vigna Mondoca’ 2008 -Barolo Riserva ‘Vignarionda’ 2013 Please note that some of these wines are in very limited quantity and may not be available apart from the class. HOW WE CONDUCT OUR UPCOMING WINE CLASS This event will be seated, and limited to 10 people per class. Please arrive at the shop by 6 in order to allow us time to fully explore the wines. Appropriate pairings of cheese and charcuterie will be offered as well. Call 504-227-3888 or stop by the store to reserve your spot! Wine Tasting: White “Bargaindy” Thursday, March 14th, 4:30-6:30pm – $35 We have wanted to host a tasting to showcase the diversity of white Burgundy at great prices for quite some time. Limited supply prevented this tasting until now! The worst of the shortages appear to be behind us, so we are inviting you to come find a new house wine or a favorite match for a fish fry, or simply to explore the wide variety of white Burgundy styles. We hear people say all the time that they don’t like Chardonnay, but we find if we pour them some Burgundy they often change their tune. We will be opening ten wines spanning the length of Burgundy, from the Mâconnais in the south to Chablis in the north. We’re looking forward to exploring the region at a very accessible price point, and hope that you are too!  These are the wines we’ll be opening for our White “Bargaindy” Tasting:-Marillier Père & Fils Bourgogne ‘Clos Saint Germain’ 2020 -Raphaël Sallet Mâcon-Uchizy ‘Les Condemines’ 2022 -Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Blanc 2021 -Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran 2022 -Domaine Passy Le Clou Petit Chablis 2021 -Domaine Servin Chablis ‘Les Pargues’ 2022 -Val de Mer Bourgogne Blanc 2020 -Jean-Jacques Girard Bourgogne Blanc 2021 -Jean-Jacques Girard Bourgogne Blanc 2022 -Domaine Faiveley Rully ‘Les Villeranges’ 2020 HOW WE CONDUCT OUR UPCOMING WINE TASTING This event is not seated. Reserve your spot and join us during the appointed times up to 30 minutes before the event ends, and you will be able to taste through the full lineup. Cheese will be offered to pair to the wines. Call 504-227-3888 or stop by the store to reserve your spot! Fish Fry Wines!  As we alluded to in the “Bargaindy” entry above, Fish Fry season is upon us! While a drink to pair is by no means necessary (especially if you’ve decided to abstain until Easter), we thought that this would be a good opportunity to introduce a few new white wines which would match magnificently to a classic fried fish plate! All four of these wines share a balance of crisp acidity, salty minerality, and just enough texture to stand up to fried foods without feeling weighty — and even better, all four come in under $20! The Château de la Ragotière Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine is stunning. The lightest of this set, the wine is zippy and fresh with a bit of roundness from lees aging as is typical in this region, and a classic seafood pairing! The Chão do Prado Bucelas is brand new to the market, a blend of Arinto and Sercial from just north of Lisbon. An almost oily texture balanced with terrific brightness, and a lingering sea-spray finish — this one screams for fried fish. (more details here!) Tenuta Rapitalà’s Grillo comes from Sicily. The most aromatic of this bunch, with some floral notes complementing ripe, salted fruit. As Grillo is Italian for cricket, we’ll have a bottle open to celebrate Leap Day, too! The Hugl Gemischter Satz is a blend from north of Vienna in Austria. Some florals here too, but this is a wine meant to be enjoyed quickly and easily — and a fish fry is hardly a far cry from schnitzel! NEW ARRIVALSWe’ve been able to bring in plenty of new wines, and haven’t had the chance to show them off much! Here’s a handful that we’re especially excited about, but be sure to ask us about others next time you’re in, too!  Ladybird ‘Sur Lie’ Stellenbosch ‘21 This bottle may look familiar to some of you — this is the new label for what was once Laibach! The estate is now under the ownership of a legendary producer (hence the label change), but at least with this vintage the wine is made in the same way. Lees aging has given the wine a wonderfully rich texture, in addition to a note reminiscent of parmigiano reggiano which complements the orchard fruits, lemon oil, and flinty minerality that rounds out the wine. Far from the simple, tart Chenin Blancs that South Africa can put out, this is a testament to the quality that they can achieve!  Château du Breuil et de la Roche Savennières ’19 There are a handful of appellations that you expect to cost a lot, and so you might treat a more accessibly-priced wine from these with some skepticism. Savennières is one of these, so when this bottle came across our table, we were prepared to doubt. We couldn’t have been more wrong! This is a wonderful example of arguably the best Chenin Blanc appellation in the world — beautiful apple, quince, lemon, honey, and honeysuckle notes rise up in waves, underwritten by a salty, seashell-like minerality and a crescendo of acidity. All of that for less than $50? How could we pass that up?  Luberri Rioja Crianza ‘Biga de Luberri’ ‘19 Luberri has always made wine the way they want to, and never chased critical acclaim — the estate’s founder once quipped that “you cannot drink points.” This is 100% Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa, the high-elevation Basque subzone of the region. Ripe red cherry and strawberry take center stage with hints of tobacco and vanilla in supporting roles, and graceful acidity and structure, creating a perfect balance between elegance and fun. No hiding behind oak here; the fruit is the star of the show. Well worth taking home both for seasoned Rioja fans and those looking to try a new side of Spain!  Bethel Heights Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills ’21 We were recently visited by Ben Casteel, co-owner and winemaker for Bethel Heights Vineyard and found a terrific addition to our Oregon lineup. Unlike many Oregon producers who seem to have rushed their 2021 vintage to market hoping to offset the wildfire losses of the 2020 vintage, Bethel Heights took their time to ensure the wines were ready to go. The patience was rewarded — this wine walks a tightrope between tart freshness and West Coast richness, with classic Oregon earthiness keeping things grounded. Even our Burgundy-focused shop can appreciate a great domestic Pinot Noir! |
