| JULY 2023 NEWS Summer has slipped into its easygoing groove – a slower pace, more regular rain, and vacations. We slow down here at the store too but we don’t stop. Read on to learn about two upcoming tastings hosted by AJ and Mazie, and to check out write ups on a few recent arrivals that have us very excited! Questions? 504-227-3888 or nolawinemerchant@gmail.com TASTING EVENTS ANNOUNCEMENT Wines of the Mezzogiorno Thursday, July 27th 4-6pm Tickets $28 per person  Italy is covered in vineyards; every single one of its 20 regioni makes fine wine! Despite that, Piedmont and Tuscany tend to get the spotlight. We’re never going to tell you that attention isn’t deserved – we’re big, big fans of Nebbiolo and Sangiovese and everything in between! The rest of the boot makes terrific wines as well, and in particular we find that the wines from the South aren’t very well known. What better excuse to have a tasting? Join us July 27th and AJ will take you through eight wines from Abruzzo, Molise, Apulia, Campania, and Sicily (five of the eight regions known collectively as the Mezzogiorno), and of course we’ll have cheese and charcuterie to pair with the wines! Surprising Summer Sparklers Friday, August 4th 4:30-6:30pm Tickets $26 per person  For many, champagne and sparkling wine are considered “special occasion” wines, only opened at weddings, birthdays, and the start of the New Year. We would like to introduce you to some beautiful bubbles that don’t need a special occasion and are versatile with food as well! Mazie will feature wines made with grapes not usually associated with sparkling wine production – Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner-Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau and Cinsault to name a few. We won’t exactly span the globe but Austria, Germany, South Africa and, of course, France will be represented. We’ll have some cheeses to go along with the bubbles and we hope you’ll find a new fizzy favorite to enjoy any (or every) day of the week. NEW ARRIVALS Here are a few wines we’ve added recently and want to share with you!  Branger Eclispe Méthode Traditionelle Branger makes one of our favorite Muscadets and we are thrilled to have this sparkling version back in stock. The grape is Melon (or Melon de Bourgogne) and this is lots of fun on its own but also built to pair with oysters and seafood with its core of minerality and salinity. (This will also be in Mazie’s tasting, clearly we’re all excited about its return!)  Salt River Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch 2022 Duncan Savage makes this wine near Cape Town, specifically a suburb close to Table Mountain called Salt River. The grapes come from Stellenbosch, grown in limestone-heavy soil creating zippy Sauvignon Blanc with a salty freshness. It is dry but not aggressively tart and this year there is more available so we can share it with more of you! (We’ll have this wine open to taste Friday, July 14th)  Nicolas Feuillatte The wines have always been good but we are now getting pricing that positions them as terrific values. Feuillatte is a large co-operative (over 5,000 of them) that is owned by the growers themselves. They farm relatively small plots, many around an acre in size, and make friendly, correct champagnes that over deliver for the price. Rosé champagne under $50 is a serious rarity these days!  Chevalerie Bourgueil Galichets 2015 We have been loving the wines from this domaine for years and have four cases left of this perfectly mature gem. Bourgueil, a neighbor of Chinon, is 100% Cabernet Franc and this is a fantastically versatile wine with grilled foods, burgers, mushrooms or your favorite cheese. It’s a rich wine without being too heavy and still offers fresh fruit but with pretty much zero tannin due to the time in bottle. Founded in 1640, certified organic in 2008 and certified biodynamic since 2012…are you kidding me? For that price?  Revello Barolo 2018 A relative newcomer with their first vintage released 30 years ago, this estate offers age-worthy wines but upends the traditional thought that Barolo is tough and unfriendly for a decade or so. This wine is warm and welcoming with a bit more fruit (and weight) than leather and elegance but wow does it deliver for the price. Perhaps not the most summery wine, but we all have air-conditioning that works, right? |
