Wine Listings

Quintessential bistro beverage? Beaujolais for many. But, there is Beaujolais, and, there is cru Beaujolais. And there is the particular cru, Brouilly. Henry Fessy’s ebullient Brouilly brings great joy, is a fine alternative to a Pinot Noir, and makes for a masterful match with many dishes.

In France’s wild, windy Roussillon region, the old fortress Queribus, one of the last Cathar refuges, dramatically looms over Domaine Cabirau’s dark soils. One of the U.S.’s finest wine importers, Dan Kravitz, purchased his piece of southern France heaven: vineyards, of course. Kravitz wisely employs the talented Serge and Tony to oversee the vines and winemaking, respectively. Domaine Cabirau Grenache deliciously demonstrates why varietally-labeled Grenache is growing in importance and popularity.

Which is appropriate in a 6 alcoholic degrees of separation sort of way. Sancerre, the famous region in the Loire Valley of France, produces the classic benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc. In the famous French writer, Loire-born Rabelais’ work, Gargantua and Pantagruel, Gargantua founds the Abbaye de Theleme. This utopian abbey’s philosophy includes "do what thou wilt". Thelema Winery, named after Rabelais’ Theleme, makes this stunning Sauvignon Blanc that reminds one of Sancerre in everything but its ultra-reasonable price.

Drink what thou wilt.

That is a big question. "Sustainable" has become a bit of a buzzword in the wine industry fairly recently. Many New Zealand wineries have been subscribing to sustainability for years now as part of an initiative introduced in the late 1990’s. Yealands’ new winery is specifically designed to very high "green" and sustainable standards. We highly commend Yealands’ commitment to "tread lightly". We highly recommend Yealands’ for their princely Pinot Noir (priced pauperly).

To learn more about Yealands and its exciting story (don’t miss its "quadrupedal vineyard management" system) go to www. yealands.com.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano. San Gimignano is one of Tuscany’s most famous hilltop towns. Its tall medieval towers reflect a time when your tower was your power. Vineyards of the Vernaccia grape surround this town that contains a torture museum. Vernaccia was allegedly first recorded in 1276, probably, by someone in a tower who wasn’t being tortured.

Charles Smith claims he loves to drink wine on his website. Apparently, he also loves to make wine—wine that we love to drink. The proud imbiber, Mr. Smith, makes lots of different wines but specializes in the state’s emerging secret: fine Syrahs. His reasonably-priced Boom Boom Syrah succeeds where many syrahs have fizzled.