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Via Alpina Pinot Grigio 2022
Origin: Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.96
Via Alpina is the second label from Giampaolo Venica, a member of the Venica family who have been farming in Collio for 90 years. Via Alpina captures the essence of the northern Friuli region, close to the borders of Austria and Slovenia, where the wine benefits from the region’s significant diurnal shifts, imparting freshness. The history of the Collio vineyards recalls the pre-Roman era and runs through the entire Middle Ages. The wines of Collio , in fact, were known to the courts of all Europe and appreciated by the doges of the Republic of Venice, by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, and by the sovereigns of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This lovely Pinot Grigio is a crisp, mineral-rich white wine offering a refreshing and intense fruit sensation. Wildflowers and rose water merge seamlessly on the nose with bright aromas of white peach, pear, and spring flowers. On the palate, zesty flavors of ripe apple and pear lead, followed by layered nuances of peach, apricot, and pear. 100% Pinot Grigio
Côte West Skin Fermented Pinot Gris 2022
Origin: Oakland, California
Retail: $19.95 | Sale: $17.96
Côte West is a family-run urban winery based in Oakland, California. They seek out special vineyard sites and use minimal intervention in the winery to highlight the unique characteristics of their sources. The result is Old World-style yet undeniably Californian wines. Bret is the co-founder and winemaker. He received a Master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis and got his hands dirty interning at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa and Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Meursault, Burgundy. Kerrie is the co-founder and wears many hats as la femme d'affaires. This Pinot Gris was grown in fine silt and clay loam soils in the Clarksburg appellation. It was picked early to capture its natural acidity and keep alcohol in check. Whole clusters were gently hand placed in a tank and left to ferment naturally for 20 days. This extended period of skin contact gives this wine its unique amber hue. Some call it “ramato” which translates to “copper” in Italian. Delicate red fruits with great acidity and grip on the palate, showcasing the unique character of skin contact Pinot Gris. 100% Pinot Gris
Domaine Combe Queyzaire ‘Aestivalis’ 2022
Origin: Vin de France
Retail: $14.95 | Sale: $13.46
Denis Deschamps made his name directing the southern Rhône ‘s small Estézargues co-op, a pioneer of natural winemaking before it was hip. His tenure lasted nearly 20 years, until 2017 when he bought old-vine parcels up in the northwest sector of the Côtes du Rhône, at the end of a small valley (a combe in French) in Saint Nazaire, in the same general area where he had started his consulting career. Since he lives in a neighborhood named Queyrade, he coined Combe Queyzaire for his nascent domaine, combining the place where he comes from with the place where he goes to. Today, he farms some 37 acres organically divided among over 30 parcels with an average age of at least fifty years. This wine is Denis's homage to the Rhône's vins de soif of yesteryear - a light red that bartenders would throw back for lunch in a crowded bar’s dining room. One plot per varietal, all old vines thus low yields, with ripening taking long and not coming until the end of the harvest, so low sugars and consequently low alcohols. The name Aestivalis (es-tee-va-lease) is a play on festivals and été, meaning summer, i.e., a wine for summer to be served with a chill! Easy fruit that unfolds with perfect ripeness and just enough structure. 50% Mouvedre, 40% Carignan, 10% Grenache
Violin Pinot Noir 2021
Origin: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Retail: $29.95 | Sale: $26.96
Hailing from an old family in Hagerstown, Maryland, Will Hamilton got a degree in Humanities before throwing himself into the culture of wine. He persuaded Erath Winery to take him on for harvest. This began his deep dive into Oregon winemaking and viticulture. In 2011 he joined a buddy’s mobile filtration company, which gave him leeway to take a harvest job with Evening Land, specifically, its Seven Springs Vineyard, a legendary site in Eola-Amity with a winery directed by a Burgundian team, where he learned the fundamentals of Chardonnay. Eventually, he went full time with Violin Wines in 2018, beginning with the first Violin Chardonnay. By 2022, he had grown to 2,500 cases, which for him is about the maximum where he can still do everything by himself and do it well. That is his wheelhouse. This is Violin’s largest production, reaching as much as 900 cases. Well over three-quarters of the wine comes from acclaimed sites scattered about the Eola-Amity hills, with a dollop from the Tualatin Hills AVA. Typically, the élevage goes for about 14 months in barrel on the lees, then close to two months in steel. No fining or additives of any kind save for a bit of SO2. Bottled with a light filtration. The reddest of Will’s Pinots, this harmoniously weaves a satiny ribbon of sweet raspberries and lightly spiced red currants, set off by floral and red licorice highlights. 100% Pinot Noir