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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
The Alto Adige (or Süd Tyrol, as it's called by the German-speaking inhabitants) is known for large, high-quality co-operative wineries. Erste + Neue means 'First + New’. The name represents the merger of the first (‘erste') co-op cellar in Caldaro, which was founded in 1900, and the newest ('neue') co-op cellar founded in 1925 a—ter Alto Adige became a part of Italy following World War I. The two co-ops united under one label in 1986. In 2016 Erste + Neue incorporated a third co-op, Cantina Kaltern, but continues to operate under the name Erste + Neue.

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A Quarterly Sparkling Wine Club Selection
Bright yellow hue. Delicate aromatics, with scents of tropical fruit, pear and jasmine. The palate shows flavors of tart green apple, passion fruit and lemon curd; it is vibrant and mouthwatering with a hint of salinity on the lingering finish. A vino spumante wine with considerable charm and complexity.

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_{A Quarterly Sparkling Wine Club Selection}
Bright yellow with a toasty aroma of yeast, vanilla, and a hint of hay. The charming palate is full, with persistent effervescence and flavors of citrus, bruised apple, raw hazelnut and quince. The finish is long with ample fruit and beautifully balanced acidity.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Kermit Lynch is a legendary figure in the wine world and a very charismatic gentleman. For almost 50 years, Kermit Lynch has championed small producers and their authentic, beautifully made European wines. Along the way, he has shaped our tastes, and through his love of the wines and stories of the people who created them, he has helped to elevate the American wine and food experience. He opened Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant in Berkeley, California in 1972 and thanks to his top-quality import business and his James Beard Award winning books on wine, he continues to educate America on the wonders of old-world wines from Europe. In fact, he has had so much success shining the spotlight on small, artisan producers that he has was knighted by the French government and awarded the top honor bestowed on civilians in France: Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.

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Eliuo Altare consistently produces one of our favorite Langhe Nebbiolos in every vintage. With beautifully focused red fruit, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity, it is a great alternative to more pricey Barolo or Barbaresco, and could even stand in where you might otherwise gravitate to a Pinot Noir or similar.

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A zippy and refreshing recent discovery from grape varieties that fly much below the radar, Merseguera and Malvasia - especially the former, which isn't much known outside of Spain. If you are looking for a delicious "house white" for daily consumption, Atance Cuvée #1 is hard to beat. Certified Organic.

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This is a "kitchen sink" blend in the best sense of the expression - 51% Carignan | 25% Syrah | 12% Valdiguié | 5% Mourvèdre 3% Zinfandel | 2% Petite Sirah | 2% Grenache Noir. A combination of seven aromatic red grapes of different structure and acidity fermented separately - some with carbonic maceration, some destemmed, all with no oak and aged in stainless steel and concrete tanks. This wine is lifted, bright, complex and interesting. We love it for a summer sipper with a slight chill or for a late afternoon happy hour. Chuggable! - SS

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Delicate, pale pink hue, with pin-point bubbles. The fragrant bouquet is deceptively sweet, showing wild strawberry, banana cream and cotton candy. The palate is clean, dry and straightforward, with strawberry, raspberry and white peach. This lip-smacker finishes with a tart, fruity flourish and is sure to please throughout the holiday season—and beyond. Cantine Borga was founded in 1940 in the Treviso area of the Veneto in northeastern Italy. The winery is 30km from Venice, located between the mountains and the sea. Borga is owned and managed by four cousins descended from the winery’s founders. Martino manages logistics, Caterina is the sales manager, Antonio is the production manager, and Riccardo manages the vineyards.

Vietti is one of the classic old school Piemontese producers with a great heritage and reputation for producing legendary, traditionally crafted wines. Their Barolos are the most heralded but like any good producer in the region, they also make great Barbera, Dolcetto, Arneis, and delicious Moscato d'Asti.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Vivid garnet color. Rich scents of dark berry compote and baking spices. The palate is medium bodied with flavors of fresh blackberry, blueberry and black raspberry fruit. Well-balanced with fresh, fruity acidity and softly polished tannins. The finish is long, and fruit laced with a touch of exotic spice. Certified Vegan.

Irpinia Fiano is a declassified version of Fiano di Avellino from estate-bottled fruit, made from younger vines in the villages of Summonte and Montefredane. It shows essentially the same characteristics as the DOCG, but with less dramatic mineral and stone notes. This base level Fiano is perfect for immediate drinking and by the glass.

Medium-bodied, this is an approachable red, highlighted by dark berry fruit flavors and smooth tannins. One wine we cannot keep in stock not only due to the $9 price tag but the value behind the brand.

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From the producer: Mt. Jefferson Cuvée is a blend of the Cristom estate Pinot Noir vineyards along with exceptional fruit we source from neighboring vineyards in the Willamette Valley. These contributing sites have been thoughtfully selected over the years, and are planted on a variety of soil types, elevations and aspects, representing the Willamette Valley appellation as a broader whole.

While Gruner Veltliners in liter bottles aren't exactly a new thing, this 2019 entry from Weingut Der Pollerhof has us excited. It feels like a step above in overall complexity from the usual bottle capped versions (not that there's anything at all wrong with those wines) showing a bit more minerality and seamless balance.

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_{A Seasonal Rosé Club Selection}
Gris de Gris de Sable is a particular style of rosé wine made especially in the Camargue, most typically a blend of Grenache and Cinsault, pressed gently to extract a delicate, pale salmon color.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Located in the Palaiomylos region of Tyrnavos and nestled in the foothills of Mount Olympus, Domaine Zafeirakis is one of the most exciting new wine producers in Greece. AŒter completing his oenology master’s degree at the University of Milan and consecutive harvests in Tuscany, Piedmont, and Alto Adige, Christos returned to Tyrnavos in 2005 and built a state-of-the-art winery to honor the four generations of winemakers that preceded him. He immediately began setting new standards, creating the first organic vineyard in the area and extending the family’s holdings to 8 hectares. Christos also worked tirelessly to reintroduce the obscure native varietal Limniona, which was nearly extinct due to the phylloxera epidemic a century prior.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Pale golden hue with bright yellow flashes. Inviting aromas of pineapple and fresh cut melon. The palate is bright and brimming with luscious, tropical fruit flavors of mango and papaya. It shows a graceful intensity, driven by vibrant acidity and a core of underripe stone fruit. The texture is more expansive than expected for an unoaked white. The finish is long, minerally and tapering—making it the perfect summertime sipper.

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Fun, young, this wine is a great aperitif expressing the varietals of three ancient Sicilian vines: Grillo, Insolia and Grecanico. On the nose the wine opens with notes of ripe white fruit given by Inzolia, together with fresher and more floral aromas given by Grillo, to finish with spicy notes coming from Grecanico. Even on the palate, Grillo gives structure and acidity, Inzolia sweetness and softness and Grecanico returns to the aroma with its typical spiciness.

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A Quarterly Red Cellar Trio Wine Club Selection
Deep burgundy with magenta flashes. Inviting aromas of fresh blueberry, blackberry jam, laced with baking spices. The palate shows gobs of blackberry, blue fruits and red plum. This hearty red is the perfect pairing for your next summer BBQ. This is the first time we've bottled our own wine in 4 years—and it’s dangerously delicious!

For this wine, 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes from 20-year-old vines were hand harvested and gently whole-cluster pressed in a horizontal, pneumatic press, with the juice fed to tanks via gravity. The must was fermented by indigenous yeasts and aged on the fine lees in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks, the goal being to preserve Sauvignon Blanc’s naturally vibrant aromas and flavors. Aromas of crushed oyster shells, tallow fruit and citrus. Wonderful texture with bright flavors of stone fruit, underripe guava, Mirabelle plum, grapefruit pith and cantaloupe rind. The long, juicy finish is supported by a slightly chalky minerality and a hint of flint.

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Time for a little candor, folks. We truly feel sorry for wine drinkers who claim to ONLY, EVER, drink "dry" wines. They are denying themselves the unabashed, pure, sensual hedonism of lovely wines like fine Moscato d'Asti. Charming, sweet but hardly cloying, frizzante, gorgeously aromatic. What is not to like??

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A Quarterly Red Cellar Trio Wine Club Selection
A full-time side hustle, Gondak Cellars was established by Will Gondak in 2015 to focus on producing elegant, small lot wines that highlight the unique features of each vineyard involved. According to Will, it is all about the vineyard. "The potential quality of a wine is created in the vineyard. It is the winemaker's task to guide the expression of that quality and to shape the style of wine. This might technically be a one-person show but there are too many influences, teachers, and experiences to list that all come into play. It's a collective effort."

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We are often asked for an old world (meaning Europe) wine that has a little bit of funk, or earthiness to its flavor profile. This fine Gamay from the mountainous Valle d'Aosta region of northern Italy fits the bill The Grosjean family traces its roots back to the village of Fornet in the high mountain passes of the Valle d’Aosta known as Valgrisenche where they raised cattle. During the summer months, the family cultivated grapes and chestnuts on the slopes at lower altitude, stocking up on wine to supply themselves over the long winters.

Provence in California?? With just a little bit of imagination, indeed!

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Producer notes ~ "For 2021, the blend is comprised of roughly 48% Dolcetto, 48% Barbera, and 4% Nebbiolo and a bit of Freisa. The fruit comes from Fox Hill Vineyard and Lost Hills Ranch. Fox Hill lends depth while Lost Hills balances with vibrancy and bright aromatics. In the end, Mendocino is what is most on display with high and low tones and a very pleasant rusticity.

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A blend of 92% Chenin Blanc, 5% Chardonnay and 3% Semillon, sourced from the Kiona Estate (97%) and Artz Vineyard (3%); this wine was fermented and aged in a combination of stainless steel (92%) and new and “neutral” barrels for two months. Layered aromas of stone fruit, honey, pears and garden flowers. Beautiful palate with flavors of white peaches, Bartlett pears and ripe yellow apples. A delightful, fruit-driven white wine with an ample finish and a mouth-watering acid backbone.

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A Seasonal Rosé Club Selection
Light pink peach hue. Very aromatic, with scents of ripe red berries and a hint of chalk. The palate is juicy and fruity, with flavors of red fruit, orange peel, thyme and chalky minerals. Bright acidity and a long, fruit-laced finish. Just delicious!

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Dark ruby. Bright and juicy iteration of Aglianico, with a lot of fruit persistence. Ripe flavors of black raspberry, red plum and Bing cherry, with a touch of cocoa powder, and a hint of iron typical of the variety. The finish is clean and fresh. Very approachable, and a terrific value too!

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Owners Pete and Terri Kight have had a life-long personal interest in wine, and the nature of grape growing, leading them on a perpetual quest for wines with a sense of place. They own both La Follette and Quivera wineries. Under the leadership of Pete and Terri, La Follette produces distinguished vineyard-designated and appellation Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that take their voice from the sites in which they are grown. 

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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
The 2021 Les Hauts du Vallon rosé is a blend of 62% Mourvèdre, 22% Grenache and 16% Cinsault. The grapes were harvested, sorted and destemmed by hand to avoid harsh tannins. The fruit was then transferred to a pneumatic press where the juice was first allowed to free-flow into a temperature-controlled stainless-steel tank before a gentle pressing. Following alcoholic fermentation, the wine underwent a lengthy vatting period of between 20 and 30 days to allow the young wine to truly come into its own.

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This is a true "orange wine" with an amber hue, the compelling qualities typical of the style, and none of the flaws that orange wines sometimes display. It is deliciously intense, with hints of orange rind, dried stone fruit, and a long, textured finish. Like many wines that are made with extended skin contact, Naranjo shows a little bit of tannin. It is made from Torontel, which is apparently a little used synonym for Torrontes. It was aged for 9 months on the skins in concrete eggs, and is easily one of the best orange wines we have encountered. - Peter Granoff, MS