If you haven't heard about the spectacular wines Tim Mondavi's sons, Carlo and Dante are making from Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, you need to get to know them now. Actually, they make such limited quantities there won't be enough bottles to go around so we can only hope for a higher allocation of future vintages.

The Biale family has been growing Zinfandel along with other produce on their Napa Valley farm since 1937. They sold most of their grapes to Napa wineries but always reserved a smaller amount so Aldo Biale could make wine for his family and friends. An enterprising young lad, Aldo started selling his homemade wine and adding it to his local deliveries of eggs and produce. Since the rural family telephone was a party line where other people could listen in, Aldo instructed them to use the code word “Black Chicken” if they wanted to order his jug wine.

The Biale family has been growing Zinfandel along with other produce on their Napa Valley farm since 1937. They sold most of their grapes to Napa wineries but always reserved a smaller amount so Aldo Biale could make wine for his family and friends. This Zinfandel comes from old vine vineyards scattered throughout the North Coast. Bright fruit on the nose leads into juicy darker berry on the palate with dusty tannin. Great for barbecue and on its own!

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Ryme is one of several producers making delicious, zesty Vermentino with fruit from Las Brisas Vineyard in Carneros at top of San Pablo Bay. We poured this wine as part of a recent Flight Night at Mission Bay and it was a big hit.

This classically styled Etna Rosso from Tenuta Terre Nere is a blend of 95% Nerello Mascalese and 5% Nerello Cappuccio that was aged for 16 months in large French oak casks and one month in stainless steel. It is probably one of the more consistently delicious wines from Mount Etna with pretty floral, peppery aromas, well toned ripe red fruit flavors on the medium bodied palate and a mineral, lightly tannic yet still silky finish.

One of our "go-to" white wines for casual week-day meals or when you are expecting a crowd ~ not an option right now, we know . . .

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Are you one of those wine drinkers who still believes all Rieslings are sweet? Well, guess again. Pale yellow hue. Inviting aromas of apricot, citrus and wet stone. The palate is vibrant and juicy, with flavors of underripe apricot and yellow peach, Cara Cara orange and a kiss of jasmine. Beautifully focused, with great acidity and plenty of texture. A stunning example of a classic dry Riesling.

Consistency is key for sixth-generation winemaker Yves Leccia, who year after year bottles some of the most chiseled, sumptuous Corsican whites with Burgundy-like precision. His Patrimonio blanc, from the stony E Croce plateau, is bright and luminous, with hints of white grapefruit, acacia flowers, and fragrant maquis herbs. You’ll taste the salty sea breeze in this wine, so seafood is an obvious pairing, but so are spring vegetables like white asparagus, fava beans, and watercress salad with peas and mint.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
A Clarete—a blend of red and white grapes— Mas Que Vinos’ 5/4 is made from a selection of 50-year-old bush vines grown on limestone and clay soils, and is a blend of 40% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 20% Airen and 20% Malvar. The four varieties were all hand harvested and co-fermented with spontaneous whole cluster fermentation and élevage in amphora. Bright garnet with a hint of magenta. Aromas of crushed red berries and herbes de Provence. The palate is bright, juicy and grapey; with flavors of tart blackberry, currant and red plum skins, mingled with white pepper and a touch of resin. Nicely balanced, with juicy acidity and a bit of balancing tannin on the finish.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Bright yellow. Intense aromas of stone fruit, pear and honeysuckle. The palate is intense and multilayered, with tart flavors of peach, nectarine, lemon, pineapple and passion fruit. Beautiful texture, with a graceful acid backbone artfully balanced against a subtle earthiness, and a prominent, chalky minerality on the jasmine-laced finish.

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A Seasonal Rosé Club Selection
Bright copper pink. Enticing aromas of red berries, rhubarb and chalk. The palate is fresh and clean with crisp acidity, showing ripe red fruits, blood orange, lemon peel and a lovely herbal note. The finish is long and juicy, with a hint of spice and a burst of chalky minerality on the finish. 100% Cabernet Franc. The grapes were manually harvested and direct pressed to tank for fermentation, followed by a short period of aging on the lees. The finished wine was bottled early to preserve its fresh fruit flavors.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Deep, dark ruby hue. Inviting aromas of juicy, red and black fruit and garrigue. The palate is fresh and young, with prominent flavors of black and red cherry, blackberry and currant. Medium bodied, with plenty of fruit, and a solid acid backbone balanced with moderate tannins through the finish.

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A Quarterly Red Cellar Trio Wine Club Selection
Deep, dark red. Multifaceted aromas of red fruit, pine, pepper and savory herbs. The palate is surprisingly bright, with red fruits, dried mushroom and plum. Medium-bodied with dusty tannins and a touch of toasted oak. Cellaring Recommendation: 3 – 5 years.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
The estate, owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family since the early 1800s, was originally dedicated to the cultivation of wheat and cotton. Around 1920 the first vineyards were planted, and the family started to produce wine. From 1960 when Giuseppe Polizzotti took over the management of the estate, the annual harvest had been shared amongst the local wine cooperatives; but in 1995 he decided to stop and produce an estate wine—Fondo Antico was born.

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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
Ippolito is one of the oldest continuous viticulture sites in Calabria, established over 175 years ago by Vincenzo Ippolito in 1845 in the comune of Cirò. AŒter World War I Don Vincenzo Ippolito, wishing to continue his grandfather’s legacy, returned to build the first modern wine cellar in Cirò, and over the years the wine industry began to really flourish in the area. Following in their father’s footsteps, Vincenzo’s two sons, Antonio and Salvatore Ippolito, implemented new and modern viticulture techniques.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
Pale straw yellow. Exotic floral aromas mingle with stone fruit and chalky minerality. The palate shows layers of Asian pear, yellow apple, citrus zest, guava and yellow dragon fruit. Bright with mouthwatering acidity and a touch of crushed minerals through the juicy finish.

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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
A Ramato style (Pinot Grigio can have a bit of color in tyhe skins), 100% Pinot Grigio from 15 – 35-year-old vines, hand-harvested. A£ter a 48-hour cold maceration, the grapes were gently pressed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless-steel tanks. The resulting wine was aged for 6 months on the lees in stainless steel, with subsequent bottle maturation of at least a month before release. Pale rose-gold hue. Complex scents of candied orange peel, pineapple and lemon peel, with a touch of yeast and spice. The palate is citrus driven with a rich mouthfeel, offering juicy tropical fruit and melon flavors with bright acidity and a salty mineral note on the phenolic finish.

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Born and raised in Colombia, Bibiana González Rave had little exposure to wine culture. At the time, wine was not part of everyday life in her native country—it was considered a luxury item to enjoy only on special occasions. She would sip from her father’s glass and became fascinated by the nuances of wine. By the age of 14, she knew she would become a winemaker—the only question was how to get there.

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Perched on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Marlborough has approximately 23,600 hectares of vines, the majority of which are found in the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. The valley surrounding the Awatere River was carved out by ancient glaciers leaving rich alluvial deposits that give the wines a distinct minerality and flintiness. The Vavasour family have had roots in the Awatere Valley since 1887 and pioneered commercial grape growing and winemaking in the region. Peter and Anna Vavasour planted the first vines in the Dashwood district in 1986 and founded the first winery in the area.

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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
Bright copper hue. Fragrant, with heady, floral aromatics. The palate is very fresh and fruit-forward, with flavors of ripe strawberry, guava and a hint of sweet herbs. Bright and juicy, this charming wine is perfectly suited for sunny, spring afternoon with friends or a quiet summer dinner al fresco.

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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
Pale rose gold hue. Delicate aromas of citrus and sweet green herbs. Bright and mouthwatering, with layered flavors of tart red cherry, cantaloupe, blood orange and grapefruit, and notes of fresh sage, thyme and cumin spice. A more textural style of rose with a charming savory component and a juicy, lip-smacking finish. 
 

Aromas of lemon zest, and apricot, along with kiwi, citrus blossom and a hint of fresh cut green grass on the palate, combine with a mouthwatering acidity that results in a crisp, elegant wine.

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This single vineyard Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc way over-delivers for the price. Highly aromatic and easy drinking, this would even be perfect for the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc lover. It is a style that we find enormously appealing. Certfied organic in the vineyard.

This attractive, fruity and light wine is classic, just slighty spritzy Vinho Verde. Its citrus sherbet flavor is lifted by bright acidity and a fine, zesty texture. The blend is three traditional varieties, Arinto, Azal, and Trajadura. 11.5% ABV.

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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
Pale peach-colored hue. Aromas of dried raspberries and pink grapefruit peel. The medium bodied palate shows flavors of red berries, sour orange, citrus pith and roses. Nicely balanced acid, with a solid mineral core and a touch of spice on the finish.

The philosophy of Le Marchesine is mainly focused on technological innovation. It's no coincidence that the farm boasts a more than ten-year relationship with a real institution of the Champagne region, the Champagne Oenological Institute, of which the oenologist of Le Marchesine is a member. "Nitens" is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco & Pinot Noir. If youy are not familar with Franciacorta as a category of classic method sparkling wine, this is a fine introduction.

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From the talented Thomas Rivers Brown, this expansive red is full-bodied, rich and satisfying. The blend is 70% 2019 Zinfandel from Atlas Peak and Mountain Peak, and 30% 2020 Petite Sirah from Palisades Vineyard. That means putting a vintage on the label was not an option, but honestly - who cares? When a wine is this delicious, it shouldn't matter.

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It is not easy to make truly enjoyable wine without alcohol, but the series from Johannes Leitz are among the best we have found. Producer Notes ~ "Our newest family member is the ZERO-POINT-FIVE Pinot Noir non-alcoholic - an (almost) real red wine experience without alcohol. We are very proud to be able to add this quality to our range and with the ZP5 we offer real drinking pleasure without regrets. Intense red berry fruit emerges from the glass and offers juicy cherry aromas on the palate. A very harmonious red wine alternative with nuances of ripe berries, fine black cherries and hints of currants. The ZERO-POINT-FIVE Pinot Noir is suitable for a wide variety of dishes and does not immediately reveal that the alcohol is missing. Very impressive! Enjoy life - alcohol-free!"

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This delicious Cremant d'Alsace from Allimant-Laugner is by far our top selling wine in the history of this company. And for good reason. You simply cannot beat the quality for value in the world of sparkling wine. 100% Pinot Noir with all its wonderful aromas and flavors of bright cherry and juicy strawberry with excellent balancing acidity.

The 100% Glera (AKA Prosecco) comes from the chalky, clay hills between 150 & 200 meters elevation. Garbèl, which in the ancient local dialect means a dry, crisp, pleasantly tart wine, is produced in the north of the Treviso province, not far from the Valdobbiadene DOCG area.

The classic Brut Champagne from Billecart-Salmon with great balance and a pleasantly rounded, cool texture. Billecart-Salmon was founded in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon in the village of Mareuil-Sur-Ay. 

One of the most widely known and appreciated Champagnes in the world and always consistently delicious. Bollinger owns 164 hectares of vineyards in Grand and Premier Cru villages in the Vallée de la Marne, mostly planted to Pinot Noir with smaller quantities of Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, but they are technically not an RM as they also buy in fruit from other growers.

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The thing about Champagne is that a celebration just isn't the same without it…and there is no higher form of celebratory wine than Krug. While many of the huge Champagne houses have their most special cuvée (think Dom Perignon, or La Grande Dame), most of those producers spend more time cranking out oceans of predictable and sometimes boring bubbles. At Krug all they do is make special cuvées, and there is never much of any of them. Krug doesn't have big brands that show up for bargain prices at the grocery store. It hasn't turned up in any rap videos, but it doesn't need to; Krug is the best of the best. Period. - Peter Granoff