Hello, Feastlings.
We periodically host a tasting with the theme, “trust your importer.” It’s an effort to get you to take a look at the bottle you’re unsure of and take a chance based on the fact that, while you may not know the producer of the wine, you trust the company that imports it. This month, Rory O’Rear joins us from Empty Glass. We first started working with Empty Glass several years ago, when I stumbled across some fascinating Eastern European wines at a restaurant in Phoenix and fell in love with them. Empty Glass is larger now, and more committed than ever to offering not just the intriguing Slovenian and Croatian wines that first lured me their way, but natural, unmanipulated wines, some from here in the US as well as from various locales around the world. Rory brings with him five delicious wines plus a Chinato (you’ll see what that means) and a wealth of knowledge about them. The wines will be paired with tasty snacks, and for a mere $30 plus tax and tip you’ll learn something, share a glass with friends, eat a few bites that are meant to go with the wines, and get a discount on the ones that capture your fancy. If you’d like to join us this Sunday, May 29, at 3:30, give us a call at 326-9363, as web and email reservations won’t guarantee you a seat. Please do join us.
Back to Nature
2011 Kosovec “Selekcija”Skrlet, Moslavina $20.00
There are only 60 hectares of the grape Skrlet in the world and they are all on Ivan Kosovec’s estate. His revival of the long forgotten table grape was done with an eye towards sustainability and working by hand. No chemicals are added to this wine, which smells of flowers and spices and has a bracing acidity and mineral freshness.
2015 Oyster River Villager White, America $13.00
The grape varietals Seyval Blanc (a non-vitas vinifera varietal) and Cayuga are very rare to find anywhere, let alone in the US. They are sourced organically from Finger Lakes, NY and vinified naturally in Rockland, Maine. If you have ever wondered what New England terroir tastes like, this is it and it is striking – aromatic, slightly off-dry and beautifully crisp.
2015 Living Wines Collective “Populis” Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino $20.00
Mendocino County is not known for making austere, cool climate European style wines. But that is exactly what Living Wines Collective, a group of young people trained in Burgundy and Loire Valley, are all about. This particular SB is reminiscent of regions like Touraine with its powerful minerality, mouth-tingling acidity and grassy herbal qualities.
2014 Damien Coquelet Chiroubles (Gamay) $25.00
Stepson to legendary Beaujolais producer Georges Descombes, Damien makes younger and wilder expressions of Beaujolais that are no less intriguing or expertly crafted. His Chiroubles is a high altitude, fruit forward, light bodied wine with excellent minerality and strong spine to back it up. Organic, hand harvested, native yeasts, zero sulphur added, no cellar intervention.
2013 Escoda “Nas del Gegant,”Conca de Barberá $26.00
Joan Escoda is the picture of the radical biodynamic winemaker. His wines have a cultish appeal now due to their small quantities, hands off approach, and unique characteristics. No sulphur is ever added to any of Escoda’s wines , and this amphora-aged blend of Garnatxa, Samso, Cab Franc, Merlot and Tempranillo is no exception. It is funky, fruity, juicy and spicy with exceptional depth.
2014 Vergano “Luli” Vermouth Chinato (500 ml) $48.00
The grandson of bartender Giulio Cocchi (founder of Cocchi vermouths), ex-chemist Mauro Vergano still picks all of the chinoto oranges and peels them by hand for his beautiful line of chinati. This particular chinato is made from a base of natural moscato d’asti and blended with his proprietary mixture of spices and citrus.