Beer

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Blackberry Farm Brett Fruit Blend $21

 

Blackberry Farm is known for its top quality experiences and this beer is consistent with that effort.  Nestled in the hills of the Smokey Mountain Range outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, it was Sam Beall’s dream to produce world-class Farmhouse Ales from local and natural ingredients.  Sadly, the hospitality world tragically lost Sam in February 2016, but his legacy and spirit continues on with his many projects. This beer is testimony to his pursuit of excellence.  

 

A golden farmhouse ale fermented with brettanomyces and aged in French oak red wine barrels. The addition of pineapple and mango during fermentation lend pleasant notes of bright citrus fruit that complement the slightly tart, earthy, and complex flavors of the base beer.

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Rosé

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2016 Il Poggione, 'Brancato’ Rosato, Tuscany, Italy $26

 

One of the original three Italian wine producers of Brunello di Montalcino, Tenuta Il Poggione was founded in the late 1800’s by Lavinio Franceschi, a man whose dedication, to the land, and the Sangiovese grape, is still admired today.  One of Montalcino’s largest wineries, Tenuta Il Poggione covers an area of 600 hectares, 125 planted under vine, 70 planted to olive trees and the rest open space and woods.

 

‘Brancato’ Rosato (Rosé in Italian) is one of the newest wines from Il Poggione crafted from 100% Sangiovese. It is crisp and fresh on the palate with a pleasant roundness that pairs perfectly with fresh produce.  A delicate floral and red berry bouquet brings you to a palate full of red cherry, citrus, raspberry, strawberry and spice.

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White

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2014 Ferdinand Albarino Luna Vista Vineyard, Borden Ranch AVA, Lodi, California $32

 

Evan Frazier started the Ferdinand label in 2010 with just 56 cases of Albariño. Introduced to winemaking in 2006 by Abe Schoener of the Scholium Project, that year Evan worked his first harvest, in the Roussillon (Maury, France), with ancient Carignan and Grenache vines. Ferdinand is made in the Kongsgaard cellar on Atlas Peak (Napa, CA) where Evan is the General Manager and Assistant Winemaker for Kongsgaard Wines and has worked with John Kongsgaard since 2008.

 

2014 Ferdinand Albarino is sourced solely from the the Vista Luna Vineyard, owned by Markus Bokisch.  Markus, probably the foremost authority on growing Spanish varieties in California, decided to plant the vineyard after beginning his career carefully farming some of the best vines in Napa. Markus, whose family is from Spain, looked to those roots when he decided to plant Albariño, Tempranillo, Garnacha Blanca, Verdelho, and Graciano (he even smuggled in a special massale selection of Albariño from its native Galicia, Spain.) Vista Luna's site, far to the north-east of Lodi, is in the rolling bench-land at the edge of the Sierra foothills. What makes it really unique is its cobbled, rocky soil and the cooling breezes which blow from the Delta to the Sierras.

 

A light gold color, balanced and attractively fragrant, this wine is savory and floral  with orange peel, lime zest, lemongrass, quince and grapefruit aromas and flavors. Lees aging in neutral oak gives the wine finesse, sophistication, and a hint of nuttiness – a pleasing complement to the variety’s balance of natural acidity, slight bitterness, and salty finish.

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2016 Domaine Sigalas, Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece $49

 

Paris Sigalas began Domaine Sigalas out of his home in 1991. Widely considered to be the top producer in Santorini, Sigalas masterfully crafts wines that are bewitching in their expression of terroir and minerality.  Furthermore, Sigalas is a pioneer in organic viticulture and universally praised for his skill with Assyrtiko, a white varietal indigenous to Santorini.

 

The island of Santorini has one of the most unique terroirs in the world formed in part by one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in human history. Around 1600 BC, a massive volcanic eruption took place on the island creating a tidal wave of magma claiming the lives of millions around the Mediterranean crescent. Thought to be the most powerful volcanic event in the last 10,000 years, the eruption is estimated to have been fifty thousand times as powerful as the Hiroshima bomb. As a result, the soil of Santorini, known as aspa, is comprised of pumice stone, volcanic ash, lava rocks, and sand. The high content of sand found in the soil makes Santorini one of the rare winemaking areas in the world not attacked by phylloxera allowing the vines to retain their original rootstock.  Strong winds and persistent sun are another characteristic of the terroir of Santorini and in order to protect the grapes, vines are trained in low basket shapes called “ampelies” locally forming a unique pruning system.

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Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko is straw blond in color with light shades of green and a delicate nose bursting with citrus fruit and white blossoms. Excellent depth of flavor and acidity, the wine is fresh and light with high mineral tones characteristic of grape and place.
 

2014 Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire 'Bournais' Loire Valley, France $56

 

Domaine Francois Chidaine was established in 1989 by Francois Chidaine across the river from Vouvray in Montlouis. It’s a fairly sizeable domaine, totalling 37 hectares, including 20 in Montlouis, 10 in Vouvray and 7 in Touraine.  The estate has vines between 40 and 80 years old, all certified Biodynamic but none 0f his labels will say as much. For Francois, it is about the work not the notoriety. He is a true champion of the Chenin Blanc grape and touts its ability to produce vibrant wines that age gracefully. Francois is happiest on his tractor or with his hands in the dirt, but being among his barrels is a close second.

 

Montlouis is a 400 hectares appellation which was granted AOC status in 1937 (Prior to that all wines made in Montlouis were labeled Vouvray). Unlike most of Montlouis, which is on clay and flint, this 4-hectare vineyard (planted in 1998) lies on a pocket of clay and Bournais limestone, from which it takes it's name. It's a beautiful site, certainly one of Montlouis' fines and it produces an altogether more 'Vouvray' expression of Montlouis with a powdery, chalky structure that clearly reflects its soils and location. The power and opulence of this wine is equally balanced by the chalky vibration (the kind you might find in a great Blanc de Blancs) that runs the length of the palate and dominates the finish.

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Red

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2015 Le Cantine di Indie, 'Polpo Rosso' Nerello Mascalese, Sicily $28

 

Le Cantine di Indie was born from the loyalty and devotion that importer, Indie Wineries, has for the producers they represent as well as the need and request for wines that were priced for the people.

 

In order to create these Indie Cuvées, Indie Wineries then turned to the people: their producers. As the founder of Indie Wineries, Summer Wolff, states “Loyalty weighs more than gold in our minds, and we wanted to first and foremost keep it all in the family.” Summer found wine studying in Florence, Italy during her Junior year of college at CU Boulder and has passionately devoted her life to it ever since.  

 

Indie Cuvées are crafted from wine their producers would normally sell in bulk, secondary labels that don’t leave their local area, and in some instances if quantities don’t allow for them to use all their own fruit, will source both fruit and juice from trusted colleagues, friends and neighbors.

 

Polpo Rosso is from a family wine estate established in 1730 on the island of Sicily.  Crafted from Nerello Mascalese grown close to Palermo on the other side of the island from Mt Etna, this wine is a different expression of this beautiful and delicate variety. Crafted in stainless steel, this wine is light bodied but vibrant with delicate floral aromas and lots of juicy flavors of strawberries and raspberries with nuances of spice.  

 

2016 Division-Villages, "Les Petits Fers' Gamay Noir, Oregon $39

 

Division Winemaking Company was founded in 2010 by Thomas and Kate Monroe, after a wonderful and educational period living at Kate's family cottage in the Loire Valley, studying winemaking and viticulture. Together Tom and Kate produce small batch wines focused on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Gamay Noir from sustainably farmed vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley of Oregon. Influenced by the couple’s passion for old world wines and inspired by the wineries of Loire, Beaujolais and Burgundy regions of France, the wines have higher acid structure, less extraction and modest alcohol. 

 

Tom and Kate founded the Southeast Wine Collective in August 2012 in the vibrant Division-Clinton neighborhood of metro Portland - an emerging hub for the area's food and libations culture. They thought it fitting to name their brand after landing on Division Street: "It's the French thing to do - name your business with the piece of land you're from."

 

The Gamay Noir grape, which hails from the Beaujolais region and also flourishes in the Loire Valley, is witnessing a rapid popularization in growth in the U.S. over recent years. The majority of their “Les Petits Fers” Gamay comes from three vineyards in the Eola Amity Hills, a part of the Willamette Valley, known typically as one of the coolest and wettest major wine growing regions in the U.S. The mix of soils is mostly volcanic clay with some marine sedimentary overlay, especially at the lower elevations.

 

Tom and Kate fell hard for the Carbonic Maceration fermentation technique while learning about and making wine in the Beaujolais region of France and began experimenting with the technique during their first few vintages in Oregon. Carbonic Maceration involves fermenting the wines fully on the stems in a closed vessel that is initially inundated with carbon dioxide that macerates the grape skins by mostly using the co2 to enzymatically extract color, phenolics and flavors. They utilized this traditional Beaujolais technique for much of the “Les Petits Fers” Gamay Noir except with Rebecca’s Vineyard which was fermented without the stems as a more traditional red fermentation This allowed them to create a balance between the fruity carbonic wine with nuanced and vibrant traditional wine.

 

This wine demonstrates classic Gamay sensibilities, with intense strawberries and raspberries, black pepper, a distinct carbonic texture, and rose petals on nose. The palate is mineral rich and intense in mixed berries, with exotic spiced tea notes and plenty of structure and cheer.
 

2015 Laura Lorenzo, 'Azos de Vila' Roja, Ribeira Sacra, Spain $59

 

Perhaps only once every few generations, a pioneering new winegrower completely redefines how their region is understood and appreciated by the global wine world. Laura Lorenzo is that winegrower.  Her fascination with wine began when she was but a child and at the age of 16 she left high school and enrolled in a local enology school.  Upon graduation she worked locally and abroad and after her various apprenticeships, Laura took over the reins at Dominio do Bibei, a pioneering producer of fine wine in the Quiroga-Bibei subzone of Ribeira Sacra. Laura worked there for 10 years developing a style of winemaking that was fine-tuned to the hillsides of the region.  In 2014, she struck out on her own, and with the help of her chef/artist partner Alvaro Dominguez formed Daterra Viticultores.

 

Daterra Viticultores is comprised of 4.5 hectares of rented and owned vineyards, the majority of which  are 80-120 years old.  The most southeast of the 5 Ribeira Sacra subzones, the Quiroga-Bibei terroir is also one of the most diverse. The landscape is rugged and sparse, with steep terraced and un-terraced vineyards overlooking the Bibei, Jares, and Navea rivers. Here the climate of the Atlantic intertwines with warm continental influences.  In the lowest elevation vineyards, the vegetation and climate seems almost Mediterranean, with olive trees and herbs such as lavender and thyme growing wild. Granite is the dominant soil type, complimented by slate, clay, gneiss and sand.

 

Azos de Vila comes from the village of Manzaneda, where there are very old mixed plantings of 80-120 years old, with the oldest vines planted on their own rootstock. This cuvee is a field blend of Mouraton, Mencia, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Gran Negro, etc. The grapes were destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts in old, open-top French oak barrels, then raised for 11 months in a mix of used 225 and 500 liter barrels. Deep purple in color, this is a fresh yet complex red wine with a rustic streak. Wild brambly fruit, earthy spice and velvety yet firm structure perfect for food pairing.