
Pairings for July 4 at Red Wagon Organic Farm:
White
Eyrie Vineyards 2013 Pinot Gris—Where would we be without Eyrie Vineyards? Founded in 1966 by David Lett and his wife, this historical Oregon winery produced their first vintage in 1970. They were the first to produce Pinot Gris in the US, and the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley (against the advice of UC Davis' enology department). This is a luscious wine that will make you forget Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are one and the same. Aromas of pear, melon, orchard fruit, and spice burst from the glass. Look for citrus and tree fruit with a touch of minerality on the medium bodied palate. There is enough acidity retained to leave a fresh, long finish. Eyrie always strives to make a very nuanced and balanced wine and this is a perfect example of their style. $35.98
Goisot 2012 St. Bris Corps de Garde—Burgundy is a region I love and hate. I love the wines, the expressions of the simple Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. I hate the ever increasing prices. In search of better bargains, look to the outskirts of the region. This wine is from St. Bris, which is located near Chablis. Interestingly enough, wines from St. Bris are only allowed to use the Sauvignon Blanc grape, in stark contrast to the rest of Burgundy. The Goisot family is practicing biodynamic, and I have found all of their wines to offer great value. This wine comes from two small plots of the ancient Fié Gris grape, an ancestor to the modern Sauvignon. After hand harvesting, the grapes are pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel at cooler temperatures. Aging occurs in tank. Look for the signature aromas of Sauvignon in yellow fruits, citrus, and mineral. On the palate, look for a richness of extraction and a medium body, with citrus, herbs, and minerality. If you like Sancerre or Pouilly Fume, this is similar yet different at the same time. $37.98
Avanthia 2013 Godello, Spain—Godello isn't yet a well known grape, but it will be! This grape finds its home in northwestern Spain, and tends to make a fuller bodied wine with some real weight and texture. I tried this wine and was blown away by the similarity to a much more expensive White Burgundy. This is a very serious example of Godello, with pretty tree fruit aromatics, which continue through to the palate. Oak aging is employed in moderation, adding to the weight and power of this bottle. But it is the acidity owning to a cool growing climate that really makes this bottle sing and gives it a great versatility in paring with food. $46.98
Red
Sottimano 2014 Maté—While quality has always been high at Sottimano, it was the exceptionally well received 2006 vintage that really put them on the international radar. This estate in Piedmont, Italy is committed to organic viticulture, and they produce a range of Barbaresco single vineyard wines as well as some fun and interesting wines from local indigenous grapes, such as this one. This wine is made of the grape Brachetto, which is normally used to make a slightly sweet sparkling red wine. In this case, the wine is fermented dry and there is no sparkle at all. Produced from 35 year old vines, the grapes are fermented by indigenous yeast with the skins for 8 days before pressing. The resultant wine is aged in stainless steel for 8 months, before being bottle without fining or filtration. With a bright ruby color, aromatics are the key to this wine. Spices, rose petals, fresh herbs, cherries, honey... the list goes on. A medium bodied wine with lower tannin and a fair amount of acidity make this wine a great pairing with appetizers and lighter entrees. $29.98
F. X. Barc 2010 Bourgueil 'Les Collis’—François Xavier Barc used to be the winemaker at the prestigious Domaine Charles Joguet. In 2010, he had the opportunity to start out on his own and was able to use contacts he'd made to source the finest fruits from many single vineyard parcels throughout the central Loire valley. He currently produces wines from appellations including Saint-Nicholas de Bourgueil and Montlouis-sur-Loire. The grapes for this wine are sourced from a single vineyard and are grown on clay and gravel soil. This 100% Cabernet Franc is spicy, with red fruit, blackberry, and a lush, velvety tannin finish. $33.98
Il Colle 2012 Rosso di Montalcino—While many know the joys of Brunello, that most exquisite Tuscan example of the Sangiovese grape in action, many are also familiar with how pricey Brunellos often get. In many cases Brunello’s younger brother, the Rosso di Montalcino, can be a terrific and amazingly affordable stand-in. Typically the second wine from each estate is released slightly earlier, and is sometimes made from younger vines, but other than that the same expertise brought to the high-end wine is also applied lovingly to these approachable and delicious younger wines. We recently discovered this fantastically delicate example from a very small family producer. It shows notes of raspberries, plums, currants and cherries with hints of iris, lavender, violet, licorice, myrtle and rhubarb. An incredibly complex wine with all the definition of a Brunello, but for half the cost! $38.98
Andy Rose of the Boulder Wine Merchant has chosen wines to accompany our menu. There is more than one wine available for each course to allow you to choose the wine or wines that best suit your taste and budget. These wines are available for purchase from the Boulder Wine Merchant, and will be delivered to you at the table. Wine purchases are limited to one bottle per guest in the party. A small delivery and handling fee has been added to the retail price of the bottle.
For insurance reasons, guests may not bring their own alcoholic beverages to a farm dinner.
The deadline for purchasing wine for the Red Wagon Farm Dinner is
8 PM on Friday, July 3.
Beer
Dogfish Head Festina Pêche—A refreshing neo-Berliner Weisse, Festina Peche is available only during the summer months. Sadly, there are only a few breweries left in Berlin still brewing the Berliner Weisse style, which is characterized by its intense tartness (some say sour). There were once over 70 breweries in Berlin alone making this beer! In addition to fermentation with an ale yeast, Berliner Weisse is traditionally fermented with lactic cultures to produce its acidic (or green apple-like) character. Served as an apertif or summertime quencher, Festina is delicately hopped and has a pale straw color. To soften the intense sourness, Berliner Weisse is traditionally served with a dash of essence of woodruff or raspberry syrup. In Festina Peche, since the natural peach sugars are eaten by the yeast, the fruit complexity is woven into both the aroma and the taste of the beer so there is no need to doctor it with woodruff or raspberry syrup. Just open and enjoy! Please note this is one 12 oz bottle. $3.98
Rosé
Patrick Bottex NV “La Cueille” Bugey-Cerdon Méthode Ancestrale—Bugey is one of the best-kept secrets in France. It is the geographical crossroads of the Savoie, Jura, Burgundy, and the Rhône. Cerdon is one of three crus within the appellation of Bugey and is the only one whose entire production is sparkling wine. La Cueille is one of seven villages surrounding the medieval town of Ponsin. Patrick and Catherine Bottex have been working five hectares of land here since 1991 and only produce a few hundred cases of wine. The Bottex blend is generally 90% Gamay, with 10% Poulsard. It is made using Méthode Ancestrale, a rare technique that predates Méthode Champenoise. The wine goes through primary fermentation and is then bottled before all of the residual sugar is converted to alcohol. There is no dosage and the resulting wine is refreshing, bright, sparkling, and pink, with a touch of sweetness depending on the vintage. $38.98