Staff Picks - What to Drink This Week
Try these special, staff-selected libations!
2021 Burlotto Langhe Freisa - $29.99
Giovan Battista Burlotto worked as a winemaker for seventy-seven years, and in that time he became world renowned, achieving almost cult-like status. In addition to his accomplishments as a winemaker, he also made history by being the first to sell Barolo in bottle! After G.B. Burlotto's death in 1927, the driving force behind the winery went with him and it wasn’t until his great-grandson Fabio Alessandria took over that the winery was brought back to its former glory. Grown mainly in Piemonte, “Freisa” comes from a dialect word for "strawberry," closer to the French "fraise" and recent DNA profiling revealed that Freisa has a parent-offspring relationship with Nebbiolo. Some Freisa is made in an alternative style that's lighter, softly sweet and slightly fizzy, a very refreshing wine for summer drinking. However Burlotto’s Freisa is fairly rich and deep, with sour cherry, a peppery spice, and tannins that make it perfect for pairing with Osso bucco, grilled mushrooms or venison ragu with polenta. As the cost of Barolo creeps up on us, don't let this sleeper grape from an iconic producer sneak by you!
-Angie
2021 Venturini Valpolicella Classico - $15.99
Venturini Massimino is a small, family owned winery that produces wines using only estate grown fruit with strict adherence toward a tradition that embodies sense of place. This delicious value driven red hails from Valpolicella Classico in the Veneto in Italy and is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. The wine shows aromas of red roses, vanilla, and strawberry. The medium bodied palate has a lively freshness showing cherry and herbal notes. Try this excellent everyday red with Bolognese Lasagna or for pizza night.
-Rob
Lelievre, Brut Leucquois, CĂ´tes de Toul - $22.99
This sparkling wine is perfect for Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day! It is made from 100% Gamay grown in the northerly French region Côtes de Toul, a cool climate with limestone rich soils. Before the 20th century, Côtes de Toul used to be the Easternmost area of Champagne. Champagne's borders were defined in 1907, and afterwards this area became France's best kept secret. Lelievre 'Leucquois' is elegant, organic/biodynamic, and cute as can be! The pink foil and bunny on the label are adorable — and rabbits are a historic symbol of fertility & luck. The Chinese Zodiac says we are in the year of the rabbit, and likewise I am in my year of the "bunny bubbles"!
-Kat
2021 Kumusha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Cape, South Africa - $18.99
Tinashe Nyamudoka is a star not only in the world of black-owned wine brands but also a star on the world stage of wine making, consulting, and judging. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, he moved to Cape Town, South Africa, as a young professional in the restaurant business. Ultimately he rose to the position of Head Sommelier at The Test Kitchen, at the time one of the world's finest restaurants.
In founding his own wine label, he named it Kumusha, which is a Zimbabwean Shona word meaning "Your Home" or "Your Roots". His 2021 vintage Kumusha Cabernet Sauvignon comes from organically farmed grapes, hand picked, and fermentated naturally. Aging was for 12 months in large old French oak barrels. It offers up enticing aromas of red plum and dark roasted coffee. On the palate, flavors of red currant and cherry, with a hint of bitter chocolate, coalesce with solid tannins that are balanced by restrained acidity, lifting the fruit and full flavors to a rounded and lovely finish. Not only is this wine a celebration of the fruits of black-owned wine making, its a celebration of downright delicious wine period, especially when matched with BBQ chicken.
-Patrick
2021 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles - $28.99
Years ago, I had a visit from the National Sales Manager of a Paso Robles Cali winery called DAOU. DAOU is the realized vision of two brothers, Daniel and George Daou. Lebanese by birth, they emigrated first to Paris (irony, as their beloved Beirut was once known as the "Paris of the Middle East) then to Cannes on the Cote Azur. It was here that the seeds (vines?) were planted for the creation of their own wines. After their father moved the family to California and they started and sold a medical tech company, the brothers sought out the land that would provide their vinous dreams. The mountains around Paso Robles proved to be the new "home" for winemaker Daniel and business captain George. The standout wine at the time, oddly called The Pessimist sold like crazy. In most vintages it is a blend of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Syrah and Grenache. Read: juicy and fruit driven without a lot of rough edges. Quaffable if I may be so bold. Delicious with hard cheeses, a BBQ burger, grilled chicken or a good book and hot gossip. With so many Cali red blends either cloyingly sweet or un-Godly expensive, this wine checks all the right boxes. By the way, the DAOU manager somewhat reluctantly informed me that the brothers really want to be known for their more costly, Bordeaux-style wines and not red blends. We also carry their Cabernet Sauvignon, which is quite good too. Can't help loving the "lowly" Pessimist, sorry - NOT!
PS: love the fun saying on the back of the bottle: "a pessimist is never disappointed" Enjoy!
-Bill
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