Every couple of months, I get together with a group of friends in the industry that brings a bottle of wine to have dinner together in a BYOB restaurant. The only rule is that you can only bring one bottle of wine, for obvious reasons. It has turned into something of a competition, and some spectacular wines come out from our cellars. Thirteen of us met last week at our new favorite BYOB restaurant, the Theater Café in Worcester. A small unpretentious, hole-in-the-wall next to the Hanover Theater that serves amazing creative foods. During the evening of roast Goose Breast with a cranberry-bourbon demi-glace, we were subjected to high-class Pinot Noirs, stellar Southern Rhône’s, and much more. At one point in the evening, one that I can remember, the conversation turned to the question of why alcohol levels in wine have gotten so high compared to wines of the past. It seems that today the norm for wines is 14% or better, whereas we recall in the past, 12 to 13% were all the rage. A few theories were offered. The leading consensus was the general public wants riper, fruitier, less complex wines, thus more sugar in the grapes, which jacks up the alcohol. Another thought was that global warming causes riper grape growth. A good example is the Champagne region is considering new grape varieties to keep the crisper style of old. Also, never before have grape-growing areas like England are now producing some world-class sparkling wines. Blame it on change in demand or climate change; the result seems to be a plethora of heavy, ponderous, fruit-bomb-style wines of today. One needs to search for complex, ethereal wines that leave your palate clean, ready for the next sip, and not hate yourself the next morning. All I am looking for is a moderate alcohol wine that is clean on the palate with no sugar, made from organically grown clean grapes that taste good. Is that too much to ask?

Let me introduce you to Armorica, a wine region on the western end of the Loire Valley best known for Muscadet. The Romans invaded France some 2,000 years, conquered Gaul under Julius Caesar’s command, and began a centuries-long campaign to “civilize” the tribes of ancient Gaul. During this time of occupation, they built roads, towns and planted vineyards to support this new Roman empire. As they moved north, they discovered a beautiful region in the northwest of Gaul that they called Armorica, after the Gallic word “Armor,” which means the land of the sea. Waves crashing on massive pink granite boulders, dense forests full of wild game, and ancient Celtic burial sites dot the landscape. The area Armorica is located in the heart of what we know today as Brittany in the middle of the Muscadet region of France’s Loire Valley.

This week’s wine offering of Armorica is a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Chardonnay, and 25% Pinot Gris from responsibly farmed vines in southern historical Brittany. Half of the Sauvignon Blanc is harvested early to give the wine citrus zest and mineral components, while the other half is picked later for riper, tropical fruit traits. The Chardonnay works to bring breadth to the palate that elevates the structure of this wine. The Pinot Gris helps this wine finish with tantalizing aromatics. The 60 acres of vines are farmed using organic methods without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. These 20 to 40-year vines are planted in the granite soils of two of the most important cru villages within the Muscadet region, Chateau Thebaud, and Clisson.  

Armorica is a new release wine made by Vincent Liebeau, owner of award-winning wines from the Muscadet region, Lieubeau Family Wines. He partnered Jon-David Headrick, an importer of organic and biodynamic French wines. Together they created this wine that fills the void of lower alcohol, cleanly made wines that are full of flavor. To repeat myself, organically grown grapes, zero sugar, lower calories, and no hangovers. And to top it off, it’s Vegan too. A great wine to indulge yourself in with no repercussions. You have got to try this wine.

We created Armorica as an homage to this wild, raw, and beautiful region. Armorica is a seaside wine that combines the minerality and saline qualities of the Atlantic with the florality of Brittany’s wildflower meadows. It grows on the volcanic soil of southern historical Brittany in the middle of Muscadet and, as such, is a low alcohol, zero sugar white wine of delicious crispness and verve.

Armorica is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris from responsibly-farmed vines in southern historical Brittany. The family who farms this beautiful land has a long history of producing award-winning wines from these ancient slopes. The grapes are farmed using organic methods without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. In short, we believe in taking care of the earth.  

Armorica Val de Loire Blanc

Truth be known, Tim Korby, our Director of Wine, was given a bottle of this wine and fell in love with it. So much so that he bought a pallet of it as an opening order. In his fever of excitement, he had Tim G and myself try the wine so we could share his enthusiasm for how great it is or dash his taste buds to the ground with an honest appraisal. Weren’t we surprised to find we really like this wine a lot. It has the fresh flavors of clean lemon zest with a flinty mineral aspect. Medium mouth-feel, with a mild creamy texture, with hints of pear. A clean, abrupt finish. As we happily kept trying this wine, the complexities kept unraveling, and I realized this is the kind of wine you want to drink all day because there is no fatigue factor. I don’t normally do this, but I highly recommend this wine. Any complaints, address them to Tim Korby.

Regular Price: $17.66

*Sale price is on 6 or more bottles

Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Place your order now with the store contacts above, while you've got all the information at your fingertips.

Cheers!

John Hannum,

Fine & Rare Wine Specialist