Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should consider trying!
2017 Robert Sinskey 'Orgia' Pinot Gris, Orange Wine - $50.99
In honor of the inimitable Mr. Sinskey's recent visit to the twin cities, I thought we should take a closer look at one of his offerings. The Orgia, one of the most recent additions to the Sinskey line up, is imbued with Sinskey's spirit and a direct response to 'natty' natural wines. It is deeply personal in every aspect, including a label in the form of sun-embossed blotter paper that is a shout out to an equally iconic bay area resident, the late chemist Owsley Stanley. Sinskey's philosophy presents in the style of the wine itself, fusing the texture and depth of a typical skin fermented wine with impeccable balances and energetic lift present in all of his wines. As with all of the Sinskey wines, the pleasure is in the drinking. you can fret over this wine if you wish or you can just enjoy it. The proof of its quality is right there in the glass.
-David
2020 Monastero Suore Cistercensi Coenobium Bianco - $33.99
It seemed timely that we received our allocation of Coenobium, made by Italian nuns, just in time for Easter. Just 90 minutes or so north of Rome in Lazio, the Sisters of the Cistercian order work vineyards and orchards organically under the guidance of Giampiero Bea, son of one of Italy's most prominent non-interventionist winemakers, Paola Bea. The Sisters are part of an order of monasteries of monks and nuns with origins tracing back to 1098. Theirs is a self-sustaining community, producing not only wine but cheese, beer, spirits, and sweets to make their living while striving to improve viticulture and preserve their land.
Coenobium is made of three white grapes of Lazio; Trebbiano (45%), Malvasia (35%), and Verdicchio (20%) and is left on their skins for a week producing robust yet bright wines with flavors of Almond skin, chamomile and Asian pear. This little gem will pair perfectly with your Easter dishes!
-Angie
2020 Catena 'White Clay' White Blend, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza - $23.99
From Laura Catena and her family comes another winner and a great value for a high quality wine. This time they give us a perfect white wine choice to pair with honey-glazed ham for your Easter dinner. From the high-elevation cool white clay (hence the name) soils of their Estate vines in Lujan de Cuyon, this is a blend of 60% Semilion and 40% Chenin Blanc.
After 8 months aged, partially, in new French oak this wine gives us intoxicating aromas of white flowers and lemon citrus while opening up to a rich palate of quince, peach, and honey. Sharp acidity cuts through creamy layers of ripe fruit, vanilla, and lemon curd and leads to a long finish. Immensely enjoyable, especially with an Easter ham!
-Patrick
2020 Salomon Undhof Hochterrassen Gruner Veltliner - $16.99
For the past couple centuries Salomon Undhof has been making white wine from great terraced sites along the Danube river in Austria. The Hochterrassen is their entry level Gruner Veltliner and it is among the best in the price category. This wine shows pretty aromatics of white flower and pear. The medium bodied palate shows green apple fruit, honey, and minerality. One of the better affordable table whites I have had lately. It has broad appeal amongst people I have tried it with lately and is very versatile with food pairings. Perfect for aperitif or with a smoked ham.
-Rob
2016 Maison Angelot Mondeuse, Bugey - $18.99
Ironically, this Bugey wine is my favorite non-bougie light red wine! The Bugey region of France is located south of the Jura, and nearby the Savoie — which produces similarly styled alpine wines. Mondeuse is a signature red wine of both the Bugey and the Savoie region, but this bottle is something outside the typical deeply extracted, tannicly structured, powerful style. Maison Angelot's Mondeuse is a delicate, low ABV, chillable red wine that makes an excellent alternative to Beaujolais, fruit-forward Pinot Noir, or Langhe Nebbiolo. This juicy red is made of 100% destemmed fruit, with 100% carbonic maceration - the fruit-forward winemaking method that Beaujolais is famous for. The resulting wine is light bodied and acid driven delight with notes of black cherry and licorice. Delicious!
-Katrina
