Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should consider trying!
Puianello Borgoleto Lambrusco, Emilio Romagna, Italy - $18.99
Lambrusco has come a long way, baby! This isn't the sticky sweet jug wine your grandma drank. Grown in Northern Italy, Lambrusco is actually a family of very old grape varieties. Most wines are a blend of several distinct varieties, each with a unique taste profile and the best ones are dry. The Contrada Puianello Borgoleto is the perfect partner to grilled food, salty charcuterie and hard cheeses; Prosciutto and Lambrusco are the best of friends! Dark fruits and red delicious apple skin on the nose with just a touch of sweetness on the palate, dry lambrusco should definitely be in your summer wine arsenal.
-Angie
2019 Georges Lignier Aligote, Bourgogne - $27.99
The Domaine of Georges Lignier is defined by structural elegance with robust aromatics. If graceful, terroir driven wines are your thing — rejoice as you enjoy this exciting white Burgundy for under $30. While Chardonnay is the dominant white grape of Burgundy, Aligote is an affordable alternative grape of the region, also part of the broader Pinot family but less fussy in the vineyard!. The dry white wine of Aligote is often added to Chardonnay to increase structure and boost aromatics. Georges Lignier's Aligote is crisp, mineral driven, and remarkably food friendly. The bright acidity will soften characteristics of spice, salt, or fatty flavors (a few of my favorite things).
-Katrina
2020 Salomon Undhof, Grüner Veltliner, Hochterrassen, Österreich - $16.99
Weingut Salomon was founded in 1792 and is still owned and operated by the same family.
Overlooking the Danube, just up river from Vienna, their terraced vineyards of Grüner Veltliner are still hand-harvested in the traditional manner. The resulting wine is light bodied, lively, and zippy. Clean aromas of white flowers and pear lead to a palate of green apple spritzing along with white pepper to a long gripping finish. Like most Grüner Veltliners this one, too, is very "food versatile". You can happily pair it with everything from Sushi and spicy Thai to Austrian potato salad (no mayonnaise) to traditional Wiener Schnitzel.
Prost!
-Patrick
2020 Lena Filliatreau Saumur Blanc - $24.99
Fresh and approachable chenin blanc from Saumur in the Loire Valley, France. It is dry with a bright acidity. As far as food pairings, you name it and it probably works, but roasted vegetables, fresh water fish and roast chicken. A great all-arounder, flavor and price wise.
-Sean
2021 Companion Wine Co. Skin Contact Pinot Gris 375ml Can - $12.99
Yes, you can Can again! We quest further into can wonderland (375ml in this case) for convenient, high-quality summer taste. This is a skin contact wine of 100% Pinot Gris grapes from Contra Costa County made by Scott Schultz of Jolie Laide winery with his trademark non-interventionist philosophy. Three days of contact produces a pinky-amber hue liquid that drinks like a cross between an orange and rosé, a style the Italians call ramato. With a nose of soft peach with zesty grapefruit, spice and a light cool mineral mouth feel, it is a palate and a purse pleaser. Each year brings a new label from various artists – just look for the wine bather. You know. . skin contact.
-Karen
