“The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens grapes, the other turns them into wine.” -- Jane Hirshfield
It's my favorite time of the year -- not quite the end of summer, but there’s always a subtle change of pace that happens during this seasonal transition. We have both our swimsuits and sweaters in the car, adapting from the warmth of these glory days to the crisp evening air! Farmers markets and our own gardens provide the rewards of a season of sweat and sunshine. And our tastes in wine subtly shift as well.
It's my favorite time of the year -- not quite the end of summer, but there’s always a subtle change of pace that happens during this seasonal transition. We have both our swimsuits and sweaters in the car, adapting from the warmth of these glory days to the crisp evening air! Farmers markets and our own gardens provide the rewards of a season of sweat and sunshine. And our tastes in wine subtly shift as well.
White wines have the acidity to brighten up all of the tremendous vegetables we enjoy at this time of year but still have enough body to hold up to food and condiments from the grill. Red wines start making more of an appearance -- wines with freshness and depth that bring energy to the cooler evening meals.
So celebrate part of your Labor Day Weekend with us this Friday, September 4th at The Local from 4:30-6:30, and Saturday, September 5th at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter 10:30-2:30 where we'll roll out wines that both salute one amazing summer and embrace autumn!
-- Jack
Bruno Giacometti is the force behind a dazzling array of bottlings of little known Erbaluce, a high acidity white grape variety native to the northern Piedmont. Erbaluce Di Caluso was Piedmonte’s first official white wine appellation in 1969 and was elevated to DOCG status in 2010. Erbaluce takes its name from Albaluce, a local legend fairy who blessed the town of Caluso with amazing fruit!
The juice is given extended time on the lees and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine is rich, salty, and textural, with notes of lemon curd, green apple, and savory herbs balanced on a razor’s edge of high acidity!
Aligoté is Burgundy’s lesser known white grape accounting for just about 7% of all the vines in Burgundy. The grape was planted in Burgundy in the early 17th century.
The Lequin family have been vignerons in Santenay since 1679. Santenay marks the southern tip of the Côte d’ Or and also shares a border with the Chassagne. The geology resembles that of the iconic Cote de Nuits. This superb intersection of terroir, tradition, and evolution has created legendary Pinot Noir and Chardonnay over the centuries. The Lequin family pride themselves on their offerings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but are deeply committed to developing the expression of lively, citrusy, and elegant Aligoté.
The wine is composed of 100% Aligoté where half of the juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks and half in neutral French oak. It is bright and distinctive with a saline edge and notes of green apple, citrus, and floral aromatics! The rising star of Bourgogne!
Sisters Monica and Daniela Tibaldi follow a long line of winemaking Tibaldis beginning with their great grandfather who began working the vines in the early 1900’s. The sisters were born and raised breathing love for viticulture in the Roero!
Today, the Cantina is a family affair with the mom and dad riding the tractor or doing the accounting while their sister, a sommelier, offers guidance and insight.
Their commitment and tenacity on their 19 acre estate pays off -- their 100% Barbera has brightness and freshness with bracing acidity. The palate is loaded with cherry and spice flavors along with a signature earthiness that is typical of this style and region!
La Cuadrilla is the culmination of Tom Stolpman’s vision of giving his crew one Cuadrilla -- a small vineyard block -- to his team so that they would learn the lifecycle of a vineyard by taking care of it. Each crew member became a farmer instead of just a worker. Today, the program has expanded and profits from sale of their wine is returned to the farmers/workers. Their vineyard is part of the Ruben Solarzano Vineyards in Santa Barbara County.
The wine is made up of 50% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, & 15% Sangiovese. And it is loaded with crunchy red berry flavors, a kind of menthol herbaceous flavor, plums, and spicy peppery notes. Very gulpable and one of the sleeper California wine values with a style that lives in the margins of more popular California red blends!
Oregon winemaker extraordinaire, Brianna Day, crafts this low intervention wine fermenting with native yeasts, gentle punch downs, and maturation in neutral oak.
Deep Blue Pinot Noir is a blend of 7 biodynamic or organically farmed vineyards in the Willamette Valley that are renowned for producing deep blue fruit and lush silky textures.
Like drinking a blueberry pie sprinkled with unsweetened cocoa, the wine has floral notes and a vibrant acidity. This is a Pinot Noir that can pair up perfectly with any and all burger topping combinations!
A portion of the profits are donated to the Oregon Kelp Alliance, an organization promoting the restoration of our oceans and creation of sustainable support of small kelp and shellfish farming on the Southern Oregon coast.