​Yola Mezcal ($44.99)
Oaxaca, Mexico
From the producer:
Our Mezcal is handcrafted, distilled on our namesake farm, bottled by women, with a recipe passed down from Yola's grandfather.

In 1971, Luis Jimenez purchased a Mezcal farm in San Juan del Rio, Oaxaca.
 
Today, we still honor his original recipe, abiding by the 300-year-old method of traditional Mezcal making.

We are dedicated to promoting the economic independence of the women in Oaxaca.

From me:
If you've never tried Mezcal, please stop by to try this one. It has a beautiful flavor, and is not as smoky as some Mezcals are, so it's a great introduction. I won't go into the differences between Mezcal and Tequila, but this is an instructive article on the subject. Yola's website provides some recipes for their Mezcal as well.

​MadFish Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon ($13.99)
Australia
From the producer:
"From the southwest of Western Australia, the pairing of these two famous
grape varieties has, over time, evolved into the region’s signature white wine -nobody does it better!​ The success of this wine is driven by the diverse contribution each variety brings to the blend. Sauvignon is the star of the show. Upfront, fresh, lovely, highly aromatic, very showy. Semillon on the other hand is all about weight and viscosity, length and structure. The more reserved character, behind the scene, holding the show together.

Sauvignon Blanc 71% Semillon 29% 

A flood of intense fruits lift from the glass as guava, black currant and gooseberry mingle with custard apple, cantaloupe, sweet herbs and citrus zest. The palate offers bright and intense fruit flavours, a lovely lemon butter richness and a long refreshing citrus acidity to finish.

This racy vibrant blend is the essence of everything good about Western Australia and our special coastal vineyards. Two great grapes harmoniously combined to produce a riotously fresh, fragrant and friendly wine."

From me:
This is a fruity, zesty, refreshing wine that is sure to please the crowd. The Sauvignon Blanc shines through, but the Semillon cuts the acidity a bit, so it's a little more mellow that a straight Sauv Blanc. This will be a great summer wine.

Wines of Illyria Plavac Mali ($20.99)
Bosnia & Herzegovina
From the producer:
"This wine is made of 100% Plavac Mali, a grape variety of the Herzegovina wine region which has a Mediterranean climate and a limestone rich soil. This very tasty and elegant wine exhibits ripe pomegranate, plum and almonds, currants, and other dark red fruit flavors. Authentic, pure and very well balanced, with wonderful tannin and acidity integration. A lovely wine to pair with vegetarian dishes."

From me:
Let's get this out of the way: Plah-vatz  Mah-lee. 
This wine is from the same company that makes the Stone Cuvee that we tasted last week. This is also an indigenous grape, but one that is a little more well-known. One of Palvac Mali's parent grapes is Zinfandel, and the wine produced from it shares a dark fruit flavor profile. There is also mild spice and richness on the palate. I think this is a very elegant and interesting red.

​Gruber Röschitz Zweigelt Rosé ($9.99)
Austria
From the producer:
"The Gruber family has been making wine in Röschitz since 1814, almost solely for private consumption until the 1950s. At the age of 16, Ewald Gruber senior decided to turn the farm into a model winery, to become one of the leading vinegrowers, using the latest technology available. Three of his six children took over the winery in 2012 to keep the long family tradition going. 

This rosé captivates through its vibrant pink colour with onion skin hues and delicate aroma of fine fruit with nuances of cherry and wild berries. It's fresh and stimulating! Serve as a refreshing aperitif or for light appetizers."

From me:
Zweigelt is a hybrid grape created in Austria in 1922 from crossing Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent varietals. It is the most widespread red grape in Austria, though it also appears in surrounding Eastern European countries, and in Canada. The grape has dark skin and dark flesh, yielding a purplish-red wine, and in the case of rosé, a deep pink wine. This particular example from Gruber is about as dark as rosé gets, though the flavor and aroma are still quite light and fresh. This is a very dry wine with distinct notes of tart cherry. Made from organically grown grapes.

Wines of Illyria Stone Cuvee ($20.99)
Bosnia & Herzegovina
From the producer:
"Indira Bayer, originally from the Former Yugoslavia, immigrated to the United States in 1996. Since becoming a US citizen, she worked seven years as an Assistant Vice President of Bank of America's Small Business Banking, six years as an Assistance Coordinator and other roles with the US Department of State in the Balkans, and a year as an Adjunct Lecturer of Accounting at the American University in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

In January 2015, Indira founded Wines of Illyria, a wine import company in Austria, dedicated to bringing wines from the former Yugoslavia to European Union consumers. Her goal was to create jobs for unemployed youth in Bosnia-Herzegovina and stop the brain drain, one of the biggest issues the country was facing at that time. In addition, Indira wanted to create a positive image of Bosnia-Herzegovina and add it to the list of world’s well known wine producing counties, as the long history of wine making warrants it. In March 2016, she expanded the business to the US. Indira continues to work with both large and small wineries throughout the Balkan Peninsula sourcing and bringing to consumers premium quality wines made of native varieties: Vranac, Blatina, Plavac Mali, Zilavka, Malvazija, Posip and others.

This wine is made of 90% ZILAVKA and 10% BENA, indigenous grapes of the sun washed Herzegovina region. Clean and refreshing, showing elegance and flavors of green apples, lychee and honey, scents of chamomile and verbena with a slight mineral tone. The ripe, warm flavors of apricot, star fruit and a hint of anise are coddled by juicy acidity, fine minerality and a long herbal-toned finish. Best paired with white meat dishes and seafood."

From me:
As most of you know, I love unusual wines from unexpected places. The Stone Cuvee is a wonderful example of indigenous wine from Eastern Europe, though the flavor profile is reminiscent of Gewürztraminer, with its distinct notes of lychee. I find this to be an elegant wine that, while ripely fruity, has a nice acid balance and mineral lift to keep it light. This is a must try.

​La Salceta Osato Rosato ($10.99)
Tuscany
From the producer:
"Tuscany is a land of history and traditions, with unique landscapes, hills and clay gullies, vast expanses of vineyards and olive groves alternate with small villages or typical stones farmhouses.

In this triangle, between Florence, Siena and Arezzo, surrounded by the mountain ranges of Pratomagno and the Chianti hills, we find the Vald’Arno, an area dominated by clay, recognized as an area of excellence already in 1716 with the Bando of Cosimo III de’ Medici.
Between the Agna river near the village of San Giustino and the ancient Etruscan and Roman road CassiaVetus, along the Setteponti road, La Salceta is totally embedded and integrated into the land. Since our foundation, the estate has been conducted in compliance with the rules of organic farming, using the latest knowledge and technology for the enrichment of the soil and the self-defense of the our grapes and olive trees.
We work with the utmost respect of the soil, with is always protected by a completely natural grass cover, a layer of herbs, both selected and spontaneous, which act as a filter protecting the desiccant power of the sun and from the compacting and erosion of the rain and wind and simultaneously enhance the activities organism naturally present in the ground.

Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Merlot

Ageing: After fermentation, the wine is aged sur lies fines in steel vats for approximately 15 days, then 3 months in steel vats, finally bottled and marketed after 2 months of ageing in the bottle.
Tasting notes: It has an intense rosé colour with floral aromas. The taste has a prominent tanginess and freshness, with notes of raspberry, tomato leaf, and typical varietal elegant herbaceous hints, along with a very slight tannic note."

From me:
This is unlike any other rosé I've had; it is more savory than most, and can really stand up to food, though it makes a nice aperitif. I would enjoy this best with a charcuterie and cheese platter.

Casata Monfort Pinot Grigio Rosé  ($16.99)
Trentino
From the producer:
"Pinot Grigio comes from the French Pinot Gris grape imported into Trentino at the beginning of the 20th century from Germany. Originally the grape and wine were called “Ruländer”, using the German name. In Trentino this variety has found its ideal habitat to the extent that this is the biggest area of production of this grape in Italy. The vineyards which cultivate the grape for the Cantine Monfort winery lie at the foot of the hills near Trento and Lavis in an area that is well ventilated and has a sandy soil. Good ventilation is essential for this variety of grape as it helps preserve it in excellent condition right up until the harvest. The copper color is obtained by the contact of the skins (from classical color “onion skin”) with the must for a night. This is a personal interpretation and reinterpretation of the ancient tradition of making Pinot Grigio in copper version.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: blush wine.
Bouquet: intense, fruity and spicy.
Palate: soft, agreeable and well balanced.

FOOD MATCHING
Fish, white meats, thick soups, egg-based dishes and pasta. Excellent as an aperitif."

From me:
I am a big proponent of Pinot Grigio in its traditional coppery pink form, as I find it to have more character and to be more complex than the weak whites we've gotten used to. This wine is a lovely, elegant, and smooth rosé that might just become your new go-to. It has a perfect balance of fruitiness and minerality, and the acidity does not overwhelm the palate. 

Terre del Fohn Müller Thurgau ($12.99)
Trentino
From the producer:
"Named after the grape variety form which it comes and which was bred by the Swiss researcher Doctor Hermann Müller in 1882. This is a white-grape variety which comes from the crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royal. It is adaptable to the cold climate of mountain areas and ripens early. For these reasons cultivation is widespread in Trentino, where it has found an ideal habitat on the slopes at an altitude of 500-700 metres a.s.l. where the microclimate conveys special organoleptic qualities to a 'high-flying' wine.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: pale yellow with greenish tints. 
Bouquet: fruity and floral with notes of sage, slightly aromatic. 
Palate: dry and pleasantly acidulous.

FOOD MATCHING
Elegant starters, fish, first-courses with vegetable and seafood. It is exceptional as aperitif.
Well structured."

From me:
As most of you know, I like to introduce you to lesser-known wines, and this varietal is certainly one of them. This is a mineral, light, bright wine that has undertones of green fruit. It's tart, but has low acidity, so it's not cheek-puckering. If you like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, I suspect you will like this wine.

Nifo Sarrapochiello Falanghina del Sannio ($14.99)
Campania
From the producer:
"Rooted in Campania for three generations, the winery Nifo Sarrapochiello is located in Ponte, a small town in the Sannio, a pleasant place, already existing in Roman times, which owes its name to the presence of an imposing "pontem lapideum" on which the Via Latina passed that connected Rome to Benevento and thanks to which the Romans supplied themselves with wine and grapes of the highest quality.

Winemaker for passion and cultural heritage is the young owner, Lorenzo Nifo Sarrapochiello, who has decided to combine respect for tradition and scientific innovation, in order to ensure the company the high quality standards that have always been pursued. In fact, since 1998, the Nifo Sarrapochiello grapes are grown and treated with the organic farming method ( bioagricert control organism ). After a strictly manual harvest, the grapes are transformed with production standards that protect the environment and the health of the consumer: this results in perfumed wines, intensely aromatic and with a great personality.

Pale straw-yellow wone with aromas of pear, banana, aromatic herbs, yellow flowers and sweet spices. Taste is very delicate and elegant, persistent. A perfect match with fish steaks, white meat and aged cheese."

From me:
Falanghina is one of Italy's better known whites, and is an ancient varietal. This wine is a must with seafood, though it would go well with poultry and pork. Elegant, long finish with ripe fruit undertones.

Tenute Soletta Sardo Cannonau ($18.99)
Sardinia
From the producer:
"The 'Tenute Soletta di Umberto Soletta' agricultural holding has a recent history if compared to cellars that are hundreds of years old. However, it has an interesting story of love and passion for the Earth since being launched. The proof? Umberto is still, even today, cultivating a vineyard and an olive grove that he planted with his dad when he was 5. While he was studying, Umberto would spend most of his spare time in the countryside: his big passion together with motorsports (when he was young, he took part in various Rally competitions). After completing his studies, he started working the fields full-time, keeping an important family tradition alive.
 
This passion later became his job. A 'farmer', as he likes to describe himself. In the mid ‘90s, he created the cellar and planted various vineyards, knowing that the value of a wine also depends on the quality of grapes and of the place where they grow.
 
Through intense land reclamation, combined with utmost attention to landscape details, he has brought back the traditional typology of the vineyard by creating a harmonious relationship between the human intervention and the surrounding, sometimes wild, natural environment.
 
The cultivation of vineyards respects the principles of integrated pest control to preserve the environment for future generations we borrowed it from. Today, the company is run by Umberto, his wife Caterina, his sister Pina and the elder father who still work in the vines and cellar every day despite being 95 years old.

Vinification: In red and maceration with skins for 20 days.
Ageing: 24 months in stainless steel on yeasts
Refining in the bottle: 12 Mounths
Colour: Ruby, clear and shine
Flavour: Intense and typical perfume, with mineral and earthy recalls, pomegranate and sweet violet.
Taste: Balanced, warm with glyceric strength well contrasted by round and elegant tannins.
Gastronomic combination: It perfectly matches grilled red meats, pasta with game sauces and aged cheeses."

​From me:
Cannonau is also known as Grenache (France) and Garnacha (Spain). When the grape comes from Sardinia, though, it has a character all its own. The soil and climate produce wines that are higher in alcohol, but low in acidity, with mineral and tobacco undertones. Sardinian Cannonau is like no other wine, and is a must try. This is a particularly nice example of the style.