Copyright© Vino Venue 2020 September 2020 Wine Club Selections • Only one bottle of each wine may be selected • Some bottles only allowed at 6-bottle membership level only • Please use online portal or email your selections BEFORE coming in to the store • A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section is at the end of this document • Bonus Wines: Members get 1st dibs on buying allocated wines Virtual Tastings Our Virtual Tastings have taken off! We are welcoming winery owners, winemakers and other wine personalities into our world on a weekly basis. A number of wine clubbers are joining in the fun, but I’d love to see more clubbers on these sessions. These virtual tastings have been free – upon purchase of the two featured wines. I encourage you to keep track of our event calendar to see the latest virtual tastings. September’s Wine Club Virtual Tasting will be Saturday 9/26 at 3:00pm. Samuel Guibert of Mas de Daumas Gassac will be the guest host, coming to us from his family’s legendary Languedoc winery. Any wine clubbers can join this virtual tasting, but it would be more fun if you choose one or more of that winery’s selections. WINE #8 Pont de Gassac Rouge and BONUS WINE Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge are the September selections that will be featured that afternoon. If you select one or both of these wines, you’ll automatically be emailed a zoom invitation on Friday 9/25. If you didn’t choose either of these wines, but still want an invitation, please email me. Monthly Cheese Assortment We started an Optional Monthly Cheese Selection in August, and several members loved it so much, they came back for more! You get four cheeses, accompanied by flatbreads for $24. You can order by using the online portal, or by sending me an email. If possible, please let me know in advance on which day you’d like to pick it up, by using the comment section on the online portal, or shooting me an email. If you don’t know now the pick up date, please let me know later. September’s Cheeses: Cypress Grove “Midnight Moon”, Gouda-Style, Goat, Marin County, California Smooth texture with a slight crunch. From the makers of Humboldt Fog. Tallegio, Semi-Soft, Cow, Italy Washed with seawater once a week, hard enough to grate on salads, soft enough to melt into risotto Fiscalini Farms ”San Joaquin Gold”, Welsh-Style Cheddar, San Joaquin Valley, California Firm and granular texture, 16 months aging Reypanaer, Gouda, Cow, Netherlands Hard and granular texture, 12 months aging Copyright© Vino Venue 2020 White Wines 2018 Wieninger “Gemischter Satz” WHITE BLEND, Vienna, Austria 4 and 6 bottle levels $20 (member price $17) Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Riesling, Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, Sylvaner, Traminer, Neuberger Fritz Weininger’s family established their winery in 1905. While they produce a number of varietal wines, their Gemischister Satz (field blend) is their most popular, as it’s the drink of choice in Vienna’s Heurigens (wine taverns). Vienna is the only major city of the world that’s also a wine appellation. The percentages of each varietal isn’t known, but it’s mostly the first four grapes on the list above. The grapes are grown together, harvested together and co-fermented. This adds complexity because some of the grapes are underripe and some are overripe. It’s a dry wine that sees stainless steel during aging. Big aromas of lemon zest, white flowers and herbs. Those flavors continue onto the palate, with the addition of ripe pear, melon, pineapple and herbs. Lizette’s Food Pairing Suggestions: Enjoy this versatile, yet complex white with a crisp summer garden salad topped with fresh Chevre and herbed grilled chicken drizzled with tangy citrus vinaigrette; grilled spicy Italian sausage and red bell peppers; mussels with a Thai twist; zucchini linguine with fresh herb pesto; ceviche with a squeeze of lime; BBQ chicken with Southern style slaw; grilled fish with seasonal vegetables; classic Austrian wiener schnitzel; picnic fried chicken; dim sum; mild Indian curry dishes; BBQ ribs with cheesy macaroni; and a delicate thyme, goat cheese and zucchini tart. Or simply savor this white with a charcuterie board, this month’s Taleggio and other soft, flavored cheese spreads. 2018 The Eyrie Vineyards PINOT GRIS, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 4 and 6 bottle levels $22 (member price $19) 100% Pinot Gris David Lett was educated at UC Davis, but believed that the best place in the US for Pinot Noir was the Willamette Valley. Against a lot of advice from California colleagues, he planted the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Willamette Valley in 1965 and the first Pinot Gris outside Europe. David purchased property in Dundee Hills, and he (along with new bride Diana) named their winery after a nest (eyrie) of a pair of red-tailed hawks on the property. The first vintage of The Eyrie Vineyards was 1970. This dry white is aged in stainless. Notes of lime, lemon, tangerine, kiwi and minerality. Lizette’s Food Pairing Suggestions: This elegant, complex white is the perfect partner for vegetarian pasta dishes; zucchini, caramelized onion and ricotta tart; pan-seared trout with grilled summer squash; clammy linguine swimming in a delicate broth; grilled prawns with garlic and herbs; quince-glazed pork chops with mushroom risotto; and grilled herb chicken under a brick. This aromatic and food friendly white is also excellent with cheeses like Muenster, Parmesan and Edam or more exotic selections like Garroxta and Caprino Tartufo truffled goat cheese. Copyright© Vino Venue 2020 2019 Produttori di Manduria “Alice” VERDECA, Salento, Puglia, Italy 4 and 6 bottle levels $21 (member price $18) 100% Verdeca Manduria is in southern Puglia, an area that has been conquered by virtually every Mediterranean power over the last two millennia. This is Italy’s “Heel of the Boot”, known for relatively flat terrain and warm temperatures. While Manduria’s biggest wine fame comes from Primitivo, their Alice (“Ah-lee-chay”) Verdeca is also turning heads. Produced from 20 year old vines planted in limestone soil. Fermented in stainless steel. Dark straw color, with notes of white flowers, lemon, pear, pineapple. This dry white is ripe/fruit forward on the attack, finishes with crisp minerality. The label harkens to a poster from a famous 1970’s movie – with a far less fearsome sea creature! Lizette’s Food Pairing Suggestions: Enjoy this medium bodied white with both fruity and salty foods, such as prosciutto wrapped melon or seared halibut with mango salsa. Baked sea bass with lemon potatoes, grilled garlicky shrimp skewers, fried calamari, or fish tacos with a squeeze of lime. It has the depth of flavor to stand up to your late summer grilled lemon pepper chicken wings, or to oily fish like sardines, anchovies or mackeral. This would be a great accompaniment to snacking on hummus with pita chips or chips & salsa, or simply savor this white with herb marinated olives, this month’s Taleggio, sweet Gorgonzola and fresh goat cheese. 2017 Chamisal Vineyards CHARDONNAY, Monterey County, California 4 and 6 bottle levels $23 (member price $20) 100% Chardonnay Chamisal was the first winery in Edna Valley, founded in 1973. While much of their wines are from Edna Valley, they’ve ventured north to Monterey County for fruit. The source for their Monterey Chard is Mistral Vineyard, located about 30 miles from the Pacific. It’s at the narrowest part of the Salinas Valley, so the afternoon wind from Monterey Bay is funneled and whips through the vineyard almost every afternoon during growing season, slowing the ripening process, and lengthening the hangtime. 10 months French oak (40% new). This is a ripe and creamy wine, with toasted oak, crème brûlée, lemon cream, ripe pineapple and baked pear. Lizette’s Food Pairing Suggestions: Pair this rich and creamy chardonnay with pan fried scallops over creamy polenta; spinach and Monterey Jack stuffed chicken with mushroom risotto; toasted ravioli served with grilled chicken and Alfredo sauce; pork tenderloin with roasted butternut squash and sautéed apples; toasted faro with butternut squash and bitter greens; roast pork smothered in a creamy white pepper sauce; classic beef bourguignon and smoked ham with roasted asparagus. Look for rich creamy cheeses such as Camembert, ricotta, goat cheese, Muenster with dill or young Mozzarella to pair with this fruit driven white. Copyright© Vino Venue 2020 Sparkling Wine NV Domaine Paul Buisse CRÉMANT DE LOIRE, Loire Valley, France 4 and 6 bottle levels $20 (member price $17) 80% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc Paul Buisse is the 4th generation of the family owned business. His great grandfather sold vin ordinaire by the barrel, and each succeeding generation made better and better wine, culminating with Paul producing both still and traditional method sparklers from estate fruit. Their vineyards are on both sides of the Loire River in Touraine. Their wines are aged and stored in white chalk caves, averaging 54 F temperatures year ‘round. Average vine age of 30 years. 12 months on the lees during the 2nd fermentation, then 12 months bottle aging before release. Lemon, white peach, white flowers, hazelnuts, brioche. For those of you who selected Moillard Crémant de Bourgogne in June, know that Domaine Paul Buisse is a lighter, crisper wine. Lizette’s Food Pairing Suggestions: These elegant bubbles are best shared with friends and poured alongside smoked trout spread on crostini, fried crawfish with remoulade, freshly shucked oysters, Gorgonzola and smoky bacon topped bruschetta, poached salmon over butternut squash risotto, buttermilk fried chicken, bacon, avocado and corn topped salad and crispy crab cakes with tartar sauce.