The Winery Suggests….
LOCAL FOOD PAIRINGS FOR THE WINES THEY MAKE.
GRILLED SCALLOPS + VIOGNIER-MARSANNE
Chester Osborne, fourth generation running d’Arenberg, one of the oldest Australian wine houses, makes a bunch of different lines of wines and has a crazy-fun winery to visit if you’re ever in McLaren Vale. Above is The Cube which houses his tasting room & restaurant. In front… 100 year old Grenache vines! They suggest scallops with their absolutely-killer-for-the-price Viognier-Marsanne blend.
d'Arenberg 2023 The Hermit Crab • McLaren Vale, Australia • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Blend of Viognier/Marsanne 53/47. Nose of seashells, limestone, white peach, honeydew melon. Flavors add in ripe apples, pears and an earthy note. Medium-bodied. Tongue-tingling acidity. The finish is the thing: softly pickled ginger. Absolutely incredible white wine. Full stop.
LAMB BURGERS + TEMPRANILLO
Bodegas Muga is located in Rioja Alta on the edge of the town of Haro a couple of kilometers from the Rioja border with the Basque Country. With vineyards right on the Ebro River and the protective Calabrian Mountains to the northwest, the micro-climate in this area produces top-notch Rioja wines, primarily oaked Tempranillo, but they also have a wonderful white (Viura/Garnacha Blanca blend) which would also taste great with these lamb sliders.
Bodegas Muga 2019 Reserva • Rioja, Spain • Reg $41.99 | Mixed Case $33.59
100% Tempranillo. Reserva = aged a minimum of 3 years before release with at least one year in oak casks. Blueberries, blue fruit, cedar box on the nose. Blue & blackberries on the palate. Plums. Elegant, complex. Long, fruity finish. Pair with roasted or grilled meats — lamb chops, steak, sausages. Grilled mushrooms would be lovely, too.
GRILLED BEEF + RHÔNE RED BLEND
La Bastide Saint Dominique is a family estate located in Courthézon, France, run today by Eric & Veronique (pictured) Bonnet, a brother-sister team. They suggest pairing grilled beef with their Cru Cairanne blend. We carry their Cru blend from around the neighboring village of Rasteau. Perfect, too!
La Bastide Saint Dominique 2022 Rasteau La Cabane Rouge • Southern Rhône, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Grenache 70%, Mourvèdre 30% from red clay soils. Aged 10-12 months in concrete tanks, so pure fruit. Very herbal, garrigue, red fruit on the nose. Old-style, classic, Rhône nose. Then the Mourvèdre kicks in on the palate: dark raspberries, black cherries, mulberries, herbal, rustic, barnyard on the back palate through the finish. So absolutely sexy & delicious. Old school Rhône. In a good way. Terrific wine.
GRILLED SHRIMP + ALBARIÑO
This grilled shrimp skewer photo is courtesy of Rias Baixas Wines (funded by the European Union to promote wines from this area). What to pair? Albariño, of course. Grown on the Atlantic coast of Galicia (northwest Spain) and known as a world class seafood wine, its everyday version is light & fresh with citrusy, minerally flavors and a note of salinity on the finish. Try:
Bodegas La Caña 2021 Albariño • Riax Baixas, Spain • Reg $24.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
100% Albariño. This wine has vibrant, fresh, tingling acidity which balances with the acidity of the tomatoes. Atlantic sea breeze on the nose followed by stone fruits. Citrus, firm nectarines & sliced green apples on the palate. Fun pairing.
GRILLED PORK CHOPS + SANGIOVESE ROSÉ
Walla Walla Vintners is one of the OG Washington producers, and this rosé is particularly luscious & tasty. Perfect for pork chops off the grill!
Walla Walla Vintners 2024 Sangiovese Rosé • Columbia Valley, Washington • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Sangiovese. Cantaloupe & minerals on the nose. Flavors of raspberries, strawberries. Refreshing orange rind acidity. Good body with a nice, dry, crisp finish.
CLAM SPAGHETTI + VERMENTINO
Azienda Agricola Pala is a family-owned winery 20 minutes north of Cagliari in southern Sardinia. Founded in 1950 by Salvatore Pala, the estate has grown to 8 vineyards around the island, run today by Mario Pala, his wife, Rita, and their adult children: Massimiliano, Elisabetta and Mariantonietta. They note that it takes 2.5 hours to drive the entire length of the island. The furthest you can get from the ocean is 60 miles. Their suggested pairing for their Vermentino is Spaghetti alle Vongole.
Pala 2023 Soprasole Vermentino • Sardinia, Italy • Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
Vermentino is the most common grape grown in Sardinia, and it has been growing happily in vineyards all around the island for the last 400 years. Tasting notes: Crunchy apricot & nectarine, wet stone on the nose. Add in citrus, pear, apple on the palate. Medium-bodied. Minerally finish. Just dynamite! Great with all seafood and much more.
MULK’S PORRIDGE + SAUIGNON BLANC/SÉMILLON
Barton & Guestier, Bordeaux’s oldest wine merchant (established 1725) makes this wine, named after its founder. Winery’s suggests enjoying this delicious wine with Mulk's porridge (potatoes, groats, pork belly, sour cream). Yummy dinner for a cool spring evening.
Thomas Barton 2020 Graves Blanc Réserve • Bordeaux, France • Reg $26.99 | Mixed Case $21.59
70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon. Half of the wine was aged 3 month in oak; the rest was aged on the lees so a little fuller-bodied than most Graves Blanc. Low yield. Organic. Natural fermentation. Vegan. Rich, fun nose of flowers, hay, yellow plums & soft spices. Flavors of citrus, yellow plums. Complex mid-palate. Wonderful acidity. Smoky notes on the finish. Absolutely killer wine.