November 2025
WINE OF THE MONTH
Every month we give a little spotlight time to a hidden treasure, a wine we think you should meet (and hopefully fall in love with). To encourage the introduction, we offer the wine at 25% OFF the bottle price for the given month.
Domaine de la Janasse 2020 Côtes du Rhône Réserve • Southern Rhône, France• Reg $21.99 | 25% OFF = $16.49
50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Cinsault from a powerhouse of a Châteauneuf producer!
Nose smells like a Châteauneuf: pebbles, garrigue, dark raspberries, black cherries. Palate is more of a potpourri of flavors: blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries, purple plums with lots of herbal notes. Fuller-bodied with an absolutely spicy, black peppery finish.
JENS’ TOP PICKS
Every month Portalis owner Jens Strecker picks 8-12 wines that he thinks are outstanding … for any reason he chooses. Here are his November Picks — made with Thanksgiving festivities in mind!
Mirabeau La Folie Sparkling Rosé • Provence, France • Reg $25.99 | Mixed Case $20.79
Blend of Négrette, Colombard, Syrah, Grenache, Rolle. Nose = crisp fall morning after a rain. Flavors = red berries, raspberries, wild-forest-strawberries, grapefruit rind, citrus. Bubbles = mousse. Fantastic acidity & texture. So delicious. Perfect for a Thanksgiving toast!
Elisa Gueneau 2024 Sancerre • Loire Valley, France • Reg $43.99 | Mixed Case $35.19
100% Sauvignon Blanc. Grassy with exotic tropical fruit, grapefruit, citrus. Classic, minerally, beautifully-crafted Sancerre. Pricy. Totally worth it for a special dinner.
Elisa & Alain Gueneau, father daughter team.
Cantina Fina 2024 Grillo • Sicily, Italy • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100%Grillo. Floral aromas and notes of jasmine, pears & peaches. Medium-bodied, well balanced with great acidity. Flavors of unripe peach, nectarine, melon & orange rind. Citrus on the fresh finish. Great with all kinds of fish, shrimp, salads & antipasti.
Pictured: Sergio Fina, working the 2022 harvest in his family's winery located near the town of Marsala in western Sicily
Turley 2022 Old Vines Zinfandel • California • Reg $42.99 | Mixed Case $34.39
Bramble on the nose. Sweet tobacco. Baking spices. All Zin so it has more of this jam quality plus black pepper. Lots of berries. Mulberries. Blackberries. Almost like a pie, but not a sweet one. And not a big wine. Medium- to full. Fantastic acidity! A little black tea at the end and then spicy on the finish. Jens: This wine is phenomenal, and Zinfandel is a classic pairing for the salty-sweet combos on a traditional Thanksgiving table!
Bodegas Breca 2021 Garnacha • Calatayud, Spain • Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% Garnacha = Grenache. Big nose of red plums & earth. Complex. Flavors curve around a little bit... back to traditional Grenache: strawberries, raspberries, plums, red cherries. Pretty full-bodied. Complex. Thoughtful. Long finish. Killer wine.
Lunaria 2024 Pinot Grigio Ramoro • Abuzzo, Italy • Reg $2.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Orange wine from Terre di Chieti in Abruzzo. Flowers and ruby red grapefruit on the nose. Flavors of blood orange, grapefruit with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Allow some time to open to get all the flavors. Organic, natural wine. Rosé and especially ever-so-slightly fuller-bodied orange wines make a perfect Thanksgiving pair.
Zorzettig 2021 Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso • Friuli, Italy • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Refosco. Soft nose of plums, red fruit, a little spice, earth. Pleasantly bitter note on the finish that makes you want more. Lighter in body. Perfect Thanksgiving wine, especially if you love Pinot Noir, but you’d like to try something different.
Kumusha 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon/Cinsault • Slanghoek, South Africa • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
Lovely nose of spicy red plums & cherries. Strawberries on the palate (the Cinsault), plums, a little pomegranate. Fine tannins. Great acidity. Medium-bodied. 13% alcohol. Almost doesn't happen anymore. Spectacular wine!
Winemaker Tinashe Nyumudoka pictured.
Rezabal 2024 Txakolina Rosé • Basque Country, Spain • Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% native grape Hondarrabi Beltza from Pais Vasco = Basque Country. Bright pink in color but dry! Notes of fresh, wild strawberries. Silky in texture. Rosé is a great Thanksgiving option across the board, and this one would be delicious.
EZY TGR 2023 Pinot Noir • Willamette Valley, Oregon • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
Herbal, earthy, and dark fruit (black raspberries, black cherries) on the nose. Palate adds in dark plums and more earth. Medium to lighter in body. Bright, fresh finish with soft tannins. Drink now. Great food wine. Salmon, tuna, chicken, pork chops… and roasted turkey!
Ovum (makers of Big Salt) make this line of wines. Co-owners/winemakers Ksenija and John House pictured.