Category Archives: Wine

All Posts, Wine

Clos de la Procure – Cotes de Provence Red Wine – Staff Pick

clos-de-la-procure-cotes-de-provence
One of the jobs we have is to sift through 1000’s of wines available to us and bring in wines that have a ‘wow’ factor.
We nailed it with the Clos de la Procure from Dupéré Barrera – it is one of the best wines in our store under $40!
Out of the 200+ wines we tried at a wine show, this was our favorite and we are delighted to share it with you.
The dark fruits and spice of Clos de la Procure pairs well with seared duck, steak frites, or even just a kick-ass burger – the clean long finish means you can simply enjoy it by itself.
Clos de la Procure 2011 was a one time shot for us so even though we stocked up, once it’s gone, it is gone.  Grab a bottle and if you like it, squirrel a couple away for your next dinner party and wow your guests!

Show sale price: $23.99 ($28.99reg)

 

kermit-lynchFrom kermitlynch.com:

Côtes de Provence Rouge Clos de la Procure –

  • 30% Grenache, 30 % Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 10 % Cinsault
  • Organic farming
  • All grapes are harvested by hand and 100% de-stemmed
  • Grapes are crushed by foot
  • Fermentation is natural and no additives are used
  • No pumps are used to transfer the wine
  • Wine is vinified in small, open cuves, sizes 300-L to 1500-L
  • Punch downs are done daily for the first 15 days of fermentation
  • The wine is aged in French oak barrels from Château d’Yquem, Beauséjour Bécot, and Domaine de la Romanée Conti

Dupéré Barrera –

duperebarrea Unlike so many of our producers who were born into the trade, Emmanuelle Dupéré and Laurent Barrera did not start their careers in wine.  Emmanuelle was, and still is, a professional singer, and Laurent a geological engineer on the island of Réunion, near Madagascar.  In 1998, Laurent decided to change direction and enrolled in viticultural school in the Var.  Emmanuelle already had a degree in Wine Commerce, but went back to school to learn the production side of the business. Their studies brought them together with great winemakers from various regions of France, and as they learned from these experienced producers, they gained a deep respect for the unadulterated expression of the fruit so prevalent in naturally-made wines.

There is nothing average about this husband-and-wife team of enologists:  they consider every detail with both brainy enthusiasm and heart.  These eco-conscious artisans could never be accused of not walking their talk, either. They adhere to organic methods in the vineyards and are now also incorporating biodynamic practices, adding even stricter discipline to their intense workload. Their winemaking process allows the natural character of the wine to speak for itself, with minute doses of sulfur, no fining or filtration, and bottling during optimal weather conditions when the atmospheric pressure is just right. With one cuvée of Côtes de Provence, they take it to the next level: everything is done by hand with absolutely no machinery – earning the name Nowat (no watt=no electricity). Consider their “Cuvée Très Longue Macération” for some très long aging, too.  The Dupéré Barrera team captures the essence of their region beautifully: rich, sun-kissed fruit, savory herbes de Provence, and long, lingering finishes.  Travel to sunny Provence with the pop of a cork.

All Posts, Uncategorized, Wine

Chateau Maris – An Organic, Delicious, Negative Carbon Wine for Earth Day (and everyday)

chateau-maris-french-winesimage015Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd, do something good for the environment and drink wine!

 Chateau Maris Winery Features:

  • Certified Organic by Ecocert AB and NOP
  • Certified Biodynamic Demeter and Biodyvin
  • Hemp Winery has a Negative Carbon Footprint
  • Winery is biodegradable and energy self sufficient
  • Bottles are ultra-light recycled glass
  • Labels are printed on recycled paper

chateau-maris-la-tougeMaris “La Touge” Syrah
Liviniere, France
$16.99

La Touge is a blend of certified organic Syrah (70%) and Grenache (30%) grown on hard and soft limestone and alluvial soils. The juice form 15-20 year old vines is fermented in concrete and aged 16 months in concrete eggs. Like all Chateau Maris wines, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered and is thus suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The nose is ripe black fruits (blackcurrants, elderberries) notes alongside more spicy characteristics (pepper, herbs). The palate is very attractive with firm yet silky tannins. Aromatic, spicy with a fabulously generous weight.

Wine Advocate – 91pts “I found the Minervois la Liviniere La Touge very Rhone-like, with subtle leather, spice and garrigue mixed with plenty or raspberry and blackberry fruit. Forward, supple and fruit loaded, with medium-bodied richness, it will drink nicely on release and evolve through 2021. The blend here is Syrah and Grenache that’s aged in concrete.

 

le-carignan-de-marisLe Carignan de Maris
IGP Coteaux de Peyriac, France
$14.99

As fresh and juicy as they could possibly make it, Le Carignan de Maris is made in an environment  that encourages bio-diversity and sustainability. It’s handpicked, fermented with natural yeasts in large concrete tanks in our Hemp winery. Our Carignan is a lighter style red wine (bordering on chillable), packed with fresh cherry flavors. It is old vine Carignan, certified Organic by Ecocert AB, blended with 20% Certified Demeter Biodynamic Grenache. It is bottled in super light (395 g.), recycled glass bottle and labeled using only recycled paper. Please open before drinking.

Wine Advocate – 91pts “A great example of the variety, Minervois Carignan de Maris offers classic plum and purple-like fruit, spring flowers, crushed rock and hints of charcoal to go with medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity and surprisingly polished tannin, which isn’t easy to do with 100% Carignan. Aged 10-12 months in concrete tank, drink this beauty over the coming 4-5 years”

 

chateau-maris-old-schoolMaris “Old School” Rouge
Minervois, France
$13.99

Karabi is a mighty horse, a Percheron from the north of France, and he helped make this wine. Old School Rouge is a blend of 85% certified organic Syrah and 15% certified biodynamic Grenache wine made in an environment that encourages bio-diversity and sus-
tainability. The wine is made using only natural yeasts from our vineyard, bottled in light recycled glass and labeled using recycled paper. Certified organic by ECOCERT France. This is all sun, earth and the toils of man and Karabi. Just old school. It’s very dark in col-
or with notes of blackberry, white pepper and Herbes de Provence.”

 

Chateau Maris wines are distributed by our friends at:

calmont-beveragewww.calmontbeverage.com

 

 

 

From chateaumaris.com/sustainability/:

“Maris is the driving force behind the push toward biodynamic and sustainable farming in the Languedoc region. It has gone as far as building his new winery out of massive hemp “bricks. The estate produces a bevy of wines, all of which are reasonably priced, and in most cases, represent incredible values. Readers could do much worse than buying a mixed case of these wines, and they’re a great example of high quality wines from this special terroir.” Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate

“The Biodynamic apostles of the Languedoc” “One of the top Producers confronting climate change head-on, Château Maris has taken green winery construction to a new level, building an entire facility out of lightweight, organic hemp-straw bricks that continue to capture and sequester carbon dioxide.” Dana Nigro, Wine Spectator

“Perhaps THE most dedicated organic/biodynamic winery. Chateau Maris takes every possible step to work as naturally as possible. Winery building built of sustainable hemp, vineyards worked by horse and plow, biodynamic practices in the cellar and vineyard all are geared towards growing the healthiest fruit possible with the best expression of their local terroir in the sunny south of France. In addition, or perhaps as a result, their wines are exceptional values!” Chris Cree M.W.

“Chateau Maris’ 9,000 square foot wine cellar in southern France maintains a stable temperature year-round without the use of air conditioning or heating; it’s sustainable, organic, all-natural, odorless, and acts as a carbon sink–able to absorb carbon dioxide. The cellar isn’t made of brick, or stone, or some magical new ingredient, but rather it’s a simple combination of hemp, lime and wood.” Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes

All Posts, Wine

JP Chenet FREE WINE Tasting 4-7p Friday 04/15

Friday 04/15 4-7p

histoire-01_jpchenet Toast the warm weather on Friday with a FREE WINE tasting wine at the Beverage Warehouse!

We are pleased to have Mickaël Capodagli of JP Chenet wines presenting a flight of easy drinking bubbly and table wine for your enjoyment.

From jpchenet.com:

Following his artistic and entrepreneurial spirit, in 1984 Joseph Helfrich designed a bottle with a revolutionary shape. He named it Joséphine. It stood out from the crowd with its original curves, slanted neck and generous body. It represented a genuine challenge at the time as a special bottling chain needed to be built for it. The first brand of French wine was born and its name was JP Chenet.

To set itself even further apart from the far too traditional French market, JP Chenet focused its communication on the grape variety rather than the appellation. Initially, the brand offered two wines, a Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon and a Blanc de Blancs which was a blend of Colombard and white Ugni from the Gascony hillsides.

A veritable pioneer in the south of France, JP Chenet developed partnerships with the cooperative wineries to ensure the durability and quality of the wines. Together, they defined the style of the wines well before the harvest to ensure consistency regardless of the vintage.

JP Chenet wines are tracked, controlled and monitored from the vine itself, always providing the delicious fruity aspect that characterises it so well !

The wines won over the German market first before being exported to the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Still booming, the brand quickly became synonymous with pleasure and conviviality. Its range extended to bi-varietal wines in the early 1990s to meet growing demand. Cabernet-Syrah was born and was to remain the most prized of the range.

The success of our brand is intimately associated with its capacity for innovation. We were the frontrunners of French branded wines and thanks to the hard work of our teams, J.P Chenet is the best-selling French wine in the world. In the 160 countries where it has a presence, the brand conveys the image of a modern French wine adapted to the habits of the markets.

Identifying the best terroirs

Our two winemakers, Philippe Chabert and Vincent Euzet, work extensively in the vineyard to identify the sectors most likely to perfectly ripen the different grape varieties. We work very closely with the local wineries to identify the best grape varieties and the best terroirs. JP Chenet wines are exclusively made from grapes grown and vinified by our partner producers in the following regions:

Le Pays d’Oc

Le Pays d'OcBordering the Mediterranean, the Pays d’Oc spans four departments: Pyrenees-Orientales, Aude, Hérault and Gard. Sun-drenched vineyards produce aromatic wines and a unique richness. It is in this region, the largest in Europe, which we identify our best Merlot, Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gascogne

La GascogneLocated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees, Gascony enjoy an ideal climate for aromatic grapes production. It gives birth to fresh and seducing wines of an extrem elegance. This is in the unique terroir that we identify our best white grape varieties : Sauvignon blanc, Colombard and Chardonnay.

All Posts, Wine

Clos de la Procure – Cotes de Provence Red Wine – Staff Pick

clos-de-la-procure-cotes-de-provence
One of the jobs we have is to sift through 1000’s of wines available to us and bring in wines that have a ‘wow’ factor.
We nailed it with the Clos de la Procure from Dupéré Barrera – it is one of the best wines in our store under $40!
Out of the 200+ wines we tried at a wine show, this was our favorite and we are delighted to share it with you.
The dark fruits and spice of Clos de la Procure pairs well with seared duck, steak frites, or even just a kick-ass burger – the clean long finish means you can simply enjoy it by itself.
Clos de la Procure 2011 was a one time shot for us so even though we stocked up, once it’s gone, it is gone.  Grab a bottle and if you like it, squirrel a couple away for your next dinner party and wow your guests!

Show sale price: $23.99 ($28.99reg)

 

kermit-lynchFrom kermitlynch.com:

Côtes de Provence Rouge Clos de la Procure –

 

  • 30% Grenache, 30 % Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 10 % Cinsault
  • Organic farming
  • All grapes are harvested by hand and 100% de-stemmed
  • Grapes are crushed by foot
  • Fermentation is natural and no additives are used
  • No pumps are used to transfer the wine
  • Wine is vinified in small, open cuves, sizes 300-L to 1500-L
  • Punch downs are done daily for the first 15 days of fermentation
  • The wine is aged in French oak barrels from Château d’Yquem, Beauséjour Bécot, and Domaine de la Romanée Conti

Dupéré Barrera –

duperebarrea Unlike so many of our producers who were born into the trade, Emmanuelle Dupéré and Laurent Barrera did not start their careers in wine.  Emmanuelle was, and still is, a professional singer, and Laurent a geological engineer on the island of Réunion, near Madagascar.  In 1998, Laurent decided to change direction and enrolled in viticultural school in the Var.  Emmanuelle already had a degree in Wine Commerce, but went back to school to learn the production side of the business. Their studies brought them together with great winemakers from various regions of France, and as they learned from these experienced producers, they gained a deep respect for the unadulterated expression of the fruit so prevalent in naturally-made wines.

There is nothing average about this husband-and-wife team of enologists:  they consider every detail with both brainy enthusiasm and heart.  These eco-conscious artisans could never be accused of not walking their talk, either. They adhere to organic methods in the vineyards and are now also incorporating biodynamic practices, adding even stricter discipline to their intense workload. Their winemaking process allows the natural character of the wine to speak for itself, with minute doses of sulfur, no fining or filtration, and bottling during optimal weather conditions when the atmospheric pressure is just right. With one cuvée of Côtes de Provence, they take it to the next level: everything is done by hand with absolutely no machinery – earning the name Nowat (no watt=no electricity). Consider their “Cuvée Très Longue Macération” for some très long aging, too.  The Dupéré Barrera team captures the essence of their region beautifully: rich, sun-kissed fruit, savory herbes de Provence, and long, lingering finishes.  Travel to sunny Provence with the pop of a cork.

 

Events, Uncategorized, Wine

Special Wine Tasting with Patricia Green Winemaker | Sat. 04/09 11a-1p

pg2

We are most delighted to share the enthralling wines of Patricia Green all year with you.  Patricia Green wines are limited, craveable, fine wines from Oregon with prices in the $30-$60 per bottle range.

pg3 We are lucky to have Owner/Winemaker Jim Anderson at our store from 11a-1p on Saturday, April 9th for a special tasting before he has to leave Vermont for a wine dinner.

We hope you will join us!

This will be one of the finest wine tastings at our store in 2016 – don’t miss out!

pg5 Patricia Green Cellars is located in the Ribbon Ridge Appellation of the Willamette Valley on a 52 acre estate purchased in 2000 by Patty Green and Jim Anderson. The winery, and thus the two friends and business partners, are noted for producing a tremendously broad selection of vineyard designated Pinot Noirs from several vineyards representing some of the better sites in the Willamette Valley with a particular emphasis over the years on Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills and the Chehalem Mountain appellations.

ph8 At a larger level the philosophy of the winery is fairly simple: Do what needs to be done. There are certain approaches and techniques that will obviously be applied, however the intensity of those actions is fluid. That fluid nature would extend to nearly every aspect of the winemaking. Ultimately things are done as simply as is possible. The 14th century friar William of Ockham stated that “one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.” This is the physics theory known as Occam’s Razor. It applies to winemaking though, too. With over 50 combined years worth of winemaking experience the two partners are quite possibly the longest-partnered winemaking duo in Oregon and they have come to realize that the hardest thing to do is to do the simplest things.

ph2 Of course to be a truly successful winery one must start with very strong raw materials. Over the years an ever-increasingly strong set of vineyards has made up the core of the winery’s Pinot Noir bottlings. The crowning jewel initially was landing what is the Estate Vineyard with the purchase of the property back in 2000. At this juncture Patricia Green Cellars has now assembled what is certainly one of the strongest collection of well-farmed, high-quality sites with great reputations in the entire state.

pg1 Patricia Green Cellars is a unique winery because of the collaborative approach to running the business from nearly all perspectives, a dedication to particular sites being able to produced uniquely special Pinot Noirs and a willingness to continually evolve, adapt and grow as a winery, winemakers and winery owners.

To read more, visit:

http://www.patriciagreencellars.com/about-us