La garagista | Vinu Jancu | Vermont La Crescent | 12,5 alc./vol. | $36.99 / 750ml
It is our great pleasure to announce the latest release of craveable wine from La garagista… Vinu Jancu.
From the vino vessel:
La garagista: n. one who makes wine in a garage; one who works in a garage; one who uses all parts of a garage.
Vinu Jancu
Vinu Jancu is an old Sicilian name for white wines made in an orange wine manner. This style has a deep nobility with a long history in the Eurasian production areas of Armenia & Georgia, but also found in Italy, Sicily, and other alpine areas of Europe. The white wine grapes are treated like red grapes: the juice ferments on the grape skins and remain sur lie long afterward, taking on more color (hence the orange), tannin, texture, and aromatics.
This Vinu Jancu is made from La Crescent, a descendant of Muscat de Hambourg, and grown on the hills and valleys of Vermont. Hand-picked and hand-sorted, this honest, unfiltered wine was crushed traditionally and fermented on native yeast at our cantina, and remained sur lie for the winter in glass demijohns.
– Deirdre Heekin & Caleb Barber / Visit us at lagaragista.com
La garagista | Ci Confonde | Petillant Naturel | White Sparkling Wine of Vermont | $33.99 – 1 per person, per day 🙂
Art of the vine… passion of the heart… delight of the senses… La garagista wines continue to delight us and our friends every time we are blessed with them.
We are jubilant with the latest La garagist vin to grace our shelves – Ci Confonde. This sparkling gem will only be around for a short time, so get yours while you can!
From the bottle:
(Chi•con•fond•ay) It confounds us. Surprises. Dumbfounds. Slays. Bedazzles. Staggers. Shakes. We’re feeling a bit bedazzled by petillant naturel, an old-style first fermentation in bottle. Our Ci Confonde White is bottles shortly after harvest, and left to finish its frothy alchemy under the cap, creating a fine bead of pearly effervescence. Hand-harvested and unfiltered, this alpine sparkling hails from our vineyards in the northern climate of Vermont.
30 Days of Rosé | #21 | Fess Parker | Pinot Noir Rosé | 2016 | Santa Rita Hills | California | $16.99 sale!
We are most pleased to highlight the Fess Parker Rosé during our cheery and delicious Rosé promotions!
Pinot Noir Rosé is one of the more broadly recognizable varietals, and the award winning wine crafters over at Fess Parker have done a superb job.
In an age where family run business are frequently turning over their business to large corporations, not only does it feel good to support this multi-generational family endeavor… but it’ll make your visceral senses feel good as well!
Our Pinot Noir Rose is always a crowd pleaser! The perfect Spring and Summer wine this light-bodied, refreshing wine is perfect served with charcuterie, grilled salmon or pork tenderloin, but can certainly be enjoyed on it’s own.
Tasting Notes:
Color: Light salmon hue
Aromas: Rose petal, guava, ginger, cherry, wild strawberry
Aging: 88% stainless steel & 22% barrel fermented and aged for 5 months in neutral French oak
Production Notes: 592 cases
Vineyard Notes: 57% Parker West Vineyard, 22% Rio Vista Vineyard, 13% Ashley’s Vineyard, 8% Fiddlestix Vineyard all located within the Sta. Rita Hills Appellation
Our Family
When Fess Parker was cast in the role of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950’s, it caused an international sensation and changed his life forever. So too did the purchase of 714 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley change the course of the Parker family’s history.
Realizing the potential of Santa Barbara County as a premium grape-growing region, Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “ Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small. “The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.
The characters Fess portrayed, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, inspired generations of Americans. Throughout the late 1950’s and 1960’s Fess was at the pinnacle of a television career that has an unprecedented impact upon American popular culture. But it was Fess’ entrepreneurial spirit that prompted his leaving Hollywood to go into business for himself. The traits that Crockett and Boone embodied – integrity, resourcefulness and good humor — carried over to Fess’ personal life and formed the foundation upon which the family business was built. First-class hospitality has always been at the core of their ventures, first as hoteliers and eventually with the opening of the winery.
Working as a family has always been a great source of pride and pleasure for the Parker family. Eli Parker began in the family business as assistant winemaker in 1989. After several years of learning the craft at the side of renowned and accomplished winemakers, Eli took the reigns as winemaker himself with the 1995 vintage. A leader of the winery since its inception, it was in 1996 that Eli formally assumed the title and responsibilities of President. In the early 1990’s, Ashley ran the first tastings out of the barrel room and represented the winery at trade shows. In 1998, Ashley became Eli’s partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams. The presence of Fess and his wife Marcy as the founding visionaries of the winery is a vital and enduring one.
Our Story
Driving north along the pastoral Foxen Canyon Wine Trail feels like traveling back to California’s early days. Rolling hills frame vast meadows, deer and wildlife roam free, and pristine landscapes stretch as far as the eye can see. This peaceful environment enticed the late Fess Parker into buying a 714-acre ranch here back in 1988. The Texas-born actor, who played the television roles of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone in the 1950s and 1960s, had moved his family to Santa Barbara in the early 1960s and begun construction of a blufftop home. When heavy rains caused it to collapse onto the beach, he revised his plans and headed inland.
There, he discovered the Foxen Canyon property, where he initially planned to run cattle, plant a few grapes to sell to other vintners, and establish a small winery. Parker, an only child, dreamed of starting a family business that he could pass on to future generations. He asked his children to join him, and they planted a five-acre experimental Riesling vineyard in 1989. Eli, his son, started as assistant winemaker and spent three years under the tutelage of acclaimed enologist Jed Steele before taking the helm. Eli then planted more vines and started a four-year project to build a cutting-edge winery and tasting room.
Eli Parker and his sister Ashley continue to stay involved as stewards of the family’s vision for the winery while Ashley’s husband Tim Snider serves as President and oversees day-to-day operations. The family’s vineyard is the 120-acre Rodney’s Vineyard, named after Fess Parker’s late son-in-law, at the 400-acre Foxen Canyon Road estate where the winery is located. They also source grapes from Camp Four vineyard in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, which Parker planted in 1998 as well as vineyards in the cooler Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley appellations. Blair Fox assumed the role of head winemaker in 2005. In recent years, the winery has sharpened its focus to produce more small-lot, vineyard-designated wines made from high-quality Rhone and Burgundian varietals, which have won awards in national wine competitions.
The Burlington Wine & Food festival is here, celebrate deliciously with the ever-so-scrumptious Melville Pinot Noir.
One sip of this craveable wine telegraphs to all of your senses: “Hey this is not just an exquisite vino, this is made with a whole lotta love and expertise – I need more!”
They’re not making more of this stunning 2013 Pinot Noir… so wash your palate with it whilst you can.
“Off-the-charts good… these are some of the greatest values in the world of wine today” – The Wine Advocate
This is 100% Melville fruit from our Sta. Rita Hills estate, and is a collection of 16 pinot noir clones. 40% of the fruit was fermented as whole-clusters with 60% gently de-stemmed in small (1.5 ton) open-top fermenters. Total skin and stem contact averaged 30 days (7 day cold soak, 2 + weeks of fermentation and 1+ week extended maceration).
From the press, the wine was transferred directly into neutral barrel (10+ year old French oak), where it remained sur lie without sulfur until June, when it was gently racked for the first time and prepared for bottling in August.
Tasting Notes:
Pale ruby in color, spicy aromatics of ginger, black tea and cinnamon stick emerge initially. On the palate, fresh and lifted nuances of candied orange peel, pomegranate and gardenia mingle with hints of toasted marshmallow and dried cherries. The mouthfeel is focused and vibrant, finishing with excellent clarity and precision.
30 Days of Rosé | #20 | Shelburne Vineyard | Whimsey Meadow Dry Rosé | 15% ABV | $14.99
After a couple of super exciting projects (new wine cave feature, new tags, and more) our 30 Days of Rosé feature continues!
Today, we are delighted to be featuring Whimsey Meadow Dry Rosé by our local friends at Shelburne Vineyard.
From the bottle: Each winter we spend many snowy afternoons in the winery reaming of summer and crafting the perfect blend for our Whimsey Meadow Dry Rosé. The result is a harmonious union of several of our Vermont grown grape varieties. This rosé is a bright addition to a day well spent, any time of year.
Tasting Comments: Every year, the bend for our Whimsey Meadow Rosé varies. For the 2016 vintage, we’ve combined along with Marquette, some Petite Pearl and Louise Swenson to create a rosé that is juicy and perfectly satisfying. It has a soft aroma of watermelon and ripe berries while the taste bursts with juicy, fresh red fruits and thirst quenching acidity.
Fruit Source:
71% Marquette (Shelburne Vineyard)
21% Petite Pearl (Shelburne Vineyard)
8% Louise Swenson (Shelburne Vineyard)
Food Parings:
Sweet and smoky barbecue
Grilled salmon
Double and triple creme cheeses
Strawberry salad with balsamic drizzle
Our Company Mission As one of the early pioneers in Vermont wine making, we strive to make the highest quality wines from locally grown northern varietal grapes. We continuously aim to deliver not only the best products but the most accommodating service so that all of our customers can enjoy their experience at Shelburne Vineyard to the fullest.
Our Sustainable Mission We have commitment to sustainable practices in all aspects of our business. In our vineyards we follow the Cornell University “Vine Balance” protocol. Our Winery and Tasting Room building is designed to LEED standards, and all products we use are specifically chosen with environmental sustainability in mind.
Our Community Mission We are dedicated to making a positive impact on our community. By involving ourselves in a number of local networks and hosting monthly fundraising events to benefit non-profit organizations, we aim to support our surrounding citizens and local businesses.
Jazz Odyssey | Teutonic Wine Company | Willamette Valley White Blend | $13.99
The Official Wine of the Winooski Jazz Festival –
The Winooski Jazz Festival is here which brings along aural delights… be sure to take care of your other senses with the official festival wine… Jazz Odyssey from Teutonic Wine Company!
Jazz Odyssey is a field blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay and from the Wasson Vineyard in the Willamette Valley. This zippy refreshing wine is semi-sweet, hits of carmelized green apple, peach nectar and honey comb with refreshing acid.
Experience the Jazz Odyssey and see where it takes you.
12% Alcohol by volume
About Teutonic Wine Company:
It all started in 2002 when Barnaby was the wine buyer at Papa Haydn Restaurant in Portland’s southeast location. German wine importer Ewald Moseler, showed him 14 different Rieslings from Germany’s famed Mosel wine region. Barnaby bought all 14 and started one of the largest German wine lists in Portland. That same night he told his wife, Olga that he needed to learn how to make wines that are as expressive to terroir (expression of the place the grapes are grown) as these Rieslings.
Without a clue as to how to start or find investors for financial backing, we (Barnaby and Olga) started on a long journey into one of Oregon’s most difficult industries- the wine business. As our luck would have it, a friend of ours offered her fallow farm land in Alsea, Ore., to start a vineyard. So in 2005, along with a handful of good friends, we put 2000 vines into the ground, mostly Pinot Noir and some Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc. As we were learning how to manage the vineyard, Barnaby left his restaurant career and started as a rookie at a shared winery facility in Carlton.
Barnaby and Olga working the 2013 harvest.
We produced our first commercial vintage in 2008 which included our Estate Pinot Noir from the Alsea vineyard and Pinot Meunier made with fruit from a U-pick vineyard called Borgo Pass. From there, we increased our production by purchasing fruit from other vineyards around the Willamette Valley. We always look for colder sites, higher elevation and dry-farmed vines that are ideally 30 years or older. Today, Teutonic Wine Company produces roughly 6,000 cases of wine per year, all varieties that are typical to the Germany’s Mosel region. These include Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chasselas, Gewürztramer, Silvaner, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, Rosé and a variety of white blends. All the wines we make, with the exception of one blend, are single vineyard wines.
Because we love the wines from the Mosel Valley so much, we began traveling there every summer and met some local producers who make superb Rieslings. Barnaby, being tenacious as he is, asked many questions and was able to learn and emulate many of their techniques for making Riesling. Even though Oregon’s soil type(s) is nothing close to ones in the Mosel Valley, our wines are similar in style. When we pour our wines for our German winemaker friends, they nod their heads and smile. That right there tells us we’re doing something right!
We have a small but dedicated team at Teutonic. Alex Neely (green shirt) is our Assistant Winemaker who not only helps in the cellar, but also works the vineyards and the tasting room several days a week. Gus Wahlstrom (far right) has been with us for more than four years. He started out doing the over-night shift during harvest, pressing off one load of fruit after the other. Now he also works in the tasting room, winery and in the vineyards on a regular basis.
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From the vino vessel:
