Hello, Feastlings.
In this era of conglomerates taking over small business everywhere and homogenizing the world, we value our small, family-owned-and-operated wineries now more than ever. Do you miss wines that have distinct character and charm and don’t taste like the wine you had yesterday, and the day before, and that day before that? Come join us and our friend (and former dining room manager) Dylan Higgins when he brings six wines from six different families around the world. The tasting- this Sunday, January 27 at 3:30- offers you six wines and six food pairings for a mere $35 plus tax and tip, plus stories from the wineries and from your cronies as you taste your way through. Plus you get a discount on the wines! Web and email reservations won’t hold you a seat, but if you’re interested, give us a call at 326-9363 and we’ll save you a seat. It’s going to be delicious.
Family-owned Wineries
Patient Cottat, Sancerre Anciennes Vignes $33.00
Situated in the small village of Verdigny in the Sancerre region, the Fournier family has been making wine for many generations. The estate has grown from 5 hectares in 1950 to almost 30 hectares today, divided over the appellations of Menetou-Salon, Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre. The improvements made in vinification techniques and the permanent concern about quality result in well-balanced wines of great diversity.
Patient Cottat was a famous “Master Goldsmith” in mid-19th century France. Born in Paris, he loved the Berry region of the central Loire Valley. His legacy is perpetuated thru the Fournier family’s Grand Caillou and Anciennes Vignes ranges of selected traditional Loire wines.
2014 Presqu’ile Winery “Presqu’ile Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley $20.00
Presqu’ile arose from our penchant for fine wines, an inclination for adventure, and the discovery of Santa Maria Valley’s ideal terroir. Our property includes 73 acres of certified sustainably farmed vineyards on our 200 acre property where we craft Santa Maria Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah. To complement our estate production, we partner with top growers to source additional outstanding fruit.
Presqu’ile winery is a venture with deep roots. For over a century, four generations of the family have partnered in farming, forestry, oil and gas and conservation. Today, two generations of Murphys form the heart of Presqu’ile: Matt, Amanda, Jonathan, Lindsey, Anna, Madison and Suzanne, together with winemaker Dieter Cronje and vineyard manager Jim Stollberg.
2016 Cristom “Mt. Jefferson Cuvée” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $35.00
Cristom Vineyards began a quarter of a century ago as a collaboration between three men: an engineer, a biochemist, and a farmer, who each possessed a deep-rooted respect for the land, the natural winemaking process, and Pinot Noir. 25 years later, second-generation winegrower and owner Tom Gerrie leads winemaker Steve Doerner and vineyard manager Mark Feltz in tending our Estate vineyards, and producing elegant, dynamic wines, recognizable by our hallmark style of whole cluster fermentation by native yeast.
2017 Pecchenino “San Luigi” Dogliani $20.00
The Pecchenino wine estate dates back to the end of the 1700’s and has always been a family-run operation, with the holding handed down from father to son for generations. Records from the early 1900’s show that the farm, owned and run by Attilio, the current generation’s grandfather, originally consisted of just a little over 8 hectares. Since the beginning of the 1970’s, when it passed into the capable hands of his son Marino and then in 1987 to grandsons Orlando and Attilio, new land and vineyards have been acquired and it now number 25 hectares, of which 22 are located in the Commune of Dogliani and 3 in Monforte d’Alba.
The area of Dogliani is especially suited to the cultivation of the Dolcetto grape, whose presence here is documented in a manuscript from 1432, discovered in the municipal archives.
The estate’s philosophy is aimed at producing high quality wine and thanks to years of experience those vinification techniques that are most adapted to their wines have been adopted: from temperature-controlled maceration to ageing in wood or on the lees. Fermentation is induced using native natural grape yeasts to best preserve the typical characteristics and personality of the fruit.
2015 Alpha Estate ”Hedgehog Vineyard” Xinomavro, Amyndeon $25.00
Alpha Estate is located in the heart of the Amyndeon, a wine region in the Northwest of Greece. The estate’s vineyards cover over 160 acres situated on a plateau around 2,000 feet above sea level. Moderate temperatures and heavy winter rains create ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen. Poor soils with good drainage create a mild water deficit, resulting in small berries with intense red color and concentrated flavors and aromas.
Alpha Estate is presided over by Angelo Iatridis, considered by many to be Greece’s most promising winemaker. Angelo cultivates international varieties as well as indigenous Greek varieties, and all the wines are crafted in Alpha’s state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery. Alpha is considered one of the most cutting edge producers in Greece and has established the most technologically advanced vineyards in the viticulture world. They always strive for precision grape-growing and focused terrior-driven wines that are bold and exciting.
2015 Hedges Family Estate Red Blend, Red Mountain $27.00
Led by a passion for authenticity and a deep connection to the land they call home, the Hedges Family epitomizes the modern wine estate. A blend of rich cultural upbringings and a shared love for creating beautiful wine converge at the heart of bucolic Red Mountain, fostering a true homegrown approach to farming and viticulture. Hedges Family Estate unites past and present, evolving tradition for generations to come. Tom and Anne-Marie founded Hedges Family Estate as a négociant brand, with the CMS label, in 1987. In 1989 the husband and wife team purchased 120 acres on Red Mountain. Today, their son, Christophe Hedges, is the General Manager and their daughter, Sarah Goedhart, is the winemaker. Not only is this truly a family affair, but the estate is Salmon Certified Organic and converting to biodynamic farming. Currently 40% of the estate is Demeter Certified Biodynamic.