Have you seen our shoutouts from Canlis recently?! We heard that they mentioned us in their first Canlis Community College virtual tasting, and now we’ve also been highlighted in this Seattle Met article. In more good news, we have all four boxes of wine that Canlis Wine Director, Nelson Daquip, suggests in the article. To expand on the article, here’s a bit more information about each.
From the Tank: Vin Rouge was born out of the old school idea of going to the local winery with a big empty jug to fill up with easy-drinking juice. Made with hand-harvested, organically or sustainably grown grapes, indigenous yeasts, and low sulfur, this 3-Liter bag-in-box is carbon efficient wine packaging and produces little waste – with a 55% lower carbon footprint than traditional glass bottles in terms of energy needed for glass production and transportation, and 85% less landfill waste. The paperboard is recyclable, and the lower weight means reduced fossil fuel emissions. A Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan blend, with elegant notes of smoky red fruit, violet, sweet herbs, and baking chocolate. The palate is rich with ripe cherry and berry flavors, and a mineral note that is followed by supple acidity and velvety tannins. Works well with grilled chicken, pork, charcuterie, or simply on its own.
Domaine du Clos du Fief Beaujolais-Villages is a great Thanksgiving wine in a box. Check out our BLOG/EMAIL link for more information on Beaujolais, but know that this is a great example of Gamay wines from the region. Made in the traditional semi-carbonic maceration style the wine is light and lively. With aromas of red fruits, soft tannins, and stony mineral notes, this is an easy-drinking and approachable red wine. And, it drinks well slightly chilled, so it makes perfect sense to store it in the fridge.
Des Vins d’EnVie Jacquère is a natural 100% Jacquère from the Alpine area of Savoie in France with no sulfur added. Des Vins d'EnVie is the collaboration of Maxime Dancoine and Guillaume Lavie, both of whom farm tiny biodynamic vineyards and make a small amount of wine for their own wine labels. They met just before the 2016 vintage and got to talking. They desperately wanted to find a way to create wines in the same natural style and from grapes that were organically farmed at prices their friends could afford. The result is a rich, lively, tense, and mineral-driven wine. A perfect aperitif wine, it would pair perfectly with oysters, ceviche, vegetable salads, goat cheese, and fruit-forward desserts.
La Petite Frog Picpoul de Pinet has been a Champion Wine Cellars favorite for some time now. From the Languedoc region in the south of France, this pale yellow and crisp Picpoul has influences from the Mediterranean sea thanks to its limestone and sandy soil. It is light-bodied, with notes of fresh citrus, especially grapefruit, and focused, zesty acidity. It would also be a great aperitif or accompaniment to oysters or seafood, crudités, or rich creamy pasta.