Newsletter
July 20, 2026 – August 14, 2026
Old Gaul
Grab a bike. Make sure your tires are pumped and take a tour of old Gaul. These grapes have been around for centuries, survived fashion changes, and live as modern monuments to the French Republic of wine, cuisine, and vacation.
Raisins Gaulois
2024 Vin de France ‘Raisins Gaulois’ (M. & C. Lapierre)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
Marcel Lapierre elevated Beaujolais more in his lifetime than anyone. His incredible Morgon was, and still is, a darling of both village wine bars and haute cuisine. One of his last creations was Raisins Gaulois, a chillable, fresh Gamay that will go with anything. His heirs continue this tradition, and the 2024 is thoroughly charming.
L’Argilex
2022 Vouvray Sec ‘Argilex’ (Benoît Gautier)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Dry Vouvray is an absolute summer delight. This crisp Chenin Blanc will match well with a summery tomato salad with chèvre and basil. The 2022 from Benoît Gautier is a great value.
Tuffe
2023 Saumur-Champigny ‘Tuffe’ (Château du Hureau)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
Rumors say that Philippe Vatan’s Château du Hureau is up for sale. If so, we hope the new owners continue to produce exceptional Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. Named for the pale tuffeau limestone beneath Saumur, the 2023 Tuffe was exquisite. Its violet perfume and crushed berry fruit combined to create a finish of earthy, dry delights. Superb with salmon.
Les Roches de la Savoyarde
2023 Chignin (André & Michel Quenard)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
In the hands of André and Michel Quenard, the Jacquère grape becomes a fine-tuned, superb dry white. Their south-facing alpine vineyards give the wine an extra dose of concentration while keeping it light and lively. Perfect for a ceviche of scallops.
Tour de Fruits de Mer
2024 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine ‘Tourmaline’ (Gadais Père et Fils)
Sale Price $16.99 – $173.30 case of twelve
As we have said before, summer without Muscadet is not summer. The 2024 Tourmaline is marvelous Muscadet. Get your clams, oysters, and mussels. Make a feast of shellfish and Muscadet.
En Gard
2025 Tavel (Château de Trinquevedel)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Along with Bandol, Tavel is the peak of Mediterranean French rosé. Bandol derives its structure from a high proportion of Mourvèdre. Tavel takes a different path. Although fruit-forward Grenache is the signature grape of the southern Rhône, the appellation caps it at 60%, keeping complexity at the heart of the wine. The other grapes in Trinquevedel’s blend include Cinsault, Clairette, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The 2025 is a dark, peppery, meaty rosé. Have it with grilled lamb or a spicy seafood stew.
Listed prices are honored through August 14th, 2026. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 50, No. 8
Atilia, Christina, and Thunder
Thunder
2025 Moschofilero ‘Thunder’ (Troupis)
Sale Price $16.99 per Liter – $173.30 case of twelve
Troupis makes this delightful rosé from Moschofilero, an aromatic, pink-skinned variety grown in the Arkadia prefecture of Greece. Floral aromas and peachy fruit lead to a crisp, dry finish.
Cerasuolo
2025 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (Atilia)
Sale Price $17.99 per Liter – $183.50 case of twelve
Cerasuolo flirts with the border between red and rosé. Enjoy it as a lively sipping wine, or serve this Montepulciano rosé with spicy foods that bring out its subtle fruit and grippy tannins.
Christina
2025 Rosé (Christina)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
This 100% Zweigelt rosé from Austria offers lively salted-watermelon fruit and an absolutely charming, dry balance. Ideal with a watermelon-feta salad.
Mosel Trocken
2023 Mosel Riesling Trocken ‘Varidor’ (Carl Loewen)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
The Mosel may be famous for sweeter Rieslings, but crisp Trockens are increasingly prominent. Carl Loewen’s Varidor is a mother lode of minerality, with zesty fruit shot through with crisp acidity. A remarkable match with spicy Thai noodles.
At the End of the Roman Road
2022 Zweigelt ‘Carnuntum Cuvée’ (Glatzer)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Two thousand years ago, Carnuntum was a Roman city of about 50,000 on the empire’s northeastern frontier. Today, it’s an Austrian town of about 1,300 with a modest wine industry. Here, an ancient river laid down gravelly soils where vines thrive in a demanding climate of hot summers, cold winters, strong winds, and scant rainfall. Zweigelt, a crossing of Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent and now Austria’s most widely planted red grape, usually makes easygoing quaffers. Walter Glatzer, however, makes Zweigelt with unusual intensity. This 2022 is dense and packed with plummy fruit, peppery spice, and an earthy, dry finish. Have this with roasted pork loin, cabbage, and apples.
Steinfeder Grüner
2024 Grüner Veltliner Steinfeder ‘Spitz’ (Hirtzberger)
Sale Price $39.99 – $407.90 case of twelve
The Wachau is another Austrian wine region where viticulture dates to Roman times. Although the steep terraced vineyards require intense manual labor, their rocky soils and distinctive grape varieties yield some of the best white wines in the world. The region’s traditional grading system is entirely unique. The scale runs from Steinfeder, the lightest and named for a feather grass that grows in the vineyards, through Federspiel, the middleweight and named for a falconry lure used to call the hawk back to the glove, to Smaragd, the most intense and named for an emerald-green lizard. These categories tell you what to expect in terms of weight, structure, ripeness, and intensity. That said, any wine from Hirtzberger is well worth drinking. One of our favorite Hirtzberger wines is the Steinporz Smaragd Weissburgunder, but in midsummer we strongly recommend their delicate, lightly spritzy Grüner Veltliner Steinfeder from their home vineyards in the village of Spitz. Steinfeder wines have become increasingly rare, but Hirtzberger’s 2024 delights with its lower alcohol and graceful balance. Have this with crab cakes and potato salad.
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Marabino Nero
2020 Terre Siciliane ‘Rosso di Contrada’ (Marabino)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Marabino is a terrific Nero d’Avola producer in southeastern Sicily. Rosso di Contrada comes from four parcels, fermented separately and spontaneously with long skin contact, aged in steel, then blended and matured in bottle, totaling nearly four years of aging. The 2020 is smooth and dry, with subtle dried fruit and flowers. Try it with grilled tuna and a tomato, mozzarella, and caper salad.
La Bauge Au-dessus
2021 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir ‘La Bauge Au-dessus’ (Au Bon Climat)
Sale Price $34.99 – $356.90 case of twelve
Au Bon Climat was founded as a Burgundian outpost in Santa Barbara, California. The Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs have always been exquisite. On a recent visit, Isabelle Clendenen poured us a 2021 La Bauge Au-dessus reserve Pinot Noir. We loved it and bought the last remaining cases. This is aging gently and remains expressive and impressive.
Specialty Foods
Smørrebrød
It’s too hot to cook inside or out! What to do?
How do you prepare a meal when it’s too hot inside to use the stove and the air quality is too poor to sit outside and grill? It’s far and away the most pressing conundrum of our times.
Fortunately, we have some easy, no-cook meal suggestions that are sure to make this problem a little easier.
Smørrebrød is a Danish open-faced sandwich traditionally built on hearty rye bread and layered with combinations of fish, meats, cheese, vegetables and bright garnishes. Each sandwich can be assembled to suit your taste, making smørrebrød easy to prepare and endlessly adaptable.
It’s an ideal no-cook meal that is as fun to arrange as it is delicious to eat. Here are just a couple of combinations to get you started.
Salmon with
Lemon and
Capers
Tender, flash-grilled Nordic salmon with savory whipped cheese spread, garnished with thinly sliced lemon, fresh dill, and capers.
FANGST: Faroe Islands Salmon (110 g)
$12 each
Madame Loïk: Garlic and Herb Whipped Cheese (6 oz)
$8 each
Laurel Hill: Non-Pareil Capers (2.3 oz)
$5 each
Mestemacher: Organic Whole Rye Bread (17.6 oz)
$7 each
Ham
and Pickle
Rich and sweet smoked ham with German horseradish mustard, garnished with tiny gherkins, red onion, and fresh parsley.
Fra’ Mani: Smoked Ham
$8 per half pound
Schaller & Weber:
Düsseldorf Horseradish Mustard (9 oz)
$6 each
Domaine des Vignes: Cornichons (6.68 oz)
$6 each
Mestemacher: Organic Whole Rye Bread (17.6 oz)
$7 each
Wines of the Month — July 20, 2026 through August 14, 2026
2025 Vinho Verde (Quinta da Raza)
Sale Price $9.99 – $107.89 case of twelve
Vinho Verde has taken great strides in quality in the last decade. Quinta da Raza is a star producer and the 2025 is snappy, fresh, and totally dry. Great with cod cakes and clams.
2024 Vin de Pays de Méditerranée Grenache (André Brunel)
Sale Price $11.99 – $129.49 case of twelve
Grenache master André Brunel’s Vin de Pays is a full-bodied, fruity red made for grilled foods and tomato salads.
2024 Vinho Verde Rosé (Muralhas de Monção)
Sale Price $7.99 – $86.29 case of twelve
The Adega de Monção surprised us with this delicious, great value rosé. Made from Alvarelhão, Pedral, and Vinhão, its plum and strawberry fruit make it perfect for cheese and summer salads.
2025 Vermentino di Sardegna ‘Costamolino’ (Argiolas)
Sale Price $11.99 – $129.49 case of twelve
This is the best price in a long time for Argiolas’ Vermentino. The 2025 is full and balanced with peach and pear fruit. A favorite with grilled swordfish.
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