Rheinhessen Riesling
2012 Oppenheimer Kreuz Riesling Kabinett (Dr. Heyden)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
Great values keep coming from the Rheinhessen estate of Dr. Heyden. Last month we featured his ultra-dry Sylvaner and this month we have his classic Riesling Kabinett. Apple and pear fruit merge with crisp, bright minerals to create a perfectly balanced, delightfully fruity white. The body of this Riesling impresses with its soft and luxuriously weighted flavors.

Verdicchio Rules The Adriatic
2013 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Conti di Buscareto)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
The white grapes of Italy are so numerous and widespread they aren’t ranked in a hierarchy like the red grapes (Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Aglianico…). But if we were to draw up such a list for white grapes, Verdicchio would be near the top. Produced mainly in the Adriatic region of Le Marche, Verdicchio has a floral, aromatic beginning, a juicy, rich middle, and an excellent crisp, dry finish. The 2013 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from Conti di Buscareto is a great value and perfect for a grilled slab of striped bass.

Rocks of Vergisson
2012 Mâcon-Vergisson ‘Les Rochers’ (Domaine Guerrin & Fils)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
The 2012 vintage in the Mâcon is of great quality, but small quantity. You know what that means for prices. Of the three very good wines from Domaine Guerrin we tasted, this Mâcon-Vergisson was our favorite. It’s a full-flavored dry French Chardonnay with aromas of honey and wheat along with a terrific stony dry finish.

Gorgo Veneto
2013 Pinot Grigio (Gorgo)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
We’re not always crazy about Pinot Grigio, but when a solid good value crosses our palate we can’t ignore it. This 2013 from Gorgo is a crisp, lively Pinot Grigio with character and focus. It balances light peachy fruit and zesty dryness with firm texture and a clean, cool finish.

The Grüner with the Pop Top
2013 Grüner Veltliner (Hofer)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Year in, year out the big green liter bottle of Grüner Veltliner from Hofer is a big seller. Why? We think it’s because the wine is plain and simple generous fun. The 2013 follows suit. It has a faint spritz to go along with its flinty and minty flavor

Lambrusco Naturale
2013 Lambrusco dell’Emilia (Vigneto Saetti)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
Lambrusco has made an impressive comeback, mostly because when they are unadulterated, the wines can be so darned delicious. The people of Emilia-Romagna have an enviable array of local food to choose from: terrific salumi, wonderful eggy fresh pasta, incredible Parmigiano-Reggiano. If there is any complaint about the food of the region it might be that it’s a tad heavy. That is precisely where Lambrusco comes in. This naturally fizzy dry red is the cool refreshing antidote to fat-laden foods. Vigneto Saetti makes their Lambrusco as naturally as possible, without pesticides in the vineyard and without sulphur dioxide in the winery. Our shipment of this ultra-Organic wine was disgorged on April 28th, 2014, making it about as fresh as you could get if you were dining in Modena, but here you should try it with our deli’s mortadella or your homemade pulled pork.

Freisa/Nebbiolo – Parent/Offspring
2012 Langhe Freisa ‘Chila’ (Principiano)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
The Nebbiolo grape is so old (first mentioned in 1266) that its parents are probably extinct, but another ancient grape, Freisa, is considered to be one of its likely progenitors. Freisa has survived because of its versatility. At various times, due to fashion, it has been sweet, dry, still, frizzante, and spumante, though not all at once. Despite being light in color it is high in acidity and tannins. These traits plus its wild red fruit fragrance and balancing bitterness add to the winemaker’s palette. Today most Freisa is still and dry. The 2012 from Principiano is made from a single plot of 25-year-old vines on the highest hill in Monforte d’Alba. We adore it for its spicy strawberry and raspberry fruit and the twists and turns of its complex components. Barolo it is not, but it is one heck of a Freisa. Have this with a tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil salad

Choice Tuscan
2012 Rosso di Montepulciano (Poderi Sanguineto I e II)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
The boar-hunting Tuscan winemaker Dora Forsini is true to the roots of her family’s farm. When a new trend toward clonal selection of Sangiovese and modern techniques of fermentation arrived in Montepulciano, she ignored them. Honoring her forebears, she makes wines from untreated grapes that ferment slowly and naturally. An accident in the winery slowed her down last year, but she still refuses to compromise and the wines from Sanguineto remain completely authentic. The 2012 Rosso is striking for its gutsy tannins and wild berry fruit.

Monterey Pinot Noir
2012 Pinot Noir ‘Kali Hart’ (Talbott)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
This Pinot Noir tastes like a much more expensive bottle. The Talbott family’s estate-grown fruit from Monterey enjoys a long growing season thanks to the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean. The 2012 has generous fruit and the elegant addition of French oak. Perfect with grilled chicken and a large summer salad with goat cheese.

Specialty Foods

Servilleta $25.99 per lb.  
(Regular price $27.99)
Semi-firm, creamy and piney, with a silky texture, this delicate, fresh-tasting pasteurized goat’s milk cheese has a rustic, pillow-shaped exterior with the imprint of the ‘napkin’ (servilleta in Spanish) used to give the cheese its characteristic shape. From Catalonia, produced by Betara in the villages of Olost and Perafita between Barcelona and the Pyrenees, it won the Gold Medal at the world cheese awards in 2010. Highly recommended.

Ciudad de Sansueña $19.99 per lb. 
(Regular price $21.99)
Ciudad de Sansueña is a wonderful raw sheep’s milk cheese from Castilla y Leon, produced by Lacteas Zamoro in the village of Santibáñez de Vidriales near Zamora. Aged at least 11 month, it has a distinct and full flavor: nutty, fruity, lactic. Hand pressed and molded, fermented in the natural bacteria of the milk with no added preservatives or yeast.

Maxorata $20.99 per lb. 
(Reg. price $22.99)
From the Canary Island of Fuerteventura, far out in the atlantic and closer to Morocco than Spain comes Maxorata, a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese rubbed with paprika. Hazelnut sweet, creamy yet firm in texture, Maxorata was the first Spanish cheese to receive the protected Designation of Orgin. The high quality milk of the Majorera goats whose island life and excellent genetics have helped them adapt to harsh surroundings and maintain excellent health makes this cheese exceptional.

Corpa Boquerones $28.99 per lb.
(Reg. price $29.99)
These authentic Cantabrian white anchovies, lightly pickled in vinegar and packed in sunflower oil, seasoned with garlic, parsley, and salt, are a natural source of omega-3 oils. Serve on a toasted baguette with parsley and oil to your liking and pair with white wine or beer.