CLASSIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2021 Elephant Hill 'Le Phant Rouge' Blend, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
40% Merlot, 36% Syrah, 14% Tempranillo, 8% Malbec and 1% Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc
Established in 2003, Elephant Hill is located within a stone’s throw of the Pacific Ocean on the idyllic Te Awanga coast of Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island.
This red blend is youthful and distinctive with scents of red and black fruits, a gentle oak spice quality and a natural earthy clay mineral quality. On the palate a fruity, spicy and earthy blend with flavors that reflect the bouquet. Oak remains mild adding complexity, acidity is saline, vibrant and fresh with the main focus of this wine the core of fruit.
Food pairings: Lamb burgers, hamburgers and meaty pastas
Red 2 – 2019 Domus Hortae 'Kalinero' Nero di Troia, Puglia, Italy
Organic
100% Nero di Troia
The Fioretti family have been vignerons, cultivating their vineyards in Orto Nova, in northern Puglia since 1788. Today Rosanna and Pino carry on this family tradition of caring for their land and making wine from native local varieties. They adopt organic farming principles in the context of integrated agriculture approach and guarantee no trace of chemicals, copper and sulfur in their wines.
Kalinero which means 'cheers' in Greek, both a salutation and also said while toasting, is reminiscent of prunes with a hint of vanilla and prunes carry on to the palette along with some rhubarb and raspberries. It has a slight amount of tannins that hug your cheeks. It is easy to drink and balanced.
Food pairings: Orrecchiette with broccoli rabe, Citrus & rosemary roasted chicken
White 1 – Poggio delle Grazie 'Lo Spavaldo' Bianco Frizzante, Garda, Italy
Organically Grown
100% Cortese
Spontaneous fermentation after harvest leads to a second fermentation in the bottle in early Spring, making this wine light and fizzy. It is unfiltered and you will see the natural sediment in the bottom of the bottle.
Aromas of citrus fruits, a hint of yeast and bread making. The taste is fresh, mineral and lemony with a hint of almond. Like a light Lemoncello.
Food Pairing: A great aperitif or brunch partner
White 2 – 2021 Bodegas Bernabeleva 'Camino de Navaherreros' Blanco, Madrid, Spain
Organic / Vegan
50% Albillo Real, 20% Moscatel de Grano Menudo, 30% Others
In the center of Spain, a stone’s throw west of Madrid, is Bodegas Bernabeleva. The organically grown vines are between 15 and 60 years old. These hardy vines cling to life in infertile soils of decomposed granite. The wines are hand harvested and neither fined or filtered to ensure the flavors of the land shine through.
Aged 9 months in French oak, this is a fresh white wine with honey and wild flower aromas. Clean and balanced fruit and balsamic flavors. Dangerously drinkable!
Food pairings: Tapas and salted dried meats
COLLECTORS CLUB
Red 1 – 2017 Podere Canalino Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Organic / Natural
100% Sangiovese
This is a complex, intense age-worthy vegan red wine from 100% sangiovese vineyards right outside the historic center of Montalcino. Call it a Baby Brunello, and once opened balsamic notes burst forth. We recommend to decant it or at least let it breathe a bit before tasting. When tasting, you understand that it comes from a terroir which one of the best Italian reds, Brunello, is made from; it's structure is noteworthy, from acidity, to tannins to mineral structure. A delight for serious red wine lovers. Produced naturally with organic farming and native yeast fermentation.
Food Pairing: Cured meats and cheeses
Red 2 – 2018 Loredan Gasparini 'Della Casa' Rosso, Veneto, Italy
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
Della Casa, first commercially vinified in 1951, remains an old-vine Cab-dominate Bordeaux blend, an original and unique expression of Venegazzù, a grand estate near the eponymous historic town in the heart of Veneto. The estate vineyards are sustainably farmed and blessed with an iron-rich soil.
Aromas of maraca cherry and cassis are well integrated with the oak. There are spicy hints of green pepper, licorice and musk on a tannin filled palate.
Food Pairing: Game and meat dishes, hard aged cheeses.
White 1 – 2018 Zamichele Lugana Garde, Garda, Italy
Biodynamic
100% Turbiana
Beginning life as dairy farmers and grape growers 100 years ago, the Zamichele family was raised with an appreciation for the lands and wildlife surrounding their family farm, just south of Lake Garda in Northern Italy. Eventually they decided to concentrate on growing their winery, which cross over the boundaries between the Lombardy and Veneto regions.
Aromas of vanilla and pineapple, this ageworthy oaked white wine, is made from Turbiana grapes, which is considered similar to Verdicchio. Upon tasting, the fruit bursts forth and taste envelopes the mouth and the finish lingers. This is a wine for California Chardonnay lovers looking for a change to surprise and delight them.
PINOT CLUB
Pinot 1 – 2019 Domaine Meix Foulot Cote Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France
100% Pinot Noir
The Domaine Meix Foulot has been in the hands of the de Launay family for multiple generations. This is one of the most picturesque of Burgundian domaines: situated high on a hill overlooking the entirety of Mercurey and surrounded by the gently sloping vineyards of the estate. Ninety percent of the vines are planted to Pinot Noir; the remainder is planted to Chardonnay.
Agnes de Launay’s Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise comes from a west-facing 0.7-hectare parcel of 15-to-20-year-old Pinot Noir planted in gravelly clay in the commune of Saint Denis de Vaux, in the valley that separates Mercurey and Givry. It undergoes a three-week fermentation in stainless steel with twice-daily punch-downs and occasional pump-overs, and spends ten months in steel in order to maximize its expression of fresh fruit.
Pinot 2 – 2022 Elephant Hill Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
Organic / Biodynamic
100% Pinot Noir
There’s no mistaking the signature of Otago in the bouquet with scents of dark cherry, plum and baked raspberry. A light savory and dried herb note also reflect the origin of the fruit. Moderate oak levels send out scents of dusty clove and vanilla with a touch of barrel toast. Fleshy with a core of fruit then oak flavors touch the palate first then textures from tannins and aciidty accentuate the youthful side of the wine.
Food pairing: Sirloin steak with plum sauce, shepherd's pie or mushroom dishes
ORGANIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2018 Domaine Rouchouard 'La Pierre Du Lane', Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Loire, France
Certified Organic
100% Cabernet Franc
Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil, where Domaine du Rochouard is located, are known for combining both structure and fruit. Along a spectrum with "fruit-forward" on one end and "structured" on the other, this red from St. Nicolas de Bourgueil balances deftly in the middle.
Fruit-forward with sink-your-nose-in-the-glass aromatics. Gentle tannins give structure to the juicy red fruit on the palate. On the finish, minerality and acidity balance beautifully.
Food pairings: Extremely food friendly. Try it with Roasted Salmon and Golden Beets
Red 2 – 2022 Pranzegg Vino Rosso Leggero, Bolzano, Italy
Biodynamic
Schiava, Lagrein
White 1 – Poggio delle Grazie 'Lo Spavaldo' Bianco Frizzante, Garda, Italy
Organically Grown
100% Cortese
Spontaneous fermentation after harvest leads to a second fermentation in the bottle in early Spring, making this wine light and fizzy. It is unfiltered and you will see the natural sediment in the bottom of the bottle.
Aromas of citrus fruits, a hint of yeast and bread making. The taste is fresh, mineral and lemony with a hint of almond. Like a light Lemoncello.
Food Pairing: A great aperitif or brunch partner
BUBBLES CLUB
Bubbles 1 – 2021 Aia delle Monache 'L'intriso Brillo Col Naso All'insu' Frizzante, Campania, Italy
Natural
100% Asprinio Bianco
'The Intruder Shines with the Upward Nose'
Aia delle Monache is a winery located in the region of Campania, they own only 2 hectares planted exclusively with ancient local grape varieties. L’Intruso brillo is a slightly sparkling wine made with “Metodo ancestrale” using a grape called Asprinio d’Aversa a variety that went almost extinct in the region.
Whole sparkling wine refermented in the bottle, without the addition of yeasts, sulphites and sugars, unfiltered and not disgorged: it is therefore presented intact on its natural yeasts, veiled and not perfectly clear.
Bubbles 2 – 2022 Pranzegg 'Miau!' Vino Rosato Pét Nat, Bolzano, Alto Adige, Italy
Biodynamic/ Natural
90% Lagrien, 10% Schiava
90% direct pressed Lagrein and 10% 3 day skin contact Schiava. Hand harvested in volcanic soils, fermented with the frozen grape musts before bottling with no filtration. Drinking more like a light sparkling red, with pomegranate, cherries, mountain minerals and herbs, really refreshing.
Check out the Winemakers here: Pranzegg website
Food Pairing: Your favorite pizza
Bubbles 3 – Poggio delle Grazie 'Lo Spavaldo' Bianco Frizzante, Garda, Italy
Organically Grown
100% Cortese
Spontaneous fermentation after harvest leads to a second fermentation in the bottle in early Spring, making this wine light and fizzy. It is unfiltered and you will see the natural sediment in the bottom of the bottle.
Aromas of citrus fruits, a hint of yeast and bread making. The taste is fresh, mineral and lemony with a hint of almond. Like a light Lemoncello.
Food Pairing: A great aperitif or brunch partner
NP SOMM CLUB
Red 1 – 2020 Domaine Chofflet Givry 1er Cru 'En Choue', Burgundy, France
100% Pinot Noir
Domaine Chofflet are artisan winemakers with their own vineyards on the highest slopes of Burgundy's Cote Chalonnaise. The wine is aged in French oak for 9-14 months, with only 15% new oak.
The nose reveals fragrances of fresh pitted cherries underpinned by a raspberry texture. To the taste, this wine is full-bodied and refined, with plenty of elegance and personality. Old texts make mention of tasting comments that cite the celebrated names of Volnay and Clos Vougeot when speaking of Clos de Choué.
Food pairings: White meats, lighter marinades and firmer fish dishes cooked in sauce as well as gourmet cheese platters.
Red 2 – 2019 Jean-Maurice Raffault Chinon 'Clos de l'Hospice', Loire, France
100% Cabernet Franc
Jean-Maurice Raffault's famed Chinon estate is now run by his son Rodolphe. Chinon is located in the central Loire valley, near Tours, and is the northernmost French red wine appellation. The family has been vignerons in Chinon since 1693 and the estate now comprises 40 hectares spread over 6 communes.
"A fuller-bodied yet elegant red, with ample cherry and raspberry wrapped around a core of graphite and smoke. Shows intensity that builds on the palate, which is filled out with singed alder, incense and fruit leather. Earthy and energetic, with fine-grained tannins lining the formidable finish. Drink now through 2027." – Wine Spectator, 92 Points
Food pairings: Classic French and Asian inspired dishes.
White – 2020 Henri Clerc Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc, Burgundy, France
100% Chardonnay
The origins of the Clerc estate, originally located on the main square in Puligny-Montrachet, date back to the 16th century. Upon his retirement in 2002, Bernard Clerc placed Vincent Girardin in charge of his vineyards and winemaking. The Clerc estate of 11 hectares of vineyards is centered in Puligny-Montrachet, and includes 3 Grands Crus.
This offering is fresh, clean, and laser-focused, a stunning charmer from a lesser known site located just below Corton-Charlemagne.
Food pairings: Anything buttery or creamy - or a simple fish dish. Try this with Julia Child's Sole Meuniere