Southeast France & Southeast Spain!
w/ two special guests: Valencian vigneron & Oak City Cycling
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(Almost) Final Leg of the
Tour de France!
feat. Oak City Cycles (in Raleigh)
Plus! Special Guest & Tasting
From Spain's Valencia!
We have an action packed weekend lined up at our Durham and Raleigh locations featuring fantastic wines from southeastern France and southestern Spain! Not only is there another "Tour de France" themed tasting on Saturday at our Raleigh store, but we have a surprise visit by Maria Jose Velazquez of Valencia's Casa Los Frailes! She'll be featuring five her estate's southeastern Spanish masterpieces on Saturday in Durham with an encore presentation at our Raleigh shop on Sunday! Find the Saturday Tasting section of this newsletter below for more details.  Our "Tour de France" month of features and tastings of incoming Wine Authorities Selections from various corners of France is nearing the end of its circuit, and it's been a wild ride! This week, at our Raleigh store only, we'll be joined by our friends and neighbors from across the street at Oak City Cycles as we sample the brand new vintages from one of our favorite producers, Domaine Pinchinat.
Real Customer Comment:
"You guys have always made great suggestions.
I always really enjoy them! "
- Albert Z.
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Vacation? Staycation?
We have the Libations!
The 2015 edition of our annual Vacation Pack is going strong! This care package of six delicious and versatile Wine Authorities Selections features two crisp whites, two tangy rosés, and two sumptuous reds to accompany you both on your various summer adventures and your relaxing moments at home. These wines clock in at a deep discount, and we're also throwing in a stylish tote so you can totally take them wherever the fun is! It's only $65 (plus tax) after a 30% discount! Click here to read more. Also! If this year's Vacation Pack isn't quite what you have in mind for the journeys you've planned, we're always happy to help put something special together for you!
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The dry, pink oasis that refreshes our mouths and nourishes our souls is once again in bloom! The Rosé Garden has arrived. As always, a portion of each and every bottle of rosé sold will be donated to the fight against breast cancer!
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Tasty Tuesday!
Tour de France:
Fresh, Refreshing, and
(Frankly) Francophilic...
This Tuesday, July 28th, we present our FREE
midweek wine tasting! Every Tuesday is tasty...
Next Tuesday, we're honing in on summery wines that help us embrace these very dog-ish days of summer that we're currently experiencing (as opposed to curling up under a rock somewhere). We'll start with a bright, lively Chenin/Chardonnay blend from the Loire Valley. From there, we're going super exotic! We're sampling a brand new blend of tangy Mauzac and perfumey Len de l'El from our friends at Fronton's Chateau La Colombière. We'll end just west of Montpelier with a rare example Piquepoul Noir Rosé. This dry, fragrantly floral, pink wine is the perfect way to end the afternoon and begin the evening. Cheers!
And don't forget:
Our Tasty Tuesday 15% Half-Case Discount!
After you taste, put together 6 bottles from our Tasty Tuesday lineup, and we'll take an entire 15% off!
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Free Tastings!
Saturday in Durham
(from Noon to 3 PM)
Sunday in Raleigh:
(From 1 to 4 PM)
feat. Special Guest,
Maria Jose Velazquez
Casa Los Frailes continually impresses us as a producer with a rare knack for embracing modernity while remaining true to the legacy of its region. The wines are bold, vibrant, impeccably focused, organic, and (above all) delicious! Winegrower-owners Maria Jose Velazquez and her brother Miguel Velazquez (pictured above) are sweet, charming, generous people. This Saturday, we're joined in Durham by Maria José, who'll guide us through a tasting of five of the estate's always exceptional wines! She'll perform an encore presentation in Raleigh on Sunday.
Each wine demonstrates a penchant for power, finesse, and balance. Of course, Monastrell is king, but that won't keep the absolutely unique barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc based blend from attempting to steal the show. Join us (in Durham on Saturday and in Raleigh on Sunday) to taste these beautiful wines...
Casa Los Frailes
{biodynamic} 100% Monastrell
(Valencia, Spain)
BRIGHT CHERRY, LIGHT STRAWBERRY & CREAM PIE
This lovely pink wine made from the black Monastrell grape strikes as a dry Rosé for both white and red wine drinkers - as rich as many reds yet divinely crisp and refreshing! The Los Frailes wines from the Velazquez family are rising stars in our store. Biodynamic goodness from an estate that was formerly home to Jesuit Friars but which has now been in this...
Casa Los Frailes
{biodynamic} 70% Sauvignon Blanc,
20% Muscat, 10% Verdil
(Valencia, Spain)
ELEGANTLY TROPICAL, SPICY, EXOTIC BASIL
This is a newer, very limited white from Los Frailes. Only 500 cases are produced each year from meticulously selected grapes, and the result is every bit as exotic and enchanting as it is rare. With bright tangy...
{biodynamic} 100% Monastrell
(Valencia, Spain)
BLACK CHERRY, BLACKBERRY, VIBRANT & RIPE!
The dry, sandy soils of Valencia yield outstanding Monastrell grapes full of ripe berry goodness. Oodles of blackberry and black cherry fall out of the glass, cascading into a velvet robe and cradling your tongue in a bath of heavenly silky fruit. Okay, enough wine talk. This is just plain great red wine and good...
{biodynamic} 70% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Tempranillo
(Valencia, Spain)
JUICY BLACKBERRY, EARTH & DARK CHOCOLATE, ROUNDED SPICY OAK
Powerful and filled with ripe black fruit, this blend is a bold representative of both Valencia and the adventurous combination of modernization and respect for tradition that continues to make Spain one of the most dynamic wine producing nations at the dawn of the 21st century. Aged for a...
{biodynamic} 50% Monastrell,
50% Marselan
(Valencia, Spain)
RED BERRY & MINERAL, RASPBERRY, BOLD SPICE & OAK
The name MoMa is derived from this wine's a blending of Monastrell with Marselan, which is a rare crossing of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. The cherry and blackberry fruit of Marselan is a perfect complement to the plum and fig of 65 year old Monastrell vines. This is a fun wine to drink with serious undertones...
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Free Saturday Tasting!
From 12 to 3 PM, "try before you buy"
at our FREE Saturday tastings!
Tour de France
Domaine Pinchinat
This Saturday (in Raleigh only), we're following the Tour's cyclists through picturesque Provence. Domaine Pinchinat, a friendly ambassador for France's balmy Mediterranean shores, is waiting to greet us with the refreshing white Cotes de Provence as well as all three "Venus" wines, which can unequivocally count themselves among some of our shops' greatest hits.
We're also excited to be joined by our friends and Neighbors, Oak City Cycling from across the way on Franklin Street! These guys are both knowledgeable and passionate about bikes, and they're locked into making the Triangle a better place for cyclists. Check out the link
below for the low down on all of the great things they're involved in! Again, this tasting and Oak City Cycling feature is in Raleigh only!
Domaine Pinchinat
Cotes de Provence Blanc 2014
{organic} 80% Rolle (Vermentino),
20% Clairette
(Provence, France)
POLLEN, PEAR, WHITE FLOWERS & PRETTY HERBS
Pinchinat is great for so many reasons. For one, the combination of Rolle (called Vermentino in Italy) and Clairette is a perfect match, made in heaven. Secondly, the combination of historic vineyards, clean, simple winemaking...
Domaine Pinchinat
{organic} 100% Rolle (Vermentino)
(Provence, France)
FLORAL, GRAPEFRUIT & PEACH SKIN. VERY DRY.
Fresh, crisp, dry and clean, this white is made from Rolle, a grape varietal that's obscure to most Americans, but essential in southern France and even southern Italy were it's known as Vermentino. Considered to be one of the greatest white wines with seafood (especially Bouillabaisse), Rolle has...
{organic} Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault
(Provence, France)
DRY! WHITE CHERRY & CITRUS, FLOWERS
Although the vines that yield this wine are grown within the Cotes de Provence appellation and meet all of the criteria including being the correct varietals, they are planted at the bottom of the hills which receive...
"Venus" Rouge 2014
(3-Liter Box!)
{Organic} Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault,
Cabernet Sauvignon
(Provence, France)
DARK BERRIES, CURRANTS, SMOKE. SMOOTH.
The vineyards of Pinchinat have been farmed for wine grapes since the Romans occupied this area 2000 years ago. The famous Venus of Aix en Provence and dozens of other Paleolithic artifacts have been found among these very vines...
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Hope to see you Saturday!
Our best to you,
Grand Poobah & the Wine Authorities staff
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