G'Day, Mate? Guten Tag?
We're not confusing Australia and Austria...
We're channeling the greatness of both!
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There's an old Central European / Australasian saying that the best way to get to know a people is by learning its preferences in lizards. Pictured above are the prized goanna of Australia (a feisty carnivore who isn't typically associated with wine) and the Austrian lacertid lizard (whose emerald color has earned it the name "smaragd" - a name which, in turn, has been applied to some of the finest Grüners and Rieslings of the northern Austrian region, Wachau). The latter is strikingly colorful and peace-loving, but the former has razor sharp teeth and is really good to have by your side in a fight. Take your pick! Fortunately with the wines of Austria and Australia, you won't have to pick because we have beautiful examples of the rarer, western wines of Australia at this Saturday's free tasting and an in-depth slice of Austria at our upcoming Austrian Wine Class (details below) in Raleigh (3/31/16. For more immediate gratification of the Österreich-i-est kind, you can follow our very Grand, very Poobah-esque Wine Swami on his current adventures* in Austria and, later this week, Germany! #rockmeswamideus *We advise viewer discretion on account of gratuitously tantalizing wine and food photography...
Thursday, March 31st
In the hearts and minds of American wine drinkers, Austria has arrived. Its reputation for characterful wines of inspiring quality gains momentum while its knack for tremendous value remains intact. But on what foundation is all of this built? Quite a sturdy one! Austria's viticultural history goes back millennia. Join us as we celebrate the nation's uniqueness as well as what connects it (and its signature grapes) to the rest of Europe. We'll focus on the present, examine the past, and ponder the future of modern, masterful Austria! Class includes comprehensive tasting, visual presentation, and handouts.
Thursday, March 31, 7:33pm
at our Raleigh location
Reservations Required:(919)831-9463
Indy's Best of
the Triangle!
Beloved Trianglites, you can now nominate your favorite Triangle businesses (including wine shop - hint, hint) by clicking on the Indy's "Best Of" banners above and below! Remember, there are many people out there who may vote McDonald's (for instance) as the best burger or Harris Teeter as the best place to buy wine! Be true to your civic duty, and support the little guys who make your community special, by giving them your nominations and votes. It can truly make a difference!
Real Customer Comment:
"Y'all make shopping easy!"
- Beth G.
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Tasty Tuesday:Saint Paddy's
Seeing Green!
This Tuesday, March 15th, we present our FREE
midweek wine tasting! Every Tuesday is tasty...
Our containers of Irish wine didn't quite make landfall in time for our pre-Saint Patrick's Day Tasty Tuesday, but we have green wines aplenty to share with the bonnie lasses and lucky lads of our fair Triangle. It doesn't get much greener than Portugal's Vinho Verde, after all, literally translating to "Green Wine." Green not in color but in youthfulness of harvest. Our second wine is made from the great green star of Austrian viticulture, Grüner (green) Veltliner. Last but not least, we have a red from the fringes of Galicia (aka "Green Spain"). While the Bierzo region is technically contained in the northwesternmost corner of the sprawling Castilla y León, it shares its history, culture, and topography with the anciently Celtic lands of Galicia. Yes, these wines may not be Irish, but Saint Patrick would certainly approve! Just leave your snakes at home.
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Free Saturday Tastings!
Durham & Raleigh:
From Noon to 3 pm, "try before you buy"
at our FREE tastings!
Go West!
Western Australia
This weekend, we're saddling up our our camels and kangaroos to venture across the Outback. Leaving the more thoroughly explored regions of the southeast behind, we'll find ourselves in the western reaches of the Land Down Under, exploring Margaret River and Mount Barker. Dry Riesling, sumptuous Chardonnay, Cabernet-Merlot melange, and inky Shiraz rule the day in a tasting that's chock-a-block full of awesome Aussie goodness and may help redefine the boundaries of what you expect from the giant island nation. Be warned, however, with wines this satisfying, wombat-grade naps may ensue. Crikey!
Xabregas
100% Riesling
(Western Australia)
CLEAN AND DRY, LIMEY FRESH, BRIGHT AND QUENCHING
Australian Riesling is one of the under-the-radar delicacies of the wine world. Typically bone-dry, they are elegant, understated whites from a country known for heavy, jammy reds. Part of why we don't see enough of these stateside is that, like great dry German Riesling, most of the best stuff is happily guzzled before it can leave the country. Luckily for us this...
Woodlands
100% Chardonnay (Margaret River, Australia)
BAKED LEMON BARS, SUBTLE CREAM, UNDERSTATED OAK
Australia gets a really bad rap these days. Even the most open-minded oenophiles think of the continent as the home of supermarket plonk with critters on the label, and overblown, overpriced reds. Let Western Australia change your mind. 100% barrel fermented but free of malolactic...
Woodlands
65% Cabernet, 35% Merlot (Margaret River, Australia)
CASSIS & GRACEFUL FRENCH OAK, BEAUTIFULLY STRUCTURED
While Southeastern Australia, where most Aussie wines hail from, is a Shiraz dominated land, Western Australia's magnificent Margaret River is one world's great regions for Bordeaux-inspired reds. This one is balanced and complex, firm in structure yet bright in fruit, while fourteen months in fine French oak...
Xabregas
100% Shiraz (Western Australia)
DARK FRUIT, RICH YET
STREAMLINED, TOUCH OF MINT
There is much to admire in the wines of Western Australia. The Hogan family has farmed Mount Barker for five generations, dating back to the 1860s, but patriarch Terry Hogan decided just two decades ago that his family's forest and sheepland was "far too good a dirt to waste on blue gums." Struck by a visit to Lisbon, he decided his family farm's future was in vines...
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Far from Topless... 
Our classic "WINE FROM FARMERS NOT FACTORIES" Pitchforkscrew™ shirts have returned in deepest, azure-i-est, "Ocean" teal. For the first time, we are also offering dedicated shapes for both gals and guys! Each style ranges from small to XXL, and are $15.99. Now you've absolutely no excuse to go around naked (not that you necessarily need an excuse).  The Wine From Farmers: Pitchforkscrew™ shirts are grown and entirely made right here in NC by our friends at TS Designs!
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Hope to see you Saturday!
Our best to you,
Grand Poobah & the Wine Authorities staff
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