Wines for the Barbecue!

Notes From the Cellar….. This wonderful spring weather keeps getting better and really puts this tough winter out of memory. It's perfect condition for getting the gardens ready and most importantly- getting the grills tuned up for the summer! We have a couple great new wines on the table this weekend that we think will be great additions to your 'go-to' list for BBQ night! Join us Fri. & Sat. From 3-6 as we sample a wonderfully fresh and aromatic Verdejo from Spain and a deep, dark Negroamaro from southern Italy. Both are wonderfully expressive local grapes that won't put a strain budgets already dented by the snowplow bills! '13 Hijos de Alberto Gutierrez Perla Maris Verdejo, Rueda, Spain- Located just west of Ribera del Duero along the Duero River that runs into Portugal, Rueda makes some of Castilla y Leon's most famous whites- notably Verdejo. The proximity to the Duero River gives vineyards fertile alluvial soils high in lime content. Although the Rueda DO requires that only 50% Verdejo is used, the Perla Maris (pearl of the sea) is made of 100% organically farmed Verdejo. Grapes are harvested at night to preserve freshness & acidity while preventing oxidation. The winery is gravity fed and the wine spends 10 months in stainless steel before bottling. The resulting wine is wonderfully fresh and lively with good weight in the mouth. A very aromatic nose of white fruits and flowers gives way to a nicely textured wine that adds citrus notes of lemon and lime to the fruit flavors and lively acidity. Clean and crisp, this medium bodied wine pairs nicely with seafood, shellfish and chicken dishes. $11.99 '12 Luccarelli Negroamaro, Puglia, Italy- From the Salento Peninsula of Puglia- or the "heel" of Italy's boot comes this deep and darkly colored wine from the Negroamaro grape. In the hot, dry summer conditions and planted in iron-rich red clay soils, Negroamaro has thrived for centuries. The old vines averaging 80 years old have the incredibly extensive root structures necessary to finding water and contribute to producing grapes of great concentration of fruit. The naturally low yielding vines are farmed sustainably and are harvested by hand. This wine is extremely dark colored and shows of its ripe, dark fruits of black currant, dark cherry and black pepper spice. With added richness of bittersweet chocolate and a little savory herbs, it maintains fresh acidity, gritty tannins and a medium-full body. Go get the grill fired up- it's clear what this wine begs for once it's been opened! $11.99

Cheers!