Oregon Pinot Noir for National Wine Day!

Oregon Wine Month continues, and on top of that, it is National Wine Day! While the Willamette Valley offers many beautiful varieties of wines, one will always reign supreme...Pinot Noir. This week we bring you two options from our favorite local Pinot producers. They're different styles from different pockets in the Willamette Valley. Both great bottles! 

Pick up a bottle today to celebrate Willamette Valley's beautiful Pinot Noir and National Wine Day! Cheers!

2019 Crowley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $26
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: This one comes from our favorite local Willamette Valley Pinot Noir producers. This fun and fruity pinot has a nice rounded and velvety texture and is balanced with clean acidity. A great bottle of local Pinot for under $30!!

2016 St. Innocent' Temperance Hill Vineyard' Eola Amity AVA, $48
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: This is an absolutely stellar bottle of Pinot made in a 'Burgundian' style from Eola Amity here in the Willamette Valley. You'll find forward aromas of tart red berry and conifer sprigs, with crunchy berry fruit and a balanced earthy backbone. It's truly superb!

Are you playing our 10th Anniversary Trivia Giveaway? If so, you may find an answer above. If not, it's not too late! Sign up here to join

Oregon Rosé for the Warm Weather

To celebrate both Oregon Wine Month and the lovely weather, we’re focusing this week’s post on two killer local rosés. Both bottles of pink are bright and lively and under $20! Read on to see more details below. We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2020 Little Wing Rose, $16
Grapes: Blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris

Tasting Notes: Great bottle of pink from the Willamette Valley. This rosé is light/medium-bodied, with crisp lemon zest, bright acidity, and a touch of aromatic tanginess on the finish. Great as a porch pounder, or pair with almost any fun daytime fare. 

2020 McBeth Winery Rose, $18
Grapes:100% Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes: One of our favorite small wineries here in the Willamette Valley - we carry their Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and their Pinot Noir Rosé. All three totally solid and also under $20. Their rosé is made in a dry, Provence-style; crisp, fruity with diverse flavors of peach, wild huckleberry and melon. So good!

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10th Anniversary Giveaway

Did you hear we are turning 10 in June? To celebrate, we have put together a fun Trivia Giveaway where five lucky winners will receive a $100 gift card. 

The fun officially begins on Tuesday, May 18, and runs through Monday, June 14. 

To play, Join our Email!

May is Oregon Wine Month

May is Oregon Wine Month! To celebrate, we are featuring two of our favorite local Pinot producers in our case of the month. In addition, we are offering a fun mix of 'warm weather wines' to round out the case. 

You can expect these wines to be a little 'lighter on their feet' than the wines we featured during winter. You'll get a fun spritzy bottle of Basque white 'Txakolina,' a tangy and refreshing Italian rose, and no shortage of food-friendly bottles meant to be appreciated outdoors in the sun. 

We hope you enjoy this month's selections!

Sparkling

(Spain) Mokoroa Txakolina, $16
Grapes: Basque field blend

Notes: The Basque country is located in the western Pyrenees, straddling the border between France and Spain on the Bay of Biscay. Txakolina (pronounced Chah-ko-lina) is a delicious bubbly wine that is typical to the region. 

This wine is super fun- it's just a little spritzy, not full on sparkling like Champagne. It's light, citrusy, food-friendly, and very spring/summer weather appropriate! Always a Bottle Shop favorite. 

Rose

(Italy) 2020 Planeta Rosato, $15
Grapes: Blend of Nero d’Avola and Syrah

Notes: This one is a new arrival to the shop from the classic Sicilian producer, Planeta. This Italian rose blend has a nice round and ripe fruit midpalate, with balanced acidity. A tasty crowd pleaser!

(Italy) 2020 Vajra ‘Rosa Bella’ Vino Rosato, $17
Grapes: Blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto

Notes: Piedmont powerhouse producer Vajra, who is best known for making sought after Barolos and Barbarescos, also offers this supremely quaffable bottle of rose. It's easy drinking in springtime all the way- light, bright, lemony citrus, with floral aromas and under-ripe berry fruit. 

Whites

(France) 2018 Les Perles Pays d’Oc Blanc, $13
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay

Notes: All stainless steel fermented, medium-bodied, zippy bottle of french table white wine. Tart green apple, and a touch of slate minerality. A surprisingly tasty wine that well outperforms its' pricetag. 

(France) 2017 Domaine de la Roche Bleue Jasnieres, $30
Grapes: 100% Chenin Blanc

Notes: A cool, sustainably farmed French wine from a tiny appellation in the Loire region. Fermented in neutral oak and stainless steel - this wine has a nice mouth texture and tangy acidity. This wine tastes like adult lemonade-- in a good way :) Pair with creamy cheeses, salty meats, and all the charcuterie board fixings.

(Italy) 2019 Cecilia Beretta Castelnuovo Custoza Bianco, $13
Grapes: Blend of Trebbiano, Tocai Fruilano, and Malvasia

Notes: Another great 'day to day wine' offering from a celebrated Italian producer. This fun northern Italian blend of grapes is a delightful bottle of white. Light, crisp, straightforward, no-frills, excellent little table wine.

Reds

(Italy) 2019 Maria Galassi ‘Ca’ Storta’ Superiore, $15
Grapes: 100% Romagna Sangiovese

Notes: Pioneering farmer practicing all-natural and sustainable farming methods in central Italy making unique red wines from the classic Italian grape, Sangiovese. Medium-bodied, excellent earthy structure, lean red berry midpalate, fragrant wooded aromas. 

(Spain) 2018 Raul Perez Saint Jacques ‘Ultreia’, $22
Grapes: 100% Mencia

Notes: This one has been a favorite bottle of Spanish red over the last couple of years at the shop. And impeccable food-friendly wine with lush red and blue fruit tones, forest floor herbs, harmoniously balanced mouthfeel!

(France) 2017 Domaine Sainte Croix ‘Le Fournas’, $17
Grapes: Blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan

Notes: Solid organic producer from the Corbieres region of Southern France. The Carignan in this blend gives the wine a unique peppery density that makes this bottle memorable. Dark blackberry fruit tones yet retains a nice acidity that provides the wine with a bit of lift on the palate. Great burger wine!

(France) 2020 Domaine Lardy Beaujolais-Villages $17
Grapes: 100% Gamay

Notes: Beautifully earthy aromas upfront, tart raspberry fruit, and a persistently pleasant licorice and anise finish. So good!

(Oregon) 2017 Trathen Hall Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $26
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: A sustainably farmed local red with classic Willamette Valley tasting notes - medium-bodied, nice earthy backbone, balanced red and blue fruit. 

(Oregon) 2018 Crowley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $26
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: One of the Bottle Shop's favorite local Willamette Valley Pinot Noir producers. This is a fun and fruity pinot, with a nice rounded and velvety texture, balanced with clean acidity. A great bottle of local pinot for under $30!!

Stop by and pick up your case this month! We offer our Case of the Month's with a 20% discount, bringing this one to $185. Cheers!

Old World Wines

Two fun 'old world' wines arrived at the shop this week. Both of these red bottles have a nice balance of earthy fragrance, fruit, and structure- yet have their own unique swing to them.

You'll find the Gamay to have similar notes as local Pinots but more rustic and elegant. And the other bottle is a funky Italian grape called Cesanese, which is only found grown in central Italy. This wine has some fruit to it but is mainly a 'mineral' driven wine- a quality that we find makes this bottle both interesting and delicious.

We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2020 Domaine Lardy Vigneron Beaujolais-Villages, $17
Grapes: 100% Gamay

Tasting Notes: Lucien Lardy is a third generation winemaker who cultivates some of the best Fleurie plots in Beaujolais. The vineyard is located in Fleurie, one of the ten Cru appellations in Beaujolais.

We are excited to bring in Lardy's 'Beaujolais-Villages,' which is new to the shop. His entry-level wine is made just on the outskirts of Fleurie from 70 year old vines and farmed with sustainable practices.

This wine is stellar: fragrant forest herb notes up front, with a nice zippy red and blue tart fruit stripe on the palate and a pleasantly structured + balanced finish. A fun French table red to enjoy on its own and incredibly food-friendly.

Try this with any savory fare- a ham and cheese sandwich, roasted rosemary chicken, grilled veggies, or a plate of pasta with parm. Delish!

2019 Damiano Ciolli ‘Silene’ Olevano Romano, $20
Grapes: 100% Cesanese Superiore

Tasting Notes: Damiano Ciolli makes wine in the appellation of Olevano Romano, located in the region of Lazio in central Italy.

He concentrates on making wine from the region's signature grape, Cesanese. Using natural winemaking methods, he makes some of the top examples of Cesanese wine in the country.

This bottle is super elegant, medium-bodied with light ferric aromas, green fig and baking spices on the palate. It's got a touch of 'old world' funk in the finish that is only reminiscent of wines grown from Italian soil—a memorable bottle for $20.

New French Arrivals

We have a couple of tasty new french arrivals featured this week. There is a fun floral bottle of white from the Alsace region known as 'Edelzwicker' and a solid Grenache-based red table wine from Corbières. Read on to hear the details. We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2019 Domaine Léon Boesch Edelzwicker 1L, $19
Grapes: A blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat

Tasting Notes: Edelzwicker dates back to 1644 when the so-called noble varieties in Alsace were differentiated from those judged to be of lesser quality. Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat fell into the noble category, while Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Chasselas and Auxerrois were relegated. 

Historically, this style of wine was made from only the noble varieties until 1970, when the term "Edelzwicker" was deregulated. Today, it is used more out of nostalgia than a legislative requirement. This year's release is full of minerals and dry on the palate, with the classic Alsatian aromatic nose and a touch of lovely ripe stone fruit. So good!

2017 Domaine Sainte Croix ‘Le Fournas’, $17
Grapes: Blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan

Tasting Notes: New vintage of one of the Bottle Shop's favorite french table wines. The grape varieties used are typical of the Corbieres region: Grenache, Syrah and Carignan - all from old vines. 

The resulting blend has generous blackberry and red plum fruit, with layered and integrated tannic structure. Perfectly paired with a simple pasta with red sauce and veggies or a ham and gruyere sandwich with a small mixed green salad. 

Italian Wines for Warm Weather

This week we are bringing you two stellar Italian wines perfect for the warm weather. We have a fantastic bottle of ‘Frizzante’ Rose by Cantine Tintero and a crowd-pleasing, food-friendly white by noteworthy vintner Francesconi Paolo.  

We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2019 Cantine Elvio Tintero Vino Rosato, $13
Grapes: A blend of Barbera, Moscato, and Favorita grapes

Tasting Notes: Fun Springtime rose blend full of flavor and complexity from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. This bottle is ‘Frizzante,’ which means that it’s not full-on sparkling, just a little spritzy (if you will).

On the palate, it’s fresh and lively, bone dry, with an enjoyable hint of ripe berry fruit—a porch pounder all the way.

2019 Francesconi Paolo ‘Vite in Fiore’, $27
Grapes:100% Albana

Tasting Notes: This wine is by the renowned Italian vintner Francesconi Paolo, with impeccable biodynamic and sustainable farming from the hills of Emilia-Romana.

This wine is so interesting and well-balanced that it blows the mind. Dry, medium-bodied with a rounded mouth texture, persistent acidity and forward limestone minerality.

Then finishes with just a touch of nuttiness and salinity. Superb food-friendly white! Enjoy it with a bowl of Carbonara and a fresh salad of bitter lettuces with shaved, salty cheeses. 

Wines for Sipping in the Sun

Everybody loves the sunshine! This week, in honor of the (projected) weather, we thought it would be fun to focus on two of our current favs to sip in the sun. Both are super fresh tasting yet distinct.

We hope you enjoy! Cheers!

2019 Cochonnet ‘Melon’ 1L, $23
Grapes: 100% Melon de Bourgone

Tasting Notes: Very cool liter bottle and new arrival from the Loire Valley in France- organic, biodynamic, natural yeast fermentation, and small-batch produced.

Medium-bodied on the palate with forward citrus zest and slate minerality, nice zippy finish. This wine is perfect for enjoying light daytime fares like shellfish or an arugula salad with sliced strawberries. Delish.

2019 Granbazan ‘Etiqueta Verde’, $21
Grapes:100% Albarino

Tasting Notes: A great bottle of white from the famed region of Rias Baixas in Spain. This bottle has all the ‘classic’ Albarino notes that you want.

Prominent aromas of orange blossom and granite, rich tones of pineapple and green apple on the palate, with a clean spritz of citrus and a touch of saline on the finish. Outstanding!

April Case of the Month

Over the past month, we have had the opportunity to bring in several new arrivals and releases from Italy. For the April case of the month, we're offering six stellar wines from Northern and Central Italy, as well as a mix of stand out staff picks from other parts of the globe.

Of particular note is a crisp bottle of bubbly from Italy's Emilia region, an incredible biodynamic French Gamay, and a super unique and tasty liter of white from Slovenia. We hope you enjoy this month's mix!

Sparkling

(Italy) NV Cantina Paltrinieri Bianco Secco Frizzante Sparkling
Grapes: Blend of Trebbiano and Sorbara

Notes: Great value bottle of bubbly from central Italy. Focused refreshing citrus on the palate, floral aromas, and a clean, zippy finish. Perfect for lite fare, salty cheeses, and simple pasta. 

Rose

(Italy) 2019 Ercole Piemont D.O.C. Rosato
Grapes: 100% Barbera

Notes: Love the liter bottle of rose in Springtime- with a screwcap, no less! This is the perfect bottle of pink to bring to the park for your picnic—lovely ripe red fruit tones, well-rounded mouthfeel, supremely gulpable. 

Whites

(Slovenia) 2019 Crnko Jarenincan
Grapes: Blend of Muller Thurgau, Chardonnay, and Laski Rizling

Notes: Liter #2 in this month's case- this time from the continental, alpine-influenced northern Slovenia climate. You will love this wine's fresh aromatics, spritzy acidity, touch o'tropical fruit and low alcohol. It's another stellar sunshine wine. 

(California) 2019 Tablas Creek Vineyard' Patelin de Tablas Blanc'
Grapes: Blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Clairette Blanche

Notes: One of our favorite California producers- the bottle of white incorporates fruit from six top Rhone vineyards in Paso Robles. Each vineyard is selected for its quality.

Like many white wines from the Southern Rhône, it is based on the crisp acids and rich mouthfeel of Grenache Blanc, with Viognier for floral, tropical aromatics and rich texture, Roussanne and Marsanne for structure and spice, and a small addition of Clairette Blanche for freshness and minerality.

(Italy) 2019 Domaine Carrel Eugene ‘Jongieux’
Grapes: 100% Jacquere

Notes: Classic Bottle Shop staff pick from Savoie in Eastern France. Remarkably pleasant and easy drinking white table wine. Medium-bodied, balanced acidity, nice mouthfeel, super food-friendly. 

(Italy) 2018 Pala ‘i fiori’ Bianco
Grapes: 100% Vermentino

Notes: We are super excited about this 'Tre Bichieri' award winner from Sardegna. Rich, broad mouthfeel, mineral driven with notes of granite, balanced acidity, and a subtle salinity in the finish. Delish. 

Reds

(Italy) 2019 Le Vigne di Faraone Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Grapes: 100% Montepulciano

Notes: A lovely structured red from Central Italy. Lean on the palate, with tart red berry fruit and a fun balance of earthy tannins on the finish. 

(France) 2019 Les Traverses de Fontanes Rouge
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Notes: Full-bodied, ripe blue fruit, pleasant wooded structure - great burger wine!

(Italy) 2018 Tolaini ‘Vallenuova’ Chianti Classico
Grapes: 100% Sangiovese

Notes: Another new arrival, and 'Tres Bichieri' winner from Tuscany. Open this wine or decant an hour before enjoying- this bottle needs a little time to reveal all of its' notes. You'll find this to be surprisingly fun and fruit-forward initially, with a nice mineral mid-palate and a ferric, earthy finish. So good!

(France) 2018 Domaine A. Pegaz Beaujolais Villages
Grapes: 100% Gamay

Notes: Easy drinking French table wine that checks all of the 'natural' wine boxes: organic, biodynamic, unfiltered, unfined, vegan and natural fermentation. It is easy going, light/medium-bodied, fruity, with a lightly wooded texture on the palate.

(Spain) 2017 Ludovicus Tinto
Grapes: 100% Garnacha

Notes: Full-bodied Spanish red. Dark blue and black fruit, dark cacao nib, nice density. Screams for charred red meat.

(Oregon) 2018 North Valley' Classic' Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

Notes: One of the Bottle Shop's favorite local producers. This is Soter Vineyards' day to day' drinking Pinot Noir. Earthy on the palate with forest herbs and red and blue fruit. Fantastic!