New Additions to our Wine List

In the restaurant industry, menus and different selections are very important.  And while the food menu is generally most significant, we also take great pride in the wines we serve. From both the glass to the bottle list, the selection says a lot about a restaurant.

Over the course of the last several years, we have made a point to sit down and evaluate our wine list thoroughly, every Spring and Fall. We have worked with a small but great distributor who has the understanding of what we want to do with our list.

We held our Spring tasting last week. Like always, we sampled a ton of amazing wines. We are always looking for the next "hot" varietal out there and what holes are in need of filling within different categories on our list. It is always hard to choose, because every one of them has been great. Most of the time, we end up with at least 15-20 new additions. Below are some new wines to keep your eye out for next time you are in. 

Wines by the Glass
We have always offered 10 wines by the glass that we serve 4 to 1 glass-to-bottle pour. Normally we offer 4 or 5 reds and whites (depending on the season) and a blush. For this spring/summer season, we added 1 white, upping our total offering to 5.

We have listened to our customers over the past several months and brought in a pinot grigio/pinot gris. Both of these varietals are basically the same. Both come from the pinot grape, whereas pinot grigio is the name for it in Italy and pinot gris is the name used elsewhere around the world. It is a light to medium body, fruit white wine. We have added Jovino Pino Gris from the much-acclaimed Willamette Valley, Oregon. This light, slightly dry white wine has a buttery mouth feel and flavors of green apple.

We have also switched up our sauvignon blanc that we serve by the glass. We will be serving Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc throughout the summer. This varietal is my go-to summer wine, and Jules Taylor is quite a white. From the Marlborough region in New Zealand, this region is known for sauv blancs that have high citrus (grapefruit) flavors. You may have heard of the famous Kim Crawford winery? Jules Taylor was the wine maker for Kim Crawford when they made it big.... she has decided to go out on her own the last few years.

So what comes off in order to keep the 10 available? Well, in reviewing the sales for the last 6 months, the chianti will be moved to bottle only. You can still choose from the several chiantis that we have on the list.

Read below for some of the additions to our bottle list.

Starmont Chardonnay - This wine is made in the well-known winery, Merryvale. A Napa Vallley chardonnay, Starmont is made in a state-of-the-art solar powered winery.

Neyers 304 Unoaked Chardonnay - This Sonoma chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel casks and never comes in contact with oak. The number 304 in the name references stainless steel 304, an industry designation for the highest grade of stainless steel that is produced.

Parcel 41 Sauvignon Blanc - This Napa Valley sauv blanc gets its name from the original agricultural land assessor's plot number of the ranch the vineyard sits on. This white shows flavors of lemon grass, pineapple and stone fruit.

Hendry Pinot Gris - This Napa Valley white is made from a small wine grower that allows for the wine to have natural fermentation. The wine displays apple fruit and great minerality being grown in the sandy soil of the region.

Pulenta Pinot Gris - From the Mendoza region of Argentina, this is a light, crisp white wine.

Jules Taylor Gruner Veltliner - Ray says gruner is going to be the next big thing. This variety is primarily grown in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. However, Jules Taylor has brought this new addition to New Zealand. A gruner veltliner is a very light wine, similar to a riesling.

Loimer Lenz Reisling - This is a dry reisling from Austria. This white has a great start and a great finish.

Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon - This another well-known winery and a "must have" on a decent wine list. This is the oldest winery in Sonoma that is all organic. Great cabernet.

Liberty School Merlot - This is a great California merlot for the price. Look for this to replace our current merlot by the glass in the near future.

Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Pinot Noir - One of the big names in the wine world. This Crossbarn is a great pinot noir.

Vina Cobos Felino Malbec - Felino is made from the Vina Cobos winery in Argentina. Paul Hobbs is one of the founding wine-making partners of this winery.

Any winery or varietal catch your eye?