Free tasting | Saturday, June 16, 2018 | 4-6PM

James from Olmstead Wine Co. is visiting the shop this Saturday with a bag full o’ natural wines for you to try. Come taste the latest real wine releases! 

2017 Swick, Marsanne (Oregon, USA) | Joe Swick fell hard and fast for wine when working as at an organic food store in his hometown of Portland, OR. His passion grew and propelled him around the world, from Tasmania to Portugal. Joe began his own winery, Swick Wines, in 2013 where he and his team work with organic farms from across Oregon. This Marsanne hails from Columbia Valley – the grapes were hand-harvested and immediately pressed into whole bunches before fermenting in barrel for a month. After aging in barrel for an additional six months, this wine is ripe and full-bodied with luscious notes of pears and white flowers.

2017 Forlorn Hope ‘Queen of the Sierra’ Rosé (California, USA) | Winemaker Matthew Rorick is motivated by those who set out to achieve the near-impossible, such as brave bands of soldiers who charge directly into enemy defenses – thus was born the name ‘Forlorn Hope.’ After graduating from the prestigious UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program, Rorick set out to create wine that connected his love of history and terroir. This rosé blend of Barbera and Zinfandel grapes was grown on limestone and schist soil at an elevation of 2000 feet before being hand-harvested and fermenting with native yeasts. This watermelon-pink rosé is crisp and tart with notes of green apples and nectarines.

2016 Gaspard, Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley, France) | ‘Gaspard’ is the house label and wines from importers Jenny Lefcourt and François Ecot. The grapes are sourced from organic winemakers in the Loire Valley. The Gaspard labels were designed by Swedish painter Madlen Herrström, who imparts a joyful playfulness in her art. This Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect balance of classic Touraine minerality alongside poignant notes of jalapeño and lime.

2016 Gaspard, Pinot Noir (Loire Valley France) | The ‘house red’ of Jenny & François. This light-bodied Pinot Noir has a touch of earthiness alongside its blackberry, currant, and plum notes. Grapes were grown on 30-40 year old vines atop clay and limestone soil. The grapes are destemmed and go through semi-carbonic fermentation before being pumped over in tanks with indigenous yeasts. It is aged for 8 months and is utterly delightful.

2017 Fabien Jouves ‘A Tablé!!!’ Rosé (Southwest, France) | 5th generation winemaker Fabien Jouves purposefully chose to bottle his Merlot and Côt (i.e. Malbec) blend in a dark bottle with a label full of exclamation points…and the result is ‘!!!’! Fabien uses the laborious saignée method to make this wine – the process of ‘bleeding’ off juice from the red wine to make rosé. This creates a succulent rosé filled with notes of rose petals, watermelon rind, and strawberry jam.

2016 Hervé Souhaut ‘La Souteronne’ (Côtes du Rhône, France) | Hervé Souhaut is a rebel – only a rebel would decide to grow Gamay, the pride of Beaujolais, in vineyards located across from the hills of Hermitage in Saint Joseph (Syrah country!). The result is spectacularly rebellious, delicious, hearty Gamay. After being grown on 60-80 year old vines, the Gamay grapes are fermented in wooden tanks and aged on fine lees in secondhand oak casks for 8 months. This wine is a gorgeous violet color in your glass, and imparts slight bacon notes as well as wild blackberries.