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Sep 17, 2021
Beer of the Month – Paulaner

Vail Oktoberfest is well underway and because we skipped last year, we are determined to celebrate this year in style. Our choice of beer this season is the legendary Paulaner.

An Interesting History

  • It can be traced back in history as far back as 1634. The monks of Neudeck Monastery in Munich we recorded to have brewed a strong beer, the Paulaner Salvator. 
  • In 1751, the monks were allowed to serve the beer in celebration of the father of their order, Salvator.
  • In 1773, Brother Barnabas introduced innovative brewing techniques which raised the standards of taste and quality.
  • Then, In 1806, Franz Xaver Zacherl acquired the Paulaner brewery and continued the brewery’s strong tradition. 
  • In 1818 the first festival was underway and Paulaner obtained license to serve beer at what will become one of the largest popular festivals in the world.

The brewery survived bombings in World War II and today, exports a million hectoliters to the world for consumption in over seventy countries. The company is environmentally conscious and committed to social responsibility. 

The Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier is considered Germany’s favorite Oktoberfest beer and a true institution in Munich. The glass is full of October sunshine, strong and golden. The perfect balance of a light taste of hops and a strong note of malt. A feast of a beer, which always goes down well. This beer is only brewed for the Oktoberfest. That’s where it belongs, along with all the fun of the fair like the Ferris wheel and roasted almonds.

-Paulaner

Ingredients: Water, malted barley, hops.

This entire month we are offering 10% off six-packs of Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier. Enjoy the traditions and origins of the festival with this beer which will transport you to Munich.

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Sep 17, 2021
New Arrivals – Âmevive

Extra! Extra! Read all about our new arrivals. For a fresh surge of dopamine, trade-in your mindless scrolling for the novelty experience of indulging in the Fall 2021 release from Âmevive.

Âmevive wines are made from grapes grown in the Ibarra-Young Vineyard. This historic vineyard is family-owned and one of the first vineyards to be planted in the Santa Ynez Valley back in 1971. It was planted by Charlotte Young and is currently owned by her three daughters.

The vineyard thrives on biodynamic and sustainable practices with minimal interference resulting in high-quality fruit and a healthy ecosystem. Their wines are thoughtfulness in a bottle.

The 2020 Marsanne

It’s produced from the fruit of 40-year-old vines and fermented in stainless steel drums and French oak. The wine is flinty and has a precise nose with a warm and welcoming palate. It pairs well with cold oysters at golden hour at your favorite tranquil spot. This wine is great now, great the next day, and will age for many years. Imagine grapes in the California sun as you drink this fresh!

The 2020 Gamay Noir

“Earthy nose with essence of petals and bright fruit and a little tannin grip. Imagine yourself in your fancy clothes strolling around the forest floor-filling your basket with rose hips, wild berries, and fresh porcini. Don’t be afraid to decant this if drinking young.”

The 2020 Syrah

Let this wine take you to an old flower shop in the back alley of some European city. Think dried rose petals, raspberry tarts by the cashier stand, and well-kept antique knickknacks.

Grab a three-pack or a six-pack and enjoy a glass while you unplug.

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Sep 16, 2021
Jardin Secreto Adobe Guadalupe Red Blend

Mexico is the oldest wine-producing country in the Americas, dating as far back as the arrival of the Spanish in the early 1500s. As the country celebrates its independence today, we showcase the lovely ADOBE GUADALUPE, “JARDIN SECRETO” Red Blend. El Grito is the reason we chose this wine and the flavor is the reason we will keep it!

In a serene Mexican valley known as Valle De Guadalupe, lies the Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards. This vineyard was started twenty-four years ago and produces wines considered to be the best in Mexico. A wide variety of varietals are grown here including vines of Malbec, Grenache, Syrah, and Tempranillo.

The Red Blend, is a velvety smooth and rich combination of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cinsault, aged in French and American oak for ten months. Its dark violet color is synonymous with opulence within a bottle.  The owner, Tru Miller, describes it as “a tribute to the mineral essence of the Valle de Guadalupe”. The winemakers describe it as having a slightly salty aftertaste, dark berries finish with hints of oak and spices, chocolate, and pepper.

Why we love it and why you will love it too. 

It is little wonder this wine ranks in the top 2% of wines in the world. You will be treating your palette to luxury without spending hundreds of dollars- a truly enjoyable experience. As the summer season fades into fall, Adobe Secreto Red blend will be a great pairing with dinners made up of red meats and poultry. The Tempranillo is very food-friendly and is a must-have at meals. Bring a bottle along to the next dinner party you attend and assert your status as a cultured guest. Viva la independencia!

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Sep 14, 2021
Mijenta Tequila

For El Grito de Deloras this year, we are proud to add Mijenta Tequila a new, small-batch tequila that, according to Cool Hunting and by our humble estimation, delivers a perfectly balanced sipping experience: clean and fresh, with a peppery finish and velvety mouthfeel. For tequila enthusiasts, experts and rookies, there’s a uniqueness and vibrancy that comes with this spirit that extends beyond the liquid itself.

The name Mijenta comes from “mi gente” meaning “my people,” and it’s a sentiment that permeates the brand’s ethos.
Crafted by master tequiladora Ana Maria Romero, this sustainably grown, Earth- and community-centric spirit is an exquisite sipping tequila that you will enjoy chatting about with friends.

Complex and silky with a long finish, Mijenta is the purest form of the agave plant meeting the most supreme expression of quality and artistry.


Mijenta is a sustainable artisanal tequila from the highlands of Jalisco, offering a unique super-premium proposition. the spirit was created by a passionate collective who believe in doing well by doing right. We highly recommend a bottle or two to kick of the festivities. Place your order here.

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Jul 1, 2021
Pali Winery: Wine Of The Month

Photo by Thomas Schaefer on Unsplash

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.

 -Michael Broadbent

This July, we turn our attention to a winery in the West. California is known to produce some of the best wines in the country and it’s within this region that we find Pali Wine Company. The Sunshine State’s climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean grape-producing regions of Spain and Southern France. Grapevines need lengthy periods of sunshine to flower, fruit, and ripen. Having the necessary conditions, it’s no wonder California produces 90% of the wine in the United States.

Initially business partners in insurance, Scott Knight and Tim Perr founded the Pali Wine Company with vineyards located in Santa Rita Hills and Sonoma, premium wine producing regions in California. Following Tim’s love of wine, the pair started their company back in 1995. More than two decades later we have the privilege of enjoying, with friends, these delicious offerings. Self-taught winemaker Aaron Walker oversees the production processes at Pali. His interests in wine developed from working in restaurants and the dining experience.

Pali Wine focuses on two main categories, premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The company adheres to sustainable practices and is dedicated to never compromising quality. Most of the fruit is produced by their own vineyards. They also source fruit from smaller family-owned vineyards. What sets Pali wines apart is that the natural beauty of the fruit is celebrated and displayed in each bottle. There are no unnecessarily complex processes or forced blending techniques that tend to overshadow the natural flavors. It’s no wonder that most Pali wines receive 90 or above ratings. Here are a couple of wines you must celebrate this summer with.

Pali Riviera Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

90 Points! Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2017 Pinot Noir Riviera has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and opens with notes of dried black tea leaves, loamy soil, blackberries, and red and black cherries with notions of potpourri, cinnamon stick, and clove. Light to medium-bodied, it has a good core of earthy black fruits with firm, grainy tannins and good freshness, finishing long with black tea notes.

In our opinion, rich and luscious Pinot, is a must have for entertaining. Grab a bottle or a case at our discounted price.

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Jun 16, 2021
Winery of The Month – Domaine Jean Vullien & Fils

Our winery of the month is located in the Auvergne Rhone Alpes region of France, home of a few ski areas you might have heard of. While this alpine area of eastern France may be better known for skiing than it is known for viticulture, Savoy also produces some delightful wines. The region’s best comes from a boomerang-shaped string of hillside villages between Grenoble and Albertville (site of the 1992 Winter Olympics) called the Combe de Savoie (Combe is a word of Celtic origin meaning a sharp, deep valley).

The sustainably farmed vineyards consist of sixty-nine acres planted in the Combe de Savoie including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rousette, Jacquere, and Gamay. 

Jacquere

The nose is delicate and fine with intense or mingled notes of boxwood and white flowers or dominant notes of minerals and lemons. The mouth is light and straight which leaves a pleasant impression. Pairs well with shellfish, fish, and cheese like fondue.

Mondeuse

One of the oldest and distinctive red grape varieties of Savoie, Mondeuse is showing great potential as global demand for this rare wine grows. Some of the best Mondeuse comes from the Bugey region or is sold as a varietal Vin de Savoie, often from a particular cru. Somm Secret—DNA profiling has confirmed that Mondeuse and Syrah are related. The two have a lot of common characteristics, namely a dense color with black fruit on the palate and herbal or spicy aromas.

Rose 

Sustainably farmed, the Rose is a blend of 40% Mondeuse and 60% Gamay.

Though the Vulliens have been making wine for 40 years, the family is perhaps best known as a leader in another segment of the wine industry. Since 1890, Vullien Pépinière Viticole (vine nursery) has been supplying young vines to growers throughout France. In fact, they were the source for about 25% of the Chardonnay planted in Chablis after the ravages of phylloxera.

We highly recommend you sample these delightful wines from Jean Vullien’s winery.

Photo by Sven Wilhelm on Unsplash

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May 26, 2021
Memorial Day Pairings: Lady of The Sunshine

Photo courtesy: LadyofTheSunshine.com

You can’t really start a conversation about summer imbibing without talking about rosé. Our appreciation of rosé has grown expntentially over the past several years, owing to the clarification that not all rosé tastes like white zinfandel. 

We discovered Gina Giugni (née Hildebrand)and her Lady of the Sunshine wines through her boyfriend, now husband, Mikey Giugni, co-creator of Scar of the Sea wines two years ago. We were immediately smitten with the wines. Gina’s light touch allows nature and the vineyard to shine forth. 

A California native raised on her family’s eighty-six-acre biodynamic farm, Gina grew up learning about vineyards and wine. According to Mikey, her husband, she cut her teeth on winemaking creating something the two of them were calling “breakfast wine,” a light, easy-drinking wine to enjoy while messing about on boats. In the immortal words of Kenneth Graham, “there is nothing half so much worth doing as messing about in boats.” He would have added “while drinking breakfast wine” if he had discovered lady of the sunshine.

The 2019 Lady of the Sunshine received accolades throughout the wine world,  including 92 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and was moved quickly throughout the west and by the end of June, we were shipping it back to thirsty customers The Lady of the Sunshine 2020 rosé is on the shelf now and it’s exquisite. 

Gina has this to say about her wine:

“This wine is a blend of clone 2A Pinot Noir from the certified biodynamic Chene Vineyard I farm, and Clone 1 Sauvignon Blanc from the neighboring, Oliver’s Vineyard, both in Edna Valley.  Both grapes were foot stomped and soaked on skins for 24 hours before whole bunch pressing. The juice was fermented separately with native yeast in neutral oak barrels and aged on lees for 8 months before it’s first racking to blend before bottling, unfined and unfiltered.

“Think pink lemonade, citrus popsicles & summertime cherries.”

You’re thinking salads and omelets, but if the conversation is about grilling and barbecue, then I’d answer chicken. Grilled chicken with a light Dijon mustard sauce, perhaps. The pinot noir makes me think of salmon and this wine would work beautifully with that or other light fish as well.

A great deal of light and laughter to be had with this one and late afternoon – this wine pairs brilliantly with Alpenglow.

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May 25, 2021
Poggio Al Tesoro Mediterra Toscana 2016

On the subject of Memorial Day and grilling and barbecue, we thought we’d pick a wine that would do well with both. It’s a bit off the beaten track from an origin standpoint, but as far as “meating” (sorry – couldn’t resist) the requirements for a Memorial Weekend cookout, this little bottle from Tuscany is firing on all cylinders. 

Bolgheri is the home of what Wendi years ago termed “The Ia Wines” – Sassicaia, Ornallaia. It is the area of Tuscany some have termed the Napa of Italy. Here the wines are bigger and more powerful. It is home to the workhorse grapes, the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, rather than the typical Sangiovese as elsewhere in Tuscany.   

Even for Bolgheri, the blend of Syrah and Melot is atypical but this is part of what will make the Poggio al Tesoro “Mediterra” an excellent pairing. This is a plump, juicy and racy wine. Notes of sweet tobacco, leather, cedar, mint, and plum are pushed forward in this bold and fruity selection. These are all qualities that make it a terrific choice for a wide variety of dishes including grilled poultry, beef, and lamb, as well as charcuterie if you don’t get around to grilling.  

A great value at $22.49, Wine of the Week status saves you 10% on a bottle, 20% for a case.

Cheers!

Photo by Kym Ellis on Unsplash

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May 24, 2021
Memorial Day Pairings

Photo credit: Michael Severens, principal cellist, Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra

Memorial Day approaches and thoughts of outdoor dining abound. At the heart of American outdoor cooking, sits the Weber grill and barbecue with it’s myriad connotations and associations.

The history of barbecue itself is fascinating. The word comes from the indigenous Arawak people of the Caribean, who set a frame of sticks over an open fire as a quick and easy way to prepare food. Hasty preparation was useful because, as my friend Derryck from the Virgin Islands was fond of pointing out, the Caribe Indians would frequently show up for lunch.

“We were just hanging out over there and thought we’d come over for lunch.”

“Great!” the Arawaks would say. “What’s for lunch?”

“You.”

The Spanish adopted the word as barbecoa and as the American middle class rose in the 1950’s, along with tiki torches and Hawaiian shirts, they adopted the outdoor grill as the key to summer cookouts.

Barbecue seems the one style of cooking that never goes out of style. It differs vastly by region, from Texas pit barbecue, to the delicous mustard base sauces originating in South Carolina, and the incredible contributions of black Americans to the cuisine.  I found this gorgeous little tidbit over at Barbecue Bible. The whole article is worth a read but this reads like poetry.  

“Night before the barbecues, I used to stay up all night cooking and basting the meats with barbecue sauce. It was made of vinegar, black and red pepper, salt, butter, a little sage, coriander, basil, onion, and garlic. Some folks drop a little sugar in it. On a long pronged stick, I wrapped a soft rag or cotton for a swab, and all night long, I swabbed the meat until it dripped into the fire. The drippings changed the smoke into seasoned fumes that smoked the meat. We turned the meat over and swabbed it that way all night long until it oozed seasoning and was baked all through.”

“Thus recalled a former enslaved African American whose narrative was recorded by the WPA (Work Projects Administration) in the 1930s—a collection of 2,300 first person accounts of slavery. He spoke of an art inextricably interwoven with American cuisine—since our country’s founding and long before—an art every bit as near and dear to our hearts today: barbecue.”

Barbecue is more American than hot dogs and hamburgers, though they taste pretty good off the grill as well.

We frequently get asked the question “What pairs with barbecue?” The first answer is always “Beer,” and I think that’s a perfectly reasonable answer. Really, the question is, what are you grilling, and how are you doing to it?

In honor of the kick-off to the American summer, we’re going to give you some ideas about things to pair with your Memorial Day grilling extravaganza.

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May 9, 2021
Swiss Kiss

L’Alpage Fendant pleases all the senses

I suppose that being in a ski resort, we get more call for Fendant than most. It pairs so well with skiing and being outdoors all day and settling into a big pot of fondue with friends afterward, but the mountain lifestyle is a thing unto itself, which may go some way in describing the scarcity of the wine in the American market. Gilliard is generally available and it is a fine representation of the wine.


There are more out there, of course, and like everything else, they are of varying price and quality, so I was delighted to find this superb example. 

L’Alpage is a custom cuvée selected by Eric Solomon to capture the pure minerality and refreshing qualities of Chasselas grown in specific terroirs along the upper Rhône river banks. Initially, Soloman launched this cuvée from vineyards in the Valais under the local name Fendant, but with the 2020 vintage, we discovered a plot of Chasselas in the village of Mont-sur-Rolle in La Côte – a singular place with a quintessentially Swiss vista taking in Lac Léman and the Alps.

This style of Chasselas is a friendly, thirst-quenching wine perfect for after a day of hiking or snowshoeing and always welcome with cave-aged Gruyère, raclette, or fondue.

With spring, we’re thinking about other ways of enjoying the mountains, and this wine still makes a nice pairing with cheese and a terrific light, lively, and aromatic change from Sauvignon Blanc.

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