Top 9 Wines for Fall

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We’re not going to lie: Though we love our rosés (we really do), more than a few of us were happy to see our massive stock of them dwindle away at summer’s end. And though we’ll always have a robust rosé showing in store (especially at Thanksgiving) we’re all ready to change our seasonal wine wardrobe.

Feel the same way? Dive into Josh’s fall wine picks and welcome New England’s cool, sweater weather season.

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2004 Chateau La Vielle Cure, Fronsac, France
From one of the most beautiful appellations in France, this tasty blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon gives you the profile and structure of a well-aged Bordeaux – but at a fraction of the price of other Right Bank selections.
$31.99

Chateau de Saint Cosme, Cotes du Rhone, France
I love the wines of St. Cosme (say “comb”). The region is among the world’s most consistent producers of quality juice. This is the perfect red to keep around for any occasion, from friends just stopping by to a great Sunday dinner!
$15.99

Catena Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina
The archetype for Argentine Malbec! Laura Catena now has the reins of the winery, and along with winemaker Alejandro Virgil they produce the region’s most consistently outstanding wines. Give an old friend another try.
$19.99

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Casa Brancaia ‘TRE,’ Tuscany, Italy
One of the early Super Tuscans, TRE from Brancaia has the profile we have come to expect from the category. The Sangiovese grape gives TRE a sanguine and distinctly ‘Italian’ feel, while the Merlot rounds it out and makes for a nice, complete wine.
$21.99

Orowines “Blue Gray,” Priorat, Spain
A gateway drug for those Napa-drinkers who want to experience Spain! Wines from Priorat have the structure and balance that new world wine-drinkers look for, while not losing a distinctiveness that is truly unique. Priorat wines tend to have a bit more depth than a lot of other old world wines, without being overly dry.
$19.99

Pine Ridge, California
A longtime favorite of mine, I tend to always have a bottle or two on hand in case of company. A light blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier, this wine is more floral than sweet – and still has some acid to it to create a nice balance. Perfect for entertaining or casual deck-sipping!
$14.99

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Masciarelli Wine Company, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Italy
Another old friend – I have sold this wine since the very first wine shop I worked in. A fabulous value, this bottle is a solid dry white that is similar to a Pinot Grigio but with more structure and acid, and without having that metallic finish you can sometimes find in budget Pinot Grigio.
$12.99

Hugel et Fils, Pinot Blanc, ‘Cuvee Les Amours,’ Alsace, France
If ever there was an underappreciated grape, it’s Pinot Blanc. The most widely planted grape in Alsace, it makes a great all-purpose white wine that can be used for anything. If you’ve never tried a Pinot Blanc, start with Hugel – they know what they are doing. They’ve been making wine since Providence belonged to the Algonquian!
$17.99

Sandhi Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, California
The Sandhi story is far too complex to recount here, but the wine is an outstanding example of what happens when great winemakers, growers, and critics get together to create a world class wine! Green apple with lemon characterize this wine – definitely not a Cali oak bomb!
$39.99

Happy Fall!

-Josh

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Wine to Pair with Roasted Cauliflower Soup

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photo credit: Edible Rhody

With cooler, fall nights upon us, the soul starts to crave rich, creamy, nourishing soups. Ben Lloyd, Chef-Owner of The Salted Slate (just a hop and a skip from Bottles) has a satisfying roasted cauliflower situation that fits the bill. He’s shared his recipe in the current issue of Edible Rhody, and we’re happy to re-post it here, along with our wine pick, the Palagetto Vernaccia “Santa Chiara” DOCG.

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Made from 100% Vernaccia grapes grown in the town of San Gimignano in Tuscany, this beautiful white is crisp enough to cut through the soup’s rich creaminess, and steely enough to match the cauliflower flavor. Its touch-of-fruitiness on the finish plays nicely with the hazelnut, too.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Says Chef-Owner Ben Lloyd, The Salted Slate, Providence: “Roasting the vegetables for this recipe converts starches to sugars more thoroughly than boiling them, creating a deeper and richer soup with more cauliflower flavor.”

Ingredients
1 large Spanish onion, peeled, halved and sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, halved and roughly chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, cleaned, trimmed and roughly chopped
6 cloves peeled garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground white pepper
4 tablespoons (half stick) unsalted butter
2 fresh bay leaves (or substitute dried)
5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
¼ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons finely minced chives
3–4 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
Hazelnut oil (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss the vegetables with olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of white pepper. Place them on a large baking sheet in the oven. When vegetables are roasted but not too browned (about 15 minutes), remove from oven.

In a medium sauce pot melt butter and add roasted vegetables along with 2 bay leaves. Add stock to cover the vegetables and add 1 tablespoon salt.

Bring to a boil then quickly reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves.

Purée soup in a blender, then add yogurt and cream. Quickly pulse soup to distribute the cream and yogurt. Optionally, strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve for a more refined velvety-textured soup.Return to pot and season with salt to taste.

Serve in warm bowls topped with minced chives, a sprinkle of the hazelnuts and a few drops of hazelnut oil.

Yields approximately 2½ quarts  of soup.

Bon Appetit, and Cheers!

Eric’s Top Kosher Wines

The 2016 High Holidays are almost upon us, which means Eric’s been tasting his heart out in selecting the newest and best kosher wines for your table this year.

We’ll be opening several of them at a special Kosher Wine event in store on Wednesday, September 28th from 5-7.  We hope you can join us so that you can judge which will work best for your holiday feasts.

Herewith, Eric’s picks!

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Dalton ‘Yuvalim’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Galilee, Israel – Velvety smooth texture with light tannins and lots of nice ripe berry flavors make this a great party wine. It’s equally as comfortable by itself as it is with chicken, steak or pasta. Yuvalim in Hebrew means “little stream”; the idea represents the little streams and tributaries that meander throughout the Galilee. Wander in and pick up a bottle. $21.99
blancLouis Blanc Cotes du Rhone, France – This is the bottle for those looking for a dry wine this season. It’s everything that you would expect in a savory, full packed Mediterranean Grenache/Syrah blend: fruit driven aromas and flavors of black fruits, cherries and black pepper. What’s more, it’s soft and round enough to have with your favorite egg dish like an Arugula and Fontina Frittata.  $15.99

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Hacormim Collage Red, Judean Hills, Israel – If you’re looking for something a bit sweeter for the holidays, I’d recommend this semi-dry beauty. It’s jammed with blackberry and raspberry flavors, and pronounced, dark chocolate undertones.This wine is great for those looking for something sweet this holiday season; it’s superb with brisket that has been cooked with raisins or plums. $13.99

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Hai ‘Patriots’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Judean Hills, Israel – A rich, bold red for heavier dishes like roast beef and lamb. It has dark, well extracted black currant and cherry flavor, and a velvety smooth texture with none of the bite that one can get from big wines like Cabernet. $15.99

…and the following are so new to Bottles, they didn’t make it in store in time for our photo shoot. We’ll surely have them on our shelves by the time you read this post!

Butcher’s Daughter Muscat – A sweet(er) wine for a sweet year!  We know that sweet wine doesn’t normally float most people’s boats, but this one is truly lovely. What makes it so good is not only the flavors of super ripe red apples, but also the amount of zippy liveliness that balances out the sweetness.  Great for washing down apples dipped in honey!  $16.99

Butcher’s Daughter Chardonnay – Sweet wine not your thing? This is the perfect white to go with Holiday fare. It’s rich and full of ripe apple and pear flavors. It isn’t a oak and butter bomb like many Cali chardonnays can be.  A great value at $12.99!

Butcher’s Daughter Merlot – This very well made wine from the south of France has broad appeal and can stand up to nearly any food pairing that you throw at it.  Soft and lovely with dark berry flavors and hints of mocha.  $12.99

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy new year. L’shana Tova!”

-Eric & the rest of the Bottles team

Old Forester’s Enduring Appeal

By now, most of us know that Bourbon, as American as Jazz or Apple Pie (with a slice of melty Vermont Cheddar, thank you very much), has reached a new and unprecedented heyday.

Basically unsellable throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, when bottles of Pappy Van Winkle gathered dust on store shelves, we now can’t seem to find (or drink) enough of our favorites. New brands show up every day, while stalwarts continue to grow almost unchecked in popularity each year.

Throughout Bourbon’s rocky history, through the boom times and the bust, through prohibition and the current craze for anything brown, there is one brand that has somehow weathered the storm intact: Old Forester.

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The first Bourbon to be exclusively sold in bottles (as opposed to being dispensed from a barrel) to ensure authenticity and quality, Old Forester is also the oldest continuously produced brand in America. During prohibition, it was one of 10 brands allowed to produce whiskey for ‘medicinal’ purposes – probably due to its claims of superior quality from their sealed bottles, which were usually sold out of pharmacies. There aren’t many brands with that claim to fame, and it’s a testament to Old Forester’s flavor and broad appeal.  

The best part is Old Forester remains an affordable option on our shelves. Each of its five offerings over-deliver for the price of admission, and all of them can be enjoyed equally neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite cocktails. If you’ve never tried one of their Bourbons, come by Bottles and pick one up. We’d love to chat and get you safely home with an affordable, approachable, delicious bottle of pure Americana.

Old Forester 86 Proof
The workhorse. Simple & dependable, Old Forester 86 is at home on a Tuesday night over a handful of ice. A little fruity, with a short and clean finish, it won’t get in the way of all the heady aroma in a classic Mint Julep.

Old Forester Signature 100 Proof
The stalwart. The difference, as the name would suggest, is in the proof – but what a difference. The extra oomph adds a layer of complexity and nuance to the whiskey, bringing out bright spicy rye notes and hints of brown butter and leather. That heat balances perfectly in a Manhattan, especially with floral Peychaud’s bitters and fruity Alessio vermouths.

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
The throwback. A tribute to George Brown’s original recipe, sourced from three different distilleries and blended to his specifications. Today’s 90 proof release is comprised of whiskey from three distinct warehouses at three separate proofs. The result is a soft Bourbon, full of subtle clove, cinnamon and citrus flavors. This is the Bourbon for a night with good company and the lingering sunset of one of the season’s last grill sessions.  

Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond
The powerhouse. Minimally filtered, and bottled at 100 proof, it’s a robust, intense, spicy kick to the palate. A splash of water, a big honkin’ orange peel, a giant ice cube, and you’re in heaven. Pairs best with Saturday nights and subsequent lazy Sunday mornings.   

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
The Bedeviler. Old Forester was one of only 10 brands allowed to distill and sell whiskey during prohibition for ‘medicinal purposes’. In a tribute to the style of the time, Old Forester 1920 is bottled at 115 proof (!), just as it would have come out of the barrel a hundred years ago. Bright and hot, with spicy rye flavors, this Bourbon wants a splash of water to temper the heat. Enjoy in small, lingering sips…

Old Forester Cocktails

By now everyone knows how to make a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, or Mint Julep, right? Here are a few fun, different, and interesting recipes to try with Old Forester:

The Old Forester Prospector:
2 oz. Old Forester 86 Proof
¾ Oz. Honey Syrup (mix 2 parts honey to 1 part hot water. Let it cool & use in cocktails, tea, water, coffee, glazes, sauces, etc…)
¾ Oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

Shake everything over ice & strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a big lemon peel.

Modified Toronto
2 Oz. Old Forester 100 Proof
¼ Oz. Fernet Branca
¼ Oz. Simple Syrup (or the honey syrup you just made!)
2 Dash Angostura Bitters
(optional) – pinch of sea salt

Stir all ingredients over ice & strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange slice.

Bourbon & Ginger
Make it as spicy or sweet as you want with your choice of Ginger Ale. For the daring, try this:
1 Oz. Old Forester 86 Proof
4 Oz. Farmer Willie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer
2 Dash Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters

Drop bitters, then Bourbon, & finally Ginger Beer over crushed ice in a big glass. Drink deeply, my friends.

-Liam

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Nick’s Spanish Adventure

Garnacha growing in the extreme desert conditions of Jumilla.

Earlier this summer Bottles’ Wine Director Nick Shugrue traveled throughout Spain, visiting several vineyards and essentially having the time of his life. We’ll be tasting many of the wines he had while in Spain in the store on Saturday. Following are excerpts from his travel journal.

We started in Vigo which is up in Galicia, in northwest Spain, known for incredible seafood and the Albarino grape. We were in a small seaside town called Cambados, which was kind of New England-like (humid, coastal, picturesque) but with big, old palm trees lining the main boulevard.

In Cambados we had an insane lunch with mountains of shellfish, razor clams, octopus and whole grilled fish. One of the region’s delicacies is the Percebes or “goose foot barnacle.” It’s a prehistoric, scary looking type of shellfish that I’m glad I tried, but won’t be having again. With lunch we drank a ton of really great Albarino wine. Galicia is Albarino country – it’s what all the locals drink, given how well it pairs with seafood, giving credence to the “what grows together goes together” adage. I visited a few wine shops, and really, all they sell is Albarino with maybe a few red Mencias, a wine made inland in the mountains from the grape of the same name.

The Galician regional delicacy Percebes, or “goose foot barnicle,” with Nick’s empty glasses of locally-grown and made Albarino.

Later in the day we visited the beautiful Lagar de Condesa winery, where lots of the Albarino wines are made. The Kentia was my favorite, super fresh, vibrant and lively. At de Condesa they are experimenting with giant egg-shaped fermenting tanks that many high-end, cutting edge wineries all over the world are using. Many winemakers feel it’s the perfect vessel in which to ferment because the shape of the egg makes the wine naturally convect, continually stirring the lees on its own, not mechanically. It allows for more skin contact with the juice and produces wines with more body and complexity. Really cool. 

Nick next to the egg-shaped fermenter at Lagar de Condesa.

Next we drove southeast to the desert region of Zamora. I felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Zamora is the giant all encompassing zone that includes the famous wine region of Ribera del Duero. Here we drank some great Tempranillo, Mencia and also a “Prieto Picudo” which is an obscure grape from Zamora that I’ve never seen stateside. It’s a bit Dolcetto-ish but juicier.

But the most interesting bit about Zamora is its desert landscape! It’s amazing how anything can grow in such arid conditions, just unbelievable. With no irrigation! Here we went to one of Juan Gil’s oldest vineyards where the vines are over 100 years old, growing in sand. It was the weirdest thing. I felt like we were on a sand dune. The wines produced from these ancient vines and in these rusty, red-ish brown soils were outstanding. Really rich and concentrated. The stand out wine of the day was Rejon Tempranillo grown on 130 year old vines.

A 100+ year-old vine growing in Zamora’s sandy soils.

We later visited another of the Juan Gil winemaking facilities in Rueda, which was about an hour’s drive from Zamora. It was a little less arid here, and the soil was made up of larger grains very much like gravel. One of the stand-outs here was the Shaya Verdejo, which is partially sourced from 110 year old vines. It was a delicious, very typical Verdejo – medium bodied and a bit more lush. We finished that day in a town called Segovia. One of the prettiest cities I have ever been in. The town is cut in half by a giant Roman aqueduct. Stunning. 

Verdejo growing in the gravely Rueda soil.
The Roman aqueduct in the ancient city of Segovia.

The next day we were off to Jumilla in the extreme southeast, so the opposite corner of where we started and home to the Juan Gil headquarters. We’ve carried the Juan Gil wines in store in the past to great success but I honestly have a new appreciation for them after visiting the vineyard. It’s an amazing place full of beautiful contradictions. In this rocky, barren landscape there’s a garden with several 900 year old (!) olive trees. Yet inside the winery, which is underneath a large mountain, is one of Juan Gil’s massive, cutting edge, state of the art wineries, which houses four-story high fermentation tanks.

900-year old olive trees at the Juan Gil headquarters in Jumilla.

The modern, steel fermentation tanks at the Juan Gil winery.

While there, we also got to see a vineyard where their Monastrell is grown. Again, super extreme growing conditions here, which they allude to on their label. It’s really hard to believe wine can be made in this region! The soil and terrain is a desert of jagged sharp stones, rocky cliffs, plateaus and canyons. On the front label of the Honoro Vera Monastrell there’s an image of a vine growing through a white rock. When the vineyards that produce these wine were planted over 100 years ago, the farmers had to remove about a meter of these jagged rocks, until they hit a slab of chalk/limestone. They then had to drill a hole through the limestone to plant the vines. They did this so that the roots could get nutrition and water. The wines all have this hard but delicious mineral edge to them because of the influence of the limestone. It was really cool.

Later in the day we drove to the region next door called Almansa. Here we toured Bodegas Atalaya and met Pepe. Pepe was certainly a highlight of the trip. This round, jovial, amazing man gave us a tour of the rocky vineyards and desert landscape in his old Land Rover Defender. What a day! Atalaya mostly works with the Alicante Bouchet grape which in this region is called Garnacha Tintorera (due to EU laws). Alicante is a black skinned grape and one of the only grapes that produces red juice when crushed.

Nat Saywell of MS Walker, Atalaya’s Pepe and Nick, prior to touring the vineyard in Pepe’s Defender.

On day 5 of our trip we drove up the coast to Montsant and Priorat, closer to Barcelona. The landscape was incredible. We visited the Cellars Can Blau which sits in this bowl surrounded on three sides by mountains. Here we had what was probably the best meal of our trip: A chef brought to our table a huge cast iron skillet full of sunnyside-up eggs. In the middle of it was a mountain of truffled potatoes. He placed it on the table and began tossing. Unbelievable. It was served with Blue Grey Priorat and the Can Blau wines. Big, stunning wines grown in sandy mountainsides. Just beautiful.

The skillet filled with egg and truffled-potatoes. It was mixed tableside prior to being served.

We finished the trip with a day in Barcelona. What an amazing town. The Sagrada de Familia church (a World Heritage Site), Gaudi Park, the famous outdoor market La Bouqueria and Flamenco. A great way to end a trip I’ll never forget.

Join us on Saturday, August 27th, as we taste several of Nick’s favorites from his trip, including Blue Grey Priorat, Kentia Albarino and Shaya Verdejo.

How To Make Simple Cocktails That Taste Anything But

No muss no fuss.

That’s our mantra in these torrid times, which is why we’re crushing hard on locally-owned and operated Bootblack Brand’s line of all natural cocktail/soda syrups. They’re made by Paul Kubiski out of Hope & Main, the culinary incubator in Warren. His roster currently consists of two killer flavors, both of which are deeply layered with sweet, savory and citrus ingredients that meld into one complex cocktail or mocktail when mixed with a beverage of your choice.
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Paul launched Bootblack Brand with the super popular Ginger, Cardamom & Lime syrup, which is great when mixed with bourbon or rum. With vodka it’s a heady Moscow Mule. When splashed into tequila it makes a spicy riff on the basic margarita. We also love it plainly mixed with iced-tea, and with selzer, it makes an outrageous ginger ale.

He recently released his second flavor: Cranberry, Jalapeno & Lime, which is a true treat with tequila and/or mezcal. It also sings beautifully with whiskey, vodka and gin. At its most simple, we love splashing it into a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade.

Both make quick work of a Monday night cocktail at home, and really shine when used in a welcome/signature cocktail for gatherings of a handful or more of friends.

For a truly simple, one-minute cocktail/mocktail, Paul suggests mixing 3 parts spirit or seltzer to 1 part syrup, and adjusting amounts to suit your taste.

And for the days when you have a touch more ambition, Paul recommends the following two recipes (both of which are included on their respective bottles).

3 Compadres
2oz bourbon
.75oz Ginger Cardamom Lime syrup
.5oz Ferent-Branca
3 dashes orange bitters
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange twist

Add bourbon, syrup & Fernet to a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a double old fashioned glass over a large cube. Float with the bitters and the twist.

Smokey Summer
1.5oz Tequila Reposado
.5oz Mezcal
1oz Cranberry Jalapeno Lime syrup
.5oz Lime Juice
Splash of seltzer
Salted lime wheel

Add tequila, mezcal, syrup and lime juice to a shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a double old fashioned glass filled with ice. Add seltzer, stir gently, then add lime wheel.

Cheers to another local Rhody success story!

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A Summer Corn and Tomato Pairing

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I can’t get enough of this super simple spin on the classic summer corn and tomato salad from our friends Brian and Katie O’Donnell of Warren’s really fantastic bywater restaurant. With such a wonderfully complex dish that has fat, oil, and garlic, I could think of only one other element to complete the picture: acid. Which is why I chose a beautiful, unoaked French Chardonnay. Gautheron’s Chablis is that perfect steely-sharp wine that has the edge to cut through the bacon and aioli while bringing out the fruit flavors and acids in the tomatoes, leaving you with a nice crisp and clean fruit finish, good minerality, and looking forward to the next bite!
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Check out the jam-packed summer issue of Edible Rhody for more on bywater, including a recipe for Katie’s Basil Ice Cream. It’s a perfect dish to follow this summer salad.

Bon Appetit … and Cheers!
-Josh

WARM CORN & TOMATO SALAD
Note from Chef/Co-Owner of bywater, Brian O’Donnell: This recipe is our rendition of traditional Mexican street corn (one of our favorite snacks). Grilling the corn gives the dish a wonderful flavor. In the height of summer, we can’t get enough of it—we think you’ll feel the same way.

INGREDIENTS
4 ears grilled fresh sweet corn
4 slices smoked bacon
1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut into halves
2 large ripe beefsteak or other large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into half moons
Garlic aioli*
4 tablespoons crumbled dry cotija cheese (or any other hard, salty cheese, like ricotta salata or Parmesan)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Piment d’Espelette or paprika
Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Flakey sea salt for finishing

First, remove corn kernels from the cobs and set aside. In a medium sauté pan, cook bacon until crispy. Drain bacon grease from the pan and roughly chop the cooked bacon. Return the bacon to the pan, add cherry tomatoes and corn and heat, tossing until warmed through. Taste for seasoning.

To serve, divide beefsteak tomato slices among 4 plates (or place on one large platter), arranging them in a circle. Place warm corn and bacon mixture in the middle. Top each serving with a dollop of aioli, then sprinkle with cotija cheese, a sprinkle of chives and, finally, a pinch of Piment d’Espelette. Drizzle with olive oil and salt to taste.

Serves 4
*Garlic Aioli
1 cup Hellmann’s or your favorite mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Banyuls or sherry wine vinegar
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients together and set aside, or refrigerate until serving. (Or double the recipe and have more for later—it’s great as a dip for fries, veggies or as a sandwich spread.)

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The Top 8 Late-Summer Rosés

Man is it hot.

The dog days are here – there’s no mistaking it.

But rather than bemoan the sweltering heat, let’s embrace it. Why not revel in the sultry steam, particularly when there’s still so much great rosé – the ultimate, refreshing summer sipper – to be had.

Grab a glass (any size or shape will do), an icy cold rosé (we have over 40 chilled), an ice-cube if you’d like (all the cool kids are doing it), and let the waves of heat wash over you. Soon it will be snowy February here in New England, and you’ll wish you did.

Here are the top 8 rosés to get you through the remaining days and nights of  the summer of 2016.

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Chateau La Gordonne, ‘Verite du Terroir’ – Provence, France
This wine has a series of complex aromas, but primarily strawberry and blackcurrant. It’s a classic light Provencal rosé. $19.99

Meinklang, ‘Frizzante’ – Burgenland, Austria  
This is a long lived staff favorite, and for good reason!  It’s bright, refreshing, semi-sparkling, and organic.  Mix up your evenings and dinners by starting with a fun light bit of bubbles in place of prosécco or a cocktail.  $21.99

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Domaine Tempier – Bandol, France
So … sticker-shock aside: this is a world-class, amazing wine… that just happens to be rosé! Bandol is a small fishing village within Provence that has a small but powerful wine region around it. Made from a minimum of 50% mourvedre, these wines are capable of aging for years.  We love Bandol in general, but Domaine Tempier is an archetype. Their wines are made from vines that are more than 20 years old, with lower yields. This rosé has notes of peach and pomegranate, and will not disappoint.  A great use of your Bottles’ Rewards Points! $47.99

Domaine La Fage, ‘Miraflors’ – Languedoc, France
Another super dependable entry from the south of France, the Miraflors is a blend of grenache and mourvedre, and has notes of raspberries and rose petals. $16.99

Calcu Vineyards, ‘Reserva Especial Rosé’ – Colchagua Valley, Chile
This Chilean blend is made up of malbec, syrah, and petite verdot.  It has a nice fresh acidity that is slightly tart and works well with many foods. $13.99

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Chateau de Segries, Tavel – Provence, France
What a great example of a classic Provencal rosé. Tavel is a smaller region within Provence that produces deeply colored, beautiful full wines that are able to age for several years. $20.99

Serafini & Vidotto, “Bollicine” – Veneto, Italy
And now for something completely different. The Serafini rosé is a fully sparkling Italian wine that offers a great prosécco alternative without a massive price jump. It’s made from chardonnay and pinot nero and is incredibly refreshing. $17.99

Chateau Lancyre – Provence, France
This wine is a blend of syrah, grenache, and cinsault that has a wonderful fruity nose followed up by good, strong minerality from its limestone vineyard.  $19.99

Remember, rosés are finite. Once they’re gone for the season, they’re gone. Shop early and shop often!

Keep cool, Rhode Island.

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Rhum With A “Rh?”

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J.M Rhum Agricole Gold. On sale through September 5th, 2016.

Type-o or marketing gimmick? Neither. Rhum with a “Rh” is a thing.

Rhum Agricole is as style of rum made with cane sugar that’s been cut, ground and pressed into juice, unlike rums without the “Rh,” which are distilled from molasses. Many consider Rhum Agricole – the term is french for cane juice rum – the purest expression of the spirit.

We love the J.M Gold because of its smooth elegance and multi-layered flavors of cinnamon, warm gingerbread, grass and hazelnut. J.M, the smallest rhumerie on the island of Martinique, makes its golden elixir from from plants cultivated on the steep slope of Mt. Pelée, the island’s active volcano. Hot stuff.

Given its beautiful, complex flavor it’s really best enjoyed on the rocks, while watching the sunset over the Atlantic.

When that’s not possible, consider using it in place of light rum in a riff on the classic Hemingway Daiquiri. The J.M and the maraschino liqueur dance beautifully together.

What’s even better? It’s on sale at Bottles thru September 5th.

Rhum J.M Agricole Daiquiri

Ingredients
2 oz Rhum J.M Agricole Gold
¾ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
½ oz grapefruit juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp maraschino liqueur

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, shake and strain into a goblet of coupé filled with crushed ice (you can make crushed ice with a blender or food processor if you don’t own a fancy frozen drink/shaved ice gizmo).

Santé!

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Pasote – The Rainwater Tequila

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Pasote tequila, on sale at Bottles through September 5, 2016.

The agave plant usually gets the lionshare of attention when tequila lovers talk about flavor and aroma. But the type and quality of the water used during the distillation process also plays a big part in the how the beloved Mexican spirit smells and tastes.

Which is why Pasote Tequila, introduced to the market earlier this year, is so distinctive. It’s made with 40% rainwater that is collected on site at the El Pandillo distillery in the Jalisco Highlands. The additional 60% is natural spring water.

The rainwater character is most noticeable in the easy-drinking blanco, which has a wet mineral and wet grass aroma similar to the fresh smell of the air just before a summer rain. It’s a touch sweet, with a citrus and briney flavor.

The reposado, aged in American oak, is herbal, with notes of ripe coconut. The anejo, with its longer barrel aging, opens with aromas of sweet vanilla and coconut, and finishes with flavors of roasted oranges and spicy cinnamon.

Always suckers for strong label art, we can’t end without talking about Pasote’s custom-made bottles. The screenprinted artwork features a different warrior on each of the three bottles in homage to the ferocious Aztec fighters who celebrated their victories and sacrifices by drinking the sacred agave. The bottles are hand crafted by a family of glass artisans, and each has slight asymmetries and distinctive wave patterns visible in the glass.

All three styles are distinctive enough for enjoying alone on ice, and are also ideal for cocktails.

Enjoy!

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