Ratio Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay

$50.04

Based at the Carlton Winemakers Studio in Carlton, Oregon, Ratio Wines is the personal project of winemaker Anthony King. Ratio makes Willamette Valley Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and distinctive Northwest white wines.This wine has a Chablis-like charm and has aged gracefully into a really lovely, elegant white wine. The 2015 Johnson Vineyard Chardonnay comes from the certified-organic Johnson Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Eric Lemelson owns the vineyard, having purchased it from the Johnson family, who famously farm grass seed across the Willamette Valley. I’ve worked with Johnson Vineyard for years and have come to believe in its potential as a great Chardonnay site.

Jermann Pinot Grigio

$39.94

In 2016, Silvio Jermann was crowned best representative winemaker of Italian white wines in the world. The election took place in Rome under the aegis of Gambero Rosso by the most authoritative journalists of the greatest newspapers and magazines. The outcome was not by chance or even unexpected. It is the result of a deeply rooted process and never ceases to rock the wine industry: the wines have an exceptional quality and are the fruit of continual research for excellence, and an absolute respect for the land and its natural cycles, with the added bonus of a unique winemaker, an innovator and a visionary since he was a boy, when the idea of a “blend” still did not exist.

Pietradolce Etna Bianco

$36.54

Pietradolce is a story of historical and family traditions, with its roots on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Solicchiata, a hamlet a few kilometres from Castiglione di Sicilia. The estate is a unique expression of passion and visceral attachment to the land, the crucial values of their winery philosophy. Environmental sustainability, organic cultivation and good practices based on Etna’s traditions are what underlies their winemaking.

Blue Grouse Pinot Gris

$31.44

Blue Grouse is a family-owned and operated vineyard and winery established as one of the founding Estates wineries of Vancouver Island. Originally from Germany, the Kiltz family moved to the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island in 1989 where they established their home and surrounding vineyards. What initially started as a hobby, later turned into a full-scale pioneering business.

Salvo Foti Aurora

$58.64

When discussing the wines of Mount Etna, it is almost impossible not to mention the name Salvo Foti. A native of the city of Catania, Salvo studied oenology and began his career in 1981 as a technical and agrarian advisor to some noted estates in eastern Sicily. He continues that work today for estates such as Gulfi, Benanti and Vini Biondi, all of whose wines are universally recognized as among the best in Sicily.

Several years ago, Salvo’s love of Etna inspired him to begin a consortium called I Vigneri. Today I Vigneri is an association between Salvo Foti, other vine experts and local grape growers who bring their mutual experience working with the particular vines of Etna. It is also the name of his winery, which he now runs with his sons Simone and Andrea.

Markus Molitor Riesling

$29.74

Since 1984, Markus Molitor has pursued a clear vision: to bring the great potential of the Mosel back to life – with distinctive wines that precisely reflect the interplay of vintage, ripeness, and origin. Meticulous manual work, selective harvesting, respect for grape and terroir, and the renunciation of standardizing aids define his winery’s philosophy.

The vineyard sites have ranked among the finest on the Mosel and Saar for centuries. Steep slopes, diverse slate formations, and the finest microclimates form the foundation for authentic, site-typical Mosel wines. Each wine reveals its origin, and every bottle stands for an uncompromising pursuit of balance, depth, expression, and structure.

Flores Picpoul Soleil

$22.09

In the middle of Languedoc’s broad landscape of rich, savory reds and lush, oily whites, there is an island of salty white wine around the town of Pinet, not too far from Montpellier. Picpoul is grape of choice there, favored for its acidity, freshness, and ability to capture a teaspoon of Mediterranean salt in every glass. Les Vignerons de Florensac make this charming Picpoul in the classic style of the region, with a touch of extra lees contact to add some extra heft to the wine. The nose is of salted lemon, orange blossom and peach with granite minerality. The palate offers notes of apple and pear and seabreeze with a strong creamy, leesy note to balance the exuberant acidity. Picpoul is commonly thought of as the Muscadet of the Mediterranean, and it works alongside much of the same menu. Seafood with fins or shells, lighter savory salads, or spicy chicken laab would all be appropriate.

Albert Boxler Gewurz Reserve

$70.54

The small family domaine in France that works traditionally using techniques and savoir faire passed down across multiple generations is under serious threat today. Consolidation, technology, regulation, foreign investment, globalization, and many other factors (all in the name of progress), threaten the great agricultural tradition of winegrowing in France, arguably the world’s greatest winegrowing culture. Few domaines in France embody this way of life more ably and proudly than Domaine Albert Boxler in Niedermorschwihr. Jean Boxler, many generations removed from his ancestor of the same name that moved here from Switzerland in 1673, currently rules the roost at this humble yet incredibly exciting domaine. Intense and serious about his land, his craft, and his wine, Jean is the genius behind what are certainly some of the finest white wines in Alsace (and the world).

Tawse Rose

$23.79

Rose is truly a food-friendly wine and one of the most flexible. It's crisp yet blossoming with fruit flavours like strawberry and cherry. It's acidity and flavour make it a natural with all manner of salads and appetizers. Try a roasted vegetable salad, or spiced fresh oysters. Or serve it on the deck with snacks and cheeses. Easy going and appealing to all.