August Wine Club
Poberaj - Pinot Grigio 2022
The vibe: Starting off August with a Washington natural wine! This is such a cool bottle, and it is brand new to Seattle. First of all, make sure to read the winemaker section because the story of Poberaj is just as exciting as the wine itself. This is 100% Pinot Grigio from the Columbia Valley. It is unlike any Pinot Grigio I’ve had on the west coast, and I’m not exaggerating. Again, read the winemaker section and it may make more sense why. This white has some body on it! Honestly, it reminds me more of a full-bodied un-oaked Chardonnay than a Pinot Grigio, with ripe, yellow apple and peach fruit with citrus notes and even a little nutty, sesame action and a slightly oxidative profile. Absolutely bonkers for a Washington white wine and even more impressive for a relative newcomer winery.
The winemaker: Born to a legendary Olympic kayak coach in Slovenia’s Soča Valley, Jure Poberaj came to the US with his family in 1993. Oh, another fun fact, he’s the nephew of Josko Gravner, one of the world’s great winemakers. Jure and Nina Jimenez own White Salmon Baking Company, a destination in itself bringing wood-fired pizza pilgrims from miles around. They also founded the wine bar, Soča, named after Jure’s homeland, to refresh said pilgrims. While clearing out part of their property in the hills above White Salmon, they began planting Italian varietals, alongside buying up fruit from local growers and partnered with legendary Hood River winery, Hiyu, to produce wines under the Smockshop Band label. New to the Seattle market, I’m elated to be able to share this wine with the club.
The geeky details: 100% Pinot Grigio from Pear Ridge Vineyard on Underwood Mountain in the Columbia Valley (one of our favorite sites!) This fruit is co-planted amongst pear orchards in a fully biodynamic vineyard site.
Serve: With a chill
Food pairing: Honestly, I’d pair this with anything you’d typically pair with a fuller-bodied white like Chardonnay. Think cheeses, buttery/creamy dishes like pasta or chicken in cream sauce, veggie dishes with bright, fresh flavors, and anything mushroom-related.
Album pairing: DOMi & JD BECK - NOT TiGHT
Lasalde Elkartea - ‘Balea’ Txakolina Rosè
The vibe: Pronounce it like “choco-lina”. Now that we can say it, what is it?? Txakolina is a Basque style of wine, usually lower in alcohol (this one’s only 11%), and typically bottled with a touch of effervescence, similar to a Vinho Verde. Being from a cooler climate with cold nights and whipping Atlantic winds, Txakolina tastes like a cold plunge. Bright, tart and refreshing, with a subtle salty, savory element thanks to the proximity of the vines to the ocean. In fact, you get more sweet, salty ocean air on the nose than fruit. This will transport you to a Spanish seaside cliff on a sunny summer day.
The winemaker: One of the original 10 growers to build the Getariako Txakolina DOP in 1990, Lasalde Elkartea is mere miles from the Bay of Biscaye and is dedicated to producing honest, traditional wines using indigenous Basque varieties. Lurdes Zubizarreta and her son Iker Eizmendi run the estate as well as an ever-growing flock of sheep.
The geeky details: 40% Hondarrabi Beltza (red) and 60% Hondarrabi Zuri (white). Stainless steel fermentation, unaged. Bottled while still young to capture residual CO2 for a slight effervescence upon opening.
Serve: With a chill.
Food pairing: Oysters on the half shell, cured meats, anchovies, roasted veggies
Album pairing: LA LOM - The Los Angeles League of Musicians
Domain Milan - ‘Reynard Rebels’ 2022
The vibe: Ah, Domaine Milan! I had the great pleasure of meeting Nathalie Milan at her estate in Provence, which she runs alongside her husband, Thèo. They make some incredible wines, some of which will be available at the shop starting this week, but this wine is a great place to start. Bottling their wines as ‘Vin de France’ rather than under an AOC allows them to break free of regulations and develop cuvèes using grapes that compliment each other, fermenting and aging in concrete to bring out terroir- and fruit-forward elements, and using sulfur sparingly if at all. All of this adds up to an extremely drinkable (gulpable, even) blend. Merlot, with its big boy tannins, spices and sticky, jammy fruit, is lifted with the bright and mineral-driven Carignan. The end result is quaffable to be sure, but remains structured and elegant.
The winemaker: Thèo and Nathalie currently run the estate, having inherited decades of chemical-free farming, and their wines shine as a result. In fact, Thèo's father, Henri, was the first natural wine maker of this region and one of the very first to plant white grapes due to the unique blue clay soil composition. The estate has since embraced biodynamics and permaculture to further bolster the health and diversity of the site even further. The prevalence of blue clay soil helps retain water in a dry climate, while cover crops and wild flowers and grasses are permitted to grow among the vines.
The geeky details: Biodynamic Carignan and Merlot, carbonic maceration. Native yeast fermented and aged 12 months in concrete.
Serve: With a slight chill.
Food pairing: I’m craving hearty pasta with this. Simple spaghetti and meatballs, or you could try to get your hands on some Cinghiale (boar) and whip up a mean penne ragù.
Album pairing: Reuben Vaun Smith - Bimba Sound
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WHAT THE FUNK?!
Bodegas Bhilar - Vichingo ‘Peligroso’ Trousseau 2022
The vibe: A Trousseau Rioja?? Yup! Trousseau is native to Jura and the Rhone, but it is SINGING outside of its natural habitat and on the Atlantic coast of Rioja, Spain. I dig this wine so much. It sees extended skin contact for a broad, expressive profile, yet remains so light on its feet and ready to high dive from the tip of your glass straight down your throat. Structured, yet balanced with crisp acidity and rounded out with a lil’ savory, coastal influence. Add a touch of that good funk, and age it in concrete to keep that fruit direct and unadulterated. That’s it. That’s the recipe right there.
The winemaker: Bodegas Bhilar is a husband and wife team who farm biodynamically. David and Melanie embraced energy independence early on, utilizing solar and wind power to run their operation. Tractors were replaced with horses, and the winery is fully Demeter certified in conversion. Their land is composed of high-altitude, limestone soils, influenced by cool Atlantic winds. Inspired by Jura, they often use grape varietals native to this region of France, as is the case here!
The geeky details: 100% Trousseau, native yeast fermented in concrete.
Serve: With a slight chill.
Food pairing: Cod fish in tomato sauce, spicy Riojan chorizo, anything with goat cheese
Album pairing: Savana Funk - Raha
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EASYYY
Domaine Ozil - ‘Gourmandise’ 2022
The vibe: You like wine that goes down easy? This is that wine. A recent addition to the shop, I had to give Domaine Ozil some love in the club. I learned of the brothers Ozil when traveling to the Ardèche a few months ago, and since then we’ve gotten to know their lineup intimately. They make some incredible white cuveés and light reds, but this bottle is singing especially beautifully. Mostly Syrah, with some Grenache, it finds a great harmony between classic bold red profiles the region is known for, while remaining low ABV and light on its feet, not the over-extracted tannin bomb you might expect. In fact, it’s downright chillable. Which is exactly how I’d drink it!
The winemaker: Brothers Jean Daniel & Thomas Ozil are the fourth generation winemakers of Domaine Ozil. Located in Ardéche (in the Rhône), they began producing natural wines in 2013. Prior to that, they used to sell their organically farmed grapes to the local coop but as of 2018, all of their harvest now goes to their own wines. The brothers also grow peaches, olives, vegetables, and lavender, adding to the biodiversity on their estate. Domaine Ozil is certified organic by Bureau Veritas, and their wines are made without the use of added sulfites.
The geeky details: 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache. Organic/Biodynamic fruit, no added sulfur. Fun fact: this wine is the inverse to its counterpart, ‘Barry,’ which is 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah.
Serve: With a slight chill.
Food pairing: This makes me crave smash burgers, pizza, and one of my favorite meals while I was in the Ardèche, mushroom risotto.
Album pairing: Orions Belte - Mint