WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

Somehow, it’s almost September. Before we start getting all whimsical about fall, we thought we’d share an ode to late summer.

This month, our wines are meant to pair with everything good about these warm, sunny months: perfectly ripe fruits and vegetables from the garden, exploring outdoors, being just the right amount of lazy, and backyard hangouts around the grill with your favorite people. There’s a lot of uncertainty making the air around us feel, at times, thick with worry, but summer is a gentle reminder that we’ve gotta roll with the punches and enjoy the simple things.

So here’s a final, seriously tasty toast to summertime. We hope you enjoy!

The Halfseas Team

PS - Loving the wines? Did you indulge our food pairing suggestions, or find a delicious one of your own? We’d love to see what you come up with. Share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and tag @halfseaswine!

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 BOTTLES:

2019 Tascante Buonora Carricante

Grape: Carricante
Region: Sicily, Italy
Retail: $17

We’re kicking things off with a little geology and a little mythology. These Carricante vineyards grow on the hilly slopes of Mount Etna, which is a big deal of a mountain. It’s an almost-always active volcano, the tallest mountain in Italy south of the Alps, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Greek mythology, Zeus expertly trapped the deadly monster Typhon under Mount Etna, and it’s also said that Hephaestus’ forges lurk beneath the famous mountain. But don’t worry, this wine is pure goodness.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Try it chilled with a summery salad of whatever’s ripe in your garden (or at the farmer’s market) tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, and salty grated cheese. Or, if you’re on the hunt for a dessert pairing, might we suggest cold melon topped with vanilla ice cream and a little fresh mint?

2019 Forge Cellars Classique Dry Riesling

Grape: Riesling
Region: Seneca Lake, New York, USA
Retail: $18
Pronunciation: “reese-ling”

This next wine comes to us from the Finger Lakes, an incredibly stunning, but highly-underrated gem not too far from Manhattan in New York. Forge Cellars focuses on making wine from grapes grown in the small Seneca Lake region, which is the deepest (we’re talking more than 600ft!) of the 11 lakes. The team says they’re dedicated to making the best Riesling in America, and we might have to hand it to them with this very pretty wine.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Dry Riesling is a lovely partner to simple vegetable dishes, but if you’re hungrier than that, we recommend pouring a big glass with a grilled chicken or fish sandwich. Drink it chilled.

2020 Viña Maitia Weón Carignan

Grape: Carignan
Region: Valle del Maule, Chile
Retail: $15
Pronunciation: “care-ing-yawn”

David Marcel is a French winemaker who moved to Chile when he was 22, full of life and ready to make some serious wine. He fell in love with Loreto, married her, and has been in Chile ever since making delicious wines from old school grapes. “Weón” is slang for everything from “dude” to “idiot”, and exemplifies Chilean creativity in its most lighthearted form. This wine is an ode to that.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Our plan is to drink a glass while the grill heats up, throw some sausages and sliced plums on the grates, then eat it all in a toasted bun (don’t forget the mission critical bun-toasting step) with spicy mustard, pickled onions, and of course, another glass of wine.

6-BOTTLE MEMBERS ALSO GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 BOTTLES:

2020 Avinyó Petillant “Blanc Vi d'Agulla” Penedès

Grapes: Muscat Blanc, Macabeo, Xarel-lo
Region: Catalonia, Spain
Retail: $17

The Avinyó vineyard is run by the four Esteve siblings, where their family has been making wine for over 50 years on land that formerly housed a castle built in the 900s. “Vi d’agulla” means “prickly wine” in Catalan for its light effervescent, and if this fun wine reminds you of Txakoli, give yourself a pat on the back — it’s made in the same style.

Drinking & pairing ideas: This is a perfect cold aperitivo with a cheese plate (see: the Halfseas Cheese Club 🙂) or a spread of whatever salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy, crusty, meaty things you like to set out for weekend afternoon nibbles.

2018 Paolo Scavino Langhe Sorriso

Grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier
Region: Langhe, Italy
Retail: $17
Pronunciation: “lawn-geh”

Next we head to the Barolo region in Italy, but just to keep you on your toes, we’re serving up a white wine from this area more known for producing red wines. The winemaker Enrico Scavino has been working in the winery since 1951, when he was only 10 years old. He now runs the place with his two daughters, Enrica and Elisa.

Drinking & pairing ideas: We’d love to drink this with a simple tomato salad, garlicky pork tenderloin crusted with fennel seeds, and a fresh loaf of sourdough with lots of butter (if you’ve been a club member for awhile, you know that’s non-negotiable for us).

2020 Jean Royer “Le Petit” Roy Vin de France

Grapes: Mourvèdre, Syrah, Grenache
Region: Rhone Valley, France
Retail: $18

The Royer family had been making wine in Châteauneuf du Pape for over 100 years, but had a big life curve ball thrown their way when Jean’s father died suddenly when Jean was a young child. For years after that tragedy, the family rented out the land to local growers until Jean’s grandmother passed away. In her will, she gifted her fields to Jean, hopeful that he would one day take over and make wine in the family’s tradition. Her wishes came true, because once Jean graduated from school, he came back to his land and has been making soulful, exquisite wine ever since.

Drinking & pairing ideas: This wine will be an excellent friend to your next backyard burger hangout.

Looking for past lineups? We’ve got you.

REMINDERS

• As always, our food suggestions are just starting points. Wine is nostalgic and we’re big fans of making what you like, drinking what you like, and not giving a damn if they “go” together.

• Email us at info@halfseaswine.com to buy more single bottles or a 12-bottle case with special pricing.

• Come see us at Halfseas, your charming little neighborhood wine shop tucked inside Brimmer & Heeltap. Open Wednesday through Sunday 12 - 9pm.

• Wine pairs best with friends. Tell your friends.