WINE CLUB | CHEESE CLUB

It's cozy wine season! Southern France, here we come.

Get ready for some serious family history, wines so ready for delicious fall food pairings that we’re still wiping the drool, and six takes on the fan-favorite grape Grenache.

The Halfseas Team

ALL CLUB MEMBERS GET TO ENJOY THESE 3 BOTTLES:

2020 St. Cosme ‘Little James Basket Press’ Rouge

Grape: 100% Grenache
Region: Gigondas, Southern Rhône Valley, France
Retail: $14
Pronunciation: “JHEE-gohn-dahs”

The Barruol family has been running this property since 1490 — talk about serious roots. 500 years later, Louis took over the winemaking from his dad in the early 1990s, and has been adding his own creative flair ever since. The family is all about honoring time. Every year, Louis adds this lovely wine to a big ol’ concrete tank to blend with wine from previous years, starting with his first batch of it in 1999. So when you open this bottle on a whim in the middle of the week (which you definitely should), you get to taste 21 years of history.

Drinking & pairing ideas: If there was ever a time to eat something roasted and warm and hearty like ratatouille — this is it. Grill up some salt-and-pepper pork tenderloin to go alongside.

2019 Domaine Notre Dame des Pallieres Rasteau ‘Les Ribes’

Grapes: 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% Cinsault
Region: Rasteau, Southern Rhône, France
Retail: $23
Pronunciation: “moor-VED” (if you slow-play the tape, there’s probably a light “druh” at the end, but most French speakers go quickly enough that they really just disregard that whole last part)

Okay, so we thought our last bottle had an impressive family history, and not to compare any of our precious children, but the Roux family takes the cake with a story going back to. . .900AD. No, you didn’t just hallucinate — there are ancient receipts in some old texts to prove it. In the middle ages, pilgrims flocked to the property to drink from its mystical natural spring, convinced it would help them ward off the plague. While we can’t guarantee this wine will cure actual illness (but who knows! we’re not doctors, after all!), it just might be the cozy antidote you need to settle into the change of seasons.

Drinking & pairing ideas: This bottle gets us craving some Mediterranean food — think spice-rubbed meat skewers, rich hummus with airy pita, rice, and loads of stewed veggies.

2019 Olivier Mavit 'Nemorin'

Grapes: 70% Grenache, 20% Carignan, 10% Syrah
Region: Corbières, Languedoc-Roussillon, Southern France
Retail: $20
Pronunciation: “LONG-eh-dock ROO-see-yown”

On the theme of family history, our winemaker Olivier runs his family’s 150-year-old winery that’s nestled in the nearly 200,000-acre Narbonnaise Regional Natural Park, on the French coast just north of the Spanish border. The grapes for this bottle are grown in vineyards on this beautiful land freckled with beaches, old salt marshes, dunes, lagoons, pine woods, and plenty of wild life. It’s a magical, unusual place to get a taste of, and we hope you let it transport you to a quiet, peaceful, rugged place.

Drinking & pairing ideas: Beef brisket piled high in a brioche bun would do the trick, and then some.

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

2021 Château de Campuget Costières de Nîmes Tradition de Campuget Blanc

Grapes: 60% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc, 5% Marsanne, 5% Viognier
Region: Costières de Nîmes, Southern Rhône, France
Retail: $15
Pronunciation: “cohs-tee-AIR duh NEEM”

Another one for the history books — the Campuget property has been around since the 17th century and is run by Franck-Lin Dalle, named by his dad after his favorite Francophile (and complete wine lover), Benjamin Franklin. Franck-Lin helped the winery get certified as Haute Valeur Environmentale, a prestigious rank recognizing grape growers’ efforts to support the environment. This means a focus on conservation, strategies to protect plants, thoughtful use of fertilizer, and water resource management. This refreshing bottle is a delightful transition from warmer days to the rainy season.

Drinking & pairing ideas: This wine would be very happy with a roasted, buttery fish loaded up with lemons and garlic. Serve chilled.

2020 Château Pesquié Ventoux Terrasses Rouge

Grapes: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
Region: Ventoux, Southern Rhône, France
Retail: $19
Pronunciation: “VAHN-too”

The Chaudiere family started making wine in Ventoux before it was cool, and it was so good that Paul and Edith eventually passed the winery down to their sons, Alex and Fred. Their vineyards are scattered around the foothills of Mount Ventoux, that protects them from extreme temps, storms, and the Mistral — a crazy wind that regularly hits 40 - 115 MPH and is so persistent that the local trees kind of accept their fate and just stay in that bent position forever. So the grapes for this bottle are pretty happy they get to avoid all that drama.

Drinking & pairing ideas: All hail soup season. This would be just mmmmm with creamy squash or pumpkin soup simmered with plenty of rosemary and thyme herby goodness, some buttery bread, and a bright, citrusy radicchio salad smothered with toasted nuts and salty cheese.

2019 Domaine de la Janasse Cotes-du-Rhône Reserve

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault
Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France
Retail: $23
Pronunciation: “SHAT-uh-NOUF duh POP-ah” (you can even drop that last “ah” sound to keep it simple — but if you listen closely, many French folks will throw it in there)

We feel very lucky to share this last bottle with you. Brother and sister duo Christophe and Isabelle Sabon run the place (their dad Aimé still keeps a watchful eye over the operations), with Christophe leading the winemaking. He calls himself “the great defender of Grenache” — very on brand for us this month :) This wine is excellent value for the money, and we’ll be surprised if you don’t pop into the shop to buy a few extra bottles for gifts this winter.

Drinking & pairing ideas: We’re dreaming about steak frites all day with this..

Looking for past lineups? We 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.