Wines and Beers of the Week

Weingut Steininger is a family-run estate located in Langenlois, the heart of Austria’s Kamptal valley. While Karl and Brigitta Steininger built an international reputation for their single-varietal traditional method sparkling wines, Grüner Veltliner remains the centerpiece of their production, taking up around 80% of their estate vineyards. The nose opens with crisp green apple, white peach, and crushed gravel minerality, accented by delicate notes of white pepper, garden herbs, and a touch of garden-fresh complexity. On the palate, it delivers classic Kamptal tension and driving linearity. Fresh citrus, tart rhubarb, and crisp pome fruit flavor profiles are balanced by a fine, flinty streak and invigorating natural acidity.

A co-ferment of Riesling and Gewurtztraminer, this aromatic orange bomb is orange wine for people that like orange wines but also like refreshing and delicious wines without pretense. Intensly aromatic and flavorful, this wine features notes of orange blossom,chamomile, apricot, nectarine and bergamot. It is super high-energy, exotic, clean, focused and structured with a hedonistic touch.

Passetoutgrains, a French term meaning "all the berries go through," reflects the traditional Burgundian blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. This expression, sourced from Laurelwood soil vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains, showcases a distinctive mineral character, and the wine's bright red fruit, delicate spice, and subtle mineral edge create an easy drinking wine meant for any occasion.

Reva's Dolcetto d’Alba delivers a vibrant bouquet of red and dark cherries, accentuated by subtle notes of crushed violets and dark plum. On the palate, the wine is both silky and rich, revealing layers of liquorice, prune, and a touch of spice. Its approachable nature is balanced by a refreshing acidity, making it a versatile and elegant food-friendly wine.

100% Tempranillo sourced from sustainable-grown vineyards. Intense aromas of red berries (cherry, strawberry) and plums, layered with classic notes of vanilla, coconut, spice, and dill from the oak. The palate is powerful yet well-structured and harmonious. with smooth tannins, medium acidity, and a long, persistent finish. Fabulous Rioja at a friendly price!

This Müller-Thurgau is a bright, crisp white with plenty of freshness and a beautifully dry finish. Made from vines first planted in 1980, it shows off the variety’s aromatic side while staying light and incredibly food-friendly. Think fresh citrus, white flowers, green apple, delicate herbs, and a zippy mineral freshness on the finish.

The wine is a tribute to Armando Spinazze, nicknamed "Moro", born in 1941: an entrepreneur who helped shape the reconstruction and prosperity of Northeast Italy and supported his sons Alan and William in building Tenuta Santome in Roncade (Treviso). With this label, the brothers thank their father. Fittingly enough, it is a true regional wine: the blend unites the two faces of the Marca Trevigiana, the international Merlot that has been at home here for generations and the indigenous Raboso Piave with its spirited freshness. Santome works exclusively with grapes from its own vineyards, some 75 hectares in the plain between Treviso and the Venice Lagoon. The result is an accessible, fresh red wine with character and a story, exactly what you hope for from a family estate.

'Petit Ours' is 100% Syrah sourced from biodynamically farmed vineyards in the northern Rhône. This is the négociant label for top Cornas producer Domaine du Coulet and the pedigree is evident in the bottle. For this wine, Matthieu and Remi Pouiz, who grows the fruit in the Valcluse, select younger vines to get a better expression of fruit. Brightly-fruited, with blackberry and currants, a beautifully juicy palate with well integrated tannins and nice minerality.

A craft beer that happens to also be a light beer, Cushnoc's Hard Tellin' Not Knowin' is the perfect lager to pair with beach days and seafood. The Craft Beer Geek sez: Crisp, dry, and designed from the get-go to pair with Maine seafood, Hard Tellin’ is a light beer that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Craft beer done right can turn even an easy drinking lager into a delicious celebration. While Cushnoc Brewing is more known for their IPAs, they put the same care into this limited edition run, and it shows.

Rising Tide is one of Portland's premier craft breweries in a city loaded with them. This play on the traditional German wheat ale is zesty and a touch creamy, which plays up the classic spice notes found in a hefe. The Craft Beer Geek sez: Spinnaker is the perfect companion to a lazy day. With a nod to the traditional hazy wheat beers of Germany, RT’s hefeweizen balances sweet yeast esters and spicy aromatics with a refreshing bready body.

This juicy treat packs big McIntosh aromas, fresh-off-the-tree flavor, and a refreshing effervescence. On their family farm in Turner, Maine, the team at Ricker Hill picks the apples by hand, ferment in small batches, blend every batch to taste, and can the results fresh for you. The Craft Beer Geek sez: Yes, this is classified as a sweet cider, but it's a natural sweetness that comes from the fresh Macintosh apples that Ricker Hill picks from their own orchards, to make this refreshing and delicious drink. It tastes like drinking a fresh apple, with a 5% kick!

Farm Flor is a dry, rustic cider rooted in European tradition, where apples grow in abundance and have long been crafted into cider. The Craft Beer Geek sez: Graft's Solera program, now over ten years old, is at the heart of this cider. Each batch includes 10% cider from their 75-barrel oak foudre. 10% fresh juice is added back into the foudre to continue the solera process. This age-old method of aging and blending creates beautifully layered flavors while sustaining what’s in reserve.⁠ The remaining 90% is fermented from Hudson Valley apples and co-fermented with a tea of woods like French oak and Spanish cedar, adding an intentional rustic, earthy depth.⁠ Blended together, Farm Flor is bright, grounded, and endlessly drinkable; perfect for a hot day, around the dinner table, or gathered with friends.⁠

Cushnoc Brewing's flagship IPA, Gigantic Dad Pants is for all the dads and faux pas of the world. Pungent whirlpool hops and assertive dry hopping lend smooth, low bitterness along with dank, over ripe citrus aromas. Huge volumes of oats and wheat round out a soft mouthfeel to make this a very approachable IPA. The Craft Beer Geek sez: “Born on the Kennebec”, and Augusta’s first brewery, Cushnoc has a cult following north of the border, and you’ll join them with their flagship IPA known as Gigantic Dad Pants. A juicy, dank, and pungent IPA of the highest quality, become one of us.

Cushnoc Brewing's flagship IPA, Gigantic Dad Pants is for all the dads and faux pas of the world. Pungent whirlpool hops and assertive dry hopping lend smooth, low bitterness along with dank, over ripe citrus aromas. Huge volumes of oats and wheat round out a soft mouthfeel to make this a very approachable IPA. The Craft Beer Geek sez: “Born on the Kennebec”, and Augusta’s first brewery, Cushnoc has a cult following north of the border, and you’ll join them with their flagship IPA known as Gigantic Dad Pants. A juicy, dank, and pungent IPA of the highest quality, become one of us.