Wines & Beers of the Week

The Ott Grüner Veltliner Am Berg is picked across the villages of Engabrunn, Feuersbrunn and Grossriedenthal from contract growers and estate-grown fruit. Grapes are crushed slightly and have some skin contact before pressing, then ferment spontaneously. Crushed yarrow and yeast on the nose make this an unmistakable Grüner. The palate, however, defies the warm year and presents an almost Riesling-like freshness. Vivid freshness, brightness and a gorgeous litheness and precision make this stand out.

The Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains is a peek at the stellar produce of Rhys's single-vineyard white wines. The nose opens with fresh, racy aromas of sea spray, lemon curd and Granny Smith apple. The mid-palate displays a level of creamy richness that takes substantial cellaring to unlock in the rest of the lineup. The signature tension and angularity of the Rhys style are present, albeit with a welcomed softness and generosity of texture.

The Cobb Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a very pretty, nuanced wine. Crushed flowers, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, incense, licorice and dried herbs all grace this ethereal, understated Pinot. The Sonoma Coast Pinot is quite delicate and understated. There's lovely freshness and energy here, along with a bit of youthful exuberance that softens in the glass.

A sleek red, fragrant with violet, wild thyme, sweet paprika and mineral notes. This is fresh and deftly balanced, integrating taut, fine-grained tannins with a pure beam of ripe blackberry and black currant fruit that echoes on the finish. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Francisca.

Founded in 1960 by Sergio & Carla Zenato, the history of the Zenato winery began with Sergio Zenato pioneering the development of the banks of Lake Garda. Sergio Zenato strived to craft wines that are known for their quality and consistency. The second generation now carries on the family legacy, with Alberto Zenato overseeing all aspects of the winery. This wine offers a very complex nose of bay leaves, dried prunes and blackberry jam, enhanced with leather and a bit of restrained chocolate. Velvety tannins flow on the palate, with a full body, zesty and cleansing acidity and a savory finish of toasted black pepper and chocolate. Simultaneously muscular and silky, this is an exquisite Amarone that's perfect for celebrations.

The Eyrie Pinot Gris Estate is wildly fresh, with an airy bouquet of dusty dried flowers, cracked slate and lemon oil tempting the imagination. It is soothingly round and pure in style, with ripe orchard fruit swirling across a core of zesty acidity. Lime mingles with a tinge of sour green melon on the finish, punctuated by nuances of fresh mint.

Wirz lies 1000’ up in a slight swale astride the san andreas fault, just off the eastern flank of the gabilans. pat wirz enjoys a legendary status among winemakers in the area for his grape growing acumen, experience, fairness, colorful character and epic moustache. while some of the blocks of red grapes on the property date to roughly 1900, pat’s father planted these 45 acres of riesling in 1964. This exceptional Riesling is flowery and distinctive in its petroleum laced stone fruitiness, no matter how dry and bright with acidity. Meyer lemon and spring flowers on the nose, with hints of tarragon. The wine delivers great tension, with a persistent, dry finish.

Husband and wife Jacky and Evelyne Gauthier farm their old vines without any chemical sprays or fertilizers, and these naturally low-yielding vines produce a delicious Gamay that is ripe, sappy, juicy, and easy. This particular wine is coming from their vineyards in Lantingie and show a somewhat more serious expression of Beaujolais Villages that drinks more like a Cru wine but without the attendent price tag. Dark fruited with a little woodsy/freshly-turned earth undertone, this is a steal for Gamay lovers.

The Division Pinot Noir "Un" is decidedly floral, with a sweet herbal resonance up front that gives way to crushed violets and blackberries. It is round in feel, with liquid lavender and black cherries riding a wave of juicy acidity. Firming tannins frame the experience as the wine Un finishes structured, perfumed and fresh. Absolutely stellar Pinot Noir!

Brilliant balance and great concentration give depth and freshness to this beautifully structured, medium-bodied and age-worthy wine. Drought conditions that year kept the grape berries very small, so the skins had more influence on the flavors. The nose shows abundant dark and red fruits, lots of cherry along with blackberry, cranberry, mulberry, and framed with hints of mineral/herbal characters, such as graphite, cedar, and pencil shavings. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with lots of age-worthy tannin and beautiful acidity.

Puff is an East Coast IPA; with New England IPA roots, Puff’s fresh citrus taste, courtesy of Simcoe, Amarillo and Columbus hops, lends a soft East Coast hop flare and complements a grain bill (Pilsner, Munich, Oats, Dextrine), which provides background and comfort to the aggressive Amarillo dry hop character.

Dank, piney, and with a clean bitterness, Counter Weight may be based in Connecticut, but they know how to make a dynamite West Coast style IPA. When you want to take a break from Stone and Lagunitas, who get plenty of money, give this brew a try! The Craft Beer Geek sez: A craft brewery that does a little bit of everything, knows how to stay true to style, and keeps it all at a reasonable price point? Yep, Counter Weight has it all. This West Coast style IPA stays true to form, but is much more approachable and much fresher. Citrus and ripened berries are carried on a wave of dankness that is lean, clean, and dry.

Part of Banded's rotating sour series, the passion fruit and pink guava variation isleans a little tart, but is still amazingly balanced. Banded never uses lactose in their sours, so for all you lactose intolerant beer drinkers, this one's for you!