Our featured wines this month come from Jose Maria Da Fonseca’s premium Waterdog line. The wines are from the southern coast of Portugal, home of the original Portuguese Waterdogs.
Waterdog Portugal White Wine 2020 is a blend of 90% Arinto and 10% Fernão Pires grapes. The winemaker’s tasting notes for Waterdog Portugal White include “peach and pineapple aroma and a touch of spices and wood.”
Waterdog Portugal Red Wine 2020 is a blend of 56% Castelão, 22% Touriga Nacional, and 22% Touriga Francesa grapes, aged for 6 months in French and American Oak. The winemakers describes Waterdog Portugal Red as having a “fruity palate with notes of red berries and a touch of wood”.
We’ve chosen three craft beers to feature this month, each special in their own way.
Paw Tails IPA – Tall Tales Brewing Company
Each of Tall Tales new Paw Tails IPA series features photos and stories of a rescue dog in need. We’ve currently got cans in stock featuring Jude, a Pit Bull mix and Sailor Luna, a Labrador mix.
Deena’s Defiance NEIPA – 7 Locks Brewing & Friends
A handful of local breweries and industry friends have joined 7 Locks in brewing Deena’s Defiance – an NEIPA with all proceeds going to support a family member battling brain cancer. Raise a glass in support of Deena and her family.
Zombie Dust Pale Ale – 3 Floyds Brewing Co.
3 Floyd’s “Not Normal” beers come to us from Munster, Indiana. The brewery promises this is an “intensely hopped and gushing undead Pale Ale.” Zombie Dust features label artwork from comic book artist Tim Seeley, known for his work on Nightwing, Grayson, and G.I. Joe, as well as co-creator of original titles for Image Comics.
We’ve selected a pair of outstanding wines from France’s Loire Valley as our features for May 2021.
Sancerre – Loire Valley, France
This fabulous French wine comes to us from 90+ Cellars carefully curated Reserve Series, lot #126. 90 + Cellars attributes Sancerre’s character to the complex soils west of the Loire River, describing the wine as:
“Crisp and balanced, with classic minerality and a delicate perfume of white flowers, citrus and grapefruit.”
Clos Le Vigneau Vouvray 2018 – Loire Valley, France
An exciting white wine made from entirely Chenin Blanc grapes. Decanter magazine awards this 2018 variety an 89 point score, with tasting notes that include:
“Peach yogurt and orange blossom aromas give this a sunny character.” -Decanter
We’ve got a few featured selections this month to help kick off your summer with some much needed micro brewed goodness. First up from Baltimore’s own Checkerspot Brewing Co. we’re excited to add to our shelves…
Invisible Pink Unicorn – A hazy New England style IPA brewed with El Dorado, Azacca and Ekuanot hops. Checkerspot promises “grapefruit and tropical fruit notes.” – 7% ABV
Robe Life – A double IPA the brewer describes as “fuzzy and hazy” with a “notes of peach and citrus”. – 8.3% ABV
And from Ithaca Beer Co. we’ve got a brand new variety 8-pack of 16 oz sour beers!
Box of Sours – A variety of Berliner style Weisse Ale’s brewed with various fruits and flavors. Blackberry Sour, Tart Cherry Sour, Tropical Sour, and Lemon Tea Sour!
We have an exciting collection of French Rosés to help you welcome the spring season in style.
Penya 2020 Rosé comes highly recommended by Hand Picked Selections, describing it as having “fresh aromas of Rainer cherries, garrigue, an hints of red raspberry and melon.”
The winemaker describes Rubus Vin Gris Rosé – “delicate strawberry nose, juicy berries and cherries, a touch of dried herbs and minerality.”
Bailli de Provence Rosé earns an 88 pt score from Wine Spectator, whose tasting notes include “a fruity aroma, showing rich flavors of dried cherry and melon, with hints of cinnamon. Finishes lush, with some blck currant notes.”
The Palm by Whispering Angel has received praise from Wine Enthusiast to Esquire magazine. Anthony Garland on Wine writes “This rosé will have broad appeal for its slippery palate of lemon and fresh flavours and crisp acidity full to the finish”.