April Wine (and pairings)
A peek into my wine club!
Hello! If you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and life. There’s lots to read – from my origin story (click here to read) to fun content focused on meaningful time at the table with delicious wine and food. For now, my newsletter is free and you can find all the content by clicking here – basically a little Grape to Table website created by the great folks at Substack. I did realize recently that you only see the various categories of past newsletters if you open this link in a browser (rather than the Substack app). It’s a shame because the categories make it easy to find content you might be interested in…so here are some more embedded links! Click here for Wine Tips. Click here for Recipes. Click here for Q & As. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button as it helps get the content in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food!
This is my bonus edition of the newsletter where I fill you in on my current wine club offerings, which I think you will enjoy even if you have no interest in signing up for the club and/or don’t live in Charleston. It’s a nice little look into wines that I think pair well with this time of the year and the stories behind them AND pairing ideas. Perhaps you can even find these wines at your own local wine shop! I will include the brass tacks about my wine club below in case you are interested in signing up (I do appreciate the support). But feel free to scroll down to my April wine picks if you are just here for the reading!
Wine Club Brass Tacks:
I am honored to host my wine club out of Wine & Company (a bottle shop and wine bar) at 441 Meeting Street, corner of Meeting and Spring, in downtown Charleston, SC. That’s where you will pick up your wine if you sign up. Also keep in mind that wine club makes a great gift for friends/family :) It’s easy for me to set it up for you to just be billed for 2 or 3 or however many months if you want to gift it. And I have a cute certificate for you to give the recipient. Just email me if interested – sarah@grapetotable.com :)
About the wine…this is a wine club that celebrates the magic of wine and food through an exploration of small, family-run wineries and detailed pairing suggestions! I definitely draw heavily from the old world (Europe!) with an occasional new world gem thrown into the mix. All of the wines are sustainably farmed with some producers going the extra mile with organic and biodynamic practices.
The GTT wine club is $70/month for 3 bottles that are available for pick-up on the first of each month. You can choose between my seasonal mix, all white, or all red. But the seasonal mix is the MOST popular option for good reason!!
Most importantly – wine club is a great way to learn about new grape varieties and styles that you might not reach for yourself! If you want to join: sign up is easy and secure by clicking here!
Cheers!
Now about April’s seasonal mix offerings…
Pares Balta Blanc de Pacs
Grapes: 46% Parellada, 34% Macabeo, 20% Xarel·lo
Region: Penedes, Catalunya, Spain
Story: Today Pares Balta is run by the third generation of the Cusiné family, and it’s the wives of Joan and Josep who have taken over winemaking! Maria Elena and Marta studied winemaking at the University of Tarragona and took over at the winery in 2000. They brought fresh energy and a focus on organic and now biodynamic viticulture!! (Oh and Pacs is their subregion so hence the name!)
Pairing: Yes, this is sparkling wine territory, and yes these are the star grapes for making Cava. But these days you see so many great producers making terrific, still, mineral driven white wines from these grapes! And they are perfect for our Lowcountry weather and cuisine. I would definitely recommend this as the perfect companion for springtime on the porch, beach, or boat! And of course it would pair wonderfully with our local seafood. Y’all know that April is soft shell crab season, and you certainly will never read the April wine club newsletter without a soft shell crab reference! So go out and buy some, have the seafood market clean them for you and then simply dust them in flour, pan fry them, and serve them alongside a salad filled with all the glorious spring veggies.
Heidi Schrock Rosé
Grapes: mostly native red grapes Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt but also some Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Lagrein, Teroldego, and Petit Verdot
Region: Burgenland, Austria
Story: I have long loved Austrian winemaker Heidi Schrock and her wines! I have had the honor of meeting her a few times, and she is a ball of positive energy – my favorite type of person. She took over her family winery in 1983 and has devoted herself to reviving historic wines of her Austro-Hungarian forefathers. She is now running her organic winery with her two sons. Her wines range from dry to sweet and from familiar varieties like Pinot Blanc to the more rarely seen Furmint and this lovely dry rosé that’s a hodgepodge of grapes! Btw, Heidi’s website is awesome, especially this Q&A section!
Pairing: This is a delicious mineral driven rosé but also with plenty of structure! Like the above white it should be perfect to kick off spring and enjoy on the porch, deck, or beach – with or without food. But if you are thinking about food I highly recommend picnic fare – deviled eggs, cold fried chicken, potato salad, and more!
Altes Herencia Garnatxa
Grape: Garnatxa aka Grenache
Region: Terra Alta, Catalunya, Spain
Story: Nuria Altés, like many young vintners in Spain, comes from a family who has grown grapes for generations. Tucked away in a remote corner of Catalunya, Nuria’s new project, Herència Altés, is situated outside the village of Batea, in the DO of Terra Alta (actually near the above white wine’s region!). Remarkably Terra Alta is one of the largest wine-growing regions in Cataluyna but relatively unknown. This is something Nuria has set about changing. Growing up among the vines that her grandfather tended, Nuria has known these vineyards since her childhood and decided in 2010 to start purchasing grapes from her father to make her own personal wines. P.S. If you love nature you should definitely check out the great videos on the Altes Herencia website showcasing the natural beauty of the property!
Pairing: Tis the season for lamb! And Grenache (aka Garnatxa) just plays very nicely with lamb. While it’s hard to beat a grilled rack of lamb, I also bet we have another couple of chilly nights ahead when you might opt for a richer dish like Lamb Tagine (or as I like to say Moroccan inspired, since I don’t own the actual tagine cooking vessel). But just think lamb cooked down with spices and some sort of dried fruit (like apricots). It might sound odd if you have not experienced this myriad of flavors, but rest assured it’s terrific. There’s a great recipe by Melissa Clark on the New York Times site, but really there’s no shortage of tagine recipes all over the internet.
Loved it