April Wine (and pairings)
A peek into my wine club!
Are you surprised to get this newsletter? (Insert laughter here.) Just last week I said I was cutting back to every two weeks…well consider this a bonus edition. It just hit me that it’s been a long time since I talked about my wine club here on Substack. And even if you don’t live in Charleston and/or have no interest in signing up for wine club I think some folks might simply enjoy reading about fun wines for various times of the year (and the stories behind them AND pairing ideas).
I have been curating a wine club for nearly seven years now and have always put a lot of time and consideration into every aspect of it so it seems like it deserves a broader audience (but of course I certainly appreciate my members!). I will include the brass tacks about my wine club below in case you are interested in signing up. But feel free to scroll down to my April wine picks if you are just here for the reading!
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 :)
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!
Now about April’s seasonal mix offerings:
De Forville Chardonnay
Grape: Chardonnay
Region: Piedmont Italy
Story: The De Forville family emigrated to Piedmont from Belgium in 1848 and established themselves in the village of Barbaresco in 1860. Here, the family was instantly engaged in growing the Nebbiolo grape under the direction of Gioachino De Forville. He was succeeded by his son, Vincenzo, followed by Vincenzo’s nephew, Paolo and, then, the fourth generation — Paolo’s daughter, Mafalda and her husband, Bruno Anfosso. Now, the fifth generation is in place: Valter and Paolo Anfosso, the two sons of Bruno and Mafalda. In the early part of the twentieth century, the DeForvilles sold their wine in bulk directly to restaurants and to retailers who then bottled the wine. In 1940 the estate bottled its first wine and now virtually their entire production is bottled at the estate.
Pairing: I know, Chardonnay from the Piedmont? You would not expect it, but it’s thoroughly delicious, mineral driven loveliness. And I have just the pairing. In some recent reading on Substack (seriously so much good writing on there) I came across a reference to a Puttanesca-esque Baked Salmon from Israeli born, British Chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Lucky for you there’s no need for me to sneak this recipe to you as it’s just a quick google search away (featured on Oprah’s site.) While salmon is fine, I propose going with a meaty local fish like grouper instead, which I think will work even better with the wine!
Monfort Pinot Grigio Ramato
Grape: Pinot Grigio (fermented on the skins)
Region: Trentino, Northeastern Italy
Story: The Simoni family has been working the land in Trentino since 1945. Today the winery is in the hands of the 4th generation: Lorenzo, Chiaro, and Federico. They make amazing sparkling and still wines, including this skin contact Pinot Grigio aka ramato. This is very old style going back to a time when the grapes were involuntarily pressed by farmers delivering them on wagons. Italians do not think of it as an orange wine or a rosé but rather its own unique category.
Pairing: Well, we all know it’s soft shell crab season right? One of my most favorite times of the year!! And this ramato would just be perfect with them. When I am cooking soft shells at home I like to just lightly flour and pan fry in my beloved cast iron skillet. I might make a simple brown butter-lemon sauce to go with or just a squeeze of lemon. If soft shell crabs are not your thing then pan roasted triggerfish or shrimp scampi could also work well. And just a lovely spring salad to go with — arugula, radish, sorrel, perhaps some goat cheese (but like I said — keep it simple!).
Gregory Perez Mencia
Grape: Mencia (native grape of this region)
Region: Bierzo, Spain
Story: Never heard of Bierzo -- have no fear! I bet you are not alone! This is a region in northwestern Spain (part of Ribera del Duero region but really farther north from the Duero river). It is influenced by the Atlantic ocean and high elevations resulting in some pretty cool temperature sites for grape growing! A native of Bordeaux, Gregory Perez came to Bierzo in the early 2000s and worked extensively in the region before starting his own project in 2007. His goal is to express the Bierzo terroir as vividly as possible by working only with native grapes (like Mencia!) and utilizing natural winemaking methods, such as fermenting all wines with wild yeasts and working with very little sulfur during the winemaking process.
Pairing: To me Mencia drinks a bit like Syrah meets Gamay, which makes me REALLY crave a burger! Like lots of folks I am definitely eating less meat these days, but every few months the burger craving hits, especially as spring/summer arrives! In my efforts to eat even more sustainably, I am super enamored with regenerative farming, and I recently noticed that good old Earthfare (a natural grocery store here in Charleston) is carrying some regeneratively farmed meats. I just bought the ground bison and think I will try it out for burgers. I will report back. (Somehow I doubt it will live up to Ted’s Butcherblock patties (from Painted Hills Beef), which are my fave, but let’s see!)
Thanks for reading and have a lovely Sunday! Cheers, Sarah
P.S. If you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and life. We have wrapped up my origin story (click here to read), and we are diving into 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. And as always please hit the like button if you did indeed enjoy the content. Of course, there’s an algorithm behind substack (just like everything else in our modern world!), and more likes encourages the Substack gods to recommend my little newsletter to more folks. Go figure!
an assist from Dolly makes everything better!