August Wine (and pairings)

A peak 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. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button at the bottom as it helps get this newsletter in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food! 

This is my bonus addition of the newsletter where I fill you in on my current (August!) 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 (deep summer in my neck of the woods) 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. But feel free to scroll down to my August 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!

Cheers!

Now about August’s seasonal mix offerings:

Bixigu Txakoli 
Grape: Hondarrabi Zuri 
Region: Getaria, Txakolina, Spain
Story: Many of you probably already know of the delightful, mineral driven whites that come from this corner of the Basque region of Spain. But let me paint a vivid picture – you are a half hour drive from the famed foodie town of San Sebastian along the Cantabrian Sea. It is here at the top of the hill with water views, where four generations of the Lazkano family have produced and sold Txakoli. José Antonio used to make wine at home for family consumption and to only sell locally until they set up their cellar in 1923. These days the 4th generation is in charge, brothers Joseba and Urtzi. Joseba and his mother handle the winemaking and the boutique hotel while Urtzi manages their sustainably farmed vineyards. There is quite a bit of inexpensive fizzy white from this region, but the Lazkanos make a slightly more serious (but still fun!) wine that is perfect for our August doldrums.
Pairing: This wine could really be great on its own with no food at all if that’s your vibe. But I recently made shrimp tacos at home (something I never do!). And that meal keeps coming back to me as I think of this wine. They have the most amazing artisanally made tortillas as the Veggie Bin here in Charleston (and they even freeze well!). They have corn and flour, but I went with corn (and happy to report – such good flavor!). I also had a guacamole epiphany when making this meal and going by the very simple method recipe on Serious Eats – check it out. Besides guacamole I just made an also simple pico de gallo with cherry tomatoes from my garden. Alongside local, sauteed shrimp – what more do you need?

Can Sumoi Rosado “La Rosa”
Grapes: 60% Sumoll, 40% Xarel-lo (2 native grapes of Catalonia; Sumoll is red and Xarel-lo is white)
Region: Penedes, Catalonia, Spain (south of Barcelona)
Story: Can Sumoi is the collaboration between famed sparkling winemaker Pepe Raventós and his childhood friend Francesc Escala. The property  sits at six hundred meters of altitude in the Serra de l’Home range in the Penedès. Here you find a 350-year-old farmhouse, old vines of Montonega, Xarel-lo, and Sumoll vines; stands of oak and white pine shade the rest of the surface. The vines are cultivated on limestone soils in certified organic fashion and the resulting wines are produced without additives, stabilization or filtration, and minimal added sulfur. (Btw, Can Sumoi translates to house of Sumoll! Pepe loves Sumoll and thinks it has a bright future for serious red wines as well.)
Pairing: Ok I know everyone here in Charleston is obsessed with tomato pie, and while I think that a Lowcountry tomato pie would go lovely with this wine, I also encourage you to look up David Lebovitz’s Tomato Tart on Substack. It looks sooo good that I think I will make it this weekend with the last of the tomatoes from my garden. He makes a very simple pie/galette dough that he rolls out into  a rough circle, spreads whole grain mustard all over, tops that with sliced tomatoes, tops those with dollops of fresh ricotta, folds up the edges to create a rough border around the filling, and then bakes. Summer in the form of a rustic tart – yum!

Domaine Sauvete Gamay (serve chilled please)
Grape: Gamay
Region: Monthou Sur Cher, Loire Valley, France
Story:  Domaine Sauvete is the passion project of Jerome and Dominique Sauvete. The domaine goes back 4 generations – beginning when Jerome’s great grandfather planted the first vines in 1905! Their mission in Jerome’s words: “Today, we have a single shared ambition – to produce authentic wines that express the subtleties of our terroir to the very depths of its soul.”(And yes, while you might mostly associate Gamay with the Beaujolais region, it does also grow in the Loire Valley!)
Pairing: I love when recipe sharing just organically happens. Such was the case the other day when I heard a co-worker at EO and her partner chatting about a casual dinner party they were throwing centered around an idea they found in Bon Appetit for a banh mi party. The interesting thing about the Bon Appetit idea was they suggested forming ground pork into patties and serving on buns (rather than the traditional baguette) but with all the regular banh mi toppings. I loved the sound of this because A) it seems easy and B) I would honestly prefer a nice soft, brioche bun to a crusty baguette in this scenario. I checked back in with said co-worker, and she said the party was a success! If I do it I will definitely reach for a chillable red like this Gamay to go with!