July 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 July wine picks if you are just here for the reading! Also, if you live in Charleston please check out the postscript about another great food/wine event where I will be volunteering :)
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 July’s seasonal mix offerings…
Valckenberg Pinot Blanc
Grape: Pinot Blanc aka Weissburgunder
Region: Rheinhessen, Germany
Story: For over 230 years P.J. Valckenberg has discovered extraordinary German Estates and acted as an ambassador/exporter of their wines. Today, they also have their own label sourcing from organically farmed vineyards. It might surprise you to see German Pinot Blanc, but in fact it makes up 6% of their total vineyard plantings. And when I was there on an industry trip I discovered that the Germans themselves enjoy A LOT of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris in addition to Riesling.
Pairing: So, for this month I decided to forego rosé in favor of a light, easy white and then one with a bit more structure. This Pinot Blanc is the easy breezy choice. Take it to the beach, pool, boat, or just enjoy it on the porch with the fan on high :) It would be perfect with cheese and charcuterie or really any salty snacks! If you are thinking of something more substantial then how about a frittata and a salad. This has become my go-to Sunday meal. And now that tomatoes are happening they will be the star! Just be sure to slice you tomatoes and briefly sear BEFORE you add them to your frittata. This will allow some of their water to cook out. No one wants a watery frittata ;) I love fresh ricotta or goat cheese nestled in between the tomato slices and of course a showering of basil chiffonade.
Domaine Fichet Aligoté
Grape: Aligoté
Region: Maconnais, Burgundy, France
Story: The Fichet family traces its winemaking routes all the way back to 1408 as there are records of a Stephus Fichet working the vines in this area. Ten generations later in 1976 Marius Fichet broke away from selling grapes to the local coop, and Domaine Fichet was born. His son Francis Fichet was one of the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Chardonnay-dominant area. He started with eight hectares of vineyards, and by the time his sons took over in 1990, he had eleven. Since then, they’ve expanded to 35 hectares with the Fichet brothers working in perfect tandem. Pierre-Yves manages their sustainably farmed vineyards, and Olivier manages winemaking.
Pairing: Those of y'all who have been in wine club for a bit know just how much I love Aligoté, which I always refer to as “the other white grape” of Burgundy (the more well known being Queen Chardonnay). So I was thrilled to find a new Aligoté that fits within the pricing parameters of wine club – rare! This beauty is mineral driven and a nice contrast to the fruitier Pinot Blanc. I would love it with a whole roasted (or grilled) fish! I was once again flipping through my new favorite cookbook Le Sud (all inspired by the south of France), and her whole roasted fish with pistou (this is a more pared down French version of pesto) sounds perfect for this wine!
Cincinnato Nero Buono “Polluce”
Grape: Nero Buono (native grape of this area)
Region: Lazio, Italy
Story: The Cincinnato winery, founded in 1947 and named after the ancient Roman senator and farmer Cincinnatus, is a small co-operative (126 growers, with a total of 250 hectares of vines), located an hour south-east of Rome near the town of Cori. This co-op uses native grape varieties that are farmed organically. The name ‘Pollùce’ after the mythical twins Castor and Pollux; the archeological remains of their temple are found in Cori.
Pairing: You don’t see a lot of wines from Lazio in our market, and so I was thrilled to find this gem that’s full of yummy dark fruit and earth and just the right amount of tannins to pair with some bbq. Y’all know I have been talking about smoking a whole chicken for a looooong time now so I think that will be my move over July 4th weekend! But grilling some chicken thighs could work fine too (and I’ve got my classic red bbq sauce recipe in my Substack archives. Click here for that recipe!).
P.S. This time of the year PLEASE put a slight chill on any reds you are enjoying :)
P.P.S. If you happen to live in Charleston, please check out this awesome event where I will be a volunteer Somm on Saturday, July 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. The Food Section (a great newsletter by the great writer Hanna Raskin) will be hosting Street Truck Stories, a one-of-a-kind food truck rally at Jadoon's Park Circle Market. Featured food trucks will be: Korean corn dog specialist Seol Ahs, the pizzaioli from JMB Provisions, ube virtuoso Butter Half Bakery, vegan pastry purveyor L'il Sprout, Hawaiian expat Coconut Glen's. At this event, attendees will have the chance to participate in guided tastings, hear the stories behind what they sample, and consult ME for an ideal pairing from Jadoon’s recently expanded wine selection. Plus, if you purchase an annual subscription to The Food Section then that bottle is complimentary. Yep, you read that right! (Btw, if you live in Charleston then you might already know that Jadoon’s has long been known to be a North Charleston convenience store with a terrific beer selection. Well now, they have a great wine selection too!)