Wines are constantly being explored and tasted at First Bottle, so what we’re drinking one day can totally change the next. We can easily say that we enjoy almost all wines but we do have our current favorites! The styles can range from the every night drinker to the bottle we bring out to a dinner party with friends. Here is a little insight on what we’re drinking now at First Bottle.
Blake’s Pick: I’m just loving the Domaine Chauveau Calcaire Coteaux du Giennois 2019 this summer. The vintage is about as good as it gets in this under-the-radar village just a stone’s throw from Sancerre. The region shares some of the same geological formations as Sancerre and Pouilly fume with lots of limestone and calcareous soils, hence the name of this wine sourced exclusively from these soils. It’s incredibly precise, zippy and minerally with loads of salivary-gland-tickling citrus oils, Meyer lemon flesh, grapefruit and straw with a finish that has a whiff of sea-salty air and a lingering stoniness. For $14 dollars you will think you’re drinking $30 Sancerre, in fact, we challenge anyone to taste this blind next to a reputable Sancerre and prepare to be blown away.
Ariane’s Pick: My current go-to wine is a Tuscan beauty, La Fortuna Fortunello Toscano Rosso 2016. This is an OMG red, that’s so pure with notes of Morello cherry fruit and dried spices. A true Italian blend…I can drink this wine all day! We recently had a zoom call with the Zannoni family and they’re one of the sweetest and most hardworking families! They have been making wine since 1907, wow. I love the long-standing family run wineries…there is just so much history. If only the vines could talk! This is the first winery I’m visiting when it’s safe to travel again.
Haley’s Pick: If you have not tried Guy Robin “Montee de Tonnerre” VV 1er Cru 2018 you’re missing out. This is an every night drinker that doesn’t break the bank and is so food friendly! I just recently paired it with a lovely white wine, artichoke pasta dish and it was SUPERB! It is amazingly refreshing, crisp, and mineral. There is a fantastic Chablis festival that takes place the second week of November where around fifty producers show off their wines from around the area. This is where I fell in love with Chablis. With French fares like gougeres, oysters, and french fries; I was in love. How could you not be! Since travel has been limited, this wine brings me back every time I drink it!
Ian’s Pick: As a pescatarian, I’m always on the hunt for new wines to pair with my seafood dishes. I usually stay within my comfort zone of Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays, but when I saw the Domaine Paterianakis Vidiano Organic Crete 2019 offered on First Bottle, I was intrigued to saw the least. I’d never had a Greek wine before (an organic Greek wine nonetheless!), and I’d never heard of the Vidiano grape variety either. The citrus notes and minerality were bursting in this wine and it paired very well with my Dungeness crab cakes. I rarely take a chance on a variety I’ve never tried before. But the reward was worth the risk in this case, and I would recommend stepping out of your white wine comfort zone and try this Vidiano, you won’t regret it!
