First, some introductions. This is Bobby at Gentile’s. Some of you have met me, some of you haven’t, and some of you might not be sure if you have or not. If we haven’t met yet: hello for the first time. If we have: hello again. If you aren’t sure, I’m the one that asks you if you’re looking for something special when you walk in. A secret between us? I know you’re looking for something special whether you do or not.
Being tasked with choosing a wine that each of you who faithfully read this newsletter might enjoy seemed simple at first: choose something with broad appeal, a reasonable price, and (possibly) an attractive label. My mind naturally went to a Cabernet in the twenty to thirty dollar range of which there are… many. Suddenly aware of the scope of the assignment, I went into overdrive and overthinking as I’m prone to do. Not Cabernet: too mainstream. Pinot Noir: I love Pinot Noir. Not Pinot Noir: too predictable. Riesling: underappreciated elegance. Not Riesling: too divisive.
However, a particularly insightful conversation with one of you stopped my unproductive spiral and set the theme for my first of many (or possibly my last?) editions of this newsletter. I decided that for my addition to the Gentile’s newsletter I would do something a little different. The theme? Drink what you love and share it with others.
And what do I love that I want to share with you? There’s a lot. But, let’s narrow it down to a few wines I’ve had over the last two weeks that you just might enjoy. I will spare you tasting notes because they won’t make you love these wines. Experiencing them will.
Last week, I enjoyed a bottle of Thevenet & Fils “Les Clos” Burgundy Pinot Noir ($22.99), a frequent guest in our home. I drank it after a long day at work with a slightly overdone frozen pizza. My partner was working and I was glad because I didn’t have to share. It’s a wine that I’ve already clued some of you in on and which has become a bit of a cult favorite. Time to expand the cult. You’re welcome.
Earlier this week, I tasted Mayacamas Chardonnay ($49.99) for the first time with one of our vendors, along with a few other wines. Throughout the tasting I kept coming back to it, ignoring the others. Our vendor was probably annoyed that I wasn’t following along and actually laughed at me for not being willing to leave this particular wine behind. Why should I? I was rude and asked for more than the sample. You should try it.
This evening (as I’m writing in fact... I'll have Laura edit this later) I’m revisiting one of my absolute favorites in the entire store: Domaine Collin Cremant de Limoux Brut Rosé ($19.99). I often sing its praises when asked for recommendations on bubbly. Why? I used to drink this bottle after a particularly long day running a busy bar. It made me feel like I had earned something after all the hard work and I would more often than not share some with my staff once the doors had locked. This bottle seemed appropriate as I try to put my thoughts into coherent sentences for you. Try this bubbly if you haven’t already and give it to people you actually like during the holidays.
Two of these bottles are around twenty dollars and one is a bit of a splurge on a weekday. We have them on our shelves regularly and you’ve probably seen them. None of them are rare but absolutely all of them are special. I can order a case for you if you’d like, although you may just want to try a bottle. I’ll order that for you as well. We can discuss it the next time I see you in the store.
Cheers,
Bobby