I’m a day late, but Robert Sinskey’s Vin Gris would’ve been a great wine to drink in celebration of the ‘Pink’ Full Moon.  Biodynamic rose made from whole cluster Los Carneros Pinot Noir.  The color shines like pink diamonds, zesty grapefruit rind on the nose, and dry floral notes on the palate.  Pretty damn good.  Very limited supply.  $35

Winemaker’s Tasting Note:

“Stunningly beautiful to the eye with a gem-like glimmer, this whole cluster pressed rosé of Pinot Noir exhibits delicate purity. Aromas of pear and wild strawberry dance from the glass as complex flavors of mineral and herb co-mingle with a vibrant mouth-feel—an absolutely refreshing experience! This Vin Gris of Pinot Noir is an incredibly versatile wine to pair with food as it can stand up to the more extreme of ethnic cuisines—Asian, Mexican and Indian—yet it is completely comfortable with a simple sandwich or classic French bistro fare.”

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Make a toast to Mother Earth tonight.  We suggest celebrating with eco-friendly boxed wine, something local, or one of the many sustainable, organic, natural and biodynamic options we have available! Come by or call us up (we deliver green-ly by bicycle!) for more suggestions!

Thursday Night Tasting: Terry Theise Estate Selections

Join us tonight, 6-9 pm, for a tasting of three Austrian and German whites from the distinctive portfolio of legendary importer Terry Theise. A wine world deity, Theise is well known for his impeccable taste, devotion to winemakers and terroir, and indefatigable quest to discover some of the best wines in the world. Terry’s manifesto is admirable:

• Beauty is more important than impact. 
• Harmony is more important than intensity. 
• The whole of any wine must always be more than the sum of its parts.
• Distinctiveness is more important than conventional prettiness. 
• Soul is more important than anything, and soul is expressed as a trinity of family, soil, and artisanality. 

Rain or shine, we’re thrilled to share a few of Terry’s gorgeous finds tonight over cheese from Eastern District!

Von Winning Riesling, Pfalz 2011 

New York City is a take-out town. The Dandy crew orders OTT Thai once a week, at the verty least. And what’s dinner without something to drink? Von Winning’s organic, natural, un-fined, unfiltered Riesling is a winner to have on hand (or have delivered) for spicy take-out nights. It’s uber sunny and bright with just a delicate touch of residual sugar to balance out the firiest of foods. $20

H&M Hofer Gruner Veltliner 2011

Gruner Veltliner has for years been everyone’s favorite easy summer guzzler, so much so that even we forgot that the grape can make more exceptional, refined wines as well. Terry Theise, of course, has many stellar Gruners in his book, and this one from H&M Hofer is a fresh reminder. Medium bodied, with sharp minerality and soft aromatics, a true stand-out among it’s watery, colorless pop-top peers. $22

Nikolaihof Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2011

Nikolaihof is an “organic, bio-dynamic winery whose wines express the earth, the whole earth and nothing but the earth”, and their Gruner is OUT OF THIS WORLD. It’s richly perfumed and absolutely brimming with character, from home-y baking spices to the most fragrant white flowers, with lush pear fruit and a pretty dose of R.S. I think we’ve drank half the bottles we received of this, and it will be a treat to share it with you tonight. $35

We made a couple quick stops on our way to Eve’s Cidery in Van Etten, NY. Remembrance Farm is a small biodynamic farm located in Trumansburg (aka T-burg) that supplies many of the local restaurants with organic greens and things. We noticed their name on the bottom of many menus, most notably Hazlenut Kitchen (maybe a mile away). I promise to tell you more about dinner there soon! The farm is led by young (20 something) graduates of Cornell University. Ithaca Beer Co. was unfortunately closed on Tuesdays but their brewery and tap room were quite impressive from the parking lot. And, fortunately for us, their brews are featured at many local spots so we had plenty of opportunities to taste the goodness.

It’s Sunday funday again and we’re feeling restless!
Something about the full moon today has us seeing red and desiring all things heavy and wild. Thus, we’ve got our meanest Black Metal playlist to raise your spirits and the dead.
Above is the recto and verso shot of our Robert Sinskey POV 2008 from Napa Valley. Sacrificial lamb. Check. Moon diagram. Check.

Complex and aromatic, this red blend drinks more like a Bordeaux in that it’s fruit is not as big and showy like most Californian reds. Instead, the fruit is evident and ripe, balanced with leathery tannins and dusty tobacco and herb notes. All vinified by organic producer, Robert Sinskey.

Call him pretentious, but this self proclaimed “Daydream Believer” has put down his roots in California and has been growing 100% organic and biodynamic for the last 25 years. He is also of the philosophy that “Wine is not an athletic event,” instead spending his time making luxuriously elegant wines that pair well with food and are ever-evolving.

That’s cool, Sinskey.
Today, the Funday crew wants to be luxuriously decadent.
By the time, we finish this, we may already have evolved into werewolves anyways.

Chateau de Roquefort

Join us tonight, 6-9 pm, as we celebrate the Summer Solstice with three biodynamic wines from Provencal producer Chateau de Roquefort. When Raymond Villeneuve, the man behind the wine, visited Dandelion a few months ago we were totally taken by him and his beautiful labels… and thrilled to find that the wine was just as great! We think the three we chose are really special, and we look forward to sharing them with you tonight. And as always, we’ll feature some stellar cheese from Eastern District.

Petit Sale Blanc de Clairette 2011

I’ve been in love with this wine ever since I first had it at a restaurant several months ago. Now, this crisp white is one of my favorites in the fridge to recommend. Made from the ancient varietal Clairette Blanche, Petit Sale has it all- body, subtle fruit, bright acidity, and a dry, mineral-rich finish. And it pairs well with anything and everything! $19

Corail Rose 2011

This lush rose is a kitchen-sink blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Clairette, and Vermentino. I’m a little bit obsessed with it. It’s like a field of fresh strawberries with a cool breeze on a hot day. Beautiful, refreshing and a true pleasure to drink, just as rose should be! $18

Gueule de Loup 6/9

There was a race amongst the Dandy crew for who would make this their “staff pick” first. Nelson won, but Lily’s been threatening to take the title- that’s how much we love this red blend of Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet, Syrah, and Merlot. A mix of two vintages (2006 and 2009), Guele de Loup is rustic and well-balanced, with subtle spice and notes of red currants. It’s a perfect candidate for chilling; stick it in the fridge for twenty minutes, you’ll thank us later. $18

Another favorite finally back on the shelf!

DOMAINE DES SABLONNETTES “LE BON PETIT DIABLE” 2010

It’s a new vintage, but this all-natural Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley is just as bright and juicy and delicious as the last vintage.  Aromas and flavors of fresh-picked raspberries and strawberries practically jump out of the glass. 

Christine and Joel practice biodynamic methods in their 13 hectares of vines.  They produce stunning, natural wines—without employing artificial yeasts. The wines from Sablonnettes are not chaptalized or filtered, these wines are vibrantly alive.  $18

New Organic French Cabernet Sauvignon imported by Kermit Lynch

Cyriaque Rozier, the highly acclaimed winemaker and vineyard manager at Château La Roque, makes his own wine under the label Château Fontanès in Pic St-Loup in the Languedoc.  Though Cyriaque is within the boundaries of the appellation Pic St-Loup, the lion’s share of his production is Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape varietal that is outside of the constraints set for the A.O.C. in the Languedoc. This means that in lieu of getting an A.O.C. cru status, he must take a Vin de Pays d’Oc designation. The trade-off for Cyriaque is that he gets to make his wines his way, and we, in turn, get an incredible price—a mutually beneficial trade-off. Being rebellious seems to come naturally to a man of such innate talent, and the elegance of his wines are proof enough in a region where bigger is often considered better. Make no mistake, raw terroir and spicy garrigue abound in these wines, with rich, juicy fruit and silky tannins.

 ”Lavender, thyme, perilla and black cherry notes join the smell of Cabernet’s deep raspberry…”

“Deep raspberry fruit and concentrated structure.  The palate cleansing tannins are mature and ripe, giving the wine a lengthy and refreshing finish…”

$15

N e w   K e r m i t   L y n c h   I m p o r t s   a t   D a n d e l i o n :

1.  ELVIRO TINTERO “GRANGIA” VINO BIANCO SECCO

Ever-so-slightly sparkling white blend from Piedmont (50% Favorita, 25% Moscato, 20% Arneis, 5% Chardonnay)… it is light and fruity and crisp and delicious!  Great as an aperitif or with cheese or with spicy Chinese take-out.  A tremendous value at $14.

http://kermitlynch.com/our_wines/cantine-elvio-tintero/

2.  DOMAINE DE REUILLY PINOT GRIS 2010

A full-bodied, elegant Pinot Gris from Reuilly, a tiny appellation (450 acres) in the Loire Valley, not far from Sancerre.  The color of this wine was referred to as ‘onion skin’ by the winemaker, a very pale pinkish orange.  The color comes from macerating the juice on the skins for a mere 3 hours.  So lovely to look at, so lovely to drink.  $20

http://kermitlynch.com/our_wines/domaine-de-reuilly/

3.  ERMITAGE DU PIC SAINT LOUP “TOUR DE PIERRES” ROUGE

A biodynamic blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre.  The red clay terroir is very expressive in the nose of this earthy red.  We love this producer so much, we are eagerly waiting for their delicious biodynamic white blend too… so stay tuned!  $18

http://kermitlynch.com/our_wines/ermitage-du-pic-saint-loup/