Featured Wine of the Month
August 2007

Our FAVORITE thus far!

Véronique Raskin's family started growing grapes in the south of France in the late 1700's. Grapes led to wine, and their 50 acre family estate, Château Bousquette, in the South of France, became a working winery soon thereafter. Still, it wasn't until 1993 that Véronique's brother and Bousquette's winemaker, decided to bottle a wine in honor of Véronique's pioneering efforts to promote organically grown wine in the United States.

"Bousquette" (pronounced boo-sket) in French means thicket or grove. The word aptly describes the property: a simple family estate nestled in pine trees, lavender and thyme, overlooking miles of vineyards stretching all the way to the foot of the volcanic mountains, the Cévennes.

The vineyards are moderated by the cooling breezes from the sea, giving the grapes a long, even growing season. The result is Château Véronique, a dry, medium-bodied wine with a jammy fruit character of cherry, plum and blackberry complemented by aromas of straw and oak.

AOC Coteaux du Languedoc
40% Carignan, 40% Grenache, 20% Syrah

Alcohol Content: 12.5%

AGING POTENTIAL: DRINK BEFORE 2010

 

Featured Wine of the Month
July 2007

A very aromatic Chardonnay from the Limoux area in southern France. Bright, stony fruit flavors of green apple and citrus enhanced by characteristic mineral undertones typical of Limoux wines. The finish is clean and crisp.

Vin de Pays d'Oc

VEGAN
Alcohol Content: 12%

AGING POTENTIAL: DRINK BEFORE 2008

Featured Wine of the Month
June 2007

For June we are featured a wine from The Organic Wine Company.

Domaine des Cèdres is located in a small commune in France's Southern Rhône Valley. Often called a "Blessed Region," the Rhône Valley is in a climate that is ideal for grape growing. The vineyard features several plots on hillsides which have a stony, clayey and calcareous soil which are friendly to vines and little else. The stones absorb the hot summer sun and then reflect warmth onto the vines at night. The climate is mediterranean, although the Mistral, a cold northerly wind that can endure for days on end, is a feature of the Southern Rhône. The dry Mistral winds, however, minimize vine disease and dry out the vineyard if hit with summer rains.

Domaine des Cèdres winemaker, Dominique Pons, is a true pioneer of organic viticulture. He has been into organic winemaking for at least 20 years, and was one of the first in the Côtes-du-Rhône AOC to go organic. In addition, he's been studying and applying the principles of Biodynamic farming at Domaine des Cèdres for several years, and is involved with the Mouvement de Culture
Biodynamique. Like Dominique, the wines of Domaine des Cèdres are open and generous.

Great food wine! It's strong in character and reflects the region - sun-filled, deep in color and redolent of flowers, herbs and spices.

Very dry, with rich, earthy fruit flavors of plum and cherry enhanced by hints of black pepper and oak spice.

VEGAN
A.O.C. Côtes-du-Rhône; 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10 % Carignan 5% Cinsault

Alcohol Content: 12.5%