Memorial Day weekend is Cape Cod’s traditional kick off to the busy summer season. We are excited to welcome back all of our seasonal residents and visitors who come from all across the country and worldwide to visit this beautiful spot we call home. This weekend while we honor those who fought and sacrificed their lives for our country we will have three offerings on sale, all from the United States of America. The United States produces a tremendous amount of world class wines and this week we are highlighting a few of them. Not only are they all great examples of West Coast Red, White and Rosé wines, but they all are also great buys that should be in stock for most of the summer so you can enjoy with friends and family visiting this season. Try them now and save 20%!
Valravn is a winery in Sonoma County that started in 2014 by the folks at Valkyrie Selections which sort of evolved from one of their earlier projects, Banshee wines. We have featured Banshee many times in our email newsletter so I am sure many of you know the quality and how much we enjoy them. They work with multiple growers in Sonoma to source grapes from top sites. They are known for making wines that are delicious to drink with a decent amount of oak treatment. Today’s Cabernet Sauvignon spends 18 months in French oak, which is a lot for a wine in this price range. Well-respected wine writer Antonio Galloni has said that this vintage may be the single greatest Cabernet Sauvignon from California in this price range.
Raeburn Chardonnay is a favorite in the stores but one we have not featured for a long time. The winery was started in 2014 by Derek Benham, who also ran Blackstone and Mark West before selling them years ago. Raeburn is a tribute to his mother Phyllis who was a naturalist and birdwatcher which is how Derek found his love for nature. “Raeburn” is Old English for “the river where one drinks” and the name reflects the connection between sustainable winemaking and Sonoma’s watersheds. This is one of our better selling Chardonnays; it is barrel fermented, has vibrant, lively fruit and a balanced acidity.
Summer Water is more of a "Brand" made by a company called Winc that came out years ago. I was really surprised when I first tasted it, thinking it would be a watered down quaffer but it is light and crisp like a good Provence Rosé with notes of strawberry, guava, and stone fruit. It has been named a top Rosé on Wine Enthusiast's list and other vintages have received scores of 90-plus points. Despite being one of the bestselling domestic Rosés in the United States and having a pretty big production, the juice is simply delicious. I have had a few bottles of the new 2024 already this year.
If you are interested in today's featured wines, please reply to this email, call your nearest location or click the Shop Now Button to order. These are all great by themselves or with food. We are happy to welcome Valravn Cabernet Sauvignon to the stores this year, Raeburn and Summer Water are old favorites. If you have not tried these before, now is a great time to save while they are on sale. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, I hope to see you in one of the locations soon!
“The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County) might very well be the single greatest Cabernet Sauvignon from California in its price range. Savory and mineral Sonoma notes run through a core of purplish fruit, gravel, incense, licorice, chocolate and dried flowers.” Antonio Galloni
“This shows aromas of ripe pears and pineapple with honeysuckle, toffee and cooked oranges. Creamy and mellow with a full body, ripe fruit and hints of salted butter at the end. Polished and long. Drink now or hold.”
This Rosé is refreshing and vibrant, a perfect example of coastal California wines. You will see light aromas of strawberry, roses and a bit of citrus. There are flavors such as fresh berries, tropical fruit and watermelon with a delicate bit of minerality on the finish. This is great with all kinds of light, summery foods especially seafood or salads or just by itself on a warm day.
