Articles

10/29/15 -   These two producers need no introduction from us! However, two notes: Troglia was a wine merchant in Torino; some older friends in the region still remember them as having very high standards (the fact that they bought Troglia / Cappellano wines offers proof of this). I would assume that the Cappellano family felt the same way, since they sold finished wine...

10/25/15 - (Jean-Francois Ganevat (Photo: Bert Celce, 2010)) Perhaps there are no CSW customers unfamiliar with Domaine Jean-François Ganevat, but just in case, we offer a brief description. Located in the hamlet of La Combe, Rotalier, southwest of Lons-le-Saunier, the estate dates back to 1650, with vines and Montbeliarde cows which produced milk for Comté cheese. Jean-François' father concentrated on wine beginning in 1976...

10/22/15 - (Nicolas Gonin. Photo: Mike Foulk) Though the town is only forty-five minutes east from the bustling city of Lyon, you’ve probably never heard of Saint-Chef. It is tucked away in the department of Isère -- not a well-known wine producing region by any means (all wines made here must be labeled either Vin de France or IGP Isère, which replaced Vin de...

10/18/15 - (Gernot Kollmann of Weingut Immich-Batterieberg) “You don’t grow on a secure path. All of us should conquer something in life and it needs a lot work. It needs a lot of risk.” – Francis Mallmann The vineyards of Germany’s Mosel wine region can be understood through beautifully rendered 19th century Prussian tax maps. They can be understood through the turns and the...

10/14/15 - It’s funny how fortunes turn. Some spirits deemed essential fade, while others take their place. One such spirit is marc. Fashioned from the pomace, or pulpy skins and seeds left over from winemaking, eau de vie de marc was considered an essential digestif after a substantial meal much like Cognac, Calvados, or Armagnac. Much like grappa, its Italian counterpart, it ranges in...

10/10/15 - (Côte-Rotie in winter) We're proud to offer the lovely 2012s, recently arrived, from these three outstanding producers of traditional Côte-Rotie and Cornas. 2012 was a somewhat difficult year for the vigneron with rainy periods in June and July followed by good weather in August and September and a few days of high heat - growers had to be vigilant!. Yields were low...

10/06/15 -     Tío Pepe Fino Sherry is the rare example of a wine that is the most widely distributed in its category as well as the most distinguished. The brand was born at González Byass winery in Jerez in 1844 when Tío Pepe himself, the uncle of Manuel María González, encouraged his nephew to begin bottling the pure, thirst quenching, young fino style of sherry that was enjoyed...

9/29/15 - There’s something about an underdog. That is to say, some of us find ourselves rooting for the unlikeliest of heroes. In wine as much as we love the nobility of benchmark wines and appellations, we also find ourselves drawn to the charms of so-called lesser grapes. In Burgundy we find this especially true: while we are enamored by the class of Vosne-Romanée or...

 9/26/15 - (Pont de Breux, near Salins-les-Bains) Given the scarcity and popularity of the best wines from the Jura, we're very happy to offer new arrivals and returning favorites from some of the regions best producers. And we are very excited to be collaborating with our friends down the street at Racines NY where they will pour a special selection of Jura wines by-the-glass...

9/25/15 - Let us probe the silent places, let us seek what luck betide us;    Let us journey to a lovely land I know.There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us,    And the vines are calling, calling . . . let us go.  – in admiration of Robert Service In 2001, Jochen Dreissigacker heard the whisper from...

9/24/15 - We are happy to announce a series of wine dinners at Maialino. We’ve had quite a few very successful dinners in their private room, which is a peaceful and relaxed place to spend the evening. Add fantastic food, great service, and fine old Italian wine… I’m hungry already.   ​ Monday, October 12th, 2015 at 7 pm:  A Dinner of Old Nebbiolo,...

9/23/15 - (A thrilling array of Spanish wines under $20 are arriving as we restock for fall, all of which vastly exceed their price point in elegance, interest, and downright deliciousness.) People often ask us how we decide which wines to stock in the store. Organic farming, biodynamic methods, unique terroirs and growers, and natural winemaking with no additives are the qualities that dominate our list...

9/21/15 - Sangiovese is one of Italy’s most abundant red grape varieties, but it’s not the easiest to work with from a viticultural or enological perspective. At Villa Venti, Davide and Mauro seem to have found the magic formula. Nestled in a lush valley in Emilia-Romagna, south east of Bologna, Villa Venti is situated on steep hills near the town of Roncofreddo. The brothers-in-law...

9/19/15 - When it comes to wine nomenclature and taxonomy, the Germans have a gift of nearly Linnaen proportions. And while each Prädikat level has a legal definition, each also suggests a certain style or use. And while must weights and harvest time determine the category of wine, the expected style or use of the wine can be a bit murky. One such designation,...

9/17/15 - We’re delighted to show single-parcel, 2014 wines from Peter Lauer. These wines are some of the most exciting dry to off-dry Rieslings being grown in Germany’s Saar valley. First on deck is the always dry and zippy, Fass 2 Extra Trocken, sourced from south and south-west facing Riesling vines in Neuenberg portion of the Ayler Kupp hillside (pictured above). Named after and...