August 6-pack/12-pack

The 6-pack:

Reg. $75.94.....Sale $66.94....take 5% off and it's $63.59!

The Whites:

Domaine Esperance Soleil et Colombard 2008 (France) $9.99 - Refreshing, bright and clean summer white! And, SUMMER is finally here! Easy drinking for a warm day! Great fun label! 100% Colombard. Stainless steel fermentation. Jean-Louis and Claire de Montesquiou bought this porperty in 1990. Previously, it had been left to run wild. It had been one of the Grand Crus of Bas-Armagnac. They also make Armagnac at this winery (France's oldest distilled spirit). Gold Medal D'Or, Paris 2008

Giocato Pinot Grigio 2008 (Slovenia) Reg. $12.99 Sale $9.99 - In Italian, "Giocare" means to play, to gamble, to trick, to deceive. We love this! Fresh, bright, lively and fun to drink! This is crisp & fresh with beautiful tropical fruit. Great for summer days! Made by Aleks Simcic, perhaps Eastern Europe's most celebrated winemaker! Food pairing - salads, lighter chicken dishes, seafood. The Reds: Lost Block Pinot Noir 2005 (Australia) Reg. $12.99 Sale $8.99 - Delicious Pinot Noir! Great for a party at this price! Smooth and easy summer sipping! Nice soft cherry fruit. Bright, fresh flavors and aromas. Clean tasting. Not tannic. Smooth! Food pairing - grilled chicken or pork tenderloin. Salmon. Sipping in the garden.

Sacred Stone Master's Red Blend Cask #4 (California) $10.99 - Delicious! Runaway hit at our December tasting! Smooth! Rich! Soft! Juicy! Loads of ripe plums and cherries. Dark and lush! Crisp acidity and a rich, soft finish! Blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and Dolcetto. 18,088 cases made. 24 months in French and American oak. Food pairing - great wine for a party - your guests will thank you for serving this! Drinks well with or without food. Grilled foods! Barbecue. Pizza. Pasta. Poultry. Mushrooms. Etc.

Maestre de Campo Malbec 2005 (Argentina) $14.99 - Huge hit at a recent tasting! We love this! Well-balanced wine with real nice tannins (they've smoothed out) and dark fruit with notes of mocha and chocolate. This is smooth and rich with bold flavors while still be smooth! 100% Malbec. Aged 12 months in French and American oak barrels. One characteristic of this winery is that they hold wine at the winery until it is ready to drink - so you can pull the cork on this and be confident is has sufficient barrel/tank and bottle aging! Food pairing - steak, beef, lamb, pasta dishes, lasagna, etc.

X Winery Red X 2006 (California) Reg. $13.99 Sale $11.99 - This is a tasty red blend from a wonderful small winery! Dark purple color. Aromas of roses, plums, blackberries, cherries and raspberries. Flavors of same berries, a touch of peppery spice and toasty oak. Nice acidity. Blend of Syrah (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (16%), Malbec (15%), Merlot (11%) and Petite Sirah (8%). Fruit is from Paso Robles, Napa and Mendocino. 7,200 cases made. Food pairing - Great with grilled meats, roasted meats, spicy veggie stir-fries, mushroom dishes, pizza, lasagna...

The 12-pack:

Reg. $173.88 Sale $153.88....take 10% off and the price is $138.49

The Whites:

Solecico Monastrell Blanc 2008 (Spain) Reg. $13.99 Sale $11.99 - Yes....this is a white wine made from the Monastrell grape! The grapes are crushed and the grape juice is immediately moved off the skins. This is a lot like an Albarino - steely, flinty....with a great oily texture to the wine! The flavors are minerals with tart lime/lemon citrus. Lots of acidity - this has a crisp, crisp finish! Food pairing - shellfish, lobster, salads.

Vina San Esteban Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Chile) $9.99 - Lots of lemon/lime aromas and flavors in this smooth, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Very different from a New Zealand Sauv. Blanc if that's what you often drink. This winery farms sustainably in the Aconcagua Valley in central Chile. Organic farming. Food pairing - shellfish, seafood, lobster. Drinks well without food!

The Reds:

Antonio Sanguineti Chianti 2007 (Italy) Reg. $16.99 Sale $13.99 - Known as "Il Maestro" in Tuscany for both his winemaking skills and his driving passion! Antonio makes great wine at modest prices! This has that classic Tuscan dustiness with great cherry and raspberry fruit. This is smooth with well-balanced tannins. Organic farming. Food pairing - grab a steak or pork tenderloin or chicken and light the grill! Great with rich pasta dishes.

Trinitas Old Vine Mataro 2004 (California) Reg. $23.99 Sale $17.99 - It's big, rich and dark! Lots of dark fruit aromas and flavors, mocha, chocolate and more! Robust! Runaway hit at our April tasting! Mataro is Mourvèdre, a grape from the Rhone Valley in France that is used to make Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Bandol wines. These are ancient vines (100+ years). At this age, they produce little fruit - but the fruit is great quality. Aged 14 months in 40% new American and French oak. It's overwhelmingly Mataro with a little Petite Sirah and Black Malvoisie. This should age well until about 2014 or so. Food pairing - big red wine, big red meat!

Thunder Stone Zinfandel 2005 (California) $14.99 - Made in California by and for a Mainer! This is a ripe and spicy Zinfandel! Lots of dark fruit and peppery spice. Shows some vanilla and toast from the oak aging. Food pairing - when you're grilling, this should be your wine!

Domaine de la Citadelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (France) $17.99 - I've had customers go GA-GA over this wine because they've been to the winery and are shocked I could get this! They should be GA-GA - it's delicious! The wine sees no oak, so it is bright and fresh. Drink it now! Cabernet is an unusual grape from this area; so this is not an AOC wine....it can't be! The growing area is cool at night and hot during the day. Yves Rousset-Rouard resurrected this estate and turned it into one of the best in the Côtes du Luberon! Deux Etoiles dans le Guide Hachette 2007 (2 Stars)