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March 2025 Newsletter
Receive our Monthly Newsletter and Special Promotions. Stay up to date on new arrivals, sales, and events at our Berkeley shop.

March 2025 Newsletter
Table of Contents
- Spotlight on Alsace by Jane Augustine
- Provençal Reds by Tom Wolf
-
Sangiovese
Only in Tuscany by Anthony Lynch - Cru Beaujolais by Chris Santini
-
Languedoc
The Other South of France by Tom Wolf - Southern Italian Whites by Anthony Lynch
There are many things that set Alsace apart from other regions in France, not the least of which is the influence of Germany on its language, culture,...

Kougelhopf, a traditional Alsatian cake
There are many things that set Alsace apart from other regions in France, not the least of which is the influence of Germany on its language, culture, architecture, and cuisine. In the way of wine, Alsace stands out for its varietal-based bottlings that span a vibrant spectrum of aromas and styles. To approach Alsace through the same lens as any other region runs the risk of overlooking the various quirks that amplify its authentic charms. Moreover, it’s impossible to separate Alsatian wines from the local cuisine, which gives us specialties such as flammekueche, soft pretzels, spaetzle, wursts of different sorts, kougelhopf, and the famous choucroute garnie, along with dishes that incorporate spices most French people wouldn’t dream of seasoning with, like cardamom, cumin, and caraway. We import the wines of four domaines from Alsace, all of whom work organically if not biodynamically, each in their own style, but with the same resounding passion and commitment to making the finest wines the region has ever known. To visit Alsace is to fall in love with it, but in the meantime, having a few local wines with which to decorate your table provides the fresh perspective often needed to inspire new pairings.
Buy this collection 8 bottles
Wines in this Collection

2020 Crémant d’Alsace Brut
France | Alsace
Soaring with aromas of brioche and praline, this lush and luxurious bottling sets the benchmark for Crémants everywhere.

2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Sommerberg”
France | Alsace
It’s hard to imagine this beauty could taste any better than it does now, but I’ll be curious to revisit it in five to ten years.

2021 Riesling “Fronholz”
France | Alsace
This vintage might fool you for an oyster wine. Let it!

2021 Pinot Gris “Fronholz”
France | Alsace
Fronholz is a vineyard composed primarily of quartz, and the taste of an Ostertag wine from here is reminiscent of this stone: sleek, transparent, and brilliant.

2023 Pinot Blanc
France | Alsace
New to Alsatian wine? This is the perfect place to start.

2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Eichberg”
France | Alsace
ou’ll want to open it alongside richer dishes, or ones that take the longest to make, those that deserve a layered and complex bottling to match.

2022 Riesling Réserve
France | Alsace
Meyer’s Riesling Réserve is a mélange of different terroirs around his domaine in Katzenthal, and is a precise, dry, minerally Riesling loaded with character.

2020 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru “Sporen”
France | Alsace
If you don’t recognize Félix Meyer’s touch from the rich aromas of lychee, candied ginger, and rose petals, you will by the time you finish your first glass.
Dominique Hauvette will celebrate her seventy-fifth birthday later this month. After decades of expanding the boundaries of what’s possible in Prove...

Dominique Hauvette
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection

2022 Alpilles Rouge “Cinsault”
France | Provence
Given its hue and zesty, mouthwatering nature, you might wonder if this “rouge” is more of a rosé.

2020 Bandol Rouge
France | Provence
This full-bodied rouge, with notes of dark fruit and fragrant garrigue, is built for grilled lamb or pork chops.

2022 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
France | Provence
A single barrel was produced of this delicate, peppery, low-alcohol red from a forgotten grape variety. Serve chilled.
Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, which produce prestigious wines around the world, great Sangiovese only comes from one place: Tuscany. From ...

Ferretti’s vines in Montalcino
Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, which produce prestigious wines around the world, great Sangiovese only comes from one place: Tuscany. From the rolling hills of Chianti Classico to the sunbaked slopes of Montalcino, you’ll find delicious everyday wines as well as regal expressions of the grape with sublime aromatics and rich, nuanced flavors. Here are three stellar examples of Sangiovese that demonstrate the variety’s diverse personalities, palpable sense of place, and unrivaled ability to complement the cuisine of Tuscany and the greater Mediterranean.
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection

2021 Rosso di Montalcino
Italy | Tuscany
This site yields a lively, focused Rosso, featuring a mineral backbone that provides crystalline structure to the juicy, savory red fruit that cascades over the palate.

2019 Chianti Classico “Ai Lecci”
Italy | Tuscany
This new release highlights a parcel shielded from the hottest hours of afternoon sun by tall silver oaks (lecci), yielding a gentler Chianti characterized by dark, sultry fruit, luxurious spice, and velvety tannins.

2018 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Santa Maria”
Italy | Tuscany
This Santa Maria is coursing with raw beauty, exuding rose petals and turned earth and finishing with tannins fine as silk.
When Charly joined his father, Jean Paul, at the family estate in Morgon, he stumbled upon a classified ad for century-old vines for sale in Régnié,...

Charly Thévenet
Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection

2023 Régnié “Grain & Granit”
France | Beaujolais
Here is a rich, bold Régnié, saturated with luscious fruit and earthy spice.

2023 Fleurie “Les Moriers”
France | Beaujolais
This Fleurie beautifully combines high-toned finesse with a potent depth. Can a wine be delicately intense?

2023 Brouilly “Reverdon”
France | Beaujolais
This bottling is classic Brouilly, balanced and old-school, and showcases the beauty of Gamay.
I don’t know of anyone else making Languedoc reds like Maxime Magnon. His Saint Jacques pours and drinks like cru Beaujolais but with the flavors an...

Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection

2023 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Genuinely reflecting the down-home, country soulfulness we love about the Languedoc.

2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Evokes citrus rind, herbs, and sea spray and boasts all of the freshness of a Mediterranean breeze.

2023 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Equal parts Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, this boasts all of Maxime’s trademark elegance and silkiness.
The exotic perfume of this white, made from the rare Minutolo grape, will take you straight to the sunny shores of Puglia, savoring a crisp aperitivo ...

Buy this collection 3 bottles
Wines in this Collection

2023 Terre Siciliane Bianco “Marzaiolo”
Italy | Sicily
The Marzaiolo is a brilliant white bursting with sunshine, sea spray, and fresh-squeezed Sicilian lemons.

2023 Valle d’Itria Minutolo “Rampone”
Italy | Puglia
Crafted from the local variety Minutolo, Pástini’s Rampone preserves lip-smacking acidity and low alcohol despite the baking-hot Puglian summers

2023 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
Italy | Le Marche
It’s both inviting––it makes for a lovely apéritif––and angular, prime to accompany lemony pasta dishes, clams, or flavorful and rich vegetarian lasagnas.
Explore Piedmont
For many wine lovers, Piedmont—or Piemonte, in Italian—means one thing: Barolo. And indeed, Barolo fully deserves its moniker as “the King of Wines”: this regal red has few equals when it comes to transparently expressing place with power, delicacy, poise, and long-term aging potential. Within the Barolo appellation, it is fully worth exploring each commune and, on an even deeper level, each individual vineyard—the nuances are endless, and the wines are capable of inspiring the deepest of emotions.
But Barolo represents only a small slice of Piemonte’s tremendous diversity of wines...
Shop Now >
Spotlight on Alsace
by Jane Augustine
There are many things that set Alsace apart from other regions in France, not the least of which is the influence of Germany on its language, culture, architecture, and cuisine. In the way of wine, Alsace stands out for its varietal-based bottlings that span a vibrant spectrum of aromas and styles. To approach Alsace through the same lens as any other region runs the risk of overlooking the various quirks that amplify its authentic charms. Moreover, it’s impossible to separate Alsatian wines from the local cuisine...
2020 Crémant d’Alsace Brut • Albert Boxler 2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Sommerberg” • Albert Boxler 2021 Riesling “Fronholz” • Domaine Ostertag 2021 Pinot Gris “Fronholz” • Domaine Ostertag 2023 Pinot Blanc • Kuentz-Bas 2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Eichberg” • Kuentz-Bas 2022 Riesling Réserve • Meyer-Fonné 2020 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru “Sporen” • Meyer-Fonné
Provençal Reds
by Tom Wolf
Dominique Hauvette will celebrate her seventy-fifth birthday later this month. After decades of expanding the boundaries of what’s possible in Provence, this luminary of the south certainly doesn’t need to keep tinkering, but that’s what makes her the singular vigneronne she is! In the last few years...
2022 Alpilles Rouge “Cinsault” • Domaine Hauvette 2020 Bandol Rouge • Domaine du Gros ‘Noré 2022 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel” • Clos Saint-Joseph
Sangiovese
Only in Tuscany
by Anthony Lynch
Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, which produce prestigious wines around the world, great Sangiovese only comes from one place: Tuscany. From the rolling hills of Chianti Classico to the sunbaked slopes of Montalcino...
2021 Rosso di Montalcino • Ferretti 2019 Chianti Classico “Ai Lecci” • Villa di Geggiano 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Santa Maria” • Podere Sante Marie
Cru Beaujolais
by Chris Santini
When Charly joined his father, Jean Paul, at the family estate in Morgon, he stumbled upon a classified ad for century-old vines for sale in Régnié, paid them a visit, and it was love at first sight. His father thought he was crazy, as back then Régnié, the youngest of the crus, was little known and a hard sell. It hasn’t been an easy road, but today Régnié enjoys the respect it deserves, thanks in no small part to Charly’s work with this cuvée. Over the past few years, Charly has been fine-tuning the vinification...
2023 Régnié “Grain & Granit” • Jean-Paul et Charly Thévenet 2023 Fleurie “Les Moriers” • Domaine Chignard 2023 Brouilly “Reverdon” • Château Thivin
Languedoc
The Other South of France
by Tom Wolf
I don’t know of anyone else making Languedoc reds like Maxime Magnon. His Saint Jacques pours and drinks like cru Beaujolais but with the flavors and essence of the French south. At once bright, earthy, and ambrosial, this is the stuff of Paris wine bar dreams...
2023 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses” • Château Fontanès 2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès” • Héritage du Pic Saint Loup 2023 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques” • Maxime Magnon
Southern Italian Whites
by Anthony Lynch
The exotic perfume of this white, made from the rare Minutolo grape, will take you straight to the sunny shores of Puglia, savoring a crisp aperitivo in an enchanting seaside village where worries and cares seem to drift right up into the clear blue sky...
2023 Terre Siciliane
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.