One-Liter Bottles
The More the Merrier
by Dustin Soiseth
Sometimes you just need a bit more wine. Maybe you’re enjoying a particularly leisurely meal or a few extra guests at the table, or maybe the cook wants a cup for the pot (or a glass for themselves!). If a standard bottle simply won’t cut it, these two easygoing wines, both in liter bottles, have you covered.
2021 Edelzwicker
France | Alsace
The Edelzwicker, which translates to “noble blend,” is sort of a wine free-for-all. It can be a blend of any of the officially permitted Alsatian white varieties, in any proportion. Producers with a little bit of this, that, and the other blend them into a fresh table white for everyday enjoyment. Meyer-Fonné’s 2021 has a floral, perfumed nose—perhaps from a splash of Muscat?—and a soft mid-palate with green apple and pear—surely a sign of Pinot Blanc in there. The finish is slightly spicy—maybe Gewurztraminer?—with crisp acidity and a hint of nuttiness—that’s definitely the Riesling talking. You can look up the exact blend on our website if you’re curious, but sometimes not knowing is more fun. What can you taste?
2021 Vino Rosato “Passatella” 1 Liter
Italy | Molise
Giulio and Margarita Steiger are true believers in the potential of Molise, Italy’s second-smallest region. Giulio is a native of the area, and in 2014 he and Margarita moved from Paris to the comune of Casacalenda, building their winery from scratch and planting twelve hectares of vineyards—now certified organic—to the region’s traditional red varieties. Their rosé has a sun-baked quality, with dusty red fruit, a fair bit of grip, and a distinct herbal note. Mostly Montepulciano with dashes of Aglianico and Tintilia, this is a meal-time rosé for slaking thirst and washing down a brimming bowl of herby cicerchie (pea soup) or a savory hunk of caciocavallo, a traditional cheese from the Apennine Mountains. Invite some friends over for a spirited game of passatella, a centuries-old card game still played in Molise. After all, the more the merrier!
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