New & Noteworthy in 2018
April 18, 2018Hello, Stunning Spring! With warmer weather soon on the horizon, your Nantucket summer checklist begins. Ferry is booked, bikes are getting tuned up and your social calendar is filling in nicely. You are dying to know what’s happening on your little slice of paradise. Wait no longer… Advanced Sommelier Jenny Benzie has put together this quick list for you of a handful of NEW + NOTABLE items from Épernay Wine & Spirits that should be on your list to try for 2018.
Spring is a time when Mother Nature likes to tease us with a somewhat warm, yet sunny day, only to be followed by three days of chilly wet weather that reminds us too much of winter. This is a transitional drinking season where you really want to start enjoying crisp dry whites, but you like the comfort of a ligh
ter style red, similar to Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo, that will at least warm your heart as you long for warmer days to come.
DACU TEMPRANILLO is a fruity, easy-drinking red from the Ribera del Guadiana wine region located in southwestern Spain next to the Portuguese border. This 100% Tempranillo reveals a sense of place that is a completely different expression found in other regions of Spain, such as Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro. It offers fresh red berry aromatics, silky tannins and bright, fresh acidity on the finish. Limestone soils, organically grown vines and a kiss of aging in French oak make this an incredible value as a single vineyard wine offering and should be in your glass right now.
Perfect Pairing: A few slices of Manchego cheese with fig spread
Grapefruit. You see it everywhere these days. It is the clean scent found in your lathery dish soap or aromatic bath time candle. It is also a delightful addition to your sparking water or favorite local beer (more on that at another time…). And while we have heard of ruby red grapefruit rosé wine before, there was something missing from that whole equation. Until now that is.
MEET RAMONA, the Sicilian ruby grapefruit wine spritz that doesn’t need a glass, a bottle opener or an occasion to drink it! This refreshing delight in a can is all organic, all natural, gluten free and vegan. Originating from Sicily (which when you think about it, it is a lot like Nantucket – it’s part of a country, but no one says they are going to Italy when they are going to Sicily, right?!), this is the perfect drink for those who enjoy a spritzy aperitivo without having to purchase multiple ingredients that you will have left over or go flat in the meanwhile. No one wants a flat tire of a thirst-quenching beverage.
Perfect Pairing: Any traditional ‘beer’ moment when you want a fun wine instead! Wine in a can? Wine not!
When you think of summer, islands, beaches and beyond, there are several umbrella worthy drinks that come to mind. Who loves a great margarita, but doesn’t want to deal with the mess of making one? (Raise hand now.) Besides, you really like a nice cold beer when you are lounging in the warm sun anyway. Now you can have the best of both worlds, almost.
CAMBRIDGE BREWING COMPANY AGAVE NAGILA is a must try beer for any tequila lover. What?! How can that be?? This special Barrel Cellar beer is a strong Belgian blonde ale that aged for one year in tequila barrels with a wild yeast culture.Then they added Kosher salt and fresh lime zest – the Brew Crew zested 360 whole limes over the course of one looong day – before the beer was bottled and kegged. WOW!
Perfect Pairing: A slice of lime, just in case you don’t think they put enough in there.
Whether you are a Nantucket Island native or a recent wash-ashore (noun: a newcomer to an island community), neither can argue that you need a little bit of both in order to make life a little more interesting. Wash Ashore Beer Company is a representation of just that. Conceived and born on Martha’s Vineyard but currently brewed in Portland, Maine, they are dedicated to producing delicious, organic beer that embodies the experience of island living!
WASH ASHORE BUDDHA PALE ALE is where it’s at with pale ales these days – super flavorful, hop forward, delicately soft balance. It is made from a blend of organic Citra, Simcoe and Nugget hops. Notes of passionfruit, grapefruit and candied orange peel are followed on the palate with a lingering finish of fresh citrus and just a touch of bitterness that brings you right back for another sip!
Perfect Pairing: A bag of Cape Cod Chips 😉
What this means for you is that no matter what your drink of choice (beer, wine or liquor), there is something new and exciting in the store for you to try on your next visit!
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