Spring Wine Club Shipment
Off the Beaten Pour
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Off the Beaten Pour |
Wine isn’t always about safe choices and familiar labels. This shipment takes the long way around. To be honest, some of these are wines I discovered rather than selected. Maybe they selected me.
Ugni Blanc? Moschofilero? Falanghina? Yep!
These bottles come from tiny corners of the Central Coast, others from winemakers who clearly didn’t get the memo about Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay being safe bets. That’s kind of the point. This club has always been about curiosity - opening something new, pouring a glass, and asking, “Why haven’t I had this before?”
But between you and me, I didn’t really realize how crazy this line-up was until I assembled it all on the kitchen counter, scratched my head, and said – yep, this is crazy good.
Ugni Blanc - Paix Sur Terre 2025
Because oysters exist.
Ugni Blanc is crisp, salty, and basically begging to be opened somewhere between the Jolly Oyster in Ventura and Hogs Island, San Francisco. Preferably on the tailgate of a truck parked near the water. Jack Johnson on the radio.
You don’t need fancy glassware, just a shucker, a squeeze of lemon, and someone willing to argue about whether mermaids exist. Trust me, they do.
Drink this because oysters exist. Mermaids do too. And honestly… that’s reason enough.
Clairette Blanche - Absolution Cellars 2024 Martian Ranch
Mother’s Day Brunch
Not the crowded reservation kind of brunch at the hip bistro. The backyard patio table kind. A playlist that started as Stan Getz and turned into Amy Winehouse. The sun’s warm but not hot, and nobody’s looking at their phone.
This Clairette Blanche was made for mornings like this - bright but soft, thoughtful, it doesn’t steal the spotlight, it just makes everyone else look better. It earns its place alongside the Quiche Lorraine, crabcakes, and mussels.
Gamay - Blackwood Wines 2023
Memorial Day BBQ
Memorial Day means burgers and dogs on the grill, baseball on the radio, and that unmistakable feeling that summer has arrived. Before the first pitch and before the grill is lit, we take a moment to remember those who gave their lives in service to America. Their sacrifice is the reason days like this exist at all, the reason we are free. And for those who have gone ahead, we raise a glass to Fiddler’s Green.
This Gamay shows up ready for the backyard. Give it twenty minutes in the cooler. It plays well with smoky grills, pool parties, and the kind of conversations that extend from the seventh-inning stretch well into golden hour and beyond.
Open this when the grill’s hot, the flag’s flying, and the simple things in life feel exactly right.
Loner - A Trip to the Moon 2023
For the Duck Lover
My brother-in-law Jared would probably shake his head at this one. He’s the same guy who’s up before sunrise during duck season, waders on, coffee strong, watching the sky instead of a clock. He calls you partner when he’s ready for a fight… or better yet, when you should probably think about backing down from one.
And then there’s our good friend Gilmer, a great man with a life well lived, who once shipped us a box of ducks for a Christmas gumbo… buckshot and all.
In this family, duck hunting isn’t a hobby, it’s just part of the rhythm. Why else would you own a retriever?
Pinot. The classic pairing with duck. This is the Pinot you were looking for. The one that even the tough guys admit belongs at the table next to their tall tales.
William Robert Wines - Petite Sirah 2019
Pour a Glass for Dad
Father’s Day calls for something bold - steaks hitting the grill in the afternoon, smoke and salt and pepper in the air. Petite Sirah isn’t here for light fare. Big tannins, dark fruit, and oak demand food with equal weight - ribeye, Santa Maria tri-tip, spicy barbecue, or anything that spent real time over fire or in the smoker.
My father worked construction. His hands were calloused but gentle, like this wine. This is the bottle you open when the fire burns steady and the grill marks are perfect and the laughter is loud.
Lyons Vineyard – Mourvèdre 2023
Easter Wine
Mourvèdre has always been the forgotten grape, or so says Ryan Pease. Quiet, steady, and a little dusty around the edges…
Sam Elliott in a bottle. The kind of wine that doesn’t chase attention but somehow ends up being exactly what was needed. Like Miguel Rojas stepping up in the ninth inning of Game 7. Not flashy, just clutch.
Easter lamb belongs with something earthy and authentic. Not fancy. Not dainty. Think a kitchen filled with smoke and herbs, a few empty bottles before noon, slow-roasted lamb, and an oven that’s been going since morning. The kind of meal where everyone shows up hungry, the stories get louder with every pour, and nobody worries whether the glasses match or if they are even polished.
If this is your Easter, both sacred and wild, then this is your wine.
Barieau – Albariño 2023
Fourth of July Wine
Tom Petty songs are playing while kids ride by on bikes with streamers flying from the handlebars, sparklers already lit long before the sun goes down. Cannonballs hit the pool, Joey Chestnut claims another victory, the ice chest stays open, and someone’s squeezing lime over a bowl of fresh ceviche.
Albariño was made for this - bright, salty, and determined to wake up ceviche, fresh fish, or a platter of chilled shrimp pulled straight from the cooler. It’s the glass you pour before the fireworks, before the burgers, before anyone realizes they’ve already been outside for hours and forgot to reapply sunscreen.
Open this when the music feels right, the sparklers leave little trails in the air, and the day still stretches wide in front of you. Don’t back down…
Boutz Cellars – Moschofilero 2024
Save for the Summer Solstice
I traveled to Greece back when there was no internet, no cell phones - just my green canvas duffle bag, a ferry schedule that was almost always wrong, and a country where ancient history seemed to show up every third step I took. You can’t die happy unless you’ve been to Greece. It is truly a magical place.
I remember wandering into a little restaurant on the island of Naxos where no one spoke English, and I could barely order a beer in Greek. I ordered chicken. They delivered an entire roast bird and enough potatoes and salad for at least four people. I looked at the waiter and said, “Thank goodness I didn’t order the goat.”
Now you know why, despite my best efforts, I can’t pronounce the name of this wine. I can tell you it’s delicious - especially with calamari. Bright, aromatic, and made for warm afternoons and golden seafood.
Open this on the Summer Solstice. It seems appropriate.
Deaux Seraux - Falanghina 2023
Adventure in a Bottle
The best anchovies I’ve ever had were in Majorca. A plate showed up for a table of eight, bright, salty, glistening in olive oil. One by one everyone politely declined. Too fishy. Too intense. Too unfamiliar. So I did what any reasonable person would do… I ate everyone’s fish.
That’s the spirit of Falanghina. Bold enough to lean into salty flavors, bright enough to keep you coming back for another bite. Think anchovies on warm bread, olives, citrus, and a table that slowly realizes you’re crazy for eating a school of fish. Some wines ask for safe choices. This one rewards the curious.
But if you’re not feeling adventurous, that’s okay - this wine is its own adventure. We paired it with sausage and peppers pizza the other week and it was amazing. Sometimes the simplest nights end up being the best nights of the week.