Tasting within a category There are over 7500 wines from which we must choose to fill the only 500 (ish) options that occupy our shelves. While some of those are the same wine in different sizes, realistically there are at least 5500 possibilities. We can't taste them all. We can't even bring in all of…
Our byline invites you to “shop locally, taste globally.” That is easier now to do than ever. Our distributors are working with more importers from more countries, bringing in wines made from grapes of which we’ve not heard, from regions for which we consult maps. Windham Wines now offers wines from 17 different countries. Within the US, we carry wines from 9 different states. The tasting team was active over 2023, and what a year of discovery it was for us.
We are nearly at the end of another year. When we review the year, it is through our memory and, as Robert Burns reminds us, those memories are made within relationships– deaths, births, celebrations (weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, retirement) jobs, moves, trips, dinners, catastrophes. It is especially during the difficult times that our friendship and family connections are so very essential. I am grateful for my “trusty friends” who are always willing to offer me a hand and a “cup of kindness.” I hope my hand has been extended as steadfastly when they have needed it. When we get to be of a certain age, “auld land syne” extends back impressively and, if we are really fortunate, we are still connected to some of those “auld acquaintance.”
Sparkling Iapetus Figure 2, Petillant Natural (14.5%) Vermont $36 Iapetus is a branch of Shelburne Vineyards that takes a more minimalist approach to winemaking. Developed by Shelburne Vineyard's winemaker, Ethan Joseph, Iapetus wines are meant to capture the essence of place. Iapetus refers to the pre-Pangean sea that once covered the bedrock of the Champlain…