One characteristic that each of these wines shares is their refreshing acidity that qualifies each as a “summer sipper.” Summer is the season for light-bodied, fresh, clean wines with lots of energy to give us a little kick as the dog days of summer lull us into lethargy. They pair beautifully with the lighter, fresh fare coming out of our gardens or from the Farmers’ Market or CSA.

Broadbent, Portugal, Vinho Verde, NV
Technically a non-vintage wine because they should be consumed within the current vintage so including the vintage is unnecessary. We prefer the Broadbent because Bartholomew Broadbent, importer, insists that the wine be shipped via refrigerated containers to preserve its freshness. A blend of indigenous white varietals picked before they are fully ripe, the wine brings to mind fresh, tart lemonade that is made even more refreshing by adding a gentle spritz.

At only 9.5% alcohol, the Broadbent Vinho Verde is perfect for picnics or summer brunches; serve well-chilled. Because of the low alcohol, Vinho Verde is a great selection for the late afternoon or early evening when it is still hot and you want something refreshing. It makes a great aperitif, but can be served with salads, crudités or briny oysters. If you serve cheese, this would be best with goat cheeses to accent their tanginess. It is likely to be overwhelmed by creamier cheeses and richer foods, though Vinho Verde’s low-alcohol and high acidity would work very nicely with fried foods like fish and chips.

Hugues Beaulieu, Coteaux du Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet, 2009, $11.99
Another refreshing white wine for summer from the unlikely AOC of Coteaux du Languedoc, unlikely because this AOC is all about big red wines, but for the little oasis of Picpoul with its limestone soils. Flavors of grapefruit and green apples with a clean, briny finish make Picpoul the summer wine of the Languedoc where daytime temperatures often hit 32-35 degree Celsius (90+ Fahrenheit). Picpoul translates literally to something like “lip stinger” for the bracing acidity for which it is known.

Like the Loire’s Muscadet, the acidity and brininess of Picpoul make it an easy partner with briney shellfish like oysters or clams. It also accompanies anchovies quite nicely, and therefore makes a good pairing with either Ceasar Salad or pissaladiere. It would also work well with sole or other flakey, white fish. It’s terrific, however, on its own as a palate awakener after a long day in the sun.

Domaine Carrel, Savoie, Jongieux, 2009, $9.99
TRY THIS WINE! Tucked up against the Alps, the Savoie region produces a small amount of wine, 70% of which is white and 100% is delicious. It’s certainly some trope of mental association, but the words that kept coming up to describe this wine were things like “mountain wildflower,” “wet stone minerality,” “Alpine cool air”- you get the idea. Made from the Jacquere grape, this wine conjures images of the place from which it derives with its clean, fresh, ethereal aromas and flavors. I actually wrote additional descriptors like Meyer Lemon, fruit blossoms and spearmint, but the most descriptive word I wrote for it was simply “yum!

This wine, the Carrel Jongieux, has earned its stripes as the summer house wine, along with the Peyrassol Rosé, at Chez Ramsburg-Larkin. It is so refreshing and so delicious that we enjoy a glass on its own while sitting together in the evening watching the “show” in the meadow across the dirt road. Myriad types of birds, a deer or three or four, and our “chats lunatiques” keep us entertained while reminding us constantly that “life is good.” The Jongieux just fits; it conveys the same message.

Domaine Baron, Les Vieilles Vignes, Touraine, 2009, $10.99
100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire- if you love Loire Sauvignon Blancs, this is the wine for you. I happen to be among those who prefer their Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire- dry straw, terragon and vaguely minty aromas with citrusy fruits. Until we discovered this wine, however, the Loire would set you back at least $15 for a Touraine, and $20-$30 for a Sancerre. We were thrilled to find this small production, under-the-radar producer using grapes from older vines (vielles vignes), thus concentrating flavors to make a more intense wine.

There is a classic Loire-”greenness” to this wine-lime zest, fresh peas, spearmint. If you are making pea soup with mint, this wine is the perfect complement. Loire Sauvignon Blancs are typically paired with goat cheeses. It would work well with shrimp, a spring/early summer risotto of asparagus and lemon or peas and mint, sushi or falafal. This is a terrific value Loire Sauvignon Blanc that I plan to share with all those who love Loire Sauvignon Blanc but can’t afford to drink it as often as they otherwise would.

Commanderie de Peyrassol, Cotes du Provence, Rosé, 2009, $17.99

Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre  As always, our “go-to” summer rosé- light-bodied, dry, minerally, floral, a bit more fruit this year than last, strawberry, peach and nectarine. 

This has been the quintessential summer sipper at Chez Ramsburg-Larkin for years. We fell in love with Provencal rosés having spent a summer holiday in Provence with dear friends who disabused us of our “American” perception that rosé meant white zinfandel. The Cotes de Provence appellation de controllée (AOC) is the heart of French rosé. Located in the eastern part of Provence, Cotes de Provence winemakers typically blend much larger portions of Cinsualt and Mourvedre into their rosés than their Languedocian neighbors. The result is greater floral (Lavender), fresh herbs (herbes de Provence) and mineral aromas and flavors. They also allow less contact with the skins , which yields an elegant, light salmon-colored wine.

Were you in eastern Provence from spring to mid-fall, you would see the outdoor seating areas of bistros filled with people sipping wine the color of this Peyrassol. When we sip our Peyrassol Rosé, we are transported back to Provence, to meals light meals of Caprese salads, pissaladiere and bowls of Nicoise olives with herbes de Provence. At home in Green River, we have come to associate Peyrassol with summer in Vermont, with the gift of having good friends nearby with whom to create and share fond memories, often over good food and good wine. As you introduce your friends to dry, minerally rosé, enjoy it while casually grazing on olives, crostini with fresh pesto-either basil or cilantro, goat cheese marinated in fresh thyme and rosemary, and roasted vegetables served with aioli.

Domaine Gilbert Picq et Fils, Chablis, 2007

Pink grapefruit, pineapple syrup, and oyster shells on the nose, then sweet and surprisingly creamy in the mouth, with a concentrated lemony flavor that avoids any impression of hardness. A very ripe wine from a crop that was sharply reduced by hail. For all its richness, this soil-driven wine fnishes with excellent grip and length. 90-Tanzer

From vineyards around the town of Chichee, Picq’s generic 2007 Chablis smells of pear, freesia, almond, and shrimp shell reduction. Corresponding flavors mingle with refreshing grapefruit on a velvet-textured palate. Bitter hints of black currant skin and citrus pips are subtly integrated into a long, lively, buoyant, infectiously juicy finish whose complex interplay of citrus, floral, and mineral elements is rare for a basic Appellation Chablis.

The wines of Picq represent some of the most amazing values in Chablis, not only on account of the reasonable prices asked for their two premier crus, but for the frequently premier cru quality exhibited by their trio of village wines, a quality that is nothing short of astonishing in 2007. (And the components for 2008 were exciting too, early on.)  90-Parker N.B.-massive hail storms throughout Chablis devastated crops for 2007, leading to considerably lower yields.

Those paragraphs above are the verbatim reviews of Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar and Robert Parker, Wine Advocate. What the above does not tell you is that Chablis is Chardonnay. At the village level, as opposed to the Premier Cru level, the wines are generally unoaked, aged only in stainless steel or completely neutral barrels. The soils of Chablis are characterized by large amounts of silex, or flint over a clay and limestone base. The silica represent the decomposition of oceanic fossils and contribute a minerality to the wines produced here.

I have enjoyed this wine several times, and my less-sophisticated palate picks up pear and melon (honeydew), orange peel and salinity.  Chablis is a great way to persuade the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay) that all Chardonnay is not a butter-bomb. There is certainly greater body here than in the Vinho Verde, Jongeuix or Picpoul, and for that reason, this wine is more likely to accompany your main meal, whether grilled salmon or Lemon-Tarregon Chicken. It could also accompany a roast pork. For vegetarians, try this beautiful Chablis with omelettes with fresh herbs or perhaps a nice, chilled Vichyssoise-or both!

We have recently updated our list of wine producers who grow their grapes organically, sustainably and/or biodynamically. All of the wines listed here (greenwines) are either in stock or available for order at Windham Wines. Come by the shop to browse our selection of wines produced through sustainable practices. Organic wines are labelled with a green sticker, biodynamic with a blue sticker and sustainable with a yellow sticker.

Broadbent, Portugal, Vinho Verde, NV
Technically a non-vintage wine because they should be consumed within the current vintage so including the vintage is unnecessary. We prefer the Broadbent because Bartholomew Broadbent, importer, insists that the wine be shipped via refrigerated containers to preserve its freshness. A blend of indigenous white varietals picked before they are fully ripe, the wine brings to mind fresh, tart lemonade that is made even more refreshing by adding a gentle spritz. At only 9.5% alcohol, the Broadbent Vinho Verde is perfect for picnics or summer brunches; serve well-chilled.

Hugues Beaulieu, Coteaux du Languedoc, Picpoul de Pinet, 2009, $11.99
Another refreshing white wine for summer from the unlikely AOC of Coteaux du Languedoc, unlikely because this AOC is all about big red wines, but for the little oasis of Picpoul with its limestone soils. Flavors of grapefruit and green apples with a clean, briney finish. If you are having fish, especially something like oysters, try this wine. If not, enjoy it in the early evening as a palate awakener.

Domaine Carrell, Savoie, Jongieux, 2009, $9.99
TRY THIS WINE! Tucked up against the Alps, the Savoie region produces a small amount of wine, 70% of which is white and 100% is delicious. It’s certainly some trope of mental association, but the words that kept coming up to describe this wine were things like “mountain wildflower,” “wet stone minerality,” “Alpine cool air”– you get the idea. Made from the Jacquere grape, this wine conjures images of the place from which it derives with its clean, fresh, ethereal aromas and flavors. I actually wrote additional descriptors like Meyer Lemon, fruit blossoms and spearmint, but the most descriptive word I wrote for it was simply “yum!”

Domaine Baron, Les Vieilles Vignes, Touraine, 2009, $10.99
100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire– if you love Loire Sauvignon Blancs, this is the wine for you. I happen to be among those who prefer their Sauvignon Blancs from the Loire– dry straw, terragon and vaguely minty aromas with citrusy fruits. If you are making pea soup with mint, this wine is the perfect complement. This is a terrific value Loire Sauvignon Blanc that I plan to share with all those who love Loire Sauvignon Blanc but can’t afford to drink it as often as they otherwise would.

Domaine Lafage, Cote d’Est, 2008, $10.99
A proprietary blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Grenache Gris and Chardonnay. A friend brought this wine to us a few months ago to share what he claimed was one of the best-value, interesting whites on the market. We tried it and agreed; thanks, Alex! There is a lot here for the price, and for those of you who enjoy a fuller-bodied but still refreshing white, this wine is for you. As a preview, we were able to buy this wine on sale and it will be arriving in early June for just $9.99 per bottle; in a case, that becomes $8.99. Because we are a small shop with cash flow limitations, we bought only 5 cases at the June price, 2 of which are already reserved. If the review piques your interest, you might come in to get a bottle and try it to know whether you want to reserve some of June’s allocation. The review in the Wine Advocate says it better than I can, so I’ve reproduced it below.

Lafage’s 2008 Cote Est (note the slightly different spelling of the name from previous years ) comes from Chardonnay, Marsanne, and old Grenache Blanc vines on cobbled soils near the coast, blended with the fruit of centenarian Grenache Gris vines on Pyrenean schist. The wine is aged in tank on its fine lees and the result is not only irresistibly delicious but truly complex. Orange and lime zest, white pepper, narcissus, fennel, and mint in the nose lead to a juicy, bright palate with musky floral perfume and a shimmering interchange of citrus with wet stone, salt, iodine, and other ineffable mineral elements. This will fascinate and refresh in equal measure as well as fiendishly insinuate itself into your culinary regimen over the next 9-12 months, and could also be held a bit longer without fear.

 This is our “top-of-the-line” rosé we get in exceedingly small allocations each year. This year, we received only one case, but that is more than we were able to secure in 2008. The Cassis AOC is located between Marseilles and Bandol, a small AOC (only 490 acres) specializing in white wines made primarily of Marsanne and Clairette. Domaine de Bagnol is one of only 12 domaines in the AOC, with 15 acres planted from which they make small quantities of the white and rosé.
This rosé, a blend of Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache, is an elegant expression of wild strawberries, cranberries, and a provocative minerality that finishes bone-dry. It would go beautifully with grilled veg, but there is so little of it that Frank and I will be lucky to reserve one bottle and enjoy every drop of it on its own as we sit outside and share it with our very dear neighbors.
 
Mulderbosch, Stellenbosch, Rosé, 2009
100% Cabernet Sauvignon   A South African rosé that we think of as a red-wine drinker’s rosé-full-bodied, with flavors of cherry and mint. This can pair up with those red meats coming off the grill.

  Please make a reservation to help us provide
 a more satisfying tasting for you. Call us at (802) 246-6400
or email us at info@wwines.com.

Saturday, May 8th, 4:00
New Zealand Wines, with David Humphrey, CSW, Farrell Distributing
Whites and Reds from Marlborough
Tasting fee, $15 plus tax

Friday, May 14th, 6:00
Italian Wines from Domaine Select
Frappeto, Tocai, Petite Arvine, Lacrimo di Morro– indigenous varietals, terrific wines.
Join us for a Friday evening tasting in the Wine Gallery for a tasting led by
Domaine Select’s dynamic rep, Daniel Burgio.  Light meal by
Terri Ziter to accompany.
Tasting fee, $50 and reservations by May 11th

Friday, May 21st, 6:00
Affordable Argentinian Wines with Phillip Garrison
* * Friday evening tasting replaces our 4th Saturday tasting this week * *
Phillip Garrison, of Cana Imports, will hold forth at the Wine Gallery, sharing
with us his Torrontes, Sauvignon Blanc, 3 Malbecs and a Syrah.
Light food to accompany.
Tasting fee, $30, plus tax

Saturday, June 12th, 5:00
Lisa Vino of Winebow
In an interesting coincidence, Lisa will be presenting wines from
Argentina and Italy, a sort of hybrid of the previous two
tastings. Lively whites and lush, rich reds.
Tasting fee, tba

Save the Date!
Wine Tasting to benefit the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont
Friday, June 18th, 6:00
Paul Doble, Grape Moments

We always look forward to summer in Vermont, though this year, as downtown retailers, we are trepidatious. As you may have read in last week’s Reformer, there is major roadwork planned for Route 5 this summer, including repaving from Exit 1 to the Dummerston town line. While we welcome improvements to the road and particularly to Malfunction Junction, our location already is challenging. We want to make it easy for you to shop with us. Please don’t hesitate to call us with orders that we are happy to put together for you. Until construction interrupts us, we can meet you outside the shop and load your order into your car (our wine valet service).  We are working on a delivery option once construction begins.

Finally, you’ll note that the tasting calendar below has a gap in it. There will not be a 4th Saturday tasting in April. Frank and I will be away, but we will be back in early May and will resume the tastings then with some Friday variations. In addition, for the weeks of April 19th and 26th, the wine shop will be open only Thursday-Saturday. Our normal days and hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 11:00-7:00 (8:00 on Fridays) resume the week of May 3rd.

Wasn’t that a glorious week we had? The snow melted, revealing the messiest spring lawn we’ve had to date, but wheelbarrow loads of sticks, pine cones and debris provided a great excuse to be outside. Crocuses are starting to poke through the gray-brown grass; daffodils and Forsythia won’t be far behind. Mud season is well underway. Here in Green River, we have the best road crew in the state– Dickie, Allen and company, wow! One minute we are dipping in and out of mud moguls, the next time we are on the road, it has recently been graded and new gravel laid where the moguls will inevitably reappear. We received our first batch of 2010 maple syrup. Spring has arrived in Vermont.

In the wine world, spring is also a time of cleaning up and rejuvenation. Vines are pruned, trellises repaired, and new vines planted. Biodynamically-farmed vineyards come to life after the spring equinox, the first day of spring when the hours of light are equal to the hours of darkness. The cow horn filled with dung and buried at the fall equinox is dug up and the contents, after “dynamization,” are spread on the vineyards’ soils.

From a retailer’s perspective, spring means lots of industry tastings featuring new releases of spring and summer wines. On Monday, we enjoyed our first preview of 2009 rosés. The new vintage of Picpoul arrives in the shop this week, with the new vintage of Vinho Verde not far behind. Signs of spring are everywhere!

-Marty Ramsburg

Above: people from left to right are Iacopo di Teodori, Tim and Alison Coleman, Bruno de Conciliis, Carole and Geof Gaddis, Albert Neher, Marty Ramsburg, Craig Wells.

This Saturday, March 6th, buy a case of wine and save the usual 10% (or 5% on 6-11 bottles), plus an additional 6% since you won’t be charged tax.  If you want to save a little more, pay cash. Everyday you save 1.5% when you pay cash; add that to the case savings and the tax holiday and this Saturday you can buy a case for 17.5% savings– now that is compelling!

If you cannot make it to the shop on Saturday, no problem. Call us with an order anytime between now and then (802.246.6400), leave us a credit card number, and we’ll charge your case or half case on Saturday, sans tax.

We have two new $99 cases to entice you as well. Unlike previous $99 cases that included some wines that were being discontinued and therefore were heavily discounted, these cases are comprised of wines we typically carry and usually sell for $9-$12 per bottle. These wines are, in our view, the best wines available to us at these price points. The red case consists of 12 different red wines while the white case includes 2 bottles each of 6 different white wines. Please call us if you would like to have one of these cases so that we can reserve it for you. Don’t forget about our “Drive-Through” service– give us a call to let us know you are on your way and we will meet you in front of the shop with your wine to save you any parking hassle.

Mas Igneus Barranc dels Closos, Negre, Priorat, 2006, $20.99
This is a serious mouthfull of wine, consistent with the rich, extracted character of many wines from Priorat, a region in NE Spain, just below Barcelona. The wines of Priorat are amazingly rich and powerful and, like the Mas Igneus, Negre, often comprised of Grenache and Carignan. The Mas Igneus was reviewed in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and given a score of 91. Here is the review: 
“Purple-colored, it offers up an expressive perfume of earth, slate, espresso, black cherry, blueberry, and licorice. This leads to a full-bodied wine with intense liquid mineral and black fruit flavors, outstanding depth, and enough ripe tannins to support an add’l 2-3 years of cellaring. It should be at its finest from 2011 to 2021.”