Newsletter - Tacoma Wine Merchants

September 2021

Greetings, wine lovers and welcome to (mid) September! It’s been a bit crazy lately, and we apologize for getting this newsletter out a bit later (actually alot later) than anticipated! But, here we are… for those of us with kids, school has resumed, and let’s all hope it’s less interrupted than last year! This newsletter is chock-full of ways to connect with our wine community, so we are going to get right to it!

But first, our apologies for the Riedel glassware tasting being postponed due to the Delta variant. There is an online version of this event, but having participated in it myself (Rob), I can attest to the benefit of being in-person. It is an event that requires active listening and prompt attention to the host, as it is specifically guided in their format that best suits the glassware and presentation. It would be too easy to get behind if you weren’t paying attention, and then the message would be lost. So, we’ll wait until the Covid numbers go down a bit and we’ll have a great time in person with the Riedel company! And, you get to keep the Riedel glassware. It’s an awesome time.

TWM is hosting a Classic Wines of Europe tasting on Saturday, September 25th at 4:00pm. This tasting will have an option for in person (for a small number of participants) and virtual. Details and sign up will be coming this week. If you can’t wait for the details, just email cheers@tacomawinemerchants.com and we will put your name(s) down.

After lengthy discussions with a few persistent patrons, we are going to be hosting our first ever trivia night on Tuesday, September 28th at 6:00pm. This event will be limited to 16 participants, so please sign up early at cheers@tacomawinemerchants.com. $10 will reserve you a seat and a welcome glass of wine. This promises to be a very fun evening and there will be prizes for both the highest and the lowest scorers.

And please make sure that Saturday, December 4th is on your calendar for TWM’s 4th Annual Champagne & Bubbles Tasting. This will be a terrific, and well-deserved event for us all.

Lastly, as the kids are resuming school, we at TWM thought we would go back to our ABC’s as well. Rob will be selecting one wine (grape or region or theme) every two weeks that takes us deeper into the wine world, but we’re going alphabetically. One bottle of wine, beginning at A and every two weeks until we reach Z. It will be very educational, fun, and, perhaps, challenging! All wines will be discounted for participants but it will be limited to 24 registrations (i.e., a couple who signs up for one bottle A to Z would count as one, because we assume they would share the bottle; but hey, maybe they wouldn’t!). This starts October 1st, so please email rob@tacomawinemerchants.com to sign up. We will also have a private party for those who complete this challenge, as well as some fun rewards along the way. We can’t wait to begin! Join us on this journey.

Lastly, an update….TWM’s new location is slow going due to supply chain delays. We just recieved a ship date for our new equipment, so despite the frustrating delays, at least we can plan better. We are so excited to add a second location in Old Town, with an opening in early November🤞! Stay tuned for some welcome events.

Please enjoy perusing the new wines below that we are excited about….We look forward to seeing you in the shop, at the wine bar, or at a tasting event (either live or on zoom) soon. Cheers!

Rob and Kelly 🥂

Newsletter Archives

August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020

Sorelle Bronca Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry NV ($25)

This favorite prosecco is finally back on our shelves! “Wonderfully balanced and full of character, the NV Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry displays a bouquet of crushed yellow apples with savory herbs and white smoke. It’s smooth in texture and gently sweet, blending ripe orchard fruits and spices with notes of candied ginger. This cleans up remarkably well, becoming dry and almost savory in character; yet above all else, it’s refreshing.” – Vinous, 91 pts

Mylonas Assyrtiko Attica 2020 ($17)

100% Assyrtiko from Greek winery, Mylonas. This beautiful and complex white wine showcases aromas of citrus and lime and white spring flowers. Full-bodied and lively on the palate, embellished by fruity and herbaceous aromas along with strong mineral notes. We are pouring this by the glass this week, come give it a try!

Domaine Turenne “Cuvee Antoine” 2020 ($17)

The new vintage just arrived of this mineral, refreshing and versatile white from Provence is just as delicious as the popular 2019 that we quickly ran out of. 50% Vermentino, 50% Petite Clairette du Var. We poured this by the glass last week!

Brana Herri Mina Irouléguy Blanc 2019 ($38)

Deep in an area renowned for its independent and strong ancestral culture, the Basque Country is in the southwestern-most part of France, just half an hour from Spain. Here, Irouléguy received its appellation contrôlée in 1970, with about 250 acres of vineyards cultivated by 60 growers. Jean-Claude Berrouet is an Irouléguy native who left home to serve for more than three decades as the winemaker at Château Pétrus. But the Basque region has a powerful pull, and Jean-Claude eventually returned home to his native soil. Appropriately, he named his estate “Herri Mina”; in Basque, herri means “country,” and mina means “homesick.” Jean-Claude makes this splendid white blend of Gros Manseng, Petit Corbu and Petit Manseng. The vines are planted on the somewhat-steep south-facing slopes of the Pyrénées, no higher than 400 feet above sea level, to enjoy the climatic influence of the Atlantic. They are protected from cold north wind and receive more sunshine than most other French vineyard regions. Delicious, crisp white wine that would be a perfect pairing wine with a huge array of different fresh cuisine. Limited.

In small quantities, Jean-Claude also produces a character-driven red wine from 100% Cabernet Franc, Brana Herri Mina Irouléguy Rouge 2018. Delicious and also quite limited.

Poggio del Moro Nu Chianti DOCG 2019 ($20)

In the American slang NU is used to replace the adjective “new”, NEW. In French, NU means NUDE. In Scandinavian languages NU is used to say NOW. In Russian, NU simply becomes GOOD…These words are the compass that guided Poggio del Moro’s new project which is called Chianti NU. The young essence of Sangiovese: short maceration with daily delestage, 100% oak-free to maintain the purity of the fruit. A NEW wine that embodies the great quality of a handmade farm product, made “by hand” in the true sense of the word and from A to Z. But, at the same time, a wine that does not need special ceremonies or long waits in the cellar. A wine to be fully enjoyed NOW, a wine that simply makes us feel GOOD!

Gagliole Colli Della Toscana Centrale I.G.T. 2015 ($45)

This richly rewarding red wine contains Sangiovese (98%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (2%) grapes. After pressing, it was aged for 16 months in barriques of french oak wood. Thereafter, the wine was bottled and refined for further 6 months before putting it on the market. Gagliole is well structured and balanced with dense, sweet tannins. No matter who we have shared this with, they all are impressed with what a beautiful wine it is, and, though it’s not an inexpensive bottle, it delivers wine well above its price point. Critics have highly prized this instant TWM favorite. Salute!

Sebastien David Hurluberlu Cabernet Franc 2020 ($20)

Working with the ancient techniques that have been passed down, Sebastien David has been producing stunning Cabernet Franc wines since 1999. Working with whole clusters, David ferments with wild yeasts, employing carbonic maceration for 25 days, followed by a light pressing to preserve the fruit’s characteristics. The wines are then bottled without filtration or fining, and virtually no sulfur is added. Wow, this is a CRUSHABLE Cab Franc. Biodynamic.

Rasa Occam’s Razor Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($25)

From Rasa Vineyards, crafters of some of Washingtons finest wines, comes the new addition to the Occam’s Razor line up. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley, this is an absurd value for WA State Cab, crafted in Bordeaux fashion— lighter in alcohol and less extracted fruit. Beautifully balanced. This will not take long to sell out and leave us all wishing for more.

We have also received some incredible collector items recently, including Chateau Latour 2009, several Didier Dagueneau, several different Vincent Dauvissat Chablis, Ornellaia in OWC with artist series label, Roulot, DRC, and several others. Please contact rob@tacomawinemerchants for questions or assistance on these or any other wines you are trying to collect.

Thanks for reading to the end! Cheers and we hope to see you soon!🍷