What We’re Drinking: An inside look at what Wessex Hundred team members are imbibing

Vice President of Marketing, Michael Kimball, is drinking…

BEAUJOLAIS

“Gamay allll the Beaujolais!!! I’m currently obsessing about Cru Beaujolais. Beaujolais (100% Gamay) in general gets an unfair rap here in the US, primarily because of Nouveau that comes out around Thanksgiving and tends to be super fruity and pretty basic (nothing wrong with that IMO), but Cru Beaujolais are serious, complex, beautiful wines that way over deliver for the price, seemingly every time I pick up a bottle. If you’re into reds with acidity and soft tannins, this region is for you! I feel like I’ve had two or three wines from this region lately where if you told me they were $50+ a bottle I wouldn’t have been mad, but I’m certainly glad they were in the $18-22 range. Typically these wines are light to medium bodied with bright acidity and, depending on the Cru, display an array of red fruits, floral notes, and subtle earth tones. If I had to pick, my favorite Cru right now is Brouilly. If you’re interested in chatting more about Gamay, Cru Beaujolais, or anything wine related please feel free to email me at [email protected] or message me on Instagram at @mkimball15. Cheers!”

Wine Club Manager, Calvin Howe is drinking…

CHARDONNAY

“Over the holidays I had a chance to meet up with Joseph from the tasting room and as he shared some fantastic wine with me. He brought a beautiful Central Coast Chardonnay made by Sandhi, a unique winery that really focuses on terroir driven Chardonnay and it shows. They really let the grapes express themselves, and despite seeing some oak there isn’t the ever looming presence of new french oak. The neutral oak they employed provided a fantastic note of cream that undercut the fresh ripe flavors of apples, lemon, and even melon, making a truly stunning glass of wine (or two) to enjoy. With all great glasses of wine, I think they deserve to be enjoyed with food, and I love the challenge of making a meal worthy of the wine. For this, I attempted to channel The Food Network and made a really awesome tarragon mustard chicken. Getting together with Joseph is always something I look forward to, because I know it’s time to open up the the big league bottles, make a cool dish, and talk trash about our various opinions on celebrity chefs. I would recommend to any wine lover that they try this wine, because it really is worth the spotlight. If you want to talk California wine, quiz me on some random wine facts, or swap recipes (please do this) just reach out to me at [email protected] or catch up with me on Instagram at @findinghobbes. Cheers!”

Assistant Vice President of Direct Wine Sales, Kenny Bumbaco, is drinking…

GEWURTZTRAMINER

“Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of trying my first Grand Cru wine from Alsace. Alsace is located in northeastern France right along the German border. In fact, prior to the end of World War I, Alsace and neighboring Lorraine were part of Germany. This region mostly grows white wine grapes (90% of plantings) and is known for its full-bodied dry Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris. The wine I tried was the Loberger Gewurztraminer Spiegel 2015. Wow! What an intense wine! This was slightly golden in color. It had gorgeous aromas of orange blossom, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and rose petals. There was a gingersnap note on the finish that lasted several minutes. In some ways, it reminded me of an orange wine with its weight and aromas. After sipping on this wine, I’m looking forward to trying another bottle with some curry. I was able to get this rare wine from their U.S. importer, Palladion Signature Import, and we actually carry it at the Cafe Provencal. E-mail me with your experiences with Alsatian wines or suggestions on what to try next at [email protected]. Cheers!