We have received in some new quaffs in the way of "not yer usual stuff." A totally unoaked Chardonnay from the Loire being one of them. I started playing with it yesterday. Extremely pleasant fruit, creamy, and loaded with minerality. I hope it held up in the fridge last night but at under $12, expectations are not unreasonably high.

 

There is also a nonvintage Italian red that works great as a pizza wine. There are real earthy overtones though, and when that happens, I like to double up on the mushrooms.

 

The one that really turned my crank was a white Grenache Blanc predominant blend from Languedoc... made by a former winemaker at Lafite. I went nuts over it, but Georgiann was not as thrilled. These things happen.

 

Yesterday we did a semi-rearrangement of the shop, opened up a warmer inviting experience when first walking in, and it allowed us to increase our $12 and under rack to a broader ranged $15 and under rack. These are really great buys and wonderful selections. They are also the price range where we find the most amount of hidden treasures. We like probing the backs of warehouses, peaking under the forklifts to see what someone else missed.

 

Throughout the weekend I will be springing these little surprises on people who walk in.