New Cheeses!!! Tobasi, Ewephoria, Red White & Blue

Tobasi $7

Raw cows milk cheese from cricket creek farm in Williamstown MA. Cricket creek farm is a farmstead creamery in western MA. Their herd of jersey cattle is entirely grassfed. Tobasi is molded after taleggio an italian washed rind cheese. It is a washed rind cheese with a bright orange exterior and a soft creamy interior. Funky smelling but rather mild on the palate with strong mushroom notes.  

Ewephoria $8

Pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese from the friesland region of the netherlands. Made in the style of gouda this cheese has ‘washed curds’ it is then soaked in brine, wrapped in wax and aged for one year. The result is a sheep’s milk cheese with less tang and sweet butterscotch notes.

Red White, & Blue $7

Raw cows milk cheese from plymouth artisan creamery in plymouth notch vermont. Modeled after danish blue cheeses this is cave aged for 3 months. With a natural rind it has some barnyardy notes on the nose but a rich creamy and mild mouthfeel.

2014 Valdesil Valderroa

2014 Valdesil Valderroa $10/$40

Where: Portela, Valdeorras D.O., Galicia, Spain

Who: Prada Gayoso Family

What: Mencia!

Tastes like: Light, unoaked, dark fruit loveliness

What to pair with: Charcuterie, octopus, lighter meat dishes

Bodegas Valdesil

the growers

In 1885, José Ramón Gayoso planted the first vines of Godello on the small Pedrouzos plot, in the Sil Valley hillsides of pure slate. Gradually, he expanded these small parcels of vines, or ‘pezas’, carefully choosing the best sites around Portela. However, in subsequent years, many of these parcels were sold to other growers, leaving only the Pedrouzos estate in the Gayoso/Prada family. In 2002, the current generation of the family began to buy back the small vineyards which had belonged to their ancestors and today, they have recovered all of those ‘pezas’.

their land

The Valdeorras valley is nestled in the highest mountains of the Galicia interior. This area is located in the province of Ourense and is home to just 200 hectares of the Godello variety. Bisected by the Sil River and protected by Galicia’s highest mountains, Valdeorras records both the highest and lowest temperatures in Galicia, together with the lowest rainfall of the area (800-1000mm). These factors, and wide differences between day and night temperatures, guarantee good acidity in the white wines.

2013 Domaine Rimbert Saint-Chinian

2013 Domaine Rimbert Saint-Chinian

Where: Saint-Chinian, Languedoc, France

Who: Jean-Marie Rimbert

What: Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvedre

Tastes like: Earthy with some dark fruit. Medium body, medium tannin.

What to pair with: Grilled meats, pastas with hearty meat sauces, lamb!

Jean-Marie Rimbert, a native of Provence, arrived in the Languedoc nearly twenty-five years ago and managed the vineyards at Château de Flaugergues for five years until he saved up enough money to purchase his first parcels of gnarled ancient vine Carignan that had been nurtured in schist-laden soils for the better part of the last century. Today, Jean-Marie has 20 hectares spread amongst 40 diverse parcels each with different soil compositions and expositions. Berlou has the highest elevation in all of the St. Chinian AOC and is the only place in the region that possesses schist rich soils. From the beginning, his objective was to cultivate vineyards with the utmost respect for the environment and his wines reflect all of the natural beauty, depth and flavor originating from those vines. The wines Jean-Marie crafts are a passionate testament to this region’s multi-dimensionality and ever-expanding potential.

New Cocktail List!

New Cocktail List November 2015

Dutch 57

A play on a French 75 (gin, lemon juice, champagne) this one is made with Bols Genever ( the juniper-flavored national and traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium, from which gin evolved). Genever is maltier than gin, though, and has a character of its own.

1oz Bols, 1 oz Grapefruit Juice, .5 oz of Rosemary simple syrup. Served in a flute, with a rosemary garnish, topped with sparkling wine.

Negroni Sbagliato

Sbagliato means “messed up” or “mistaken” in Italian, and while the Negroni Sbagliato is said to be the result of a busy bartender mistakenly using sparkling wine instead of gin in a Negroni, we think it turned out to be a pretty happy accident.

1 oz. sweet vermouth

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. lightly sparkling wine

Rocks, orange peel, OF glass.

Combine vermouth and Campari in an ice-filled glass. Top with sparkling wine, stir to combine and garnish.

Division Bell

This is a Last Word variation named after the Pink Floyd album that helped Phil Ward get through his NY city restaurant Mayahuel’s five-month build out.

Del Maguey is a 20 year project by Ron Cooper to source, bottle and export Single Village Mezcal. The Crema de Mezcal (which warns “For Women Only… And a Few Strong Men”) is made by combining Miel de Maguey (unfermented agave syrup) with Mezcal San Luis del Rio. Double distilled from agave Espadin.

For a very thorough article on the differences between Tequila and Mezcal, see this awesome article: http://mezcalphd.com/2012/08/tequila-vs-mezcal/

1 oz. Del Maguey Mezcal

3/4 oz. Aperol

3/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

3/4 oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, fill with ice and shake. Strain into a coupe or a cocktail glass and garnish with a grapefruit peel.

French Chameleon

Jonny everybody!

1.5 lillet

.75 yellow chartreuse

.75 lime

.25 lavender simple

Shake, double strain, coupe, no garnish.

Named after a famous impersonator, Frédéric Bourdin (born 13 June 1974) who is a French serial impostor the press has nicknamed "The Chameleon". He began his impersonations as a child and claims to have assumed at least 500 false identities, three of which have been actual teenage missing persons.

Pimm’s Cup

Pimm’s No. 1 is a gin-based potation made in England from dry gin, liqueur, fruit juices, and spices. Served with lemon soda or ginger ale, it becomes a Pimm’s Cup. Pimm’s No. 1 was created in the mid-18th century by English oyster bar owner James Pimm. The recipe is still a secret; supposedly, only six people know exactly how it is made. It has a dark, golden brown color, a medium body, and a taste of quinine, citrus fruits, and spice. Its low alcohol content of only 25 percent has made Pimm’s a drink to have when you are having more than one.

2 oz Pimm’s No 1

¾ oz Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

Shake, rocks, top with House Made Ginger Beer

Adonis

The Adonis cocktail dates back to the mid-1880s and was named in honor of the first Broadway musical to run for more than 500 performances. Simple and low in alcohol, it’s the perfect weeknight aperitif. You can find this and other classic cocktails in Dinah Sanders’ The Art of the Shim, a book on low-alcohol cocktails.

1½ oz. dry sherry 1½ oz. sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica), 2 dashes orange bitters. Served in a couple, garnished with an orange peel

Breakwater

This is Jill Caron’s cocktail, mixing sweet and spicy with a good dose of strong. Lachlan (our regular) came up with the name of this beauty.

1.5 oz. Tawny Port

.5 oz Ancho Chile Liqueur

.25 oz Braulio

Ancho Reyes is a chile liqueur whose reputation among cocktailians is growing rapidly. Made in Puebla, Mexico, from ancho chiles steeped in a sugar cane spirit, Ancho Reyes is spicy, smoky and sweet, delivering complex flavor in addition to heat. Up at 80 proof, it's as potent as most liqueurs on the shelf and has the ability to stand alone in mixed drinks or mesh well with its friends tequila, rum and whiskey.

Amaro Braulio originated in Bormio, Valtellina in 1875, thanks to the skilful expertise and the clever research of Francesco Peloni, a chemist with a deep knowledge in the field of medicinal aromatic herbs. Amaro Braulio is obtained by the infusion of plants, roots and aromatic alpine herbs and by a two-year ageing process in sessile oak-barrels. With its alcohol content of 21% amaro Braulio is noted for its taste and its refined aroma.

Facts of Life

1oz calvados

1oz becherovka

.25 black pepper simple

.5 lemon

Top with house made pumpkin soda

This tastes like fall in New England, like pumpkin pie and apple pie had a miraculously boozy baby. It reminds you of chilly nights in a lonesome cabin, which is why we named it after a small portion of a quote by Thoreau’s Walden Pond cabin.

Calvados is a brandy  made from apples and pears grown in the orchards of north-western France. In theory, this traditional apple brandy can be produced in more than 1550 parishes dotted all over Normandy, Brittany and inland into the Pays de la Loire. In practice, however, the unquestioned epicenter of Calvados production is the Normandy region, on the Atlantic coast due west of Paris. Daron comes from Pays d’Auge, in Normady. Double distilled and aged in small old oak casks.

Becherovka is a liqueur from the Czech Republic, produced since 1807n in Karlovy Vary from “a secret mixture of herbs and spices” and often described as having a ginger, cinnamon or honey quality.

New Cheeses: White Diamond, Tres Bonne, Brie de Nangis

White Diamond (Enosburg Falls, VT)
   Pasteurized goat's milk cheese from Boston Post Dairy in Enosburg Falls, VT. Boston Post Dairy is a farmstead creamery specializing in goat's milk cheese. White Diamond is made in the style of Camembert but substituting goat's milk for the traditional cow's milk. Aged for 1 month with a bloomy rind the cheese is rich and creamy with a distinct goat's milk flavor.

Tres Bonne (Enosburg Falls, VT)

   Pasteurized goats milk cheese from boston post dairy located in Enosburg falls, Vermont. The cheese is cave aged for 9 months. Firm in texture the cheese is butterscotch-y and milky with a subtle nuttiness. 

Brie de Nangis (Seine et Marne, FRA)

   Pasteurized cows milk cheese from Nangis (located southeast of Paris). This is an AOP certified brie made in small batches. Traditionally this would be unpasteurized but due to FDA regulations all imported bries are pasteurized due to the shorter aging time. Brie de Nangis is aged for 40 days and develops a bloomy rind. Sweet and buttery with some definite mushroom notes (often missing from pasteurized bries) this is a very classic example of brie. 

2014 DEI Rosso di Montepulciano

2014 DEI Rosso di Montepulciano

Where: Montepulciano, Tuscany

Who: Catherina Dei and her family

What: 90% Sangiovese 5% Canaiolo 5% Merlot

Tastes like: Juicy, very balanced, medium to light body red

What to pair with: Red sauce and meatballs, margherita pizza, pork chops, cured meats

A word about “Montepulciano”:

This wine is from the town of Montepulciano in Tuscany. It is “red OF Montepulciano.” There is also a relatively common grape with the same name, most famously from Abruzzo, the region to the East of Tuscany. That wine is “Montepulciano OF Abruzzo”.

Back in 1964, Alibrando Dei, a wine-growing enthusiast, recognised in the area of Bossona,splendid for its exposure and pedological characteristics, lands predestined to produce great red wines,and promptly purchased them and planted the first vineyards.

Later, during the course of the 70s, the family acquired the Martiena property with the attached manor - restored in the 1930s by the architect Piacentini -surrounded by a vast age-old garden and situated at the foot of the village of Montepulciano.

In the first years, the grapes that were produced were sold. However, considering the quality of the grapes picked, the family soon decided to embark upon the path of their own wine-making tradition and in 1985 -an exceptional vintage year -they decided to produce the first bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Dei, renting an old winery in the historic town centre.

In 1989,the family built its own winery, beside Villa Martiena, in the heart of the vineyards.

At the beginning of the 90s, Catherina Dei decided to move back to Montepulciano to devote herself with loving care to the vineyards and her land. She took in hand the winery founded by her grandfather yet continued, every so often, to dedicate herself to music and singing by recording her first CD thanks to the cooperation of professional musicians.

Forever in love with the nature and architecture of her 16th century village, she immediately understood that her wines were made to heighten and convey the peculiarities of a land that is unique for its charm and history.

Her main goal, shared by wine-making expert Paolo Caciorgna, technical director of the winery, has always been that of producing excellent and elegant wines that represent the terroir, by making the most of native vine species and the undisputable quality of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Red Sauce: Fusilli, Torta Rustica

Fusilli alla Vodka
San Marzano, Creme Fraiche, Pancetta
This is a really classic take on a traditional vodka sauce. We're using puree'd san marzano tomatoes, along with our crushed tomato sauce (san marzano tomatoes, garlic, olive oil basil) along with pancetta, additional garlic, chili flake, vodka, and creme fraiche (classically you would use heavy cream but the creme fraiche brightens the dish up a bit). The sauce is finished with Parmesan, basil, and olio verde. 

Torta Rustica
Escarole, Taleggio, Mortadella, Salami Genovese
A classic Sicilian Easter dish this 'pie' is made using pizza dough as a base. The dough is used to line a small cast iron skillet, and is then filled with ricotta cheese, basil, taleggio, salami genovese, mortadella, mozzarella, and escarole (cooked with garlic and chili flake). Then torta is then capped with more pizza dough and baked. It is served whole, garnished with Parmesan, oregano, and fennel pollen, along with a side of crushed tomato sauce (san marzano tomato, garlic, olive oil, basil).

NV Jeio Cuvee Rose Brut

NV Bisol Jeio Cuvée Rosé Brut $10/40

Where: Valdobiadenne, Veneto

Who: Desiderio Bisol

What: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Glera (aka Prosecco)

Tastes like:

What to pair with: What do you think? Fried foods, smoked meats, celebration

The Bisol family, whose historic winery is located in Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene, manages 308 acres of vineyards in the DOCG area, spread over 35 plots in premier locations. The feather in their cap is their seven acres holding on the summit of the Cartizze hill, the most precious vineyard in Italy. Over 21 generations of the Bisol family have overseen and expanded the Bisol winery and vineyards. Today, Bisol is owned by the two brothers, Antonio and Eliseo (president and vice-president), and their sons, Gianluca (managing director), Desiderio (technical manager), Claudio (production manager) and Alberto (administration manager).

Bisol pursues the highest levels of quality and seeks to elevate the notoriety of the entire Valdobbiadene appellation. Their integrated approach to production begins with a careful selection of vineyards and continues with direct management of each phase of viticulture and vinification right up to the final bottling. The owners of some of the steepest hills in the area, Bisol’s vineyards are worked by hand and cared for using sustainable techniques. Sitting on the cutting edge of tradition, Bisol continuously studies the best techniques for this historic region. Each year the family tests at least six new vinification techniques in order to better understand this unique terroir.

New Lunch Sandwiches: Prosciutto & Braised Beef Shoulder

Prosciutto Sandwich
Red Wine Poached Quince, Fennel Mostarda, Stracchino
Sliced prosciutto with melted stracchino cheese, arugula dressed with salt pepper and olio verde, quince poached in red wine poached quince (quince, orange, ginger, red wine, red wine vinegar, water, salt), fennel mostarda (fennel, onions, garlic, white wine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and pickled mustard seeds).

Braised Beef Shoulder
Gruyere, Pickled Shallots, Horseradish, Au Jus
For this sandwich we will be using baguette from iggy's, not ciabatta. It will be heated to order with sliced Gruyere cheese. In the sandwich will be braised beef (we are using primarily should but some oxtail as well, braised with mirepoix, white wine, stock, bay leaf and thyme). The meat is shredded after braising and stored in the cooking liquid, the veg is discarded. To order it is reheated in the cooking liquid, then placed in the sandwich with additional cooking liquid (au jus) served on the side. Also on the sandwich are pickled shallots (red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, sugar, water, salt), and an onion and horseradish soubise (onions, butter, horseradish). 

Potato Gnocchi, Hudson Valley Duck, Pizza Bianca

Potato Gnocchi
Locally Foraged Mushrooms, Smoked Apple, Brussels Sprouts
We are be making the gnocchi in house using potato, flour, and egg yolks. The potatoes are cooked, passed through a food mill, allowed to cool and then mixed with the egg and flour before being shaped and frozen. To order we will be pan searing a variety of locally foraged mushrooms in olive oil, deglazing with white wine, adding mushroom stock (mushroom stems, mirepoix, bay leaf, thyme). The sauce will be finished with smoked apples, charred brussels sprouts leaves, charred Cippolini onions, butter, lemon juice, parmesan, sliced chives, and olio verde. 

Hudson Valley Duck
Roast Breast, Confit Thigh, Salsify, Chestnuts, Turnip
We are using Rohan Ducks from the Hudson Valley in New York. Each order will be a quarter of a duck. The plate will have half of a duck breast which has been brined for an hour, seasoned with salt and pepper, poached in duck fat to medium rare, to order we will score the skin and roast it in a pan to crisp the skin and heat through. The legs and thighs are seasoned with salt and pepper and allowed to rest for 24 hours before being confited in duck fat for 9 hours. Once cooked the bones are removed from the thighs and dusted with meat glue then we press two of them together. To order the thighs are seared on both sides and warmed through in the oven. Additionally on the plate is salsify puree (salsify, milk, butter, salt), leeks cooked in duck fat, chestnuts poached in milk and finished in duck jus (roasted duck bones, mirepoix, red wine, thyme, garlic), shaved raw and pickled white turnips, and chicory tossed in a little of the warm fat and finished with salt and banyuls vinegar, salsify chips, and salsify roasted in brown butter and fresh marjoram.  

Pizza Bianca
Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Cauliflower, Provolone, Capers
This is a white pizza with an olive oil base, topped with shaved brussels sprouts along with brussels sprout leaves, roasted white cauliflower, mozzarella, provolone, capers, chili flake. and rosemary. Out of the oven the pizza is finished with olive oil, salt, parmesan, and lemon juice and zest. 

Menu changes

Abbaye de Belloc,

This is a pasteurized sheep's milk cheese from the pyrenees in southwest france. It is a more rustic farmhouse style cheese with a natural rind. The cheese is made by the monks of the Abbaye de notre dame, and produced only using the milk of the local Manech sheep. Aged for 4 months the cheese is rich and creamy with notes of brown butter and caramel.

Shropshire Blue

This is a pasteurized cow's milk cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy in england. Aged for four months, this cheese is unpressed giving it a more delicate crumbly texture. The cheese is colored with annato (the seeds of a achiote tree) which gives it a distinctive orange coloring. Rich, and sharp with a soft creamy mouthfeel. Not ok for a penicillin allergy.

Cottechino

Red Wine Poached Quince, Lentils du Puy, Chicharron

Cottechino is a traditional umbrian sausage made from pork and pork skin, along with warming spices. To make ours we cook the pork skin for 12 hours, then freeze it and grind it together with pork, cinnamon, clove, coriander, and urfa chili. The mixture is ground, paddled, stuffed into a casing and cooked. To order it is seared then heated through, and served with lentils du puy (mirepoix, rosemary, ginger), garnished with chicharron (think pork rinds) tossed with a caper powder (dehydrated capers), and finished with a salsa verde (capers, garlic, ginger, rosemary, parsley, lemon zest, shallots, olive oil).

Pork Tasting

Honey Nut Squash, Ras el hanout, Swiss Chard, Rye

Regularly rotating cuts of pork are served with pan roasted delicata squash finished with a house blended ras el hanout (a north african spice blend, cumin, caraway, black cardamom, cinnamon, white pepper, and sunflower pollen made in house), rye berries (thyme, bay leaf, water, pork stock, caraway butter), honeynut squash puree (squash, olio verde, salt, pepper, ras el hanout), sauteed swiss chard, pickled chard stems, and autumn olives (poached in simple syrup with white wine vinegar, black pepper, bay leaf, and orange peel). The dish is garnished with a rye bread crumb.

New Lunch Items 10/11/2015

Roast Pork Shoulder

Taleggio, Belgian Endive, Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Kohlrabi

Pork shoulder is brined for 24 hours then trussed and seasoned with thyme, coriander, sage, fennel, oregano, and black pepper then roasted to an internal temperature. To order it is heated in pork stock. On the bread is also melted taleggio, shaved apples, pickled kohlrabi (cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt), and belgian endive tossed with an apple cider vinaigrette (reduced apple cider, apple cider vinegar, mustard, grapeseed oil, xanthan gum). 

Smoked Turkey                                                                          

Radicchio Pesto, Gorgonzola, Shaved Pear, Chicories 

Turkey breast is brined for 24 hours, trussed, seasoned with salt and pepper, and hot smoked. It is heated to order and served with radicchio pesto (blanched radicchio, walnuts, gorgonzola, olive oil, salt and pepper) along with sliced pear batons, mixed chicories and more gorgonzola, dressed with lemon juice and olio verde. 

Baby Kale Salad

Smoked Trout, Sauce Gribiche, Mixed Baby Beets, Granola

The baby kale is dressed with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice, along with shaved raw candy stripe beets. The greens are plated along with roasted beets (olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, bay), pickled beets (cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, thyme), smoked trout, and sauce gribiche (aioli, hard boiled eggs, cornichons, capers, whole grain mustard, lemon juice and zest). Garnishing the salad is a granola made from pistachios, puffed rice, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, honey, olive oil, and aleppo chili, as well as popped sorghum. 

New Desserts 10/06/2015

Chocoloate Torta 

Chocolate olive oil torta(flour, baking soda/powder, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, milk, buttermilk eggs, olive oil, and cocoa nibbs), Olive oil syrup (glucose syrup, olive oil, sugar, salt, egg yolks, water) boil syrup, place in food processor with eggs and water, add sugar and salt and stream in olive oil, and Lavender Gelato (lavander, cream, sugar, egg yolks) steep lavander in cream, whisk sugar and yolks, add cream cook. Finished with sea salt and olive oil.

Poached Bartlett Pear 

Poached pear (coffee, water, sugar, star anise, vanilla bean, orange zest), Yogurt caramel (sugar, water, yogurt, sea salt), almond sbrisolona (almonds, durum, semolina, sugar, butter, salt, black cardamom, star anise, orange zest, egg yolks), Coffee Zabaglione (vin santo, egg yolks, lemon juice, sugar, pear poaching liquid, cooked over a double boiler), yogurt mixed with orange zest, dehydrated yogurt powder, and shaved raw pear. 

New Menu Items 9/17/2015

Conchiglie $10/18
Romanesco, Lamb, Preserved Lemon, Roasted Raisin
Conchiglie, Italian for shells, is an extruded pasta. Ours is made from durum flour, semolina flour, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Important to note, unlike our other extruded pastas this contains eggs and is therefore not vegan. The cooked pasta is tossed with a house made lamb sausage (lamb shoulder, caraway, turmeric, garlic, thyme and sumac), along with pan roasted romanesco (and other cauliflowers), preserved lemons, garlic, aleppo chili, lamb stock, roasted raisins (golden raisins, salt, pepper, olive oil, thyme) and butter. The pasta is finished with pecorino, lemon juice, mint, and olio verde.

New Menu Items 9/17/2015

Pizza Toscana $15
SP Fennel Sausage, Escarole, Mozzarella, Calabrian Chili
The pizza has an olive oil base, and is topped with sautéed escarole (garlic, chili flake, white wine), roasted garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, and sausage (fennel, lemon, coriander, salt and pepper). Once cooked the pizza is garnished with fresh oregano, lemon zest, Calabrian chili (calabrian chilis, mirepoix, lemon) and parmesan cheese, along with salt and olive oil.

Foie Gras Torchon $12
Cider Poached, Calvados, Apple Conserva
Torchon is the french word for towel, in this case the name is referencing the classic technique in which a towel would be used to shape the foie gras into a cylinder. We are using Hudson Valley Duck foie gras which has been passed through a tamis to remove any veins. Next the foie is seasoned with salt, sugar, calvados, and a house made cider vinegar, and then shaped into a cylinder using cheesecloth. The seasoned foie is hung in the walk-in overnight before being poached in apple cider along wit bay leaf, black pepper, allspice, and cinnamon. After poaching the foie is hung again overnight. The sliced torchon is garnished with a granny smith apple conserva (apple cider, house cider vinegar, sugar, pectin, bay leaf, cinnamon, and black pepper).

Etxegarai $7
Pais Vasco, Spain
Etxegarai, basque for mountain house, is a raw sheep milk cheese made in the mountains of the Pais Vasco in northern spain. The cheese is aged for 6 months, developing a natural rind, before being smoked over beechwood after the aging process has finished. This cheese is similar to idiazabal, but made outside the DOP protected region. This cheese is full flavored, smokey and tangy, with a lasting finish.

Ascutney Mountain Cheese $7
Cobb Hill Farms, Heartland Vermont
Ascutney is a raw cows milk cheese from cobb hill cheese based out of vermont. It is modeled after appenzeller cheese, an alpine style cheese with a natural rind from switzerland. Ascutney is aged for 8 months, developing some deep nutty flavors, along with a bit of crystallization and a sharp clean finish. Cobb hill is a communal run farm of about 30 households, all cheese is produced on site (although some is aged with jasper hills) from the milk of just 30 free range jersey cows.

New BTG: 2014 Mas Libian Vin de Petanque

Where: South Rhône Valley

Who: Thibon family (read their history, dating back to 1670 at http://www.masdelibian.com/)

What: 75% Grenache noir / 25 % Syrah

Tastes like: Refreshing summer red. Juicy without sweetness, light without being thin. Red and black fruit, delicious.

What to pair with: Charcuterie, pasta with tomatoes, light game

From the winemakers:

"Vin de Pétanque": To drink whilst playing petanques (boules), or any other times !!!!!! Serve cold during the beautiful summer evenings !

Terroir: Clay-limestone, with "lauzes"  (flat stones), some plots are rolled pebbles

Yield: 50 Hl/Ha

Farming method: biodynamic  DEMETER certified.

Cut: Gobelet and cordons de Royat with 4 heightening wires, deleafing in june

Harvest : Entirely manual with strict selection at the plot.

Traditional vinification: Cépages are mixed in the vat. "Eraflage" (destemming) 100%. Light crushing. Regulation of the fermentation temperatures. 5 day macération. Draining by gravity. Pneumatic pressing. Malolactic fermentation in vat.

New BTG: 2012 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris

Where: Alsace

Who: Jean Albrecht (Lucien’s son)

What: 100% Pinot Gris. This is technically the same grape as Pinot Grigio (literally “gray pinot”) but the style is basically the polar opposite. Rich and round, versus the light and linear that one expects from pinot grigio

Tastes like: Mineral driven, stone fruit, round white with a little residual sugar (maybe avoid that word table-side!). Slightly less sweet than the riesling, but with a very creamy quality. Look up malolactic fermentation! Do it!

What to pair with: Charcuterie and cheese, no joke.

Lucien Albrecht is one of the most distinguished and long standing brands in Alsace. Regarded as a pioneer of viticulture, beginning in 1425 when Romanus Albrecht started the winery, Albrecht is responsible for many advancements and innovations in the region, such as being one of the three founding fathers of the regulated Crémant d’Alsace. Albrecht’s goal is to always “respect the grapes” and to respect nature. Albrecht believes Alsace is truly one of the most versatile and exciting white wine producing regions in the world and looks to share their unique terroir thru their outstanding wines, the wines are perfect examples of the Albrecht style in each varietal and the pinnacle of Alsace quality. In the early 70’s, Lucien Albrecht, was one of the three founding fathers of the regulated Crémant d’Alsace.