Because it’s not posted anywhere online, and because it changes frequently, we’re going to start a wine list report that lets you know what we’ve got and what the prices are. Due to limited storage space we’re trying to serve wines you can’t easily find anywhere else rather than fill up the list with the same old Syrahs and Chardonnays.

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Top Sellers

The Gemischter Satz was just added to the list about a month ago and is already proving to be our most ordered wine. On the one hand, it’s the second-least expensive wine on our list, which is generally the sweet spot. It’s also super-accessible, with a little bit of fruitiness, a little bit of nuttiness, it’s dry without being too dry. Personally I like my wines more extreme, but the Gemischter Satz is a people-pleaser and there’s nothing wrong with that.

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Andau Zweigelt takes the second position easily. It’s hard to be the least-expensive red, because no one ordering wine wants to seem cheap. But the Andau has become immensely popular because it’s so smooth. Seriously, it’s like having liquid silk poured down your throat.

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And still the Thurnhoff Goldmuskateller, which has been lashing tongues with its pine needle finish and its rich, golden apple flavor for three years, takes the number three spot. I’m beginning to think I’ll never take this one off the menu.

 

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Sparkling

Lamberti Vino Spumante Rosé ($9 glass/$37 bottle)

A fresh, lively sparkling wine from Italy that tap dances on your face.

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Whites

Vadiaperti Coda di Volpe ($4 half glass/$8 glass/$32 bottle)

I love Italian whites because they come with a mineral kick like this one from Naples. It’s a complicated wine with a lot of tastes and smells, and Coda di Volpe means “tail of the fox” which is kind of awesome.

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Neumeister Gemischter Satz 2011 ($5 half glass/$9 glass/$36 bottle)

Devoted to making everyone as happy as possible, this is the youngest child of divorced parents of my wine list, trying hard to have something for everything.

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Thurnhoff Goldmuskateller 2010 ($6 half glass/$12 glass/$47 bottle)

One of the best wines we’ve discovered while putting together this list, and people are really loving it. Read more about it.

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La Mailloche Chardonnay 2010 ($8 half glass/$16 glass/$64 bottle)

Stephane Tissot is one of my favorite winemakers, and his winery was responsible for the first Chardonnay I ever put on my list. Spicy and acidic it’s made in tiny batches and tastes like a funky springtime white wine with a lot of structure and crispness.

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Reds

Andau Zweigelt 2010 ($4 half glass/$8 glass/$32 bottle)

Cool mellow velvet, this rounded Austrian red is like drinking a big glass of “take it easy.” With soft tannins, plump berries, and creamy layers of vanilla, it’s the cure for everything that ails you.

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Baron de Ley Maturana 2010 ($5 half glass/$10 glass/$40 bottle)

Straight out of the Rioja region, the Maturana grape is really a neglected superstar. It’s got a hint of vanilla, a bite of balsamic, and tastes like a Big Drama wine.

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Hecht & Bannier Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2009 ($6 half glass/$12 glass/$48 bottle)

I try not to serve too many blends, but this blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignan grapes combines hot Spanish spiciness with the structure of classic French reds. Soft tannins, big juiciness and some ashes and minerals, this wine is insanely drinkable. Read more about it.

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A Touch of Classe 2011 ($8 half glass/$16 glass/$70 bottle)

There’s no wine on this list I feel more personally about than this Carignan and Syrah blend from France. It was brought to me by my favorite wine rep, Camille Riviere, who was the first wine rep to bring me what I was asking for when Dirt Candy opened: strange, different wines from off the beaten path. This is made at the organic winery of her mentor, Jean-Francois Coutelou, and it’s got the true taste of what we think of as Concord grapes while also having a funky, rambunctious, woodsy taste. Read more about it.

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Dessert Wines

Solera 1847 Oloroso Dulce Sherry ($9 glass)

If you think you know sherry, think again. This Spanish oloroso is sweet, dark, nutty, deeply rich and complicated. It’s been on the list for a couple of years and that’s because it’s like having a delicious bowl of molten caramel that makes you drunk.

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Drinks that Aren’t Wine

We also serve Hitachino Nest White Ale ($9) and we have a non-alcoholic white wine made of unfermented Gewurtztraminer grapes that is quite lovely. From Navarro, the winemaking process is stopped before fermentation occurs so it tastes exactly like wine, but with no alcohol. And we have tap water (no fancy bottled waters – sorry).

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