It is a beautiful weekend here in Madrona, perfect for stretching the legs and exploring the world of wine.  So put on the sun screen and saunter on down to the shop and see what we are pouring.

Saturday, we have a line up from Illahe Vineyards in Oregon.  These guys are about as old school as you can get.  The grapes are dry farmed, the vineyards worked by horses, and the wines made more by hand than machine.  Come taste the results at 2 this afternoon.

Sunday, we are having a special tasting L’Adventure Languedoc.   The Languedoc AOC France is a treasure trove of delicious value and we’ll pour three examples from the region and show off the area’s charm. We’ll also have a guest sommelier to tell us a little more about the region from 1 to 4.

2012 Domaine de Coujan, St Chinian Blanc, Bois Joli  $12
100% Rolle — Rolle is the same grape as Vermentino in Italy.  This one is dry, full-bodied with notes of pineapple citrus fruit, with pretty bitter notes on the finish.

2014 Bergerie de l’hortus, Pic Saint Loup Rosé $ 18
50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre.
From organic vineyards in Pic Staint Loup this direct pressed rose is full of wild strawberries, plums, apricots and mandarin oranges, and floral notes.

2012 Chateau Massiac, Minervios $18
75% Syrah, 25% Carignan
The flagship wine from the Chateau.  “Enticing notes of juniper, rosemary and thyme as well as the savory flavors of wild berries and a hint of the ‘animal’.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5.