Everyone knows Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris but we’ll have none of those today. There are so many other interesting white wine grapes in the shop that fail to get the attention they deserve. This weekend we are pouring a packed line up of refreshing and unusual white wines. We think they will surprise your palate how differently delicious they are.
2016 Château Pajzos, Furmint $13
This dry Hungarian white is made from Furmint, the grape traditionally used to make Tokaji a sweet dessert wine. The bright, fresh and zesty flavors range from grapefruit to apricot with notes of nuts, minerals, and spice. The Furmint has aspects that remind one of Viognier, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc, yet it is a unique wine. Its flavors are as appealing as they are original.
11.5% alcohol by volume
2016 Quinta do Pinto Lasso Branco $13
50% Arinto, 50% Fernão Pires
From Lisboa, Portugal, this white blend is raised on clay-limestone soil, originally from the Jurassic period, with clayey and loamy texture. The wine is vibrant, intense and fresh with intense and exuberant aroma of flowers and tropical fruits. In the mouth it has presence and volume. It is creamy, the Fernão Pires gives tropical and white fruits notes, combined with the citric notes from the Arinto. 13.5% alcohol by volume
2016 Caravaglio Malvasia $20
From the Aeolian island of Salina near Sicily in southern Italy. Grown on volcanic soils, this is made of 100% Malvasia Bianco and is vinified completely dry. Exotic and intensely perfumed, this wine opens with vibrant lychee, pineapple and honeysuckle notes on the nose and leads to a salty, lean, mineral palate that speaks of its island origins. 12.5% alcohol by volume
2016 Murgo, Etna Bianco $18
70% Carricante, 30% Cataratto
From the slopes of the volcano, this white blend is fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the crisp acidity and juicy freshness a proper Etna Bianco must have. The high acid of Caricante is balanced by the softness of texture of the Catarratto, yielding a gorgeously pristine and elegant Bianco. 12.5% alcohol by volume
2016 Muzic Collio $16
Ribolla Gialla
Muzic is a beautiful white from the Collio region in northern Italy. It is left to rest in steel on lees for four months to develop body and character. Addictive, its delicate floral and fruity aromas cross with a beautiful citrus and citrine vein. 13% alcohol by volume
Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2pm until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5pm.