Science has proven that a prudent dose of Wine makes friends and family much more acceptable.  There are two days left until Thanksgiving when you will most likely be exposed to a large ration of one or both.

Madrona Wine will be Open Tuesday and Wednesday from Noon to 6pm in order to guarantee that you have enough wine available to make it through Thursday.

Science has also proved that shopping for wine is much more pleasant if there something to taste.  We have a couple of things in mind.  Both go with Turkey.

Tuesday we’ll be pouring:
2020 Soie d’Ivoire La Lisse  $13
Chenin Blanc
This ripe yet crunchy fruit gives this wine it’s freshness, vigor and spine, at the same time it’s luscious texture which is further complemented and enriched from one third vinified and matured for nine months in seasoned French oak barrels.

Wednesday we’ll pop the cork on:
2016 Domaine Blachon Saint-Joseph Blanc  $25
95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne
From one of the Northern Rhône’s premier white wine vineyards, “Les Oliviers,”  Notes of croissants, honey, dried apricot, and apples fill the glass. It’s wonderfully dry, has a full rich texture and plays well with exotic spices.

Wishing you a Happy Holiday.

Shop Hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 12-6PM
Closed Thanksgiving Day

Tuesday:  Starting next Tuesday, November 22 we will be open Noon to 6pm.  Our new schedule will be Tuesday to Sunday Noon to 6pm Through December.  We go back to our normal lazy schedule with the New Year.

Two: We’ll have Two wines open for tasting this Saturday.  Stop in to see what we have opened.  They might just go well with Turkey, which brings us to .  .

Turkey:  Thanksgiving is next Thursday.  We have lots of ideas for wines that will go well with your dinner.

Thanksgiving:  We will be closed Thanksgiving Day, so plan ahead.  We will be open again on Friday and the rest of the weekend.

In Non T news, the opening reception for the new art show “La Vita Del Vino” from 3 to 5 pm. 16 artists take on the “Wine Life”.  From drinking, to making, to using it as a medium for their work.   With 16 artists the shop should be very cozy.

Shop Hours
Tuesday-Friday, 12-6PM

We love Sicilian wine so when the Sicilia DOC Consortium invited us to do a promotion celebrating Sicilian wine it wasn’t a hard sell. Purchase a Sicilian white or red wine at Madrona Wine Merchants and receive a free ‘Wines of Sicilia Doc’ corkscrew and as many wine coasters as you want while supplies last. Here is a list of some of the Sicilian wine we have in stock.

This Thursday we will have the Sette Vigne Grillo open for tasting.Stop in and check it out.

2021 Sette Vigne Grillo Doc Sicilia  $13
This Sicilian Grillo is fleshy and waxy, but with balancing acidity. Loads of pear fruit intensity with some background minerality. Stylistically, it’s Austrian Gruner Veltliner meets Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc.

2021 Ciello Bianco  $16
Catarrato
This organic Bianco undergoes a short maceration on the skins. This lends an extra element of grip to the wine, and also contributes to the faint amber hue in the colour of the wine. This shows off flavors of golden apple, quince, dandelion and salt, with plenty of refreshing acidities.

2019 Tenuta Terre Nere Etna Bianco  $25
Aromas of cream, cooked apples and pears follow through to a full body, creamy texture and a bitter-lemon and lemon-curd aftertaste.

2019 Gurrieri Cerasuolo di Vittoria$21
60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato;  Organic
Very aromatic on the nose, there is a bright red fruit quality that accompanies a pretty, floral note, yet a core of dark fruit and damp earth rings through as well. On the palate, there is a wonderful combination of body, freshness, fruit character, and earthy drive, counterbalanced on the palate with soft but noticeable tannins.

2019 Tornatore Etna Rosso$22
95% Nerello Mascalese, 5% Nerello Cappuccio
A uniquely rich and focused wine made of the indigenous Nerello Mascalese grape. It expresses itself with aromas of cherry juice and preserves, wild strawberry and a very characteristic volcanic and mineral intensity that is unique only to the wines of Mt. Etna’s volcanic soil.

2018 Terre Nere Etna Rosso$25
95% Nerello Mascalese, 5% Nerello Cappuccio
The Terre Nere vineyards are at an extremely high altitude, ranging from 2,100 to 2,900 feet on the north side of Mt Etna. These volcanic soils along with the cool nights make exceptional wines. The Etna Rosso has a core of ripe crushed cherry and wild strawberry.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

As we adjust to the cooler climes it is nice to have a glass or two of a bold red around to take the chill off the day (or night).  This weekend we will be tasting two domestic wines that fit the bill but don’t break the budget.  Stop on in and give them a try.

2017 Pomum Columbia Valley Red Wine  $15
44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot.
This elegant red is blended from Bordeaux varieties sourced from Konnowac Vineyard near the Columbia River. The wine sings with notes of red fruit and plum with herbs and cedar.  A great value.

2019 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot  $20
A big shouldered Napa Merlot with aromas of blackberry, cassis and black currant with hints of black tea leaves, Asian spice and graphite. Full-bodied entry with layers of blueberry, spiced boysenberry and mocha all coupled to well-integrated, rich tannins that give way to a rich, round, smooth finish.
Was $30, Now $20

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday 12-6PM
Tuesdays starting Thanksgiving Week

2016 Vina Zorzal, Rey Noble Garnacha  $12
90% Grenache, 10% Tempranillo
From the Rioja’s little brother to the east, Navarra, comes a garnacha (aka grenache) with a splash of tempranillo.  Rey Noble is the noble king, hence the blue heart on the bottle.  The wine has aromas of fresh red fruits, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, dog-rose, fruit candies and violet flowers.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM
Tuesdays starting Thanksgiving Week

Two wines from Calabria & Campania

We must be dreaming of a vacation.  After sipping Corsican red on Thursday and Friday, we decided be needed to open some wine from Southern Italy for the weekend.  We are going to open the bottles on Saturday and see how long they last.  Most likely Patrick will be pouring them on Sunday as well.

2020 Statti, Lamezia Rosso  $15
40% Gaglioppo, 40% Greco Nero, 20% Magliocco
From Calabria, this indigenous red blend evokes violet nuances, with small black fruit predominating, followed by hints of spices. Good structure with fine elegant tannins and a long persistent finish.

2019 Mastroberardino, Mastro Aglianico  $16
From Campania, the Mastro is fresh, youthful red has notes of strawberry, cherry, blackberry, and violet flowers. The palate is smooth, medium-bodied, with red fruits on the palate and a fruity finish.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

We’re chasing away the grey with a little sip of red from Corsica.  Stop by the shop and have a taste.

2020 Santa Giulietta, Vin de Corse Rouge  $15
40% Niellucciu,35% Grenache, 25% Syrah
This Corsican red show notes of red fruits and spices on the nose. Round and smooth palate, dominated by flavors of ripe fruits. Soft and elegant finish.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6

and they’re not scary at all.

Orange Wine for Halloween and the rest of the year.

While the kids are snatching up the candy stop into the shop and have a sip of Orange wine this weekend. 

Orange Wines are made by leaving white or blush grapes in contact with the juice after they are crushed.  Some only stay that way for a few days, others sit on the skins for several months.  The result is a different animal altogether with the astringent aspects of the skins playing off the fruit of the juice.  Hitting that in-between space of being fuller bodied than a white wine, but not overwhelming like a red wine, skin-contact wines can pair beautifully with appetizers with cheese, risotto, pasta, and light roasted meats.

We’ll be sampling two of these this weekend:

Saturday:
2021 Bonny Doon, Le Cigare Orange  $15
80% Grenache Blanc, 10% Grenache, 10% Orange Muscat
Doon’s long skin contact Orange Wine:  Aromas of fresh peaches, citrus, bergamot.  It has a textured and vibrant palate with peach, apricot and citrus peel.

Sunday:
2018 Klet Brda, Krasno  $20
40% Ribillo Gialla, 30% Malvasia, 30% Sauvigonnasse
Krasno is the highest village in Brda, with a long wine tradition and an abundance of excellent sites.  This Orange Wine sits sur lie for 6 months. The fresh and elegant white blend has an impressively mineral, full taste and delicate aromas of ripe white fruit, spices and wildflowers.

Happy Halloween!

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

Madrona businesses will be handing out candy on Saturday the 29^th.  Bring your little goblins and have then come gobble up the neighborhood.  We just might have something ghoulish for the parents as well.

Get Ready for Halloween
The Day of the Dead is coming right up, but the wine of the dead has already arrived.  We have two wines from Vinos de los Muertos, a winery in New Mexico, on the shelf right now just waiting to be taken home for your Halloween party.

Vinos de los Muertos, Blanco Dulce Sweet White  $11
Moscato
From New Mexico a sweet, aromatic, white blend composed of Moscato. Lovely with flavors of light minerals, white flowers, honey, pears and nectarine. Refreshing & full of festive flavors!
11.0% alcohol by volume

Vinos de los Muertos, La Sangre Dry Red  $11
Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Ruby Red
New Mexico
A dry red blend composed primarily of Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Ruby Red with notes of violets, cherries, fruit and spice. Lightly peppery with cherry accents and light leather.
12.5% alcohol by volume

Open for tasting this Thursday!
2018 Casas del Toqui, Reserva Carmenere (Barrel Series)  $15
Chile
Carmenere (a minor Bordeaux grape) thrives in Chile.  Aromas and flavors of roasted red pepper, grilled pumpkin, blackened pepita, and mole negro with a satiny, bright, fruity medium body and a smooth, medium-length finish revealing notes of mango and licorice with moderate oak flavor.

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM

As we transition from smoke and sun to crisp air and showers, we’ll be opening a couple of bottles with Fall in mind.  Stop and have a taste.

Saturday is Saumur

2018 Domanine des Ormes, Saumur  $17
Cabernet Franc
The nose on this Saumur is beautifully complex, with notes of ripe blackberries, fresh underbrush, green bell pepper and truffles, with the freshness of ripe strawberries. On the mid-palate, the wine is like a bowl of berries, with a dark concentration of fruits, firm structure and silky-soft tannins with a finish that is as long as the Loire River itself.

The Tears of Christ on Sunday

2015 Vini Iovine, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio  $14
80% Piedirosso, 20% Aglianico
A southern Italian red from the hillsides of the Volcano.   This lighter red has red berry, vinous aromas. It is dry, harmonic, and velvety on the palate.
Was $19; Now $14

Shop Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 12-6PM