Artisans and Vines 2023 Holiday Newsletter

Newsworthy Wine

We had two wines mentioned in the Washington Post this month! First, on the left is the “Bruto de Portugal Sparkling Wine” from Casa Santos Lima. It was featured in the Post as a great sparkling wine to get the holidays started! Dave McIntyre writes, “it has a vibrant fizz, flavors of white flowers, balsam and citrus, and a persistent finish that can turn any occasion into a celebration.” We love Bruto anytime of year, but it would make for a great holiday wine as well. 

On the right is the Brooks “2022 Amycas White Blend”. McIntyre writes, “This blend is about one-third riesling, with the rest pinot blanc, muscat, pinot gris and gewürtztraminer. The result is floral, food-friendly wine that can match almost anything.” The versatility of this wine makes it perfect for gathering with friends and family. 

Wine Gifts

Need a belated or last minute hosting gift for New Years or holiday celebrations? We have put together some great wines that anyone would enjoy receiving this season. Starting from the top left and going clockwise:

Château de la Font du Loup Châteauneuf-de-Pape: Refined and elegant, this wine has notes of dark fruits and is medium bodied with a lengthy finish. 

Trombetta 2015 “Gap’s Crown” Pinot Noir:  Trombetta wines are hand produced and the grapes are hand harvested. The Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir features lush fruit on the palate, beautiful structure with great acidity.

Rockmere 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate: Rockmere is known for their excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2019 Estate is no exception. It has layers of blackcurrant and blackberry with red cherry.Hints of sage, rosemary, and lavender complement the fruit character nicely thanks to the vineyard’s rocky soil.

Domaine Fagot 2020 Pouilly Fuissé: An elegant dry white wine. It features aromas of white flowers, citrus, and slight notes of honey and spices. 

New Years Bubbly

It’s not New Years without sparkling wine! Below are some recommendations for the perfect wine for your midnight toast.

Left: Belle Jardin NV Sparkling Wine: Lively yet refined, this sparkling wine is perfect year round and can be served as an aperitif or throughout your celebration. 

Middle: Hoopenburg 2020 Integer MCC Rose: A fun sparkling wine from South Africa, the Hoopenburg MCC Rose has notes of strawberry, pomegranate and raspberry flavor on the nose, complimented by a lively palate and a balanced finish.

Right: Louis Massing NV Blanc de Blancs “Grand Cru”: Elegant and structured, this wine has abundant, fine bubbles with silky mousse. Powerful nose of ripe citrus, white flowers, vanilla and brioche. It’s great on its own, but really shines when paired with a nice meal.

Staff Spotlight

This month’s team spotlight is Paul Roberts. Paul actually runs his own winery in Deep Creek, MD with his wife and daughter. After a visit to the vineyard, Eric Platt and Paul hit it off and realized having Paul onboard would be a great asset to our team, especially for reaching our customers in Western Maryland. 

How did you first get into the wine industry? Well, my very first contact with wine was volunteering during harvest and for spring vineyard work at a winery in my home state of Missouri. That was 1983. From there, I landed a year-long apprenticeship at Chateau Montelena, in Napa. Hired by Winemaker Bo Barrett and attracted by the winery’s famous 1976 Chardonnay, I was fortunate to be there as the company began its ascent with Cabernet Sauvignon. Bo even let me in on final blending for the ’85 Cab. At the time, it cost $28!

What is your favorite part of the industry? The best parts are too numerous to narrow down to one! Aside from the chance to conspire with nature on something beautiful, I greatly appreciate the sharing spirit among winemakers.

How long have you been with Artisans and Vines? About 2 years. It was something I always wanted to try in my life — selling other peoples’ wine. Having an outlet for all the spurious wine knowledge I built up over 40 years has been great fun!

What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t working? Living in a place with outdoor recreation galore, my wife and business partner Nadine especially enjoy hiking and biking; in 15 minutes, we can be in places most people consider wilderness. At home, I run the galley — so growing our own Asian vegetables and cooking (with Japanese cutlery!) are nightly interests. 

Are you a sports fan? Any favorite teams? The only team I follow is St. Louis Cardinals baseball, but I will watch just about any soccer game that someone switches on in front of me.

What’s your favorite part about living in Deep Creek? We love the winter season because snow and cold force us indoors, to recover from the hard work of summer