Sample four of our current favorite wines, or “staff picks” at Mills, all selected to represent good value for the price and to pair well with seasonably available dishes. Save 10% if you choose to purchase any of the wines, or put together a mixed or matched case for 20% off. This is a complimentary tasting!
October 2018 Staff Picks
Fatum 2016 White Blend, La Mancha, Spain (Geoffrey)
This is a simple yet delicious Spanish white wine blend of 80% Airèn (30% of Spain’s wine production- who knew?), 15% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Moscatel. “Fatum” translates to “destiny”, clearly referring to its fate as a suitable weeknight value wine. Featuring zesty acidity and notes of pear, fennel, floral and even savory olive, this is fun to drink solo or with your own creative set of Spanish tapas!
Regular Price: $12.99
Sale Price: $10.39
Steininger 2016 Reserve Gruner Veltliner “Loisium” Steven Holl, Kamptal, Austria (Tim)
This is not the typical bulk-produced, fun, acidic, gulpable Gruner, yet a more serious, thoughtfully made wine, with generous apple and pear fruit notes balanced by white pepper and closing with an almost savory crispness. This single vineyard wine is named for famed architect Steven Holl, who built the Loisium Wine Museum adjacent to the Steininger estate. The original blueprint for the building is featured on the label. Rated 92pts Wine Enthusiast.
Regular Price: $21.99
Mills Club Price: $19.79
Case Price $17.59
Manzone Rosè, Piedmont, Italy (Jen & Jerry)
Azienda Agricola Manzone was founded in 1843 by Francesco Manzone, and this estate is still run by the family, today, Elio and Giuseppe Manzone, someday to be handing the baton to Marco and Alberto who now work by their sides. Highly respected and talented Barolo producers, they are perfectly capable of making this beautiful cranberry-hued dry rosè, made from 100% hand-harvested Langhe Nebbiolo grapes. Juicy with cranberry and wild strawberry notes, this wine complements roasted poultry or grilled rosemary focaccia bread dipped in some Piemontese olive oil!
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Axes des Vignes 2015 Bordeaux, France (Pat D.)
A classically styled red from the excellent 2015 Bordeaux vintage, this features red fruit and black currant flavors with structured tannins that will make it an ideal pairing with lamb or aged cheeses, or blue cheese topped burgers off the grill. The blend contains Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Regular Price: $15.99
Mills Club Price: $14.39
Case Price: $12.79
Lapis Luna 2015 Red Blend, California (Jess)
Try this delicious and unpretentious red blend, which features lush layers of blackberries and an underlying pleasing spice note. The blend is a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah all from the North Coast AVA, and it spends 20 months barrel aging in mostly neutral oak. The label is derived from 400 year old Copperplate engravings that depict the relationship between the earth (stone, or Lapis) and the moon (Luna).
Regular Price: $15.99
Mills Club Price: $14.39
Case Price: $12.79
Four Vines Kinker 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, California (Jen & Jerry)
Once you get beyond the fairly irreverent label, the wine is something to be savored and enjoyed! Baking spice aromas and blackcurrant, blueberry and plum flavors grace the palate in this full-bodied, juicy, woody Paso Robles Cab that we’ll enjoy as the fall nights grow cooler. Pair with grilled or roasted meats, chili or stew.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Gruet Rosè NV Sparkling, New Mexico (Aron)
Although Aron originally chose Dom Perignon for his staff pick, when asked to “be reasonable”, he quickly selected the Gruet as his obvious second choice. On vacation in the 1970s in Albuquerque New Mexico, Gilbert Gruet of Champagne house Gruet et Fils decided New Mexico would be an excellent location to grow his Champagne grapes, and the rest is history, with son Laurent and daughter Nathalie at the helm. Made entirely of Pinot Noir, this robust sparkler features rich cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry notes, and at roughly 1/10ththe price of the Dom, I think we can all agree it’s a super value! Let’s celebrate!
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Antonopoulos 2017 Moschofilero, Peloponnesos, Greece (Jess)
A long-time Mills favorite, we are still enjoying this hard-to-pronounce Greek grape Moschofilero, which makes a lively, zippy aromatic white wine with bright citrus notes. This is delicious with salads, simple seafood preparations and of course excellent with Mediterranean/Greek foods dishes featuring roasted eggplant and peppers, sardines and artichokes.
Regular Price: $15.99
Mills Club Price: $14.39
Case Price: $12.79
Pewsey Vale 2017 Riesling, Eden Valley, Australia (Pat Darr)
Fall in love with this dry Riesling from Eden Valley (South Australia) with plenty of mineral, stone fruit and limey notes. It’s a touch spicy with fresh acidity, making it supremely food-friendly. We’ll pair this with some fresh oysters, fried calamari or even seared scallops for a decadent yet simple and light dinner. Pewsey Vale is Eden Valley’s original vineyard, Riesling specialists with vines tracing back to the 1800s- part of the original James Busby cuttings first brought to Australia.
Regular Price: $18.99
Mills Club Price: $17.09
Case Price: $15.19
Shakre 2015 Chardonnay “Vinaceous”, Margaret River, Australia (Andres)
Margaret River, located along the Southwest coast of Australia, enjoys a warm climate with cooling maritime breezes from the Indian Ocean, and is responsible for some of the most acclaimed wines in Australia. This Chardonnay ferments in a combination of stainless steel (80%) and French oak (20%), followed by additional lees aging for texture and complexity. The result is a bright and clean balanced Chardonnay with pleasing notes of melon and citrus, enjoyable on its own or with a variety of soups or poultry dishes.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Maison Roy 2014 “Petite Incline” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon (Tim)
Try this seriously splurge-worthy Willamette Pinot from Maison Roy, a winery established in 2012 by the sons of the founders of the famed Beaux Frères; Marc Roy and Jared Etzel. Displaying ripe, opulent black and blue fruit, this vintage shows the warm 2014 season, with great volume, structure and tannins. This can be enjoyed now or cellared for 5-10 years and will only improve with age! Try with grilled salmon steaks, beef tenderloin, or beef bourguignon.
Regular $44.99
Mills Club Price: $40.49
Case Price: $35.99
Rosa del Golfo 2015 Primitivo, Salento, Italy (Andrew)
Rosa del Golfo was founded more than two centuries ago in the Southeast part of Puglia by the Calo family. This wine is made from 90% Primitivo grapes (clonal cousin to California Zinfandel) and 10% Negroamaro grapes, which age roughly a year in large oak barrels. This is a big powerful red wine with velvety rich texture, featuring notes of ripe fruit, Indian spice and clove. Enjoy with roasted or grilled meats or game dishes.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Take advantage of this opportunity to taste Breckenridge Bourbon, their Port Cask finish Bourbon and their Sherry Cask Finish Bourbon side by side to compare the differences. Also grab a sample of award-winning Maggie’s Farm Spiced Rum out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!
Enjoy Muscadet, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Franc from Chinon and Saumur Champigny side-by-side in this taste exploration of the Loire Valley of France!
Sample six of our current favorite wines, or “staff picks” at Mills, all selected to represent good value for the price and to pair well with seasonably available dishes. Save 10% if you choose to purchase any of the wines, or put together a mixed or matched case for 20% off. This is a complimentary tasting!
November 2018 Staff Picks
TASTING SATURDAY:
Steininger “Young” Sparkling Rosè, Kamptal, Austria (Andrew)
A blend of 60% Zweigelt, 20% Pinot Noir, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon are directly pressed after short skin contact. This Charmat method sparkling wine is dry, crisp and refreshing with notes of red currant, blackberry and strawberry fruit. A perfect aperitif or pairing with a wide variety of appetizers! Certified sustainably farmed and vegan.
Regular Price: $15.99
Mills Club Price: $14.39
Case Price $12.79
Highway 12 2017 Chardonnay, California (Jess)
Named for the legendary road that winds through Sonoma and Carneros, this winery was started by Michael Sebastiani and Paul Giusto, both 3rd generation California winemakers. They source grapes from vineyards located in Sonoma and Carneros, and produce this lovely, dry Chardonnay with balanced levels of vanilla and oak. This will pair well with poultry dishes, pasta with creamy sauces, or butternut squash.
Regular Price: $13.99
Mills Club Price: $12.59
Case Price $11.19
Keuka Springs 2016 Gewürztraminer, Finger Lakes, New York (Pat)
Winemaker August Diemel has officially joined the line of successful winemaking alums of Annapolis’ own St. John’s College (joining the likes of winemakers at Turley, Marcassin, Calder, Henry of Pelham, Kongsgaard, and Goldeneye just to name a few). This dazzling bottling is an off-dry Gewürztraminer, ripe with rose and jasmine aromatics and flavor notes of grapefruit, melon and ginger. Gewurztraminer is a grape of German origin, “gewürz” translating “herb” or “spice” in German, referring to its typically spicy character. This is an excellent choice for your Thanksgiving table or to pair with sushi or spicy Thai dishes! Rated 90pts Wine Enthusiast.
Regular Price: $18.99
Mills Club Price: $17.09
Case Price: $15.19
Mommessin 2016 Saint-Amour “Les Grandes Mises”, France (Jen & Jerry)
Saint-Amour is the smallest and northernmost of the 10 cru of Beaujolais, and also considered the most romantic. Jean Marie Mommessin established the winery in 1865 in an old outbuilding of the Cluny monks of South Burgundy. This wine features attractive notes of blackberries and violets, with tender, refined tannins. The long finish of concentrated raspberry and blackberry notes are balanced by underlying minerality and musky herb. Enjoy with roasted chicken, preferably with people you love! Rated 92pts James Suckling.
Regular Price: $24.99
Mills Club Price: $22.49
Case Price: $19.99
Simple Life 2016 Pinot Noir, California (Tim)
This wine has classic pinot noir aromas and flavors of cherries, forest floor and cloves. Balanced acidity and soft velvety tannins make this an excellent food wine, excellent with poultry, beef tenderloin, or pizza. Rated 89pts Wine Enthusiast “Best Buy” designee.
Regular Price: $13.99
Mills Club Price: $12.59
Case Price: $11.19
Cloisonne 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California (Andres)
We very much enjoyed trying this bold Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) with 14% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec blended in. Super affordable for a Napa appellation Cab, it spends 18 months in French oak. Plum, cassis, cedar and cigar box are some of the more prominent flavor notes, a long finish features delightful baking spice. Pair with grilled or roasted meats, chili or stew.
Regular Price: $25.99
Mills Club Price: $23.39
Case Price: $20.79
TASTING SUNDAY:
Seehof 2017 Trocken Riesling, Germany (Jen & Jerry)
“Trocken” translates to “dry” in German. The Seehof estate is run by Florian Faust, the 5thgeneration of his family farming the trademark Rheinhessen limestone soils. The soil lends a saline minerality to this Riesling, buttressed by terrific purity of fruit. Enjoy this excellent value with spicy shrimp tacos, pork tenderloin, or seafood.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Teliani Valley 2017 Kisi-Mtsvane White Blend, Republic of Georgia (Tim)
This newly arrived wine from the Republic of Georgia (widely regarded to be one of the oldest winemaking cultures) utilizes two indigenous Georgian grapes Kisi and Mtsvane. This dry white wine features beautiful rose petal aromatics and grapefruit pith on the palate. Zesty and refreshing, it would make a wonderful aperitif .
Regular Price: $12.99
Mills Club Price: $11.69
Case Price: $10.39
Natte Valleij 2016 Cinsault, South Africa (Jess)
This wine is one of our very favorite Thanksgiving recommendations. Cinsault is one of the parent grapes to South Africa’s main varietal Pinotage, but it’s rarely used anymore. Some wineries such as Natte Valleij are trying to bring the grape back to prominence. The wine is matured for 12 months in a combination of concrete egg and used oak. Strawberry, cherry and plum fruits, earth and spice are accompanied by nice structure; it’s neither too light nor too weighty.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Domaine le Pinte 2014 Poulsard, Jura, France (Geoffrey)
The grape Poulsard is farmed organically and biodynamically by winemaker Bruno Ciofi in Jura, in the east of France between Switzerland and Burgundy. Winemaking in Jura is one of the oldest in France although it represents a tiny portion of wine production (1%). This fresh, light bodied red has sappy red cherry notes and a delicate leafiness.
Regular $29.99
Mills Club Price: $26.99
Case Price: $23.99
Chateau Francs Bories 2015 St. Emilion, France (Pat)
This delicious Bordeaux from the excellent 2015 vintage is comprised mostly of Merlot with smaller inclusions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Enjoy with roasted or grilled meats or game dishes, or with a plate of aged cheeses.
Regular Price: $17.99
Mills Club Price: $16.19
Case Price: $14.39
Alvear Oloroso Asuncion, Spain (Aron)
Enjoy this beautiful sherry made from 100% Pedro Ximinez grapes aged for more than 10 years in oak barrels with bountiful notes of raisins, praline and salted caramel, a silky and soft texture with a full rich finish, that stands on the boundary between sweet and dry. Rated 92pts Wine Spectator. Enjoy this with dark chocolate or perhaps better with a plate of aged cheeses, blue cheeses, cured meats and nuts.
Regular Price: $25.99/500ml bottle
Mills Club Price: $23.39
Case Price: $20.79
Sample six of our current favorite wines, or “staff picks” at Mills, all selected to represent good value for the price and to pair well with seasonably available dishes. Save 10% if you choose to purchase any of the wines, or put together a mixed or matched case for 20% off. This is a complimentary tasting!
TASTING SUNDAY:
Seehof 2017 Trocken Riesling, Germany (Jen & Jerry)
“Trocken” translates to “dry” in German. The Seehof estate is run by Florian Faust, the 5thgeneration of his family farming the trademark Rheinhessen limestone soils. The soil lends a saline minerality to this Riesling, buttressed by terrific purity of fruit. Enjoy this excellent value with spicy shrimp tacos, pork tenderloin, or seafood.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Teliani Valley 2017 Kisi-Mtsvane White Blend, Republic of Georgia (Tim)
This newly arrived wine from the Republic of Georgia (widely regarded to be one of the oldest winemaking cultures) utilizes two indigenous Georgian grapes Kisi and Mtsvane. This dry white wine features beautiful rose petal aromatics and grapefruit pith on the palate. Zesty and refreshing, it would make a wonderful aperitif .
Regular Price: $12.99
Mills Club Price: $11.69
Case Price: $10.39
Natte Valleij 2016 Cinsault, South Africa (Jess)
This wine is one of our very favorite Thanksgiving recommendations. Cinsault is one of the parent grapes to South Africa’s main varietal Pinotage, but it’s rarely used anymore. Some wineries such as Natte Valleij are trying to bring the grape back to prominence. The wine is matured for 12 months in a combination of concrete egg and used oak. Strawberry, cherry and plum fruits, earth and spice are accompanied by nice structure; it’s neither too light nor too weighty.
Regular Price: $19.99
Mills Club Price: $17.99
Case Price: $15.99
Domaine le Pinte 2014 Poulsard, Jura, France (Geoffrey)
The grape Poulsard is farmed organically and biodynamically by winemaker Bruno Ciofi in Jura, in the east of France between Switzerland and Burgundy. Winemaking in Jura is one of the oldest in France although it represents a tiny portion of wine production (1%). This fresh, light bodied red has sappy red cherry notes and a delicate leafiness.
Regular $29.99
Mills Club Price: $26.99
Case Price: $23.99
Chateau Francs Bories 2015 St. Emilion, France (Pat)
This delicious Bordeaux from the excellent 2015 vintage is comprised mostly of Merlot with smaller inclusions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Enjoy with roasted or grilled meats or game dishes, or with a plate of aged cheeses.
Regular Price: $17.99
Mills Club Price: $16.19
Case Price: $14.39
Alvear Oloroso Asuncion, Spain (Aron)
Enjoy this beautiful sherry made from 100% Pedro Ximinez grapes aged for more than 10 years in oak barrels with bountiful notes of raisins, praline and salted caramel, a silky and soft texture with a full rich finish, that stands on the boundary between sweet and dry. Rated 92pts Wine Spectator. Enjoy this with dark chocolate or perhaps better with a plate of aged cheeses, blue cheeses, cured meats and nuts.
Regular Price: $25.99/500ml bottle
Mills Club Price: $23.39
Case Price: $20.79
Try excellent wines imported by reputable Rosenthal. We’ve chosen some selections perfect to pair with Thanksgiving dinner. Put together a mixed case of 12 from our tasting for a big 20% discount!