Check out our monthly “Staff Picks” wines, where we choose 12 of our current favorite wines, specially chosen to pair well with seasonal dishes and that present good value for the price. Save 10% on any purchases, or put together a mixed-or-matched case of 12 bottles for a 20% discount.
March Staff Picks
Quinta da Cabriz Dao White, Portugal (Aron)
People are loving Portuguese reds but the white wines are worth a taste and similarly provide good value. Made from perhaps unfamiliar sounding Encruzado, Malvasia and Arinto grapes, this white shows pretty aromatics of lemon, flint, pine and mint with a fresh, fruity crisp palate. Try with shellfish, sushi, or Moroccan chicken tagine.
$14.99
Mills Club: $13.49
Case Price: $11.99 ORGANIC
Poseidon 2020 Estate Chardonnay, Carneros, California (Pat)
This rich, medium-full bodied Chardonnay displays notes of hazelnut, pastry, apricot and orchard fruit, with a pleasing creamy texture and classic California spiced oak note from 16 months in Hungarian barrels of varying age (Co-founder Peter Molnar has ownership in a Hungarian cooperage where they source their barrels). The Poseidon Vineyard, located at the corner where the Napa River and Carneros Creek meet, was planted in 1973 by the Molnar Family. The Carneros maritime climate delivers the cool, foggy mornings and warm days that are perfect growing conditions for slow-ripening, high quality Chardonnay. Try with oven-baked salmon, cream of crab or butternut squash soup, or a garlic butter roasted chicken with potatoes.
$39.99
Mills Club $35.99
Case Price $31.99
Fernlands 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (David)
Signature Marlborough guava, passionfruit and lime notes shine through on this zippy and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes for this wine were from vines grown in an ancient riverbed comprised of silty loam soil. This would be a nice accompaniment to a kale salad with lemon garlic dressing, pan seared rockfish with a lemon caper sauce, or pork meatballs with a Thai dipping sauce.
$13.99
Mills Club: $12.59
Case Price: $11.19
Rallo Bianco Maggiore 2020 Grillo, Sicily, Italy (Tim)
From Marsala in the western part of Sicily, this delightful white wine made from the Grillo grape shows a bevy of citrus, grapefruit and tropical fruit notes with a long, minerally finish and great acidity. The Vesco family farms their high hillside vineyards organically, taking advantage of the slightly cooler temperatures and greater diurnal temperature changes. This wine would be delightful alongside pasta with pesto sauce, calamari, or a hot bowl of tortellini soup.
$14.99
Mills Club: $13.49
Case Price: $11.99 ORGANIC and VEGAN
Bonny Doon 2021 Picpoul, Arroyo Seco, California (Jen & Jerry)
While nothing quite beats the value of our $10 Picpoul from Southern France, we thought this California version was a delicious take on the grape. “Pique-poule”, which roughly translates to “lip-stinger”, is a fixture on Southern France tables; lip smacking acidity and a round texture are hallmarks of the wine that appeals to a wide variety of palates. Enjoy as an aperitif, or pair with vegetable lasagna or oven baked prawns.
$17.99
Mills Club: $16.19
Case Price: $14.39
OC & Co Rosè, France (Andres)
This dry Rosè comprised of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah is exuberant with notes of strawberries, citrus and tropical fruit finishing with mineral and saline tones. This boldness is what we look for in a “winter” Rosè, a wine that can stand up to seafood risotto, stuffed pork chops with roasted root vegetables, or a steaming bowl of sesame noodles.
$11.99
Mills Club: $10.79
Case Price: $9.59
Peirano Estate Vineyards “Sea Enchantress” 2020 Red Blend, Lodi, California (David)
This red blend of Petite Sirah, old vine Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Sirah from Lodi reveals ripe dark plum, boysenberry, cherry and blackberry jam with smooth velvety tannins. Enjoy this bold wine with hearty winter fare like oven baked ribs, tender glazed meatloaf, or Mongolian meatballs.
$14.99
Mills Club Price: $13.49
Case: $11.99
Chateau Prignac 2018 Mèdoc, Bordeaux, France (Andres)
This classic blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux exhibits red berry and spicy clove notes with a round mouthfeel and ripe tannins. The Mèdoc is the largest of the famous Bordeaux wine regions, starting at the city of Bordeaux and stretching northward for 50 miles along the left bank of the Gironde River. Gravel soils and maritime climate make this area ideal for the production of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Try this wine with leg of lamb, shepherd’s pie, or beef stew!
$14.99
Mills Club $13.49
Case $11.99
Chateau Fontanès 2020 “Les Traverses” Pays d’Oc, France (Tim)
A kind of unusual concept, this Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, a region more known for the production of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah. In fact, the grapes for this bottling all come from the Pic St Loup appellation, but since Cabernet Sauvignon is not one of the permitted varietals grown in the appellation, it wears the table wine label of “Vin de Pays”. Nonetheless delicious, this is showing plump, juicy blackcurrant, ripe berry and bramble notes, with very little tannins, making it great to pair with simple appetizers or cheese and charcuterie.
$17.99
Mills Club: $16.19
Case Price: $14.39 ORGANIC
Correggia Roero, Italy (Jen & Jerry)
Matteo Correggia contributed significantly to the establishment of Roero as a recognized DOCG before tragically passing in a tractor accident in 2001. Other Roero producers came together to help the family finish the harvest that year, and his wife Ornella and now grown children Giovanni and Briggita still run the estate today. Located just North of Alba in the Piemonte region, Roero is sometimes overlooked for it’s more famous Barolo and Barbaresco brethren, however, is capable of producing beautiful Nebbiolo such as this example at a fraction of the price. Aged six months in barrel, this shows violet aromatics, intense red cherry fruit notes, brisk acidity and good tannins, wonderful for pairing with slow cooked beef short ribs, pasta carbonara or a delicious platter of salumi & formaggi.
$24.99
Mills Club: $22.49
Case Price: $19.99
Envinate 2021 Albahra, Spain (Aron)
“Envinate” translates to “wine yourself”, the brainchild of four friends who studied wine together at University in Alicante. They apply old-fashioned farming and wine making methods to exceptional single parcels in Ribeira Sacra, the Canary Islands, and through the Iberian Peninsula, making what some consider to be the most exciting new wines in Spain today. This blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera and the 30% the rare Moravia Agria is grown in Almansa, at the Southeastern tip of Castilla-la Mancha and sees no oak. Bursting with notes of fresh wild berries and herbs with dusty tannins and fresh acidity this would pair well with paella, or arroz con pollo.
$29.99
Mills Club: $26.99
Case Price: $23.99 ORGANIC
Obsidian Ridge 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, California (Pat)
The quintessential winter wine, this classic California Cabernet will delight the senses with complex layers of cherry, cinnamon and spice, mulberry and plum, and oregano aromas and flavors. This is comprised of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% each Petit Verdot and Malbec, 1% each Petite Sirah and Syrah from all estate grown vines planted to the volcanic soils of the Red Hills in Lake County. Aged 18 months in Hungarian oak, this big red will pair with well-marbled steaks for a special celebration!
$39.99
Mills Club: $35.99
Case Price: $31.99