Taco Tuesday Wine Club

Taco Tuesday Wine Club

As the title suggests, easy, enjoyable, and not too serious. These are wines that are versatile, delicious, and meant to be drank at any given moment. We choose these wines for their value and deliciousness. Quaffable!

One can't go wrong with these, nor will they break the bank.

Taco Tuesday Club Vol. 18

These four bottles represent a masterclass in low-intervention winemaking, high-tension structure, and terroir transparency. Exceptional value and authenticity, in a modern wine market flooded by mass-produced, chemically adjusted commercial bottles, all four of these wines represent authentic artisan winemaking at an approachable price point. They are crafted by vignerons who trust their fruit enough to use native yeasts, minimal sulfur, and no artificial filtering, proving that a wine doesn't need a massive corporate price tag to have a profound, unmistakable soul.

They all reject the use of new oak, or to let oak flavors manipulate the grape. The Niepoort & Cieck are aged strictly in stainless steel vats to lock in pure, vibrant fruit and crisp freshness. While Domaine du Météore and Evening Land are aged entirely in neutral oak to protect the delicate, wild herbal notes of the Languedoc and of Chardonnay respectively. These wines taste only of the grape and the place they were grown. They are defined by an energetic, mouthwatering backbone that makes them refreshing and food friendly. Both whites leverage cool climates to retain laser-sharp, saline, and rocky acidities while the reds, flip the script on traditionally heavy wines from hot regions.

And all four of these producers treat the vineyard as a holy site, utilizing organic, biodynamic, or traditional low-intervention farming to let unique geologies speak clearly in the glass.

Niepoort Nat'Cool Bairrada Tinto Drink Me 2024 $ 24.00

Dirk Niepoort, a legend in the Portuguese wine industry responded to a growing demand—both locally and internationally—for wines that are fun, approachable, naturally made, and perfect for everyday enjoyment. The Nat'Cool line was designed to buck the trend of heavy, serious, high-alcohol wines from Portugal. Instead, Dirk created a movement based on a strict manifesto: the wine must be made naturally with native grapes, be low in alcohol, highly affordable, and so effortlessly drinkable "smashable" and bottled in a signature one-liter format.

This vintage is known for its pale ruby color and a lively, expressive nose featuring fresh strawberries, dried roses, and earthy pomegranate seeds. On the palate, it is exceptionally fresh and energetic, balancing juicy red fruit flavors with a touch of Mediterranean herbs, a distinct saline finish, and a fine tannic bite. Vinified using carbonic maceration with wild yeasts and minimal sulfur, the wine has a low alcohol content of 12% and a slight natural effervescence, making it a quintessential "glou-glou" wine. It balances snappy, refreshing acidity with ultra-fine, whisper-light tannins. A vibrant, and surprisingly saline finish, with a refreshing twist of pink grapefruit and crushed stone.

100% Baga. Historically, Baga is known for being thick-skinned, intensely inky, and fiercely tannic—often requiring a decade in a cellar just to become approachable. Niepoort completely flips that on its head. By sourcing fruit from old vines (40 to 100 years old) grown on calcareous clay soils and utilizing carbonic maceration, he extracts all the vibrant, high-toned fruit of Baga without any of its aggressive, mouth-drying tannins.

Evening Land Vineyards Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay 2023 $ 21.00

This Chardonnay is sourced entirely from the historic, biodynamically farmed Seven Springs Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. The vines sit on volcanic soils and are constantly cooled by ocean winds sweeping through the Van Duzer Corridor.

It is a beautifully balanced white that bridges the gap between classic Oregon fruit and traditional Burgundian structure.

Pale straw in color with aromas of Meyer lemon, pear, and a faint hint of flint. On the palate, a crisp, medium-bodied frame brings a nice balance of zippy energy and a soft, rounded texture. Flavors of green apple and citrus zest blend with subtle notes of beeswax and warm pastry. A sharp, saline acidity cuts through the mid-palate weight with a refreshing with a lingering, stony mineral impression. Oregon Chardonnay is my favorite place for Chardonnay, and at this price, it doesn’t get any better.

Domaine du Meteore Leonides Faugeres 2021 $ 18.00

A partnership between British winemaker Paul Jenkins and French winemaker Paul Gillon, this wine is farmed biodynamically within a literal meteorite impact crater formed over 10,000 years ago. The shattered schist soil, unique to this 200-meter-wide crater, has a unique magnetic signature and imparts a profound smoky minerality to this Syrah-dominant blend. The vines are surrounded by wild Mediterranean brush, known as "Garrigue." Expect a wild, herbal profile featuring notes of rosemary, thyme, and lavender, underpinned by a dark, stony character that is unique to this celestial terroir.

This organic red comes from high-altitude schist slopes in Faugères, famously surrounding a 10,000-year-old meteor crater. The rocky slate soils force the vine roots to dig deep, naturally building a distinct, soil-driven complexity.

It pours a clear ruby color, opening with aromas of blackcurrant, clementine, and wild thyme. On the palate, the light-to-medium body has a silky texture with soft, integrated tannins. Flavors of dark berries and a hint of licorice swap heavy sweetness for a gentle savory depth. A clean acidity keeps the wine tasting fresh and balanced. It finishes dry and light, leaving a refreshing, peppery

Cieck Misobolo Erbaluce di Caluso 2021 $ 22.00

Sourced from the historic "Vigna Misobolo" vineyard in northern Piedmont, this wine highlights the rare, native Erbaluce grape. The vines grow in cool Alpine foothills on white sandy soils, giving the fruit a distinctively bright character.

It pours a pale straw color with green highlights, offering aromas of green apples, wild herbs, and white flowers. On the palate, a lively, medium body balances a slightly honeyed texture with a zippy alpine acidity. Flavors of peach and green melon unfold alongside a subtle note of raw almonds. A savory, salty mineral streak cuts through the mid-palate and finishes with a mouthwatering impression.

Till next month…