‘Island wines’ are, simply, wines made from island terroirs. There’s a lot of diversity in that, and accordingly we’re featuring wines from several regions: Sicily, Corsica, Santorini, and Tenerife (Canary Islands). The wines are, unsurprisingly, diverse, too. But they all share one thing in common: They’re totally delicious! See for yourself here at the shop July 11th.

REDS

2022 Teularju - Barbagia Rosso IGT 2022 – $48/btl                                                            We’ve always liked Sardinian Cannonau (aka ‘Grenache’), but Teularju is making us love it. This is one of the most exciting new producers we’ve come across in a while.’Barbagia’ comes from vines at extreme altitude (~700 meters) on granitic soils. It’s a very pretty, floral wine with sneaky minerality.

2021 Envinate - Migan Tinto – $57/btl                                                                      Canary Islands wines are very fashionable right now, and much of the credit lies with Envinate, four friends at the forefront of the New Spain movement. Migan is made from old-vines Listan Negro on volcanic soils, some of which are at high elevation. Grapes are hand-harvested and crushed by foot, and the resulting wine tastes a bit like strawberries and smoke. We’ll also be opening the 2016 from our library at the tasting!

2020 Girolamo Russo - Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo – $74/btl
Giuseppe Rosso makes wine on Sicily’s Mount Etna, in the small town of Passopisciaro. He’s quickly established himself as one of Etna’s best producers. ‘Fuedo di Mezzo’ is one of Russo’s best wines, a selection of the oldest vines of Nerello Mascalese (with a touch of Nerello Cappuccio) in a single vineyard. It’s a very complex wine with notes of spices and dried flowers.

ROSE

2023 Domaine de Marquiliani - Vin de Corse Rose, Gris de Marquiliani – $32/btl          Marquiliani is the newest Corsican producer to be imported by Kermit Lynch, who writes that drinking this Corsican producer’s rose is “like drinking a cloud.” Winemaker Anne Amalric, an agricultural chemist by training, has been making wine here with traditional methods since 1995, when she began taking over from her father. The rose is dry, freshly-styled blend of Sciaccarellu and Syrah, with notes of melon and flowers.

WHITES

2016 Domaine Comte Abbatucci - Ajaccio Blanc, Cuvee Faustine – $43/btl                  Jean-Charles Abbatucci is an essential figure in the fabric of modern Corsican wine. This Vermentinu is from 40-year-old vines grown in granitic soils just outside of Corsica’s capital, Ajaccio, on the western coast of the island. Delicately floral on the nose, this resonant wine evolves on the palate, with citrus and slightly nutty notes emerging over savory hints of hay, and a long mineral finish reminiscent of Corsica's rocky coastline.

2021 Koutsogiannopolous - Santorini Assyrtiko Ksera Homata – $62/btl                      This stunning white is made from ungrafted, old-vines Assyrtiko from one of Santorini’s finest winemaking families. Soils here are a mixture of ash, schist and limestone, and they’re very poor. This imparts a richness and intense minerality to the wines.