Join us this Saturday to sample a great line up of wines from the Rhone Valley where Grenache is King and Syrah is Queen, or the other way around, who knows, but it’s a royal combination. The wines of the South Rhone are some of our favorite food wines, possibly the most versatile in the world. Saturday’s wines come to us by local importer Millésime, a 'Micro-Importer' of European wines. They buy wine from small producers and bring them directly into Seattle, which is great for us. These wines taste much better than their modest appellations. Dan Houston will be on hand to tell you more. Don’t miss it.

2005 Domaine Martin, Cotes du Rhone, $11

80% Grenache, 20% syrah
Made from 20 year old vines from their family run estate vineyards, the Martin CDR is a nice blend of spicy red fruit, earthy aromas and full but smooth tannins

2005 Domaine Rigot, Cotes du Rhone, Prestige des Garrigues. $15

80% Grenache and 20% Syrah
Domaine Rigot is located halfway between Chateauneuf and Gigondas on some of the best non-village land available. The Prestige des Garrigues is the flagship of the domaine. The wine is thick and ripe and full bodied yet graceful.

2007 Mas Pouperas, Cotes du Rhone, Decrocherai la lune, $15

70% Syrah, 30% Grenache
“Pour toi, je decrocherai la lune” means “for you I will unhook the moon”
This wine is made by a couple of ex-Parisians who bought an overgrown estate in the hills above Vaison La Romaine. The 2007 is only their 2nd vintage, but the results are good. Heavy on the Syrah, the Pouperas is dense, dark, very smooth and tastes much better than it sounds.

2005 Domaine Martin, Cairanne, $17

65% Grenache, 35% Syrah
From 35 year old vines, the Martin Cairanne shows much more concentration than the Cotes du Rhone. The wine is a heavy hitter of dark cherry and smoky spice. It's supple and well-integrated tannins blend smoothly with it's red fruit notes. The wine won a Medaille d’Or in Paris 2006.

2005 Domaine des Escaravailles, Rasteau, Heritage 1924 $28