12 under $12

This wine is a complete cellar savior. Guillaume has constructed the perfect, bulletproof white wine quaff for any season, as the blend of 40% Viognier, 30% Grenache Blanc and 30% Roussanne provides a little bit of everything. The Viognier? Florals, honeysuckle, great mid-palate weight. The Roussanne? Minerality, structure, power. The Grenache Blanc? The ease, the glue that fits these two grapes perfectly together and fills in all the cracks. This stuff is majorly gulpable and incredibly friendly towards a number of cuisines…or maybe just your patio and a glass…either way you’re winning.

The vineyards lie on the initial slopes of the Iberian System, where altitude, stony soils, and a stark continental climate—scorching summers, frigid winters, and the fierce, dry north wind known as the Cierzo—naturally limit yields and concentrate flavor in Garnacha. Cariñena, in Aragón’s Ebro Valley, is one of Spain’s historic wine heartlands: viticulture here predates the Romans, the town was established as a Roman settlement around 50 BC, and the region was officially recognized as a Denominación de Origen in 1932, making it one of the country’s earliest protected appellations. Today, Garnacha is the dominant grape, and many vineyards—often bush-pruned old vines—sit on poor, rocky soils and endure hot days and cold nights, conditions that drive phenolic ripeness while preserving the grape’s naturally vibrant acidity and spicy, red-fruited profile.

The grapes are destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The wine rests on the lees for about seven months without racking. The cold climate naturally calrifies the wine which is bottled with only a slight filtration needed.

Definitely the finest deal on a Pinot Grigio we've tasted. This one has more body, weight and complexity than anything else out there under $15, guaranteed...