Domaine South
European Wine Tasting
Spain, Portugal, & France!
Special Guest, Beth Farris of Grassroots
Friday, May 1st, 4 pm - 6pm
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
The Wines
NV Conquilla Brut Rose Cava, Cataluna, Spain $20.99
100% Pinot Noir. All estate-fruit. Maceration on the skins for about 8 hours to achieve the desired hue. After primary fermentation, a long, slow secondary fermentation at low temperature followed by twelve month’s aging sur lie in bottle before disgorgement.
Bright cherry color with a salmon rim. Fine, delicate bubbles. Aroma of wild berry and currant lead to a spicy palate of red fruit accompanied by fine, enduring bubbles and balanced acidity. Generous, toasty finish.
2024 Assinatura De Familia Quinta de Santiago Vinho Verde, Portugal $17.99
Produced from 40% Arinto, 30% Trajadura, 30% Loureiro, this undeniably fresh and pleasant low alcohol wine is often best served with a porch swing and favorite book...or light fish fish and shellfish. A 4th generation winery and farm since 1899, in the heart of the Vinho Verde region of Portugal, this family is, at long last, making their own wine instead of selling off their grapes.
2023 Maison Gazeau-Baldi "O Bu", Loire Valley, France $44.99
Orange wine made from macerated Chenin and a blanc de noirs of Pineau d'Aunis
Grape Percentage:60% Chenin and 40% Aunis. Average age of vines: 40. Soil type: Clay, Flint, Tufa
Harvest time is always an opportunity to experience life, a moment of sharing and connection. We aim to craft wines that highlight the potential of each plot according to the vintage. We offer an interpretation through our choices of pressing, maceration, racking, and aging time, without ever simply copying a method. We strive to listen to the directions the wine takes and adapt accordingly.
2022 Maison Gazeau-Baldi Coteaux de Loir Rouge, Loire Valley, France $36.99
Maison Gazeau-Baldi’s Coteaux du Loire is a harmonious blend that showcases the unique terroir of La Male Perdrix, a parcel facing west on stony soils of flint clays and tufa subsoil. Comprising 80% Pineau d’Aunis and 20% Côt, this wine embodies a beautiful cohabitation between two grape varieties and two generations of vines, with an impressive age range spanning 70 years for Pineau d’Aunis and 5 years for Côt. The vineyard management is certified organic and biodynamic, reflecting a commitment to sustainable practices. The grapes are harvested manually from vines with a planting density of 6,000 per hectare and are meticulously vinified through maceration of Aunis in whole bunches, accompanied by a direct pressing of Côt. The resulting wine unveils a spicy and fruity nose, adorned with notes of fresh roses. In the mouth, it exudes suppleness, minerality, light tannins, and an enduring length.
2024 Thevenet & Fils "Les Clos" Bourgogne, Burgundy, France $27.99
When legendary importer Neal Rosenthal first visited Jean-Claude Thévenet 43 years ago, the domaine was just short of 8 acres. But Rosenthal recognized something special: here was a family that didn't just grow grapes—they were nurserymen in the “sweet spot” town of Bussières, propagating the finest clonal material for estates across southern Burgundy.
Over four decades, the partnership between Rosenthal and the Thévenet family has weathered every vintage, market shift, and generational transition. When Jean-Claude passed away way too young in 2008, his wife Hélène and their three sons: Benjamin, Jonathan, and Aurélien—carried forward with the same zeal that made their father so respected.
Today, the domaine spans 74 acres across Pierreclos and neighboring villages, with holdings in some of the Mâconnais’ most promising terroirs. Their Bourgogne Rouge “Les Clos” comes from south-facing vineyards in Bussières, where clay soils at 350 feet elevation are the ideal habitat for Pinot Noir in warm years. Careful pigeage and remontage during fermentation preserve the wine's fresh, vibrant character alongside its deeper blackberry notes.
2022 Radicalement Rouge "Les Vignes Fresche", Loire Valley, France $27.99
A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Groulleau, some of which undergoes carbonic maceration and some of which is destemmed. No oak, this is a juicy and bright red with good ripeness and texture. There's more here than a simple glou glou wine, but that doesn't mean it's not supremely drinkable. Great with a slight chill, with or without food (but if you're looking for suggestions, try it with grilled meats or bbq!).
In 2022 Marc Houtin, geologist and partner at La Grange aux Belles, and Daniel Craker, former cellarmaster, and importer in Bordeaux joined together to start Les Vignes du Fresche. Their intention is to make wines that reflect the vintage and their land, on the hills of the Coteaux de la Loire in Anjou. They farm 27 hectares of vines, all situated on a plateau 93m above sea level, south of the Loire river, on sandy clay soils on a bedrock of black schist typical of the Anjou noir. The vines have been farmed organically since 2000. Marc and Daniel are committed to working sustainably and improving the estate.
After their first harvest, they planted over a hundred trees amongst the vineyards to provide diversity and protection for the vines. They have also reduced grubbed up some tired vines, to leave grassland for the introduction of horses and sheep to the estate. They will use horses to work in Clos le Grand Bézillé, and sheep to maintain the grass during the winter months and in early spring. They also work sustainably in their small winery: they collect rainwater and have plans to build a more energy efficient winery with solar panels to cover their daily energy needs outside harvest time. They bottle using extra-light glass. The wines are clean and juicy, fermented with natural yeasts and no additives apart from a touch of sulphur to ensure the wine remain stable.