Wine Club: Glou Glou
Glou Glou- a common phrase amongst our staff and in our space over the years. We even have trucker hats with the phrase on them…but we always get the question….What is Glou Glou? The French have it on lock- Glou Glou; meaning gluggable, crushable, thirst quenching and down right delicious vino for all to enjoy! I most often associate this style with those lean, low abv and see-through reds that blend the line between rose/red. But most important they are chillable! Yes these are RED wines that you chill. A concept that some may be used to but some also may say….wait what?????
It’s not very often at your run of the mill restaurant that you see wines served the right temperature. Typically, white wine is served too cold, and reds are served way too warm. Especially the lighter styles such as Pinot Noir. So this month we are not only focusing on the Glou but we are telling you to pop your reds in the fridge and chill out….literally. Think campfires, cozy jackets, cool autumn air, and your fall favorite stews/casseroles. It will be on point.
Cheers!
OH and if you like this month’s selection and want to try some more just join us on Saturday October 7th from 2-4 pm for a Glou Glou tasting! Reminder all wine club members get complimentary access to all of our wine tastings. More info here.
Wine Club: 2 Bottles
Masseria La Cattiva ‘Vino Rosso’ Puglia, Italy • Primitivo
This wine automatically makes me think of fall…and varietally speaking it may not be your first thought to chill down. Primitivo (aka Zinfandel) but from the southern heel of Italy this wine is the first pressing of the grapes made exactly for what we are describing; to chill and to crush. This project was started by six ex-beer brewer friends so naturally it has a touch of funk but in the best possible way. Coming in at just 10.5% abv and with a slight spritz upon opening, it is a juicy yet wild ride of a wine. Farmed all organically, hand harvested, and with absolutely no additives whatsoever. The La Cattiva Rosso is perfection with any grilled meats and a traditional panzanella salad with the last weeks of our juicy tomatoes (😩). I’d chill it down as much a white wine and then let it come up to temp as you sip on it! Have fun!
Stolpman Vineyards ‘GGT’ Santa Barbara County California • Grenache, Gamay, Trousseau
So for all of you that were in the club in August you will be familiar with this winemaker. The long and short is a family owned estate that has been in the Santa Barbara area for over 20 years in the hills of California’s central coast. They are committed to preserving the land around them through conscious farming, dry farming & sustainable employment. The ‘GGT’ literally tells you on the back label to ‘Serve Chilled'.’ And again, we are talking full chill. I actually tasted the wines, one chilled and one reg temperature and it was remarkable how they differed. The chilled one was vibrant and balanced while the room temp was a bit flabbier and just not hitting the spot. This lovely blend is of carbonically macerated Grenache to highlight juicy red berries, crunchy balance of Gamay and a little savory note from the Trousseau. Rock on with this ‘So Fresh’ blend from the Stolpmans.
Wine Club: 3-4 Bottles
Broc Cellars ‘Sogi’ Berkeley, California • Cabernet Pfeffer, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon
Broc Cellars is an OG for Cork. We’ve worked with for well over 10 years now and the wines are just as tasty as ever! You may recognize the name from the ‘Love’ blends that he makes as those are typically staples in the Cork house. My thought with this whole Glou Glou edition was not just to show you light red wines but wines of varying body weights as well because Glou doesn’t have to mean light bodied. Enter Sogi. So first- let’s address the Cabernet Pfeffer 🤔. Yeah I had to double check that too. It’s a mystery varietal that was planted in the late 19th century in Cali in small quantities. It turns out it is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon & Trousseau (hah!). But my oh my will you crush it (and on it). It’s totally loveable with that juicy, freshness that we are talking about. Add in about 15% of Zin and Cab Sav and you get a medium red that’s just right…Goldilock’s style.
Arndorfer ‘Martha Rouge’ Kamptal Austria • Zweigelt, Sauvignon Blanc
Yes this has white wine in it! But we will get there. Martin & Anna (formerly Steininger- which we have worked with those wines in our early years of Cork) are a husband and wife winemaking team in the Kamptal of Austria. They were definitely born into it, hailing from two lines of well known and notable winemakers in the area. They broke sharply from Kamptal traditions and have quickly become rising stars in the natural wine scene of Austria. The ‘Martha Rouge’ is from certified organic vineyards, fermented using only natural yeast, unfined, unfiltered, and just a touch of sulfur. They do a whole cluster fermentation on the Zweigelt and let it conferment with the already crushed Sauvignon blanc- a fun experiment. It’s juicy with a touch of that classic Zweigelt spice but that floral freshness from the SB. Loving me some co-ferments these days- if you love this wine as much as I do stop by the shop for some other fun ones!