I went into The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan to pick up the November wine club selections.  I always look forward to the choices, because with the myriad of wines that are on the market, I have to trust my local merchant to find something interesting.  Each wine is curated by the owner and his staff, in fact that is the only way a bottle appears on his shelves.  He has no interest in the common wines that are found in gas stations, party stores, drug stores and grocery stores.  In fact, there were two wine salesmen in the shop at the same time along with customers and me.  As the store settled down a bit, a glass was handed to me, to try some of the wines proffered either for his shop, the restaurant or perhaps both establishments.  I gave my two cents on the wines, and it seemed to agree with the others.  More about them at another time.

When the club selections are chosen, there is always one from the Old World and one from the New World, and there could be a red and a white, but not necessarily so.  The first wine representing the Old World was Vite Colte “Villata” Roero Arneis DOCG 2023, which is owned by Terre da Vino in the heart of the Piedmont.  Depending on the market this wine can be found either as Vite Colte or as Terre da Vino.  Roero DOCG is a small district in the hills of the Piedmont, known for its refreshing whites made from Arneis, and for their bold red reds made from Nebbiolo. The district is named after the Roero family, who were powerful bankers in the Middle Ages.  The classic Roero Bianco must be at least ninety-five percent Arneis, the other five percent can be any other local white varietal.  They tend to grow the vines on the northern slopes of the hills, while Nebbiolo grows on the southern side on loose soils with a strong presence of silica.  For a while, the grape almost became extinct, as all the interest was in the red wines.  The grape can be difficult to grow and was often grown alongside the Nebbiolo, because its fruit was sweeter and the birds would feed on the white grapes and leave the red grapes alone.  Traditionally a dash of Arneis was added to the Nebbiolo to soften the tannins, similar to how Viognier is used in parts of the Rhone. This wine was made from hand harvested grapes and it undergoes cold maceration and spends ten days on the lees in Stainless Steel.  The wine is a pretty straw color, and the nose offered pears, lime zest, and white florals.  The wine on the palate is very crisp and fresh with the notes of white fruit, a burst of tangerine and a tinge of hazelnut with a touch of minerals, peaches, and honey in the finish.

The wine representing the New World is Firesteed Cellars Pinot Noir Oregon 2021.  Oregon appeared on the wine scene in the Sixties and with Pinot Noir has become a great pair.  Firesteed Cellars was founded in 1992 and opened an official tasting room for the winery in 2002 in Rickreall, Oregon. They specialize in Pinot Noir, but they also are known for their Pinot Gris and Riesling; and have begun a series of AVA specific Pinot Noirs as well.  This wine is their basic Pinot Noir with the fruit harvested from different parts of the state.  The 2021 vintage was considered a banner year for Oregon Pinot Noir wines; a cool spring, a hot summer, and then a long cool fall.  The fruit was fermented in deferential treatment to this finicky varietal.  Aging was done in a combination of small French Oak barrels, of which fifteen percent was new and in larger Stainless-Steel tanks.  The wine is describes as being a light ruby red and offering notes of cherry, raspberry, lavender and rose petals.  On the palate tones of “jammy” fruits and soft silky tannins leading to a lingering finish of spice, vanilla, and French Oak.