Staff Picks

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

This rare vintage Champagne from 2007 is a spectacular example of how dramatic the wine can be as it ages. Ten years after harvest, the wine is now the color of golden wheat with notes of yellow apples, baked pear, and a rich, nutty essence. If the ballroom scene in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast had a flavor, it would taste like this. 

-Seth

Though a white wine, this wine is made from two red grapes: pinot meunier and pinot noir in an 80/20 split, a winemaking style called blanc des noirs. The resulting wine is full bodied and rich, with surprising notes of chocolate-covered strawberry and pumpernickel toast. The flavors are dreamlike, the ghosts of raspberries and cherry dancing on your tongue.                                                       

– Mr. Baker

Lively and robust, this French pinot noir is full of complex notes of blackcurrent, blackberry, and licorice. Hints of Bing cherry and mocha on the finish allow this wine to pair perfectly with cheese and dishes such as roast duck, chicken, and heaty stews and soups. For those looking to understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to Burgundy, look no further than this bottle!

– Kalie

This full-bodied red blend is cosy company in these cool temperatures. Made up of the grapes carignan, syrah, and grenache, this blend is big and robust, with tannins that are begging to be paired with food. It has a forward, fruity mouthfeel with plum and berry notes. Can Blau will make a lovely pair to hearty winter stews and roast meats.

– Ali

This pinot noir heavy Champagne is elegant and refined with delicate notes of strawberry, white plum, and raspberry. Full bodied and robust, this is a wine that would work well with many different kinds of cheeses or even heavier foods. J. Lassalle has been made by women for three (and going on four) generations, making it just another example of a women-lead winery that produces world-class wine.

– Keegan

The city of Reims in Champagne is dotted by centuries-old chalk mines dug out by the Roman Empire, and the vestiges of these mines are home to Maison Ruinart. They were the first established Champagne house and have been making gorgeous wines for almost 250 years now. That unmatched expertise comes through in this delicately colored rosé. Aromas of wild strawberry, guava, and rose draw are followed by flavors of fresh red berries and grapefruit.

– Sam

If you’re anything like us, you probably find cooking at the holidays to one of the more stressful holiday traditions. And once you’ve finally gotten everything on the table, what are you supposed to drink?

Well, that’s where we come it! We curated a few wines that pair best with the dishes we get asked most about at this time of year. Most of these are wines that we’ve been enjoying for years, and we think it’s about time you enjoyed them too.

Chateau de Bellevue Bordeaux Rogue

The merlot-based blend is full of ripe berry notes with a hint of leather and cedar wood on this finish. The perfect pairing with a traditional turkey!

Pinot Noir

No matter what side of the “stuffing vs. dressing” debate you fall on, one thing is still the same: a rich and velvety pinot noir, especially one from France or Oregon is the perfect pairing.

Lightning CdP Blanc

This Napa Valley white blend is the perfect match for a savory green bean casserole or a simple sauté with its notes of lemon zest, thyme, and pineapple.

Vietti Barbera d’Asti

Marshmallows or no marshmallows, this fruit wine from northern Italy has notes of cherry and raspberry and high acidity that make it the perfect match for rich sweet potatoes.

Trimbach Pinot Gris

Let’s face it, we all have that one family member who can’t cook so they always show up to dinner with only a salad. Or maybe you are that family member? No worries! This French pinot gris is here to save the day!

Alienor Rosé

If your Thanksgiving is anything like ours, there’s more than just turkey on the table. This lush and full-bodied rosé has been aging for six years and is full of ripe berry flavors, perfect for pairing with pork!

Chappellet Chardonnay

A Thanksgiving staple, nothing pairs better with buttery mashed potatoes than a well balanced, oaked chardonnay with notes of lemon, apple, butter, and vanilla.

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

I know that everyone is going Beaujolais-crazy this time of year, but this Oregon wine made from the same grape has recently put me under its spell. Bursting with red fruit aromas and flavors, it has a strong acidic backbone that makes it the perfect pairing for turkey and dressing (and stuffing too, if you’re into that). Also, if you’re looking for something organic, look here!

-Seth

We’ve been fans of Screen Door Cellars for a while now. They’re producing some of our favorite small-batch wines coming out of Sonoma. This chardonnay has quickly become a constant presence at our dinner table. A mature oak program lends notes of lemon pound cake and crème fraiche. On the palate, you’ll find yellow apples, pie crust, and vanilla mouse.                                                        

– Mr. Baker

Chardon-YAY! This is the perfect “weeknight wine.” This Chardonnay is completely unoaked, allowing for its naturally light flavors of lemon and green apple to shine. The grapes for this wine were hand harvest and were never sprayed with chemicals making this wine as organic as can be! Even better, this is exactly the kind of wine I like pairing with Thanksgiving foods!

– Kalie

The barbera grape is quite interesting to me. To the eye, it’s quite dark and suggests a heavy tannic structure, but on the palette, a lighter wine shines through. It’s a juicy, herbaceous wine. Its got good acid and notes of cherry, anise, and perhaps a bit of smoke. It pairs well with root vegetables, just about any kind of greens, pasta dishes, and virtually all meats. It’s gonna be on my Thanksgiving table!

– David

Canard is one of northern Napa Valley’s little hidden gems. Made entirely from estate grown fruit (most of it grown just feet from the owners back porch), this wine is deep and intense with a gorgeous, almost black color. 2010 was a stellar vintage in Napa and this wine is ready to be drunk! Look for strong aromas of cassis and spice that are balanced by just a hint of cocoa powder.

– Keegan

This wine is anything but pedestrian. Its relatively high acidity makes the wine bright and lively on the palate, with flavors of tart cherry balanced by earthier notes. Its forwardness is anchored by an unexpectedly full body and subtle tannins. This wine is food friendly and would be great with roast duck or grilled mushrooms. Great flavor, great price – this is hands down one of my favorite wines in the shop!

– Sam

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

Most people think that sparkling wine should be reserved for special occasions, but I’m a big proponent of #bubbleseveryday. This Pet Nat (meaning it’s made in an ancient pre-Champagne method) is bright, yeasty, and full of flavor. It’s become one of my go-to’s and I’m yet to meet someone who hasn’t loved it!

-Seth

Everyone knows Malbec is a great value wine and this one from Argentina’s Valle de Uco is full of ripe raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry notes. It also has just a hint of spice to it that mingles with the very subtle aroma of freshly picked violets.

-Mrs. Baker

This little white blend is the perfect wine for all of the back and forth weather we’ve been having – it’s relatively light but it also has a wonderfully viscous texture to it that I love. A blend of Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, and Vermentino, this wine is full of fruit notes including rip green apple, lime zest, baked lemon, and ripe apricot.

– Mr. Baker

Used to, if you would ask me what wines I like, I’d tell you that I liked pretty much anything that was white and sweet, but recently I’ve come around to see how wonderful dry red wines can be. This Cabernet from Washington state is very full-bodied with notes of raspberry, plum, and spice. I love pairing it with steak or even just drinking it on its own.

– Kalie

I’m a huge fan of Nebbiolo, and the Produttori del Barbaresco is no exception! Big red fruit, nice balanced tannins, notes of fennel, tobacco and a hint of spice make this Piedmonte offering one of my favorites. Enjoy now (after a very long decant), or lay it down for several years. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed! Enjoy with meat dishes, game, or cheeses with mild or medium firmness. This is truly a great wine at a great price. Cheers!

– David

This Cabernet Franc from France’s Loire Valley is the perfect wine for transitioning into cooler weather. It has wonderful structure and acidity while showing off wonderful fruit and herbal notes. The Bretons are one of my favorite winemaking families in France, and I’m so glad to finally have one of their best wines in Arkansas.  

– Keegan

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

Extremely robust for Pinot Noir, even from California. There’s a lot going on here: a hint of vanilla oak, ripe red fruits, and round tannins. For me, this is the perfect wine to transition into fall – it’s light yet firm, perfect for the almost-but-not-quite chilly nights we’ve been having. Pair it with pork or chicken, or even just have it by itself.

Keegan

How do you not love Chappellet? They’re one of Napa’s best wineries and every one of their wines is outstanding. This Chardonnay is full of bright fruit flavors and hearty notes of melted butter, toast, and baking spices. You can pair this wine with almost anything, but I love it with seafood and all the great vegetables that I’ve been picking at farmers’ markets around town. 

Mr. Baker

This wine was blended to resemble a classic French bistro wine. There’s nothing fussy about this bottle. It’s fresh and medium bodied and perfect for drinking outside. I actually like it chilled, so try sticking it in your fridge for about 30 minutes before you plan to drink it.  

Dominique

I’m not ready to give up my rosé just yet! This rosé from Eyrie Vineyards is the perfect rosé for fall. It’s got a lot of body to it, so it won’t be as light and crisp some of my favorite summer sippers, but it’s still got all of the bright berry flavors that I love.

Kalie

WE’RE NOT WORTHY! Like being in the presence of HRH Britney Jean Spears, drinking this Riesling is a privilege bestowed on the lucky few who dare to dream for the greatest pleasures in life. This baby is now 10 years old but drinking it now is criminal because it can easily age another 10 to 20 years. Granted, what’s the point of buying a wine just to wait a decade to drink it? Maybe you should just go ahead and buy two – one for now and one for tomorrow, er, well, maybe you should actually buy three?

Seth

This wine is basically everything I’ve been waiting on fall for: strong tannins and bold flavors. I strongly recommend decanting this wine for at least an hour so that the lush floral aromas have time to percolate. Spain has long been a place to look for great values in wine, and there are few better values than this!

Sam

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

Where has this wine been all my life? I’m a long time member of the Pinot Blanc fan club, but wheeeeeew, was this a welcome sight: a light-bodied wine with tropical notes that wasn’t a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Let me tell you – I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. This is what I’m drinking all summer long. Get your bottle before I buy it all. [praise hand emoji]   

• Keegan

A well-structured wine, with a soft, long and persistent finish. Brilliant ruby red in color, with a pleasant scent of wild berries. Dry and velvety on the palate, it is characterized by a bitter almond finish. If you’ve ever wanted to get into Italian wines, start here!

• Mr. Baker

Bright pale white gold slivery straw color. Rich, fruity aromas and flavors of peach sherbet and candy and nougat with a glycerous, bright, off-dry light-to-medium body and a tingling, fast white grapes and diet-peach-soda finish. A very fruity and candied sangria.

• Dominique

This beer has a beautiful poor, moderately cloudy, with hints of pears and a herby, hidden sweetness. Overall an outstanding satisfying saison!

• Kalie

I won’t lie: when I first had this wine I was pretty unimpressed. Thankfully, I gave it a second chance it has quickly become one of my favorite wines from Spain. This wine is bursting with ripe red fruit flavors as well as a strong aroma of rose petals. The tannins here are grippy but still pleasant with plenty of acid to balance them out. Pair this with any protein you can think of, just please, please, please decant it first!

• Seth

You really can’t miss with this wine. Several months on oak lend spicy tannins which are balanced by delicious dark fruit notes like cherry and blackberry. It’s surprisingly light-bodied in spite of its complex flavors. I tried it with barbeque, chicken, and chocolate cake and was blown away every time!

• Sam

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

I first had wines from Sonoma-Loeb last March while I was in the Sonoma Valley. I immediately fell in love with this fun and playful Pinot Noir. It has the wonderful taste of Cherry Coke, a tell-tale sign of Sonoma Pinot. The wine will eventually open up to reveal notes of rose hips, pomegranate, and baking spices. This is a wine that’s got be looking at California Pinot in a whole new way.

– Seth

Cristal clear straw yellow with green reflections; present and pronounced on the nose, ripe stone fruit, delicate citrus, hints of exotic fruit; on the palate juicy apricot, white peach and subtle hints of quince; an elegant structure; very fresh, crisp and well balanced by a great acidity and a dense fruit; long finish!

-Keegan

Trust me, I’m a doctor…

This Riesling blends the taste of plum, apple, and lemon to provide a sweet and fruity finish. It’s the perfect prescription for hydration during this Arkansas summer.

 – Alex

The grapes that make up this “field blend” are hand harvested from the eastern half of Ridge’s estate in Lytton Springs, CA. The vineyard is planted with 100-year-old vines of Zinfandel and other complementary varietals. The wine is dark with silky tannins and notes of raisin, plum, and baking spices. Enjoy this wine by itself or pair it with cured meats, sharp cheeses, or roasted vegetables.   

– Spencer

This crisp, smooth rosé has hints of ripe strawberries and fresh flowers. This tastes like a warm day by the pool and will class up any taco truck experience. If you’ve never tried rosé before, start with this one!

– Kalie

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

Where has this wine been all my life? I’m a long time member of the Pinot Blanc fan club, but wheeeeeew, was this a welcome sight: a light-bodied wine with tropical notes that wasn’t a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Let me tell you – I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. [insert praise hands emoji] This is what I’m drinking all summer long. Get your bottle before I buy them all.

– Seth

It’s about to be 10,000º outside and I just can’t handle a big Napa Cabernet when I’m dinning al fresco. This is when I turn to Cabernet Franc, one of Cabernet Sauvignon’s parent grapes, for relief. This wine comes to us from France’s Loire Valley and, here’s the kicker, you can serve it chilled. Yes, really! Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes and thank me later.

-Keegan

We’ve partnered with the amazing Loblolly Creamery to produce a line of alcohol-flavored ice creams and sorbets that are available exclusively at O’Looney’s. We’ll have two flavors all summer long: Double Chili Chocolate and Sparkling Elderflower. We’ll also have flavors that we’ll rotate in and out. Currently we have a delicious margarita sorbet!

 – Alex

This excellent, single vineyard Riesling is everything one can want from a Washington wine. Its sweetness is held in balance by a taut acidity. The resulting wine is gorgeous and full-flavored with aromas driven by stone fruit, mineral notes, wet rock, citrus, and floral scents. Its palate has a beautiful focus with lingering notes of honeysuckle and lime.

– Spencer

Vino Verde isn’t actually green like the name suggests. “Green” is meant to signify that it’s a young wine. This is the perfect thing to sip on during a hot afternoon. It’s very light and slightly spritzy. It has a low ABV, which means you don’t have to worry about drinking too much throughout the day.

– Dominique

Bouvet-Ladubay is a sparkling wine from France’s Loire Valley. The limestone subsoil is ideal for the cultivation of Chenin Blanc, and the mild climate coupled with the excellent drainage of the clay creates the natural acidity needed to produce a balanced sparkling white wine. This wine is full of bright acidity and the flavors of baked apple, brioche bun, and pear.

– Mr. Baker

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

Warm weather means one thing to me: dinner on my back porch, and trust me, this wine tastes 1000% better when it’s drunk outside on a warm afternoon. This is everything I want from a wine this time of year. Lots of bright fruit notes including lime, peach, pear, and honeydew melon. Pair with a salad or any spring vegetable you get from your garden.

– Seth

This wine is full of baked plum, fig and date aromas. Maraschino cherry and kirsch liqueur both come to mind, along with the aromas of ample baking spices. A deep, inky purple color, over time the wine will paint your glass a delicate shade of pink. Delicious now, with cellaring it will evolve and grow into the seductive wine it promises to become.

 – Ty

Did someone say rosé?! It’s that time of year again, and there’s no better way to kick off the summer than with this amazing wine. Notes of strawberry and watermelon are prevalent here, but they’re combined with a lovely scent of fresh air. This beautifully colored wine has slightly copper tints that make it sparkle in the glass. Cheers to the return of warm weather!

-Keegan

Higher acid makes the fruit in this wine seem crisp and fresh with notes of white peach, pear, and apricot. The oak treatment is balanced and serves to elevate the fruit without overpowering it. Hints of vanilla and caramel are a wonderful compliment. I think this wine is ideal for pairing with seafood or chicken and will be a wonderful wine to enjoy in the warmer weather to come.

– Spencer

“If you’re a fan of either Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris, you’re going to like this wine, as it tastes like a unique blend of the two. It’s actually a relative of Sauvignon Blanc, but with light pink grapes. Light and crisp, this wine is full of herbal notes like dill, celery, and fennel. It would make a great pairing with salads, appetizers, and shellfish.

– Walker

We’ve been fans of Screen Door Cellars for a while now. They’re producing some of our favorite small-batch wines coming out of Sonoma. This is their first ever bottling of Chardonnay, and it’s quickly become a constant presence at my dinner table. A mature oak program lends notes of lemon pound cake and crème fraiche. On the palate, you’ll find yellow apples, pie crust, and vanilla mouse.

– Mr. Baker

Check out this month’s staff picks. See something you like? Add it to your cart, buy it online, and pick it up in store!

The off-dry style of this wine makes it perfect for pairing with the spicy Indian and Thai foods that I love to cook. Though some people may not like the idea of a slightly sweet wine, when paired with spicy foods, the spice cancels out the sweetness and the wine can seem rather dry. I also got to visit Vouvray on a trip to France last year and fell in love with their wonderful Chenin Blancs. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, I’m not sure there’s anything else that I’d rather drink on my patio.

– Seth

Justin, to me, is a great “everyday Cabernet.” It has a dark ruby purple color in the glass with aromas of cherry and blackcurrant jam with some baking spice to compliment. The palate is full bodied with bright black cherry, blackcurrant, and berry fruit with an underpinning of oak barrel accents. The tannins are soft, balanced by crisp acidity and subtle floral notes. Justin is a great red wine that will pair well with most red wine-friendly dishes.

 – Ty

If you happened to guess that “Vielles Vignes” is French for “old vines” you’d be right. The vines here are all over seventy years old and were originally planted in the 1930s by Michel’s grandfather. Today he farms these old vines with the help of this two sons Guillaume and Roman. When I taste this wine, I am immediately transported back in time to a summer I spent in the alps of Switzerland and France. The grape here is Jacquère and it has that fresh crispness of mountain air combined with a surprising richness from a wine grown so high in the mountains. Drinking it makes me crave a big pot of fondue or raqulette.

-Keegan

This delicious wine comes from the Santa Maria Valley south of Paso Robles. The cool ocean breezes and higher altitude produce an ideal climate for ripening Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Alta Maria Vineyards sources their fruit from several vineyards in the valley including Presq’uile, a notable vineyard that has had great success with their Pinot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a wonderful nose of cherry cola, strawberry, and dry leaves. On the palate, the fruit and spice are intertwined, with the fruit starting off light and building to a crescendo of spice and non-fruit complexity.

– Spencer

This Bordeaux is full of blackberry fruits on the palate with graphite notes to the nose. A fairly simple oak note augments this simple yet elegant wine. It has developed amazingly and opens up to become a delicious red. It would pair great with barbecued foods, roast chicken, or a grilled pork chop.

– Walker