What you’re celebrating isn’t just liberty, it’s also the possibility of happiness, a state of being so important to Jefferson and company that they decided to directly reference it at the end of one of history’s most powerfully crafted sentences; “…Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Pursuit of Happiness – A Killer 6-Pack Sampler for $75

In the spirit of Jefferson’s America, we’ve decided to put together a six-pack of wines to carry us through this weekend of celebration and into a summer of all-out sloppy eat-and-drink happiness. You’ll get two bottles each of the following wines:

Domaine Gramonen Rose, ‘Pompon’, 2009

Holy cow – this is the best Rose I’ve ever had. I mean it. Domaine Gramonen is one of the hippest, cultiest wineries in France. You’ll know why as soon as you try this wine. Dry and concentrated – a beautiful salad of strawberry, raspberry and watermelon on the nose and a ripe, complex mouthful of fruit, acidity and minerality.  Only 5 cases in the entire state – and we’ve got them all! Buy some before I drink it out from under you!  $18/Bottle

Fondo Antico Grillo Parlante, Sicily 2008

This is the Gatorade of Italian whites – thirst quenching, completely refreshing, one sip and you’ll be dunking from the fowl line… ok that last part might not be true. This super-juicy little Grillo sports a beautiful pear, pink grapefruit and mineral profile and loves to be opened on super-hot summer days, at parties and picnics and with all sorts of food – especially grilled shellfish. $14.25/bottle

Les Traverses de Fontanes, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Chug-a-lug! Les Traverses redefines easy-drinking! Pull the cork for your friends and watch euphoria spread as they bury their noses in a glass full of cherry pie and milk chocolate. This killer little cab with cozy right up to anything you’re grilling. $9.00/bottle

We will offer this sampler at the shop until supplies run out.

I have recently joined the Dedalus Team…Jason and Tim and I have a history that goes back a ways now, and I am excited to participate in the growth of their (ad)venture!!  I have been around the block once or twice and tasted a few wines…to this day I am still humbled by what I do not know about wine, not by what I do know.  One of my missions, which I can already see will be a lengthy process, is to develop a strong Burgundy presence at Dedalus.  We anticipate that this growth from within (specifically, the inventory of wines we will be bringing in) will be accompanied by education without…as we bring in new selections we want you to have not only the most current information, but also we want you to know what the long rich history of Burgundy’s past can offer.  Appreciating Burgundy is a combination of tasting and education…this, too, is a process that we all can benefit from.

Okay, let’s jump right in!!  I recently attended a tasting with a group I have a long association with in Connecticut (yes, I certainly will travel some distance to share a glass of wine with friends!)…and guess what…this was a Burgundy tasting. Specificallywe were attacking the great whites of Meursault (just a fancy geographical name for Chardonnay).  All blind, the tasting covered vintages from ’96 to ’06, village wines to premier crus (there are no Grand Cru’s in Meursault).  Wine of the night…1996 Meursault “Les Narvaux” from Domaine Leroy (the domaine of the “irascible bitch of Burgundy”, Madame Bize-Leroy).  It was quite yummy, with a dense earthy nose, and an elegant, pure Meyer lemon finish. Nicely complex and a good poke of caramel… this one paired up quite nicely with the tuna tartare I prepared!

Some of the group had recently attended another tasting that, blind, pitted red Burgundy with West Coast Pinot Noir…and the results were interesting.  In each and every pairing, it was clear which was the domestic wine, and which was the Burgundy. And again, in each case, the French was the clear first choice.  Now, it is not my intention to be critical of New World Wines. In fact our group has tended to purchase Northwest Pinots as we have watched the prices skyrocket in the Cote d’Or.  But keep in mind, the French have been making wine for many, many, years. Combine that with the association of the soils of the vineyards with the flavor profiles of the juice and you have something that in many cases is exceptionally special.

What does this mean for you?  Well, as we progress with our efforts at building a Burgundy portfolio, keep in mind that while prices remain high in France, we will be searching for out-of-the-way producers and single vineyard village wines that will deliver big value. And what a prospect! There is little that’s more fun for an old wine geek like me than scoring a great deal on an out-of-the-spotlight producer, or a so-called  “lesser” vineyard, grabbing a case and stashing it in the cellar (yes, many French wines benefit from a bit of ageing)…then going back after a year or two and enjoying the transformation as the components come into harmony!

Obviously, I have a soft spot in my heart for Burgundy Some of my most ethereal experiences have come from this source.  But it takes work, it takes time, and it takes patience to successfully explore its riches.  They are there…they need to be discovered, they need to be explored, they need to be savored.  We look forward to experiencing some of these nuances with you. I should be in the “shop” most every Thursday – officially BURGUNDY DAY at Dedalus. Stop by sometime and talk Burgundy with me!!

So what have we got, and what are we going to get?  Well, as I looked at our inventory, I realized that we are really in need of those wines that your hand reaches out to immediately, and grabs because they’re under 20 bucks.  We bought a few Burgundies just prior to the holidays, and while they are excellent representations of the geography and are very good values, they are not in this price range. So I guess it would make good sense for us to offer a couple of White Burgs and a couple of Red Burgs in this price range…and that is what we are going to do!!

Right now we have only a few – but they’re real good examples!  Starting out with a pair of clean, vivacious whites, we’re loving the 2007 Bourgogne Chardonnay from Domaine de la Cadette for $14.75 a bottle and the  2007 Macon-Villages from Henri Perrusset. On the Red Burg front, we just snapped up a few choice cases of Pierre Guillemot’s classically dirty, bawdy and thoroughly delicious Bourgogne, 2006. Imagine our surprise to find that we could sell this beauty for less than 20 bucks. It’ll only set you back $18.75, and it’s one of the most satisfying values we’ve come across in ages.
We hope to have a plenty more wines in this price range soon. Wines that express the “terroir”, the unique character of the land that nurtured the vines and ultimately the grapes – these are the key wines for us. I want you to experience the range of styles and flavors this region is so well known for. I am on the hunt for a good Givry (again, just a fancy geographical name for Pinot Noir) as they are often juicy and fleshy as well as inexpensive and can be a great “introductory” red.

We like to push the boundaries around here. So this winter season we’re going to give you our top 5 hip & stylish white wines.

Wine and fashion have a lot in common.  They’re both trend-driven; when something becomes stylish, something else falls out of favor.  Trends are very seasonal. In the fashion industry that usually means heavy knits and dark colors in the winter and breezy, lightweight materials with bright colors in the warm months.  Wine also follows these seasonal ups and downs.  We tend to sip crisp, light-bodied whites when the thermostat rises.  In the cold winter months we generally reach for robust and hearty reds.  Of course we realize it isn’t as cut and dry as all that, so here’s our list (of wines – we’re leaving fashion to the professionals)

This is our line-up, our own super models of the wine runway.

The Kate Moss – She is slight and a bit on the wild side.  If she were a wine you might say that she is racy and fresh, not unlike…

La Cala Vermentino 2007  $10.75/btl

This crisp little beauty is from the Sardinia region of Italy. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.  Seafood and lemons are abundant in Sardinia making this wine a natural match for oysters on the half shell which are at their freshest and best in the cold winter months. (CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE)

The Heidi Klum – Her accent is sweet, her features are lovely, and she has fabulous curves.  If she were a wine you could say that she is exotic & lush, very much like…

Frederic Mallo Riesling 2002 $27.95/btl

The sensation you get from drinking a quality Riesling in the winter is like putting on a cashmere sweater; its luxe and smooth and leaves you with a happy glow.  This Alsatian version gives you complexity with its combination of sweet honeysuckle and zippy acidity.  It is a great wine to curl up with. (CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE)

The Cindy Crawford – She is the iconic all-American girl.  She can rock out in blue jeans and a tee shirt and look totally fabulous on any runway, anywhere.  Her wine profile would definitely be the cool classic, similar to…

Bethel Heights Pinot Gris 2008 $18.00/btl

With its fresh and vibrant flavors of citrus, apricot, and Asian pear; and it’s spicy notes and smooth finish, this white is very drinkable no matter the weather.  Also it happens to be a great food wine, so if you find yourself ready to dine on spicy Asian baked salmon or Curry chicken, this is the bottle to grab. (CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE)

The Christy Turlington – She exudes class and style from her big bright eyes and striking facial features.  She positively oozes sophisticated elegance, as does…

Lemenicier Cuvee de l’Elegance 2006  $23.95/btl

This white wine from the Saint-Peray appellation in the Rhone has the romance and elegance to be invited to dinner, (especially if dinner includes bacon-wrapped scallops.) It is also worth mentioning that when it’s cold outside and you are tucked away indoors with someone special, you don’t need a holiday to have a romantic evening. (CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE)

The Claudia Schiffer – She is a true blonde bomb-shell.  She sparkles and radiates beauty.  In the wine world she can be described as bright & lively, as could…

Michlits Gruner Veltliner 2007 $15.00/btl

This Gruner has something I love in a white wine; simple deliciousness.  It’s uncomplicated and just as crisp, lively, and refreshing as you could hope for; the wine drinkers equivalent to cracking open a cold beer.  When you are in the mood to relax, this wine will help you out.  I love to sip it as I cook.  Be careful though, because before you know it, you have an empty bottle and a half-cooked entrée.   (CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE)

Sancerre is a little hilltop town that pops out of the Loire like a button. In the 70’s, the wines from the area were all the rage around Europe. Streaked with mineral and honey aromatics, the best of them are so vibrant that they leave a trail of amazement in their wake as the bottle makes its way around the room. The wines are refreshing and terroir driven. They should be your go-to wine for salads and goat cheese (especially of the ash-aged creamy variety). If you want to lay down some sophistication at a dinner party this summer, the Hyppolite Reverdy Sancerre is the wine to set the night off right.

SB from New Zealand is a different animal. A big, lovable, tropical-tasting animal. The country’s best artisan wines come from Marlborough, on the northeast tip of the South Island. These Lemon-zest dusted bananna, kiwi and gooseberry bombs are intensely aromatic and deeply enjoyable. Serious crowd pleasers with the power to match bold food, this is the stuff for backyard entertaining and people-watching from the porch. For everyday grilling, chilling, and relaxing, serve up a few bottles of Sacred Hill. For an epic, next-level grill event, roll out the Mahi.

There are almost as many reasons to stash away wine as there are wines to stash away. If you’re new to the Wine Republic, I wrote about a few of them here. In this post, I’m going to lay down a few guidelines that have made my full-on obsession with the Good Juice manageable:

Set a budget and don’t be afraid.
One of the best things about loving wine is that there’s really so much out there to explore and enjoy. You can find plenty of exciting, crowd-pleasing food wine in the $9 to $12 range and there’s plenty of wine to age and turn heads with in the $12 to $20 range. Don’t let anybody tell you that you need to “invest” in Chateau Bling-Bling if you want to enjoy wine with some age to it. It’s just not the case.

Strike a balance and stick to it
If all you’ve got in the closet is a bunch of wine that’s too young to drink, you’re going to end up drinking a bunch of wine that’s too young to drink. Make sure you’re buying plenty of food-friendly drinking wine. Think of it as a liquid barrier between you and the bottles you’d like to have for a few years. I generally break my budget down into two categories: money for drinking wine, and money for cellaring wine.

Try to buy in multiples
The skeptics out there are thinking that I’m writing this because I own a wine shop and I’d love for you to buy more wine from me. I would. But there are plenty of very good reasons to buy a few bottles of a wine you like. If you’re aging a wine, having at least two bottles of the wine in you collection will let you check out its development. Open a bottle a year or two later – if it’s still too young wait a few years on the second one. If it’s ready to go, invite a few friends over next week and enjoy that second bottle with them. Buying three bottles means you’ll still have two to break out when you’re entertaining. If you’re buying drinking wines or wines to open with food and company, buying two bottles or more means that you’ll never struggle to pour seconds. And most importantly, if you buy at a good price, or buy a small production wine, buying a few bottles means that you won’t have to pay the full retail price or wait until the next vintage to have another bottle or two of that killer discovery you enjoyed so much the first time around. Sometimes you come across a wine you lust after and you just can’t pull the trigger on more than one bottle. Happens to the best of us. Buy it, put it in your cellar, and stare at it repeatedly for years.

Taste and taste often
Knowing what you enjoy is really what drinking wine is all about. Killer wine communities are popping up all over the country. Here in Burlington, there are plenty of restaurants with exciting wines by the glass for you to sample (belly up to the bar for an appetizer and a glass of a wine you’ve never tried before). Better yet, come to the free tastings we hold here at Dedalus. Taste and taste often should become your mantra.

Don’t kill the juice
There are a few environmental factors that you’ll want to keep an eye on so your prized bottle dosen’t turn into a funky vinegar-sherry hybrid. Wine doesn’t like light, heat, excessive moisture or excessive dryness. The ideal conditions – a cool, dark room or closet that runs at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 percent humidity – aren’t a requirement. Really, environmental stability seems to be the key to getting the most out of your collection. If your cellar, closet, root cellar, etc. maintains a fairly even temperature between 45 and 60 degrees, and if it isn’t super dry or super wet you should be all set. A gradual change in temperature and humidity as a result of passing seasons shouldn’t have a noticeable impact on your wines as long as we’re not talking about extremes. Storing wine in your kitchen is the kiss of death. Every time you turn on the oven, you jack the temperature of your wine up by 5 to 10 degrees. If you’re a pasta fanatic, think about the moisture all that boiling water kicks off. Yikes.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape that rockets to the front of the line whenever cork-dorks start talking about the American wine scene. Arguably, Cab may be the grape responsible for more highs and lows, more joy and disappointment, and more great wine and miserable plonk than any other. The Napa Valley’s entire reputation has been built on wines produced by a handful of pioneering, rough-and-tumble Cab lovers. As word spread that a bunch of farmers up in northern Cali were cranking out small lots of world-class wine, interest grew, and another California Gold Rush kicked off. This time, the gold wasn’t in the hills, but on them, hanging on vines in that California sun. As more people showed up, planted vines, and bottled wine, Napa’s reputation grew. But so did our chances of buying bad wine at a very steep price. Today, there’s no shortage of Cabernet Sauvignon. What there is a shortage of, are exceptionally good wines. It sure is easy to find the ones designed in a lab, made by machines, and moved by advanced marketing programs. They’re the big, opulent-but-sloppy wines with snazzy labels and slick websites. In an effort to guide you past the crowd of marketing-department wines, we’ve put together this small, but powerfully composed selection of Cabs from some of Napa’s finest artisan producers.

Many of these wines are produced in very small batches. Vineyards are meticulously cared for, and the grapes are always harvested by hand and generally fermented in blocks. The resulting wines have style and grace – they can age for years or, with a bit of decanting, they can bring great pleasure to your table now. Drink them with food, or drink them alone. Either way, you’re in for a wild ride through cult-cab land!

This is one seriously killer selection of Cabs. If this wasn’t our shop, I’d be very jealous of us. But it is; and we’d rather spread joy than jealousy. So stop by, pick up a few bottles or a case, and join the Dedalus crew in our Cab-fueled euphoria.

Below, you’ll find a list of great Cabs. Many have reviews on our site. Click on the wine link to read the review. We’ll be adding more in the weeks to come, so tune in regularly for an update.

Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
$33.25

Ramey Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2005
$43.95

Ramey Wine Cellars Claret, Napa Valley, 2005
$33.50

Ramey Wine Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Jericho Canyon, 2005
$96.50

Neyers Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Conn Valley Ranch, 2003
$39.95

Togni Tanbark Hill Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001
$63.25

Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
$35.95

Nickel & Nickel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Vogt Vineyard, 2003
$70.25/bottle

Nickel & Nickel Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Carpenter Vineyard, 2003
$70.25

Many Ways to Give the Gift of Vino:

Gift Cards

We’ve got gift cards in any amount – they work just like a debit card. Load them up with dough, give them to a friend, family member or client, and let them come in and pull the cork of their choosing. Dedalus Gift Cards can be used towards the purchase of anything in the shop including wine, merchandise, glassware, decanters and wine classes.

Class Subscriptions

Our classes have generated a huge following. They’re informative, casual and, best of all, enjoyable tasting experiences; perfect for a couple or that budding wine lover.

• Class for a Couple $70
• 3 Class Subscription for 1 $99
• 6 Class Subscription for 1 $189

Gift Bags

The Oregonian Gift Bag – Oregon’s reputation for edgy, spiffy Pinot Noir grows by the minute. Here you get a bottle of Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir and a pair of Riedel Wine Series Crystal Pinot Noir glasses. $55

The Big Red Gift Bag – The is the big leather couch of gift-giving. A decadent bottle of Macauley Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and two Riedel Wine Series crystal Cabernet glasses. $75

The Bubbles Gift Bag – What better way to celebrate than with Champagne. The Bubbles Gift Bag comes equipped with everything a person needs: A bottle of spiffy Marc Hebrart Champagne (a Dedalus exclusive – our house grower Champagne) and two Riedel Wine Series crystal Champagne flutes. $80

Add a corkscrew, a can of wine preserve, and a bottle crown stopper to any gift bag for $15

Two Bottle Samplers

Massive Reds Sampler – Two bottles of big, chewey, over-the-top, monster red wine – explosive crowd appeal in this one! $22

• Razor’s Edge Syrah/Grenache, McLaren Vale, Australia, 2006
• Rioja Vega Rioja Spain, 2006
  

Spanish Hipster Sampler – Two bottlings from a guy who specializes in hunting down cool wine from Spain. This is the leading edge of Spanish winemaking – delicious, inexpensive, and easy to love. $22

• Barahonda, 2006
• Ludovicus, 2007

The Ridge Sampler – If there was a definitive list of California’s Top Ten Winemakers, Paul Draper would be close to the top. He has lead Ridge through vintage after vintage of stunning wines, cementing his reputation for perfection. Here are two of our favorite bottlings. $80

• Ridge Zinfandel, Pagani Ranch, 2006
• Ridge Chardonnay, Home Ranch, 2005

French Rock Star Samplers – People might argue that France is still responsible for the world’s most exciting wines. People might also argue that France is the home of some of the world’s most absurdly delicious wines. We might be some of those people:
Suggested Sets:

Bordeaux from the Stallions – Two estates, each know for their tremendous wines. This is what Merlot was meant to be. $80

• Château St. Jean de Lavaud, Lalande de Pomerol, 2005
• Chateau Fontenil, Fronsac, 2003

Jean-Marc Pillot White Burgundy – these wines are so good, so vibrant and juicy, we weep tears of joy just thinking about them. $105

• Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet “Les Noyers Brets”, 2005
• Jean-Marc Pillot St. Romain “La Périère”, 2005

Cult Cab Samplers – These are the wines that Napa fans whisper about. Legendary wines from the California’s most exciting winemakers and hottest vineyards. We’ve got single vineyard bottlings from Ramey, Heitz, Neyers; small production gems from Togni, Macauley and Honig. This is the upper echelon of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Suggested Sets:

Ramey Wine Cellars Artisan Collection – $75

• Ramey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
• Ramey Claret, 2005

Nickel & Nickel Vineyards Single Vineyard Collection – $140

• Nickel & Nickel Vogt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003
• Nickel & Nickel Carpenter Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003

The Icon Bottle Samplers – For the collector, the Icon Bottle Set offers up a pair of blockbuster wines – the sort that drives wine hounds into a real frenzy. These are limited release wines, with a serious pedigree.

Suggested Set:

Rhone Jawdropper – Two iconic Southern Rhone wines – double the perfection. $190

• Domaine de la Baroche “Pure” Chateauneuf du Pape, 2005
• Domaine de la Baroche “Fiancee” Chateauneuf du Pape, 2005

You’ve got plenty of gift-giving options here a Dedalus. If our suggestions aren’t quite doing it for you, c’mon down. We’ll help you set up a custom gift bag.

For those of you coordinating the gift giving at your office -  be it for clients or your peers, we’re happy to help. Give us a ring or send us an e-mail to discuss our pricing. With a head count and a budget, we can have all your office gifts wrapped and ready for pick-up.

Here’s my word of caution for the post: The wine business is still crowded with tweed-jacket sporting wine merchants selling “blue-chip” wines like they’re the only ones out there. Don’t get caught up in their game. Buy wine because you love it, not because they said to. And don’t think that cellaring wine is a big ego-stroking contest. There are plenty of reasons to build your own personal stash – and showing off doesn’t need to be one of them. A wine collection can be built on almost any budget and, after doing it for a year or two, you’ll wish you had started earlier, too.

Buy Wine for the People and the Occasion
Collecting wine is more of a social act than a solitary hobby. Pulling that cork should be an occasion. It doesn’t need to be momentous. A bottle of a nice, crisp Vinho Verde with a simple salad, a night around the table with friends and an old bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape – either way you’re building a memory:

“Remember the night we had that wine?”
“Damn, I sure do.”

So, for the occasion:

Pile up a bunch of inexpensive, food friendly reds and whites.
These are guilt-free drinkers and there are more and more of them available every day from just about every wine-producing region in the world. Check out funky whites from Spain, Austria and Australia. As for the reds, Provence,  the Côtes du Rhône, the Languedoc, all over Italy

Put away a few crowd-pleasers .
For those nights when you just want the wine to turn heads. These aren’t necessarily the most food-friendly wines, so I tend to use them when light apps and lots of visitors are a part of the plan. These wines have the broadest appeal. With a little guidance, you’ll convert ardent beer-only friends and have the wine intelligentsia nodding knowingly in your direction. Put away a few big, jammy reds from Australia, butterball Chardonnay from northern California, or some tropical Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Stick to small artisan producers and huge bang-for-the-buck wines.

Put away a few big-hitters.
These wines are for those nights when the wine isn’t an accent, for when you want to put it front-and-center. Have a few fellow cork-dorks over for a glass, or plan out a big food-and-wine extravaganza and pull out all the stops. Pulling a bottle from your collection is much more satisfying than shopping on-the-fly. These wines can be young and delicious – and many of them will age well for a few years to boot. After you’ve been stashing wine away for a bit, you can start to pull some older bottles out. Stay on the lookout for Cru bottlings from Beaujolais, Riesling from Germany, and village level red & and white Burgundy from great vintages like 2005 and 2006. If you’ve got a bit of extra dough to spend, pick up a Napa Cab from a good producer, a couple of bottles of Bordeaux, Cru Burgundy, or some Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Also keep an eye out for spiff wines from small producers known for their quality and for their caché. For the love of Pete, pick up a couple of half-bottles of dessert wine. Serve it at the end of a meal with a hunk of cheese and you’ll become an instant wine pairing wunderkind. What kind of cheese, you ask? Give us a ring or shoot us an e-mail. We’ll help you pick it out.

Buy Wine to Age It
Aging wines is only one reason to have a bunch of it on hand. It’s a big one, but not the most important consideration when trying to figure out what to buy. There’s quite a bit of wine out there that completely changes its character as it gets older; and there’s plenty of technical info out there that will explain why this happens.  For now you should just take my word for it. If you’re already enjoying wine, aging a few bottles adds another dimension to the experience. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a few bottles every month that will come into their own two to three years down the road.  After a few months of stashing the vino, you’ll come to enjoy the chase almost as much as you enjoy the uncorking.

Here are a few wines to help you get started:

Ponsenato Pinot Grigio “Le Coste”, 2006 – $9.75
Casa del Bachiller Macabeo, 2006 – $9.75
Kistler Chardonnay “Les Noisetiers”, Sonoma Coast, 2007 – $62.50
Jade Mountain Mourvedre “Ancient Vine”, Contra Costa County, Evanghelo Vineyard, 2005 – $14.95/bottle
In Fine Rounge, Côtes du Ventoux, 2007 – $11.75/bottle
Per Linda Monteoulciano d’Abruzzo, 2006 – $9.75/bottle
Owen Roe Abbot’s Table, 2007 – $24.50
Vieux Télégramme Châteauneuf du Pape, 2005 – $36.25