Supporting Hospitality Relief Programs

In the spirit of a united food & beverage industry, we are grateful to be a part of Olé & Obrigado’s Restaurant Relief Pack. This retail program will donate 50% of profits from the sales of select wines from March through May to national and local organizations providing direct relief to hospitality employees. The national organization is the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation whose mission is to provide relief for out of work on-premise employees during this tough time. The local organizations have not yet been announced, but we will add them to this post as soon as they are identified.

This program is due to the tremendous empathetic and socially responsible efforts of Olé & Obrigado who feel strongly that in times like these, we bear more responsibility to each other than ever. And we could not agree with them more. We are honored to work with Olé & Obrigado who has a history of using wine as a vehicle for charitable purposes. “As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, we are only beginning to see the widespread economic ramifications that are rippling out from this pandemic. Unless we act with compassion, solidarity, and urgency, measures taken to stem the spread of this disease threaten to deal extensive and lasting damage to our social fabric, in particular the places we gather to celebrate, break bread, and support our friends. With the widespread mandated shutdown of on-premise businesses, people who own, manage, bartend, cook and serve in these establishments are wondering how they will pay their bills – through no fault of their own.” Thank you to the entire Olé & Obrigado team for supporting this cause and stepping forward to ask their partners to do the same.

To do our part, we’ve purchased 6 of the wines on their list, despite the minimum participation amount being 3. We want to give our customers a good opportunity to participate in this program by providing a wider variety of wines to choose from. If any of these wines interest you please call or email us at your store of choice to place your order.

Great Falls:

• Phone number: 571-459-2170
• Email: greatfalls@thewineoutlets.com

McLean:

• Phone number: 703-288-2970
• Email: mclean@thewineoutlets.com

Vienna:

• Phone number: 703-639-0155
• Email: vienna@thewineoutlets.com

 

List of Wines

2018 Nortico Alvarinho – Minho, Portugal

Retail: $15.99, Our Price: $12.99

88 Points Wine Enthusiast

Tasting Notes: This blend of Alvarinho from parcels in the Monção and Melgaço region is crisp while also warm and ripe. Its lively texture and fresh acidity are balanced by the generous white fruit and citrus flavors.

Grape: 100% Alvarinho. Sustainably grown.

Pairing: Nortico is light and delicate, providing the perfect standalone porch sipping wine. If looking to add a little food to the experience, it goes well with cornbread or grain bread with a little lite butter. As with other white wines, the Nortico complements seafood dishes, particularly those of the fattier, saltier variety.

Extra Info: Unlike others from the area, Nortico has no added CO2, making for a richer, fuller, well-balanced wine. And in the words of Rui Abecassis, founder of Obrigado, “Nortico Alvarinho is one of those projects that has been in the making for quite some time. It started in my family’s small tile atelier, where I learned to love tiles. The traditional ceramic tile atelier was more a labor of passion and tenacity than business, as it always seemed to be on the brink of bankruptcy! To this day, tiles are produced exactly like in the 18th century, each 14 x 14 cm tile shaped from scratch and painted by hand. Walking the streets of Oporto or Lisboa you may encounter tiles on both modest and important buildings, in churches, hospitals, and stores, in private houses and public gardens. Tiles are a durable building material, and an early form of storytelling and graphic design. We wanted the Nortico label to evoke those tiles to capture that spirit and Portuguese aesthetics.”

 

2018 Gaintza Txakolina – Basque Country, Spain

Retail: $21.99, Our Price: $17.99

Tasting Notes: Bright green-yellow. On the nose, high toned aromas of lemon, quince, green apple and sorrel are overlaid with sea spray and stony mineral notes. On the palate, puckering acidity and effervescence lend a practically gulpable appeal, with bright meyer lemon, apple and green herbs. Finishes salty and clean, begging for another sip.

Grape: 85% Hondarrabi Zuri, 10% Gros Manseng, 5% Hondarrabi Beltza. Sustainably farmed.

Pairing: Gaintza’s low alcohol, effervescence, and bright acidity make it a delicious aperitif on its own, but it also works well with shellfish, shrimp, and fried seafood.

Extra Info: This is one of the best beach wines you can find due to its lower alcohol and clear yet light nature. This wine is light, bright, and refreshing with a stylistic appeal that is more serious than other wines that come from the same region.

 

2019 Zestos Garnacha Rosado – Vinos de Madrid, Spain

Retail: $12.99, Our Price: $10.99

Tasting Notes: This elegant vibrant, mineral-rosé from the high elevation mountains of Madrid offers aromas of strawberry and pomegranate coupled with flavors of cherries and grapefruit. The finish is crisp with notes of minerality.

Grape: 100% Garnacha.

Pairing: Zestos Rosado pairs well shrimp, shellfish and spicy seafood preparations.

Extra Info: The sandy and limestone soil in the area these grapes are grown in is responsible for the mineral characters expressed in Zestos. With the correct weather conditions, the wines produced in the region of San Martin, are among the most floral and mineral of Garnachas in Spain.

 

2010 La Antigua Classico Rioja – Rioja, Spain

Retail: $26.99, Our Price: $21.99

91 Points James Suckling

Tasting Notes: Quite a traditional Rioja with red-fruit and milk-chocolate notes, medium-body, moderate tannins, and a supple finish. Good harmony and length.

Grape: 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano.

Pairing: This wine complements a braised meat, mushroom, or duck meal due to the smokey and spice accents that are rounded out by a juicy raspberry and bitter cherry note.

Extra Info: The most unique aspect of this Rioja is that the vines are tended in mineral soils of red silica. This, combined with the northern facing high-altitudes of the vineyards that expose them to cooler temperatures and less sunlight, create grapes that ripen more slowly, highlighting flavors of greater balance and focus.

 

2017 La Cartuja Priorat – Priorat, Spain

Retail: $21.99, Our Price: $17.99

89 Wine Spectator

Tasting Notes: Smoky and mineral notes frame cherry, leafy, and spice notes in this fresh red. Tart acidity keeps it lively, while light, firm tannins keep it focused. Tangy and energetic.

Grape: 70% Garnacha, 30% Mazuelo (Cariñena).

Pairing: It is best served with a classic cut of steak with little to no seasoning so there are less competing flavors with the wine.

Extra Info: Aged in French oak barrels for only 6 months, this wine is made entirely from estate-owned fruit in what is the current Catalonia region. La Cartuja remains a small production cuvee born in 2007 as a special bottling project to capture and display the unique mineral character of the region in a direct, unpretentious way.

2017 Carro Tinto – Yecla, Spain

Retail: $13.99, Our Price: $11.99

Tasting Notes: Lurid ruby. Aromas of cherry and licorice are complemented by a suggestion of dark chocolate, and a smoky nuance emerges slowly.

Grape: 50% Monastrell, 20% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 10% Tempranillo.

Pairing: This unpretentious, juicy red will pair well with almost any flavorful dish served on the backyard deck, at the beach or at a picnic. Grilled cheddar burgers with bacon, BBQ brisket or pulled pork and pressed Cajun chicken sandwiches all fit the bill.

Extra Info: Carro is a 100% unoaked and made using a Rhone-like blend of grape varieties from estate-owned grapes since 1925. The amount of care and the quality of the grapes that go into Carro are the same used to make more expensive cuvées.