FREE WINE TASTINGS ON BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY!!

FRIDAY, 18 MARCH, 5-7 PM

Andy Joseph of Winebow visits Finewine.com for a FREE mainly French tasting on Friday evening.  We have a great lineup: Borsao Blanco is a bargain Spanish white blend; Figuiere's "Mediterranee" Rose is a classic dry Provence rose to match the warmer weather; Quinta de la Rosa's Dou Rosa Red is favorite red blend from Portugal's Douro region; and Domaine Lafage's Tessellae Old Vines GSM 2017 is a highly-rated French blend from France's Roussillon region.  And as always, you'll get 10% off all tasting wines not already on sale! 

SATURDAY, 19 MARCH, 1-4:30 PM

Cassi Canady of Artisans and Vines visits Finewine.com for a FREE international wine tasting on Saturday afternoon.  Again, we have a great lineup: Compte Henry D'Assay Touraine is a French Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley; Carol Shelton's Wild Thing Rendevouz Rose is a Zinfandel-based rose from California's Mendocino County; Independent Tempranillo is a great value Spanish Red; and Craftwork Cabernet Sauvignon is a highly-rated California Cab recently recommended by the Washington Post.  And as always, you'll get 10% off all tasting wines not already on sale! 

This 93-pt Spanish Red is a powerhouse!

 2017 BODEGAS SIERRA SALINAS "MIRA" SALINAS IS $19.98

"Deep ruby/plum color is followed by a Bandol-like bouquet of smoked black fruits, earth, meat, and spice. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful fruit, good acidity, and plenty of tannins, and it's a classic, balanced Monastrell that more than over-delivers at the price. " - Jeb Dunnuck: 93 Points

While steeped in tradition, Spanish wines vary widely based on the region of origin (and the grapes that predominate there).  The best-known Spanish reds come from the Tempranillo grape, from northern regions such as Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro.  But today's feature wine demonstrates the great quality and value to be found in lesser-known Spanish regions.  Bodegas Sierra Salinas "Mira Salinas" 2017 comes from Alicante, in southeastern Spain, far removed from more famous regions such as Priorat, Rioja, and Jerez (Sherry).  This beautiful example of the Monastrell grape tops most of the offerings of these more famed regions, rivaling the big Tempranillos for power while over-matching them in value.  It easily earns its ratings of 93 points (Jeb Dunnuck) and 92 points (James Suckling), yet it's affordable as well as delicious at our sale price of $19.98!

Monastrell is the "M" in the classic "GSM" blend, boosting Grenache and Syrah with deeper color, darker fruit character, and more robust tannins.  Yet while prevalent in France (as "Mourvèdre) and Australia (as "Mataro"), it is rarely bottled as a varietal wine outside of Spain.  This may reflect differences in national wine laws, but certainly reflects the uniquely Monastrell-friendly terroir of Spanish regions like Alicante, named for the Valencian port city in southeastern Spain. The Alicante appellation is divided between eastern and western halves, with the arid west planted 75% to Monastrell.  This terroir coaxes a balanced expression from this big grape.  As described by James Suckling, Mira Salinas 2017 is "a very fruity and delicious alicante with bright fruit and lots of spice, crushed stone and dried fruit. Some cloves, too. Some chewy tannins and bitter-citrus undertones. Toasted. Drink in 2023, but already impressive."

This intense and deep red has it all- a complex bouquet, expressive ripe fruit notes (blackberries, red plums), elegant hints of spice, and a smooth, almost silky texture.  Expressed more pithily, this is big, yet balanced.  James Suckling's ending comment captures something essential about the  2017 Mira Salinas- "Drink in 2023, but already impressive".  In plain English, this wine is delicious right now, but has years of life ahead of it and is still improving.  So why not stock up on a big, delicious red with staying power?  At our sale price of $19.98, this is a wine for tonight's dinner table- and for your cellar for years to come!

World-class Malbec- from its "Old World" home!

 2018 CEDRE HERITAGE CAHORS MALBEC IS $18.48

"A rich, fruity and structured wine, this is full of black currant fruits. Its rich tannins are fully blended into the wine's intense fruitiness. Just the touch of minerality is a reminder that it is still aging." - Wine Enthusiast: 91 Points

We're conditioned to associate certain things: salt and pepper; peas and carrots; Malbec and Argentina.  The phrase "Argentinian Malbec" is one of the most familiar in wine, and Malbec from Argentina's Mendoza region is a crowd-pleaser.  But as with most grapes that flourish in South America, Malbec is actually native to France, and today's feature wine shows that great wine is still produced in the grape's "Old World" home!  Château du Cèdre's "Heritage" Cahors 2018 is a departure from the Argentinian style- and in this instance, vive la différence!  Malbec from Cahors is a different animal, and if you've never tasted a Cahors, this is the one to try.  Rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast, this wine is French Malbec at its best, this week at a sale price of $18.98!

STILL A FEW SEATS LEFT:

 "Spanish Diner" dinner, featuring the wines of Isaac Fernandez!

When: Wednesday, March 23rd, 6:30 pm
Where: Spanish Diner, 7271 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814
Cost: Only $95 per guest (including tax & gratuity!)

There are limited seats available for this incredible six-course, six-wine wine-pairing dinner, featuring Isaac Fernández Montaña, Winemaker at Isaac Fernandez Seleccion, and the paired cuisine of Chef José Andrés!

Finewine.com is excited to announce the pairing of the innovative Spanish "comfort food" of Bethesda's Spanish Diner with the wines of an equally innovative Spanish winery: Isaac Fernandez Selección.  Isaac Fernández Montaña is a name familiar to many customers of Finewine.com as the source of some of our favorite wines, a number of which will be presented at this dinner by Isaac himself.  Isaac Fernández Selección is a unique collaborative venture between two visionaries: Isaac- one of Spain’s most acclaimed winemakers- and Aurelio Cabestrero of Grapes of Spain, whose vision and commitment helped bring Spanish wines to the forefront in the United States.  They collaborate at rediscovering forgotten regions of superior terroir and maximizing the potential from old vines of indigenous grape varieties in different Spanish regions- then introducing the subsequent wines to the world. 

And how better to showcase these wines than by pairing them with the cuisine of their native Spain?  Enter celebrity chef and humanitarian José Andrés, who established a Bethesda-based offshoot of the casual Spanish Diner that has been such a critical success in New York City.  Billed as Andrés’s “Iberian take of the classic American all-day restaurant,” Spanish Diner is an ideal setting for a superb six-course menu designed to show both food and wine to best effect.  Isaac will provide the story behind the wines and share some secrets of the winemaker's art, and the wines you taste will also be available for purchase via Finewine.com at substantial discounts to their regular prices! 

This dinner is an amazing value- a six-course dinner with outstanding wines at a fabulous restaurant for only $95, including tax and tip!!  Click on the "Sign-up Now" button below or call 301-987-5933 to reserve your seat(s).  All seats must be reserved and pre-paid in advance. Join the finewine.com team and dine with us!

03/23/2022  6:30pm - 9:00pm  $95.00

FREE DELIVERY (OR CURBSIDE PICK-UP): We offer free delivery within Montgomery County on all orders of $75 or more.  All deliveries are by the following day except for orders received after 6 PM Saturday (delivered Monday).  

If you prefer shopping from home, orders are still happily accepted as follows:

A full line-up of "Case Samplers" (and Totes)! 

Finewine.com offers a full selection of our unique pre-built “Grab n’ Go’ Wine Totes and Wine Cases.  For current options, click the "Case Sampler" icon on our Web Page, or use the following link: http://www.finewine.com/case-samplers