June is upon us which means The Longest Day of the Year is here as well! We thought: why not Pre-Pair wines with a deliciously long finish, cheese and sweet treats that leave you wanting more, and an extra long playlist to keep those summer soirées going until sundown?! Our June 2022 Pre-Paired is all about the long finish!

Before we get into our pairings, make sure you open up our custom curated playlist to play as you go!

Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé

Grapes: 100% Chardonnay

The Story: Founded in 1859, Louis Jadot is one of the most trusted and revered wine houses in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. They balance tradition and technology, focusing on the purest expression of each wine’s terroir.

Tasting Notes: Are you ABC: Anything But Chardonnay? Let this wine convince you otherwise! Produced in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, this famous wine is partially barrel fermented with six months of subtle use of oak, allowing the wine to retain its complexity and structure. Enjoy aromas of fresh red apples, honey, and white flowers with elegant and rich flavors of toasted nuts and citrus. One of the purest expressions of this typical Burgundian grape.

Music Pairing: “Embraceable You” — Let Billie Holiday’s sultry voice transport you and even perhaps convince you to embrace Chardonnay as your new summer love.

Angeleno Wine Swayze Vineyard Zinfandel

Grapes: 100% Zinfandel

The Story: With a focus on unique varietals, Angeleno Wine Co., based in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles, aims to push the boundaries of what Southern California wine growing can be. Tannat, Graciano, Godello, Loureiro, Treixadura, and Alicante Bouschet are some of the unique varieties here. Their wines are naturally made and 100% vegan, elegant, balanced, and perfectly expressive of Los Angeles’ unique character: a growing region where the desert meets the sea.

Tasting Notes: Don’t let most of California’s Zinfandel fool you into thinking this grape is heavy, jammy, and tannic. Sure, up in Lodi it might be but, in fact, Zinfandel is a soft, elegant grape with skin as soft as Pinot Noir. This wine is foot stomped (remember that episode of “I love Lucy?”) and 100% whole cluster. On the palate, you’ll get a medium-bodied wine with lots of spice and lovely smooth tannins that will make you feel like the wind.

Music Pairing: Nope, no relation, but we simply couldn’t resist. Unlike the Zinfandel in your glass – anything but predictable – “She’s like the wind” is a dreamy love song sung by Patrick Swayze. Summers are for guilty pleasures, after all!

2012 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Gran Reserva

Grapes: 100% Tempranillo

The Story: Enrique Forner founded Marqués de Cáceres Unión Vitivinícola S.A., a historic alliance of growers in Rioja in 1970. Their introduction of a Bordeaux concept revolutionized the region’s production and business model, and their objective to produce the highest quality wines continues with Cristina Forner, the fifth generation of this distinguished wine family.

Tasting Notes: Deep color with a hint of brick-red on the edge. Superb complexity on the nose with notes of balsamic, refined oak, mature plums, sweet spice, and roasted coffee beans on the palate. Lively and with excellent potential for aging, this bottle has a fabulously long finish.

Music Pairing: Take a sip, close your eyes, and bask in the beautiful sounds of Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” (start with the first movement: Allegro con spirito), a piece that sounds like summer itself. Listen for the guitar’s gentle opening melody then let the orchestra sweep you off your feet and into the sweet, summer night.

Caña de Cabra Goat Cheese

Caña de Cabra goat cheese from Spain. This cheese comes in “log” form and has a tangy, light flavor to it. While a superb pairing with the Pouilly-Fuissé, we know this will also go excellently with the Rioja! Try drizzling it with a bit of honey to go with the spiciness in the Zinfandel. This is a super versatile cheese, and we dare you to find a palate that doesn’t love it!

Strawberry & Basil Dark Chocolate from Moonstruck Chocolate

The Strawberry-Basil dark chocolate bar from Moonstruck Chocolate in Portland, OR is summer in a chocolate bar. With fresh, freeze-dried organic strawberries and a hint of fresh basil, this bar is a must-have for your summer sweets larder.

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