Vinopolis Newsletter 4-7-25

In This Newsletter:


New Arrivals
Cameron, Champagne Flavien Nowack, Thibaud Boudignon, Kopke, and more!
 
New Arrivals
 
 
Oregon
 
“Cameron Winery”
 

If you read these Vinopolis missives regularly, then you know Cameron is one of our favorite winemakers in all of the Willamette. And there’s good reason for that! John Paul of Cameron Winery, born in France and possessing a degree in Microbiology, began his wine journey when he discovered “that winemaking offered opportunities to use the right side of his brain and to drink at work.” Eventually his passions took him to Burgundy where he learned how to vinify Pinot Noir from its source.
 
Cameron Winery is a founding member of the Deep Roots Coalition “DRC” and were the very first certified Salmon-Safe vineyard in Oregon.
… Read the rest

Merkelbach Sale 4-7-25

“Should we all buy more Merkelbach? Yes, of course!” – Mosel Fine Wines
 
Stock Up & Save On
 
Merkelbach
 
We adore the wines of Weingut Alfred Merkelbach, irrationally and perhaps more than any other grower in the Mosel. They set the curve for the term “old-school,” having made their wines in similar style for almost 70 years. These wines capture the delicacy and etherealness of Riesling like few other wines we’ve tried. Terry Theise, when importing the wines for Skurnik, described their wines as “like VAPING Mosel Riesling.”
  
The tiny estate boasts mostly ancient (and sometimes ungrafted) vines grown on steep terraces along the Mosel River in Urzig and in Kinheim. When most of the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyards were replanted during the re-alignment of the vineyards, Merkelbach’s vines remained on original rootstock.
… Read the rest

The Sparkling Cure for Tariffs: De Venoge 4-6-25



 
The wine world is reeling from some unsavory news. Many of the wines we know and love from the world’s most classic regions are going to get more expensive after landing on American soil. The situation is uncertain but the power is certainly out of our hands. 

I don’t know about you but I need an antidote…something that can reset my palate after one of the toughest disappointments we’ve had to swallow in the business. There can be only one medicine: Champagne. And frankly it better be some of the best Champagne that I can uncork before those tariffs hit.

Vinopolis in this case as in so many is the doctor’s office. With one of the largest and most well stocked Champagne inventories on the West Coast, there are extravagent examples waiting to be opened at pre-tariff pricing.
… Read the rest

Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit April Sale 4-4-25

In This Newsletter:
 
Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit Sale
Champagne Featurette: de Venoge 

 
The Benchmark and The Explorer
 
Stock Up & Save On
 
Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit
 
Jim Maresh knows a thing or two about wine.
 
As the third-generation in his family to make wine, Jim crafts Grand Cru-level Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the winery’s prized position in the Dundee Hills. His releases are praised by critics praise as “are some of the most impressive wines I’ve tried anywhere—not just in the US”, per Erin Brooks of the Wine Advocate.
 
The winery in question? Arterberry Maresh.
 
These are benchmark wines for the region that somehow capture Jim’s easy-going yet seriously-nerdy-under-the-skin personality. That dualistic charm is doubled in in experimental side project, Tan Fruit.
… Read the rest

Diebolt-Vallois Sale 4-3-25

In This Newsletter:
 
Diebolt-Vallois Sale
Rosé of the Day: Château Peyrassol

 
Cheers To You!
 
Stock Up & Save On
 
Diebolt-Vallois
 
The Côte des Blancs region in Champagne is home to some of the most sought after and exquisite sparkling wine in the world. Think Salon, Krug’s iconic Clos du Mesnil, and Pierre Peter’s Les Chetillons. This is the home of the IT Champagnes.
 
In the Cote des Blancs village of Cramant, Diebolt-Vallois is a star player, in part due to the quality of their vineyard holdings here and in nearby Epernay. The estate has focused on Blanc de Blancs since their founding in 1959. These are very classic representations of Champagne, but remarkably well-priced when compared to, well, Salon, Krug, Pierre Peters, of course, but also better-known growers such as Pierre Gimonnet and Doyard.
… Read the rest