Ok party people, we are really cooking with canola now. The club is really taking shape and since we’re all part of something new and exciting, I thought I’d focus on wine and music makers doing original and interesting things. Picture this:

The Wines:
Sparkling: Château Gaudrelle ‘Tintamarre’ (France) 2022
Pet-Nat of Chenin Blanc - fresh, fizzy, and a little wild; Tintamarre is French for “ruckus” or “commotion”. Château Gaudrelle’s organically farmed vines sit on clay and limestone soils near the Loire River and you can taste that electric minerality in every drop.

Blonde: Domaine Taillandier ‘Blanc’ (France) 2023
A youthful blend of Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Terret gris, and Terret Blanc. Benjamin Taillandier trades alcohol content for layers of freshness and a level of liveliness seldom seen in wines from the Languedoc. Hints of grapefruit and pear with a gorgeous finish that slowly fades away and radiates.

Chillable Red: Fabien Jouves ‘Tu Vin Plus aux Soirées’ (France) 2023
Renegade fifth-generation winemaker Fabien Jouves is doing things his own way in Cahors. Here, in addition to the traditional Côt (aka Malbec) of the region, Jouves included 50% Cabernet which is illegal according to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). ‘Tu vin plus aux soirées’ is a play on ‘tu viens plus aux soirées’ - an expression that means ‘you are not partying with us anymore.

The Vinyl:
Blondie “Parallel Lines” (Chrysalis) 1978
Whether it’s Debbie Harry’s lilting vocals, Chris Stein’s ringing guitars, or simply the iconic, duochromatic cover art - one way or another, this LP is gonna get ya. Their third (and best) studio album is an era defining blend of New Wave, Punk, and Disco Pop that is unassailably cool. In contrast to some of their more robotic contemporaries, there is a looser, more elegant groove to their Lower East Side grit that is straight up seductive and perfect for sipping grenache. I like to imagine that “Heart of Glass” is about a bottle of wine.