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Recent Opinions and Events

Tasting Notes, Aged wines; Feb 22, 2020

To age, or not to age, is often the question. Which wines age well, and/or will you like the wine(s) after they age (and change)? As wine ages, it changes, becoming less…fruity, acidic, tannic, heavy, and/or brightly colored; effectively limiting many of the attributes that may make the wine attractive in the first place. ‘Experts’[…]

Tasting Notes, Feb. 15, 2020; Pinot Family

Brandborg Pinot Gris 2018 Elkton, OR Regular Price $19.99 Sale price $15.99 South of Eugene, there is another wine region in Oregon, the Umpqua Valley. 36 miles from the Pacific and with elevated vineyards, this is a cool climate where grapes ripen slowly and retain refreshing acidity. Ergo, this crisp and fresh wine boasts apple[…]

Tasting notes, Feb. 8. 2020; Wines of Italy

2018 Tenuta le Calcinaie Vernaccia di San Gimignano Tuscany Regular Price $19.99 Sale price $15.99 Just outside of the famed and ancient seven towered town of San Gimignano lies the small winey of Tenuta le Calcinaie. If you’re in the area, skip the town (which is a bit of a tourist trap) and visit the[…]

Piedmont Wine Dinner

Piedmont Wine Dinner Thursday, February 27, 2019 6:30 PM Linwoods 25 Crossroads Dr, Owings Mills, MD 21117 Butlered Hors d’oeuvres upon arrival G.D. Vajra, N.S. Della Neve Extra Brut Rosato, NV 1st COURSE Tuna Crudo, Egg Yolk Vinaigrette, Crispy Shallots, Baby Arugula Negro Angelo & Figli, Roero Arneis Negro Perdaudin, 2017 La Colombera, Colli Tortonesi[…]

Whiskey Tasting, Feb. 1, 2020: Bourbons & Ryes

Breckenridge ‘A Blend’ Bourbon, 86 proof Breckenridge, Colorado Regular Price $47.99 Sale price $42.99 “Deep honey-amber hue with warm, pronounced aromas of under-ripe banana and brown sugar, with spicy notes of white pepper and toasted sesame. Light body with warm texture and long sweet oak, vanilla finish with a touch of bitterness to balance. Reminiscent[…]

Tasting Notes, Tour de France; Jan 25, 2020

2016 Vincent Girardin ‘Les Vieilles Vignes’ Mâcon-Fuissé Burgundy Regular Price $26.99 Sale price $19.99 100% Chardonnay, fermented and aged in large oak barrels (only 10% new) gives this wine some oak seasoning (rather than flavoring) to compliment the ripe pear and tart apple flavors abounding. Its generous and full but not over-the-top, rather offering balancing[…]

Tasting notes, Jan. 18, 2020; Wines from Spain

2018 Ostatu Blanco Rioja Regular Price $17.99 Sale price $13.99 Bright, fresh and crisp, this unoaked blend of Viura and Malvasia evokes flavors of green apple tossed with lime juice. It’s a great aperitif wine, well balanced and sensibly weighted. Lovely and easy to enjoy. 2017 Do Ferreiro Albarino Cepas Vellas Rias Baixas Regular Price[…]

Tasting notes, Jan. 11, 2020; Bold Winter Wines

Koehler-Ruprecht Pinot Noir Rosé Kabinett Trocken 2018 Pfalz Regular Price $27.99 Sale price $21.99 Here’s another of those very traditionally made wines from a house with a 300 year history behind it. They maintain a strict non-interventionist approach. No irrigation, fertilizers, or herbicides are used in the vineyards. There is no chaptalization, use of enzymes,[…]

Tasting Notes, Jan 4, 2020; New Wines, New Year

Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco 2018 Sicily Regular Price $27.99 Sale price $21.99 This is a field blend of Sicilian white varietals: Carricante, Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia and Minnella, with Carricante dominating the blend with roughly 65%. Its lively and bright and fresh, yet possesses more depth of flavor and texture and character than one[…]

Tasting Notes, ‘I don’t know that wine’, Dec. 28, 2019

Marco De Bartoli ‘Vignaverde’ Grillo, Terre Siciliane, 2016 Sicily Regular Price $29.99 Sale price $23.99 The grape here is grillo, which is indigenous to Sicily (and the principal grape in Marsala) and produces (in the right hands) a wine that is fresh and fragrant and lively. Marco Di Bartoli has the right hands and outlook[…]

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Meet the team

Our store is a family business run by three generations of native Marylanders with decades of experience in the the wine industry.

Matt Wood

Matt has 10 years of experience in the wine business as a wine buyer at the Wine Source and working in wine retail at North Charles Fine Wines. He has designed and lead tastings of both wines and whiskeys.

PETER WOOD

Peter has a 40 year career in food & beverage in the Baltimore and Washington DC area. Peter has worked in, managed and/or owned too many restaurants to list here (not necessarily a good thing) and also spent a decade in the wine biz (while attempting to stop working in restaurants).

Liam WOOD

Liam is Matt’s son & Peter’s grandson. He’s a regular fixture in the shop and a lover of shiny bottles. He’ll be tasting wine with the best of them 20 years from now