28 Days of Things I Love: Wine by the Case, Delivered to My Door

Let's just call this the week of giving:) Today my friend Anderson, a wine specialist at my favorite place to buy quality wine, has curated a case just for us, a case on which we all receive an awesome discount. Hello, Thirsty Thursday!

At Manhattan Wine Company we run a 17,000 case storage facility and an online retail shop. We sell everything from First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy to everyday bottles like the ones above. We take just as much pride in selecting our lower level wines as we do at the very top. We firmly believe in the fact that you don’t have to spend tons of money to drink really unique and interesting wines!

It all started with a case, he so kindly put together, that I gifted and shipped to my wine loving parents in NC. For each wine he picked specifically for us (all $25 and under!), he described in detail each bouquet, and he also told the unique story about the vineyards from which they came (love that:). 

We enjoyed the entire experience so much that I have been ordering wine by the case ever since. Why run to the store and have to schlep back multiple bottles when you can spend the same amount of money and have a uniquely curated case delivered right to your door? Right? 

Without further adieu, Anderson presents our case and the vineyards from Italy to France from which they came. Special wines for $20 and under y'all! (click on the images or text below to view the wines on Manhattan Wine Company's website)

3 Bottles of 2011 Pouilly-Fumé (pooh we fooh may)

The Wine: Jonathan Didier Pabiot – 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire Valley, France - $19/bottle. It’s everything that I look for in SB – herbal (but not super grassy), citrusy and fresh with just a little bit of funk. It’s twice as interesting as many Sancerres (same grape and made in close to the same area) at half the price.

The Story: This is made by a young guy, Jonathan, with deep roots in the area. He set out on his own a few years ago after working for his father for many years. 

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: Anything with goat cheese, simple poultry, seafood and even vinaigrette-based dishes would be perfect with this.
My Recommended Pairing: This recipe is a regular in our house and would be perfect for this particular wine!

3 Bottles of 2010 Gavi

The Wine: Vigna del Lago, Valditerra – 100% Cortese from Piedmont in Northwest Italy - $14/bottle.   Cortese is a native variety to Piedmont that’s usually turns out cheap and cheerful wines without a whole lot of complexity. This one is a step up in quality. It’s still plenty cheap but it has some extra stuffing, depth and intrigue.

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: It’s great as an aperitif on its own but would stand up to lighter seafood dishes with no problem.

My Recommended Pairing: I would serve it as an aperitif along with shrimp cocktail with three sauces!

3 Bottles of 2010 Cotes du Rhone Villages

The Wine: Seguret, Domaine Jean David – Mostly Grenache with some Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Syrah - $16.50/bottle. This bottle has everything that wines of this quality level in the Rhone valley most often lack: freshness, character, nice acidic cut and finesse.

The Story: Jean and his wife Martine, who run this biodynamic estate, are staunch traditionalists. 

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: It’s earthiness would match very well with heavier red meat based dishes, especially something with mushrooms.

My Recommended Pairing: My mom recently gifted Alan and I a dutch oven that I have been having so much fun experimenting with for Sunday suppers. For this one, I would put it use by making a rich Beef Bourguignon! 

Three Bottles of 2009 Bourgogne Rouge

The Wine: Cuvee CDN, Vins Divins - 100% Pinot Noir - $19.99/bottle.   We're often skeptical of Bourgogne level wines, or indeed any Pinot under $20, because Pinot requires such attention and care throughout its life from vine to bottle. It’s such a transparent grape that any step or misstep in the wine making process can really mark the wine. This one defies expectations, though, and shockingly over delivers for its humble price tag. It's a blend of juice from Gevrey-Chambertin, Fixin, and Brochon and is made by a very famous Domaine in Burgundy (though the name is kept off the label). It’s juicy, spicy, elegant and still maintains a real sense of place.

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: Roast chicken and pork would be great matches here.

My Recommended Pairing: A simple and classic Roast Chicken!

Doesn't this make you happy? It sure does make my mom happy:) (Our favorite chosen by Anderson to the right-- Red Table!)

As a treat to My Cup of Te readers and Society Social followers, Manhattan Wine Company is offering 10% off this uniquely curated case with the code "societysocial". Simply enter it at checkout once the 12 bottles have been added to your cart. For this this case, they are also offering free delivery to anywhere in Manhattan (and on any orders over $200), they also ship almost anywhere in the nation!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. I simply love MWC, love having wine delivered right to my door (it makes me feel special), love that I don't have to spend a ton of money for delicious wine, and obviously love drinking a lot of wine:)