A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Oh how I loved that Bornard Poulsard. Some day, when I’m feeling sentimental, I’ll write an entire post about it filled with all sorts of (literally) explosive stories about it!
Originally published on May 26, 2010.
Pop tops. Beer caps. Bottle caps. Whatever you want to call them…(try “crown cap” or “crown seal” if you want to seem really technologically fancy)…they’re popping up more and more often beyond the realm of beer bottles and old school Coca Cola. You’ll increasingly see them topping off bottles of…gasp…wine! Yes, wine!
Here are several reasons you shouldn’t be turning up your nose:
1. You don’t need a corkscrew to open them. And really, who wants to deal with a corkscrew when it’s 92 degrees out and the humidity is at 80%. In a pinch, you can just use your teeth.
2. Even uber-pricey bottles like Cristal and Krug spend a good portion of their life under crown cap before getting dosaged and gussied up with a fancy cork. If it’s good enough for these “luxury bottlings,” surely it’s good enough for your roof top wine.
3. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll miss out on some of the coolest, freshest, most summer-appropriate wines on the shelf.
Frankly Wines currently has at least 4 different wines in stock bottled under crown cap. We probably have 5, but one of those is our last bottle of Rene Mosse’s Moussamoussettes and we’re not letting anyone buy it so it doesn’t count. But we are willing to sell the other four:
Hofer Gruner Veltliner 1 Liter Jug (Niederosterreich, Austria):$11.99
Hofer Zweigelt 1 Liter Jug (Niederosterreich, Austria):$11.99
These jugs of Austrian happiness are becoming a summertime fixture in wine shops across the city. Customers pick up one on a whim (or because we twist their arm) and almost always come back for more. Usually several more.
The Gruner is crisp and clean with a hint of citrus and a zip of minerality that make them perfect for summertime guzzling. If you’re in a Pinot Grigio rut and looking for something a little different, this is one to try.
The Zweigelt is a light, fresh, summertime version of the grape. OK, OK…if you haven’t had a “regular” Zweigelt before, that’s not terribly helpful. Regular Zweiglt, at least the style I stock, is medium-bodied with bright red berry fruits and a kick of black pepper on the finish. This version keeps the bright, fresh berry notes but with a lighter body and a hint of white pepper (for those who are intimate with their spice rack, there is a difference. The jugs are best served with slightly chilled – not ice cold, just a bit of a shiver.
Malvasia Dolce Frissante 2007
(Emilia Romagna, Italy):$20.99
Let’s say you can’t decide between wine and beer. This would be your option. It has a crown cap and the foamy, frothy head of a beer. It even sort of looks like a beer in the glass. It tastes like a cross between a wheat beer and a cream soda. That may not sound appealing, but paired with some cured meats, or just a tall glass and a roof deck, it’s pretty darn good.
Philippe Bornard Tant Mieux Rose (Arbois, France):$23.99
There are very few wines that combine sheer drinkability (Sparkling! Pink!) with utter wine geekery (Poulsard! Jura!) This wine does just that. And it features a cute little fox on the label as an added bonus. It’s a little sweet, but that sweetness is balanced by the bubbles, the acidity, and the underlying earthiness that’s a trademark of the Poulsard grape. Pop one open and you’ll be the hit of the party.
Thirsty? Just pop in and ask for something with a pop top, or be lazy and order at the Frankly Wines on-line store. That’s what it’s there for.