May 16, 2025 | flower power... florals? for spring? groundbreaking.

May We Blossom, May We Bloom

What's the purpose of flowers? They serve as a humble reminder of beauty in utility. Responsible for attracting pollinators, providing nectar, producing and receiving pollen, and fertilizing and producing seeds, they are vital to our ecosystem's operation. However, our fascination with blooms goes far beyond form and function. Flowers also have religious and cultural significance dating back to antiquity. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used flowers in funeral rituals, religious offerings, celebrations and ceremonies. Floral symbolism in the Victorian era led to the development of 'floriography' (also known as 'the language of flowers'), a robust system of symbolism wherein certain flowers were assigned emotional value. The iconography of flowers is evidenced in art and music even today. From Poison reminding us that every rose has its thorn, to Miley Cyrus reclaiming autonomy one bouquet at a time, it is clear that flowers have rooted themselves deeply in our culture and histories. But what does this have to do with wine? Let's dive in!

Experiencing florality in a wine is quite common, with some particular grapes being lauded for this specific characteristic. Broadly speaking, white wines possess more white and yellow floral notes while red wines possess more red and purple floral notes. But how? Grapes contain terpenes which are naturally occurring volatile compounds that contribute to aromas and flavor profiles in a wine. So when you swirl your glass and say, "hmm...this smells like lavender" you're actually detecting linalool, a terpene found in lavender, rosewood, coriander and various other plants. Other common terpenes include geraniol and alpha-pinene, responsible for imparting rose and pine like aromas, respectively. This week, we are opening three examples of wines showcasing varying degrees of florality. We hope to slow down in community and collectively stop to smell the roses. It would be delightful to have you join us.

Our Bouquet: Stagård Riesling Kremstal DAC Ried Steiner Pfaffenberg 2019; Day Wines Vin de Days l'Orange Willamette Valley 2023; Château des Vergers Beaujolais Lantignié AOP Aux Saules 2021

Read on to learn more about what we're sampling, then stop by on Friday from 4-7 to try them yourself!

ALSO ALSO AND AND! Did you hear we're teaching our first wine class in 10 years?! Join us on Sunday June 8th at 6:30pm as Emily teaches about the birthplace of wine, as told through 6 glasses of wines from Georgia, Armenia, Lebanon, and Turkey. Sign up here!

Stagård Riesling Kremstal DAC Ried Steiner Pfaffenberg 2019

Day Wines Vin de Days l'Orange Willamette Valley 2023

Château des Vergers Beaujolais Lantignié AOP Aux Saules 2021