News – Nectar Wine and Beer

November 2020 Wine Club Notes

Posted on November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 by nectarwineandbeer

Jeff has tasted over 100 wines this month (I know rough job) to find the best deals and selections for our awesome club members. We appreciate our members support, especially during these challenging times.

FIRST WHITE: Suavia Monte Soave (IT) $29.99 Straw yellow with brilliant highlights. The nose shows yellow flowers, exotic fruit and white peach together with smoky and peaty notes. A juicy fruit palate accented with mineral, aromatic herbs and almond alongside crisp acidity. The finish is dry and very persistent. The previous 3 vintages of this wine all received 95 points James Suckling plus the bottle is cool.

SECOND WHITE: Bodegas Granbazán etiqueta Verde (SP) $24.99 Looking for something to pair with seafood? Look no further than this delicious Albariño from Rias Biaxas Spain. It has some bright but restrained fruit to it–more peach skin than peach flesh, and more lime blossom than lime. On the palate, there is great minerality and salinity, bringing to mind a sea breeze. It finishes with dry clarity, which could cut through richer dishes, or enhance the brightness of lighter dishes. A great food wine; pair it with fish tacos, crab cakes, or any lighter seafood dish.

FIRST RED: Famiglia Cotarella Merlot Sodale (IT) $22.99 A new world tasting Italian wine made from one of France’s most notorious grapes! It is dark garnet red with purple highlights. The nose starts out with blackberry and tart strawberry backed by a flinty minerality. Black cherry is a constant running through the nose. The palate is filled with tart dark fruits that please the mouth. Tannins run from the front to back of the mouth but are smooth. Dry slate is present on the finish with mouth cleaning acidity that lead to a long finish and leave you looking for the next sip.

SECOND RED: Underground Wine Project Devil’s Playground (WA) $29.99 From the wine makers at Mark Ryan and Sleight of Hand this 90% Cabernet from Quintessence Vineyards on the Red Mountain is remarkable. Showing pure Red Mountain Cabernet character, with loads of ripe red fruits, currants, cocoa nibs, and spicy tobacco, this dense Cabernet is already immediately and undeniably delicious. It has the stuffing and tannin profile to age for at least a decade, but don’t feel bad if you crack a bottle open sooner than later.

THIRD RED: Dry Creek Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel (CA) $29.99 This has seriously fresh and deep aromas of ripe red plums that build into a palate that is packed with rich flavors of dark berries, plums and chocolate. Great depth here. 76% zinfandel, 22% petite sirah and 2% carignan. 93 points James Suckling

PREMIUM CELLAR SELECTION

Long Shadows Chester Kidder (WA) $59.99

Allen Shoup named this wine in honor of his mother, Elizabeth Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He selected Long Shadows’ director of winemaking, Gilles Nicault, to craft this New World blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other classic Bordeaux varieties.

Dark in color with generous aromas of wild blackberries wrapped around a pleasantly earthy core that’s accented by hints of oak spice. On the mid-palate, graphite and black licorice are complemented by a burst of vibrant fruit that lingers across a lengthy finish. A beautifully integrated wine with a broad, polished mouthfeel. 68% Cabernet 26% Syrah 6% Petit Verdot

October 2020 Wine Club Wines and Notes

Posted on October 7, 2020October 7, 2020 by nectarwineandbeer

Jeff has joined the fray in tasting wines to choose for the wine club. We (Josh and Jeff) have the fun task of tasing over 100 wines every month to procure the best for you. Our goal is to vary the selection, variety, scour for deals and push the envelope from time to time. Hope you enjoy the October selections!

WHITE #1 – Sparkman Cellars Pearl Sauvignon Blanc (WA) $24.99 – From the spectacular 2019 vintage, we melded sauvignon blanc from cooler sites at Oasis, Olsen and Gamache Vineyards (loads of natural acidity) with bits of racy riesling (more acidity), and grenache blanc (yet more acidity) and even a pinch of rich roussanne (fruit and texture). This vintage leads with a nose of lemon zest, cut grass and crushed rocks, leading to zippy flavors of stone fruit, kiwi, lime, and fresh herbs.

WHITE #2 – Orr Wines Old Vine Chenin Blanc (WA) $24.99 – Chenin Blanc has quickly become my (Josh’s) favorite white wine produced in Washington. It shows so much intrigue and bala. nce of acidity without getting too zesty or flabby. Real chenin character with dried-pineapple and peach-skin aromas that follow through to a medium body, tight and juicy fruit and a phenolic, slightly tannic finish. Fun. Dry. Drink now. 91pts JS

RED #1 – Ambassador Envoy (WA) $29.99 – This wine falls under the category as remarkable deal. Retailing for $38 on the Ambassador website we were able to secure a great buy on this wine. 76% Merlot 13% Petit Verdot 11% Cabernet Franc 100% estate grown on Red Mountain and crafted by the team at Mark Ryan Winery. Rich bursting blackberry and red currants with slight citrus and sweet earthiness. The palate is lively up front with a nice round mid palate that leads into a firm finish with flavors of blackberry, clove, vanilla and cedar. 90 pts Jeb Dunnick

RED #2 – Noble Tree Reserve Grenache (CA) $27.99 – Perfumed aromas of rose water and cherry blossom erupt on the nose. This overly aromatic wine has loud notes of ripe raspberry, strawberry and white pepper. Although this 100% Grenache is lean, the palate is rich with warm woodsy red fruit flavors with nice spice and balanced acidity. A tremendous example of an Estate Grenache grown in a cool climate. 90 points Wine Enthusiast

RED #3 – Bodegas Calar Abrego (SP) $16.99 – Named for the easterly wind that brings rain. 100 percent Tempranillo from gentler slopes, with yields restricted to two kilos per vine. Aged nine months in used French oak. Polished fruit and lead pencil minerality lead to a plush and gracious yet mouthwatering flavor and finish.

PREMIUM CELLAR WINE

Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet (CA) $79.99 One of Napa Valley’s Premium Cabernet producers. The Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with a magenta rim. It has an enticing nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla, sage and spearmint. Upon entry, this wine builds from potpourri and bramble to a bright pop of raspberry on the mid-palate. A juicy finish with chewy tannins and a medium length, it will provide drinking pleasure through 2042 with proper cellaring. 93 points Wilford Wong

Join the Coolest Club in Town

Posted on October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 by nectarwineandbeer

Want to join the club? All the cool kids are doing it! What is the Nectar Wine and Beer Club? Only the best way to save money on your favorite wine and beer, get access to exclusive products, drink in swanky style, and get discounts on various wine and beer events.

Each month we taste hundreds of beers and wines, drive hundreds of miles to pick up product and have buying power that saves club members money. Our goal is to provide the best carefully curated craft wine and beer list in town.

Membership Has Privileges

Below is a list of our club benefits.

Discounts on Thursday Tastings – Every Thursday we host either a wine or a beer tasting (and sometimes other days too). These tastings are normally $10 for non-club members. Join the club and you can enjoy the tastings for $5
Never Ending Happy Hour – Are we crazy? Sometimes I think we are. Club members don’t have to worry about when happy hour starts or ends. Get $1 off all pints, glass pours and appetizers – ALWAYS!
Discounts on other Nectar Events – We like to host other events too, Beer and Donuts, Champagne and Chocolate, Beer Maker Dinners, Rose Day, etc. Club members will have a discount code to save on these events too!
Waived Drink Here Fee – This is probably the best feature of all. We price our product at retail in the front area and charge a small fee of $2 per beer and $8 per wine to open and serve (pretty standard around time at wine shops like ours). Club members DO NO pay this fee. This can be one of the cheapest way to enjoy the retail products with your friends from our amazing patio or swanky interior.
15% off Mixed Six Packs – Regular folks just save 10%. You are cooler, you save more!
Access to Exclusive Product – Another awesome feature is product procured just for you. As mentioned earlier we drive hundreds of miles a month to bring you product that isn’t usually available right here in Spokaloo.

How Can You Be Rad Too?

There are no fees to join. Simply tell us which level of club you would like to be a part of, provide recurring payment info and some contact digits and away you go! Club product is rang up the first full week of each month and an email is sent out alerting you that it is ready.

Read to join?

Simply email us below!

September 2020 Wine Club Wines and Notes

Posted on September 9, 2020September 9, 2020 by nectarwineandbeer

As we round the corner out of Summer and into Fall in this very odd year we would like to thank each and every one of you for being supporters of Nectar. Looks like we still have a few good weeks of patio weather upon us so get down here and enjoy with your favorite glass or bottle of wine or a delicious craft pint. Tastings have returned with our featured beer tastings on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursday of the month and our featured wine tastings on the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday. Join us September 10 as we taste the wines selected for the September wine club. See the notes below!

Looking for a fun new place to brunch? Check out Bark, A Rescue Pub and their Saturday, Sunday Brunch.

This month’s wine club selections feature wines Greece, Italy, California and Washington.

WHITE #1 – Hedges DLD Rhone White (WA) $24.99 – Hedges is Washington’s Red Mountain Chateau. Known mostly for their affordable CMS red blend Hedges also makes several higher end estate red and white wines. The DLD Rhone White. The blend is 62% Marsanne and 38% Viognier. This wines were produced in a combination of steel and new oak barrels. The six oak barrels that were used went through malolactic fermentation with lees stirring every three days. This helps produce a full and robust mouth feel of pear, peaches, ginger spice, vanilla wafer and honeydew.

WHITE #2 – Lyrarakis Assyrtiko Viola (GR) $19.99 – Our first ever Greek offering in the club. Assyrtiko is the wine grape and the region is from the Eastern area of Crete. Complex aromas of citrus and white fleshed fruits with notes of ginger. Marvelously ripe grapes have given this wine a crispy and rich mouthfeel with a mineral and chalky character. Organic and biodynamic.

RED #1 – Tenudo Guado Tasso Il Bruciato (IT) $29.99 – One of the best prices you will find on this Antinori project from the Tuscan Coast. There’s a very fresh array here of thyme, newly picked blackcurrants, iodine, crushed stones and sea salt. The exuberant fruit is matched nicely to fine and elegant tannins, which paint a compact and neat picture on the medium-to full-bodied palate. 94 Points James Suckling; Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.

RED #2 – Starmont Merlot (CA) $26.99 – Many people dismiss Merlot but don’t count this guy out. 90 Points Wine Enthusiast the wine is 85% Merlot and Blended with 15% Malbec. The wine is reductive and high toned, with fresh acidity lifting its otherwise intensely built layers of clove, toasted oak, cedar and iron. Red-currant flavor provides a worthwhile contrast and crisp finish. I promise you’ll be back for more.

RED #3 – Decoy by Duckhorn Limited Pinot Noir (CA) $28.99 – Crafted using grapes from the finest Pinot Noir regions on the Sonoma Coast, including the Russian River Valley, Green Valley, and Carneros, this alluring wine combines silky sophistication with a bright cool-climate energy. On the palate, soaring flavors of blackberry, red currant, cherry, cedar, and sweet baking spices glide to a long, vibrant finish; 92 Points Wilford Wong

PREMIUM WINE – Lancaster Estate Winemakers Cuvee (CA) $79.99 – Look this big boy up! The 2016 Winemaker’s Cuvée is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and scented of cassis, blackberries and preserved plums with suggestions of cedar chest, wood smoke, dried herbs and tapenade plus a waft of charcoal. Full-bodied with tons of black fruit and wood-inspired flavors, it has a solid line of ripe tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long. 94 Points Robert Parker; 97% Cabernet 3% Merlot

Craft Crowlers are Here

Posted on August 20, 2020 by nectarwineandbeer

Beer lovers know the frustration and love affair with the glass or stainless steel growler. Draft beer just tastes better and often times the craft product is offered in limited runs and aren’t always available canned or bottled. Remembering to take your growler with you can be an issue and committing to 64 ounces can sometimes leave the beer tasting flat before you are able to finish it. Growlers can also be time consuming to fill and they aren’t the most sanitary and should be washed before re-using.

Enter the CROWLER. Crowlers are fillable and sealable cans that allow a safe, sanitary fill of your favorite draft beer TO GO to be consumed later. One added benefit is that an unopened crowler will stay fresh for up to a month.

It is wall known that Nectar has one of Spokane’s craftiest 16 beers on tap. We travel the Northwest to bring draft beer to Spokane that is not normally found here. We even have beers made exclusively FOR Nectar from time to time. Nectar offers 32 oz CROWLER fills of any of our beer on tap. Come down, give a taste of a few and take your favorites home to enjoy on your own patio, at the lake or on your next camping trip.