Julie Benau 'Les Bidules' Picpoul de Pinet 2022 Gifts

Julie Benau 'Les Bidules' Picpoul de Pinet 2022 GiftsJulie Benau's pure distillation of the Mediterranean, in her coastal milieu of the Languedoc coast. This is unfiltered, unsulfured Picpoul, a variety that's often made into the least interesting, industrial white wines in the south. Here, we see its real character: a fistful of herbs and oyster shells, all brine and citrus. Light, zappy, deliciousdon't let the cuckoo label make you worry. Pair with octopus and chickpeas, or drink while playing tennis.

and a true representation of the special calcareous soils of the northwest of the island

all local varieties in this part of Portugal

and wild pear

but with very little tannin

fancy-tasting Pinot Noir from California's Central Coast

This is a great bottle to introduce you to one of the charming underdog varieties of the Loire Valley

with a tension on the palate and a touch of rusticity

toasted grain

5 hectares under vine—a way of attempting to maintain biodiversity

Lovely stuff

It's our suspicion Preisinger calls this wine 'Froot Loops' because of how kaleidoscopic these grape varieties are together: the blend is 50% Scheurebe

despite never having heard the word