We just received a pallet of delectable French products, along with Spanish Maria cookies. We’ve highlighted some of the new items below, and there are more in the shop. Stop in and browse our latest additions!
Valfleuri Pasta $2.99-$4.99
Valfleuri pasta is made in Alsace, using entirely durum wheat semolina and fresh eggs. The simple recipe, which calls for 7 eggs per kilo, allows the quality of the ingredients to shine in this smooth, flavorful, and golden hued pasta. Traditionally served with just a pat of butter as a side dish to rabbit, chicken, or salmon. Try the tagliatelle or spaghetti with Delice du Luberon Tomato Sauce for a deliciously easy French dinner!
Tomato Sauce with Piment d’Espelette $9.49
Tomato Sauce with Basil $9.49
Delices du Luberon was established in Provence by a woman who was dedicated to providing her sons with food made with fresh, quality ingredients from the area. She took this concept and began selling to a local market, and from there a company was born. Delices du Luberon uses only the freshest ingredients in their products, which are preservative, coloring, and additive free. Their line of tomato sauces takes tomatoes from provence, onions, garlic, carrots, white wine and spices to create a deliciously fresh and fruity sauce. Mix it into pasta, add to grilled meats or couscous, use as a base for pizza, or spoon over quenelles!
Maria Cookies $1.49
Your favorite galletas are back! Maria cookies, made in Spain, are a classic treat, and kid’s favorite. Crisp and crunchy with a hint of sweetness these round biscuits make the perfect tea cookie, breakfast treat, dessert topped with chocolate, or midday snack (la merienda!).
Michel et Augustin Crackers $5.99
Michel and Augustin began making cookies in Augustin’s tiny kitchen in France over ten years ago, choosing and buying their own ingredients and packing their car full of butter cookies to deliver to Paris. Since then, they have perfected their delicious creations to the peak of tastiness. We know Michel and Augustin make a mean cookie, and now they’re impressing us with their savory collection. Made with certified AOP raw milk French cheese, these crisp, addictive crackers are phenomal as an aperitif or partner with cheese. We carry two tempting flavors: Beaufort Savory Shortbreads and Comte Cheese Crackers.
Exciting Wine Arrivals
2016 Chateau de Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé – $16.99 
My kitchen has a “Place du Rosé” plaque because I love pink wines, and I’m excited that our first Tavel arrived today. Tavel is the only appellation in France that restricts wine production to entirely rosé, and these storied wines have been sought after since Louis XIV’s reign. The wines from this area have a distinctive character, showing more weight and concentration than a Provenςal rosé. Grapes from the best parcels are used in Tavel wines, whereas in other AOCs, typically the rosé grapes are selected from lesser plots. Chateau de Trinquevedel is our favorite pink from this area, with its structure, balance of berry fruit, herbal notes and great acidity to preserve freshness.
2010 La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Reserva Rioja – $19.99
100% Tempranillo, aged 24 months in barrels made in-house at the winery. Fresh and bright, with balsamic notes, cherry and plum flavors, leather and spices. With silky tannins and a dry finish, it pairs wonderfully with food, especially lamb and paella. This is a wine to buy by the case, and we’re happy to have it back in stock.
2004 La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva Rioja – $170.00
We ate lunch at La Masia Restaurant in Sitges, Spain last week and splurged on a bottle of 1962 La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva. Actually, the 55 year old wine was practically a bargain, priced about the same as the current release. Fans of aged Riojas will be well served by dining at this restaurant and choosing a great bottle from their cellar at very reasonable prices! The 1962 was lively, fresh 
and precise and it was a joy to experience its evolution over the course of lunch. An incredibly elegant wine, it was a fantastic treat and showed how this wine ages.
I’ve been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the 2004 vintage, and if you’re looking for a bottle to lay down for a special birthday or anniversary, you can’t do much better than the 890 Gran Reserva. 95% Tempranillo, 2% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano, made with fruit from the estate’s oldest vineyards, aged in American oak barrels made in-house at the winery. The grapes undergo a rigorous selection process: the best clusters are taken to the winery in refrigerated boxes. After the winter’s fermentation, the wine undergoes another selection, then ages for 6 years in oak barrels. During 11 rackings, the best barrels are chosen for the final blend. “The 2004 Gran Reserva 890 is the top of the range here, a wine that is only released three/four times per decade in exceptional years. The bottled wine is 13.5% alcohol with a remarkably low pH (3.0) that to me means ‘quality’ of the acidity, which is a healthy six grams per liter (in tartaric). The nose is all about forest floor aromas, game, cigar ash, incense, old furniture and some smoked meat. The palate shows what the technical data was hinting–very fresh with slightly dusty tannins and nice acidity. It’s polished, but feels livelier than some older vintages. 38,000 numbered bottles.” 94+ points Wine Advocate