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Take a look through our past articles pertaining to wine, tastings, and events. These will help you become a well-rounded wine-o!If you like what you see here, sign-up for our newsletter!
January 16, 2020
Inexpensive Burgundy, two words rarely uttered in the same sentence. As the popularity of these ethereal wines soar, prices have followed suit. And for good reason, as these hallowed vineyards have long been home to the most majestic expressions of Chardonnay. This is a land of winemaking legends making some of the most prestigious and highly sought-after wines on the market.
January 10, 2020
Our featured producer this week, the Joussets, are all about connections. Connections with their land, vines and people. Their wines are a conduit between their home and yours. There is no pretension here: the wine is all about the expression of pure pleasure!
November 21, 2019
Make no mistake, every Monarch Exclusive is special. Each of these wines take extra effort to obtain. They are wines we believe in so strongly that we go the extra mile to bring them to you. However, this is a BIG ONE. We are proud to be the only retailer on EARTH to offer Raj Parr's 'Monday Club' Pet-Nat!
November 13, 2019
Oilvier Lejeune (as his name suggests) is a young and incredibly talented winemaker in France's Loire Valley, the ancestral home of Chenin Blanc. He has been mentored by the region's 2 most revered winemakers, Angeli and Leroy. These two names are revered by Chenin freaks (like me!).
November 7, 2019
We're partnering with a number of our friends from Grassroots, Avant Partir, Kellogg Selections and more to host a festive pre-Thanksgiving tasting! The entire Monarch community is invited to our 1st Annual Thanksgiving shindig! Join us for a walk-around tasting where bottles upon bottles will be popped! This is a wonderful opportunity to welcome the holiday season with your neighbors and taste a slew of SUPERB wines!
October 30, 2019
When a winery you've never heard of outshines some of the region's heaviest hitters, it makes a lasting impression and creates a mild obsession. Chandon de Briailles has long been synonymous with traditional, age-worthy Burgundy. Monarch is proud to offer the only bottles of Chandon de Briailles in South Carolina!
October 15, 2019
Wrapping up our Producer Profile series for our Legendary Winemakers tasting with Silvio Messana of Montesecondo, who has been redefining Chianti for nearly 20 years. Silvio is making uniquely pure Tuscan wines with character and freshness, breathing new life into a misunderstood region that, according to some, has lost its way.
October 10, 2019
We are back again with our Producer Profile series as we gear up for our Legendary Winemakers tasting! This week, Éric Texier! Texier, who has been growing grapes organically in the Northern Rhône for over 20 years, is a true trail-blazer of low-intervention wine. He consistently makes wines that are precise, approachable and drinkable. All result in true expressions of his land, his home: the mighty Rhône.
October 10, 2019
Our Producer Profile series continues. This week, Elisabetta Foradori, who has, since the age of 19, dedicated her life to championing the indigenous Teroldego. Considered one of the most influential female winemakers in the world, her philosophy is simple: trust and love the vines, make wines that are true reflections of indigenous grapes and their land.
October 10, 2019
In advance of our Legendary Winemakers tasting on October 23, we are thrilled to kick off our "Producer Profile" newsletter series. Kicking off with none other than Arianna Occhipiniti! An inspiring woman who has changed the course of Italian wine.
September 27, 2019
In recent years, wines from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria are making a valiant comeback, and rightfully so. Boasting elegance, depth, complexity and energy, these wines are alluring and majestic and we are thrilled to have such a wide variety here in the shop!
September 27, 2019
Drop-in tasting with Legends! We're partnering with our friends at LOUIS/DRESSNER SELECTIONS to host some of our heroes:: Arianna Occhipinti | Elisabetta Foradori, Eric Texier, Silvio Messana of Montescondo, and Carlo Venturini of Monte dall'Ora. We are thrilled to be hosting these five legendary, natural wine makers, all of whom we are deeply inspired by.
September 13, 2019
These last few days of Summer have been HOT, making us anticipate the combination of cooler nights and comforting reds. While we’ve loved the light and playful Summer reds enjoyed poolside (we've included one here!), Summer is coming to a close. Here's to a chill in the air and a heap of new wines on the shelves here at Monarch!
August 15, 2019
Drake Whitcraft isn't usually at his winery on Saturdays in the Spring. But there I found myself, on a rainy afternoon, tasting through an incredible line-up of his namesake wines in a freezing barrel room at the Santa Barbara winery. That's the kind of guy Drake is: quiet, modest, giving. Much like the wines he crafts from surrounding vineyards on the Central Coast.
August 13, 2019
I don't like rosé. Let me re-phrase that: I don't like most rosé. What used to be a fun, summer-scented wine has gone the way of Pinot Grigio (through no fault of its own). Mass-produced, watered-down, devoid of character and a sense of place. Don't get me wrong, I love crisp, chug-able rosés, but it is rare that I taste a truly transcendent rosé...until now.
July 10, 2019
Admittedly, I usually don't gravitate to Southern French whites. The heat and relentless sunshine combine to produce fat, oily-textured wines, devoid of freshness and acidity. But this wine couldn’t be more unlike anything else from the South...
July 6, 2019
A strong case can be made that, of all the places where Chardonnay is grown, Chablis produces the most distinctive and unique wines. Even “village” wines from solid producers have a unique charm and minerality. But in the hands of a true master, working with old vines and elite vineyards, Chablis can scale heights unknown to other Chardonnay makers...
June 26, 2019
It's an age-old story, or is it? Boy meets girl while working harvest for legendary winemakers in Beaujolais. Girl marries boy. The young couple start their own winery and take the wine world by storm with their thrilling and incredibly soulful wines!
May 22, 2019
Go to the ends of the earth, find ancient and mostly forgotten vines that grow in a windswept moonscape atop dormant volcanoes, and make great wine...
March 27, 2019
I taste a lot of wine. I mean, a LOT of wine OK? And the simple fact that I can still be stopped in my tracks by a heartbreakingly beautiful bottle of wine...well, that's why Monarch exists. This exclusive is from a producer that is no stranger to our shelves, but it is a cuvée that is totally new to South Carolina.
