February 2025

I’ve entered a phase in which I’m romanticizing my life. Running a small business means that I have less time at home; so, yes, I’m lighting candles for my 9:30pm dinner after a long, lovely day at the shop. On a night off, we’re absolutely going to our favorite wine bar for a glass before dinner. If we stay home, I’m putting on my fanciest pajamas to pop corn on the stove and watch Severance. These days, I’m only using the good soaps for my bath, pouring coffee into my favorite mug, and playing my favorite records. I’m only drinking wine that makes me feel something. 

As I think about this little collection of bottles, this idea of romanticization may very well be the theme for February. Go ahead and join me: only drink wines that make you feel something. Ponder the universe with idiosyncratic sparkling wine from the coldest borderlands of France and Switzerland; feel the earth awaken in you like spring with a sip of sparkly, floral white wine; reconsider everything you know about Spanish wine with a Rioja Blanco made by a French native; fall in love with cheeky, glugable Gamay during Hallmark’s favorite holiday; dream about escaping to warmer weather with California Zin; obsess over the highest-of-high-elevation plantings of the Uco Valley with Argentinian Mencia. Life’s short! Find joy anywhere you can. 

For me, putting these wines together for you and writing this little zine brings immense joy to my life. I hope reading it, drinking them, and being part of this community is equally fulfilling for you. And if you need a little extra joy right now, here’s one little snippet—I am now tasting wines for March. That means it’s basically spring. Let that fuel you during the last dark days of the year.