Wine School is Back in Session, Sip Sake Without Compromise, Journey to Rioja, & More!

Chateau Montelena needs little introduction. The winery that put Napa Valley on the map at the 1976 Judgment of Paris has been producing some of California's most celebrated Cabernet Sauvignon ever since, and this is a rare opportunity to taste that legacy across the decades. We are opening library bottles that cannot be replaced, which is why this tasting is limited to just 20 tickets. Many of the wines poured will not be available for individual purchase, but this is a tasting about experiencing one of Napa's great estates at its very finest.

Not all bubbles are created equal, and knowing why changes everything. Thursday Wine School is a monthly tasting series designed to make concepts like this accessible and useful, and this month we're putting that into practice with sparkling wine. Moving from the gentle natural effervescence of Txakolina through Pet Nat, Prosecco, and finally Champagne, each pour tells a different part of the story and leaves you with a clearer picture of what's actually in your glass.

Dassai's story is one of radical focus. In the early 1990s, Asahi Shuzo abandoned ordinary sake production entirely and committed to making only Junmai Daiginjo, the highest tier of the craft. It was a bold bet that paid off, turning a struggling mountain brewery in Yamaguchi into Japan's most recognized premium sake brand. This tasting explores that commitment across six expressions, including bottles from Dassai Blue, their Hudson Valley brewery, where the same uncompromising philosophy is being applied to American terroir.

Rioja's classification system is one of wine's great road maps, and we'll follow it from beginning to end. Every producer here has chosen to work within the traditional style that put Rioja on the map, one that favors extended oak aging and time in bottle over the fresher, more modern approach many producers have moved toward. Starting with two classic Crianzas and building through Reserva and into Gran Reserva, the journey ends with a CVNE Imperial that is about as definitive an expression of traditional Rioja as you will find.