• Congratulations to Elisabetta @montenidoli, Godmother of Chicago and spiritual leader of Cream, on the start of her 50th vintage. 50. five zero. So grateful for this incredible human being. What are you drinking tonight? ❤️ #womeninspiringcream 🔁 @isthatmyglass
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    Congratulations to Elisabetta @montenidoli, Godmother of Chicago and spiritual leader of Cream, on the start of her 50th vintage. 50. five zero. So grateful for this incredible human being. What are you drinking tonight? ❤️ #womeninspiringcream 🔁 @isthatmyglass
  • Digging Beaujolais? Don’t sleep on these cheerful gems by way of Bardolino @le_fraghe #womeninspiringcream Sitting at the base of the alpine foothills on Lake Garda’s eastern shores, the small Bardolino D.O.C. ranks pretty high on the list of vineyards with a good view. Typically unoaked and rent week friendly (drink ‘em young folks!), grapes are traditionally blended into a rosato, called Bardolino Chiaretto, or a chillable, light-bodied red that is delicate and refreshingly uncomplicated, characterized by its red, ripe fruit notes with a bit of spice on the finish. Located in the very heart of Bardolino production, Le Fraghe’s Matilde Poggi has become one of the most regarded winemakers of the region. Poggi’s roots run deep in the town of Affi, which sits just east of Lake Garda and south of Monte Baldo. The property and it’s 15th-century stone farmhouse have been in the family since 1880, and in 2013, Matilde was elected President of the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Grape Growers). Matilde has three daughters, to whom she’d like to pass on Le Fraghe one day. Now three decades in since her first harvest in 1984, Matilde’s wines show everything there is to love about the Bardolino region. Fresh, fruity and easy to drink, while still delicate and refined, they are the ultimate picnic wines. Swipe for a vineyard tour with Matilde herself, full video from @olivermccrumwinesandspirits in our bio! IN STOCK! 2018 ‘Rodon’ Bardolino Chiaretto (Rose) DOC 91pts by Wine Enthusiast (7/1/2019) A blend of organically farmed Corvina (80%) and Rondinella (20%), this elegant rosato opens with enticing scents of spring field flower, aromatic herb, ripe peach and a whiff of baking spice. Smooth, bright and juicy, the savory, easy-drinking palate offers wild red berry, tangerine zest and a hint of white pepper alongside tangy acidity. 2018 & 2020 Bardolino: A blend of Corvina and Rondinella. Red, ripe fruit and sweet-sour cherry notes with a bit of spice. Soft tannins, light bodied and super drinkable. Serve with a chill!
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    Digging Beaujolais? Don’t sleep on these cheerful gems by way of Bardolino @le_fraghe #womeninspiringcream Sitting at the base of the alpine foothills on Lake Garda’s eastern shores, the small Bardolino D.O.C. ranks pretty high on the list of vineyards with a good view. Typically unoaked and rent week friendly (drink ‘em young folks!), grapes are traditionally blended into a rosato, called Bardolino Chiaretto, or a chillable, light-bodied red that is delicate and refreshingly uncomplicated, characterized by its red, ripe fruit notes with a bit of spice on the finish. Located in the very heart of Bardolino production, Le Fraghe’s Matilde Poggi has become one of the most regarded winemakers of the region. Poggi’s roots run deep in the town of Affi, which sits just east of Lake Garda and south of Monte Baldo. The property and it’s 15th-century stone farmhouse have been in the family since 1880, and in 2013, Matilde was elected President of the Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Grape Growers). Matilde has three daughters, to whom she’d like to pass on Le Fraghe one day. Now three decades in since her first harvest in 1984, Matilde’s wines show everything there is to love about the Bardolino region. Fresh, fruity and easy to drink, while still delicate and refined, they are the ultimate picnic wines. Swipe for a vineyard tour with Matilde herself, full video from @olivermccrumwinesandspirits in our bio! IN STOCK! 2018 ‘Rodon’ Bardolino Chiaretto (Rose) DOC 91pts by Wine Enthusiast (7/1/2019) A blend of organically farmed Corvina (80%) and Rondinella (20%), this elegant rosato opens with enticing scents of spring field flower, aromatic herb, ripe peach and a whiff of baking spice. Smooth, bright and juicy, the savory, easy-drinking palate offers wild red berry, tangerine zest and a hint of white pepper alongside tangy acidity. 2018 & 2020 Bardolino: A blend of Corvina and Rondinella. Red, ripe fruit and sweet-sour cherry notes with a bit of spice. Soft tannins, light bodied and super drinkable. Serve with a chill!
  • This Women’s History Month, we’re taking time to celebrate some of the women who inspire us here at Cream all year long. First up on the list is Marta Carvalho, Owner & Winemaker at Casal Figueira. Casal Figueira was born from the passion of the late António Augusto Carvalho. A Montpellier trained and an ebullient viticulturist, he discovered the grape Vital on the Serra de Montejunto and began a project to not only save this nearly extinct indigenous grape but become the only winemaker to make and bottle 100% Vital. At the time a working artist, Marta met António while renting the studio space attached to his rented cellar. Marta and Antonió married, and Marta soon became part of the small team of Casal Figueira. Following Antonio’s sudden death in 2010, Marta took the reigns of their winery as the harvest was coming into the winery from the vineyards. With no formal enological training, Marta and taught herself to make wine. Now, she sees herself as a medium through which her husband can speak from the beyond – and as such, takes a completely minimal interventionist approach to her winemaking. Marta’s wines are a raw, unmitigated picture of the terroir of the hills outside Lisbon. The Atlantic defines the climate here: temperate but humid, windy, and cooled by the sea. Running almost parallel to the coast, Serra de Montejunto intensifies everything, acting like a wall to the sea and lending a hand in producing the exceptional freshness and minerality Casal Figueira wines show. 100% Castelao from 50-70 year old vines, the 2017 Figueira Tinto is a light, chillable red we love. Bright red berry fruit, with notes of sea spray and black tea on the nose and snappy red fruit with a pronounced salinity on the palate. In stock! #womeninspiringcream #iwd2021 #womeninwine
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    This Women’s History Month, we’re taking time to celebrate some of the women who inspire us here at Cream all year long. First up on the list is Marta Carvalho, Owner & Winemaker at Casal Figueira. Casal Figueira was born from the passion of the late António Augusto Carvalho. A Montpellier trained and an ebullient viticulturist, he discovered the grape Vital on the Serra de Montejunto and began a project to not only save this nearly extinct indigenous grape but become the only winemaker to make and bottle 100% Vital. At the time a working artist, Marta met António while renting the studio space attached to his rented cellar. Marta and Antonió married, and Marta soon became part of the small team of Casal Figueira. Following Antonio’s sudden death in 2010, Marta took the reigns of their winery as the harvest was coming into the winery from the vineyards. With no formal enological training, Marta and taught herself to make wine. Now, she sees herself as a medium through which her husband can speak from the beyond – and as such, takes a completely minimal interventionist approach to her winemaking. Marta’s wines are a raw, unmitigated picture of the terroir of the hills outside Lisbon. The Atlantic defines the climate here: temperate but humid, windy, and cooled by the sea. Running almost parallel to the coast, Serra de Montejunto intensifies everything, acting like a wall to the sea and lending a hand in producing the exceptional freshness and minerality Casal Figueira wines show. 100% Castelao from 50-70 year old vines, the 2017 Figueira Tinto is a light, chillable red we love. Bright red berry fruit, with notes of sea spray and black tea on the nose and snappy red fruit with a pronounced salinity on the palate. In stock! #womeninspiringcream #iwd2021 #womeninwine
  • Better than the milkman. Meet a new addition to the warehouse, CapRock spirits! Organic and biodynamic brandies and zero-waste vodka and gin from Jack Rabbit Hill in western Colorado’s North Fork Valley. Jack Rabbit Hill started off in 2000 as an organic farm, over the years growing into a 70 hectare large, certified-biodynamic farm that grows grapes, tree fruits, medicinal herb gardens, pasture and cattle. CapRock is all about showcasing the work of their growers in their spirits, sourcing local fruit and distilling on site in their Bavarian-made copper still: Organic Vodka: Made with Chambourcin grapes (think high acid like the grapes used in Cognac and Armagnac) grown at Jack Rabbit Hill Farm and organic winter wheat. Organic Gin: Made with Jonathon and Braeburn apples grown at Ela Family Farms and organic winter wheat. Barrel-Aged Peach Brandy: Made with Rosa peaches grown at Ela Family Farms. Barrel-Aged Apple Brandy: Made with heirloom apples grown at Filigreen Farm. Organic Pear Brandy: Made with Bartlett pears grown at Ela Family Farms and Fortunate Orchard. PILOT PROGRAM: ZERO WASTE VODKA & GIN! After learning that only 30% of glass is recycled, the brains behind CapRock started a reuse and refill program. Their zero waste program is designed to recycle all of the bottles for their well spirits. Empty bottles are shipped back to the distiller where they are refilled. One crate in. One crate out. No waste. Ask your rep to learn more!
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    Better than the milkman. Meet a new addition to the warehouse, CapRock spirits! Organic and biodynamic brandies and zero-waste vodka and gin from Jack Rabbit Hill in western Colorado’s North Fork Valley. Jack Rabbit Hill started off in 2000 as an organic farm, over the years growing into a 70 hectare large, certified-biodynamic farm that grows grapes, tree fruits, medicinal herb gardens, pasture and cattle. CapRock is all about showcasing the work of their growers in their spirits, sourcing local fruit and distilling on site in their Bavarian-made copper still: Organic Vodka: Made with Chambourcin grapes (think high acid like the grapes used in Cognac and Armagnac) grown at Jack Rabbit Hill Farm and organic winter wheat. Organic Gin: Made with Jonathon and Braeburn apples grown at Ela Family Farms and organic winter wheat. Barrel-Aged Peach Brandy: Made with Rosa peaches grown at Ela Family Farms. Barrel-Aged Apple Brandy: Made with heirloom apples grown at Filigreen Farm. Organic Pear Brandy: Made with Bartlett pears grown at Ela Family Farms and Fortunate Orchard. PILOT PROGRAM: ZERO WASTE VODKA & GIN! After learning that only 30% of glass is recycled, the brains behind CapRock started a reuse and refill program. Their zero waste program is designed to recycle all of the bottles for their well spirits. Empty bottles are shipped back to the distiller where they are refilled. One crate in. One crate out. No waste. Ask your rep to learn more!
  • Stocked up on one of our favorite go-to, all-purpose whites for the spring. 100% Grillo, fruit for the Zagra is sourced from vineyards nestled on the Sicilian coast, where light, sandy-clay soil lend for fresh wines with complex bouquets. Winemaker Gaetana Jacono represents the sixth generation to farm the Valle dell'Acate estate. With the same love that tied her ancestors to the vines, along with marked entrepreneurial insight, Gaetana has devoted herself to the production of Sicilian DOC and IGT wines - a production that has earned great recognition on the international scene. Featured in The New York Times article "20 Wines Under $20: Plenty of Variety and Not One Chardonnay" by Eric Asimov "In recent years, I have seen more dry whites made from grillo, a grape once known as the backbone of sweet Marsala or for making big, blousy dry wines. This one — from various coastal vineyards in eastern Sicily — is young, fresh, floral and refreshing, with lingering earthy notes. Delightful."
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    Stocked up on one of our favorite go-to, all-purpose whites for the spring. 100% Grillo, fruit for the Zagra is sourced from vineyards nestled on the Sicilian coast, where light, sandy-clay soil lend for fresh wines with complex bouquets. Winemaker Gaetana Jacono represents the sixth generation to farm the Valle dell'Acate estate. With the same love that tied her ancestors to the vines, along with marked entrepreneurial insight, Gaetana has devoted herself to the production of Sicilian DOC and IGT wines - a production that has earned great recognition on the international scene. Featured in The New York Times article "20 Wines Under $20: Plenty of Variety and Not One Chardonnay" by Eric Asimov "In recent years, I have seen more dry whites made from grillo, a grape once known as the backbone of sweet Marsala or for making big, blousy dry wines. This one — from various coastal vineyards in eastern Sicily — is young, fresh, floral and refreshing, with lingering earthy notes. Delightful."
  • @barbacan_sa restock came with a new cru! 100% Nebbiolo, or as the locals call it, Chiavennasca, the Pizaméj is a fresh, energetic and sophisticated red wine from everyone’s favorite mountain men. It deeply communicates the Valtellina terroir with bouquets of red fruits, red flowers, wild spices, and clean tobacco. Aged 12 months in big Austrian oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration.
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    @barbacan_sa restock came with a new cru! 100% Nebbiolo, or as the locals call it, Chiavennasca, the Pizaméj is a fresh, energetic and sophisticated red wine from everyone’s favorite mountain men. It deeply communicates the Valtellina terroir with bouquets of red fruits, red flowers, wild spices, and clean tobacco. Aged 12 months in big Austrian oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration.
  • Opened and pulled these four reds from @laclarinefarm. What we love most about Hank & Caroline’s wines is their freshness. All of these reds are 2017s, and the freshness and energy—born from an unmanipulated style—shine brightly in the glass. Bravo! 2017 Mourvèdre Cedarville: Showing the most red fruit in the lineup—loads of crushed raspberry with excellent integrated acidity 2017 B-Sides: Dark fruit and earth tones mixed with pencil and bramble berry; spice on the finish 2017 Funky Drummer: Meaty, bacon hints typical of Syrah, Grenache gives good midpalate to the wine; wine is plumper and fruitier than B-Sides 2017 Sumu Kaw Syrah: A ball of cured meat and olives with hints of tobacco surrounded by plush fruit; not as earthy as B-Sides
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    Opened and pulled these four reds from @laclarinefarm. What we love most about Hank & Caroline’s wines is their freshness. All of these reds are 2017s, and the freshness and energy—born from an unmanipulated style—shine brightly in the glass. Bravo! 2017 Mourvèdre Cedarville: Showing the most red fruit in the lineup—loads of crushed raspberry with excellent integrated acidity 2017 B-Sides: Dark fruit and earth tones mixed with pencil and bramble berry; spice on the finish 2017 Funky Drummer: Meaty, bacon hints typical of Syrah, Grenache gives good midpalate to the wine; wine is plumper and fruitier than B-Sides 2017 Sumu Kaw Syrah: A ball of cured meat and olives with hints of tobacco surrounded by plush fruit; not as earthy as B-Sides
  • PNW does cheap & cheerful. Oregon-grown Pinot Noir & Pinot Blanc we love for the $20 and under section. From left to right: Brooks 2019 Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 92 points from @wineenthusiast! Pinot Blanc is a white grape mutation of Pinot Noir that started off in Burgundy but grows great where there’s high elevation and cooler temperatures (perfect switch for less buttery Chard lovers). Don’t miss this killer vintage from @brookswinery! Anjou pear, fresh camomile, citrus blossoms, flint and white peonies. Flinty persistence and great minereality. Pairs well with all this melting snow: think creamy cheese plates, spring salads and whatever you decide to put on the grill. New Wine!! Growers Guild 2019 Pinot Noir, Oregon Vibrant, light and ready to drink now! Dazzling with bing cherry and rose petals, black plum and forest floor. Big berry vibes with some toasty oak and easy going tannins. New Vintage!! Jigsaw 2018 Pinot Noir, Willamette The 2018 vintage from Jigsaw way over-delivers on price. Approachable, expressive and energetic with big black raspberry and pie spice with velveteen tannins. A bit of chocolate and a bit of smoke. Sour cherry and a kiss of cola on the finish.
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    PNW does cheap & cheerful. Oregon-grown Pinot Noir & Pinot Blanc we love for the $20 and under section. From left to right: Brooks 2019 Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 92 points from @wineenthusiast! Pinot Blanc is a white grape mutation of Pinot Noir that started off in Burgundy but grows great where there’s high elevation and cooler temperatures (perfect switch for less buttery Chard lovers). Don’t miss this killer vintage from @brookswinery! Anjou pear, fresh camomile, citrus blossoms, flint and white peonies. Flinty persistence and great minereality. Pairs well with all this melting snow: think creamy cheese plates, spring salads and whatever you decide to put on the grill. New Wine!! Growers Guild 2019 Pinot Noir, Oregon Vibrant, light and ready to drink now! Dazzling with bing cherry and rose petals, black plum and forest floor. Big berry vibes with some toasty oak and easy going tannins. New Vintage!! Jigsaw 2018 Pinot Noir, Willamette The 2018 vintage from Jigsaw way over-delivers on price. Approachable, expressive and energetic with big black raspberry and pie spice with velveteen tannins. A bit of chocolate and a bit of smoke. Sour cherry and a kiss of cola on the finish.
  • Monterrei on the mind. The proprietor of Quinta da Muradella, José Luis Mateo has been singlehandedly responsible for the ascent of Monterrei, bringing it from an area best known for bulk production to one of the epicenters of fine wine production in Galicia. From his price-conscious Candea project, the Tinto is crafted entirely from indigenous varieties - equal parts Mencia, Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera and Arauxa. Sour cherries, candied violet and cranberries on the nose, medium bodied and light on its feet. Don’t miss it.
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    Monterrei on the mind. The proprietor of Quinta da Muradella, José Luis Mateo has been singlehandedly responsible for the ascent of Monterrei, bringing it from an area best known for bulk production to one of the epicenters of fine wine production in Galicia. From his price-conscious Candea project, the Tinto is crafted entirely from indigenous varieties - equal parts Mencia, Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera and Arauxa. Sour cherries, candied violet and cranberries on the nose, medium bodied and light on its feet. Don’t miss it.