Good evening and welcome to Chez McConnell. We hope you enjoy your dining experience. I will be taking your wine order. Here is my list carefully curated to reflect the best things I have tasted throughout 2018. Take all the time you need, and remember: these wines are available retail for a substantial discount. I promise to cut the capsule off properly and keep the label facing you while I put the screw to it, although the cork may roll off the table onto the floor at least once and I will probably splash on the tablecloth because we were up til 3AM crushing unicorns and Fernet. Can I bring you a couple bottles of Aqua Panna while you peruse the list?

BUBBLES:

NV CASE PAOLIN Col Fondo Glera Asolo Prosecco DOCG Natural Italian $35

NV MARIE-COURTIN ‘Efflorecence’ Extra Brut Champagne Effort-less-ence $55

ROSÉ:

2016 DOMAINE DES MAPLIERS Côtes de Provence Rosé off the Map $32

WHITE WINES:

2015 POGGIO LA NOCE Falanghina Campi Flegrei Baja Norte $15

2017 FIELDS FAMILY WINERY Grenache Blanc Lodi California Fields of Gold $27

2017 SILT WINE CO Chenin Blanc Wilson Vyd Clarksburg Clarksburg Elevation: 10 $30

2015 LIQUID FARM Chardonnay ‘White Hill’ Santa Rita Hills Santa Barbara #storytime $52

2014 SMITH-MADRONE Chardonnay Spring Mt. Napa Valley Chard Goals $40

LIGHTER RED WINES:

2015 MARKUS WINE COMPANY ‘Domo’ Carignan/PS/SY Lodi Domo Arigato $35

2016 METHODE SAUVAGE Cab Franc Alegria Vyd RRV Sonoma Truly Madly Deeply $40

2016 VINCA MINOR Carignan Mendocino Co. California Periwinkle Beauty $35

2014 LUNA BEBERIDE Finca La Cuesta Mencia Bierzo Spain Barbed Wire $25

2016 WILSON FOREIGNER Valdiguie Rancho Chimiles Napa Valley We Could Be Royals $35

2015 ENFIELD WINE CO ‘Pretty Horses’ Tempranillo California All The Pretty Horses $32

2016 INSERRATA ‘Inseieme’ Merlot IGT Toscano The Eyes Have It $25

2016 IRENE Syrah Rodnick Farm Chalone Monterey Co. California Stardate: 2.16.2018 $35

2014 MADELINE Cab Franc Paicines San Benito Co. 12 Little Vines in 2 Straight Rows $32

2013 LA PITCHOUNE Pinot Noir ‘Sonoma Mt.’ Van Der Kamp Vyd A Perfect Storm of Pinot $55

HEAVIER RED WINES:

2017 DIRK VERMEESCH ‘Le Plan’ Suze-La-Rousse Côtes du Rhône LE PLANE LE PLANE $25

2009 BODEGAS MUGA Prado Enea Rioja Strawberry Fields Forever $55

2015 REEVE WINES Sangiovese Chalk Hill Sonoma Just Like Heaven $45

2014 CAMERON HUGHES Malbec ‘571’ Napa Valley Malbec is a Strange Mistress $25

2013 LAMBORN FAMILY VYDS Zinfandel Howell Mt. Napa Valley Smile You’ve Arrived $45

2015 CLOS ST. JOSEPH Villars-sur-Var Côtes de Provence The Other St. Joseph $40

2013 PARADIGM Merlot Oakville Napa Valley Merlot Dreams $60

If you made it onto this list, congratulations because this is stupidly hard to do. YOU are the real star. Thank you for making phenomenal wine that got under my skin and reflected something I held on to in my memory for 12 months. I hate making these things because I drink SOOOO many great wines but people LOVE lists and I try to impossibly narrow it down and crank something out around the first of December. I’m actually 10 days earlier than 2017 so happy holiday shopping–and drinking! Motivation for inclusion is always discussed and criticized when a list comes out, and trust me, nothing is included lightly and everything left off is done so remorsefully. The only things I intentionally did this year is try to keep the bling to a minimum, focus on extremely food-friendly wines, and aim for (fairly) current releases. The smatterings from all over the globe was NOT purposeful–it just landed that way. There are several here you’re just gonna be SOL on: sorry, but they were THAT good and comparable things from the wineries are not going to suck either. Links to find are in the link to each wine.