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The Local: Wine & Beer

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The Local: Wine & Beer

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Your Friendly Neighborhood Wine & Beer Shop

11/05/2026

As you all know by now, we make a regular habit at our tastings of taking you down the rabbit hole with us to sample w**es from the lesser known grape varietals out there that we’ve fallen in love with --

“What did you think of the Okuzgozo?” “This Saperavi has a wonderfully long lingering finish!” etc.

Fun w**es that certainly deserve to be sampled and discovered, but this week we turn our attention and appreciation to the classics -- Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of red w**e, Pinot Gris (Grigio), the refreshing, versatile, and easy to drink white that’s found a home in both the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc camps, the finesse, complexity, and soulfulness of Pinot Noir, Chianti, the reigning monarch of Italian reds, and Prosecco, celebratory bubbles at an everyday price!

Expensive w**e doesn’t necessarily mean better and a cheap w**e is just inexpensive, but a value w**e always overdelivers!

W**e made with intent -- carefully chosen sites and smaller manageable quantities crafted by w**emakers pursuing the best expression of the grape and it’s terroir -- are increasing throughout the world’s w**e regions, and well crafted iconic varietals are becoming more popular and price friendly than ever.

Low cost, highly crafted classics hit the tables this Friday, November 6th at The Local from 4:30-6:30 and Saturday, November 7th at 5th Quarter 11-3.

As French singer George Brassens said, “The best w**e is not the most expensive one, but the one you share.” And we can't wait to share these with you!

-- Jack

11/04/2026

SAVE THE DATE: DECEMBER 17TH (evening). SUPER SPECIAL EVENT AT THE LOCAL. WITH OUR FRIENDS AT 5TH QUARTER. DETAILS TBA. SORRY FOR YELLING.

-- sam

11/03/2026

hey, the shop is four years old today! a huge thank you to my family, the tiny team that makes it all go, and all of you for letting me do this every day. everyone is the best. thanks!

-sam

10/28/2026

Halloween is the spookiest night of the year and an opportunity to celebrate all things weird, wild, and fermented! With the seasonal saturation of pumpkin spice lattes, candy corn, and pumpkin ales, there’s another beast in the shadows waiting to greet the w**e guzzling masses who have previously enjoyed reds, whites, and rose. Make way for ORANGE -- the 4th color! White w**e grapes can now take on a whole different personality-defying convention, having mischievous energy, and possessing otherworldly flavors.

Orange w**e is as old as w**e itself, originating almost 8000 years ago in what is now the country of Georgia. White grapes were crushed and macerated with the skins and fermented in buried clay vessels called Qvevri and the top was sealed with beeswax.

Today a whole new generation of w**emakers from around the globe are embracing this ancient process and macerating white grapes in their skins for different periods of time, breaking down the skins and creating more texture, color, and rusticity, along with some deliciously confusing flavors! The w**es are usually unfiltered and unfined so don’t be afraid of the cloud in the bottle-that sediment is where the flavor lurks! Fermented funk, liquid autumn, or “liquid Jack O’ Lantern”, whatever name you want to put on them, they’re not going away!

Join us this Friday, October 30th from 4:30-6:30 at The Local and Saturday, October 31st from 11-3 at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter in Waitsfield where we’ll sample part science experiment/part magic and the supernatural qualities of this very old but very new elixir

– Jack

10/26/2026

i know it’s not even NOVEMBER yet, but, i’m going to do two things here -- first, i’m going to make you think about THANKSGIVING. and we all have FEELINGS about that particular holiday, so that could be good or...not. BUT THING TWO, thing two is GOOD, i promise -- that’s right, it’s time for DISCOUNTED THANKSGIVING PRE-ORDERS!

and, this year, the discounts are BIGGER and BETTER than ever. though, really, they are just bigger. which i am going to assume makes them better.

BUT SAM, how does this whole thing work?

SOLID QUESTION -- i‘ve DONE MY BEST to make it as easy as possible. you fill out a SIMPLE form. and i’ll come back to you within a few days with the perfect bottles to pair with your thanksgiving meal! no commitment here: if you don‘t like anything about what i’ve suggested, just let me know and i‘ll continue to work with you on the order until i’ve nailed it.

PLUS, as a reward for thinking about thanksgiving EARLY, i am giving a BIGGER discount for anyone who pays for their order between now & November 8th.

then everyone who pays for an order between November 9th & November 15th still gets a pretty freakin’ good discount, but not quite as good as the early birds. and from the 16th onward, we‘re always happy to help you FIGURE THIS WHOLE THING OUT, but, sorry, no more discounts.

PLUS PLUS pick up is available in middlesex or waitsfield! ryan will be helping fill out the waitsfield orders this year! teamwork, you guys, makes the dream work.

happy almost november!

-- Sam

p.s. quick pro-tip -- you guys, i have no idea if you are actually drinking these w**es on THANKSGIVING. so feel free to take advantage of the discount and just stock up on your favorites or that bottle you’ve always wanted but seems a lot more appealing at a discounted price.

10/22/2026

“Hygge is about giving your responsible stressed out achiever adult a break. Relax!” – Meik Wiking

As we approach the darkest & shortest days of the year, along with the approaching celebrations, I would say that a bit of self indulgence right now is both necessary & deserved, and no one does reconnecting with nurturing intentional moments like the Scandinavian culture!

Hygge (hue-gah) is a Danish concept embracing comfort and the culture of communal sharing & conversation, soft light, comfort foods, and your favorite beverage! Hygge and a glass of w**e is a powerful & pleasant way of slowing down and prioritizing our well being, reflection, and truly savoring the moment. The Cranberries once sang “do you have to let it linger?” and the answer, when it comes to winding down these days, is a resounding yes!

Make the time to revel in some of life’s simpler joys and join us at The Local this Friday October 23rd from 4:30-6:30pm and at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter on Saturday, October 24th from 10:30-3:00pm when we roll out an always warm welcome & cozy atmosphere and we’ll taste w**es that pair up beautifully with the savory offerings from our friends at the 5th Quarter!

– Jack

10/19/2026

i realized recently that even though i own a w**e shop & put together way TOO MANY post for all my REAL FRIENDS (that's you guys!), i don't often put up posts that are just about encouraging you all to BUY SOME GREAT WINES. usually, it's like -- hey, here's what we're having at our free tastings, or check out this killer event coming up, and (mostly) you guys, there is NEW B**R I LOVE!

so, today, it's a straight up buy some great AND VERY LIMITED w**es notice to all ya'll. END PREAMBLE.

due to a confluence of events -- the terrible frosts of '24 in the Rheingau & the 20th anniversary of the Peter Lauer label -- we have some INCREDIBLY SPECIAL bottles of riesling in the shop right this very moment.

not having enough of the '24 vintage to release to satisfy demand, j.b. becker has released some great library w**es and i'm really PLEASED to be the home for a case of the 2015 kabinett trocken! that's right -- over 10 years old already & the general consensus is that it's hitting the start of its ideal drinking window now but could also easily age for another 20 years. and, if you don't know about j.b. becker and their w**emaker, Hans-Josef’s (Hajo), 1000000% click on the link below to learn more. he's a rock star and 100% my future grumpy old man inspiration.

and then there is peter lauer -- these are all about the huge difference a slight change in vineyard location can make. oh, also, THEY ARE HUGE BOTTLES! i have three mags of the unterstenberg which is DRY, DRY, DRY and oh so good. then, from just 300m lower on the same mountain is the stirn -- slightly off-dry IN THE BEST WAY -- and there is just ONE magnum and ONE double magnum available.

centerpiece thanksgiving w**es right here, right now. or, really, just great w**es for sharing with friends or stocking away for a VERY SPECIAL DAY.

i love these. you'll love these. buy now & enjoy WHENEVER.

-- Sam

10/14/2026

Espana! -- “Innovacion, Diversidad, y Valor”

Today, Spain has the largest vineyard surface area in the world with almost 2.35 million acres. Italy and France rank second and third. Given all that acreage, Spanish w**es in the last century have suffered from a lack of recognition and for good reasons -- political and economic chaos in the 20th century led to a rise in mass cooperatives that dominated the country’s w**e industry, prioritizing volume over quality.

Forced to reinvent itself, Spain has emerged as one of the most dynamic, compelling, best bang for your buck (la mejor relacion calidad-precio!) w**e producing countries in the world. Spain’s indigenous varieties represent one its greatest assets. Many varieties that were abandoned in the 19th century are making a strong comeback thanks to Spain’s other great asset -- a new generation of w**emakers and growers eager to reclaim their regional identity and authenticity.

So join us this Friday, October 16th at The Local from 4:30-6:30 and Saturday, October 17th at the outpost inside 5th Quarter from 10:30-2:30 when we celebrate the innovation, diversity, and value of Spain’s new era in viticulture!

-- Jack

Dandelion is a collection of plots made up of 25-45 year old Albariño vines located around the village of Cambodia in the Rias Baixas. Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto have different backgrounds and personalities but are always looking to improve the quality and diversity of Albariño’s potential.

Many other producers add potassium to Albariño to drop the acidity and soften their w**e but Dandelion is devoted to expressing razor sharp acidity, vinifying a variety of different parcels separately on the lees for 7 months along with a weekly battonage in the first month.

You get all of that brisk ocean acidity along with a creamy texture and flavors of lemon zest, green apple, and salty peach. This is Albariño made the way it ought to be!

The 200 acres of vineyards of Vinedos y Bodegas Munoz are located in the village of Nobleja, 60 kilometers from Madrid, and run by agricultural engineer Bienvenido Munoz, the 6th generation of Munoz w**emakers.

The grapes are sourced from 30 year old vines from t

10/13/2026

on thursday, november 12th, FOR THE FOURTH TIME, we're welcoming w**emaker michele d’aprix back in the tasting room here at the local! and if someone's returning for THE FOURTH TIME, you can be 100% sure that we REALLY LOVE hosting them here (and i also like to think she REALLY LOVES hanging out with us too).

well, what's so special about these evenings -- i mean, ANYONE can make super quaffable, very affordable, w**e over in bordeaux, right? oh, wait, no, sorry, that's SUPER DIFFICULT. and michele has THE MOST FUN stories about all the lesson's she's learned the hard way to get herself to where she is now.

so i hope you'll join us for an evening i look forward to every year. michele will guide us through at least five of her w**es (I'M STILL WORKING OUT THE DETAILS, YOU GUYS) – from white to rosé to red to sparkling – and give us the inside scoop about her w**emaking while also sharing stories from her time working in the vineyards.

these evenings with michele have been just SO MUCH FUN & i'm thrilled she's back again this year. don’t miss out on what promises to be an unforgettable evening with an incredible w**emaker!

plus all the w**es are paired with bread from RED HEN BAKING plus charcuterie boards from 5TH QUARTER featuring local cheeses, meats, & more!

an allocation of tickets are available now for w**e club members (so join today!) and the remaining tickets will be available for everyone else starting at noon on saturday 10/17.

just $35/pp which is what is what last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. NO INFLATION HERE.

-- sam

10/08/2026

Two of the hardest workin’ guys in the butchery, w**e, and b**r business -- Josh & Sam - - love to roll out special bottles for the holidays. As we celebrate the waning days of one glorious summer ride and an amazing fall season, the upcoming holidays loom on the horizon and you can expect some pretty spectacular liquid assets to be shared this Columbus Day Weekend!

So join us at The Local this Friday, October 9th from 4:30-6:30 and Saturday, October 10th from 10:30-2:30 at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter where you’ll get to celebrate the first of a string of special w**e tasting events to enhance your holiday weekend and help you choose those special w**es for the upcoming holiday season!

The Jake and Elwood of Soulful Savory Soirées have put together quite a set list!

-- Jack

P.S. There's just one magnum of the Beaujolais Le Beaujolais so make sure you order that asap!

Address

The Local: Wine & Beer, 961 US Route 2
Middlesex, VT
05602

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6:15pm
Thursday	10am - 7pm
Friday	10am - 8pm
Saturday	10am - 6pm
Sunday	10am - 6pm

Website

http://thelocalvt.com/

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