The Local: Wine & Beer

The Local: Wine & Beer Your Friendly Neighborhood Wine & Beer Shop

SPECIAL GUEST HOST: ROBERT BOEHME FROM VERMONT WINE MERCHANTS!“La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais rosé vin!Lif...
05/28/2026

SPECIAL GUEST HOST: ROBERT BOEHME FROM VERMONT WINE MERCHANTS!

“La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais rosé vin!
Life is too short to drink bad rosé wine!

In the world of rosé wine, France is credited with creating a palette of pink like no other -- fragrant, crisp, fresh, with precise minerality & mouthfeel merging for an enticing finish.

There’s a place for seasonality in our wine enjoyment & rosé is certainly at the top of our list as we approach these lazy hazy days of summer, but rosé from France is so elevated & exquisite that it can be appreciated year round!

French rosé has the power to transport us to a distant vineyard or region & visualize a winemaker carefully letting that juice ride on the skins for just the right amount of time while we enjoy a bottle at the end of the day with our feet up and our guard down!

Life is good!

So join us at The Local on Friday, May 29th from 4:30-6:30 & at the Outpost at from 10:30-2:30 on Saturday, May 30th where we we’ll embark on a tour of some of the iconic rosé producing regions of France starting where it all began -- Provence -- regarded as the gold standard for pink!

-- Jack

Wait, a second event in June? Are you kidding me? And it's all phenomenal French wines imported by one of the premiere i...
05/28/2026

Wait, a second event in June? Are you kidding me? And it's all phenomenal French wines imported by one of the premiere importers presented by one of their premiere employees? YOU GUYS, THIS IS NOT A JOKE!

On Thursday, June 23rd, we're hosting Andrew Fullbright, the Sales Director & Northeast Sales Manager of in The Tasting Room here at The Local!

She'll be presenting five wines, telling the stories of the winemakers, talking about how this whole IMPORTING thing works, and I'm sure she's got some thoughts on inflation/tariffs, etc, if you want to get political in there.

And to pair with the conversation and FIVE WINES, we'll have just the best charcuterie boards around from our friends at 5th Quarter and bread from our ex-neighbors (but still best friends) at Red Hen Baking.

A wonderful evening for just $35/pp which includes everything, you guys. No added tax, service fees, credit card fees, annoyance fees, or any other nonsense here.

On sale Saturday, May 30th @ noon.

(available now for Wine Club members)

-- Sam

Starting Tuesday, 5/26 we’re going to be opening slightly later every day. 10am instead of 9am. And I hope you think tha...
05/28/2026

Starting Tuesday, 5/26 we’re going to be opening slightly later every day. 10am instead of 9am. And I hope you think that’s okay. And, knowing myself, I’ll probably still be at the shop before 10am & I’ll be sure to unlock the door when I get here.

Oh, and closing at 6pm instead of 7pm on Saturdays so really just a good extra nudge to grab your wine & beer (and soon spirits!) before dinner instead of after.

And thanks to everyone who’s been supporting us all month! The expectation was for a slow May with Red Hen over in Montpelier and Woodbelly working towards opening, but things have actually been real OK here -- so thanks!

And a final reminder, that until Woodbelly does open their indoor seating (and day now, please!), I am offering 20% off of pre-ordered cases. The link to the form is up in the bio. I’m not going to redo the math right now, but the average savings is now like 90-something bucks a case, which is awesome if you like spending less money.

Okay, SAM OUT. No, just kidding, that’d be a crazy way to end an IG post.

-- Sam

“We could in the United States make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly of the same kind, but...
05/21/2026

“We could in the United States make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly of the same kind, but doubtless as good.”-- Thomas Jefferson, 1808

On May 24th, 1976, a blind tasting was organized by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier placing France’s iconic wines up against California’s best from Napa Valley. It was conducted by a panel of 9 French judges composed of leading sommeliers, critics, & wine professionals.

California placed first in both the red & white category throwing the French into chaos, anger, & disbelief. French newspapers initially refused to publish the results, judges asked for their scorecards back, & Steve Spurrier was ostracized for coming up with an event that the French thought would be a forgone conclusion.

The Judgment of Paris destroyed the myth of French wine supremacy, marked a turning in modern wine history, & opened up the democratization of the wine world. New World wine regions such as Australia, Chile, Argentina, the Pacific Northwest, & many more were motivated by California’s stunning upset & ramped up their game. The rest, as they say, is history!

Join us this Friday, May 22nd from 4:30-6:30 at The Local and Saturday May 23rd from 10:30-2:30 at our Outpost at in Waitsfield where we’ll celebrate this historic turning point in modern wine history with traditional & innovative selections that define the wine culture of both California & France!

-- Jack

After four great years at the shop, Derek is moving on. Which is, of course, very sad. But it also means that, for reall...
05/21/2026

After four great years at the shop, Derek is moving on. Which is, of course, very sad. But it also means that, for really the first time since I opened up, we're throwing open the doors and yelling, "we're hiring!"

I'm trying to keep the position as flexible as possible because it's much more important to me that we find the right person than we find a person that can work x hours or has y skill. So if you've always thought it might be fun to hang out at my shop AND get paid to do it, shoot me a message, email me at [email protected], or just swing on in. I'm very much looking forward to talking to anyone who is interested!

And thanks in advance to spreading this around & letting people know about the opening!

-- Sam

P.S. Derek is still here for at least another couple of weeks, so please do make sure you come in and say hi. He's also not leaving the valley, so we're not like MOURNING here or anything. But Derek was my first hire & he's taken on and exceeded expectations as I just continued to pile on more responsibilities over the years. I couldn't have asked for a better person to work alongside, and he really will be missed (though he is still on my softball team so, again, n

This Friday is the kick off of my personal favorite FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES back at . Sure, I'm a bit biased because...
05/21/2026

This Friday is the kick off of my personal favorite FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES back at . Sure, I'm a bit biased because it's the FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES that's 1) directly behind my shop and 2) where I get to run the bar so all my favorite things to drink are readily available, but that's not the only reason it's my favorite FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES.

Location, location, location -- There's just something magical about the green. Plus there's a play area for younger kids and the whole thing is basically fenced in so the older kids can run around. And the art. And the food (now featuring our new neighbors !). The sunsets. The crowd. I mean, it's a lot and I love it all.

Bar will be open every Friday from 5-8pm and Sunday from 4-7. Concerts start at 5:30 and 4:30 respectively. Looking forward to seeing you all back there again this year!

-- Sam

Often we beat that well traveled path to navigate safely in our daily comfort zone. And we can all get caught in that fa...
05/14/2026

Often we beat that well traveled path to navigate safely in our daily comfort zone. And we can all get caught in that familiar rut occasionally when choosing a wine.

What we miss when we don’t think & drink outside the box is the thrill of discovery! Finding an unusual varietal or an emerging region making good juice is truly special. These are wines that are a testament to the region and its people who grow & vinify their indigenous varieties, proudly retaining their rich viticultural history.

So jump outside your comfort zone this Friday, May 15th from 4:30-6:30 at The Local & Saturday, May 16th from 10:30-2:30 at in Waitsfield where we'll explore wines from Slovenia, Croatia, & Spain’s island outposts -- Tenerife in the Canary Islands & Mallorca!

Slovenia & Croatia boast a viticultural history going back to 400BC, the Canary Islands were growing vineyards in the 15th century, & the Mediterranean island of Mallorca was making wine under Roman rule beginning in 123 BC!

There’s a lot of unique and wonderful history & wine to be discovered!

-- Jack

This month, we're hosting from the Willamette Valley in The Tasting Room and what I hear LOUD & CLEAR from all of you i...
05/14/2026

This month, we're hosting from the Willamette Valley in The Tasting Room and what I hear LOUD & CLEAR from all of you is that you're super into wines from the Willamette Valley. So, yes, MORE OF THAT COMING TO YOUR NOW!

On Tuesday, June 2nd, we're hosting Alex Neely, the owner & winemaker (along with his partner, Veronica) of in, yes, the Willamette Valley, Oregon!

Alex & Veronica produce self proclaimed neo-natural non-interventionist experimental wines which, honestly, is a lot to think about. And talk about. Which is part of why I'm giving him the opportunity to come explain himself to those of you able to attend this evening. These are certainly wines that lean into their own weirdness in the most wonderful (and delicious) way possible!

Along with the chance to learn about the valley, the winemaking, and (Sam's request here) the art on the labels, you'll get to taste through FIVE WINES. Plus we'll have just the best charcuterie boards around from our friends at and bread from our ex-neighbors (but still best friends) at .

A wonderful evening for just $35/pp which includes everything, you guys. No added tax, service fees, credit card fees, annoyance fees, or any other nonsense here.

On sale Saturday, May 16th @ noon.

(available now for Wine Club members so join today!)

-- Sam

It's the final (as far as we know) release of Hill Farmstead cans! Edward only this week! Arriving Friday, May 14th arou...
05/14/2026

It's the final (as far as we know) release of Hill Farmstead cans! Edward only this week! Arriving Friday, May 14th around 9:30am in Middlesex and around 10:30am at in Waitsfield!

-- Sam

SO MUCH NEW WINE YOU GUYS!the 2025 rosés keep rolling in, plus a new favorite red & white for the $15 and under table, p...
05/07/2026

SO MUCH NEW WINE YOU GUYS!

the 2025 rosés keep rolling in, plus a new favorite red & white for the $15 and under table, plus plus a cab franc that is literally insane. oh and mags of rosé for just $57 bucks. it's a great time to love wine.

and we're here for you if those photos of bottles don't really mean much. all questions answered in language that makes sense to you (and me). swing on by!

-- Sam

a whole bunch of information here but the big takeaways are -- 20% off pre-orders for a limited time (link in bio), camp...
05/07/2026

a whole bunch of information here but the big takeaways are -- 20% off pre-orders for a limited time (link in bio), camp meade & porch drinks start may 22nd (though porch drinks maybe earlier if it ever gets warm again ever). plus I like you guys. thanks for being so cool.

-- Sam

Address

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

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 7pm
Sunday 9am - 7pm

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