The Local: Wine & Beer

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

Yo! Whoa, no, sorry, that didn't feel like the right way to start a post. TAKE 2 -- hello dear friends! TAKE 3 -- Hey (o...
06/12/2026

Yo! Whoa, no, sorry, that didn't feel like the right way to start a post. TAKE 2 -- hello dear friends! TAKE 3 -- Hey (okay, I'm comfortable here), just realizing that we're now a few weeks into the '26 Camp Meade season and I completely forgot to let everyone (ie. you) know about all the great snacks we have back at our bar thanks to our friends at 5th Quarter Butcher + Provisons .

Also (not pictured), canned & bottled water! And seltzers (Spindrift not alcoholic though we do have those too so I felt like I should clarify here).

Plus, starting today (and not pictured because they are arriving this afternoon) CHEESE DIPS for the crackers! Pimento & Ranch! Also from 5th Quarter.

So swing on by the bar, say hi to Aaron of PEACE BURGER fame, and get some great wine, beer, cider, seltzer (boozy & non), snacks, waters, dips, etc.

-- Sam

I'm going to go on record here and say I'm not a fan of inflation. It's annoying to see prices rise & rise & rise &...yo...
06/11/2026

I'm going to go on record here and say I'm not a fan of inflation. It's annoying to see prices rise & rise & rise &...you get it. So instead of making anything more expensive, starting today I'm going to GIVE $10 BUCKS A MONTH to anyone who wants it.

That's right, I'm introducing a brand new tier of Wine Club where you give me $50/month and I give you $60/month in shop credit. I'm no math major, but I'm pretty sure that's a very good deal. And if you want $120 a month, that's just $100. And so on, and so on.

Unlike regular Wine Club where I pick out bottles for you every month, with this new option, you get to spend your credit on whatever bottles you'd like each month. Or you can save up your credit to splurge on something extravagant. It's up to you which is why I'm calling it the CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CLUB.

And, of course, you get the same perks as all Wine Club members -- 5% off everything, every day, 10% off starting at just 6 bottles, early access to an allocation of tickets for events in The Tasting Room, and 5% off at 5th Quarter.

Questions? Just reply to this and I'll do my best to answer. Or just click the link and sign up today.

Thanks for being a part of this adventure with me!

-- Sam

***for reasons that are 100% technical & boring, this shop credit ONLY applies at the Middlesex location. sorry, valley-folks™, you'll have to drive out this way to take advantage.***

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June!” – JM MontgomeryJune marks the beginning of...
06/10/2026

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June!” – JM Montgomery

June marks the beginning of summer -- long days, hot but not too hot, and a celebratory month filled with weddings, graduations, and gatherings.

It’s a special time in the wine world as well – flowering in the vineyards in June marks the moment when grapevines transition after bud break and shoot growth, when the vine flowers open and reveal the potential of the season’s harvest.

June boasts National Rose Day (13th), Lambrusco Day (21st), Prosecco Week (24th-30th), and National Chenin Blanc Day (29th)! The arrival of June also signals the start of a more focused search for the perfect bottles to quench our seasonal thirst and complement summer cuisine.

The "20-Minute Rule" is the ultimate guide for summer sipping: give your red wines a quick chill in the fridge, or let your chilled whites and rosés rest on the counter for 20 minutes. This simple trick ensures you capture every vibrant aroma and flavor while maintaining that essential, thirst-quenching crispness in every pour!

Stop by this Friday, June 12th at The Local from 4:30-6:30pm and Saturday, June 13th at the Outpost inside in Waitsfield from 10:30-2:30 when we celebrate easy drinking, chillable whites, rose, and reds for those lazy hazy summer days that lie ahead!

– Jack

it's so freakin' nice out today, you guys. i love it. and while i could be super BASIC and recommend any of the BILLION ...
06/08/2026

it's so freakin' nice out today, you guys. i love it. and while i could be super BASIC and recommend any of the BILLION of rosés we've brought in recently, we've got the entire summer for that. so, for today, i'm recommending this wonderful new (to my shop) grüner & this wonderfully unique white from puglia (italty) made from a grape verdeca which is fun because it's RARE but i'm recommending it because it's DELICIOUS.

and for my beer-heads™ out there, of course i have a couple fridges full of the best & bravest IPAs around, but let's be DANGEROUS and try something crazy like an orange soda sour or a lemonade shady (made with REAL lemon juice). that could be fun. i mean, that WILL be fun.

-- Sam


Okay, so sort of copying & pasting from my newsletter last week (which, if you aren't signed up for...wow, huge loss. HU...
06/04/2026

Okay, so sort of copying & pasting from my newsletter last week (which, if you aren't signed up for...wow, huge loss. HUGE!)...but last week I told people that thanks to our friends at FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER we received literally less than a handful of bottles from . And those sold out basically IMMEDIATELY.

So I wrote to Hill and said, "hey, if anyone was silly enough to turn down their allocation, I'll take it." And they wrote back and said, "well..."

And now there are 5 more bottles of the Sang Bleu & 12 bottles of the Classic Gueuze arriving tomorrow morning around 9:30am.

First come, first serve. No pre-orders. No limits (reach for the sky).

See you tomorrow!

-- Sam

Everyday I'm in the shop, I'm watching getting closer & closer to opening up their COMPLETELY NEWLY RENOVATED indoor se...
06/04/2026

Everyday I'm in the shop, I'm watching getting closer & closer to opening up their COMPLETELY NEWLY RENOVATED indoor seating area. Which is exciting. But it also means that we're getting REALLY, REALLY CLOSE to the end of the promotion that I've been running. That promotion ends the SECOND they open their doors, so I thought it was worth an IG post to remind everyone to...
..oh, you don't know what I'm talking about or you would have already taken advantage of this offer. Right. Right.

Until Woodbelly opens their indoor seating area, I'm offering 20% OFF PRE-ORDERED CASES! That's 100% worth the capital letters there. And so many people have already filled out the simple form (LINK IN BIO) and taken advantage of some really exceptional savings. And we could all use EXCEPTIONAL SAVINGS there days, I know.

So find that link, give it a click, and I'll get back to you with a suggested case. Don't love my choices, harsh, but fine...I'll make changes until you're happy! What a people pleaser!

Already ordered a case? There's no limits here, you guys. Grab another before this offer EXPIRES!

-- Sam

After (nearly) four great years here at The Local, the time has come for me to move on to my next chapter. But before I ...
06/04/2026

After (nearly) four great years here at The Local, the time has come for me to move on to my next chapter. But before I go, I want to share with you all some of my absolute favorites from throughout my tenure here.

In a tremendously cool job, quite easily the coolest part was being able to explore, learn about, and taste so many amazing wines (and beers, ciders, sakes, etc. etc.). Coming into this new career as a devout fan of the Bota Box and Busch Light (no disrespect intended), my palate has expanded beyond what I ever imagined possible. Shout-out to Sam for the opportunity, Sarah and Jack for all of the guidance and support throughout the learning process, and Hayley for being such an eager learner so I could pass some of it along!

The other-coolest part of this job has been sharing what I’ve learned with all you cool people, so I’m psyched to share with you for this last time some of my favorites. While there have been many standouts throughout the years, I’ve picked five highlights for this week that span a variety of styles and price points; I remain adamant that we have something for every palate and wallet here, so I hope you find something that enters your rotation and becomes a shared favorite of ours. I can think of no better legacy to leave!

-- Derek

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

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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