The Better Late Than Never Edition Of  The July 2025 Cork 'n Cap Press

As inevitable as oversized zucchini in July, it's construction season at Cork 'n Cap

The sidewalk and possibly the corner of the building foundation is destroyed, but not the parking lot or our eclectic collection of wine that slumbers peacefully on the shelves in spite of the racket outside.

Good, Better, Best from Tuscany

The Wines Of Gracciano Della Seta 

The Gracciano Estate is one of the oldest wineries in the Montepulciano region. In the beginning of the 19th century, Gracciano was owned by the Svetoni family who built the Villa and created the Italian-style gardens that surround it. The property was inherited by the current owners, Marco, Vannozza and Galdina della Seta Ferrari Corbelli Greco, through their father Giorgio. The vines grow on the clay and silty soil of the Gracciano hills, one of the oldest and most prestigious crus of Montepulciano. Not to be confused with the grape varietal Montepulciano grown in other parts of Italy, these three wines from Tuscany are a blend of 90% Prugnolo Gentile (a clone of Sangiovese) and 10% Merlot.  Here is a rare opportunity to compare three levels of wine made by the same producer using the same grape varietals.

Rosso di Montepulciano DOC $15.99
The Prugnolo Gentile di Gracciano has the freshness of youth: it is cheerful, attractive, sometimes pleasantly unpretentious. A little big wine that can mature well for even over 10 years, to reach a peak of great delicacy and harmony

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano D.O.C.G  $23.99
The Vino Nobile has a bright ruby color, an intense, ripe cherry and plum nose and a dry, balanced and persistent taste of rounded tannins.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano D.O.C.G. Riserva  $28.99
Our Vino Nobile encompasses the entire terroir of Gracciano as is demonstrated by the great collection of vintages dating back to 1947. An elegant and harmonious body with delicate, autumnal notes that evolve and mature for up to 30 years.

Countless Professional Brewers Got Their Start At Cork 'n Cap

Countless because I haven't counted them and I am not sure they would want you to know anyway.  I don't know if Mr. Beer is still around but his legacy was developing the "Easy Bake Oven" of beer making, not inspiring aspiring brewers who have a dream.  You need to crawl before you can walk and hopefully you will not revert back to crawling if you know your limits. Cork 'n Cap has what you need to get started when you need to get a hobby.  Check our pricing, we have much lower overhead because Otto is not subject to minimum wage laws and being a "destination business" means we don't waste a bunch of money on high-value real estate as those who have been to our humble brick and mortar store can rightly attest.   "Free Shipping" isn't free, except at Cork 'n Cap where I will happily carry your order out to your car in the parking lot.  To place a grain bill order, you can reply to this email or phone 517-784-0687.  I can usually have it ready in minutes.

Wine Sixpack #149

Still Only $49.99

Our latest inflation-fighting and thus-far tariff-dodging sixpack contains 2 white and 4 red wines that come in their own reusable, partitioned, eco-friendly six bottle bag. As a bonus, when you bring your empty bag back in, you receive a club discount on the purchase of six bottles or more of any of our in-stock wines. Our sixpack club has no rules and no obligations, just a good value collection of specially selected wine. Check https://corkncap.com/our-latest-wine-sixpack/ for information on the latest sixpack available.

Pre-Tariff Pricing Still Holding On Our Best Sellers

Chateau La Castillonne Red, our best selling wooden crate Bordeaux of all time, has a sibling. The red has been known for its consistent quality year in an year out. It is a classic 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that has crowd-pleasing brambly fruit notes, a dryness that lends it self well to pairing with a variety of foods without over powering them, and finishes with firm but gentle tannins.

Chateau La Castillonne White, says “Sauvignon Blanc” on the label but it likely also includes a small amount of Semillon, another important grape from the Bordeaux region responsible for rounding the edges and softening the citrus notes of the predominant grape, giving the resulting wine a luscious structure and mouth-feel.

Try either wine for $10.99 a bottle or grab a wooden crate of 12 bottles for just $108, a savings of almost $2 per bottle. While drier than a typical domestic wine, Bordeaux wines are typically lighter in alcohol and much lower in residual sugar, with minimal chemical adulteration for people who care about such things.

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