The Wines of Summer '24

Our Summer wine list is live! Enjoy these tasting notes, introductions, and pairing suggestions for each selection, as put together by our buyer and resident wine-nerd, Taylor Kline. And make sure you check out our Wine & Jazz night: Each Thursday from 4-8pm wine is 25% off by the bottle, with specials by the glass, and from 5:30-7:30pm, our haus jazz quartet the Hounds (or another select jazz group when the Hounds are busy) performs exquisite live jazz—the perfect pairing for any wine.

SPARKLING

Les Bulles Nordiques. Mousse Sparkling Wine Co. Jordan, MN. 2023.

Grapes: Itasca
$15 btg /$46 btb

Tasting Notes: pear, gooseberry, honeydew melon, bread

Haus-pairings: salamini, Cold Turkey, Gorilla, Sitka Sushi

2023 Itasca Pét-Nat is a delicious dry wine with beautiful notes of peaches and pineapple, made from 100% Itasca grapes, hand-harvested and gently whole-cluster pressed. The wine was bottled right from the tank during the first fermentation in order to capture the fresh, fruity flavors from the fruit and the natural bubbles from the fermentation.

Josie Boyle is the winemaker/owner of Mousse Sparkling Wine Co based in Jordan, Minnesota. She is the first in Minnesota to make a pét-nat style wine, short for the French term, Pétillant-Naturel, where secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle creating CO₂ (the bubbles.)

WHITE

Big Salt. Ovum Wines. Willamette Valley, Oregon. 2023.

Grapes: White blend- Riesling, Muscat, & Gewurztraminer.
$12 btg / $38 btb

Tasting Notes: honeysuckle, white flowers, kumquat, sea salt

Haus-pairings: Great Summer Caper w/ Lox, Bánh Faux Mì, Cedar’s Secret, Spring Roll

2023 Big Salt is dry, aromatic and zippy. Oceanic, citrusy mandarin and pineapple leap out of the glass. Fully native fermentation, no subtractions or additions, except for SO₂: All of this is done in neutral barrels of acacia and oak, as well as cement egg and Austrian cask.

Established in 2011 by Ksenija and John House, Ovum was founded in hopes of producing Oregonian white wines that are honest reflections of time and place. Their low intervention production method is a commitment to letting the vintage and vineyard shine, not the vintner.

Lieu Dit. Santa Ynez Valley, CA. 2022

Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
$13 btg / $42 btb

Tasting Notes: lime zest, sage, minerals

Haus-pairings: Spring Roll, Big Dipper, Fuzzy Bunny, Italiensk

Founded by Eric Railsback and Justin Willett, Lieu Dit has rapidly risen to prominence in Santa Barbara County's vibrant low-intervention winemaking landscape. Their distinctive approach combines tank and neutral barrel fermentations. Their 2022 Sauv Blanc is sourced from the Happy Canyon Vineyard within the Santa Ynez Valley—their terroir boasts a rich diversity of soils, including sand, shale, gravel, clay, chert, and serpentine rocks.

Lieu Dit “Said Place” capitalizes on Santa Barbara County's micro-climates and marine-influenced soils, ideal for cultivating these grapes.

Adèle Blanc. Éric Texier. Rhône Valley, VDF. 2022.

Grapes: Clairette (90%) with a splash of Marsanne (10%).
$14 btg / $44 btb

Tasting Notes: green apple, white flowers, almonds

Haus-pairings: Slammin’ Gordon, NWS Salad, Cajun Finn, Clubhaus

An homage to the heroine of a French historical fantasy comic book, Adèle Blanc-Sec, this wine lives up to its namesake (the surname literally translating as White-Dry) and takes you on a whirlwind journey. This wine is fermented with native yeasts in a cement tank for 6-8 months.

Eric Texier made the unprecedented leap from nuclear engineer to winemaker in the early 1990s. In keeping with his rigorous academic background, he studied oenology in Bordeaux. While learning the ropes in the Mâcon at Verget by day, he burned the midnight oil reading handbooks and manuals from the 19th century to learn about long-lost styles and vinification techniques.

Mae Son “Vino Orange”. Matteo Furlani. Alto-Adige, Italy. 2022.

Grapes: Muller Thurgau
$13 btg / $42 btb

Tasting Notes: fresh apples, mountain flowers, dried apricot

Haus-pairings: Slammin’ Gordon, Squealy Dan, Club Mariner, Bánh Faux Mì

Furlani Mae Son Orange is a natural wine made from Muller Thurgau. The grapes are hand-harvested at the start of September, then de-stemmed by hand. They undergo a long period of skin contact for 20-25 days, after which they are left to spontaneously ferment in open-top steel vats.

Matteo Furlani, a fourth-generation winemaker, is the dedicated custodian of his family's vineyards above the alpine city of Trento in the Dolomites at over 700 meters. His approach to winemaking, honed not through formal study, but through the knowledge passed down from his father and grandfather, emphasizes a deep connection to the land and a commitment to natural methods.

ROSÉ

Una Lou. Scribe Winery. Sonoma, CA. 2022.

Grapes: Rosé of Pinot Noir
$13 btg / $42 btb

Tasting Notes: watermelon, white peach, passion fruit

Haus-pairings: Cold Turkey, Sitka Sushi, Pork Loin D-Luxx

Una Lou is a rosé composed from family owned and sustainably farmed Pinot Noir in Sonoma, California. Husband & wife, Andrew Mariani and Lia Ives, of Scribe Winery have dedicated Una Lou to their daughter.

The winery–founded in 2007 on a property that pioneered pre-prohibition Sonoma Valley winemaking–is managed by fourth-generation California farmers and brothers, Andrew and Adam Mariani. Andrew and Adam believe that the best wines are a result of a healthy relationship between human and nature, and that a vineyard managed in harmony with the greater ecosystem results in more site-specific wines that represent a sense of time and place.

RED

Gaspard. Loire Valley, FR. 2022.

Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
$12 btg / $38 btb

Tasting Notes: fresh dark berries, savory herbs, pepper

Haus-pairings : Hedonist, Silence of the Lambwich, Cold Turkey, Hardhat

“Gaspard,” a traditional French boy’s name that means “bringer of treasure,” is a private wine label made for NY natural wine importer, Jenny & Francois.

Pinot Noir grapes are sourced from growers who work sustainably or organically (no herbicide) across different vineyards in the Loire Valley, are fermented with native yeast, spend a couple of months on their fine lees and then undergo only light filtration and fining. Carefree and fruity! Gaspard is a compelling light red with delicate tannins and plenty of dark fruit flavors that’s perfect with a charcuterie plate, pâté, or lighter red meat dishes.

Vino da Sete. Tenuta iL Nespolo. Piedmont, IT. 2022.

Grapes: Red Blend- Barbera, Freisa, Sangiovese.
$12 / $48- 1L bottle

Tasting Notes: currant, ripe strawberries, fresh leather

Haus-parings: Squealy Dan w/ salami, Italiensk, Hardhat, Gorilla

“Vino da Sete,” translating to “wine of thirst,” this vibrant red wine exhibits a medium-ruby hue and offers a lively palate. A red blend comprising Barbera, Freisa, and Sangiovese, this wine embodies a harmonious blend, showcasing the unique terroir and winemaking techniques employed in its creation.

Luca Amerio is a youthful man whose quiet demeanor belies his inventive winemaking style. His family’s ancestral lands are situated in Moasca, a tiny village resting on the southern flank of the province of Asti, the heart of Piedmont.

Wiley Wines. Mendocino, CA. 2022.

Grapes: 100% Carignan.
$13 btg / $42 btb

Tasting Notes: dried cranberry, licorice, baking spices

Haus-pairings: Silence of the Lambwich, ‘06, Big Dipper, Clubhaus

100% Carignan organically farmed in Mendocino, CA. Planted in the 1940's in deep white sandy clay and loam, these dry farmed bush vines are self rooted. The grapes are farmed by the Graziano’s, once the oldest grape growing families in Mendocino. The grapes were fermented whole cluster in an open top fermenter then barrel aged in neutral French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Since 2019, Minnesota-man and Wiley’s founder/winemaker, Phineas Fittipaldi, has worked to marry ancient tradition and modern technology. Guided by their love of wine, nature and California surf culture, they use techniques from the earliest days of winemaking, fused with a 21st century approach, to create wines that are bright and fun to drink while maintaining depth of flavor, texture, and minerality. All of their wines are single vineyard, single varietal, and made with minimal intervention.

5 Things: September 27th, 2019

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I'm ready for September to step aside and make way for October: the best time of the year. There's a whole lot of good things coming to Northern Waters Smokehaus in October. Let's take a look, shall we?

The G.O.A.T. arrives on October 2nd. Yes, next Wednesday you'll be able to feast upon this toasted bagel, dressed in creamy chèvre, toasted Smoked Andouille Sausage slices, local apple slices, and crispy lettuce for $9.50+tax. Catch me eating The G.O.A.T. during every one of my lunch breaks.

Enjoy these photographs of The G.O.A.T.

Next week, our new wine list hits the deli. Keep your eyes on our social media platforms for updates and product profiles.

Are you a creative, yet unpretentious eater? Or a college student on a budget with a knack for maximizing flavor? Do you enjoy zhuzhing-up a grocery store frozen pizza with special ingredients; instant ramen, with a little bit of extra love from the produce section? So do we. And we're glad to work at a place like Northern Waters Smokehaus, where there's plenty of potently flavorful ingredients to bring to our home kitchens.

That's why we're launching #NWSMadeItFancy — the hashtag dedicated to documenting your culinary ingenuity under the influence of Northern Waters Smokehaus. Playing the game is simple: grab some NWS ingredients, find creative uses for them in your favorite "un-fancy" foods—frozen pizza, instant ramen, macaroni and cheese, instant stuffing, cornbread mix, you name it—document it, and share it with the aforementioned hashtag, and...profit?

We'll be keeping an eye on the hashtag and sharing our favorites. Join in with our staff and followers to create a whole lot of fun community content, featuring your favorite items from our deli. Will you be famous? No promises. Will you make our followers feel happy and inspired? It's probable!

Glensheen gave us a ton of basil! Imagine a literal ton of basil. That would be a very large pile of basil. Back to business: At the end of the season, the folks at Glensheen have a ton of produce and not much to do with it, so they donate it to the community. Basil tastes great, but it doesn't exactly feed people, so it isn't high on the priority list for the handful of local organizations feeding the marginalized populations of our community. We're grateful to make use of this windfall, and look forward to providing you with the finest Glensheen-tinged Italiensks, Silence of the Lambwiches—that's how you pluralize it: you're welcome—and Spring Rolls.

A ton of Basil (Rathbone)

There's a ton of otherexciting Things™ coming up this Autumn at NWS, but I need to hold onto some content for future 5 Thingses—there's another useful pluralization for you. So I'll leave you with the best news I've heard all week—Our DM is returning from vacation, and D&D starts again this Monday! Back to Waterdeep, and into the Undermountain—home of the Mad Mage—we go. Will we return? Who could know? Prepare yourselves for session-recaps for which you never asked, and tidbits of the hijinks of the Midnight Axe, which will have doubled its ranks. That sounds like easily double the hijinks.

Before my words become

quiet and meaningless

As wind in dry grass

This is the way the blog ends

Not with a bang but a whimper

Product Feature: Beer, cider, and wine. Oh my!

We've added beer, cider, and wine to our menu. It only took us just about twenty-one years to do it—fitting, given the federal minimum age limit for purchasing alcohol.

All of our beer inventory is locally and regionally sourced, seasonally appropriate, and reasonably priced ($10 for Hoops Brewing crowlers, $6 for 16 oz craft beer/cider, $4 for PBR pounders). Whatever you're getting to eat, any of these beers and ciders is going to be a great match.

We've carefully curated a tight selection of four natural wines—organically farmed and crafted without additives—available by the glass and by the bottle, with recorking service available.

Since folks are perennially interested in pairing advice, here's a primer of our suggested pairings for each of the wines. However, beverage pairing is subjective, and any of these will go well with whatever sandwich/salad/salami basket sounds good to you.

Vinho Verde - Vale do Homem, Quintas do Homem, 2017.

This green-hued (hence the name) estate-bottled wine comes from a family-owned winery in northern Portugal and features a blend of Loureiro and Arinto, the two best indigenous grapes of the region.

Light bodied, with citrus and green apple notes and a slight effervescence, it is great alongside the Cold Turkey, Sitka Sushi, Slammin' Gordon, and the NWS Salad, or with our dry-cured pepperoni or Spanish-style chorizo.

$5 BTG / $20 BTB

Rosé - Réserve de la Saurine, Lauduan Chusclan, 2018.

Grown on the gravelly banks of the Ceze River in southern France, this blend of Grenache and Cinsault grapes is light, crisp, and dry, with bright, crushed berry fruit. 

We suggest this wine alongside the savory flavor palates of our flagship Cajun Finn and Silence of the Lambwich sandwiches, as well as our mainstay veggie sandwich, the Fuzzy Bunny. Try it with our smoked ham and porketta as well.

$5 BTG / $20 BTB

White - Le P’tit Blanc, Clos du Tue-Boeuf, 2017.

The Loire Valley, where this vineyard is situated, has been a seat of wine production since the 1st century CE. Winemakers in this region are esteemed for their organic, biodynamic and natural winemaking processes. This white features a blend of Sauvignon Blanc with a little Chardonnay, and a complex palate of stone fruit, mineral, and citrus.

This wine is a perfect pair with just about everything we make and retail, but we recommend it especially with the Phoebe, Pork Lion, and Hedonist sandwiches, and alongside our smoked lake trout and salmon. Though it is perhaps a bit too on-the-nose, this wine also highlights the notes of Chardonnay in our Saucisson Sec.

$7 BTG / $30 BTB

Red - La Grume Beaujolais-Villages, or “La Grume”, Domaine de la Grume, 2016.

This soft and versatile red comes from a tiny winery in central France. It's made from 100% Gamay Noir grapes and has a core of blackberry fruit, laced with bright cherry and minerality.

Pair it with buttery, savory sandwiches like the Banh Faux Mi, Squealy Dan and DeWitt-Seitzer. It's truly a delight alongside our country pâté, smoked Berkshire ham, and any of our dry-cured salumi.

$6 BTG / $23 BTB

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Have you tried any of our beers, ciders, or wines alongside our foods? Have any favorite pairings to share? Let us know in the comments, or tag us in a post on your social media. This is all new and exciting for us, and we're dying to hear about your experience!

From TK's Desk: Raclette

Its Alpine cheese season.

Welcome this magnificently melty cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland: Raclette!!Raclette is the cheese of legend, based on the story of a man from Valais by the name of Leon. One cold day, with food scarce in the open pastures, Leon heated up a piece of cheese on the open fire to ease his hunger and keep warm. He found the melted cheese had a transcendent flavor. It not only complemented other foods – it made a great, satisfying meal for his family. Popular since the Middle Ages, Raclette is still produced with milk from cows that are fed fresh grass in the summer and meadow hay in the winter.The word raclette stems from the French verb racler, or "to scrape.” This cheese is a staple in the Swiss & French Alpine culinary culture and has to follow strict regulations from the cows to the creamery to the finishing process (the affinage). Each raclette has to have an official quality mark AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protegée) which is reserved for traditional products with long-standing regional origins. Melt this cheese and serve it on top of anything from bread to cured meats, potatoes, pickles, or just about anything else. Enjoy raclette with a glass of Alpine wines, such as the Swiss Fendant, French Savoy, rieslings, or pinot gris. Not into wine? Try it with warm tea or other warm beverages.  Sold in our deli for $23/lb.