All-American Wine + All-American BBQ

THE SATURDAY SOMMELIER
July 4, 2026  |  ISSUE No. 33
Your weekly deep-dive into the world of wine & spirits


All-American Wine + All-American BBQ

★HOLIDAY HOURS ★
Open today, 10am–12pm.
Come in and pick up what you need before the cookout 🥂

HAPPY 4th ⭐

Before you fire up the grill, our pick for today's celebrations, a quick word on the most patriotic wine story there is, and then a fully American lineup for the cookout.

OUR 4th FAVORITE

If you want one bottle that captures the spirit of the day, pick up the 2022 Whitcraft Winery Pinot Noir ($65).

Whitcraft is one of Santa Barbara's most beloved small producers.It's minimal-intervention, family-run, soulful winemaking. Their Pinot Noir is the ultimate cookout red because it drinks beautifully slightly chilled on a hot day and pairs with just about everything off the grill, from salmon to sausages to a burger. It's a living, breathing expression of California fruit, and we'll toast to that.

The Day American Wine Declared Independence

It’s fitting that the single most important moment in American wine history is tied to a celebration of American independence. In 1976, as the country marked its Bicentennial, a British wine merchant staged a blind tasting in Paris pitting California wines against the best of France. The French judges, tasting blind, ranked a Napa Chardonnay and a Napa Cabernet first in their categories, ahead of the finest white Burgundies and Bordeaux.

The Judgment of Paris, as it came to be known, announced to the world that great wine could be made in America. Nearly fifty years later, the wines on our shelves are proof of how far that revolution has come. So today, we’re drinking American.

THE COOKOUT LINEUP

What to Pour With What You’re Grilling

Everything below is made in the USA, in stock at the shop, and ready to grab before noon today. We’ve organized it by what’s on the grill.

Whites & Skin Contact
For salads, grilled corn & seafood

2024 Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc $31

Crisp & zesty. The easy crowd-pleaser for a hot afternoon.

2025 Catch & Release “Block Party” Skin Contact Blend $29

Textured and a little wild. Perfect with charcuterie. The conversation starter.

2023 Hendry Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Napa Valley $40

Richer and rounder. Grilled chicken, buttered corn, anything off the grill with char.

2021 Aubert Chardonnay "Powder House", Sonoma Coast $220

A special-occasion white. One of California’s cult Chardonnays.

Easy Drinking Reds
For burgers, hot dogs & potato salad

2023 Catch & Release “Anyone, Anytime, Anyplace” Chillable Red $33

Juicy & delicious, made for burgers and a crowd.

2022 Beckmen Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez $35

Balanced, food-friendly Cab. The go-to for grilled meats.

2023 Potek Winery Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County $45

Great slightly chilled with salmon, chicken, or sausages.

Serious Reds
For steaks, duck, ribs and grilled vegetables

2023 Big Table Farm Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $60

Oregon at its best. Elegant enough for duck or a planked salmon.

2022 Whitcraft Winery Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills $65

Minimal-intervention, soulful. For the Pinot lover at the table.

2022 Quintessa Red Blend, Rutherford $249

A Napa icon. Bordeaux-style blend built for ribeye and short ribs.

2019 Joseph Phelps Red Blend, Insignia, Oak Knoll $465

The definitive California Meritage. A showstopper that will please any palate.

2008 BOND Cabernet Sauvignon, Vecina, Oakville $460

Single-vineyard Napa royalty. For a 4th worth remembering.

2010 Sine Qua Non Syrah, “Stockholm Syndrome” Sta. Rita Hills $880

Cult of cults. The bottle you open when you want to impress.

★HOLIDAY HOURS ★
Open today, 10am–12pm.
Come in and pick up what you need before the cookout 🥂

Happy Fourth from all of us ✨
- Smith, Ferdy, Anthony & Alyssa