Sauvignon Blanc & Müller Thurgau, Canterbury, New Zealand

A salty wine that further underscores the pleasure of saline edges to otherwise fruit forward profiles like potato chips in cookies and french fries in salad. Same Same. The Hermit Ram is a fictional animal, a ‘Familiar’ of sorts, a solitary contemplative creature acting as muse to Theo Coles and Gareth Renowden. They work tiny vineyard sites in Canterbury, New Zealand aiming to sketch out a uniquely New Zealand profile to wines that cannot otherwise be lumped into that country’s more famous, international style. The Salty White is mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a pinch Müller Thurgau. One component was fermented as whole bunches in stainless steel, a second component was direct pressed into amphora and a third component was fermented under flor in barrel. Flor is a layer of yeast that develops on the surface of the wine in barrel that protects it from oxidation while giving it a spectacular brininess (think dirty martini vibes but, wine). Other regions like Jerez, Spain and Jura, France are also well known for aging wines under flor (or under ‘veil’). The resulting blend is is an electrolyte booster of orange Gatorade, lemon verbena, early season ramps, dandelion and crunchy sea asparagus. Bring this in a brown bag for your off-season walk along the rocks in Peggy’s Cove.