Forward th(dr)inking

Twist. Pour. Recycle.

I'm gonna save the planet one bottle at a time here on North Union Street... coolest recyclable package ever! And yes, the wine is solid: Chardonnay from Mendocino and a Cabernet-Zinfandel-Merlot blend from Paso Robles.

When it comes to wine most of you know by now that I'm not a gimmicky guy who buys into the ridiculous marketing of big wine companies. You'll never find a bottle of Skinny Girl Chardonnay, Girls Go Lightly Pinot Grigio, Middle Sister Sweetie Pie Red, Duck Commander Moscato, Little Black Dress Merlot, Flip Flop Pinot Noir, Zinphomaniac, Cupcake Chianti, Downton Abbey Claret or Ice Cream Cellars Dutch Chocolate Syrah at FranksWine... ever.

And yes, those are actual wines. I know, pathetic.

Like you when I first saw this package I was intrigued. I didn't know a thing about it... never even read about it in trade magazines. A long time friend in the biz - Phil Tartaglione - wanted to kick it off at our Winter Tasting at Caffe Gelato. Gotta admit I was a bit hesitant having not tasted it, but Phil said "trust me on this one, Frank." That's all I needed to hear.

We had over 130 guests in attendance... the place was packed. For once I wasn't stuck behind a table all night pouring, so I had my mind set on visiting each vendor and tasting all 41 wines since many of them were new to me. Well my schmoozing got in the way and was only able to taste about half of them. I kept hearing from everyone "Frank, good call on those Paperboy wines", and"Frank, I love that cardboard package Chardonnay", and "Frank, where did you find those cool paper wines". Of course, I took credit for all the accolades, sorry Phil.

I finally made it over to Phil's table and saw the bottle for the first time. I immediately picked one up and tore the package apart and saw the clear bladder filled with red wine. The thing that impressed me most was what I read on the label: Mendocino on the white and Paso Robles on the red. These are real wines. Pretty much all the crap that's bottled in those wines with the silly names has a California appellation - not from a specific region - which means the juice can come from anywhere in CA. Paperboy wines are from a legitimate winery - VML Winery in Sonoma's Russian River Valley - and 100% of the grapes come from legit California wine appellations. It's the real deal.

Click HERE to watch video of Winemaker Phil Hurst introducing his wine to The Wine Spectator.

So how's the wine? I'll say the same thing to you as Phil said to me: Trust me.

I have these wines open in the shop right now for tasting, so Take a Drive to North Union Streetand see for yourself... we'll have them open all weekend paired up with a spread of cheeses, charcuterie, spreads, flatbreads and crostini from our DiBruno Bros section!

FranksWine PAPER 12-pack Sampler Case!
You Get 6 Bottle of Each for Only $129.99!!You Save $48.89... That's 28% Off!!!

Paperboy 2012 Paso Robles Red
Regularly Priced at $14.99
$10.79 with 12-pack Purchase!

100% Paso Robles fruit made up of 40% Zinfandel, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. Starts with a huge bouquet of crushed blueberry and raspberry with nutmeg spice and a hint of smoke. On the palate the wine is soft, velveted and supple with just enough acidity to give it structure and backbone. Gobs of black fruit flavors burst with some vanilla - from the 8 months of barrel aging - and a wisp of clove. I love this wine for so many reasons.

FranksWine PAPER 12-pack Sampler Case!
You Get 6 Bottle of Each for Only $129.99!!You Save $48.89... That's 28% Off!!!

Paperboy 2012 Mendocino Chardonnay
Regularly Priced at $14.99
$10.79 with 12-pack Purchase!

100% Chardonnay from Mendocino made with no oak influence whatsoever. What you get is a bright, crisp and pure Chardonnay with lots of peach and nectarine and a splash of fresh lime... and weight. You almost think it's been barrel-aged by depth, texture and length of the wine. It's pretty tough to find another Chardonnay of this quality out of California in the $15 price range. It's pretty impressive. Winemaker Phil Hurst didn't take any shortcuts on this wine.

FranksWine PAPER 12-pack Sampler Case!
You Get 6 Bottle of Each for Only $129.99!!You Save $48.89... That's 28% Off!!!