2002 Canalicchio Brunello di Montalcino  $43
We thought we'd start the Travelers' Club out with a bang, and this is it! Brunello di Montalcino is one of the finest expressions of the Sangiovese grape, and Canalicchio is an excellent producer. 2002 was a cool vintage in Italy, and as a result, the wines were softer than usual, and not built for long aging. Because of the cool vintage, the critics ignored this region, and hence the wines are inexpensive. Call us contrarians, but we love wines from good producers in not so good vintages. The wine is softer than it might be most years, and in contrast to the long aging needed for Brunello from the best vintages, this wine is ready to drink now

NV Montsarra Cava  $15
New Year's Eve is coming up, not to mention all those holiday parties, so some celebration is in order! Spanish sparkling wine, otherwise known as Cava, is widely known as being cheap and cheery, and we love that, but this Cava is a whole cut above the average. With a yeasty, bready note on the nose, it resembles a Blanc de Blancs from the Champagne region, but this is 1/3 the price of even entry-level Champagne! It's balanced and refreshing, and whenever we try this, we just want more. Cheers!