It's already started — the shortening days, changing leaf colors, and hints of pumpkin spice and three-leaf binders on the wind. Let's face it. Back-to-school season is here, which means its time to stock up on school supplies. But, crisp notebooks and pencils are sooo last year. We've got the school supplies you really need right here. As a sommelier and adjunct English professor, I'm on double duty this week pairing a few a few of my favorite school subjects with wines that are definitely worthy of further...ahem, study (heh-heh). 

English: Dog Ear Chardonnay 2022📚

Did you know that Monterey, California was famously the home of a bumper crop of American literary giants, including Henry Miller, Robert Louis Stevenson, and John Steinbeck. This richly textured Chardonnay pays homage to the historic writers of Monterey, such as John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Like their most famous works, this crisp white keeps you coming back for more with its notes of apples and pears, ripe stone fruit, fresh vanilla, and grapefruit blossom. Try it with roast chicken salad and your favorite read, "dog-eared" or not. 

Art: Bakkanali Toscano Rosso 2021🎨

They say winemaking is equal parts art and science. One taste of this silky, opulent red from Tuscany and it's hard to disagree. The fruit is exuberant and lusty, synesthetically projecting colors, which are alternatively impressionistic and baroque like those seen seen on the label, which depicts the famous Peter Paul Rubens’ "Baccanalia" — an exuberant yet dynamic, oil painting with a baroque shadow. (The painting is based on the myth of the god of the fertile forces of nature, vegetation and viniculture Dionysus-Bacchus and his companions, the sileni, satyrs and bacchante.) The wine was inspired the, if not mystical, then certainly cherished experiences of gathering together to share great wines by Sebastian Nasello (historic winemaker at Le Ripi in Montalcino) and Hugo Fabbri.

Math: Parts & Labor Red Blend 2023📐

Fractions are essential to math and winemaking, as you can see from this organic Rhone-style red that is produced by blending a selection of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah from a range of vineyards until it creates just the right wine. Fresh, accessible, and sustainably farmed, this medium-bodied red is full of wild, brambly strawberries and peppery spice with hints of olive and supple tannins, finishing long, round, and smooth. No sharp angles here. 

Science: Zephyr Wells Mencia 2024⚛️

It's said that science lies at the intersection of magic and knowledge, and while all wines dabble in science in some form, this red from Oregon is especially connected to the science of innovation and tranformation. You see, Mencia is the traditional, somewhat reserved grape of Ribiera Sacra, however in the mineral-rich volcanic soils of the Willamette Valley, and in hands of winemaker Anne Sery, it transforms into something wildly expressive, with lush aromas of wild huckleberry, tobacco, and pink peppercorns. On the palate, notes of blackcurrant, blueberry, and spiced cherries come forward, backed by smooth, supple tannins, dark chocolate and spice, an indicator of Sery’s stylistic roots in Burgundy. Or maybe, just maybe, it's magic.

Easier to Carry (and more fun) than a Backpack🎒 

No matter what — um...field of study you embark on this back-to-school season, pick up one of our 6oz Greene Grape flasks. Custom-made and wrapped in elegant brown leather by The Rural Home, this is the perfect accessory for everything from study hall to field trips and parent-teacher nights (without the kids, of course!)