What's Your Pour-oscope? July Edition!
On June 21, the sun moves from flirty Gemini to introspective Cancer, just hours after the summer solstice. Mercury is leaving retrograde in the early days of Cancer season and the eclipse in Gemini is over, all of which fosters welcome change and some much needed chill-out time. The season of the crab is here to get us in touch with our roots and our feelings, while encouraging us to nurture ourselves and those closest to us. Transformation is the name of the game with Cancer season and it’s important to remember while transformation can be hard and bring intensity, it is ultimately moving us towards where we need to be. Luckily, we have just the wines to help you get down and into your feels though this month’s celestial changes.
Aries: “Almuvedre” Tinto Monastrell 2018
Aries, impulsivity is in your nature, and Cancer has no time for that. Your fiery spirit is quick to anger and quick to forgive, but with everyone's emotions on overdrive you might cause more harm than good. Be sure to be thoughtful with your words. In other news, Mars, your ruling planet, moved to Leo on June 11, which means your career goals and personal projects are going to get a huge boost. You need a wine that will help you sit with that restless energy and turn it into a positive well of ambition and compassion. Almuvedre Tinto Monastrell 2018 is perfect for you. Full bodied without being cumbersome, this Spanish red is bright, with ripe cherry notes and plenty of earth and spice notes to keep you stimulated. Sip with friends while you plan Summer adventures or plan a creative project.
Taurus: La Follette Chardonnay 2019
Your ruling planet, Venus, is right at home in Cancer. You’re ready to indulge in all those earthly pleasures namely love and luxury. Just be careful not to over-indulge, as the heightened emotional energy all around you may cause you to lose sight of reality. For you it’s important to take it one day at a time and make sure you take care of all the little things instead of trying to manage large scale tasks. La Follette Chardonnay 2019 is a stunning balance of luxe and focus, so it’s a great match for you this month. Hailing from Sonoma County, California, this Burgundy-inspired Chardonnay, made from organically farmed fruit, offers beautiful notes of golden apple, ripe pear, fresh thyme and lemon verbena buoyed by a lean mineral backbone and beautiful texture. Priced under $30, it’s a great way for you to stay grounded while enjoying the finer things in life, Taurus.
Gemini: "Cinino" Rosato Frizzante 2020
Gemini, while your time in the sun is ending, Cancer season isn’t necessarily a downer for you. Indeed, the calming influence of Cancer will help you find the common ground between your conflicting nature, bringing clarity where your strong emotions and forceful nature cloud your instinct. It’s in your nature to try and see things from every angle and exist in constant flux, but don’t be afraid to let yourself have a home base. Sometimes a little foundation is all you need to thrive. This month, Cancer will demand you leave your comfort zone, and while that’s uncomfortable it will ultimately be for your own good, as well as those around you. We You should be drinking Cinino Rosato Frizzante 2020, a fun-loving pet-nat rosé from Umbria, Italy. The name means “tiny” in Umbrian dialect, but it’s full of flavor. Made from 100% Sangiovese, the Cinino offers a change of pace for rosé lovers, a bit of sparkle without fussiness, and a natural wine without being too funky. Is there anything better for a sign that likes to have options?
Cancer: “Folk” Vino Bianco 2019
It’s your time to shine, Cancer. The sun has returned to your birth sign bringing with it warmth and nourishing creative vibes the things that set your water-sign heart aflutter. Your instinct is to care for others and suppress your own needs, but here’s the thing – surrounding yourself with people who love and support you is caring for your needs. Those that don’t help you move forward are going to get clipped this Cancer season! You’re growing. Your close focus on all things internal and natural creativity are going to propel you into the next phase of your life, so don’t shy away from that intensity. You need to be drinking something creative, fresh, and funky. Creta Paglia “Folk” Vino Bianco 2019 is just what the stars have ordered. A savory orange sipper from Calabria, this wine has notes of bruised stone fruit, lemon zest, and dried chamomile and honeysuckle, backed by freshness and supple structure.
Leo: Clos Julien Chardonnay 2020
Leo, moving out of Gemini isn’t the worst thing for you, as you may have felt a little lost in all the chaos, but, but Cancer season isn’t without its challenges. At the end of the day, you’re a lover not a fighter and Cancer (with a little help from Venus) brings your deeply hidden romantic ideals and inclinations into the light. On the other hand, you’re feeling pretty sensitive so small slights and inconveniences may be easily miconstrued. Take this time to collect yourself and dote on your friends (and yourself) with that sunny warmth you’re so famous for. Leo season is coming up, so view this time as a preview to when it’s your turn to turn up. You need a wine that’s sunny and fun, perfect for beach hangs and romantic rooftop dates. Keep it easy breezy with Clos Julien Chardonnay 2020. Steel-fermented and full of soft, sunshine-soaked apple and pear with zesty citrus, this wine is a crowd pleaser with style and singular grace, just like you.
Virgo: Domaine de Fondreche Ventoux Rosé 2020
While everyone else is falling into emotional turmoil (or at least Big Feels) you’re usually the level-headed one. However, Mercury is your ruling planet and stationed retrograde for most of June, which has thrown you for a loop. You may be feeling like a bit of a mess lately, even though you probably seem normal to those around you. Use the passion that Cancer season and the summer solstice drops in your lap to fuel your emotional batteries. You’re less likely than most to succumb to emotional drama as long as you steer clear of self-loathing. Take a breath and you’ll find that you’re actually killing it this season. You need to drink something a little elegant, but a little different this month. Domaine de Fondreche Rosé 2020 comes from the Ventoux, one of our favorite corners of the expansive Rhone Valley. This wine, like you, strives for balance in nature and flavor. Citrus, florals and delicate red fruits wash across the palate all wrapped up in fresh, striking minerality. Find your inner harmony and balance that work-life ratio with a glass of this effortlessly charming rosé, made from Grenache, Cinsault go ahead you deserve it, we promise.
Libra: Domaine Bott “First Flight” Viognier 2018
Cancer is known as the season of tough love and Libra, you’re up for the challenge. Your ruling planet is Venus, the planet of love and relationships. This season, your challenge is to avoid labeling or defining how, who, and what you love—which is hard for a sign that loves to know how things stand. The season brings big emotions but, backed by a warm creative energy that will help you weather the lumps. Since the best option for you right now is to just let your love life roam freely, you’ll find yourself able to contribute the extra energy to your work life and friendships. This makes your powers of charm and enchantment take flight, which is why the lushly crisp Domaine Bott “First Flight Viognier 2020 is perfect for you. Delicate and yet expressive, this wine, with its refreshing notes of apricot, pear, and white flowers, speaks to your generous spirit and tendency toward self-indulgence. Hey, no judgements here—this wine is delicious!
Scorpio: Barking Irons Gin
Scorpio, as a fellow water sign you are all up for the intimacy and secret yearning Cancer brings about. Shallowness is not in your nature, and you love to get right to the bottom of matters, be they romance, work or friendships. The sun in Cancer is set to develop that productive energy but be warned—there is such a thing as going too deep. Like Leo, you have your pride, and sometimes look for a fight when there isn’t one. You need a drink that has enough power to feed your need for intensity, and enough softness to see beyond your bluster. Barking Irons Gin is a great match for you this month. Distilled in Brooklyn, using local NY state apples and orange peels, this gin is delightfully fresh and citrusy, with plenty of nuance and a long, approachable finish.
Sagittarius: Sambucese “Piuma” Pinot Grigio 2020
Dear Sag, Cancer season is sort of a pause for you. You’re may not be as brash as as your fire sign compadres, but you smolder below the surface. You’re even known to scrap, especially in matters of the heart. Love and relationships may have been on your mind in recent weeks, and you may be ready to spend these early summer days thinking about what and who you really want. Let love guide you this Cancer season and try to relax a little, make those deep heart to heart connections wherever they present themselves and don’t forgo those magical moments for fear of being tied down. You need a wine is subtle and more complex than it seems at first sip. Sambucese’s “Piuma” Pinot Grigio 2020 is the stars’ answer for your mood this month. Notes of hawthorne, Spanish broom and almond flower open the wine, backed by aromas of pear, apple, and white plum. Delicate, fresh, and balanced, the wine is a great match for seafood, poultry, cheese souffles, pasta and picnics in the park.
Capricorn: Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey
Conventional wisdom says you feel the effects of Cancer season more than any other sign. Prepare yourself for more of those long talks about the ideal ratio of how much you put in to how much you get out of certain relationships. You have to define your wishes in order to manifest them. The good news is that even though change and re-evaluation can be hard, it is necessary. You’re the type to try and make anything work, but now is the time to cut the dead weight out of your life so you can flourish as your truly badass, unstoppable self. Last December, Oprah Magazine recently listed Uncle Nearest 1856 Whiskey as the drink for Capricorns, and we would be hard-pressed to disagree. A blend of premium, aged whiskies 8-14 years old, this is a whiskey made for slow sipping and consideration. Uncle Nearest is one of the only major spirits brands to be launched and opeated by a Black woman, Fawn Weaver, who developed the brand out of a desire to tell the story of how a former slave, Nearest Green, rose to become Tennessee’s most influential distiller, then nearly disappeared from history. As if that weren’t inspiring enough, the master distiller for the brand, Victoria Eady Butler, is a direct descendent of Nearest Green. Each sip of this new American classic will remind you that nothing is impossible. Your strength comes from your battle scars. Wear them proudly and sip strongly, Capricorn!
Aquarius: Yves Duport Aligote Sans Soufre 2020
The return of the sun to Cancer’s warmth is making you flirty and reflective. Whether you’re in a relationship or footloose and fancy free, you’ll feel the pull to be social. This newfound energy extends to your professional life as well. The arrival of the summer solstice and Cancer season are as much about creating beneficial new beginnings as they are about emotional shifts. As much as you love to cut up and be the life of the party, there’s a strong desire this month to get your to-do list in order and start those healthy habits you’ve been too unfocused to actually put into action. Just remember to pay attention to when your body is telling you to retreat, you love and need your alone time. You treasure your individuality and are far more interested in standing out of a crowd than following one. Yves Duport Aligote Sans Soufre 2020 is for you. This is white Burgundy, but different, like you – beautifully mineral, honest and fresh with notes of apple blossom, lemon zest, sweet herbs and smoke.
Pisces: Corvezzo Terre di Marca Prosecco
Pisces, you’re no stranger to the emotional depths of Cancer. In fact, you embrace them as a fellow water sign. You also love to care for others, so much so that you have a habit of overextending yourself, leading to burn out. That's not to shame you for your feelings, your sensitivity is your greatest strength. It will propel you forward no matter what path you choose, but any great power has the potential to corrupt and if left unchecked. This month, you want to give to yourself as much as you give to everyone else. You need bubbly, no two ways about it. Corvezzo Terre di Marca is a col fondo, the Italian term for this unfiltered, lightly sparkling, bottle-fermented wine. Made exclusively from organic grapes, and rooted in tradition, this bubbly opens with scents of apple and pear blossoms and glides along the palate with a silky texture and just a touch of funk. You will vibe with the care and artistry that flows through every bottle and it will put you in a good mood before you know it.
