I was never a huge Grateful Dead fan, but I remember the old Dick’s Picks cassettes that would make their way around the tape-trading circles, originally started by Grateful Dead tape vault archivist Dick Latvala. They were live recordings selected by him and released with permission from the band, based on his favorite performances.

I’m gonna take a queue from Dick and start doing Dave’s Faves, based on my favorite bottles in the store right now. I’ll update this from time to time, as new things come in; it’s 100% based on what I’m drinking at home, not so much what’s new and shiny.

Favorite White Wine Sub-$20: Tendu Clarksburg Cortese $15.95 - 100% Cortese, more often found in the inexpensive and cheerful whites of Piedmont, particularly Gavi! This white originates from the Lost Slough vineyard, located on the Sacramento River Delta - a site that benefits from cool breezes and good diurnal temperature variation, meaning the grapes retain excellent freshness. Fresh and fruity, but with a pleasant, deceptive oomph to the palate - orange peel, soft spice and stone fruits - fuzzy apricots and peaches with a hint of texture. Like all of Steve Matthiasson’s wines, it over-delivers, and is a delightful expression of this Italian grape.

Favorite Red Wine Sub-$20: Tendu Dunnigan Hills Mataro $15.95 - This isn’t just my favorite wine in the store right now, but many of the Mission staff members as well. Super light (lighter than German Pinot Noir), super juicy, fresh, snappy, and just absolutely delicious. Made entirely from organic Mourvedre (Mataro) from Yolo County, where Steve Matthiasson helped grow and source the fruit. The Tendu wines in general are a fun CA project and this one in particular really sings.

Favorite White Wine Sub-$50: 2019 Matthiasson Linda Vista Napa Chardonnay $26.95 - The Linda Vista Vineyard is just across the creek behind Steve’s house. The West Oak Knoll area where he lives is one of the classic Chardonnay spots in Napa—the Chardonnay from just behind them won the famous Paris tasting in 1976. The cool winds off the San Pablo Bay bring acidity and freshness, while the Napa sun gives flesh and ripeness. The 25-year old vines were originally planted by Beringer, certified organic. The wine is very Chablis-like. To me, it’s one of the best Chardonnays made in the state, if not THE VERY BEST.

Favorite Red Wine Sub-$50: 2018 Laurent Combier Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée LC $21.99 - I’ve bought this wine from Charles in previous vintages but it’s never tasted this good, and—considering the current 25% tariffs—the price is incredible. This is 100% Syrah made from some of the best fruit in the Northern Rhône for a price that KILLS!! Aged in cement eggs rather than new oak, it’s meant as a bistro wine with a juicier, more fruit-forward profile. BUT...this isn’t anything close to California Syrah. This is spicy with notes of cracked black peppercorns and hints of roasted meats. I’m buying a case for myself today as this is my new house red for February.

Favorite White Wine Sub-$100: 2019 Arnot Roberts Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay $49.95 - Sanford & Benedict Vineyard creates some of CA’s best Chardonnays (Sandhi also comes to mind) and this expression from Arnot Roberts is up there with the best of them. There’s a reason this wine has huge scores from critics. You get a lot of white flowers and minerality, which is the vineyard’s calling card.

Favorite Red Wine Sub-$100: 2017 Pursued By Bear “Twin Bear” Cabernet Sauvignon $69.95 - Having had the chance to work with Kyle MacLachlan at my previous gig, it’s exciting to see how his portfolio has expanded since I last tasted these wines. The Twin Bear is a new expression that really blurs the line between polished and authentic. The wine is textbook Cab with all the classic dark fruit and herbaceous notes you want from a purist standpoint, but the wine is also as smooth as silk, which will appeal to new world fans. Great stuff.

Favorite Champagne: Paul Laurent Brut $29.95 - When you find a better deal than the Paul Laurent for a hair under thirty bucks, let me know. I’ll be waiting. Probably for a while.

Favorite Bourbon: Old Tub Bottled in Bond $18.95 - I haven’t been sipping much Bourbon at home lately, and I’ve been working through a huge case of Bundaberg ginger beer I got from Costco. Hence, I’ve been crushing Old Tub like it’s under $20 a bottle. Which it is.

Favorite Single Malt: Balcones “Mission Exclusive” Single European Oak Barrel Single Malt Whiskey $74.95 - See my blog from last week. This stuff is just stunning. We brought it over to a friend’s backyard dinner party this past Saturday and even my wife was drinking it straight at 64% ABV.

Favorite Tequila: G4 Blanco Tequila $39.95 - Not only am I drinking this Tequila in copious quantities, I’m gifting it all the time. A bottle to my father-in-law, a bottle to my parents, a bottle to my landlord, etc. I want everyone to have this at home.

Favorite Mezcal: NETA Madrecuixe + Espadín Ranulfo $134.99 - One of the most delicious bottles of agave spirit in the store at any price, this ensemble of Madrecuixe and Espadín agave produced only 246 bottles, distilled in June of 2019 by Ranulfo García Pacheco in Miahuatlán. The flavors are bright and sweetly spiced with citrus and an exotic savoriness that lingers on the palate for minutes after every sip.

Favorite Brandy: Camut 6 Year Old Calvados $99.99 - Not only my favorite brandy in the world, but also just my favorite spirit of any kind.

Favorite Rum: Hampden Great House 2020 $109.95 - Granted, I didn’t actually buy this bottle. I have a small sampler I’ve been draining very slowly, but man oh man is this delicious.

Favorite Liqueur: Bordiga Chiot Mont Amaro $27.95 - No matter how many new amari I taste these days, I still come back to the Chiot for two very simple reasons. 1) It’s low in alcohol and by the time I get to the amaro I’m usually a cocktail and a bottle of wine deep. I don’t need that much more. 2) It tastes so damn good.

Favorite Gin: Four Pillars Olive Branch Gin $36.95 - So good just straight out of the bottle. So good that I’m drinking it straight out of the bottle.

Favorite Vodka: Double Cross Vodka $13.95 - We got a pretty sizable drop of Double Cross at an absolutely ridiculous price, so this is gonna be my house vodka for most of 2021. 100% winter wheat, clean, and creamy.

-David Driscoll