HEAVY ROTATION

Chappell Roan, new pop Queen. Rosalind Reynolds, new merlot Queen?

To be frank, false spring is one of the trickiest microseasons (I did make that word up, I think). The sun comes out for a singular weekend, and we start acting differently. Our will to live has yet again returned, just for it to go away two-and-a-half days later when the sun hides behind the clouds for the foreseeable future. Regardless, we start our summer playlists and are more willing to say hi to a stranger. —Christian

Here’s what we’re thinking about this week:

What we’re listening to:

Chappell Roan is our newest obsession. Cyndi Lauper realness. Madonna campiness. Big pop vocals. “Good Luck, Babe” is THEE big tune of the moment!

What we're reading:

At the suggestion of a beloved regular, Hannah’s reading They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, by Hanif Abdurraqib. I’m not sure if an explanation will even work here. The love for Hanif has no bounds. Every book, every line of poetry, every pop criticism feels like a win for us. He also has a new book out we can’t wait to get our hands on called There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. My personal favorite essay to read from him is from the Paris Review a few years ago: On Summer Crushing.

Are you a beloved regular? Would you like to suggest a book for us to read? Let us know in the comments, babes!

What we’re drinking:

Emme Wines – It’s Not a Phase Merlot

“Nobody makes Merlot like Rosalind Reynolds.”—a quote from Lauren

These are some of the most exciting wines we have behind the bar right now. Emme is a tiny little project out of Northern California, and winemaker Rosalind Reynolds represents the best of why we care about natural wine: She’s community-oriented, land-focused, and her wines are joyful without sacrificing depth. We didn’t get a lot, so come have a glass this week. Here’s a little quote we love from the Emme site, if you need more convincing:

“Wine, at its core, is about community.  Countless hands are involved in every glass you drink – the growers who planted cuttings three generations ago; the field workers who prune the vines in winter, tend them throughout the year and pick the grapes come autumn; the winemakers and interns who footstomp those grapes, forklift bins of fermenting fruit from tank to press, and fill barrels with wine to rest before bottling; and the distributors, restaurateurs, and sommeliers who help bring that bottle to you.  An incredible amount of labor and love goes into filling a glass with wine, and I am constantly reminded of and grateful for the community who makes all of it possible.  I could not do this alone, nor would I want to.”

We have Rosalind’s ‘Wynken, Blynken and Nod’ Zinfandel BTG tonight if you’re around! Lauren is on the bar and is MORE THAN HAPPY to tell you about her undying love for zinfandel.

SPECIAL SAUCE

We’re coming down off our weekend-long all-domestic wine list with Keller, Tschida, Beru and more. Here’s the lineup of BTG fire this week:

Monday: 2020 Petit-Roy Hautes-Côtes de Beaune

Tuesday: 2022 Tschida ‘Himmel Auf Erden’ Weiss, Neusiedlersee

Wednesday: 2021 G. Descombes Beaujolais Blanc

Thursday: 2021 Robinot ‘Le Regard,’ Jasnières

Friday: 2021 Patrick Piuze ‘Plateau de la Cornasse,’ Chablis

Saturday: 2021 Radikon ‘RS21,’ Friuli

Sunday: 2021 Keller Grauer Burgunder Réserve, Rheinhessen

A reminder that all these bbs are $22-$25/glass, but supplies are muy limited, so come early if ya can.

A FRESH EVENT

We just posted this bonus Sunday Wine 101 with Dario Marinari of Tuscany’s Agricola i Forestieri. It’s happening on 5/6! 12PM-1PM! at the bar!

We haven’t done a Sunday Wine 101 at Rebel in… a long time. Get in on the retro vibes!

COMING UP THIS WEEK

Thoughts on Makgeolli, a fresh 5ish Questions with Hags’ Camille Lindsley (!!!) and Lauren cooks everyone’s favorite hipster allium.