Offer date: New Moon, July 14
Orders due: July 21
Pickup: Full Moon, July 29

Buck Moon 2026

This month’s Full Moon Wine Club lineup is built for the stretch of summer when the days are long, the grill is working overtime, and “we should probably open something” becomes less of a suggestion and more of a household policy. We have mountain whites, old-vine Spanish intrigue, two very different rosés, classic Rioja, proper Dry Creek Zinfandel, grower Champagne and a Priorat red with enough gravitas to make Tuesday night feel faintly irresponsible.

About the Buck Moon

July’s full moon is traditionally called the Buck Moon, named for the time of year when male deer begin growing a new set of antlers, still covered in velvet and not yet hardened for autumn. It is a fitting symbol for midsummer: growth is visible, the landscape is lush, and everything feels momentarily abundant before the season begins its slow turn. For this release, we are leaning into that idea of wild places, fresh growth and a little untamed energy—wines with brightness, texture and personality, meant for long evenings, outdoor tables and the kind of summer night that makes opening one more bottle seem entirely reasonable.

Cantina Terlano Alto Adige Pinot Bianco 2023

This is one of our favorite producers in all of Italy.

Pinot Bianco is too often treated like the sensible beige cardigan of the wine world: perfectly respectable, rarely exciting, and unlikely to cause anyone to miss their exit on the way home. Cantina Terlano changes that. This historic Alto Adige cooperative has long been one of Italy’s great white-wine specialists, and its Pinot Bianco has the kind of Alpine brightness, stony precision and quiet depth that makes you stop and reconsider the grape entirely. Expect crisp pear, green apple, citrus and a faint almond note, with enough texture from time on the lees to keep it from feeling flimsy.

Pop this with trout, roast chicken, grilled vegetables, fresh cheeses or anything involving lemon and herbs. It is also a superb “we’re sitting outside and not going anywhere for a while” wine.

Familia Vidal Rueda “Vidal + Vidal” Cepas Muy Viejas La Seca 2024

This is not the anonymous, grapefruit-scented Verdejo poured by the glass at happy hour and forgotten before the check arrives. Vidal + Vidal comes from very old vines near La Seca, where sandy soils, river stones and decades of struggle give the wine considerably more character than its cheerful packaging might suggest. There is citrus, white flowers, green herbs and that wonderful slightly bitter almond note that gives good Verdejo its snap, but there is also real concentration and texture.

Drink it with grilled shrimp, ceviche, goat cheese, salty snacks or a plate of jamón that somehow keeps getting refilled. The fun reason to open it is simple: it tastes refreshing, but it also gives you something to talk about.

Cantina Santa Maria La Palma Alghero Aragosta Rosé 2025

Aragosta means lobster, which immediately tells us this wine is not intended for quiet contemplation in a wood-paneled library. It comes from the coast of Sardinia and tastes like it wants sunshine, seafood and a table with too many little plates on it. Pale red berries, wild strawberry, flowers and a subtle savory edge make this a dry, breezy rosé with just enough Mediterranean personality to avoid disappearing into the glass.

Pair it with grilled fish, shrimp, calamari, antipasti, soft cheese or potato chips eaten directly from the bag while standing at the kitchen counter.

Open it when the weather is hot, dinner is late and nobody wants to make a complicated decision.

Viña Zorzal Navarra Garnacha Rosado 2025

Navarra built much of its historic reputation on rosado, and Viña Zorzal makes the case that we should all pay more attention. This is Garnacha rosé with actual color, actual fruit and actual flavor, rather than the nearly transparent pink water that occasionally passes for sophistication. Expect raspberry, watermelon, red cherry and flowers, all held together by enough acidity to keep things lively. It is juicy without being sweet and cheerful without being simple.

This is the rosé for burgers, grilled chicken, tomato salads, tacos, spicy sausage or a picnic where the food is fun. Pop it when you want pink wine with a little swagger.

Torre de Oña Rioja Finca San Martín Crianza 2021

Finca San Martín is made by Torre de Oña, the Rioja Alavesa estate owned by La Rioja Alta, which means there is serious Rioja pedigree behind this extremely easy-to-like bottle. It is all Tempranillo, aged in a mix of American and French oak, and it offers exactly the sort of polished cherry fruit, vanilla, spice and soft tannin that makes Rioja such a dependable dinner companion. It feels traditional without tasting dusty, modern without losing its accent, and elegant without requiring everyone at the table to lower their voice.

Pair it with roast pork, lamb chops, grilled mushrooms, burgers, meatballs or anything involving paprika. Open it when you want red wine comfort food.

Quivira Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2022

Dry Creek Valley is one of the great homes of Zinfandel, and Quivira shows the grape’s more balanced, peppery and savory side. This is not a jar of blackberry jam wearing cowboy boots. You will find raspberry, cherry, blueberry, white pepper, herbs and a touch of spice, with enough acidity to keep the wine moving rather than simply sitting heavily in the glass. Quivira farms organically in the cooler western part of Dry Creek Valley, which helps explain the freshness and restraint.

Pair it with ribs, burgers, sausages, pulled pork, grilled pizza or anything painted with barbecue sauce. Open it when the grill is hot, the music is loud and white clothing has already become a questionable choice.

Bonus Bubbly and Bonus Big Red

Bonus Bubbly: Christophe Mignon Champagne ADN de Meunier Brut Nature

This is one of the most exciting sparkling wines we’ve had in a long time.

Pinot Meunier is usually cast as Champagne’s dependable supporting actor, but Christophe Mignon gives it the starring role. ADN de Meunier is 100% Meunier, bottled with almost no added sugar, and it manages to be both precise and generous—a useful reminder that Brut Nature Champagne does not have to taste like carbonated chalk dust. Look for apple, white flowers, dried strawberry, herbs and a distinctly mineral finish, wrapped in a round, silky texture. Pair it with oysters, fried chicken, potato chips, sushi, triple-cream cheese or absolutely nothing at all. Pop it because the moon is full, the bottle is cold and grower Champagne remains one of life’s best arguments against unnecessary restraint.

Bonus Big Red: Clos Figueras Priorat Font de la Figuera Tinto 2019

Font de la Figuera comes from Clos Figueras in Gratallops, in the heart of Priorat, where old vines cling to steep hillsides of fractured slate and apparently enjoy making life difficult for everyone involved. The wine is built primarily around Garnacha and Cariñena, with dark fruit, dried herbs, spice, smoke and the mineral seriousness that has made Priorat famous. It is powerful, but not merely big; beneath the richness is real structure and a sense of place.

Pair it with lamb, braised beef, short ribs, grilled steak or a stew that has been cooking long enough to make the house smell magnificent.

Open it when dinner has ambitions, the evening has nowhere to be, and one bottle of wine needs to hold the room.

This offer has closed. Thank you for your interest.