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The Local: Wine & Beer Your Friendly Neighborhood Wine & Beer Shop

Two of the hardest workin’ guys in the butchery, w**e, and b**r business -- Josh & Sam - - love to roll out special bott...
10/08/2026

Two of the hardest workin’ guys in the butchery, w**e, and b**r business -- Josh & Sam - - love to roll out special bottles for the holidays. As we celebrate the waning days of one glorious summer ride and an amazing fall season, the upcoming holidays loom on the horizon and you can expect some pretty spectacular liquid assets to be shared this Columbus Day Weekend!

So join us at The Local this Friday, October 9th from 4:30-6:30 and Saturday, October 10th from 10:30-2:30 at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter where you’ll get to celebrate the first of a string of special w**e tasting events to enhance your holiday weekend and help you choose those special w**es for the upcoming holiday season!

The Jake and Elwood of Soulful Savory Soirées have put together quite a set list!

-- Jack

P.S. There's just one magnum of the Beaujolais Le Beaujolais so make sure you order that asap!

updating the shop hours a bit as we wait for new neighbors to move in next door. as soon as someone is open there again ...
10/04/2026

updating the shop hours a bit as we wait for new neighbors to move in next door. as soon as someone is open there again in the morning, we'll be open again in the morning. but, for now, we're going to use those extra morning hours to do continuous ROCKY-style training montages so that we don't get soft.

as always, a huge thanks to everyone for continuing the support the shop. it's the most fun. and stay tuned for some UNBELIEIVABLE event announcements, plus thanksgiving and holiday pre-orders, etc.

-- sam

Islands conjure up images of paradise, sun, and sea breezes where time slows down while you nurse a tropical drink with ...
10/01/2026

Islands conjure up images of paradise, sun, and sea breezes where time slows down while you nurse a tropical drink with a paper umbrella!

Island life certainly is all of that and more when it comes to libations, but some of the world’s most compelling w**es are being made by w**emakers who are taking advantage of the amazing diversity of grapes, soils, and microclimates. W**es grown on islands always have a special circumstance -- volcanoes, high winds, searing sun, stony coastal outcroppings, and the constant maritime influence. That hint of volatility defines island w**e!

The sweet spot between latitude 30 degrees and 40 degrees north also provides annual mild temperatures, adequate rainfall, and sun -- the perfect recipe for many island w**e producers. Visionary w**emakers and importers that have embraced this new viticultural movement are showcasing w**es with tension, vitality, and freshness, bringing new life into old varietals.

The balance between the natural isolation of islands and the responsible rise of w**e tourism also encourages and re-enforces an island’s strong w**e culture and preserves traditional w**emaking techniques. And gets the word out!

So put on your favorite island clothes and join us this Friday, October 2nd from 4:30-6:30 at The Local and Saturday, October 3rd from 10:30-2:30 at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter to cruise around the Mediterranean and beyond to taste what’s happening off the coast.

As someone once said, “with the emphasis always on European w**es, it’s fun sometimes to play in a different sandbox!”

-- Jack

The Planeta family have been cultivating vineyards throughout Sicily for centuries. La Segreta is the name given to the forests that surround their iconic Ulmo Vineyard where these grapes were grown. The inspiration for the w**e’s label reflects the family’s reverence for Sicilian nature --ehat’s inside the bottle does too!

The family views sustainability as a direction and not a destination. Production of grapes in their individual “territories“ is protected -- preserving the landscapes by building bio architecture, using renewable energy sources and recycling materials.

The w**e is a blend of 40% Grecanico, 2

There’s no doubt that w**es from Europe and the United States have dominated the world market and captured the imaginati...
09/24/2026

There’s no doubt that w**es from Europe and the United States have dominated the world market and captured the imagination of consumers for years. But, back in the early 1990s, that was all changed when brash and brawny w**es composed of alcohol and gobs of hedonistic fruit showed up in bottles decorated with cute kangaroos! The Australia Invasion was on!

Many other w**e regions in the southern hemisphere that were producing w**e in relative obscurity seized the opportunity and jumped on the wave of Australia’s w**e tsunami. Other countries followed suit and had their day in the sun in the late 90’s and early 2000’s -- Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa all  broadened the global w**e spectrum and its potential.
W**emakers began using the grapes of Europe to recreate more modern and intensely flavorful w**es for the new generation of w**es consumers.

Today, historic high production and overstock, low global consumption, and climate change have forced w**emakers to perform a rebalancing act. The challenge is global but many w**e producers in the southern hemisphere have developed a master plan for making fresh, intriguing, and complex w**es for a new audience by applying regenerative agricultural practices, circular economy for workers and community, energy efficiency, social integration, and environmental education.

Capturing the hearts and minds of a new generation of w**e consumers and staying ahead of the curve these days requires more than just jammy w**es and cute critters on the bottles!   Enticing, small production, balanced w**es created with a values system that consumers can relate to is the new recipe and w**emakers throughout the southern hemisphere are emphatically embracing this new approach.

So join us this Friday, September 25th from 4:30-6:30 at The Local and Saturday. September 26th from 10:30-2:30 at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter to sample the latest edition of what w**emakers in South Africa, New Zealand, and Argentina are up to. And there won’t be a critter in sight!

-- Jack

Barkers Marque W**ery is located on the hills above Blind River, about a half mile from the sea in the cooler Awatere Valley. Being in one of the windie

TEN TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FOR W**E CLUB MEMBERS (shoot me a message) and on sale for EVERYONE ELSE on saturday, 9/26 @ n...
09/23/2026

TEN TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FOR W**E CLUB MEMBERS (shoot me a message) and on sale for EVERYONE ELSE on saturday, 9/26 @ noon (link in bio) -- 

you know what THEY always say, right? if at first you don't succeed, TRY, TRY AGAIN. which is fine & true, but, also, what if you succeed that first time, then succeed again the second time? do you just call it a day and never try again?

HECK NO! You push your chips into the center of the table, scream I'M ALL IN, and bring back Ryan Connelly of ROSENTHAL W**E MERCHANT & Josh Turka of 5TH QUARTER for their THIRD DINNER in the tasting room here at the local.

their first dinner w/ w**e pairings was après-ski themed and a certified banger™. their second dinner w/ w**e pairings was piedmont themed and i'm literally drooling right now (GROSS) thinking about that meal.

so how do we top those? or at least live up to them? HOW DO WE NOT LET YOU DOWN?

one word -- burgundy. and another word -- w**e. plus a few more words -- five delicious dishes.

ryan's just back from a burgundy buying trip (TOUGH JOB!) and josh loves his french cooking. and when they asked me what the price cap was for their w**e pairings, i just sent them a youtube link to 2 UNLIMITED's SMASH HIT NO LIMIT (yo, they are on tour right now if anyone wants to go with me) and now we're going to be serving some VERY SPECIAL BOTTLES on october 15th!

so, yup, phenomenal french food & winning french w**es -- hopefully no need to say more because i'm running out of steam here.

save the date, buy your tickets, and join our COMPLETELY IMAGINARY BUT STILL VERY FUN journey to burgundy! all five courses and five w**es for just $125/pp.

-- sam

Tuscany has come a long way since the days when many of us were introduced to this storied region with quaint straw bask...
09/18/2026

Tuscany has come a long way since the days when many of us were introduced to this storied region with quaint straw basket bottles of thin and innocuous Chianti! Today, Tuscany is a powerhouse in the global w**e world and every glass of Tuscan w**e represents part of this region’s fascinating history.

Tuscany’s story began in the 7th century BC when the Etruscans learned w**e making from the Greeks who had colonized southern Italy. W**e production was largely influenced by women who had the same rights as men in everyday life and were instrumental in cultivating the vineyards which at the beginning were trained on trees! The Etruscan influence and evolution of women and w**emaking in Tuscany continues today as you will see!

Over time Etruscan w**e was exported widely throughout the Mediterranean. During Roman times, France and Spain became the prime sources of w**e for the empire, which relegated Etruscan w**e to its local market, present day Tuscany. The region’s importance grew during the Middle Ages and Renaissance when monasteries, abbeys, and churches became important centers of agricultural innovation, and bustling cities during the Renaissance developed thriving trade networks. Iconic w**e producing families -- Frescobaldi, Antinori, and Ricosoli -- prospered, and even Michaelangelo, a very busy man, found time to produce his own w**e!

Chianti became the first w**e appellation in the world on September 24th, 1716. Today, Tuscany has many different appellations offering their unique stories and experiences through their viticultural history. Numerous regulatory measures -- DOCG, DOC, and IGT -- have been established to insure that production methods and yield standards create the best w**e possible. Lamberto Frescobaldi, owner of the legendary Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Estate says that “while tradition provides respect for inherited practices, one must not become overly attached to the past."

So join us this Friday, September 18th from 4:30-6:30 at The Local and Saturday, September 19th from 10:30-2:30 at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter in Waitsfield as we celebrate the past and welcome the future of one of the world’s greatest w**e regions!

-- Jack

boujulaes nouveau PRE-ORDERS are open now! but close on sunday the 20th at 6pm. just shoot me a dm with your order and i...
09/16/2026

boujulaes nouveau PRE-ORDERS are open now! but close on sunday the 20th at 6pm. just shoot me a dm with your order and i'll get you taken care of. thank you for your attention to this matter.

love,

sam

You've been asking and I've been asking and now our friends at Hill Farmstead have graciously offered to send down some ...
09/14/2026

You've been asking and I've been asking and now our friends at Hill Farmstead have graciously offered to send down some more of some of the world's best b**rs our way. That's right -- we have two different b**rs from Brasserie Cantillon arriving this Friday!

The Sang Bleu is blended w/ blue honeysuckle (haskap) berries while the Ashanti is blended with Gorilla Pepper which is a rare wild spice from Central Africa and also a great thing to Google image search if you want to see some great photos of gorillas eating bell peppers, which you should want to do.

Available for pre-order now (link in bio) but ONLY FOR PICKUP IN MIDDLESEX! We're getting six bottles of each, so, yeah, limited. First come, first serve.

There will also be six bottles of the Sang Bleu in Waitsfield at 5th Quarter on Friday, but no pre-orders on those. Just show up Friday and be like, "hey, Bleu me!" and Josh will toss one to you, then you can high five. Also, I'm guessing they will just be out for purchase like a normal product if you don't want to do that.

-- Sam

5th Quarter

Around The World With The Chosen One!“There is more to life than Pinot Noir, but not much more!”No w**e has captured the...
09/10/2026

Around The World With The Chosen One!

“There is more to life than Pinot Noir, but not much more!”

No w**e has captured the imagination of w**emakers & w**e lovers like Pinot Noir despite its finicky nature --  not too hot, not too cold, not too wet, not too dry, not too sandy, not too dense…

W**emakers have embraced the challenge of cultivating this exciting & transcendent grape & its profound ability to express a distinctive sense of place. Pinot Noir’s soft & seductive textures have the broadest & most complex flavor profiles of any w**e. A great Pinot Noir has layers upon layers of subtle nuances that constantly provoke our tasting awareness, appealing more to our heart than our head.

Pinot (meaning “pine” –- a reference to the pine cone shaped clusters of grapes) Noir (meaning “black”) may have originated & developed along the Nile River many many centuries ago & meandered & spread throughout the Mediterranean region.

The grape earned its reputation for producing extraordinary w**es in Burgundy going back to the 14th century. Although the consensus is that Burgundy is the benchmark for great Pinot Noir, today there are producers from almost every w**e region embracing the challenge of making great w**e from “the chosen one”!

Join us this Friday, September 11th, from 4:30-6:30pm at The Local & Saturday, September 12th from 10:30-2:30pm at the Outpost inside 5th Quarter in Waitsfield, where we’ll take you on a global tour of some of our favorite Pinot Noir! “A sip of Pinot Noir is worth a thousand words!”

-- Jack

“The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens grapes, the other turns  them into w**e.” -- Jane H...
09/03/2026

“The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens grapes, the other turns  them into w**e.” -- Jane Hirshfield

It's my favorite time of the year -- not quite the end of summer, but there’s always a subtle change of pace that happens during this seasonal transition. We have both our swimsuits and sweaters in the car, adapting from the warmth of these glory days to the crisp evening air! Farmers markets and our own gardens provide the rewards of a season of sweat and sunshine. And our tastes in w**e subtly shift as well.

White w**es have the acidity to brighten up all of the tremendous vegetables we enjoy at this time of year but still have enough body to hold up to food and condiments from the grill. Red w**es start making more of an appearance -- w**es with freshness and depth that bring energy to the cooler evening meals.

So celebrate part of your Labor Day Weekend with us this Friday, September 4th at The Local from 4:30-6:30, and Saturday, September 5th at our Outpost inside 5th Quarter 10:30-2:30 where we'll roll out w**es that both salute one amazing summer and embrace autumn!

-- Jack

Bruno Giacometti is the force behind a dazzling array of bottlings of little known Erbaluce, a high acidity white grape variety native to the northern Piedmont. Erbaluce Di Caluso was Piedmonte’s first official white w**e appellation in 1969 and was elevated to DOCG status in 2010. Erbaluce takes its name from Albaluce, a local legend fairy who blessed the town of Caluso with amazing fruit!

The juice is given extended time on the lees and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The w**e is rich, salty, and textural, with notes of lemon curd, green apple, and savory herbs balanced on a razor’s edge of high acidity!

Aligoté is Burgundy’s lesser known white grape accounting for just about 7% of all the vines in Burgundy. The grape was planted in Burgundy in the early 17th century.

The Lequin family have been vignerons in Santenay since 1679. Santenay marks the southern tip of the Côte d’ Or and also shares a border with the Chassagne. The geology resembles that of the iconic Cote de Nuits. This superb intersection of terroir, tradition, and evolution has c

Address

The Local: Wine & Beer, 961 US Route 2
Middlesex, VT
05602

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6:15pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 6pm

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