And now a brief moment of exultation: Whole Foods was having a really terrific wine sale, and we have scored big time. Worthy of note: the Gruet Blanc de Noir.

We sell a number of the Gruet wines in the restaurant: their '01 Pinot Noir, the Chardonnay, and both the Blanc de Noir and the Gilbert Gruet Grande Reserve. Generally, customers open with some scoffing remark about New Mexico wines, to which the reply generally runs something like: "Oh, but the Gruets are originally from Champagne. They came to New Mexico and loved the growing conditions; poor soil, a high temperature change over the course of the day, and very low humidity all make the grapes suffer, that the wine can prosper. The Pinot Noir in particular has interesting plum and black cherry notes, and finishes with an astonishing minerality..." And so on.

The Blanc de Noir is among my favorites. Nice fruit and toasty-ness combine for ridiculously enjoyable drinking. Kate and I served it at our wedding. But the Gilbert Gruet Grande Reserve is, bar none, the best vin de methode champagnoise I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. If you can find it, snap it up and lay it away for a special occasion.