November 2025 Wine Club
Stick Season Sips: Wines for Gathering and Gratitude
November in Vermont is one of my favorite months, it is a special moment between seasonal chaos and quiet. Stick season is in full force, the mountains muted, the air smells like woodsmoke, and everyone is holding a breath in anticipation (some excited, others… less so) before the first real snow. It’s a season that asks for stillness and warmth, a reason to gather before we all tuck into winter. This month’s wines are exactly that: grounded, comforting, and quietly expressive. They also bring together a few of our favorite German growers—producers rooted in limestone and history who make wines with heart, like Weingut Schlossmuhlenhof and Weinhof Scheu. Whether you’re cooking for friends, making your friends cook for you, or just watching the light fade early, these bottles are right there with you.
1) Weinhof Scheu Pfalz Spätburgunder Trocken, Pfalz, Germany
Wine: Red // Grapes: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) // Club: Vin de Soif & Cork Dork
About the Producer: The Scheu family’s winery sits in Germany’s Pfalz region, where shell limestone soils and a long growing season bring depth and grace to their wines. They’re known for making pure, food-friendly bottlings that highlight balance over flash, and this Spätburgunder is a perfect example of that philosophy.
About the Wine: German Pinot Noir doesn’t get enough love, but this one will win you over fast. Ripe blackberry and dark chocolate notes meet soft tannins and a silky, light-bodied texture that makes it easy to drink (and even easier to share). Try it slightly chilled for a fresher edge or let it open up beside a cozy fire, it wears both moods well.
2) Schlossmühlenhof Riesling Trocken, Rheinhessen, Germany
Wine: White // Grapes: Riesling // Club: Vin de Soif & Cork Dork
About the Producer: The Schlossmühlenhof estate has been run by the Schmitt family since 1846, now in its sixth generation. Their wines reflect both tradition and curiosity—classic Rieslings sit alongside a new wave of low-intervention options that explore texture and terroir in creative ways.
About the Wine: This dry Riesling is a liter bottle… need I say more? From 22-year-old vines on calcareous clay, it’s fermented spontaneously and aged on lees for a touch of depth. Expect crisp citrus and orchard fruit, a little saline minerality, and that unmistakable zap of energy that great Riesling always delivers. Bright, bracing, and perfect for that in-between season when the light fades early but friends still keep showing up at your table.
3) Weingut Schlossmühlenhof “Picobello PGGB,” Rheinhessen, Germany
Wine: Skin-Contact White // Grapes: Grauerburgunder (Pinot Gris) // Club: Cork Dork ONLY
About the Producer: From the same forward-thinking team at Schlossmühlenhof, this bottling shows off their playful, experimental side. The PGGB (short for Pinot Gris Grauburgunder) was macerated for 14 days at cool temperatures and spontaneously fermented in oak before a short rest in stainless steel.
About the Wine: Think of it as the love child between white and orange wine, textural, dry, and a little wild. Expect spice, pear skin, and stone fruit with a clean, mineral finish. It’s layered without being heavy, like that rare November day when the sun actually feels warm on your face but you know cold rain is coming.
