Sunday School

WINE

Gamay, Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Cave Spring Vineyard, ’21

Ontario, Canada

From the limestone-rich slopes of the Beamsville Bench in Niagara Peninsula, Cave Spring is one of the longtime standard-bearers for cool-climate Canadian wine. The estate is family-owned, with roots going back to the 1970s, and has built its reputation on thoughtful farming and a deep understanding of how this unique escarpment site shapes their wines.

The Bench itself is key here. Set along the Niagara Escarpment, the vineyards benefit from limestone soils, steady lake influence, and a long, moderate growing season. All of this allows grapes like Gamay to ripen slowly while holding onto their natural brightness.

This bottling leans into a more classic, cool-climate expression of Gamay. It is fresh and lively, with red cherry, cranberry, and a touch of raspberry, layered with subtle earth and a gentle spice note. The texture is light on its feet but not simple, with just enough structure to keep things grounded.

It is the kind of wine that feels effortless but precise, a great reminder that Gamay can be just as compelling outside of its more famous French homes, especially in a place like Niagara where freshness and finesse come naturally.

$15 glass•   $11 glass

CHEESE

Meadow Creek Mountaineer

Galax, VA · Cow–R

In the countryside of Galax, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains cradle the setting sun in the background while cows happily graze on the rolling hills. The herd of Jersey cows at Meadow Creek Dairy are loved and well cared for on this family farm. The mineral rich soils and deep, pure well water provide the natural sustenance that allows the cows to produce the highest quality milk.

Today’s cheese was inspired by traditional Alpine-style cheeses that can only be made at high altitudes and represent mountainous terroir. Mountaineer is a semi-hard cheese with a smooth supple texture aged in the cellars for a minimum of six months. The tasting notes are complex with flavors that start buttery and beefy and quickly shift to a rich, roasted nuttiness. This one proves that happy cows make better cheese, and better cheese makes people happy.

$9 •   $6