Holiday 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to the holiday season of 2025, and our Holiday sale and tasting is back again! This is going to be and incredible lineup with the addition of a selection of spirits for the first time, plus the official release tasting of the new edition of BBQ Oink!, so set your calendars for Saturday, December 6. For details on who will be here that day, read on and remember that if you cannot make it here that day, as a loyal customer, we are offering you a special sale price on all items in the store, via on-line only. Use this discount code HOLIDAY2025 from midnight on Friday, December 5th through Midnight on Sunday December 7th, for 10% off everything on the website, including spirits (which we usually never put any discount on). Speaking of spirits, we have been stocking up this season with Cognac, Rum, Vodka, Aquavit, Bourbon, Brandy and just about anything else you can think of. Dig through the web page, and feel free to stop by the store to check them out in person. We are open with special Holiday hours through the end of the year, so make sure you read this all the way through the last page.
In lieu of charging a tasting fee at the holiday event we have always asked you to kindly donate money and non-perishable foods for our local food bank. The need for donations for local food banks will be greater than ever this year, so please consider donating generously. In addition to having collection jars at the tasting, we will again have the option of making your donation on line. Please consider selecting a specific dollar amount item from the web site to add to your shopping cart. We will donate 100% of the money to our local food bank. Your donation will go a long way for those in need this year.
Our annual ‘advent calendar’ is back again this year, for the ’12 days of Christmas’. Watch the in-box of your email every day, from Dec 13th, through the 24th for special offerings, gift items, discounts etc. All of these will be extremely limited, so you will need to respond quickly.
We also have a whole array of wine and spirits clubs to give as gifts and have brought in some special gift bottles and packs, glassware, stocking size bottles etc. Whether you are looking for that special bottle to sip by the fire, to send to a loved one, or the fixings for Glogg or punch, we pretty much have you covered.
The logistics of shipping during the holiday season are always tough. On top of the legal issues which require folks to allow way more time for delivery than in the past, inclement weather can bring everything to a screeching halt in a moment’s notice. For the best chance of getting your package to anywhere east of the Rockies by Christmas, we are asking for your orders to be in by November 15th. I know this seems early, but Thanksgiving throws in a big wrinkle in terms of timing, and Christmas falls on a Thursday, which messes up the beginning of that week, so everything needs to arrive several days earlier than normal. There are still no promises, but we don’t have ‘express’ shipping to the East anymore, so please think well ahead, especially if you need something shipped to New York, Boston, Miami etc.
Happy holidays and pray for decent weather!
Doug, Will, Laura, Sandy, Brandon, Cory and Theodore
Wines & Spirits
Monte do Carrapatelo Signature Blend, private barrel selection 2023 $18.99
This last summer, we had the opportunity to work with top Portuguese winemaker Luis Duarte, to select a private barrel of wine, blended to our specifications, for an exclusive holiday wine. How could we say ‘no’? A classic Portuguese blend of 42% Alicante Bouschet; 33% Aragonez; 25% Touriga Nacional, it has all that decadent, rich and silky fruit, which makes these top Portuguese reds so seductive. Our intent was to come up with a blend of European fruit, but with the weight and body of domestic reds, and we hit the nail on the head. Plum, cassis, violet candy, a kiss of spearmint and that herbal and tangy note one sees in top Balsamic. Absolutely gorgeous stuff and it will make an absolutely unique gift. Our barrel produced only 30 cases, and when it is gone, it is gone.
Villa Loren Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2024 $10.99
This time of year, we are always on the hunt for reds and whites for all those events going on, which won’t break the bank, especially this year. Pinot Grigio is arguably the most versatile of all the daily drinker whites, and pairs well with more holiday foods than anything else. Finding really great, fresh, examples, from current vintages is the goal, and this one is a touchdown all the way. From the Della Venezie DOC in Italy, it has explosive notes of lemon and lime zest, orange candy and just a kiss of honeydew melon, with a zingy and refreshing finish. This is going to be that go-to white for all your holiday events this year. A total crowd pleaser!
Champagne Halsinger & Fils NV $27.99
A real Champagne to kick off the holiday season at under 30 bucks. What more can you want! Every year, we go on the hunt for a reach Champagne, which we can put on the shelf at prices we used to see 25 years ago, and every year, it gets harder and harder. This year, we got our hands on one, which we had never seen before. Champagne Haslinger is not a household name, but what is in the bottle is what matters most, correct? There is not a whole lot of information out there on them, as it is more than likely produced at one of the co-ops, as are lots of the big brands. However, as they don’t have a big, fancy Chateau, but still have lots of great fruit to work with, they can actually put a delicious bottle of Champagne on the table, without adding a huge marketing budget into the price. The proof is what is in the bottle. A blend of 46% Pinot Noir, 37% Pinot Meunier, and 17% Chardonnay, it has all that classic crispness, a gorgeous and creamy mouthfeel, notes of green pears, apples and citrus and a beautifully clean finish, with that richness which comes from a heavy percentage of red fruit. A ridiculous value!
BBQ American Red Table Wine Oink! $10.99
The pig is back! After a hiatus of several years due to Covid and the associated fallout, we are extremely proud to bring back ‘Oink!’, just in time for the heart of football season and all your holiday festivities. This newest edition is being made for us by Kendall Mix and his crew, using the classic Washington blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Rich and ripe, with no oak presence, with layers of fat berry fruit, milk chocolate and crisp acid. Obviously designed for BBQ, it is also extremely versatile with pizza, burgers and hearty meats. To top it all off, we drove the price down significantly, and being as it is a 100% Washington wine, we don’t have to worry about tariffs on this one. Party on!
Every year at this time, we put all of our distributors to task, with the goal of finding the most incredible value sparkler for the holiday season, regardless of where it comes from. This year, it is coming from Spain. There is nothing particularly rare about Cava from Spain, as there are countless to choose from, but most are rather ordinary. Not this one. Bonaval is rare in that it is one of only a few Cavas that come from Extremadura, where the working wine town of Almendralejo (south of Merida, Badajoz Province, on the Guadiana wine trail) was only granted Cava D.O. status in 1985; and it was the first one commercially produced from there shortly after that happened. Bright citrus, intermingled with fresh apples off the tree, a hint of roasted almonds, and just a touch of peachy fruit in the finish. This is scrumptious stuff.
Altano Douro Tinto Red 2022 (Spectator 90) $9.99
A couple weeks back, we ran an email special on a different wine from these folks, and people went bonkers for it. This is a not dissimilar blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, but from a year newer, plus this one just got a ‘90’ and a ‘Best Value’ from the Wine Spectator:
“A lively, well-spiced red, with an appealing mix of brambly boysenberry, cherry, violet and blood orange peel flavors sculpted by light, taut tannins, ending with a minerally finish. Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. Drink now through 2030.”
What makes this offering even more special is the price. The ‘Wine Spectator’ had this marked as a ‘Best Value’ at $13. What if we knocked 25% off? This is one of the total no-brainer buys of the season.
The return of the annual Holiday Sale and Tasting!
On Saturday, December 6th, our Holiday sale and Tasting is back! We will be open with regular hours, from 10:00-6:00, and every item in stock will be 10% off, even rare items and spirits. Some items will have further discounts, and everything is on sale until it is gone, so come early for the best selection. No discounts on special orders made that day. Starting at noon, we will have two different wineries here for tasting, and what a lineup it is! There is no tasting fee, but we are asking that everyone who is planning on tasting, to plan on bringing either non-perishable foods or make a cash donation that day, either in person or on line. Here is our incredible lineup:
Matthews Winery
Lawrelin and Caliche
BBQ Oink! (the official release tasting!)
Piolet Vintners
Gjallerhorn Winesmiths
4:00-6:00
The rums of Hampden Estate in Jamaica, with Kate Perry
Wine and Spirits Clubs for the holidays
As we head into winter, the nights get a bit cooler, and the allure of snuggling by the fireplace starts to take hold, the need for a tipple or two starts to increase. With that in mind, we have several wine and spirits clubs, which make perfect gifts. As with all our clubs, there is no fee to join, and your selection will always be discounted well below our normal price. Prepay for a year to save even more.
Like Bourbon? How about Irish? Maybe Japanese? This one is for you. Each month, you will get a fantastic bottle from one of the great producers who grace this planet. Maybe a Rye or Corn, maybe a craft Washington producer, maybe India. Again, we like to feature the little, unknown and hard to get bottles. This will average $50-$75 per month, or pre-pay for a year for $800.
If you are into rare and collectable spirits, you are in the right place. The highly allocated Bourbons, Single Cask Malts, Japanese Whiskey, Cognac, rare Mezcal and Tequila will all appear here. Membership is very limited in this club, as we cannot guarantee quantities on these. Priority is given in the order in which folks sign up. Market price per month.
The Washington Wine of the Month Club
If you love Washington wines, and frankly, who doesn’t, then let us do the work for you, so you can try one or two new wines each month. You can pick from either one or two bottles of red per month, or one bottle of red and one bottle of white. $29.99 for two, or $15.99 for one, or save a bit and pre-pay for a year in advance. $347.99 for two bottles per month for a year, or $179.99 for one.
This is by far the most sought after club we have, and is typically completely full. Occasionally, space opens up and we do these announcements. We have only done this about half a dozen times in the last 20 years. If you are looking for the best of the best from this state, but don’t want to wait for years to get on the winery mailing list, then this one is for you. The following wines are included, and you will automatically get them upon release, but no more than two releases each month: Leonetti, Sheridan Block 1, Corliss Red, Reynvaan Contender, Weathereye L’Atomique, Trothe Limited, Piolet Cabernet, Gjallerhorn Syrah, Rotie Little G, Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval, Two Vintners Alice, Upchurch Cabernet, Doubleback Cabernet, Anthony Cellars, Abeja Heather Hill, Force Majeure Estate Cabernet, and Passing Time Horse Heaven Hills. Just drop Sandy an email at sandy@compasswines.com and she will get you all set up.
Special Holiday Hours
November 2025
Monday-Saturday, in store shopping 10:00-6:00
Sundays 11:00-5:00
Thanksgiving Day, Thursday the 27th- Closed
December 2025
Monday-Saturday, in store shopping 10:00-6:00
Saturday, December 6th, Our Holiday Sale and Tasting 10:00-6:00
Sundays, 11:00-5:00
Christmas Eve, Wednesday the 24th 10:00-3:00
Christmas Day, Thursday the 25th, Closed
Thursday the 26th, Closed
January 2026
New Year’s Day, Thursday the 1st and Friday the 2nd, closed
If the weather goes really foul, give us a call first as we don’t want to put employees or customers at risk.