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Cakebread
This just in... We have Cakebread-Cabernet Sauvignon. We're
pleased to announce that we currently have in stock one case of
Cakebread Cellars 2006 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. If you know
Cakebread, you know how difficult these wines are to obtain. So,
if you want some, make sure you get into the shop this week before
they're gone.
Also, we will be getting one case each of Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay
and Sauvignon Blanc in the shop sometime during the first week of
August. If you would like to reserve some of this spectacular
wine for your personal savvy wine cellar, we will be taking orders for
these ahead of time. Call us for details. (315-399-5133).
Celebrating the Tour and Italy
The Tour de France is headed into the Alps and then back to Paris for
the big finish. Even though we've been following the Tour in our
weekly tastings, we took a look at the route and said, "Let's
detour and go to Italy."
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Why not? After
all, July is a big month for everything Italian. In Abruzzi, there
is the Villamagna, "The Turks and St. Margerite Historical
Re-enactment." The Spoleto Festival, known as Festival of the
two Worlds, is organized every year between the end of June and mid-July
in the heart of Umbria. In Venice, Venetians don costumes, hop on their
sailboats and celebrate Chioggia, a fish festival. The Palio di Siena
(known locally simply as Il Palio) is a horse race held twice each year
on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, in which 10 horses and riders, dressed
in the appropriate colors, represent ten of the seventeen Contrade, or
city wards. The race circles the Piazza del Campo while everyone watches
and cheers them on (quite possibly while enjoying fabulous Tuscan wine)!
And, beginning four centuries ago, Palermo, Sicily, has celebrated Santa
Rosalia, who saved the city from a terrible plague in 1600 and thus
became the city's patron saint.
See where this is going? Check out: This Week at the Tasting Bar
(below)
This Week at the Tasting Bar
Valle Reale Vigne
Nuove Trebbiano D'Abruzzo, 2008, Italy (Abruzzi)
Tasting bar price: $10.79/bottle; regular price: $11.99/bottle
If you enjoy a white wine that is delightfully fragrant and very rich
with beautiful aromatics of citrus (like orange peel), white pepper and
freshly cut flowers, this is the perfect Italian white for you!
This wine is crisp and full of zest and is sure to become one of your new
favorites. Everyone knows about D'Abruzzo's famous red wine...soon
you'll be singing the praises of the Trebbiano grape from the same
region! We rate it Four Plus Corks.
LaCarraia Orvieto
Classico, 2008, Italy (Umbria)
Tasting bar price: $10.79/bottle; regular price: $11.99/bottle
If you're looking for a new white wine to pair with seafood this
summer... If you've been searching for something unusual to accompany
omelets, light pasta dishes or warm antipasti...then you must sample our
LaCarraia Orvieto Classico! Pale yellow in color, the aromas in
this wine remind us of the lovely flowers of the Mediterranean.
Lemon and quince flavors on the palate are balanced by the wine's
incredible crispness. A blend of Grechetto (40%), Malvasia (30%) and
Procanico (30%) grapes, Orvieto Classico is one of the best known white
wines from Central Italy. It boasts a long history that dates back to
medieval times, when it was the favorite wine of the Papacy. Fermented in
temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve its hallmark
freshness, the wine is refined in tanks and in bottle for a few months
before release. This wine gets Four Corks from our Savvy
Staff. We like it!
Bertani Velante
Pinot Grigio, 2007, Italy (Venice)
Tasting bar price: $12.14/bottle; regular price: $13.49/bottle
Here's another Four Plus Corks wine from the Savvy Staff. Estate
grown fruit from the Veneto, this Pinot Grigio has aromas of golden
apples, ripe pears and juicy peaches. The same fabulous flavors
continue on the palate and compliment the wine's crisp acidity and
medium. We're sure you're going to love sipping the Bertani Velante
Pinot Grigio on your deck watching the sun set; or, you can enjoy it with
a light meal of grilled fish and vegetables with a little orzo on this
side.
Badia a Coltobuono
Chianti Classico, 2006, Italy (Tuscany)
Tasting bar price: $15.29/bottle; regular price: $16.99/bottle
Aromas of fresh raspberries and red licorice call you to linger a while
before taking a sip of this 100% Sangiovese from Tuscany. When you
finally give in and take a sip, you'll discover many layers of juicy,
vibrant, dark fruit. This is a beautifully full-bodied Chianti
Classico that will pair with almost anything "Italian"-from
Gorgonzola or other blue cheeses to minestrone to lasagna to pizza.
Wine Spectator rates it 87; Wine Advocate rates it 88 and the Savvy Wine
Cellar rates it Four Plus, Plus Corks!
Cusumano Nero
D'Avola, 2007, Italy (Sicily)
Tasting bar price: $11.69/bottle; regular price: $12.99/bottle
If you know Allison, you know that her favorite Italian grape is Nero
D'Avola from Sicily. Several years ago, on a trip to this
magnificent region with friends, we stumbled upon this beautiful,
dark-fruit wine and it became one of her passions. The 2007
Cusumano Nero D'Avola is a beauty. Aromas of damson plums and
violets fill your nose and follow through on the palate. Not at all
sweet, this medium-bodied wine has a great finish that's pretty
crisp. You won't want to miss tasting this wine this week.
Wine Spectator rated it at 83 points and Allison says it's Four Plus,
Plus Corks! And the Tasting Bar price makes it perfect to take home and
enjoy!
See you Thursday
from 5-8 or Saturday 1-5 p.m.
"Pick of the Week"
This week's offering is one of Allison's new
"favs," the Mercer Estates Chardonnay, 2007, from Washington
State. It's elegant and complex with hints of vanilla and
spice. Aromas and flavors of apple, pineapple and citrus linger all
the way to light, satisfying finish. Come in and sample a taste
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. At a sale price of $14.99 (regular
$16.99), we're sure you'll want to take home a bottle or two!
Upcoming Events
July 24: Visit Dale and Allison at the
Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival in Clinton Square, Syracuse.
We'll be "guest pourers" on Friday, July 24, from 5-10 p.m.
Formerly known as "Jazz in the Square," the festival features
music on three stages, a late night pub crawl, jam sessions, strolling
musicians and more. We'll be pouring wines in the Wines of the
World Atrium. The festival runs Thursday, July 23-Saturday, July
25. For wine passes and more information, visit www.nejazzwine.org
July 29:
Forrest Harpur of Southern Wines and Spirits returns to The Savvy Wine
Cellar to present his class on "Tiny Bubbles." Class
begins at 7 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. There's still
room left so sign up
now.
August
1: To continue the commemoration of the United States'
first manned landing on the moon, Katy Deehan of Empire Merchants North
will be hosting our Saturday tasting that day and pouring wines from
Valley of the Moon.
"How Savvy Are You?"
How did you fare last week with our questions? Did we stump you;
or, are you more-savvy than you thought? Here are the answers
to last week's questions:
A wine's label
says "Organically Grown." Does it contain any added
sulfites? Answer: It may. Certified "organic
wine" may not contain any added sulfites, but "organically
grown" wine may have sulfites added to it. Go figure???
Is all sparkling
wine Champagne? Answer: No. Only Champagne made in the
French region of Champagne is true Champagne. "Champagne'
isn't a legally protected name. But, in Europe, most producers of
sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region respect tradition and
don't call their wines Champagne. In the United States and several
countries in South America, however, sparkling wine can actually be
called Champagne as long as the origin's appellation is also listed on
the bottle.
What important
event relating to California Chardonnays occurred in 1976?
Answer: The 1973 Chateau Montelena (California) Chardonnay, made by
Mike Grgich, took first place at the 1976 Paris wine tasting. (The
movie, "Bottle Shock," is a great fiction version of this event
and a must see for wine lovers!)
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