That's plenty of
time for you to dash in for a sip or two. Check out the new wines
that we'll be pouring:
This Week at The Tasting Bar
The Crossings
Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, New Zealand (Marlborough)
Callaway Chardonnay
Coastal, 2008, California (Temeculah)
The Flock Cabernet
Sauvignon 2007, California (Paso Robles)
St. Hallett
Gamekeeper's Reserve GSM, 2005, Australia (Barossa Vallely)
Big House Prodigal
Son Petite Syrah, 2006, California (Paso Robles)
Click
here to see detailed tasting notes.
"Pick of the Week"
Maybe we should say: "Picks of the Week" because Allison has
selected two wines-one white and one red from the same producer-for you
to try. Araldica La Luciana Gavi and Araldica Albera Barbera D'Asti
are beautiful wines from the Piedmont region of Italy. The 2008
vintage of the Gavi is a lovely dry, lemony white wine made from the
Cortese grape. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, it has a clean
and elegant flavor. Serve chilled as an aperitif or with shellfish.
Allison's red wine pick from Araldica is their 2006 Barbera D'Asti. The
Barbera grape is the classic red grape of Piemonte's Asti region.
Produced from established vineyards, it is matured in oak barrels for 12
months, giving it an enticing warm, smoky aroma, which couples with its
soft round brambly flavors. It is the perfect accompaniment to
roasted meats and stews and also hard cheese. The Gavi is normally
priced at $12.99/bottle and the Barbera D'Asti at $11.99. But if
you purchase one bottle of each, you can save $1.50 per bottle! Make sure
that you get a taste Thursday, Friday and Saturday when you're in the
shop.
Savvy Cooking
Getting back to Fall in Central New York... Have you been to the Regional
Market lately to shop for vegetables? We really enjoy getting up
very early on Saturday mornings and hurrying over there around
7 a.m. before we come to work. When we saw the beautiful zucchini,
green beans, fennel, red peppers and cabbage last Saturday, we knew
exactly what would be on the menu for dinner at our house sometime this
week-Dale and Allison's Famous (sort of) Minestrone. Filled with
the bounty of the season's vegetables, our soup is a long-time favorite that
we've served to family and friends for dinner, tailgaters, parties and
other fun-filled events. We've put our own little twist on
traditional minestrone with the inclusion of sausage and cheese mini
ravioli or tortellini. Our recipe makes a "cauldron" of delicious
soup, so make sure you invite a lot of people over to enjoy it; or, you
can always freeze it for another time. Piacere questa ricetta! Click
here to find out how to make this.
And here are the wines we recommend you enjoy with it:
Coltibuono Chianti
Classico, 2006-88 points from Wine Advocate; 87 from Wine
Spectator$16.99/bottle
John Eppler
Tradition, 2007-Four Plus Corks from TSWC $14.99/bottle
Redheads Studio Yard
Dog White (yes, a white wine)-Four Corks TSWC $10.99/bottle
Upcoming Classes
September 30:
New World Meets Old World with Erin Stepowany, 7-8 p.m. Make sure
you sign up for our first wine and cheese pairing class. This is shaping
up to be our largest-ever class!
October
14: Varietals vs. Blends with Neil Miller. You loved his
Riesling Smack Down class in May and you're going to love this one,
too. Neil will be discussing the characteristics of wines made
solely from a specific varietal and comparing these to wines that are
produced from blended grapes. It's sure to be a fun, interesting
and lively evening. Please, mark Wednesday, October 14, from 7-8 p.m. on
your calendar, Black Berry or Palm Pilot.
October
28: Forrest Harpur Returns. That's right...he's
b-a-a-a-a-ck! Forrest Harpur, Wine Educator for Southern Wines and
Spirits will be here Wednesday, October 28 from 7-8 p.m. for another
evening of conversation about "The Grape." If you've attended
our previous evenings with Forrest, you know how much fun you'll be
missing if you don't register for this class. If you were unable to
attend either of his prior classes, here's your chance to join us.
December
9: Does the Wine Glass Really Matter? Yes, it
does! And Mollie Ciocca of Fortessa Stemware will be here on
Wednesday evening, December 9, from 7-8 p.m. to explain how using the
correct wine glass does make a difference and can actually enhance your
wine-drinking experience. She'll also be talking about her line of
beautiful Fortessa Stemware, showcased exclusively in upstate New York in
our shop, its unique composition and durability. If you're thinking
of purchasing new wine glasses, or if you'd like to give someone a
special holiday gift, make sure you're registered for this class.
Click
here for the link to register for our classes.
Upcoming Events
September 24:
JohnNissen of Southern Wines and Spirits will be our guest pourer
on Thursday evening from 5-8 p.m. pouring five wines that are new to our
shop. John has a great deal of wine knowledge and experience in the
industry, beginning around 1990, working in many local fine-dining
establishments. He entered the distributor side of the business
about five years ago to expand his knowledge and love of wine. Many of
the wines in the portfolio that he represents are unique and affordable
and he'll be pouring five of these for you on Thursday night. We're
confident that you're going to want to bring some home with you after
you've tried them! Please plan on being here that evening to welcome John
to The Tasting Bar and taste these new arrivals.
October 8:
Stephen Black, winemaker at Small Gulley Wines (Mr. Black's Concoction
and The Formula Shiraz) will be here from 7-8 p.m. to discuss and pour
these wines and others that he makes. This will be a fun evening
that you won't want to miss.
No need to sign up for these events because they are regular Thursday
night tastings!
How Savvy Are You?
Are you keeping track of your answers? Okay savvy people, how well
did you do with last week's questions? Here are the answers:
Is
there a difference between Fumé Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc?
Answer:
In name only. Winemaker Robert Mondavi wanted to distinguish his
Sauvignon Blancs those grown in France. And he also believed his
term would be easier for people in the United States to remember from a
famous French region known for its Sauvignon Blanc wines, Pouilly-
Fumé. So he called his Sauvignon Blanc "Fumé
Blanc." By the way, the French word, "Fumé,"
actually means smoked. In 1968 Mondavi was offered a crop of
particularly good Sauvignon Blanc grapes by a grower. At that time that
varietal had a poor reputation in California due to its grassy flavor and
aggressive aromas. Mondavi decided to try to tame that aggressiveness
with barrel aging (maybe that's why he called it fume) and released the
wine under the name Fumé Blanc. Producers of Sauvignon Blanc in
California have the option of naming the wine Sauvignon Blanc or
Fumé Blanc.
Why
would a red wine turn slightly brown around the edges?
Answer:
If it is a young red wine, the brown rim is a very good indication that
the wine is flawed. If it's an older wine, the wine is reaching the
end of its maturity.
What
are the noble vines? Answer: These are Cabernet
Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
12% Tuesday
The 12% discounted selection for Tuesday, September 29, is
all 1.5L large bottles. We have a wide selection of varietals in large
bottle sizes and they are all excellent values. Don't miss this
opportunity to stock up for the game this weekend or that big party you
are attending! (12% discount does not apply to sale wines or End of Bin
Specials)
As always, thanks for your support. We truly appreciate your business.
CinCin!
Allison and Dale
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