Friday, September 23, 2005

Nickel and Nickel - Dragonfly/Tench/Carpenter/Vogt

NICKEL & NICKEL - LIMITED SUPPLY
The wineries dotted along the flat, tidy expanse of the Napa Valley appellation of Oakville are celebrated for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietal wines. In fact, the region’s vineyards are some of the most coveted in the valley. The Nickel & Nickel winery, founded in 1997 but born from a tradition of exceptional winemaking, is devoted to creating wines that articulate the singular expressions of the vineyards in Oakville and beyond.

We are happy to announce limited availabllity of:

Dragonfly - $90

Tench - $80

Carpenter - $80

Vogt - $80

First come, first served

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Marci Alborhgetti/Harley Davidson/Morgan Stanley/DogFish Head/Chateau St.Michelle

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits
Thames River Greenery
Brie & Bleu
www.thamesriver.com
www.brieandbleu.com
Calendar of Events: http://www.thamesriver.com/site_2/wine/calendar.html


Before I outline the wines for this weeks tasting let me update a few things of interest.
Don't forget to check the calendar of events - there are several NEW listings to consider.

First - Many of you attended the opening of New York Photographer Joe Standart's show
in our cellar. "The New London Project - Portrait of a City" is an amazing collection of photographs that must be seen. The full show will be on display at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum from October 7 thru December 4, 2005. New London residents will be admitted without charge.
For more information check here: http://www.thenewlondonproject.org/
OR : http://www.lymanallyn.org


NEXT - Lots of thanks to everyone out at Mike' Famous Harley Davidson in Groton
and Morgan Stanley from Mystic. We had a great time on Thursday night - it was an honor to be included.
http://www.mikesfamous.com

And to that crazy girl that kept starting up the bikes in the showroom......Yeah baby, yeah!


Local Author Marci Alborhgetti was packing them in on Friday night.
They came from far and wide to visit with the author and have copies of her latest book
"When Lightning Strikes Twice" signed.
Twenty-Third Publications was given a City of New London Citation for relocating to our fair city and for bringing in over 40 full time employees into downtown. Representatives Peg Curtain and Ernest Hewitt were on hand to do the honors. See the highlights in our photo gallery.

The Dogfish Head Beer tasting on Thursday night brought crowds of people to taste the beer and to try drinking directly from "The Gizmo" - A fresh hops filter. There was music, there was beer, and there were people having a party. This is the best fraternity in town - remember every Thursday 5-8 p.m. - NO CHARGE - Stop in and meet our "Rush Chairman" - George Whitehouse.


WINE TASTING
THIS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23 - 6-9 p.m. - NO CHARGE


Chateau St. Michelle - Washington state's founding winery - Voted Winery of the Year 10 times!
Washington state's oldest and most acclaimed winery offers award-winning wines and a tasting experience second to none. The winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation. We are happy to feature their wines this Friday night.

1 - Chateau St. Michelle - Indian Wells - Chardonnay - $20 (90 points wine spectator)
This elegant wine shows aromas of fresh Golden Delicious apple, sweet lemon and a hint of mineral and baking spice. The wine is bright and lively and exhibits flavors of apple, lemon and vanilla cream. The texture of the wine is rich and silky and has a toasty lingering finish. Perfect with salmon, fresh crab, pork and poultry.

2 - Chateau St. Michelle - Indian Wells - Merlot - $20 (90 points Wine Enthusiast)
Aromas of roasted nuts are complemented with licorice and black cherry. Black cherry and blueberry intermingle elegantly with black tea and leather on the palate. Firm, restrained tannins provide an elegantly long finish. Outstanding with lamb, pasta and beef.

3 -EROICA RIESLING - $24 - Wine Spectator placed this in the top 100 FIVE years in a row!
Named after Beethoven's masterpiece, the winemaking partnership between famed Mosel winemaker Ernst Loosen and Chateau Ste. Michelle - Eroica delivers a unique combination of tangerine aromas characteristic of Washington state Riesling, melded with the mineral and slate notes and lively, crisp acidity associated with German Riesling. Made for Asian dishes, Indian curries, crab & scallops.

4 - Chateau St. Michell - 2003 Sauvignon Blanc - $12
Distinct aromas of jasmine and honeydew melon lead to sweet lime flavors.
This 2003 vintage is a fresh, fruit-driven, crisp style of Sauvignon Blanc, as a result of increased stainless steel fermentation. This stuff is why they invented goat cheese and oysters!

Our fall season is shaping up nicely. Based on your suggestions and requests we have been able to try new things, meet new people and raise the bar even higher than anyone could have imagined.

The number of interesting guests, on location events, food guru's, authors, life style experts and circus people that are scheduled to join us is growing on a daily basis. Thank You all for your interest and your support - the best is yet to come.



AAA.

Monday, September 12, 2005

F.U. JazzBoy/Dogfish Head/Marci Alborghetti/Berkshire Blue/"What's My Wine"

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
www.thamesriver.com
www.brieandbleu.com

Calendar of Events - http://www.thamesriver.com/site_2/wine/calendar.html

We had a beautiful group of people last Friday night -
Not just the number of people - but really a good looking crowd.
Lots of new faces and with the arrival of each ferry from Long Island and Fishers Island,
and with each train coming and going from New York and Boston - new visitors all night long.

Next door at Brie & Bleu we introduced Tappas in addition to our regular menu.
Now People are able to "dig right in" when they sit down. - And they are so tasty

Saturday night we hosted our first Sake Dinner - Many thanks to Chad Beverlin and Kaoru Ishiguro
for taking the time be be with us all the way from New York City. They were fabulous guests and never tired of answering questions. - Thank You.

** Special Event ** F.U. JazzBoy - Friday October 7, 2005 - 6 p.m. - $20.
You may have seen these award winning musicians on T.V.
Or you may have heard them on one of the CD's in your collection
We are presenting them on the Stage at the Hygenic Art Park.
Ticket includes beer tasting with Brooklyn Brewing Company
Buy your tickets now - available at all three of our stores.

THIS WEDNESDAY - 9/14/05 -6 p.m. - "What's My Wine"
The return of our popular blind tasting with Howard Asadow.
There is No Charge for this event BUT PLEASE call to reserve your seats -
We have to know how many blindfolds to get:-)

THIS THURSDAY - 9/15/05 - 5-8 p.m. Beer Tasting & Musicale - DOGFISH HEAD BREWING CO.
The return of "Randal The Enamel Animal"
By popular demand we were able to get the folks at DogFish Head to come back and launch the fall season of beer tastings. Mr. Allen Reitz will be serving the Midas Touch, Raison D'Etre, and Chicory Stout.
AND OF COURSE - they are bringing "The Gizmo" - as I like to call it - the hop filter.
They will be serving their Indian Brown Ale as it is DRY-HOPPED right before your eyes through a series of tubes and filters and fresh hopps - This is not for the squeamish - But if your a hop head - you'll be right at home.


THIS FRIDAY - 9/16/05 - 6-9 p.m. - Wine Tasting / Book Signing / Boats Books & Brushes
The 5th Annual festival on New London's Historic Waterfront - Boats, Books & Brushes begins.
Welcome Twenty-Third Publications to New London - And Meet Local Author Marci Alborghetti
Join us in the cellar - when she signs copies of her new book : "When Lightning Strikes Twice".
And try these wonderful wines too.

1 - Bonarda, 'Colonia Las Liebres - $8 (86 points Robert Parker)
Highly expressive aromas of black raspberries, plums, and violets are found in the nose of the 2004 Bonarda Colonia Las Liebres. Well-concentrated, this medium-bodied wine is expressive, revealing loads of plummy, floral flavors. Its finish reveals some firm tannin. Drink it over the next 3 years.

2 - Shiraz, Marquis Philips Australia - $17 - (89 Points Robert Parker)
The Shiraz is ripe, juicy and fleshy. Dark ruby/purple-colored, with blackberry, charcoal, and fig characteristics, this medium to full-bodied, potent, mouthfilling red can be enjoyed over the next 2-4 years

3 - Sauvignon Blanc, 'California', Joel Gott - $12
A style of Sauvignon Blanc that has zesty, herbal and citrus aromas with tropical, grapefruit and mineral flavors.
This is a wonderful food friendly wine, with bright acidity, a full mid-palette, and a long lasting finish.

4 - Selbach Mosel-Saar-Ruwer - $13
“Johannes Selbach, this estate's winemaker and director is on fire.
His wines are top flight and yet his winemaking appears to be improving with each vintage." – Wine Advocate
This one will surprise you - take a minute to try it - it is a great food wine.

THIS SATURDAY - 9/17/05 - Meet The Cheese Maker at Brie & Bleu
In 1997, Michael Miller put an advertisement in an English cheesemakers magazine that read:
"Retired newspaper publisher wants to make raw Jersey milk blue cheese."
Berkshire Blue won the Gold Medal for blue cheeses at the 16th annual World Cheese Awards in London, beating out blue veined cheeses from all over Europe. The cheese also was awarded the first place by the American Cheese Society in 2002, and was the chef’s choice at the James Beard dinner in New York in 2002.02.


Please remember to check the website and the calendar of events for the latest information and updates.
Thank you for all of the email and calls. Most importantly thank you for your support and making it so much fun.

And before we sign off - here is one more nugget of information -
Starting in October we will begin a weekly one hour show called "Wine Fever".
Our guests will include winemakers, authors, and food & lifestyle experts that will share their secrets.
More details will be on the website soon.

Please join us, it's fun, informal and a great way to start your weekend.


AAA

Monday, September 05, 2005

Domaine Larochette - Bodegas Godeva - Jean-Paul Brun

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817

www.brieandbleu.com
www.thamesriver.com
Calendar of events: http://www.thamesriver.com/site_2/wine/calendar.html


If you were lucky enough be be in town on Friday night you were in the middle of all the action.
The decks were full, the harbor was busy, there was music in the air, and lots of people were strolling - hand in hand - It was a beautiful night.

Our calendar of events for the coming weeks is filling up fast - please take a look to stay up to date.
Authors, musicians, winemakers, cheesemakers they are all on their way.
It's all based on your comments and suggestions - thanks for your support.

It will be a short week so I will get right to it.

THIS THURSDAY - September 8th - 5-8 p.m. - NO CHARGE
Beer Tasting and Musicale - The list of beers was not made available to me at "press time".
However, if last week was any indication, the bar has been raised again.
The variety of Belgium beers that was sampled up last week caused much discussion.
Our cellar was busy with aficionados of all shapes and sizes.
If you have grown tired of "lite" beers please join us - it will change everything.


THIS FRIDAY - September 9th - 6-9 p.m. - NO CHARGE
Great mid priced wines that offer a lot of value.

1 - Domaine Larochette - French - Pouilly-Fuissé - $22.
This gorgeous French white is perfect for sipping and savoring before and during dinner.
The tropical, slightly citrusy notes linger subtly, like piano music from the bar during a romantic dinner for two in the main room. It makes a brilliant accompaniment to a lobster and scallops, or with a grilled piece of sole with a simple lemon aioli Only 600 cases made.

2 - Bodegas Godeva - Spanish - White - Vina Godeval - $14
The new Spanish whites, which are becoming more widely available in the United States, offer some outstanding values especially when compared to our domestic offerings. What’s more, they provide some appealingly distinctive alternatives to our formulaic, Chardonnays. This excellent estate-bottled offering, made from the indigenous Godello grape, is surprisingly intense. Great fruit characteristics are accompanied by hints of apricots, white peaches, medium body, a luscious texture, and a dry, zesty finish. Enjoy this non-oaked white wine with a variety of dishes over the next 1-2 years.

3 -Jean-Paul Brun - French - Cote du Brouilly - $16
Jean Paul Brun succeeded his father as the head of this family estate, situated in the heart of the “Terres Dorées,” in 1978. With a real love for the Beaujolais terroir, this passionate winemaker today makes one of the finest wines of the appellation. Harvested from vines on the Brouilly hillside of blue granite, this Cote de Brouilly is a reflection of the painstaking efforts of Mr. Brun. This is a wine that you can impress your friends with - IF you decide to share. Bright, clear pink-purple color. Pure, restrained berry fruit. Some tropical notes -- papaya and blood orange. Yummy. Recommended without reservation.

4 - CHATEAU DE CAPITOUL - French - ROUGE 2003 "Les Lavandines" - $16
On December 22nd, 1423, a judgement was passed by the 5 Consuls of Narbonne, they declared that the Bastide de Rieumar should be the property of the the Saint-Just Cathedral. That they alone had the banderage, forestry, grazing, watering rights and attached vineyards - Talk about your history - FAST FORWARD - The construction of the present chateau dates back to the end of the 19th century. Charles Mock took over management of the domain in 1983 on a site with a centuries-old wine growing culture. He is the 4th generation of winegrowers after his great-grandfather,Jean-Marie Aupecle. He is a passionate winemaker and this one deserves your attention. Try it, you'll like it. Great dark color. Complex aromas with a mixture of spices and red fruits. Very good mouth-filling, flexible with accents of small red fruits. This complexity is attained by careful mixing of their Mediterranean grape varieties. This wine goes well with grilled meat, white meals or roasts, as well as with light cheeses.

Also - I was reminded by a new friends in Rowaton over the weekend that there are remarkable everyday wines in our cellar in the $7-$10 dollar range. If you have not been in the cellar for a while - take a minute to look at the racks along the back walls - you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for all of your calls and emails - we love hearing from you.
Your input keeps us pointed in the right direction.

We hope to see you this week -
Please join us - It's fun informal and a great way to start your weekend.




AAA