Tenuta Vitanza Chianti, Macrostie Chardonnay, Sierra Cantabria, Cline Cashmere, Duckhorn Merlot,

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Greetings from all of us in New London, Mother's Day is just around the corner on the 11th, don't forget to order early - we have lots of ways to say "I love you mom" - Mother's Day We have a beautiful line up for Friday night - including a very famous name from California. And speaking of famous names - we have a special guest in the cellar this week - Roger Hoadley will be on hand to answer your questions and regale us with stories of the wine trade. Mr. Hoadley is on loan to us from Slocum & Sons, one of Connecticut's largest distributors of fine wine. Many of you know that we have dispatched our Jim Morrison to Argentina this week. He has worked hard to earn this trip and he will be drinking wine tirelessly on our behalf. That's the kind of dedication that is hard to find now a days. So let's raise our glasses to Jim this week and imagine that he is doing the Tango in Buenos Aires - while we enjoy the wines for this week. The list is just below a few items of interest.

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Pampered Poultry Duck Confit on wilted arrugula Brie & Bleu Dinner Special Friday & Saturday - May 9 - 10 Reservations: 8 6 0 - 4 3 7 - 2 4 7 4 Crispy Roast Duck Confit with Lyonnaise Potatoes & Wilted Arugila - $14.95 This French classic can't be beat! We have the meatiest, most succulent duck legs available from D'Artagnan. Crispy on the outside, rich in flavor & juicy on the inside. The Perfect Wine: Paired with Louis Latour Valmossine Pinot Noir. This clear, light-ruby wine from the hills of Var in Provence is a Burgundian-style red made in the style of the ancient "Vin Vermeil," Fresh with bright flavors, light-bodied but crisp red fruit and earthy notes that follow the nose. There's a wisp of tannins along with clean fruit in the finish - Just $6 a glass, $18 a bottle. ··· Thursday May 8 - Maasdam Arrives The Cruise Ship season begins with the arrival of Holland America's Maasdam. We never get tired of watching these majestic liners ease into New London's harbor. A perfect spot for watching is the deck at Brie & Bleu. Have dinner, a glass of wine and watch the departure. ··· Food Stroll - Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 5:30-8:30 PM Spring will officially kick off in The District at New London Main Street's annual Spring Food Stroll. More Info Here

Dave's Fave Special Monday Tasting Click on the label to order it now Tenuta Vitanza Chianti Colli Senesi 2005 $16 CIAO, VITANZA!!! "Charm, Love and Passion," is their motto... Let's go to Italy - Bellissima! Every day I descend our cellar steps and give a nod to the CHARM of the big mags of Vitanza Brunello de Montalcino 2001 at the top of the Italian rack, smoldering, getting more delicious every day, secure in the knowledge that every grape crushed in those bottles actually came from Montalcino! (Yeah, I went there) I'll pick up one of those big boys my next big supper! Hey, wait - there, with the pink label - Vitanza Rosso de Montalcino! I LOVE that wine and the price is quite within my stratosphere indeed! But now along comes Vitanza Chianti, as if the small family operation at Vitanza knew cheap musicians in Connecticut have a PASSION for elegant, smoky Sangiovese! Just try to find a comparable Chianti at this price, with such a noble lineage. You've got to try it!

Wine Tasting Please Join Us Friday May 9 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge Can't Make It To The Tasting? - Order it now - click on the photos 1 - Macrostie Chardonnay Carneros 2006 $24 Fruit from the high hills of Carneros go into this lovely, balanced wine - 2006 was a winemaker's dream with a very long, cool growing season. Aged in French oak, on the lees for six months. This wine is made by fanatics, if there is a better example of this type of chardonnay from Carneros - we would like to know about it. Beautiful lemony scents and a creamy custard & butter finish. This is a medium weight Chardonnay and a modern Californian benchmark. 2 - Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza 2003 $17 Classic: the Sierra Cantabria vineyards are set in an ancient village in Northern Spain, the upper reaches of Rioja. Very low yield, old vines digging deep in stony, red soil (as if on Mars): Tempranillo grapes, 14 months in oak, smoky and voluptuous - a shining, affordable pearl from Rioja! Noted wine expert Robert Parker had this to say about the 2001: "I have served friends the brilliant 2001 Crianza (98% Tempranillo and 2% Graciano) just to prove what great wine can be purchased even with a weak dollar. It is a complex, elegant, deep ruby/purple-tinged offering boasting a sweet nose of lead pencil shavings, white chocolate, blackberries, and cherries. Medium-bodied with supple tannin as well as admirable structure, definition, and ripeness, it can be enjoyed now and over the next 5-8 years." Rated 91 points. 3 - Cline Cashmere 2005 $15 Cline initially created this blend as an auction lot for the Hospice du Rhone charity that's held in Paso Robles California each year. Cashmere is a very flavorful, smooth wine offering big cherry, raspberry and chocolate notes with hints of cracked black pepper and plum. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold will be donated by Cline Cellars to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Our own Dave Anderson has this to add: "All of our friends keep requesting this wine - okay okay, you can have it!!! From Cline, out in little Oakley, California, just between Napa and the Bay Area, these hippie-freaks make big, gorgeous, velvety Rhone-varietal reds, which you, our valued wine-freak-friends know means: Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre - but mostly Mourvedre here, oddly enough! Rhone via California - big, lush and ripe - not quite like rocky old France. Cline made this wine for a cancer research benefit and couldn't stop! Proceeds continue to fund the cause." 4 - Duckhorn Merlot 2005 $56 A great fan of Merlot since traveling to St. Emillon and Pomerol, Dan Duckhorn felt that this elegant varietal was under appreciated in North America. "I liked the softness, the seductiveness, the color," says Dan, "the fact that it went with a lot of different foods; it wasn't so bold, didn't need to age so long, and it had this velvety texture to it. It seemed to me to be a wonderful wine to just enjoy. I became enchanted with Merlot." From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today. Dave Anderson: "While Jim's in Argentina, we will take the time to explore the wine of a mysterious, distant land: a place called "Napa" in the State of "California" where they apparently keep making wine - red and white wine just for your pleasure! This particular treat is one of my (Dave's) favorite wines from this alien locale, actually, if my crusty memory serves, right where I used to go to dinner at the vineyard in St. Helena while we watched UNLV basketball games and Buster Douglas beat up Mike Tyson... Oh boy, one sip takes me back to the cusp of 1990! This is Merlot with a Capital Napa - one of the finest examples from the USA, one of California's best at any price, the star of our Friday night show: "THE DUCK!" Please Call Us Anytime With Questions - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3 As always, thank you for making this the best party in Connecticut - week after week. With your continued support we are making changes and adding programs and events, and putting together a great season. We are listening. We hope to see you this week. Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend. AAA.