Show Us Your Grapes,The Rolling Stones,L'Olivette Bandol Rose,Luigi Baudana,Zeni Pinot Noir Rose,Tenuta Montebello,Caparsino Chiant

Hey - thanks to everyone that participated in the "Show Us Your Grapes" contest. What a night it was. (note to the visitors from Madison with the blue "Jag": we still have your keys to the beach house.)

Now onto this week - As usual our team at the wine store and at Brie & Bleu have great line up for you this week. Please join us and take part in the longest running social event in New London - The Weekly Tasting. Every Friday night from 6 - 9 p.m. - no charge.

And remember, New London is hopping, live music, art galleries, movies, and much more. Start your evening with us, and then rediscover New London.

Coming Soon - New London's source for Big City newspapers,

magazines, candy, personal necessities, and fine tobacco.

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On The Big Screen - Garde Arts Center

Don't Forget: The New London Summer Film Festival Is In Full Swing.
Tuesday 8.12.08 - 7:30 p.m. - Shine A Light - The Rolling Stones in concert. Martin Scorsese assembles a legendary team of cinematographers to capture the raw energy of the Rolling Stones like you've never seen them before.
See The Trailer HERE
Festival runs: August 6-17. FILM SCHEDULE HERE

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3rd Annual Celts & Currachs Festival - Waterfront Park (off Water Street):
Sat, Aug 23, 2008: 10am to 7pm. New London Main Street hosts the annual Celts & Currachs Festival. Come see how fascinating Celtic culture can be! From traditional dance, musical performances, currach races, Celtic food vendors and artisans to hands-on educational activities - there will be something for all ages! Call Tracy at New London Main Street 860-444-2489 or email her at promo@newlondonmainstreet.org for more information!

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Brie & Bleu News:
The new summer menu at Brie & Bleu has just what you need to get the old man off of the sofa and out for a date night.

We have added things like Short Ribs and Roasted Chicken to our regular bistro style menu.

Add to that our signature potato and cheese dishes and a great wine and beer list - and even the biggest appetite will be satisfied.

Please Join Us.

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Dave's Fave
The Monday Tasting

Click on the photo to order it now

Domaine de L'Olivette Bandol Rose $15

Hey this is one of my favorite French wines of the summer and we haven't even poured it yet! Bandol is a beautiful spot located southeast of Marseilles, with a glacial sediment ridge to the north and bountiful Mediterranean sunshine to the south. Domaine de l'Olivette blends Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache, grown with very low yields in soils which have been tended for millenia.

A rose for "red-wine drinkers," with classic Provencal orange rind tones, a good amount of heft and red berry fruit. I would serve chilled with a grilled trout, a pan-fried red snapper or cracked crab claws. Some new potatoes, a pile of arugula, baby red and yellow beets...oh baby!!
(Well, at least I'll have the WINE here Monday) DA.

Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday August 15 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

Can't Make It To The Tasting? - click on the photos

1 - Luigi Baudana Langhe Chardonnay 2007 $18


The Baudanas tend a 4.5 hectares estate planted to Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and a mere .5 hectare of Chardonnay.
You may remember us pouring their delectable 2000 Barolo a few weeks ago. If you were here that night you know their wines are magnificent examples of craft and typicity.

The estate produces just over 2000 cases a year, and represents one of the best values in Piedmontese wines.

If you're asking yourself "Chardonnay from Italy?!" , think of it this way, why the hell not.



2 - Zeni Pinot Noir Rose $12

The Zeni Pinot Grigio Rose is our best selling Rose, but is coming to an end for the vintage. We hope that this slightly more robust brother, the Pinot Noir rose will do the job and carry us through to the fall.

While others in Trentino use Lagrein and Lambrusco for their roses, Zeni prefers the Noble grape, believing it creates a rose "of great quality, silky pink, the smell fresh, fruity, tasting kind which commemorates the cherry" . I couldn't have said it better myself.



3 - Tenuta Montebello Barbera del Monferrato 2004 "Per Marco" $18


The story goes like this. Our dear friend and importer, Mark was trudging through Piedmont barrel tasting and looking for wine to import.

At Tenuta Montebello he stood over the barrel with the winemaker tasting the soon to be released 2004 vintage. One sip and he exclaimed " That's it, that's the one, that's for me" .


To which the winemaker replied, " Si, Si Per Marco" He bought it, had it bottled and sold it to us and we've loved it ever since. Fruit driven and structured, a wine to chew on and drink with big grilled meats



4 - Caparsino Chianti Classico Riserva 2004 $30

From Radda in Chianti, the Caparsa wine estate produces Caparsino from Sangiovese grapes carefully selected from a vineyard of the same name.

The wines are unfiltered, and the estate practices what it calls an "independent organic method".


The emphasis is on authenticity and finesse, with fruit, acidity and tannins balanced to create a wine that is approachable in it's youth, yet capable of maturing for years.

Please Call Us Anytime With Questions
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

Thanks for making this so much fun every week - we appreciate your interest, comments, and your support. We hope to see you this week.

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

AAA.

Dominus, Moonstruck, "Tre Venezie", Zeni Pinot Grigio, Cono Sur, Luigi Baudana, Celebrity Ratings

Greetings from all of us in New London,

Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.ThamesRiver.com




Our Friday night line up is listed just below these items of interest and information.
Included on the list is a legendary name - Dominus.
Robert Parker rates this one 95 points - This is the 20th vintage of this powerhouse from California.

We hope to see you this Friday night.

• If you missed The Party last Friday night- it was hopping. Mild weather, spring fever, and calm seas brought the people out.
The heater on the deck was on and the tables were full - it was a beautiful night. The tasting in our cellar focused on the wines of Spain and Portugal and we saw lots of new faces. Thanks for making our weekly fete so much fun - we appreciate it.

• Remember, lots of people have discovered the best kept secret in New London: Buy wine at the wine store - then take it next door for dinner at Brie & Bleu. Dinner and a great bottle of wine that leaves you with enough money to fill your tank in the morning - oh yeah.

• Moonstruck Chocolates - http://www.moonstruckchocolate.com/Oscars2006.aspx
This is the company that has been featured on TV and supplies chocolate to the stars -
Now available at Brie & Bleu - take a peek in our display cooler - we are offering some of their favorite items.

This Week At Brie & Bleu:

Here are the dinner specials at Brie & Bleu for this week - our staff will help you pick the perfect wine

Friday 3/30/07- Crab Cakes with radish & lemon aoli and corn salsa.
Saturday 3/31/07 - Lasagna Bolognase with a fresh arugala salad.

Featured cheese: of the week at Brie & Bleu is Tallegio at $9/lb. The cheese is produced in Lombardy, Italy. The cheese is a cow's milk with a high fat content (48%) giving it a very creamy, semi-soft texture that turns runny as it ages. The rind is washed with a reddish-orange color that has mold. The taste of the cheese is extremely pungent, stinky cheese has a very creamy and mellow taste. It's initial salty impact is followed by fruity, yeasty undertones. The cheese pairs well with a young full-bodied wine such as Merlot or with a dessert Riesling and serve with fruit on a cheese board, in salads, or mixed into hot pasta or polenta since it melts well.
Give it a try,
Colleen


Wine Tasting Please Join Us -
Friday March 30 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Zeni Pinot Grigio ramato $17
This is the first rosé tasting of the Spring - The northeastern Italian regions of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia were historically referred to as the "Tre Venezie"(three Venices), and represent the vast chunk of territory once associated with the great city of Venice. Today, these regions are more politically distinct, but their wines converge on the tables of Venice, where the incomparable array of seafood - cuttlefish in their ink; scampi (shrimp) dressed in olive oil and lemon juice; flaky branzini (sea bass) baked in salt crust - is perfectly complemented by the Tre Venezie¹s minerally, crisp, fragrant white wines. - This wine is a classic of the Tre Venezie: A powerful pinot grigio with a slight pink tinge due to some skin contact during fermentation.
This is the kind of wine you'll see in Venice all the time but rarely does it make it Stateside. (the term "ramato" means "coppery," in reference to the coppery color of the wine due to the skin contact). Give this one a try - you might decide to keep a case around the house all season long.

2 - Cono Sur Pinot Noir - Rapel, Chile - $12
This is an interesting, if slightly odd Pinot Noir. The open nose is quite striking, with a slightly, herbal character, along with some sweet plummy fruit. The palate is rich, fruity and appealing. Pinot Noir is generally known as a sexy wine and this is a great choice for the latest food trends. In general terms this is a wine that will make any white meat look good. Also soups, stews, and flavorful fish dishes.


3 - Luigi Baudana Barbera D'Alba "Donatella" 2004 $26
This entire estate is only 4.5 hectares. And - just one half of a hectare is devoted to Barbera. The entire production less than 2100 cases.
Since 1975 Luigi and Fiorina Baudana have been growing grapes on their tiny estate. Their wines are remarkable for their power and their finesse, their depth of flavor and their sheer drinkability. This is a fantastic wiine for the price AND it drinks with the intensity of a 1963 Marchello Mastriani.

Most people don't realize it but we are the inventors of the "Celebrity Tasting Scale" -
We have used it for years here behind the scenes.
The world is full of 100 point scales, and descriptions of all manner - "gun flint, with a touch of raspberry, on a sunny day" (C&M-take note)
But I have always felt that a better way to describe wine is our system. For example "It's bold, raw, it reminds me of a 1951 Robert Mitchum.

4 - Dominus 2003 95 points $126 - The 20th vintage
Dominus is the proprietary red wine produced in the heart of Napa Valley by Christian Moueix and his team. Since 1983, their goal has been to express the unique terroir found at the historic Napanook Vineyard.

Robert Parker says: "The 2003 Dominus has turned out even better than I thought from barrel. There are 4,800 cases of this 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot blend. A big, sweet nose of roasted coffee, Provencal herbs, black currants, cherry jam, plums, allspice, and forest floor is followed by a spicy, rich, full-bodied, fragrant, intense wine. The tannins are sweet, but noticeable in this beautifully complex, strikingly aromatic 2003. It has much more similarity to a great Bordeaux than anything from Napa Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025."
We say:
This California Powerhouse drinks like a 1953 Ava Gardner - Think "Mogambo"

Thanks for all of your calls and emails this past week - we appreciate it.
It's all about sharing, having some fun and maybe discovering something or someone new - see you there.

Please join us. It is fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.


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