Foodstroll Edition

Wine And Cheese Tasting

Every Friday 5-8 PM No Charge

A short week makes for a short email. We hope that you will stop in to say hello during New London's Fall Food Stroll tonight - Wednesday October 15th. We will be sampling beer, wine, and cheese. And at the same time we will be hosting our RSVP only tasting of the Shannon Ridge vineyards portfolio. Presented by Angelini Wines - It starts at 6:00 PM for everyone that signed up - we will see you then.

This Friday Night we welcome Eric Bellnier from Monsuier Touton Selections. 5-8 PM - No Charge

Villa Jolanda Prosecco With the holidays just around the corner you need to think about the perfect way to greet your guests. We think that the moment they step over the threshold of your house you put a glass of prosecco in their hand. It takes the edge off right away and defines you as a perfect host. Villa Jolanda is just the thing. Try it this Friday night. It is very affordable, it is crisp, light, and made by one of the best known producers in all of Italy.   It can be served with with a main course - light sparkling wine goes with everything. But it is a delight on its own. AND it comes in beautiful glass bottles that are worthy of display - consider a magnum sized bottle for only $26.

Seguret Cotes du Rhone Rated 93 points by Wine Spectator: "This mouthfilling red displays unctuous plum and boysenberry fruit flavors that course along nicely, thanks to lively spice and toasted anise notes, with a strong graphite streak. Fleshy, but excellent acidity is well-embedded on the finish." Seguret Terrasse Pavee Cotes du Rhone Villages is a dark, solid rain. It's ready to drink now, and great with hearty fare, be it finger food or a lavish sit-down gathering. The perky spice, toasted anise and graphite notes pair beautifully with meats, roasts, tomato sauces and rich stews alike, or even roast chicken. We're imagining the lovely caramelized edge on grilled or browned racks of lamb, standing rib roasts, or a full beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction simmered with star anise, cloves and bay leaves on the table, and how well any of these choices would pair with this sturdy Cotes-du-Rhone Villages. Grilled sharp cheddar and Virginia ham sandwich bites are a great starter with your first glasses. Or, you could offer a buffet of sliders three ways: beef, lamb and pork with a tangy barbecue sauce. What are you in the mood for? You could consider your options while enjoying a French Reblochon cheese. Or, just have a delicious glass of this Seguret all by itself. It wouldn't be so bad to get lost in a deep, delicious glass of this Wine Spectator's Top 100 Outstanding Values. Please try it on Friday night.

Chateau d'Aiguilhe 89-92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate   "One of the best-run estates in the underrated and undervalued appellation of Cotes de Castillon is Chateau d'Aiguilhe.  The blend is usually 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue, lots of cassis, crushed rock and floral characteristics, a round, generous, savory, broadly textured style and sweet tannins. Drink it over the next decade." 92 points Wine Spectator "Very lush and expressive, with caressing plum sauce, mulled blueberry and blackberry fruit and melted licorice and warm fruitcake flavors, all gliding together through the finish. Offers lovely range and a seductive mouthfeel." All of the critics agree that this is something special - but you are the ultimate judge. This is a killer bottle for a very affordable price.   Please try it on Friday night and rate it yourself.

Fromage de Brebis With a handsomely sweet taste and delicate silky texture, Fromage d'Affinois de Brebis is a decidedly sophisticated sheep's milk brie. Produced in the Rhone-Alps region of France, this fromage has a bloomy, edible white rind that encompasses a creamy, rich paste on the inside. Contrary to the more commonly known cow's milk brie, the use of sheep's milk in this cheese often hailing the name Le Berger de Rocastin, offers a savory taste and texture that builds in complexity as it ages. Saint-Nectaire St. Nectaire is a French semisoft, washed rind cheese from the Auvergne region of France. Made from the milk of Salers cows that feed on rich, volcanic pastures, St. Nectaire is both a fermier (farmhouse) and industrial cheese. Depending whether the processes are artisanal (raw milk) or industrial (pasteurized milk), the texture attributes in St. Nectaire are vastly different.  AOC awarded, St. Nectaire takes six to eight weeks to mature on rye straw mats, imparting a peculiar pungent smell to the cheese. When properly aged, it has a grayish-purple washed rind, dotted with white, yellow and red molds. The creamy, supple, silky textured paste melts in the mouth to reveal flavors of nuts, hay, cellars and mushroom. Do not miss them on Friday night. Try them with a sip of prosecco.

All Wednesday night events begin at 6:00 pm. No Charge - 860-443-6817All events are an opportunity to purchase at special prices      SOLD OUT- Thank You Wait List Only

 

  BUZzzz


CALENDAR 

Friday October 17
Eric Bellnier - M. Touton Selections
NLCPS - in the lounge.

Friday October 24
Damian Chombard - Owner of Chateau Lamothe 

A return appearance - at his request because he loved our customers.
Damian will be in the USA for just 1 week and will make only one stop at a local store. His choice: right here in New London. Please mark your calendar.

Friday October 31st - Halloween
Bob Neville - World Wide Wines

Friday November 7th
Tom Belcher - Martin Scott Wines

Wednesday November 12
Edward Brown - Vinifera

Friday November 21st
Eric Bellnier - M. Touton Selections

Wednesday November 26 

Ryan Connolly - Michael Skurnik Wines

Have They Gone Nuts?

This Friday   - The Italians Are Coming       Mr. Eric Bellnier from Vinifera Wines joins us again for his annual presentation of Italy's favorites. But this year he is wearing a cast on his leg - The result of an escapade in the Italian Alps? Perhaps - but his enthusiasm for wine is greater than ever. Please Join us. He will be pouring: Soligo Col de mez Prosecco Medoro Chimera Brigaldara Valpolicella Cascina Chicco Barbera, Dante Rivetti Barbera Icardi Moscato One of our favorite  whites for this time  of the year. A must have for the Thanksgiving Table. Made from a Trebbiano & Falanghina blend. "A very floral almost Pinot Gris like wine. Showing fine notes of fresh cut grass and Pear Drops. A hint of lemony acidity to balance and touch of pepper to the finish but still very mineral throughout." Lots of finesse in this bottle. Great body and a silky finish make this a perfect choice for a holiday meal.   Cascina Chicco Barbera Rated 89 Points Wine Spectator: "Full bodied yet soft with layers of mature red fruit and a finish of sweet dark cherries.  Best served with rich foods, soups and meat dishes. Great with soft fatty cheeses."  Dante Rivetti Barbera "Classic Barbera with medium weight red fruit, crackling acidity, soft tobacco notes, and a long minerally finish. This is a food wine! The acidity in this wine begs for tomato sauce, grilled chicken, or braised red meat. Pair it with some sopressata and provolone cheese for anti pasti. It is old world style at it's best." Barbera is grown all over Italy, but the best examples of this red grape come from Piedmont, where it is made into all manner of wines - from easy-drinking quaffers to serious, cellar-worthy bottlings Icardi Moscato d'Asti The ICardi style style is renowned worldwide - highly fruity wines, whose style is characterized by extreme refinement, cleanliness and elegance, and whose flavor is balanced from the very beginning. One of the most classic traits of this excellent Moscato is the rampant flavor of white flowers on the nose and on the palate. Clean and fresh, with a slight frizzante, this is perfect with cheese, fruit, or light desserts. Established in 1914 and headquartered in Castiglione Tinella, ICardi is located at the boundary between two renowned vineyard terroirs - Langa and Monferrato. In the early 1960s, the Icadri's decided to vinify the vines they owned, instead of selling of their fruit. They are an innovative producer that has a through understanding of the agricultural element in wine production. Back In Stock & NEW ARRIVALS: BEER:Berkshire Brewing 22's & GROWLERS Wolavers Coffee Porter Hennepin Belgian Style WINE:"The Dragonfly" - French Pinot Gris Lumasina - The crisp Italian white from Liguria Milou Chardonnay - French Chateau Lamonthe - NYTIMES: "Cult White Wine" (French Sauvignon Blanc blended with semillion.) Hess Select Specialties:Calvados - Amazing Apple Brandies for the holidays St. George Absinth Lidestri Pink Lemoncello Vermont Maple Cream SCOTCH: Springbank 10 Year Old 100 Proof The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Highland Park 18 Year Old The Macallan Cask Strength Scapa 16 Year Old the Orcadian Glenkinchie 1991 Distillers Edition Lagavulin 12 Year Old Cask Strength Glenmorangie 18 Years Old  Bourbon: Buffalo Trace Henry Du Yore Balcones Tatoosh Vorner Creek High West American Prairie Reserve Old Forester 2013 Birthday Bourbon Woodford Reserve Seasoned Oak Finish Maker's 46 Knob Creek Smoked Maple Angel's Envy No - We Do Not Have Pappy Van Winkle. BUT we do have some of the hardest to locate fine spirits in the book. And Special Orders are welcome. STAFF FAVORITE - NEW TO THE STORE These brightly colored packages contain some of the finest nuts we have ever encountered. We discovered them looking for products for our holiday baskets. You need to try them. They are a perfect addition to every holiday table - or gift. Try them on Friday night. Here is their story in brief: "In 1929, on the brink of the Depression, our father and grandfather "Poppy" Sol took a bold step. 22 years old, he had already worked fulltime for 10 years to support his family. Yet he was ambitious, and wanted to live the American Dream and make the lives of everyone around him better. So, donning his best of suits and an assured smile on his face, Sol walked away from the bank with a loan to start his own business, the Newark Nut Company. The rest is history." ORDER YOUR HOLIDAY CHEESE NOW   This is the time to order your cheese platters and gourmet specialties. Make your entertaining easy. And remember, We Deliver.  BUZZ       Small Business Saturday is November 30th. All of the local merchants are working hard to make this the best holiday season ever. Whenever possible - Shop Local, Shop New London. Thanks for including a six pack of Safe Harbor beer along with your holiday choices this year. It goes a long way in supporting the brand.   Treat your friends and family to New London's beer.     Tastings: * Friday December 6 - Martin Scott * Friday December 13 - Ryan Connolly Special Champagne & Sparkling Wine Night.  * Friday December 20 - Vinifera   And as always - thank you for your amazing support - we have the best customers in the business. We receive compliments all the time on the attention and interest that you show to all of our guests.  We will be celebrating our 40th year very soon. And everyone at Thames River Greenery and our related businesses appreciate your support - it is not possible with out you.

ThamesRiver.com     Please Join Us On Friday Night. It Is Fun Informal And A Great Way To Start Your Weekend.   Wine & Cheese Tasting Every Friday 5-8 PM - No Charge