Six New Ways To Use Wine In The Bedroom - July 4 2009

National Recognition - The Knot Magazine
Thanks to all of the people that voted for us!
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 6 8 1 7


Greetings from New London,

Hey - We got a little national attention this past week. Thanks to the readers of The Knot Magazine. We were selected among the top florists across the country.

A great line up for Friday night to kick off the holiday weekend - the list is just below a few items of interest.

The Shoreline Acoustic Music Society will be hosting the 3rd annual Acoustic Music Festival on July 10, 11, and 12, 2009 in the Hygienic Art Park. There will be plenty of seating. Beer, wine, soda, water and snacks will be available for purchase.
Admission will be:
Friday 5:00-10:00pm - $3.00;
Saturday 11:00am-3:00pm - free;
Saturday 3:00-11:00pm - $5.00;
Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm - free.
The line-up will be:
Friday, July 10
5:00-5:15 - Carl Franklin
5:20-5:50 - Bruce McDermott
6:00-6:15 - Bob Vogel
6:30-6:45 - Dean Denis
7:00-7:30 - Blonde Furniture
7:35-7:50 - Bernadette Golden
7:55-8:10 - Darin Keech
8:15-8:45 - Will DSol
8:50 -9:20 - Bubblin' Crude
9:30- 10:00 - Matzah Cigar

SUMMER MOVIES

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Hygienic Art Park (79 Bank Street Across From The Wine Store): Summer Flickers, Wednesday nights June 24 - September 9 at 8pm.

Join us for screenings all summer long at the beautiful Art Park. Movies start just after 8 at sundown. Some consessions provided. Bring a blanket, chair, picnic, libations, family and friends!

July 8: The Girl Can't Help It (1956)
July 15: Drum (2004, directed by Jason Filardi)
July 22: To Have and Have Not (1944)
July 29: Do the Right Thing (1989)
August 5: Blazing Saddles (1974)
August 12: The Muppet Movie (1979)
August 19: Coffee & Cigarettes (2003)
August 26: Faire Harbour Film Fest
September 2: Double Indemnity (1944)
September 9: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
For more info, visit hygienic.org

Wine Tasting
Please Join Us
Friday July 3 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Varaschin Prosecco Brut NV $15

It is believed that Prosecco was already produced in Roman times, possibly as the vinum pucinum praised by Pliny the Elder.

It is, at any rate, one of the oldest wine grapes in Italy and ranks about thirtieth in importance among the country's some 2,000 grape varieties. The name of Prosecco is derived from the northern Italian village of Prosecco (Trieste), where the grape is believed to have originated.


Light and soft the wine pairs well with food or is perfect on it's own when the sun finally decides to shine.





2 - Mas Cal Demoura Qu'es Aquo Rose 2008 $20

In 1970, when there was a great exodus from the Languedoc due to a loss of faith in its vineyards to provide a sufficient living, Jean-Pierre Jullien named his domaine "Cal Demoura", which in Occitan means "one must remain". He came from a long line of vignerons and, at that time, he followed most of his colleagues as they closed their caves and attempted to survive by participating in the local cooperative. Jean-Pierre's son, Olivier, refused to follow the path of the cooperative and established his own domaine, the "Mas Jullien", in 1985.

Jean-Pierre, in a reversal of the usual process, took the example of his son, resigned from the cooperative and recreated his own estate in 1993. He sold off a portion of his vineyards and retained only the best 5 hectares. With these, he began making a wine of regal dimensions that helped to lead the qualitative revolution in the Languedoc. In 2004, Jean-Pierre retired, selling the estate to its current owners, Isabelle and Vincent Goumard. Seduced by the estate's winemaking philosophy, as well as by the potential of its terroir, the couple spent a year working side by side with Jean-Pierre in the vineyard and in the cellar, before taking full control of the estate.

The five hectares are located in the village of Jonquières and in the neighboring community of Saint Felix, approximately 45 minutes northwest of Montpellier, just south of Clermont l'Hérault. They are situated in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac, an independent subdivision within the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC that was recognized in 2004.

The vineyards feature five grape varieties in approximately equal parts: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault. The average age of the vines is 25 years with significant parcels of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan being considerably older. The soil is very dry and stony with a deep but porous topsoil. The various parcels of the domaine are distributed over a terroir that is both geographically and climatically diverse. These variations, combined with an assortment of different cépages, result in wines of complexity and finesse.

"Qu'es Aquo" Rose: A rich, expressive and aromatic rosé, the Qu'es Aquo is made in the same spirit as the domaine's red wines, using the same five cépages - Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan - but in a different blend that favors Cinsault and Syrah. The rosé is saignée and vinified like a white wine to emphasize its aromatics. The Qu'es Aquo is a substantial rose that pairs well with food.



3 - Cascina Ballarin Cino 2006 $15

A blend of 20% Nebbiolo, 40% Barbera and 40% Dolcetto from the center of Piedmonte Italy.

Bright ruby-red; very vinous, intense, fresh nose showing a range of fresh fruit and flowers; rich, luscious taste that's smooth and medium-bodied; excellent as an everyday wine.

4 - Castro Ventosa Tinto 2006 $11

The Bierzo D.O. is located in the northwest of the Province of Castilla y León, just above Portugal. Castilla was one of the original Spanish regions to unite against the Moors in the Middle Ages and thus became the north-west stronghold for the Catholics. The region has a great historical past with many remains that testify of its rich history.

The winery is situated in the village of Valtuille de Abajo at the foot of the slope of the Castro, the ruin of an ancient Roman fort that dominates the village of Valtuille de Abajo. Some of Castro Ventosa's vineyards are planted on that same hill just around the ruins, the name Castro Ventosa means "The Windy Castle".

The Tinto Joven Vineyards are spread out in different locations in the village of Vatuille in Bierzo and all are agianst a slope. The winery is situated at the foot of the South Western slope of el Castro (the ancient castle); 590 meters above sea level. The climate is continental with some Oceanic influences; the medium yearly temperature is 13º Centigrade with an average of 800 millimeters of rain per year.

Close attention is given to the vines and hardly any machinery is used in the vineyards to retain tradition but also old methods are best suited to the area.
Fermetation takes place in stainless steel tanks and the wine is bottled 1 month after the end of harvest.

Junipero
G I N

We have amazing spirits on our shelves:

The History:
is old school. Sipping it takes you back in time. You can imagine Churchill pulling down this stuff while trying to decide what to do about those Germans.

Junipero makes a really perfect gin martini: The juniper, as you'd imagine from the name, is up front yet not overpowering. But it's more spicy than evergreen, so you don't feel like you're constantly chewing pine cones when you drink it.

Of course there's more to it than that, though, and Junipero, like most other gin makers, keeps its recipe secret. It's hard to put your finger on much beyond some lightly bitter orange and lemon peel and something that gives it a kick of sweetness, but I can say that whatever Junipero puts in this gin, it works really well in the glass.

At the classic 94.6 proof, I was sure Junipero would be blazingly harsh consumed straight, but it wasn't.

Better, though, was to toss a few rocks in. As the ice melts, the water brings out the fruit peel flavors and mellows the juniper berry further. Summer is for GIN.

CITY NEWS
Featured Cigar

Oliva Series V

The History:

Serie V is a complex blend of Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos. Blended with specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero, and finished with a high priming Habano Sun Grown Wrapper.

Blending Notes: This cigar is blended to deliver full body taste while maintaining an unparalleled smoothness. This flavorful blend exhibits complex tobacco with rich coffee and dark chocolate tones.


We offer the full line of Oliva Cigars - singles or by the box.

CITY NEWS
Newspapers
Magazines
Candy

Fine Cigars Including:
Winston Churchill
Partagas
Ashton
Avo
CAO
Oliva
Romeo y Julieta
Padron
Perdomo
H.Upman
Montecristo
Punch
La Gloria Cubana
Arturo Fuente
& MORE

8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 6 8 1 7


The sun is out and our decks are ready - come on down.

Thanks for all of the support, comments and suggestions - we appreciate all of it.

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


AAA.

Christmas Edition, Segura Viudas, Varaschin Prosecco , Gruet Blanc de Noirs , A. Margaine Champagne

Greetings from all of us in New London,

Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463 - http://thamesriver.com/wine/calendar.html

Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474 - http://brieandbleu.com/

Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817 - http://www.thamesriver.com/trg/gourmet.html

IMPORT - 860-443-6817 - http://www.thamesriver.com/trg/featured.html


HOLIDAY HOURS: We Will Be Open Monday December 24th - until 9 p.m. -
Last Minute Shopping Is Not A Problem.


The New Year is peeking at us from around the corner and to celebrate we have a HUGE tasting planned for Friday night - I only hope that you can join us.
There has been a parade of friends and customers stopping into the store to wish us the best for the holidays and the coming New Year.
Thanks for making it such a party all of the time, and thank you very much for your tremendous support - it has been a great year.

Wine Tasting - Please Join Us
Friday December 28 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge


This Week:

It's all about the BUBBLY - By popular demand it's an all sparkling line up - and the bubbly will be flowing like water.

Cava, Champagne, Prosecco,…need we continue? Good fizz is wonderful at any time of year but this is the season when we feel we can indulge ourselves -
With so many sparkling choices to select from, why wait for a special occasion to break out the bubbly?

Need a case or two? Remember that we can deliver your holiday party needs right to your doorstep - all you need to do is ask.

1 - Segura Viudas Brut reserva Cava $10
Cava - is sparkling wine from Spain. And this one makes your mouth water from the first sip. A very affordable party wine that will fill the bill with food and mid-night toasts too. The bubbles are very persistent - unlike others in this price range. This Cava has a racy flavor and it feels light-bodied with a nice gold color, and a lively fresh aroma and subtle scents of lemon. This is a great party wine. Raise your glass to Spain on Friday night.


2 - Varaschin Prosecco Brut Rose $13
This is a house favorite. We sell cases and cases of it - in fact we even serve it by the glass at Brie & Bleu. Varaschin's wine-firm was founded in S. Pietro di Barbozza around 1930 by Matteo Varaschin - This is a Brut Rosé - It is a great bottle to open as you grab that cook book off of the shelf or tear the recipie out of the The Times magazine section at a quarter to twelve on Sunday. It gets the juices going - and allows you to come up with a plan for the rest of the day. It is great with food. It is aromatic and elegant with soft floral and fruit notes - It is NOT a bottle of sweet fizzy wine - We promise.

3 - Gruet Blanc de Noirs $17
In 1983, the Gruet family was traveling through the Southwestern part of the United States, and while in New Mexico met a group of European winemakers who had successfully planted vineyards in Engle, near the town of Truth or Consequence, 170 miles south of Albuquerque. The land was inexpensive and the opportunity golden. In 1984, Gilbert Gruet, whose Champagne house, Gruet et Fils had produced fine Champagne in Bethon, France, since 1952, made the decision to plant an experimental vineyard, exclusively planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. His children, winemaker Laurent and daughter Nathalie, and family friend Farid Himeur then relocated to the great state of New Mexico to begin their American wine making adventure - and the rest, as they say, is history. This is gorgeous - rich & creamy, with delicious hints of berries. Give this a try on Friday night.

4 - A. Margaine Champagne $42.
This Champagne is part of our "Grower-Producer" portfolio. We are proud to offer the largest selection of boutique Champagne's in the state of Connecticut. This particular wine is one of the best Champagne values in our store because we made our commitment to purchase it before the recent dollar shift with the Euro. We will not be able to offer it at this price again. When you compare this Champagne - or for that matter any of our small producer Champagnes to the big brands you will never be disappointed.

And when you compare the price for these "grower's" top Cuvés with prices for the big brands - then it becomes almost laughable - because these wines sell for half as much and in some cases less than half as much as the big brand names. And that's because they do not have designer bottles, and enormous PR budgets, and product placement expenses to pass along to us - the consumers.

Most of the familiar big names of Champagne are manufactured using industrial protocols in modern factories - and they are produced in huge quantities.
The flavors that one tastes are decided upon by a committee in a boardroom - and we can get any of these famous brands for you if you need them - BUT

We have decided offer a magnificent collection of “Grower Champagne.” Champagne that is produced by individuals and their families in limited quantities.
They pick the grapes themselves, make the wine and bottle it themselves. They make in an entire year what the big names produce in a matter of hours.
Crafted with old world traditions, these are artisanal wines that reflect the land were they came from and the people that made them - and present wonderfully unique, almost magical flavors in the glass.

Offer Grower Champagne to your family and friends this year - and taste the difference.
All of these Grower-Producer Champagne's deserve your attention - they represent something quite special, and I hope you will try this one on Friday night.


All of us want to wish you and your families our warm regards for Christmas and the coming holidays - We hope to see you this week.


Please Join Us - it's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.



AAA.