Dinner With Eitienne Hugel, Macon-Cheveau, Saint-Amour, Kaiken, Trapiche - Viña Felipe Villafañe

Greetings From New London -
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463 - 84 Bank Street
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817 - 70 State Street
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474 - 84 Bank Street
Now Open: Import - 60 State Street

www.thamesriver.com

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

Featured Items: http://www.thamesriver.com/wine/instock.html

Brie & Bleu: http://www.brieandbleu.com/

Of course we have a great selection of wines for Friday night. They are listed below .
But before we get started - get comfortable.
Refill your "cup". Close the door and pull yourself together - we have a couple of interesting things to tell you about.


First -
When we took WineRadio on location to Boston a couple of months ago we had the opportunity to interview some of the most fascinating winemakers one could imagine. A highlight of the visit was the time we spent with Eitienne Hugel.
His family has been making wine in Alsace for 12 generations - that's right - 12 generations.

At the time we invited Eitienne to visit with us the next time he was in the U.S.A. - Well you know how that goes - we hugged, we kissed, we exchanged phone numbers - What are the odds the guy would actually call us???

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner -

Tuesday September 12, 2006 - 6 p.m. - Join us for dinner with Eitienne Hugel
Very Limited Seating - Please Call Early to Reserve. - 860-443-9463
$50 per person plus tax and service.
This will be a great night.
To Listen to part of our interview with Eitienne click the link below and scroll down until you see the Hugel featured item.
Eitienne is the gentleman holding the bottle of wine. http://thamesriver.com/wine/instock.html


ALSO -
A couple of seats for the recently added wine dinner for THIS Wednesday - August 16 - are available.
first come first served.


THIS WEEK AT BRIE & BLEU -
Colleen has selected Fontina Cheese
Fontina usually $14\lb is $12/lb this week at Brei and Bleu.
A little history about the cheese - although the origins of this cheese go back to ancient times, it was not until 1700 that the name Fontina first appears in an historical document. The etymology of the name, however, is a matter of some dispute. Fontina is a cylindrical semi-cooked, full-fat, semi-hard cheese. It is made from whole cow's milk drawn from the first milking. The rind is thin and close-textured, while the paste is rather soft and elastic and varies in colour from whitish-yellow to yellow. The cheese has a distinctive, sweet taste. Aged over 60 days, this appealing, semi-soft mild cheese has a silky texture and a sweet, buttery, slightly earthy flavor. Versatile, it melts beautifully to make excellent fondue and great-tasting quiche, but it is also a great choice for a cheese tray. For an additional 10% off the cheese pair with a a nice Sauvignon Blanc such as Ruston from Thames River Wine and Spirits.


BEER ME DADDY!
Kristin Webers, our executive in charge of the beer division, is lining up some special guests -
She will announce them as soon as they confirm.
For example - there are a number of small brewers that receive no formal distribution in CT at all -
Yet they produce beer with cult like followings throughout New England.
We are doing our best to bring them to New London, for your sipping and dancing pleasure.

Kristin offers this toast:
"May your blessings outnumber
the shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
wherever you go."

And she asks that you send us your favorite toast - we are making a list to share with our readers.

BEER DINNER -Thursday, Sept 14th - 6 - 8 p.m.
Menu Includes:
Grilled marinated skirt steak
Vinagrette asparagus
and Roasted potatoes
w/ a surprise chocolate dessert

Beers Include:
Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter
Stovepipe Porter is made in the traditional porter stlye, and is a favorite with all porter lovers.

Flying Dog
Old Scratch Amber Lager, one of the world's best Amber Lagers.

Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout, - which speaks for itself with chocolate.

For additional Information or to make a reservation - Please Call - 860-443-9463 - Kristin would love to hear from you.

Please Reserve Early - Limited seating - first come, first served.
$35 per person plus tax and service


Wine Tasting - Please Join Us
Friday August 18 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Domaine Michel Cheveau - Macon-Cheveau - $18
Mâconnais wines are principally dry whites made from the Chardonnay grape, which thrives on the local limestone soils. A small amount of red is also made, most from Gamay but also a tiny amount from Pinot Noir. It is the whites however which are the main focus of interest, and we offer a good selection of Mâconnais whites, including well-known appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint Véran, but also wines from the outstanding newly-created appellation of Viré-Clessé, and of course good-value Mâcon-Villages. The growers are all small family-scale businesses, all passionate about quality. Mâconnais wines represent a bit of a bargain - real white Burgundies at a fraction of the cost of those from the northern part of the region. They are absolutely perfect with fish, poultry, and white meat dishes

2 - Domaine Michel Chevea - Saint-Amour - $24
At the northern limit of the Beaujolais lies the romantically-named Cru of Saint-Amour, where granite laced soils of the Beaujolais, favored by the Gamay, give way to limestone in the Mâconnais to the north, better for Chardonnay. At this boundary, many of the vignerons own land in both the Beaujolais and the Mâconnais districts and make and sell wines from both regions; Saint-Amour in fact borders the Saint-Véran appellation in the Mâconnais. After Chénas, Saint-Amour is the second smallest Cru. The name is derived from Saint Amateur, a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and founded a monastery overlooking the river Sâone. Today, much is made of the name, and the wines are heavily promoted in connection with Saint Valentines day. Saint-Amour wines can sometimes be a little reserved when young, needing some time to open up and show their character. After a year or so however, they become supple and fruity, with flavors of apricot, cherries, sometimes spicy, and with great intensity of color. Serve and enjoy them with red meat, poultry, maybe a nice little casseolet.

3 - Kaiken Cabernet - $12 - http://www.kaikenwines.com/english/index.htm
The Andes Mountains divide two of the most spectacular countries in the world, Chile and Argentina. Kaiken is a Mapuche Indian word for a Patagonian goose that lives on both side of the Andes. One of Chile's most energetic and respected winemakers, Aurelio Montes has set up an operation on the other side of the Andes, in Argentina. Montes eventually plans to acquire his own vineyard land in Argentina and build his own winery there. Look for plum, licorice, cassis, earth and coffee aromas and flavors. The bitter-chocolate finish is dynamite in terms of tannic structure and length. A flat-out bargain from an excellent Argentinean vintage. Please give this one a try - it is a memorable wine.


4 - Trapiche - Viña Felipe Villafañe - single vineyard - Malbec - $38 - http://www.trapiche.com.ar/2bodega.html
Established in 1883, Trapiche is the most widely recognized Argentinean wine producer in the world.
We were lucky enough to have Gustavo Arroyo, Trapiche director of US Sales, as our guest on WineRadio just a couple of months ago.
Located in Mendoza at the foothills of the Andes mountains, Trapiche has some of the most extensive landholdings in the area, with over 2,500 acres of its own vineyards.

Now 104 years of age, Felipe Villafañe planted his La Consulta vineyard with malbec in 1948, decades ahead of his time, and he has dedicated much of his life to this vineyard. Located in the San Carlos subregion of Mendoza, the vineyard's has alluvial sandy loam soil and a altitude of more than 1,000 meters The red color is very intense, with purple hints. Harmonious notes of plums, berries, and spices appear on the nose. In the mouth the wine displays a complex array of cherry jam, chocolate, and vanilla with thick tannins. The oak and smoke aromas provide extra length and dimension. Serve with venison, roasts, red meat, grilled meats, game, beef. This is amazing wine - please be sure to try it on Friday night.

Thanks for all of the emails and calls this past week - we appreciate all of them.
And thank you for making this so much fun - we could'nt do it without you.


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