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
It has been a very interesting week for us - filled with wine celebrity encounters - special tastings - new friends, old friends, the concert for Bangladesh and one of the funniest stories about Leon Russell that I have ever heard - actually, it may be the only funny story about Leon Russell that I've ever heard - But lets not get bogged down in the details - here we go -
• A few nights ago we had dinner in Old Lyme - with some old friends and some new friends - BUT our new BEST friends - Dennis & Tami from Massachusetts brought a couple of bottles of Marqués de Cáceres 1985 RIOJA that stopped the show. Dennis said - "I've still got a couple of cases of this in the cellar." - Tammy lived in Spain for a while and got to know the bodegas by visiting them - This was not a stuffy affair with a bunch of wine GEEKS. On the contrary, it was an informal gathering with great food and great conversation - You remember that - it was before they invented TiVo - I tell you all of this because many people still wonder how long they can store wines and I assure you these Spanish wines were magnificent and the highlight of the evening. If you still have any doubts about the great wines of Spain - good, it leaves more for the rest of us that know the secret. Thanks to our hostess - Patricia for a wonderful evening and the Leon Russell story - which on second thought I really shouldn't repeat without her permission....
• WineRadio news: We were invited to interview Doug Shafer - the President of Shafer Vineyards - for our WineRadio show.
The Westport Playhouse was the backdrop and Señor Shafer was full of stories. You can see a preview on the calendar of events page.
• Also this past week - wine personalty Terry Theise spoke with us. Terry has been called the most influential wine personalty of the last 20 years. We caught up with Terry in New Haven at the Union League restaurant. All of the shows can be listened to and watched on our new and improved WineRadio website which debuts in just a few days. Heres the most important thing about our interviews and these people - normally they travel and speak to wine industry people - To The Trade Only - what we offer is opportunity for these folks to speak directly to you - the consumer. It does not happen that often - and I can say that all of the people we speak to seem to appreciate that fact - Our shows are like a master class with the experts. Take a minute and visit WineRadio.com - or at least look at the previews on our calendar of events page.
• The Hygenic Creep Show - Tues Oct 31st in the Hygenic Art Park - 8pm $20
"bands , booze , food, and costume contest" for more information: http://www.hygienic.org/sched23.asp
• Connecticut Lyric Opera will be performing a preview of Figaro at the Atrium on 165 State Street -
We provide the wines and a light menu will be served at 3pm Sunday November 5th.
• Just Arrived - First come, first served - All rated "Tre Bicchieri" ( three glasses) from the Gambero Rosso
Altemasi Riserva Graal 1996 $34
Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino 2000 $54
Coppo Pomorsso Barbera D'asti 2003 $70
This week at Brie & Bleu -
The featured cheese at Brie & Bleu is a brie and blue cheese - Cambozola Blue. This cheese is $15/lb and is a triple-cream, soft, surface-ripened, blue-veined cheese, produced in Germany, soft and white, with splotches of blue mould, and an outer rind of appetizing white mould. It has a creamy, mellow, piquant flavour. Its spreadable consistency makes it very popular as a cocktail cheese, on crackers or rounds of firm pumpernickel. Pair with a Sauvignon Blanc such as Cloudy Bay bought at Thames River Wine and Spirits for an additional 10% off the cheese.
Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday November 3 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge
1 - Four Vines Naked Chardonnay $12 www.fourvines.com
The people at this winery tell us to "Drink Naked Often!"
We will not tell you any different - This California Chardonnay is famous for NO OAK - so if you refuse to try another California chardonnay because it is like getting hit in the head with a branch from an oak tree - you must try this one on Friday.
2 - Terra Rouge Tete-a-tete $15 www.terrerougewines.com
Located on the Western slope of the great Sierra Nevada Range in California - This winery emphasizes deep color, balanced flavors, full middle palate, and a long finish, with power and finesse. The wines gain a nice complexity with age. Wines that can be placed on the table with the best wines of the world with assurance . Enjoy them with good food and friends - try it this Friday.
3 - Terra Noble Gran Reserva Merlot $16
Vinedos Terranoble was founded in 1993 by six Chileans who, driven by their passion for viticulture, dreamed of producing top quality wines by combining the excellent climatic and geographical considerations of the Maule Valley with the best traditions in winemaking and the most modern equipment. This merlot is fresh and intense, with fruity aromas of plum, cherry and raspberry. In the mouth - considerable fruit, with smooth tannins, excellent balance and a nice long finish.
4 - El nido Clio $45 (rated 96 Robert Parker) http://www.juangil.es/ing/index.htm
I have had the good fortune to visit this vineyard in Jumilla Spain - about 90 mins. outside of Valencia. Valencia will be the host of the Americas Cup Race in 2007. It is an area where Clint Eastwood made a couple of those very early westerns - In fact, one of the best memories I have of that trip was standing at the huge barn like doors of the bodega when a tractor pulling a wooden cart arrived with the first of the grapes that would eventually become the 2005 vintage. We ate the grapes right off of the cart with the vineyard owner. They were sweet and still warm from the sun and thinking back now more than a year later I still can't get over how lucky we were to have done it. The Clio is magnificent wine - it is rated off the charts by the experts and it is a great value at the current price. It is very limited in production and we are one of the only places in Connecticut that it can be found. We have 10 "six-packs" in the store. Please try it on Friday night.
Thanks so much for all of your support - it is your interest and input that makes people like Doug Shafer and Terry Theise sit and share with us. The best is yet to come - Winemakers, food experts, authors - we are putting together an amazing list of guests in the coming weeks. Stayed tuned.
Please join us. It is fun, informal and a great way to start your weekend - we hope to see you soon - please say hello when you are in the store.
AAA.
Monday, October 30, 2006
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