Happy New Year - Segura Viudas, Gruet Brut Blanc de Noir, Nino Franco Rustico, Pazzo "Call Me Crazy"

Greetings from all of us in New London -

Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463 - 84 Bank Street
Shop On Line: http://thamesriver.com/wine/instock.html
Calendar of Events: http://www.thamesriver.com/wine/calendar.html

Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817 - 70 State Street - www.thamesriver.com
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474 - 84 Bank Street - : http://www.brieandbleu.com/
IMPORT - 860-443-6817 - 60 State Street - http://thamesriver.com/trg/featured.html


It has been a great and busy week- we hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.
New Years Eve is just around the corner and we have everything you need to celebrate - we will even deliver it right to your front door.

Thanks to everyone that made our Champagne tasting a great success - for those of you that missed it you can watch our interview with Terry Theise at WineRadio.com or on our calendar of events page. It will answer all of your questions about choosing the right Champagne for the New Year.


This week just a quick listing of our wines for Friday night - Happy New Year to all.


Wine Tasting Please join us Friday December 29 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

This week at Brie & Bleu - For The New Year Celebration -
The featured cheese of the week is Smoked Blue cheese

I hope everyones holiday weekend went well. Here is another cheese for the upcoming party week to ring in the new year. Smoked Blue is &18/lb at Brie & Blue this week. The Rogue Creamery’s “Oregon Blue” is the first blue cheese made on the West Coast so we thought it only fitting that it be the first blue ever smoked. They cold smoke it for 16 hours over Northwest -grown hazelnut shells. The result is a balance of sweet caramel and hazelnut flavors that magically contrast the sharpness of our blue cheese. Pair with a nice port purchased at Thames River Wine and Spirits for an additional 10% off the cheese.
Happy New Year,
Colleen


Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday December 29 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Segura Viudas Brut Cava $9
Wine & Spirits Magazine says: "..owned by the Cava house Friexenet, Segura Viudas regularly hits the tops of our charts for Cava. The Brut Reserva is the best Cava we tasted last year, regardless of price, a graceful, complex bubbly with dry apple flavors wrapped in smoke, spice and minerals."

At this price you can fill your cupboard and pour it like a movie star - A dry nonvintage cava with tangy, racy fruit. Great with food. This perfectly accompanies any meal from start to finish. Pale straw yellow in colour. Elegant and harmonious on the nose. Fresh and well balanced on the palate; ample flavours; the predominance of Macabeo is obvious. Very persistent fine mousse. Segura Viudas dates back to the 11th century. This is a great choice for your party this year - give it a try and pick up a case or two you can not go wrong.


2 -Gruet Brut Blanc de Noir $17
The rich and toasty character of this Blanc de Noirs is balanced and superb. Aged for two-year minimum, it shows rich complex flavors. The amazing berry aromas and the creamy texture create a great finesse. Winemaker's Note: A fine salmon color, aggressive mousse and a lovely fruity wine with plenty of immediate charm and toasty aromas. There is also an explosive juicy flavor of raspberry. This is a moderately priced choice for serving at your holiday party. You might be surprised where it is made - please try it on Friday.

3 -Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco $17
This prosecco is always rated in the 90's. Nino Franco's non-vintage Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Rustico is a textbook, frothy, fresh, pure, delicate, delicious sparkling white. While it may lack the stuffing of a great Champagne, it is the perfect crisp sparkler to wash down antipasto or to enjoy as an aperitif. This is what you should pour as soon as your guests start to arrive. The perfect "hello" - this is a house favorite here. Please try it on Friday and see why.

4 - Pazzo "Call Me Crazy" red wine $34 www.baciodivino.com
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, December 2005 issue:
"Pazzo “Call Me Crazy” 2003 Napa Red Rated 91, Outstanding. This innovative effort from Claus Janzen is made with the assistance of Nils Venge’s winemaker son, Kirk Venge. The 2003 Pazzo is an undeniably delicious, hedonistically styled red made from a blend of 66% Sangiovese, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and a touch of Viognier. An evolved garnet color is followed by explosive aromas of dried herbs, strawberry liqueur, cherries, spice, pepper, and a hint of new saddle leather. With superb fruit, a lush, round attack and mid-section, and a heady finish, this is a complex California red to enjoy now and over the next 3-4 years." Mr. Parker has a way with words, and that is for sure - but he happens to be right on the money with this one. You will want to consider this wine for the holiday dinner. Please try it this Friday.



All of us want to wish you a safe, healthy and very Happy New Year.
Thanks for your support - we appreciate it.

We hope to see you Friday night.



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