Out of the box comfort, Pascal Jolivet, Vega Sindoa Merlot, Sequoia Grove, Achaval Ferrer Quimera

Here is a great photo of Pascal Jolivet at home in the Loire Valley wearing one of our signature WineRadio T-shirts. He was a guest on our show the last time he was in town.

The house of Pascal Jolivet is one of the youngest and most dynamic in the Loire Valley. Founded in 1987, this specialist in the wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé has very quickly gained a leading position with the Michelin-starred restaurants of France.

Pascal owns an estate of more than 70 acres evenly divided between the two appellations. He believes strongly in letting nature make the wines as much as possible, and seeks to tame the more aggressive qualities of the Sauvignon Blanc variety.

If you would like to hear our interview with Pascal - it is audio only - you will get an inside perspective from a man that is treated like a rock star in his country because of the wine he makes. You MUST try his wine this Friday night. His Sancerre has that perfect "right out of the box comfort" that will make you a fan for life. It is THE perfect match with seafood.

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.thamesriver.com

We have a great lineup of wine for Friday - but first here are a few items of interest.

Mark your calendar, there is a lot to see and do in New London.
• Upcoming events in New London:

Saturday June 30 - 6 until close - Muse Shoes / Gallery - 102 Golden Street New London, CT 06320 - 860.442.MUSE
Opening reception - You need to see this new shoe store and gallery located just a couple of blocks from the wine store.
A unique combination of Jimmy Choo, MOMA, and a dash of the Ringling Bros.
Located directly across from the Golden Street Gallery.

July 6th is the start of a real favorite - the Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10-2 p.m.
In the public parking lot that faces Eugene O'neill Drive. Lots of goodies straight from the farms.

July 13-15 - SailFest - Celebrating 30 years - if you can believe it.
A tradition for many families, this year fire works will be on the 14th.Learn all about it at: http://sailfest.org/

Saturday, Jul 28 - Pancho Sanchez at The Garde.
The Latin jazz conguero & the members of his veteran octet perform at Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street.
Tickets: 860-444-7373, info@gardearts.org

• WINE DINNERS
Our first series of the season is filling quickly - please reserve early - seating is limited.
Menus can be found on the Calendar Of Events page of our website: http://thamesriver.com/wine/calendar.html
Every Wednesday night starting this week - Call for more information: 860-443-9463
Additional dinner series, theme dinners and menu information will be posted soon.

• Monday June 25 - Afternoon Tasting with our own David Anderson -
Every Monday David has a favorite to share with you. Call him if you have questions, he would love to hear from you. 860-443-9463
Mas de Gourgonnier "Les Baux de Provence" Red Provence Wine - $15
Dave Says: "This one's a sleeper with a bit of a cult following. Easy to spot in the fat and squat bottle, this is similar to a Rhone blend but uses Cabernet Sauvignon in place of the Syrah... So how, in the heat of Southern France, is it so light and velvety on the tongue? Just the genius of traditional Provencal winemaking, with brambly flavors of wild berries and spice. And the grapes are grown biodynamically. You know, according to the principles of Rudolf Steiner - harvesting by the moonlight, burying cow horns and skulls."


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

1 - Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2006 $26
The house of Pascal Jolivet is one of the youngest and most dynamic in the Loire Valley. Founded in 1987. Pascal owns an estate of more than 70 acres evenly divided between two appellations. He believes strongly in letting nature make the wines as much as possible.


2 - Vega Sindoa Merlot 2002 $10
From the Nekeas Valley in Northern Spain - near the French border. This is Perhaps the best ten dollar bottle that you will find this year.
Robert Parker loves this wine, Wine Spectator loves this wine, and we think that you will love this wine when you try it.
An amazing value, it boasts a deep ruby/purple color as well as a soft supple-texture, loads of fruit, and a medium-body.
Perfect for summer foods and your table everyday. Keep a case handy for entertaining.


3 - Sequoia Grove Cabernet Savignon 2003 $34
Sequoia Grove Winemaker Molly Hill was in our store recently - her first trip to Connecticut.
This is one of the wines that she brought for us to try. Molly describes it this way: "Deep garnet in color with aromas of ripe cherry and blackberry with a little bit of cranberry. The fruit intertwines lovingly with the oak, hints of which can be found in aromas of clove, black pepper and a touch of cigar box. Round in the mouth with soft, supple tannins and well-integrated acid, the weight of the wine is delicate and full of finesse but with a silky, long finish."
We describe it this way: "Wow, that was really good." Please try it on Friday night and see what you think.
Molly was also a guest on our show - if you missed it take a look on our Calendar of Events Page, look for Molly's picture under the WineRadio section,
and give it a whirl - she was a lot of fun.


4 - Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2004 Argentina $36
Wine Spectator gave this wine a 93 point rating and called it:
"Racy, almost piercing, with graphite, violet, mineral and boysenberry notes rushing along fine tannins and acidity with a long finish."
I was introduced Santiago Achaval, the President of the winery, at the bar in the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. It was a cool evening in the fall and he was drinking something the color of chestnuts from a beautiful snifter. It was a coincidence and unrelated to the wine business but we were able to share some stories about a mutual friend. He is very articulate and animated when he is talking - and he obviously has a great tailor - more than anything though he was very passionate about his wines, and the old vines that they come from - Quimera (pronounced "Key-Mara") in Spanish means the search for something that is foolish and unattainable - a perfect goal - a quest for the Holy Grail, so to speak. This is a blend of Malbec, Cab Franc, Merlot and a couple of others. One thing I do remember him telling me that night, was that the yields are so low - they only use about a pound and a half of fruit from each plant to make this wine. That is why the price point is a bit higher here. There are other wines from Argentina that cost a lot less - but this wine drinks like a hundred dollars. Give it a try on Friday night.


Thanks for all of your comments and support, we really appreciate it.

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



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The Squeeze Factor, Pessac-Leognan, Domaine Lafond Tavel, Cantina Parroco Barbera d' Alba, Calvet-Thunevin "les Dentelles"

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860- 437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817



We have a great weekend planned - take a look at the wines for Friday. They are listed just below these items of interest.
But I have to start - with a thank you or two.


• Thank you to Mr. Devin McGarry for hosting a beautiful luncheon for us in Farmington last Tuesday.
It was held at a well known restaurant, right on the river.
They set a table for us in a private dining room on the second floor with windows facing the water.
The occasion was to taste the "portfolio" from Christian Mouiex. The Mouiex family brings us wine like:
Dominus, Chateau Magdelaine, Chateau Hosanna, and Chateau Marzelle.
I wanted to throw my arms around this guy and give him a big kiss - it was a great afternoon.

You might be asking yourself - what do these people do - go to a private wine & food thing every week???

Well, we do not.
We turn down a lot of offers.
It would be easy to arrange to be wined and dined a couple of times a week if we wanted to - thanks to you, we have their attention.

There could be a parade of well dressed people serving us wine from around the world - all the time.
Wine after wine, they are all well made, nice package, cute little story - and we do admire their quality - but that's it.
Mostly, these wines fail to slip their hands down our pants and give us a squeeze.

For us, It is like tracking the elusive White Rhino.
When we accept an offer we are hoping to discover something special -
These are the wines we want to share with you - the discoveries that have the "Squeeze Factor."

• A big thank you to Mr. Michael Kane - a wine authority of the highest order. His encyclopedic knowledge helped to make the private dinner hosted by Joe Mascaro last Thursday evening a wonderful experience - a Master-class - on the wine of France. Remember, all you have to do is ask - we can arrange private affairs for you too.


• The first series of wine dinner menus have been posted - take a look on the calendar of events page.
The first set is for Wednesday night's. After listening to all of the requests and comments we have kicked it up a notch -
Many of you wanted higher end wines with better food pairings - you got it.

In addition to the Wednesday night dinners, we will be posting other menus for theme dinners that will be on other nights with varying price points.
They will be posted very soon - keep an eye on the calendar page and right here in the email. It will also be posted on out blog - if you have not see our blog in a while, take a look. We are able to add photos as well as additional postings that are not always in the email.
You can find it here: http://newlondonwine.blogspot.com/


• Our video series "WineRadio" is becoming quite popular -
We get somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand downloads a week from the iTunes site. Amazing really, when you think about it.
you can visit the iTunes site here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=251715986

Or you can see some of the interviews on the WineRadio section of our calendar of events page - it is towards the bottom.
Calendar of Events Page: http://thamesriver.com/wine/calendar.html


• Brie & Bleu continues to expand it's dinner specials and wine by the glass selections.
A customer pointed out that we have the smallest wine list and the largest selection of any restaurant in Connecticut - all at once.
Keep in mind that she was on her second glass of Duckhorn Merlot at the time, but her point is well taken.
We offer a small, frequently changing, list of wine by the glass - most often not available by the glass at other restaurants.
And they are priced as close to the retail level as possible.
But if you prefer, we encourage you to visit our wine cellar to make a selection and then bring it back to your table.
We do not have a "corkage" fee - and we will set you up with everything you need to enjoy.

• ALVA Gallery announces a new exhibition -- Nancy Friese: New Works from Nature.
A Gallery Talk and Artist reception will take place at 5:30 pm on Saturday, June 30, on view through July 28. - www.alvagallery.com


Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday June 22 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Chateau Pontac Monplaisir Graves blanc 2001 $18
White Bordeaux from Pessac-Leognan, a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon, Same appellation as the legendary Haut Brion, called graves because of gravel deposits from Gironde river. Old fashioned French white wine - the kind that is written about in stories of France with bistros and cafés. This is perfect stuff to get the party going, easy to drink and great with appetizers. Very hard to beat at this price.

2 - Domaine Lafond Tavel 2005 $14
Pascal Lafond's beautifully made wines from Tavel, Lirac and Chateauneuf-du-Pape are among the finest values the region has to offer. This 65-hectare family-run estate, located in the rosé-only appellation of Tavel, produces what is widely considered (by Robert Parker, among others) to be the best Tavel available. A deep, vivid pink color Tavel rosé has an umistakably complex bouquet, and this one dazzles with its floral, fruit, and fresh aromas.
We recently featured this wine, and we have had the opportunity to re-stock - so if you missed it the first time around, please try it. A great choice for your summer table.

3 - Cantina Parroco Barbera d' Alba 2004 $16
This is a great bottle of wine that has a deep, rich color and a lot of finesse for the price - try it with aged cheese, salami, beef that has been carefully braised - Perfect for casual summer dinners out on the patio or deck. It might also fuel a winning game of Bocce Ball.

4 - Calvet-Thunevin "les Dentelles" 2003 Cotes du Roussillon Villages $32
They do not make much of this wine. The entire production for distribution around the world is about 7,000 bottles. It comes from one of the oldest viticultural areas of France, vines in the Roussillon were cultivated by the Romans, and perhaps even before that. the vineyards are extremely steeply terraced, there is no choice but to harvest by hand. You will want to try this wine if only for the history behind it.


Thanks for all of the comments, the emails, and your continued support - we all appreciate it.
Please say hello when you stop in. We hope to see you this Friday.

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




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Wednesday Night Wine Dinners

Wednesday Night Wine Dinners

Our Secret Weapon - We Listen
You wanted better wines & food pairings - you got it.
Wine with every course & the best value in the business.

6/27/07 - Orange & Ginger Rack of Pork with grilled pineapple & peppers.

7/11/07 - Lollipop Rack of Lamb with blue cheese grits, juliene of spring vegetables & fresh herbs.

7/18/07 - Grilled Shrimp on Watercress salad with curly scallions and sesame dressing.

7/25/07 - Roasted lamb with Moroccan Couscous & mixed heirloom tomato Salad with goat feta.

8/1/07 - Horseradish & Herb Crusted Roast Beef with grilled summer vegetables and raosted potatoes.

$65 plus tax & service - Seating is limited.
Please Reserve Early - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

Susana Balbo, Crios, Torrontes, Pancho Sanchez

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
IMPORT - 860-443-68117

A special line up of wines for Friday night awaits you.
All four wines are from Susana Balbo - Argentina's leading female winemaker.
The line-up is listed just below these items of interest.


• Last week's Duckhorn wines by the glass at Brie & Bleu - was an instant crowd pleaser - thank you for making it work.





• The Garde Theater continues it's Legends of Jazz series with Pancho Sanchez. Please check it out at: https://tickets.gardearts.org/show.asp
The Garde is working with Kitchings Productions to bring this caliber of entertainment to New London - they are proving that there is an alternative to the casino scene when it comes to seeing a great show. Take a look at their schedule: www.gardearts.org

• Our very own "Rock Star" Dave Anderson has taken it upon himself to launch a new Monday feature: "Dave's Fave's."
A monday afternoon tasting that will showcase his personal favorites & always be under $20. He said it will be a way to beat the Monday Blues.
When he came to us with the idea - we grabbed him by the lapels, shook him thoroughly, and said: "Anderson, you magnificent bastard! This is just what we need on a Monday afternoon."
This week - Dave picks Langhe Rosso Cino 2005 - $12 - Direct from a sold-out engagement in Piedmont, this light bodied Italian red is a perfect everyday food wine. Really, give it a try - it would mean a lot to Dave.

• A reminder from our friends at the Golden Street Gallery that their new Summer Hours are: Thursday - Saturday 6-9 p.m.
Also - you can see Greg Bowerman's "mural's in progress" at Lucca's the new bar & grill on Bank Street - be sure to say hello to Lucky, the proprietor of the newly opened restaurant. He has put a lot of work into the space.

• Hygienic Art Galleries Presents - Exhibition Opening Saturday June 30th, 7-10 - June 30-July 28 - www.hygienic.org
"Possessions" - New Works by Michael McNabney, Michael Galaburri, Sarah Harford
Wine Tasting Please Join Us Friday June 15 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

You have seen the name Crios here before. The trouble has been that we sell every drop of it before the tasting starts and we are forced to offer substitutions. The wines we have at the tasting generally arrive 2-3 days before the "show". In the case of the Crios wines from Argentina, we had barely gotten them out of the box before people started to snap them up. They are that good, and they are a real bargain at their current prices.

We had the opportunity to talk with Susana Balbo last week at a reception held at the Argentinean Consulate in New York. The entrance is pictured in the photo on the left. I highly recommend attending embassy and consulate functions - no expense is spared to make the guests feel at home. But we did have some technical difficulty on location - mainly they did not want us taking photos or recording video - so we had to be careful - the last thing we needed was to create another scene at an Foreign Consulate.

Susana Balbo is Argentinas leading female winemaker. Her Crios wines have just been named Argentina's Brand of The Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine. We are featuring her wines this Friday and I hope that you get the chance to try them.

Crios means "offspring" (as in children). Susana selected a word to express the notion that these are wines that haven’t quite "grown up" to the same level of quality and maturity as her more expensive Susana Balbo label wines, but they receive the same loving care and attention throughout the winemaking process. The label features a series of three connected and overlapping hands, an image inspired by a Mayan artifact. The three hands represent Susana and her two children.

Crios de Susana Balbo:

1 - Torrontes $15
Enticing aromas that are strikingly similar to Viognier, with hints of peach pit, flowers, and orange citrus fruit. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with enticing fruit flavors that keep you coming back for another sip and plenty of body for a wine that showns such delicate aromas and flavors. Fruity, floral and yet still quite dry, this wine has to be tasted to be believed. Best enjoyed in its youth either by itself, or as a wonderful partner with smoked meats, mild to medium-strong cheeses, and seafood. Keep one in the fridge at all times!

2 - Rose of Malbec $12
Voted one of the 25 best wines for summer by Food & Wine.
Susan seems to have "cracked the code" with this rosé of Malbec.
It is a lush, velvety wine that absolutely puts the debate of rosé wines being too fruity or sweet to rest. A beautiful, deep, vibrant rosé color. Has a surprising amount of glycerin and body for a rosé wine, and beautiful aromas of ripe wild strawberries. On the palate, the flavors of strawberries and cherries come rushing in, accompanied by some spice notes and a clean, dry finish. This is the wine to serve with warm-weather meals when there is a mix of traditional white & red wine foods. Keep one in the fridge at all times and you’ll always have a delicious wine to enjoy with light snacks and cheeses. Best consumed in its youth.

3 - Cabernet Sauvignon $15
Rated 90 points by Wine & Spirits Magazine, this wine is great with grilled meats. Intense ruby color with enticing aromas of ripe plums and red currants. The richly textured flavors are joined by accents of dark chocolate and spice. The ripe, vibrant tannins give the wine beautiful structure and an amazingly long finish. Drink it now or over the next few years to enjoy the fruit flavors at their best. It will pair well with traditional Cabernet-friendly foods like grilled or roasted meats.

4 - Syrah-Bonarda $15
Dark reddish/purple color. Intense aroma of black raspberries. This medium-bodied, very lively wine has loads of ripe red plum and black raspberry flavors with a slightly spicy character and a long, juicy finish. This 2005 vintage has a depth of flavor and intensity on the palate that is almost unheard of for wines at this price. It's a winner both before and during a meal. Certainly enjoyable in its youth, but it will age beautifully. A fun wine to try with a wide range of red wine-friendly foods, and one that will delight even the most pretentious connoisseur.



Thanks to everyone that took time to send email and call to make comments - we are listening.
And we want you to know that we appreciate all of your support - the best is yet to come.

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




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Wine By The Glass, Duckhorn, Montes Purple Angel

Greetings from New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
www.thamesriver.com

We are running a little bit late this week. So just a few items of interest before the list of wines for Friday night.


Last Friday night was a gas - the streets were busy, people were out and all of the new shops and restaurants had a nice easy beat that was easy to dance to. So come on, get out of the house and come down to the historic waterfront - there is a lot to see.

NEW:

• Muse - Shoe Store on the corner of Green & Golden is open.
If you happened to be there last Friday for the opening you saw about a hundred people dancing and singing. The make-shift bar was packed and the music was grooo-vey. People walking by didn't know if it was a nightclub or a gallery. "It's a shoe store?" people kept saying - "this is really hip."
A lot of work went into renovating the space - stop by and take a look.

• I can't tell you how many people have asked us to offer wine by the glass at Brie & Bleu. It has been one of the most common questions over the past couple of years. Well, we've been listening - we now offer some remarkable wines by the glass.
And we will not be using the typical restaurant mark-up either - we will keep everything as approachable as possible.
For example - this coming Friday night we will feature by the glass:
Duckhorn Merlot - $12 - Duckhorn Savignon Blanc - $8

Buying a fifty or sixty dollar bottle of wine is a beautiful thing.
But sometimes a nice glass of the same wine is all you really want. - Where else can you find a wine by the glass formula like this one? In addition we will try to match them up with the dinner special's that are being served that night too. Give these wines a try - you might be surprised.


Wine Tasting - Please Join Us
Friday June 8 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

This week we are pouring the wines of Montes Vineyards - From Chile.
Wine Makers Notes:

From the beginning of times, viña Montes centered its efforts in producing wines of excellence. The high standards attained by the wines, have taken the Montes name to the most elevated standing of acknowledgement and recognition globally.

It has been attained with sacrifice and hardship as well as with great care; we have wanted to transfer our viewpoint to every corner of the world. Our intent is for every good restaurant, hotel or wine store in any part of the world to carry Montes wines. Over 75 countries already supply our wines and the list is yet to be exhausted. We wish to continue introducing new markets internationally, no matter how small hoping to add new wine lovers to our extensive list of regular Montes wine consumers worldwide.

1 - Montes Sauvignon Blanc $12
A clear, crispy and fruity wine with light yellow-green color, bright and transparent. The aroma shows its power and super Sauvignon Blanc character, also showing the full potential of its cold zone origin, with morning fogs, low temperatures and long hanging period. Denomination of Origin: Leyda Valley.

2 - Montes Merlot $12
Elegant, refined and a marked fruitiness almost irresistible to Merlot lovers and to those who sample it for the first time. Strong, spicy black pepper, full of harmony and soft to the palate. We decided to blend 15% Cabernet Sauvignon with this Merlot, to better marry with the oak, and give structure and finesse that will also permit long term ageing. Denomination of Origin: Colchagua Valley.

3 - Montes Cabernet $12
Intense ruby-red color. The nose is packed with layers of caramel, cinnamon, candy and hints of mint, with a prevalence of fruit over oak. A spicy, full-flavored wine, with good body, fruit and firm tannins. An engaging and strong finish. Well recommended for ageing. Denomination of Origin: Colchagua Valley.

4 - Montes Purple Angel $54 www.monteswines.com
Montes pioneered the Chilean wine scene by creating super-premium wines, including the Montes Alpha range, and icons such as Montes Alpha M and Montes Folly. Montes also led the way to quality by planting on steep mountain slopes. But Montes, Chile's wine pioneer, also knows when to wait –Aurelio Montes preferred to take his time and develop the Carmenère variety until he was satisfied that it could be a top contender, the very best Montes could possibly produce. It was worth the wait...this new beauty (a blend of 92% Carmenère and 8% Petit Verdot, with 18 months in new French and American oak barrels) is touched by the wings of an angel... a PURPLE ANGEL.


Thank you for all of the emails and for your support - we appreciate it.
Please Join Us - It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.



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