No Additives, Abita Restoration Pale Ale, Clos de Vaulicheres Bourgogne, Chateau de Flaugergues, Valcombe Cotes du Ventoux, Ca' Bianca

Greetings from all of us in New London,
The big news this week are the menu changes at Brie & Bleu. Based on the numerous requests to add "better" ingredients and to offer something truly unique from any other restaurants in the area - we are raising the bar. Take a look at the specials for this week and make your reservations early - the deck fills up quickly.

The tasting for Friday night is all set - Our own Jim Morrison has chosen the wine and his words carefully - check them out. It's all just below the news & items of interest.

And remember, if you can't make it to the store but would like to grab a bottle or two of the featured wines - click on the pictures and order them now. We will hold them for you at the store or deliver them to your front door, it's as easy as one, two three.

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

No Additives Whatsoever. That's Your Job. Brie & Bleu Dinner Special Friday & Saturday - May 2nd - 3rd Reservations: 8 6 0 - 4 3 7 - 2 4 7 4 Beginning this week we will strive to offer the best, naturally grown ingredients that are available. Your dinner will not roll off the back of a big silver truck that is double parked along Bank Street - delivering the same homogenized products to every restaurant and gin mill in town. Just like our wine, we will source the products with care and we will not serve something we have not tried ourselves. This is the evolution of the revolution that we started almost 5 years ago. Roast Chicken with Lyonnaise Potatoes & Wilted Greens - $14.95 D'Artagnan Free Range Organic Chicken are uniquely bred by Amish and Mennonite Farmers in Lancaster Pennsylvania under supervision of NOFA, the Natural Organic Farmers Association. The birds are raised in an open cooped, naturally lighted environment on a diet of freshly milled grain and spring water; free of pesticides, herbicides, growth stimulants and antibiotics. The Perfect Wine:Paired with Jean Manciat Macon Charnay White Burgundy. The wine is farmed Biodynamically, the highest standard of Organic and sustainable farming. $8 a glass, $20 a bottle. ··· Thanks very much to Kenton Robinson of The Day for including us in Sunday's story "Perfect Ten." It's about the best lunches in New London - and he singles out our own Don Weerakoddy who works with us every day at The Greenery - with the biggest smile you have ever seen. Check out the story HERE ··· "Cult" Pinot Noir Dinner - Wednesday April 30 - 6 p.m. Open Seating Plan - $75 plus tax & service. Join us and enjoy the magic of Pinot Noir. The greatest names in Pinot Noir from France, Oregon, & California: Names that include: Belle Ponte, Calera, and Drouhin. A night that will feature some of the most elusive and sought after names in the wine business. The seasonal menu will feature salmon - Details about the menu and the wine list will be posted here and on the Calendar of events page - H E R E ···

Dave's Fave Special Monday Tasting Click on the photo to order it now Abita Restoration Pale Ale 2008 $8 For a tidy package of 6 12-ounce bottles I'm pouring some beer this Monday - this one has gotten a little bit of local hype recently, unavailable for the winter, Abita Restoration Ale from Louisiana is back in stock. What first struck me about it is the balance - it's a rich, golden ale with snappy citrusy hoppiness, but doesn't go overboard in any direction. Created after Katrina, a dollar from each 6-pack goes directly towards hurricane relief, an effort that has raised over a half-million dollars so far. But regardless of charity, this beer stands on it's own merits and is a joy to sip in the warm weather. I'm proud to call it a favorite - please stop in for a taste Monday! Wine Tasting Please Join Us Friday May 2 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge Can't Make It To The Tasting? - Click Photos & Get It Now! Chateau Clos de Vaulicheres Bourgogne 2006 $16 This wine comes to us from our friend Fred Seggerman, the elder statesman of wine. At 84 years old, Fred has over 50 years of experience in the wine business in Connecticut. He is a valued resource for quality wine, historical perspective, and gossip. He can tell you which famous California wine maker is adding Syrah to his Pinot Noir, and what the Mafia does not want you to know about olive oil. Most importantly, he has a very astute palate, and an appreciation for classically styled wines. We were able to buy only five cases of this very good quality Bourgogne blanc from him this week. Very typical Burgundy, of atypical value, green apple and lime zest, nestled in a viscous Chardonnay texture, with no discernible oak. And only 12.5% alcohol! So if you've given up on Chardonnay because you're tired of oaky, buttery, hot California wine, try this and rediscover this noble variety. Chateau de Flaugergues Cuvee Sommeliere blanc 2004 $15 Another Fred Seggerman gem, this time from the very stoney and sunny vineyards of Ch Flaugergues in the Languedoc. The soil is comprised of Galet Roules, or round stones, similar to the Southern Rhone. Where In the southern Rhone the vines are cooled by the Mistral wind, in the Languedoc, the vines are cooled by a gentle Mediterranean breeze. It comes as no surprise then that with similar soil and climate, Ch Flaugergues makes it's flagship white from the great white varietals found in Ch Neuf du Pape, Granache Blanc, Rousanne and Viognier and inexplicably Rolle also known as Vermentino. Go figure. The result is a highly floral, medium dry wine loaded with exotic fruit, brimming with aromatics. And again, the relatively low alcohol at 12.5% makes for a wine of subtlety and deft expression. Hats off to Fred Seggerman, oracle, sage, bon vivant and wine professional. Chateau Valcombe Cotes du Ventoux 2004 $14 Located on the lower slopes of Mont Ventoux in Provence, Valcombe is the second property of Domaine Monpertuis. They brought us their beautiful Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Traditional and the much beloved Cuvee Counoise, and now this lively and spicey Cotes du Ventoux. The vineyard is planted to Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, and Cinsault with an average vine age of 60 years. The old vines, rocky brown limestone soil, and elevation of 1000 feet, create a unique microclimate where the vines eek out their existence producing very small amounts of very good fruit. The wine is medium bodied with notes of black and red cherries and a touch of spice from the Grenache, and game from the Carignan. I use this wine for one of my favorite meals, hamburgers . But not just any hamburgers. I take ground beef from Four Mile River Farm in Old Lyme and mix in some finely chopped garlic and onion. I make a nice big hamburger and fry it at a high heat in a cast iron frying pan. When the burger is done, I pull it off and dump out the excess fat. What's left in the pan is blackened beef and caramelized garlic and onion. I add a half cup of Valcomb and add a half cup of sliced baby portobella mushrooms and cook down the wine and mushrooms. I reduce it down until the mushrooms are all soft and the wine is all thick and it all smells really yummy. Then I pour it over the burger and drink the wine. And that is good eating. The gaminess of the Carignan in the wine works perfectly with the gaminess of the grass fed beef, and the spiciness of the Grenache is a great counter point to the fat of the meat and the cheese (I always make cheese burgers). For maximum effect I suggest Sunday at dusk and listening to jazz while you cook, but classical while you eat. Enjoy. Ca' Bianca Barbera D' Asti Superiore 2004 $34 In February we did a wine dinner with Casimiro Maule of Ca' Bianca and Nino Negri. You could call Casimiro the greatest winemaker in Italy and you would have a basis for doing so. Beyond being voted winemaker of the year by the Gambero Rosso in 2007, he has also amazingly achieved ten consecutive Tre Bicchieri (three glasses, their highest award) for his 5 Stella from Nino Negri. The man himself is quite impressive, with the bearing of an aristocrat, he is nonetheless soft spoken, shy and humble. Yet everything he says has immense gravity, coming as it does from a man who has 37 harvests behind him. He has put the Valtellina in Lombardy on the map, and is a giant in Piedmonte. Of all the wines we tried that night, it was his Barolo and Barbera that impressed me most. They are perhaps the finest examples of their kind that you will ever see. The Barbera, where do I start? If you like full bodied, robust , dry red wine, know this, I have never had a Napa Cabernet of ANY price that I think is as good as this wine. The wine has penetrating flavor of incredible persistence. But this is not some overripe, muscle bound fruit bomb. His wines display the integration and balance of a mature winemaker at the top of his game. The wine is stunning in it's complexity and elegance, beautifully woven, it manages to express the lush fruit of Asti while revealing, not obscuring the Terroir of Piedmonte. Come drink great wine with us - JM Please Call Us Anytime With Questions - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3 There is a lot going on here in New London. We are closing in on the renovation of the former news store next to Thames River Greenery - We have uncovered amazing original details that were simply hidden behind 60 years of paint and sheet rock. We are excited to bring you City News in the coming weeks. We are sending Jim Morrison to Argentina to strengthen our relationships with the vineyards and winemakers that have provided us with impossibly hard to find wine and special guests for our events. We are working on the Exchange Building - that's the large vacant building adjacent to the winestore - and it will include a dramatic function space that will allow private parties and events in the same atmosphere that our wine cellar is famous for. And we continue to use our "Secret Weapon" - We are listening. Based on your requests we are adding menu ideas, event and guest ideas, and shop on line ideas. We love your input, and we can't say enough about your support. Thank you for making this the best party in Connecticut - week after week. Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend. AAA.