Let The Season Begin! Brie & Bleu is Open

New London's Bistro
84 Bank Street
8 6 0 - 4 3 7 - 2 4 7 4

Ladies and Gentlemen, Let the season begin!
The wine list for the Friday Tasting includes an Organic Certified selection from the Perrin Family. All the details are just below a few items of interest.

Some of you may have seen the lights on at
Brie & Bleu this past weekend. The City was full of people and there were a number of graduation parties taking place all over New London. We were very happy to be hosting two of those affairs. One at Brie & Bleu and one at City News.

We are excited to start regular lunch and dinner service at Brie & Bleu and look forward to greeting all of you.


The menu
will be a combination of old favorites and new additions.

The wine by the glass selections will be a thoughtfully selected list that will allow you to enjoy a nice glass of wine at a reasonable price -
none of this "restaurant mark-up" stuff for you.


Of course we still encourage you to shop at the wine store and BYOB your selection -
no corkage fees for those wines or beer.

Our wine by the glass selections will include wines from California, Italy, South Africa, France, & Germany to name just a few. And we will keep them changing to make things interesting.

So thanks for your patience and your amazing support - we look forward to seeing you at Brie & Bleu. If you have questions please give us a call at the The Greenery 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 6 8 1 7.



NEXT

Rogue Ale

Great beer is something that we really care about - and in the next few weeks you will be seeing a dramatic improvement in the amount and selection of the beer we have in stock. This week we feature ROGUE.

HISTORY:
"In the early 1990s Dead Guy Ale was created as a private tap sticker to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (November 1st, All Souls Day) for Casa U Betcha in Portland, Oregon.

The Dead Guy design proved so popular with consumers and especially Grateful Dead fans, that we made it the label for our Maierbock ale.
Even though the association with the Grateful Dead band is pure coincidence, we have gratefully dedicated Dead Guy Ale to the Rogue in each of us."
- John Maier, Brewmaster, Rogue Ales

GOLD MEDAL WINNER
2008 World Beer Championships-Gold
2007 World Beer Championships-Silver
2006 World Beer Championships-Silver

Friday May 28th - 6-9 p.m.
No Charge Please Join Us

William Fevre Chablis Champs Royaux $22



A beautifully crafted crisp, elegant Chardonnay from the ancient mineral soils of Chablis.

The Champs Royaux is vinified with same care as the Fevre Grand Cru Burgundies, fresh, refined with a pleasant roundness from restrained barrell aging.

Very refined bouquet, developing citrus, white-fleshed fruit and floral notes. Fresh and supple, the wine is marked by the mineral notes that are typical of the region.

An amazing summer wine that is about as good with seafood & shellfish as it gets. Try it on Friday.







Toad Hollow Rose of Pinot Noir $12

From our good friend Frankie Williams of
Toad Hollow comes this gorgeous blush summer wine.

They report:
"This is our ELEVENTH vintage of Pinot Noir Rosé and, by far, our best to date. The wine has incredible body and weight for a Rosé of Pinot Noir. The color is a beautiful pink with a hint of "Beaujolais blue."

Whether in sun or shade, this is a truly dry, uncomplicated statement of Pinot Noir at its lightest and most delicate.







Perrin et Fils Reserve Cotes-du-Rhone "Nature" $14

A new treat from Perrin, their "Nature" organic cotes du rhone, grown with no chemical treatment in the vineyards. Ironic, because all wines from the Perrins, including flagship Chateau du Beaucastel are organic - but this represents a new blend that makes it clear on the label! Primarily Grenache with 20% Syrah, this is a lush table red, with aromas of ripe red berries and a hint of pepper.






Langhe Cino Rosso $15

From the Langhe valley situated between Barolo and Barbaresco, this blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto offers a smplendid example of Italian Piemontese red at an affordable price. Notes of rasberry and violet with a smooth finish and very flexible with food. Beautiful with pasta, roasts, hearty salads and soft cheeses.


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

Think of us as Wine - "With Benefits."

AAA.

Set Your Life To Vibrate

On Sale Now
New York Magazine


Betty White & Tracy Morgan
on the cover of the current issue.

Watch The Photo Shoot HERE

We have great Magazines - Stop In & Take A Look

Greetings from New London,
A little late this week - there is a lot going on - But the list for the Friday tasting is just below a few words of interest - Hope to see you this week.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Their most popular beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor.
"Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the flagship beer, the one that made Chico famous. It is a flawless beer that opens with bright, perky high notes of maltiness and orange blossom and segues into a delectable hoppiness."

This was a big hit at our last beer tasting - if you enjoy great beer - don't miss this classic brew. In stock and piled high.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER
Great American Beer Festival (American Pale Ale: 1995, 1994, 1993; Classic English Pale Ale: 1992; Pale Ale: 1990, 1989, 1987)

Friday May 21th - 6-9 p.m.
No Charge Please Join Us

Hugel et Fils Pinot Gris Classic "Hugel" $18

This rich Pinot Gris is a 2006 vintage and is the current release. Hey, no worries, the Hugel family of Alsace has a method to their madness.
They've been doing this for 370 years. We'll defer to the masters: "Hugel Pinot Gris is one of our family secrets! It is the most food-friendly of all our wines and is ideal with veal, roast chicken, all seafood and even ripe cheeses!" Completely dry with no oak aging, this white wine ages very well. Remarkable!






Mulderbosch Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon $12


An odd duck, but certainly not your mom's cold duck! (thank you, I'll be here all week.)

This may sound famliar to many of you who attended last weeks tasting, since it may well be what you sampled and cleaned us out of!

After the Crios Rose Malbec left the building in about 20 minutes, we switched to this lovely little South African wine, a rusty rose of Cabernet of all things.

We'll double up on it, and we'll even crack more of the Crios too if you missed it last Friday!












Bodegas Luzon Verde Jumilla Monastrell $10

This is an affordable favorite around here, beloved by those who look for the "organic" label on all things ingested. Let us make a point here - the vast majority of wines we stock are organic by American standards, the fruit grown without pesticides and hand-harvested with utmost respect for the soils the precious grapevines must mature in for decades. In this case, these relatively young Monastrell vines are situated in Jumilla Spain, in a stony clayscape that looks like Mars (naturally pest-free). The end result is rich, dense red with a dark peppery character.








Bodegas Juan Gil Jumilla Monastrell $18

Let's take wine from Jumilla one step further with the return of Uncle Juan!
Yes, Juan Gil 2007 is here. This gorgeous new vintage is a bit different from the last, finer, more elegant, more detailed, not quite as "bam-pow" on the tongue - still juicy, but exquisite, with a long finish.
To continue our point, this popular wine has been out of stock since last year, but as big a hit as Juan Gil is, it's still an artisanal product. There's no businessman yelling "Ramp up production!" You just get what you get from those gnarly grapevines in that ancient seabed, nothing less than the beauty of the fruits and the cycles of the earth expressed through wine - Meet your new favorite Juan Gil.






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

Think of us as Wine - "With Benefits."

AAA.

National Press Again? Its True

National Press
Two Weeks In A Row?

Current Issue Of The Knot
Americas Premier Wedding Resource
Names Us As A Best Pick For 2010

Greetings from New London,

Well, the planets must be aligned just right or something - because we no sooner finished hanging our Editor's Choice Award from Yankee Magazine, when we received another notification from The Knot magazine. The Knot is considered America's wedding "Bible".

We are very proud to be included in their current issue as a
Best Pick for 2010 - voted on by the brides themselves.

We do not take these awards or your support for granted. They remind us that we have to keep our standards for products and services high and to pay close attention to the details - and that is our promise.

Yankee Magazine:


We want to thank Yankee Magazine for recognizing us this year with an Editor's Choice Award for Brie & Bleu.

".....You'll love this bustling fromagerie on the Thames River for its water views and superb bistro fare."







NEXT -
Anchor Steam
San Francisco's famous Anchor Steam, the classic of American brewing tradition since 1896, is virtually handmade, with an exceptional respect for the ancient art of brewing.

The Anchor Brewing Company has been making beer in San Francisco since 1896. Uniquely San Franciscan, Anchor has played a significant, though small, role in California's majestic history.

The rich history of Anchor Brewing can be traced all the way back to the Gold Rush, when German brewer Gottlieb Brekle arrived in San Francisco with his wife Marie and infant son Frederick. Brekle applied for citizenship in 1854, and his brewing and business acumen would soon lead to his ownership of a little San Francisco brewery on Pacific, between Larkin and Hyde, which would one day become known as Anchor.

We Love Anchor Steam - it is in stock and ready for you to enjoy.

NEXT
Well it was just a matter of time - wasn't it?

Friday May 14th - 6-9 p.m.
No Charge Please Join Us

Friends Old and New

Domaine du Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc $10

Another crisp, light and lovely Sauvignon from Gascogny.

Bright with lime freshness and mineral purity, perfect with lobster, steamer clams or seared scallops.

This is the wine we bring to Captain Scott's Lobster Dock - sit at a picnic table and munch on clam fritters!
It does not get any more local than that!








Crios Malbec Rose $12

Yes, a rose of Malbec, one of the darkest, dry blush wines we've come across.

If you didn't chill it, you might even pretend it was a fruity Pinot Noir.

But when you DO chill it, you'd want to collect all the grilled shrimp skewers and crab claws you could find.

Pan-seared trout with red new potatoes and asparagus?

From Susanna Balbo - our favorite winemaker from Argentina.














Don Ramon Red $9

Uncle Don is a seriously affordable daily table red from Spain.

Very much like an old-school Rioja - Tempranillo with a base of Grenache keeping it light and pretty.

Aged in enormous old oak barrels, this is a surprisingly fantastic red, often ignored, but a staff favorite!




Ramirez de la Piscina Rioja $24

Speaking of old-school Rioja, let's get serious with this beautifully aged Reserva from 2001.
We can get a hold of it because the big supermarket stores have overlooked it.

Rich, delightful, a steal for a wine on the verge of being a vintage Spanish classic. We would pair it with grilled hangar steak, olives and capers - that's right - capers.

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

Think of us as Wine - "With Benefits."

AAA.

Editor's Choice Award!

We Are Honored To Receive An Editor's Choice Award
Thank You

Think of us as Wine - "With Benefits."

We want to thank Yankee Magazine for recognizing us this year with an Editor's Choice Award for Brie & Bleu.

".....You'll love this bustling fromagerie on the Thames River for its water views and superb bistro fare."

Their kind words mean a lot to us. And we are even more excited to get back to regular service than before. We have a great menu planned - even better wine by the glass options, and a series of wine dinners and events that will set a new standard.

So - To all of our friends and customers that have been waiting patiently for the season to begin - start making your plans. A soft opening in a week or so, and then full service at the end of the month.

Now while we are on the subject of food I am compelled to mention the further advances being made on a daily basis at The Beanery and City News. There is nothing else liked it being served downtown - period.

For example look at the Specials for this Wednesday:

Soup:
Vietnamese style
PHO - with Chicken, Fresh Ginger, & Lemon Grass.




Sandwich:
Pulled Pork Butt - with a Coca-Cola BBQ Glaze -
& served with South Carolina style "Mustard Slaw."

Just two examples of whats happening everyday at The Beanery.

Call ahead and your order will be ready for pick up.
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 6 8 1 7 - Press Option 2 for The Beanery.


NEXT
Well it was just a matter of time - wasn't it?
We have added a Twitter link for those of you that may be interested.
We do not send out tweets all day long - we send out tweets when there is something you might find interesting. For example - an impromptu decision to pull the cork on an exotic bottle of bubbly - or a new release from Argentina.

Or maybe something is happening at The Greenery that we did not expect - like maybe Oprah showed up and is handing out keys to new cars like they were candy -
You just never know.

NEXT

Do You Know A Chocolate Lover?
Keep them in mind for Mother's Day.
Our Case Is Full - But They Go Quickly.

Moonstruck Chocolates - Decadent chocolate truffles with fresh flavors found in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Add them to a gift basket or send them all by themselves. Our gift baskets can be a combination of all the wonderful goodies that we have - Wine, baked goods, flowers and chocolate - you get the idea - anything goes.

Friday May 7th - 6-9 p.m.
No Charge Please Join Us

The All Or Nothing Four Bordeaux Smackdown!

Chateau La Rame Bordeaux Blanc $16

White Bordeaux!
Chateau La Rame is one of the most renowned properties in the 'Sainte Croix du Mont' appellation. The estate is set on a clay-limestone soil blessed with an exceptional substratum marked by a bed of fossilized oysters dating from the Tertiary era. The hillside vineyards overlook the Garonne River and face full south as they slope downwards.
The vineyards are planted 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc with an average age of 45 years. We love yummy Tertiary oysters!


Tellus Vinea Bordeaux $18


These vineyards are on the border of the appellation of Lalande de Pomerol.

Those few meters of distance provide us with a real pricing edge - 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from 25-30 year old vines in ancient gravel produce a gorgeous earthy red at a fraction of the price of the famous neighbors.








Pezat Bordeaux Superieur $16

Remember when we used to get "Chateau Tessier" at crazy discounts?

Tessier makes Pezat! Remarkably elegant and lean with stony red fruit, from vineyards right on the doorstep of Saint Emilion. Fantastic quality at a fraction of the price of famous St. Emilion - just a grapes throw away - speaking of which...

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2007 $40

Chateau Haut Segottes has a mere 22 acres of vineyards all within the St. Emilion Grand Cru appellation. The vineyards are planted 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The position of the vineyards within the appellation is outstanding. All fruit is hand-harvested, the wines are rotated into barrel for approximately 18 months and bottled unfiltered. Although the majority of the vineyards are planted to Merlot, this particular cuvee is primarily Cab Franc. Napoleon declared this a Grand Cru - who are we to argue?

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

AAA.