Biggest News Of The Year - So Far

A Cold Week In New London

Greetings from New London,
Big News on the event front to tell you about.
Last week we announced our wine dinner with the River Tavern. It sold out like it was a Springsteen concert - thank you.

This week we are pushing the bar a little higher. In coordination with the Hygenic Art Show's 30th opening, we have a great line up to help you plan ahead. We unveil the evolution of what a food & wine event should be.

The original 1900's interior of City News will be set for a wine dinner & presentation of Italian lifestyle & travel.

TWO special guests will host
The Food, Wine, and Lifestyle of Tuscany.
Reserve your seats early.
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

Ashley Turney - Founder Owner Live It Italy

Anne Haviland - Chef Owner Anne's Kitchen




Saturday January 31 - 6 p.m. at City News.
We start with a flutes of Prosecco and introduction to the original 1900's architecture of City News.

Ashley Turney will introduce us to the secrets of Tuscany accompanied by an authentic menu prepared by Anne Haviland. Wine served with each course.

· Pasta Fagioli with Pancetta
· Orange and Red Onion salad with EVOil and Pignola
· Hunters Style Rosemary Chicken
· Biscotti and Bacci

$50 plus tax & service
Put 2008 behind you and join us for a special night. Meet Ashley Turney and Anne Haviland and share a glass of wine while they take us to Italy with each delicious course.

Plenty of time to walk around the corner to the
Hygienic Art Show 8 p.m. opening.
Seating is limited, please reserve early.
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

Dave's Fave
The Monday Tasting 1.19.09

Berger Blauer Zweigelt 2007 $14

As The Leader of The Free World in bringing one-liter Austrian pop-top wines to the people, we can not keep this tubby number on the shelves. So why is some on the shelves? Perhaps it has been misunderestimated.

Zweigelt, or "Blauer Zweigelt" is an ancient varietal from the foothills of the Alps. One look at the bottle suggests a long tradition of wintertime apres-ski comfort meals. A smoky pheasant stew with gnocchi perhaps?

Reflecting on this, I asked importer Terry Theise, "What kind of authentic Austrian cuisine might one match with this superb wine?" He laughed, "I dunno, It's just FUN, I'd have it with spaghetti and meatballs!!" Order Now

The Friday Tasting - Please Join Us
Friday January 23 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Pala "Crabilis" Vermentino 2007 $16


Crabilis - which means "ancient goat shelter" in Sardinian dialect, is the name of avine-covered limestone-sandy hill not far from the Pala winery.

Crabilis lends its name to Pala's Vermentino, as this is the most widely planted grape in this 25- hectare vineyard area. After harvest and gentle pressing, the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks where it rests for a few months before bottling.

Straw-colored with greenish reflections and a persistent floral and herbaceous aromas with notes of thyme. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with good balance and a long finish. Serve with seafood dishes and lightly seasoned soups.Order Now



2 - Grosjean Premetta 2007 $28


Perhaps the lightest, and finest red wine you will ever drink.

Made from the local grape Premetta in the Vallee D'Aoste in Italy's Northwest corner.

The two world wars have not been kind to the Vallee D'Aoste and in the last hundred years the vineyards have shrunk from 3000 hectares to just over 500 hectare.

The entire region produces less than 200,000 cases, less than most single brands of wine.


A perfect red wine to poultry or fondue, very fine tannins, floral notes on the nose and cherry on the tongue. A very old fashioned, in a very good way. Order Now





3 - Cline Cashmere 2007 $16

Cline Cashmere blend consists of 39% Grenache, 38% Syrah and 23% Mourvèdre. The lion's share of Grenache for this luscious blend is harvested from Massoni Vineyard in Oakley, California.

The vineyard uses cluster-thinning and leaf-pulling to increase fruit concentration. Lusciously bodied, with earthy undertones and a lingering aroma, the wine is best enjoyed with hearty dishes on a cold night. Order Now





4 - Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras 2005 $36

Sang des Cailoux, or Blood of thepebbles, is located on a plateau of scrubland, facing the Dentelles de Montmirail Vacqueyras. The vineyard is bathed in sunlight and shaken by the mistral, the fierce wine that rips through the Rhone.
A blend of Granache, Syrah, Mouverde, and Cinsault. A wine of great structure, with spice and roses. Will age very well for the next several years and improve much as a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape improves.


Best served with game meat and Lamb, rosemary and other Garrigue-esque spices.

Order Now


We are pleased to introduce City News as another venue for special dinners & events. We think you are going to love the space. We also have a great line up for the coming months - all based on suggestions and comments from you - our friends and supporters. Look for all of the news right here in the email and on our websites. Thank you all for making this so much fun.

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


AAA.

Tenuta Vitanza Chianti, Macrostie Chardonnay, Sierra Cantabria, Cline Cashmere, Duckhorn Merlot,

ThamesRiver.com Visit Our Stores Here Thames River Greenery - Thames River Wine & Spirits - Brie & Bleu - City News - Import

Greetings from all of us in New London, Mother's Day is just around the corner on the 11th, don't forget to order early - we have lots of ways to say "I love you mom" - Mother's Day We have a beautiful line up for Friday night - including a very famous name from California. And speaking of famous names - we have a special guest in the cellar this week - Roger Hoadley will be on hand to answer your questions and regale us with stories of the wine trade. Mr. Hoadley is on loan to us from Slocum & Sons, one of Connecticut's largest distributors of fine wine. Many of you know that we have dispatched our Jim Morrison to Argentina this week. He has worked hard to earn this trip and he will be drinking wine tirelessly on our behalf. That's the kind of dedication that is hard to find now a days. So let's raise our glasses to Jim this week and imagine that he is doing the Tango in Buenos Aires - while we enjoy the wines for this week. The list is just below a few items of interest.

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Pampered Poultry Duck Confit on wilted arrugula Brie & Bleu Dinner Special Friday & Saturday - May 9 - 10 Reservations: 8 6 0 - 4 3 7 - 2 4 7 4 Crispy Roast Duck Confit with Lyonnaise Potatoes & Wilted Arugila - $14.95 This French classic can't be beat! We have the meatiest, most succulent duck legs available from D'Artagnan. Crispy on the outside, rich in flavor & juicy on the inside. The Perfect Wine: Paired with Louis Latour Valmossine Pinot Noir. This clear, light-ruby wine from the hills of Var in Provence is a Burgundian-style red made in the style of the ancient "Vin Vermeil," Fresh with bright flavors, light-bodied but crisp red fruit and earthy notes that follow the nose. There's a wisp of tannins along with clean fruit in the finish - Just $6 a glass, $18 a bottle. ··· Thursday May 8 - Maasdam Arrives The Cruise Ship season begins with the arrival of Holland America's Maasdam. We never get tired of watching these majestic liners ease into New London's harbor. A perfect spot for watching is the deck at Brie & Bleu. Have dinner, a glass of wine and watch the departure. ··· Food Stroll - Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 5:30-8:30 PM Spring will officially kick off in The District at New London Main Street's annual Spring Food Stroll. More Info Here

Dave's Fave Special Monday Tasting Click on the label to order it now Tenuta Vitanza Chianti Colli Senesi 2005 $16 CIAO, VITANZA!!! "Charm, Love and Passion," is their motto... Let's go to Italy - Bellissima! Every day I descend our cellar steps and give a nod to the CHARM of the big mags of Vitanza Brunello de Montalcino 2001 at the top of the Italian rack, smoldering, getting more delicious every day, secure in the knowledge that every grape crushed in those bottles actually came from Montalcino! (Yeah, I went there) I'll pick up one of those big boys my next big supper! Hey, wait - there, with the pink label - Vitanza Rosso de Montalcino! I LOVE that wine and the price is quite within my stratosphere indeed! But now along comes Vitanza Chianti, as if the small family operation at Vitanza knew cheap musicians in Connecticut have a PASSION for elegant, smoky Sangiovese! Just try to find a comparable Chianti at this price, with such a noble lineage. You've got to try it!

Wine Tasting Please Join Us Friday May 9 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge Can't Make It To The Tasting? - Order it now - click on the photos 1 - Macrostie Chardonnay Carneros 2006 $24 Fruit from the high hills of Carneros go into this lovely, balanced wine - 2006 was a winemaker's dream with a very long, cool growing season. Aged in French oak, on the lees for six months. This wine is made by fanatics, if there is a better example of this type of chardonnay from Carneros - we would like to know about it. Beautiful lemony scents and a creamy custard & butter finish. This is a medium weight Chardonnay and a modern Californian benchmark. 2 - Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza 2003 $17 Classic: the Sierra Cantabria vineyards are set in an ancient village in Northern Spain, the upper reaches of Rioja. Very low yield, old vines digging deep in stony, red soil (as if on Mars): Tempranillo grapes, 14 months in oak, smoky and voluptuous - a shining, affordable pearl from Rioja! Noted wine expert Robert Parker had this to say about the 2001: "I have served friends the brilliant 2001 Crianza (98% Tempranillo and 2% Graciano) just to prove what great wine can be purchased even with a weak dollar. It is a complex, elegant, deep ruby/purple-tinged offering boasting a sweet nose of lead pencil shavings, white chocolate, blackberries, and cherries. Medium-bodied with supple tannin as well as admirable structure, definition, and ripeness, it can be enjoyed now and over the next 5-8 years." Rated 91 points. 3 - Cline Cashmere 2005 $15 Cline initially created this blend as an auction lot for the Hospice du Rhone charity that's held in Paso Robles California each year. Cashmere is a very flavorful, smooth wine offering big cherry, raspberry and chocolate notes with hints of cracked black pepper and plum. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold will be donated by Cline Cellars to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Our own Dave Anderson has this to add: "All of our friends keep requesting this wine - okay okay, you can have it!!! From Cline, out in little Oakley, California, just between Napa and the Bay Area, these hippie-freaks make big, gorgeous, velvety Rhone-varietal reds, which you, our valued wine-freak-friends know means: Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre - but mostly Mourvedre here, oddly enough! Rhone via California - big, lush and ripe - not quite like rocky old France. Cline made this wine for a cancer research benefit and couldn't stop! Proceeds continue to fund the cause." 4 - Duckhorn Merlot 2005 $56 A great fan of Merlot since traveling to St. Emillon and Pomerol, Dan Duckhorn felt that this elegant varietal was under appreciated in North America. "I liked the softness, the seductiveness, the color," says Dan, "the fact that it went with a lot of different foods; it wasn't so bold, didn't need to age so long, and it had this velvety texture to it. It seemed to me to be a wonderful wine to just enjoy. I became enchanted with Merlot." From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today. Dave Anderson: "While Jim's in Argentina, we will take the time to explore the wine of a mysterious, distant land: a place called "Napa" in the State of "California" where they apparently keep making wine - red and white wine just for your pleasure! This particular treat is one of my (Dave's) favorite wines from this alien locale, actually, if my crusty memory serves, right where I used to go to dinner at the vineyard in St. Helena while we watched UNLV basketball games and Buster Douglas beat up Mike Tyson... Oh boy, one sip takes me back to the cusp of 1990! This is Merlot with a Capital Napa - one of the finest examples from the USA, one of California's best at any price, the star of our Friday night show: "THE DUCK!" Please Call Us Anytime With Questions - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3 As always, thank you for making this the best party in Connecticut - week after week. With your continued support we are making changes and adding programs and events, and putting together a great season. We are listening. We hope to see you this week. Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend. AAA.