You Asked For It - You Got It!

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Greetings from New London,
As we mentioned last week, you are all asking for "Value - Value - Value." We are making it a top priority and will provide it in everything we offer to you.

With that in mind we are announcing our first Guest Chef Wine Dinner for 2009. STOP reading - pick up the phone and reserve your seats now. 860-443-9463.
You will kick yourself in the pants if you miss this one.

Thursday January 29 - 6 p.m. - Piedmonte Wine Dinner with James Wayman of River Tavern.


We got together with our friends at the River Tavern in Chester and over several glasses of dusty red wine have organized a salute to the food and wine of Italy. Presiding over the mighty Viking Range will be Mr. James Wayman - He has been an executive chef at the River Tavern in Chester for four years, before that, the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts graduate was chef at Water Street Cafe in Stonington for six years.

THE MENU:
First: Ciccioli (Italian Pork Rillet) crostini with dried fruit mostarda & the mostarda is the northern Italian precursor to mustard that is similar to chutney.
Served with Contratto Arnelle Gavi di Gavi 2007

Second: Handmade Tagliatelle with wild black trumpet mushrooms (gathered by Chef Wayman),pancetta & sage cream.
Served with Fratelli Alessandria Barbera d' alba 2005

Third: Roasted leg of lamb with Juniper & honey, creamy polenta, caramelized onions & fennel.
Served with Fratelli alessandria Barolo 2004

For dessert: Whipped ricotta with orange, dates & espresso.
Served with Sergio Grimaldi Brachetto 2007

Now - here is where the value kicks in - the cost of the wine alone - if you could find it - would push this night into Platinum Card territory. Our first wine dinner of 2009 is priced at just $85, plus tax & service.

Put the disappointments of 2008 behind you and join us for a special night. Meet James Wayman and share a glass of wine while he describes each delicious course. Seating is limited, please reserve early.
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

The Monday Tasting 1.12.09

Chateau St. Nicholas Bordeaux 2005 $18

Snow terror grips New London!
As the village ground-zero public announcement system crackles with dire instructions, I realize this day shall see us crippled by yet more blizzard - wiping the sleep from my eyes, I am gripped with fear: have we store of yams to last the winter? What of the onions? Will the provision of salted cod hold out?!?

My worries are soon quelled: Four Mile River Farms beef in the deep freeze, onion, carrot, celery, shallot, potato - if I can hunt a clove of garlic and a trifle of mushroom, we shall concoct a potent stew! And wine! Provenance has seen me a bottle of 2005 Chateau St. Nicholas Bordeaux - perfect! A drop for the kettle and the rest for our merriment! Order Now

The Friday Tasting - Please Join Us
Friday January 16 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Lingenfelder Gewurztraminer 2006 $15

The Hare Label Gewürtztraminer from Lingenfelder is a lively, aromatic wine made from Gewürtztraminer, a traditional aromatic grape variety from the Pfalz region in Germany. The floral, aromatic qualities of this Gewürtztraminer are sure to provide a unique wine tasting experience, whether you enjoy it as an aperitif, with a meal, or just on its own. Perfect with Asian, Thai and Indian cuisine.

Order Now




2 - Errazuriz Merlot 2006 $12



Merlot with just a touch of Carmenere from the Curio valley in Chile. Bright cherry red in color, the nose boasts and interesting combination of black and red fruits with spice.

Cherries and blackberries blend with notes of black pepper, cloves, and a light touch of smoke. Medium bodied on the palate, with gripping tannins and good structure.

Toast and fruit combine with refreshing acidity for a delightful, soft-textured wine with a pleasing finish. Order Now











3 - Puzelat KO "In Cot We Trust" 2005 $21

From Thierry Puzelat, one of the two brothers at Clos du tue Boeuf, comes this odd little number. This wine is bio-dynamically farmed Malbec from of all places, the Loire valley.

As with many Loire wines it's all about character and terroir.

A solid core of fruit and tannins rests on wafting scents of wet stone,
Loire Garrigue and Monkey. For the Francophile and the adventurous.. Order Now





4 -Chateau La Rame Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux
2005 $26

Situated 40 kilometers southeast of the city of Bordeaux, Chateau La Rame is among the oldest and most renowned properties in the Sainte Croix du Mont appellation.

The estate was purchased by Claude Armand, the father of the current owner, Yves Armand. The 20 hectares of Chateau La Rame are set on a clay-limestone soil blessed with an exceptional substratum marked by a bed of fossilized oysters dating from the Tertiary era - really old.

The hillside vineyards overlook the Garonne River and face full south as they slope down towards the river.

The wine was slightly austere but intense with deep fruit and powerhouse tannins last we tasted it six months ago. Since then it's been sitting in our cellar "Mellowing Out", I wonder how it tastes now?

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We especially appreciate all of the comments and suggestions that you take the time to send in - it is very important to us. We do not take your support for granted - thank you for making us into the most talked about & copied wine store in Connecticut.

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


AAA.

Wine Dinners Return, Barons de Rothschild, Crios Torrontes, Castro Ventosa Mencia, El Masroig Sola Fred,Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco

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

www.thamesriver.com





There is a lot going on this week - including a tremendous line-up for Friday night.
I would like to briefly mention something that came up at a dinner we attended a couple of nights ago. The question came up as to why people feel intimidated because they do not know much about wine. Somehow people have gotten the impression that not knowing the difference between a merlot and a cabernet is something to hide - that is a load of crap. America is not a wine-drinking culture. For most of the world wine is something that is on the table and served with food - no big deal - it is part of everyday life.

We believe that drinking wine and learning about wine is a lot of fun, and that's why we encourage you to try wine at our weekly tasting. You do not need a magazine to tell you what to enjoy. In fact that's one reason why our shelves are not littered with those little cards with ratings and opinion's from reviewers.

We offer wine that we have tried ourselves, in many cases we have met the winemaker personally and we want to share our discoveries and something special with you - so that you may form your own opinion. Don't be too concerned with learning about wine - learning to enjoy wine is the first step. The rest will fall into place.

Our list for the Friday tasting is just below these few items of interest.


• First we should probably address all of the rumors about Billy Joel being in the store this week. We have had our fair share of celebrities, including Academy Award winners. And it is true that Mr. Joel is occasionally seen on the Cross Sound Ferry ( he is usually escorted to the wheelhouse to make the trip quietly - I am fairly certain though they do not let him steer - USCG regulations and so forth...) - The best that I can do here is deny that we had a visit this week. We respect the privacy of all our friends and customers. I will remind you that there may still be some seats available for his upcoming Mohegan Sun appearance.

• We had some very kind word's mentioned about us in Sunday's Day paper - in the Perspective Section: "...The cheese and wine shop has a wine cellar that rivals the best that France has to offer..." - If you missed it here is a link for the story : http://theday.com/re.aspx?re=2021ee6a-e12d-4572-842b-e73bf393e6e0
People are discovering downtown New London and all it has to offer.

• Also in Sunday's paper - in The MarketPlace magazine section a story by Eileen Jenkins about the magical qualities of Cognac. The story notes that Cognac is not just for Grumpy Old Men anymore. Cynthia Keller of Restaurant Du Village in Chester talks about the history, production methods, and the fact that it just may be the "perfect" New England drink. It warms you from the inside out, it's meant to be sipped and savored." I mention all of this because we feature all of the Cognac shown in the story - one of the finest selections to be found anywhere. Ask us about it - we even have bottles with Cognac from 1929! - take a look the next time you are in the store.


• Wine Dinners Return - Our own Anne Haviland will be in the kitchen - she is just back from a fabulous European Odyssey - rested, re-charged, and ready for 2008.
This is a new format, based on your comments and suggestions we are opening up the seating plan. These dinners will be "open plan" seating - so you are free to sit with your friends, and family however you choose. A cozy dinner for two? Why not. Two or three couples getting together for a night out? - You bet. Each delicious course is paired carefully with wine and a little something special with the dessert. The final details of the menus and wine lists will be posted on the website and here in the email next week.

Here are the first two dates.

1 - Wednesday March 19 - 6 p.m. - "Sunny Southern Italy" -
food and wine of Italy - $50 - plus tax & service

2 - Wednesday April 4 - 6 p.m. - "Rioja Spain" -
food and wine of Spain - $75 - plus tax & service


Dave's Fave -
Monday Tasting - March 3 - Tasting - No Charge

Domaine Barons de Rothschild Aussieres Rouge 2005 $14
Dave Says: "One thing I love about working in our wine "cave" is knowing which of our little buddies (bottles of wine) have been hanging around for a while. As in this case, you're liable to spot one, "Huh - well this guy got overlooked...for six months! I bet it's drinking great by now." Wine settles so well in out cellar even a few weeks can make a difference. Remember that next time you're in a some big, heated, overlit supermarket-style liquor store...

This is a lovely wine from one of Barons de Lafite Rothschild's vineyard revitalization projects. Chateau d'Aussieres has been producing wine in the Languedoc since the Roman era, now totally refurbished with plantings of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Mourvedre. This Aussieres Rouge is a great winter wine, perfect for hearty stews or lamb. Please stop in for a taste Monday afternoon!"


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

1 - Crios Torrontes 2007 $15
You have seen this name here before - created by Susana Balbo, Argentina's leading female winemaker. Her Crios wines were named "Brand Of The Year" in 2007.
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. The key word here is aromatics, a glass of Torrontes is literally brimming with floral notes. It is for wines like this that we use the term bouquet. It drinks and smells something like a Viognier with the finish of a Sauvignon Blanc.This is one of the two defining grapes of Argentina,the other of course being Malbec. It is only in the very high altitude of Argentina, in this case 5000 feet above sea level, and extremely dry climate that Torrontes shows it's finest expression. This wine will go quickly - still one of the best values coming from South America. please try it on Friday night.


2 - Castro Ventosa Mencia $10
Every once in a while an unfamiliar wine region pops up and demands a little attention. Bierzo Spain is one of those areas. It's in the northwestern corner of Spain - a really beautiful area, almost on the eastern border of Galicia, above Portugal on the Atlantic coast. If you have never heard of Bierzo don't worry - that's why we are here. This is the perfect opportunity to taste a great bottle from an unfamiliar area that will open your eyes. JM: "For those of you who joined us last week for the Bourguiel, this wine will continue our discussion of geography and varietal. Mencia is Spanish for Cabernet Franc, from the region of Bierzo in Northern Spain, and the vastly different climate produces a very different wine from the same varietal. Gone are the flavors of wet stones and earth, and in their place dark fruit and potpouri. The much hotter climate also produces a much bigger, denser wine, closer to it's Cabernet Sauvignon cousin."


3 - Celler El Masroig Sola Fred 2005 $10.
El Masroig is a small, agricultural town of merely five hundred inhabitants, nestled in the beautiful and unspoiled Priorat wine-producing region of Catalonia Spain. Occupied for nearly seven hundred years by the Romans, followed by several centuries of the Visigoths, and then four hundred years by the Moors, the influences were certainly varied. It has its own cooperative for wine and olive oil production which are its principal activities along with the cultivation and harvesting of almonds. It is one of the most beautiful parts of Spain that I have ever seen. The surrounding mountain ranges are visible from every window, and the view covers miles and miles of unbroken land. And aside from Africa, it has the most amazing sky full of stars that I have ever seen. It is also an area that is devoted to food - the locals are obsessed with fresh ingredients and family recipes. This is one of the local wines that makes he food shine.
JM: "Another value priced Spanish wine, this time Carignan from Montsant. Made from dry farmed fruit from vineyards of decomposing granite with a surprisingly low yield of 5 tons a hectare. The wine is opaque with intense fruit and chocolate notes and all for only ten dollars."

4 - Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 $32
The Torres family surname has been linked with wine for more than three centuries. Chile has ideal growing conditions for grapes, but it is the absence of phylloxera, a root aphid, that truly distinguishes the country as a viticultural paradise. The Cabernet vines from Manso de Velasco were planted in 1902, on original root stock.Ungrafted vines can live well over 100 years, producing ever decreasing quantities of better and better fruit. JM: "The combination of old vines and low yield makes this wine one of the best wines of Chile and one of the best cabernet values I've ever seen." This will go quickly - please be sure to try it on Friday night.
Winemaker notes: "Extraordinarily rich aroma of ripe fruit. Its aristocratic Cabernet Sauvignon tannins have a majestic, regal structure, heightened by the creamy background of oak from the Nevers forest that is used in its long barrel-aging."

Thanks very much for your comments, suggestions, and support - we appreciate it.
And thanks for making it so much fun - we have a lot planned for the coming months.


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