Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Apr 28

Your host will be Marian Cherrone of Slocum and Sons.


Paolo Scavino Rosso Vino da Tavola 2009 $16.99
Piedmont is best known for red wines made from Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, but this wine is a blend of all three, with a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, red currant aromas are joined by dried herbs and a scent of leather. This is a very approachable, easy-to-drink wine with pleasing flavors of baked plum and black cherry with notes of violet, leather and coffee.


Bouchard Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2009 $15.99
Brilliant cherry red. Red fruit aromas, cherry, kirsch with notes of lime and mint. A plump wine with a lot of fruit and a delicate note of wood. Good persistence. Harmonious and well balanced.


La Cana Albarino 2010 $14.99
Bodegas La Cana's 2010 Albarino was fermented in stainless steel (80%) and larger barrels (20%) and aged sur lie. Mineral, lemon zest, baking spices, and floral notes inform the nose of this round, smooth-textured, savory white. With excellent volume and length, this outstanding value will provide pleasure for another 3-4 years. Wine Advocate, 90 pts


Von Schleinitz Weissenberg Kabinett Riesling 2009 $14.99
This wine is elegant and well-integrated. Peach, nectarine and grapefruit flavors hold court with the essence of mineral. On the finish are hints of spice and honey.

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Apr 20

Your host will be Kayla Afonso of Crispin Cider.

Original $7.29/4pb
Crisp over ice. A classically styled, but untraditional hard apple cider. Fruit forward, with a fresh, crunchy appley nose and a deliciously creamy, refreshingly crisp mouth feel.

Saint $5.99/22oz
Naturally fermented using a premium blend of fresh pressed apple juice, not from concentrate, and fermented with Belgian Trappist beer yeasts, The Saint boasts a sweet floral bouquet that develops a yeasty, herbal complexity.

Brownslane $9.29/4pc
Crispin Browns Lane is named for the original Jaguar car factory in England, and is a sincere homage to the great British motor-racing heritage, embodied in classic Jaguar, Bentley, Aston-Martin, Lotus cars and the legendary drivers like Hill, Stewart, Moss, Surtees and Clark. A racing tradition and expertise that continues today in Formula 1 and Cart racing.

Honey Crisp $5.99/22oz
Cloudy Hard Cider™. For the discerning drinker, Honey Crisp’s artisanal style is embodied in our unique Cloudy Filtration™ process, using racked unfiltered apple wine that leaves residual natural apple wine sediment in the bottle. Every bottle should receive a full Bottoms-Up! tilt and swirl before opening and enjoying.

BEER DINNER: Spring Beer Dinner - Mon, May 7th 2012 7pm-10pm

Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market,
Barcelona Restaurant and Latis Imports Present:
Spring Beer Dinner
With guest host John Zuluaga, CT/VT Manager
Monday, May 7, 7PM
$42 plus tax and gratuity

First course:
Heirloom carrots, English peas and pea tendrils
Palm Amber – Belgian Ale

Second course:
Asparagus gazpacho, truffle
Steenbrugge Wit – Belgian White

Third course:
House cured lomo, paprika, fennel marmalade, lemon
Theakston XB – English Bitter

Fourth course:
Pan roasted duck breast, rhubarb
Rodenbach Classic – Belgian Sour Ale

Fifth course:
Cana de cabra cheesecakeBoon Kriek –Belgian Lambic

For reservations please contact:
Barcelona Restaurant & Wine Bar
4180 Black Rock Turnpike,
Fairfield RSVP 203-255-0800
mailto:barcelonawinebar@aol.com
http://www.barcelonawinebar.com/fairfield.htm

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Apr 21

Your host today is Deidre Magnello.
It is always a pleasure to have Deidre come to do a tasting for us. First off, she is very passionate about her wines and has a wonderfully approachable personality to match that enthusiasm and she shows her wine. One of the reasons that she is so successful is that she really loves what she does and truly likes to work with her portfolio and the people that are tasting it with her. If you have a question, she has an answer and you will never feel like she is handing you a line for the sake of selling a bottle. She wants you to enjoy the wine just as much as she does and it really comes across.

If you are out and about on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, take a few minutes and stop in for a taste and meet a terrific lady. -Cheers

Coeur Esterelle Rose 2011 $11.99
A great example of a Provence rosé. It’s a very delicate and round Provencal rosé with plenty of strawberries and white peaches. Red fruits and mineral notes on the nose. Very round on the palate with strawberries, a little white peach, a nice creaminess, and a long finish

Zemmer Pinot Grigio 2010 $15.99
The prominent nose, as well as the excellent acid balance, lend this wine power and structure. Color: radiant straw-yellow. Bouquet: delicately fruity, with subtle tones of pear. Flavor: dry, soft, with a pleasing fullness and delicate acidity.

Manciat Macon 2010 $15.99
Terrific wines from proprietor Marie-Pierre Manciat include the 2010 Macon (100% Chardonnay). Aged completely in concrete, it is a crisp white offering up notes of tangerine oil, lemon rind, white currant and a hint of white peach. Zesty, nicely textured and refreshing." - 89 Points - The Wine Advocate

Milcampos Ribera del Duero 2009 $15.99
The dense purple 2009 Milcampos Vinas Viejas was sourced from older vines and aged for 10 months in new American and Hungarian oak. Brooding black fruits, lavender, cinnamon, clove, soy, and pepper inform the nose of this powerful effort. It delivers greater density than the Milcampos bottling and will evolve for 2-3 years. Drink this lengthy effort from 2013 to 2021. Wine Advocate, 92 pts

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Apr 20

Your host will be Joe LaValle of Harry's.

Liefmans Kriek                     $11.99/750ml

Dark strong cherry beer, slightly tart, slightly sweet, mouthfilling and mindblowing with a deliciously smooth dark and distinctive head and a sweet/sour flavour.

Pawel Kwak                           $10.59/750ml

Pauwel Kwak is a bit of a different beast in the Belgian world. Considered a “Belgian Strong Ale,” a category that is open for interpretation, it doesn’t have the typical tongue-numbing spiciness associated with many Belgian ales. This is no tripel or abt; rather, it’s more lager-ish, a bit darker and maltier than many popular Belgians.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo        $8.49/4pc

Torpedo is an assertive American IPA deep reddish-gold in color, with a smooth and bready malt presence and over-the-top hop aromas. The beer has a solid bitterness and a massive hop flavor, yet remains easy drinking with a pleasant dry finish.

New World of Tequila

Sales of Tequila have been growing rapidly in the past few years. One of the most exciting aspects of this growth is that the tequila producers have been experimenting with a variety of different production techniques. For instance, producer Paqui now uses champagne yeast during their fermentation process, and their barrel aging program includes bourbon and brandy barrels.

The big word in the world of Tequila now is “SIPPING”! It is not uncommon for a tequila lover to order it straight up, and just sip it either as a cocktail before dinner or as a digestif after dinner. The center of Tequila production is in the Mexican region of Jalisco, and the beverage itself gets its name from the town of Tequila therein. It is quite a sight to see the large, spiky leaves of the Agave plant before it is harvested to yield its inner core called the “Piña” from which Tequila production begins.

We are very pleased to present a Tequila seminar and tasting on Wednesday, May 2, from 7 to 9pm ($40). This will be your opportunity to taste the 3 major styles - Blanco, Reposado, Anejo – as well as to sample a side-by-side comparison of tequilas made by a traditional producer, Don Julio, versus those made by a producer, Paqui, using new and innovative techniques. You will also get to taste Mezcal (what is that?), and also a “blended” tequila.

Do not miss this opportunity to really expand your horizons and taste buds about this wild and exotic spirit. And yes, we will also show you how to make the “Perfect Margarita”! Featured tequilas will be: Paqui, Don Julio, Maestro Dobel, Sombra Mezcal.

WINE DINNER: Hecht & Bannier Wine Dinner Mon, April 23rd 2012 7pm-10pm

Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market
Brasserie Restaurant and Frederick Wildman & Sons Present:
Hecht & Bannier Wine Dinner
With Guest Host Gregory Hecht, Owner
Monday, April 23 – 7PM
$55 plus tax and tip

Tartare de Thon, Sauce Basilique
Tuna Tartar served with Drizzle of Basil Oil
Languedoc Rose 2011

Aiguillettes de Canard Rôtie, sur une salade de Mâche et Vinaigrette aux Poivres Rose
Roasted sliced of duck breast served with Mache Salad and Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette
Languedoc Red 2007

Filet de Saumon de l’Atlantique, Grillé, Sauce au Vin Rouge
Grilled Filet of Atlantic Salmon served with Red wine Sauce
Minervois 2009

Côte de Veau Grillée, sauce aux Trois Champignons
Grilled Veal Chop served with Three Mushrooms Sauce
Cotes des Roussillon Village 2009

Assiettes de Fromages
(Morbier et Roquefort)
Cheese Plate
(Morbier and Roquefort)
Faugeres 2009

Tarte aux Fruits Rouge
Red Berries Tart
Café, Décaf Café or Thé


For reservations please contact:
Brasserie Restaurant
52 Sanford Street, Fairfield
(203) 254-8094 thebrasseriect@hotmail.com
http://www.thebrasseriect.com/

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Apr 14

Your host today is Special Guest Georgio Viberti, owner of Cascina Ballarin of Piedmont, Italy. Georgio is here to share his wines and the stories behind crafting them. He will personally sign bottles for your own private collection. Since beginning to compose this post, I have been notified that the 2004 Tre Ciabot has already sold out!

Good news/Bad news...
Since we don't have anymore of the '04 barolo we are opening the 2006 single vineyard Bricca Rocca Barolo, a special treat and it retails for $72.99 Don't Miss This!

www.cascinaballarin.com/


Langhe Bianco 2009 $19.99
Deep straw-yellow; fruity, fresh, fragrant nose showing meadow flowers; very long and rich on the mouth. A blend of Nascetta and Chardonnay.


Barbera d’Alba 2008 $14.99
Ruby-red; delicate, rich nose with fruity overtones and a background of unobtrusive wood; luscious, smooth, slightly sharp flavour. Medium cellar life.


Langhe Nebbiolo 2007 $22.99
Medium deep ruby-red; rich, fruity nose with flowery fragrance of roses and violets; very luscious, elegant taste lingering in the mouth with the characteristic marked sweetness of fresh nebbiolo.


Barolo 2004 $39.99 Sold out
Ruby-red of medium intensity, with orangey highlights; rich, elegant nose with overtones of roses and violets; refined, spicy taste that lingers in the mouth with a hint of tannins. Medium cellar life.

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Apr 13

Tonight Renzo is manning the tasting table and has hand selected three for your enjoyment so if you are in the neighborhood you'll want to make it in for this one. Also, fresh from the printer in the poster (scroll down) for Renzo's first of two beer festivals that he is putting together this summer. Both are events that will benefit chosen charities and he has worked hard to get them together.
For information on date and tickets please scroll down.


Sam Adams Cinder Block $6.99/22oz
Sam Adams has just released 4 beer in the brewery’s new Small Batch Series, and aren’t stopping there. Cinder Bock looks to join the crew next year. Cinder is billed as a “rauchbock” or smoke bock. Unusual and playful this half-breed brew begins with a rush of smoky, almost savory, aromas and flavors. The distinctive campfire smokiness of a rauchbier lingers and beings to reveal the rich and velvety malt smoothness of a double bock with a notes of toffee and caramel. This roguish brew transforms from its bold start to a hearty and satisfying finish.


Ass Kisser DIPA $11.99/4pb
Ass Kisser Ale is a state of mind! Just as you contemplate the flavors of this fine ale you can contemplate sharing a bottle with a friend or your boss. Maybe they are one in the same. And then again maybe not! We are just sayin! Ass Kisser Double IPA is a rich malty ale that has warm carmel notes that open up as it warms up to your glass. It pairs with foods with spice and aromas like Asian 5 Spice or curries. To get maximum aroma and flavor, pour this ale into a snifter style glass. This ale is made to take off the edge of a long day! Made from caring hands that understand what it takes to have to kiss a little to get anywhere these days.


MacTarnahans Triple $7.99/22oz
Weighing in at nine percent alcohol, Grand Luxe will sandbag the unwitting with its pale straw color, mild hop flavor, dryness and alluring head of foam. A true Belgian Triple, Grand Luxe is made with unmalted wheat, spicy Belgian yeast and genuine Belgian candy sugar, which contributes to flavor and alcohol content alike

More on the Beer festival...
This event will happen June 16th 2012 at 12pm and is being called the offshore pour. You will be

embarking on the good ship Island Belle out of South Norwalk and sailing around the Long Island Sound as you listen to music and taste craft beer from around the country while enjoying BBQ and other foods from Bobby Q's.
Space is limited to the first 400 individuals. For information on tickets and to reserve your space go here or stop into Harry's and see Renzo.

Wine Spectator 2012 Grand Tour Tasting in New York, May 1st

Here is your opportunity to taste more than 200 wines from some of the world's greatest wineries and châteaus as they gather for Wine Spectator's Grand Tour tasting in NYC on May 1st at the Marriot Marquis. More information and tickets available here

-All of the wines will be Spectators top scoring selections.

-Meet and speak with winery owners

-Taste hard to find wines

-Complimentary Buffet

-Souvenir Riedel wine glass

Harry’s Expands to Make “Room for Rosé” . . .

. ., . or it certainly seems that way -- it’s only mid-April and we already have 80 selections of the the “pink stuff” in the store! During the five or six warm months of the year, the front of our store has that warm, glow of color from all the bottles of rosé that range in shades from the palest of pinks thru salmon-orange and finally towards shades of red.

Last year, the summer of 2011, we reached the triple-figure mark and had just over one hundred different bottlings of Rosé from around the world. This summer of 2012 has all the ear-markings of a record-breaking year as we expect to have around 125 different selections.

If you are not a Rosé convert yet, it may be time for you to come over to the “Pink Side”. Don’t be afraid, they are not sweet. . . let’s repeat that, ROSÉ WINES ARE NOT SWEET! They are deliciously dry and refreshing when served well-chilled, can be drunk easily on their own but also pair wonderfully with all kinds of food, and they are made from many of your already favorite grapes: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese, Grenache, etc. The unique aspect about the production of Rosé wines is that the skins of these red grapes are removed from the just-beginning-to-ferment juice after only a few hours. This allows only the lightest pink color hue to be imparted to the wine and almost none of the tannins, resulting in a wine that is light-bodied, easy drinking, quite chillable, and DRY!

Len Gulino

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Apr 7

Your host is Michael Tobin of Worldwide Wines. Today at the tasting we have former employee Michael Tobin who is now our salesman for Worldwide Wines (still in the Harry's family though). If you follow the blog at all you have seen him before doing beer and wine tastings for us. With Mike today is another friend and regular customer Ron Lanzo who on another occasion about six months ago got his picture on the blog at a different Saturday tasting Here. Ron has been a good friend and loyal customer to Harry's over the year and we're glad he stopped in on this Saturday before Easter. Today Mike is tasting a selection that will pair well with your holiday meal. He has chosen a couple to pair with ham and or Lamb. If you are out and about today and want a quick break from the preparations for Easter, stop by and have a taste. Maybe you'll find a wine for your dinner table and kill 2 birds with one stone.

Girardin Bourgogne Rouge 2009 $22.99

This is really quite pretty aromatically with an attractive blend of ripe red berry fruit, floral hints, earth nuances and a background note of minerality that continues onto the round and plush finish.

Tintonegro Malbec 2010 $9.99

This wine was born of the long time friendship and professional collaboration of Alejandro Sejanovich and Jeff Mausbach. Colleagues at Bodega Catena Zapata for almost 15 years, Alejandro was Vineyard Director and Jeff was Wine Education Director. Sourced from Mendoza’s Primera Zona of Lujan de Cuyo and Maipu, the Mendoza blend is meant to showcase the exceptional value and approachable style of Malbec. The wine’s soft, drinkable style is accompanied by light oak aging for additional complexity.

Dr. Loosen “Dr. L” Riesling 2010 $9.99

Luscious pear, peach and apple aromas retain the crisp sweet/tart quality of ripening fruit just before harvest. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is refreshing and juicy, with zippy acidity balancing bright flavors of pear, apricot, mango and lime. The lush attack is followed by a long finish that is simultaneously sweet and tart, dry and mouth-watering.

Alexander Valley Vineyards Rosé of Sangiovese 2011 $14.99

This vintage is slightly darker in color, has lower residual sugar and slightly higher acidity resulting in a wine with more texture. Aromas of wild strawberry, watermelon, raspberry and mint jump out of the glass. There are flavors of strawberry, peach, berry and a hint of minerality. The finish is dry with a long aftertaste.

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Apr 6

Your host will is Jamie from Sebago brewing.

We're getting it started and the selection looks good today. Just in time to help get you Easter/Passover weekend started. Cheers!




Elegan’s Saison                      $8.99/22oz

A ruby colored winter Saison, brewed with Pineapple Sage, an herb from the mountains of Central America long used as a tension reliever.

Full Throttle DIPA               $9.99/4pb

Part of the Single Batch Series
Full Throttle Double IPA is our biggest beer yet with ton’s of hops and malt. Our Double IPA is a beautiful deep amber in color. It has a big lacey head and huge hop aroma. Full Throttle is eye-crossingly hoppy and weighs in at 8% ABV Please be advised that this beer is not for the faint of heart. It is for people who like intense hop flavor balanced with a bold maltiness and warm alcohol. We first wort hop with Chinook and blend Centennial and Cascade in the Aroma addition and finish with Centennial.

Boathouse Brown Ale           $9.29/6pb

Boathouse Brown Ale is a medium bodied brown Ale. It is brewed with caramel, chocolate and black malts to give it a deep mahogany color. It is well balanced with American hops and is a great session beer. It pairs well with grilled steaks and burgers, BBQ sauces and salads. It is excellent with lobster, mussels and rich sauces.

Frye’s Leap IPA                    $9.29/6pb

We have followed the British tradition and created Frye’s Leap IPA which is one of the hoppiest beers in Maine at 55 IBU’s. Brewed with American 2-row, caramel 20L & 60L Highly hopped with Cascade, Centennial and Nugget and aggressively dry hopped with a mixture of Centennial and Cascade. Frye’s Leap IPA is an American-style India Pale Ale. It has a strong hop flavor and a medium body. Frye’s Leap IPA is light golden in color with a fruity hoppiness that comes from extra dry hop conditioning. The IPA is perfect on a summer day it pairs well with spicy foods, vinaigrettes and grilled vegetables. It also is great with oysters, clams and chilled soups.

Beer Cans Are Back. . .even for the best craft beers!

Renzo, our beer consultant, is getting into the growing controversy about craft beer.


The craft brew beer business is evolving, in the same way that the wine business is changing. We’re talking about containers and capping here. Just as the wine purists were despondent about the conversion of corks to screw caps, the craft beer enthusiasts are now being asked to accept the move from bottles to cans and it is interesting to note that this is being met with mixed enthusiasm.

Cans have several advantages:
- They have less air trapped in them, leading to lower oxidation.
- No light can get through into the can. Even though the beer bottles are brown, there is still some light gets in and that's what gives beer a "skunky" smell.
- For several years now the inside of the aluminum can have been made of Vinylite, a synthetic material that eliminates the dreaded metallic taste.

Fermentation methods are evolving also... Many Belgium beers, for instance, are made using bottle fermentation. The newer technique is now to ferment the beer in aluminum cans, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a good example. Renzo tells us that if you take a bottle of Sierra and taste it next to their new can, there is a noticable difference and in fact the can is better! Suds fans seem to agree and our distributor is finding it difficult to keep up with demand of this particular product.

Regardless of the container that you buy your craft beer in, Renzo absolutely recommends that you pour your beer into a glass. But not just any glass, the glass that is intended for that style of beer. When in doubt about what glass to use, a good wine glass will always work well.

This can-versus-bottle controversy is just one of many new and exciting topics that Renzo is well-informed about. Any questions about beer. . . come in and talk to him.

Welcome to the World of Chianti!

By now everyone has heard about one of Italy's most popular wines, Chianti. Being referenced in such movies as The Silence of the Lambs where Hannibal Lecter enjoys some liver and farva beans with a nice bottle of Chianti, Chianti happens to be one of the most approachable and food friendly wines found in the world of wine. One in particular that I have grown fond of at the moment is the San Felice Chianti Classico from the "Ring of Chianti" in Tuscany. Not being a huge fan of Chianti's myself, I was a little hesitant about trying it at first but I could not have been more wrong. Upon opening it hints of dark berries and licorice were evident. The first sip was extremely soft with a nice round medium body. The finish leaves a lingering expression of an old world wine with depth and character. The blend consists of 80% sangiovese, 10%Colorino and 10% Pugnitello. Enjoy this wine by itself or with a bigger pasta dish or a nice piece of steak or lamb.

Unbelievably priced at only $15.99, Don't miss this one!

-Chris OB