Working girl

A couple of months ago I brought Lily to work with me on a Sunday and it was a big hit. Since then on my scheduled Sunday it has become something of a habit, she really loves to interact with people. She is a very social pup and I've had many people tell me that we should make her a regular fixture at the store since she is so well mannered. We'll see how it all shakes out but in the mean time every third week or so she will come in with me on Sunday to be our greeter and child care provider. She is very loving and children are her favorite people.

With Sandy around the corner I came in to help with the rush of people picking up their supplies so she came with me. Next week she'll be on staff also.

Come by and say hi!

- Patrick

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Oct 27

Your host will be Ken Dane of Winesellers.




Dr H. Thanisch Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 2011 $17.99
Fine level of acidity on the palate with notes of lush lemon peel, apple, and clover honey. There is ripe yellow fruit on the long finish. Exceptional balance.

Besserat de Bellfon Champagne Brut N.V. $29.99
The medium straw colour has copper highlights and delicate fast moving bubbles forming a fine necklace. Its open nose leads to floral aromas and hints of dried flowers, while the paalate reveals fruitiness, white peaches and Mirabelle plums, followed at the end by hazelnut and caramelized nut notes. The gentle bubbles provide a creamy mouth feel and long finish. A classic blend of 35% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir and 45% Pinot Meunier.

Montgravet Cotes de Gascogne 2011 $8.99
From southwest France comes this engaging, medium-bodied wine that offers notes of melon, candied apricot, green apple, lime and cream. This wine is made completely from the Colombard grape which is also traditionally distilled into Cognac or Armagnac.

Santa Julia Organic Malbec 2011 $9.99
Purple red colour. This is a rich yet fruity wine with a nose of sweet violets as well as ripe fruits such as figs and raisins. The palate is packed with flavors of plum, cherry and strawberries with hints of chocolate and a spicy finish.

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Oct 26

Your host is Lattie Beth from Weed Brewery.

Weed Brewery Amber $8.99/6pb

This has a great nuttty, caramel note with a light bitter from the hops. Notes of dark chocolate, salted nuts and strawberry. Really tasty and refreshing.

Wine Tasting and Silent Auction

FAIRFIELD FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION
WINE TASTING AND SILENT AUCTION
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD
5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM

A FUNDRAISING EVENT TO BENEFIT INNOVATIVE CLASSROOM PROGRAMS IN THE FAIRFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER
370 BEACH ROAD, FAIRFIELD, CT
$35 SINGLE, $60 COUPLE
TICKETS BY MAIL, ONLINE, OR AT THE DOOR
WWW.FAIRFIELDFFE.ORG

LIVE JAZZ AND LITE BITES

WINE TASTING COURTESY OF HARRY’S WINE & LIQUOR MARKET

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Oct 20

Your host will be Leslie Calatayud of Majestic Fine Wines.

*A gentle reminder*
that we will be
CLOSED SUNDAY 10/21/12 FOR INVENTORY*

Arrowood Chardonnay 2009 $19.99
Crisp, delicate and clean Chardonnay, with zesty citrus acidity, like a squeeze of lime. Tastes savory, with lime, white flower and mineral flavors. A likeable young wine that’s a good pairing with shellfish. Wine Enthusiast, 88 pts


Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $35.99
Good bright red-ruby. Cherry, redcurrant and flowers on the nose. Supple on entry, then a bit youthfully clenched in the middle, showing good grip to the flavors of cassis, minerals, licorice and herbs. Not hugely rich or fleshy but has good structure. A tad dry and peppery on the finish. This wine was to have been bottled in April. International Wine Cellar, 90 pts


Byron Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 26.99
The 2009 Nielson Pinot Noir displays aromas of dark plum, blueberry, cinnamon, clove, and hints of floral and smoke. The flavor profile has a core of dark cherry and dark plum, with hints of brown sugar and allspice. With big, rich tannins, structure and velvety texture, this wine is backed by a long, lingering finish. The fruit for this Pinot Noir came from selected high-density blocks planted to Dijon clones. After harvest, the clusters were hand-sorted and cold-soaked for three to five days to intensify fruit character, color and body. Small batches were processed in 2 -6 ton tanks of which 5% incorporated stem inclusion during the fermentation process. Lots were kept separate until blending to maximize the quality of the blend.


Angela Pinot Noir 2009 $44.99
Medium ruby in color, the bouquet opens up with a forward note of terroir and minerals over perfectly ripe black raspberry and blueberry aromas, along with a subtle hint of oak spice. Plush and forward, it shows surprising richness on the palate entry, but regains its balance deftly. Soft and rich dark berry flavors are tinted with colas and tea notes.

Beer Tasting 4pm - 7pm Friday, Oct 19

Your host is Angela Deon of Crispin Cider.

Cider $7.29/4pb
Crisp, refreshing natural hard apple cider 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.

Honey $5.59/22oz
Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve™ is a small batch, hand crafted, super-premium hard apple cider smoothed with real organic honey for a rich, creamy, full-bodied crisp taste. Smooth over ice.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.Naturally fermented using a premium apple juice blend, not from apple juice concentrate, with no added malt, spirit or grape alcohol. Honey Crisp is smoothed with pure organic honey, with no added sugar, colorants or sorbate or benzoate preservatives. Honey Crisp's apple juice is a fresh pressed blend of 3 to 5 different apples. We do not use the Honeycrisp apple, a very fine dessert eating apple, but in our experience and in our opinion, not a fine base for apple wine.



Saint $5.59/22oz
Prepare to be converted. The Saint is a uniquely debonair & elegant cider, a cider to convert skeptics. 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. The Saint is uncorrupted by added malt, spirit or grape alcohols, and is free of added sugar, colorants, sorbate and benzoate preservatives, and is filtered cold for crisp refreshment. A small batch, hand-crafted, super-premium hard apple cider, The Saint is smoothed with pure organic maple syrup for a silky, sustained mouth-feel that develops complexity on the palate. The Saint is vinted to a 6.9 percent ABV for a full body, yet remains exceptionally easy to drink from the first crisp sip to the last drop.It's very, very good. The Saint has an elevated drinkability that is never sacrificed to overbearing complexity. Cloudy Filtration. The embodiment of artisanal style, The Saint uses rack-aged apple wine through our cloudy filtration process. Discerning drinkers will find residual apple wine sediment in each bottle for a rich full-bodied flavor that's true to the apple and good to the last drop. Give a full Bottoms-Up! Tilt & swirl to disperse the apple-wine sediment evenly and to ensure an even taste profile through the entire bottle.



Fox Barrel Pear Cider $7.29/4pb
Naturally fermented using 100% pear juice, not from pear juice concentrate or pear-flavored hard apple cider. Filtered cold for extra purity, and smoothed with pear juice. With no added colorants, sugar, sorbate or benzoate preservatives. No added malt, spirit, grape or apple alcohols. Naturally elegant and refreshingly adult with a sparkling clean natural pear finish, and a subtle woody complexity, completed by an intense fresh pear bouquet.

Closed for inventory Sunday Oct. 21st

Hi all,

This is the official reminder that we are closing this coming Sunday, October 21st, for inventory.
We've had signs up in our windows and on our doors to let all of our customers know in advance but it sure doesn't hurt to send out a reminder. We're trying to make sure we reach as many of our customers as possible so that you aren't inconvenienced with your shopping and a blog post and reminder on our weekend e-mail seems prudent.

Our hours look like this for the next fews days:

Friday 10/19 8:00am-9:00pm

Saturday 10/20 8:00am-9:00pm

Sunday 10/21 CLOSED

Monday 10/22 8:00am-8:00pm

As always, We thank you for your continued patronage!

- William, Patrick, and the Harry's Staff

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Oct 13

Your host is/was Michael Kane of Neil Rosenthal Merchants.
Ooops... As I was standing with one of our loyal followers of our Facebook and our Blog, it suddenly occured to me that I had forgotten to post it today. Michael Kane is still here for a little while and is a wealth of knowledge and passionate about his portfolio. If you are in the area, the lineup is great and the man pouring the wines also terrific.


Bisson Glera N.V. $19.99
This lightly sparkling wine is particularly distinctive as the winemaker insists on producing our cuvee in a bone-dry style. The Prosecco is bottled early to maintain its freshness and is released in the early months of the year following the harvest.



Monsecco Vespolina 2010 $19.99
Tons and tons of spicy black pepper, earth, sandalwood, sottobosco and both deep black and bright red cherry aromas, the wine has lovely weight and richness. There is indeed a pronounced streak of acidity, but it is in lovely balance with the generous fruit and well structured tannins.



Cheveau Macon Fuisse 2010 $21.99
The village of Fuisse is known to yield some of the greatest white wines in the Maconnais. Planted in soils of limestone and clay, these 40 year old vines yield a white burgundy with a rich, generous texture and clean minerality.



Geoffroy Gevrey Chambertin 2009 $39.99
A classic Gevrey sourced from multiple small parcels (covering more than four hectares) throughout the village which enables the wine to capture the true nature of this grand appellation; the youngest vines for this cuvée are 25 years of age with the oldest being 80 years old (calculated as of 2011). Rich, yet graceful, this Gevrey shows the wild berry fruit and charming rusticity that are the hallmarks of true Gevrey Chambertin.

Friday Beer tasting 4pm-7pm

Your host will be Alex from our staff.

Goose Island Matilda $8.99/22oz btl
Wild in character, with a slightly fruity aroma and a spicy yeast flavor that is as unique as it is satisfying – Matilda is an intriguing choice for beer and wine lovers alike. Dry and quenching, it’s the perfect accompaniment at the dining table or for casually socializing at the bar.

Goose Island Sofie $8.99/22oz btl
Fermented with wild yeasts and aged in wine barrels with orange peel, Sofie is a tart, dry, sparkling ale. A subtle, spicy white pepper note, a hint of citrus from the orange peel and a creamy vanilla finish make Sofie an intriguing choice for Champagne drinkers and beer drinkers who are fond of Belgian Saisons.

Corsendonk Pater Dubbel $8.99 750ml
Mahogany brown color. Mild aromas of lemongrass, lime leaf, mint, pepper and cocoa with a supple, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a long, zesty citrus, dried peach, spiced nut, mineral and pink pepper finish. Distinctively limey and delicious.

Tasting like a professional

As a follow-up to last weeks post, I thought I would share the techniques and concepts that we use as professionals in this industry. I am not giving up trade secrets or compromising some code of ethics. I am just trying to open the door to what happens on your palette when you taste food or wine. This will be a simplified look at what we teach in our classes but it will give you a few pointers on how it works.

First and foremost, the 4 tasting zones on the human tongue:

1. Sweet
2. Salty
3. Sour
4. Bitter

That is it!

Did you know that these are the only things that the human tongue can tell us? Flavors like Raspberry, Vanilla, Apple, etc... are detected with your nose. Don't believe me?
Try this, Grab a handful of Jelly beans and put them out on the table. Using just your sense of sight determine the flavor of the different candies in front of you Purple = Grape, Orange = orange and so on. Now, drop Jelly beans in a brown paper bag. Next, close your eyes, hold your nose and try to discern the flavor of one or two of them.
Can't do it, right? ok, last step, let your nose go and you will notice that magically you know exactly which flavor it is! You are still blindfolded so your sense of sight hasn't influenced you and your taste buds are doing exactly what they were doing just a minute ago and yet now you can "taste" the flavor.

The 5 S's of wine tasting:

1. Sight
2. Swirl
3. Smell
4. Sip
5. Slosh

All of your senses are in play when you are tasting wines.

Look at the color of the red wine you are tasting. Is it lightly colored an easy to see through? It is likely lighter fruited, and lighter bodied on your palette. Does it have dark inky purple hues? Chances are that it is probably heavier in your mouth and darker fruited... generally.

Now swirl it in your glass to build up an aroma cloud and put your nose right down in to the glass. Smell the wine... Are you getting Raspberry and Cherry aromas or more brooding Cassis, and Blueberry notes? This is another clue as to what you can expect when you taste the wine.

Third we will put a taste of the wine in our mouth and tilt our chin down (important), next you kiss and/or lightly sip air over the wine that is toward the front of your mouth to help accentuate the flavors and aromas.

The next step will be to slosh the wine around in your mouth so that it touches all of the different areas of your palette and the soft tissues in your mouth. This helps to show the level of acidity and tannins.

At the store our wine staff uses this technique time and again throughout the day to help us evaluate wines that we are considering for our shelves. These are also the steps used by critics, collectors and many other wine fans to help them to enhance their experience while enjoying their bottle of wine.

This is a very simplified overview of one of the topics and techniques we teach in "Wine 101". Learning this has opened the door to many of our students and customers and gives anyone using the steps a much greater tasting experience.
I invite you to try it and see if you agree.

Please feel free to ask questions about this and other things that can help you to increase you knowledge and enjoyment of wine.

We are here to help!

-Cheers

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Oct 6

Your host will be Christelle Marilhet of Metrowine.
Many of you will readily recognize Christelle as one of our managers and a member of our wine team. recently Christelle accepted an offer from Metrowine to help them on the wholesale side of the business. Needless to say, we are disappointed to lose her but also very happy to see her continue her accent in the world of wine. Harry's will be one of her key accounts and you can be sure that we will call on her time and again to help on the wine floor during the holidays upcoming and as a fill-in when other members of the team take vacations and so forth.
Stop down and congratulate her on the new adventure and let her know that she has been appreciated by our loyal customers.



Grand Antoine Bordeaux Blanc 2011 $9.99
Bright citrus notes complemented by a unique mineral component that takes you right to Bordeaux without even going there. A classic white wine, tailor-made for seafood and other lighter fare.


Belfort Medoc 2010 $11.99
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 55% and Merlot 45%, this Medoc shows a level of complexity that belies its price point. A great 2010.


Starry Night Russian River Zinfandel 2007 $19.99
Delicious and very focused, with fruit flavors of juicy blackberry, red cherry, raspberry, cassis and a tender hint of red plum. These combine with later flavors of earthen spice of black pepper and white pepper. Toward the end, flavors of blackberry bramble, soft cocoa powder and soft oaky vanilla show up at the back of the palate


Filhot Sauternes 2005 $17.99
Pineapple skin, apple and honey on the nose. Full-bodied, very sweet and very lively, with intense acidity and a spicy aftertaste. The best in a while from this estate. Best after 2009. Wine Spectator, 90 pts

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Oct 5

Your host will be Mike from Sixpoint.

Righteous Ale $9.49/4pc 16oz
They should be good men; their affairs as righteous: But all hoods make not monks. Beneath a deep blanket of snow there is a cereal grain that can survive the harsh winters and acidic soils - RYE. Like a draped hood over a monk, it is the righteousness inside that shines.


Bengali Tiger $9.49/4pc 16oz
Sixpoint Bengali Tiger is reminiscent of the century-old English IPA. In my perspective, many current IPAs suffer from lacking substance; unbalanced by a hoppy assertiveness that is not substantiated by a strong foundation of rich malt flavors. Our interpretation uses the highest-quality, floor-malted base malt, which lends a full-bodied and rich caramel flavor. We mash at high temperatures and add generous amounts of specialty malts to further emphasize a strong foundation of malt as leverage for our generous additions of hops… Which are indeed generous. We use a total of three different hop strains, and add a total of six different additions throughout the process. The Bengali Tiger has a hoppy snap upfront, but strides at a steady pace, and finishes balanced. The signature characteristic of the Tiger is the aroma… we use massive quantities of whole East Kent Goldings hops to dry hop in our conditioning tanks. The result? The essential oils from the hops are an enticing treat before every sip. Notice the lacing of stripes around the pint glass as you finish your glass; it’s the mark of the Tiger.


Sweet Action $9.49/4pc 16oz
Ah love is bitter and sweet, but which is more sweet, the bitterness of the sweetness, none has spoken it. Sweet action is an idea; a concept. It is a simple representation of what makes beer great - the marriage of barley and hops in a harmonious balance of sweet and bitter!

School is in session... Wine School that is

Our Fall semester is now in full swing and last night we finished up our second session of Wine 101 this fall semester. This is my personal favorite of all of the classes we offer because we see an amazing amount of growth in a very short period of time. In the class students are exposed to a wide range of Varietals, Vintages, Countries and styles that open their eyes and minds to the wonderful world of wine.
In most cases our first time students come in a little unsure and a bit nervous about what they have gotten themselves in to. We see a quick evolution to confident understanding of what they are experiencing.
It is funny, The wine world seems to have this feel of mystery to it. We are quick to point out that that the idea of the haves and the have nots is a barrier that we struggle with everyday at the store. There is this silly perception that a person is somehow smarter or more well informed because they understand wine better than someone else. Too many times I see in the eyes of a customer the struggle to be "good enough" to enjoy wine. It seems really counter productive to the aim of its intention. What is all of the arrogance about?? Wine is meant to be connective and inclusive not devisive. What could be more connecting than to sit with friends or family and enjoy a great bottle of wine with dinner. Why the exclusivity?
We really work hard on this in wine 101 and at the end of the session there is a fun, light hearted confidence that questions are a good thing and preferences a purely individual. What a great feeling it is when your students feel like they "get it"
We hear stories time and again from our students about great events they put on for their friends and family using the techniques that they learned that help open the world to others around them. Very rewarding! At Harry's we love what we do! We love to share the experience with everyone that is interested in learning more. What could be more rewarding than unlocking the door to a world that brings us such great pleasure in our personal and professional lives?

There is still some space in a few of our classes and if you have never joined us for one or if you want to join the legions of students that have made our classes so successful, please consider this your invitation.
(Information on all upcoming classes below)

Its funny, As we think about our mission for the store we always come back to customer service and education and as our staff developes and evolves we hear over and over again... "I love my job!" I ask you, What could be more rewarding than having people working in the job they love?
A group that really does want to teach and learn?

Pretty good job I have.

-Cheers

Patrick


Wines of France Wed, Oct 17 and Oct 24
SOLD OUT – WAIT LIST
We are excited to once again offer a two-week program of the wines of France. French wines are the epitome of class, excellence and character, and they are renowned throughout the world for their superlative quality and understated elegance. At these two classes you will taste wines from the great regions of: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire Valley, Rhone Valley, and several others. This will be a retrospective on one of the world’s greatest wine-producing countries. $70 both weeks
SEATS STILL AVAILABLE - thru Fairfield Continuing Ed - Thurs, Oct 18 and Oct 25, Register at (203) 255-8376 --
Fee $60 + $20 materials fee payable at first class. (Keep your Riedel wine glass!)


Wine and Food Pairing Wed, Nov 7 and Nov 14
Not only do we have the terrific Fairfield Cheese shop next door to us, but we have the shop’s co-owner, Chef Chris, to prepare a couple of wonderful tasting menus. Each week Chris will prepare a six-course menu, from appetizer to dessert, and we will pair the appropriate wine for each entree. Together we have done about a dozen of these wine and food pairing menus, and it seemed like each one was better than the previous one! $100 both weeks


High End Holiday Wines Wed, Nov 28 and Dec 5
Yes, there are thousands of affordable wines on the market. We carry many of them and offer them to our customers with pride. BUT, when the appropriate occasion calls for something special and on the higher-priced scale, we have those too and are just as proud and very excited to pour them for you at this very special event! We’ll taste whites and reds along with a few bubblies and dessert wines. Sells out fast, don’t wait. $150 both weeks