Saturday, March 22, 2014

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, March 22

Your host is Jennifer Englert of T. Edwards.

La Forets des Dames 2012                                   $16.99
This Sancerre shows the classic profile of a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc.  It is crisp and zesty with mineral and citrus notes running all through it.  The finish is round and long-lasting. 

Cinquante-Cing Viognier 2012                 $13.99
Viognier is a great grape for Chardonnay lovers to try as a new alternative.  This one has that touch of white peaches and orange zest that is so characteristic.  On the palate it is full bodied and slightly viscous giving it a rich mouth feel.

Norton Ridge Sonoma Carneros Pinot Noir 2012      $17.99
Gorgeous, lush cherry fruit with the perfect balance of spice and acidity make this wine a classic rendition of Russian River Pinot Noir.  A dash of sweet oak spice adds complexity to this finely made wine.

Alcyone Tannat Dessert Wine N.V.                                     $27.99
This is one of the few wines in the world that actually does have other ingredients added to it such as different roots and herbs.  The potpourri of aromas and flavors that result must be tasted to understand and enjoy . . . words alone do not give it justice!  Look for wild apple mint, winter flowers, vanilla bean, and white cacao soufflé.

Harry's Wine School - May 2014 Classes



Harry’s Wine School
Classes May, 2014

ALL CLASSES ARE 7PM TO 9PM

Wines of 2010 Vintage                     
Wednesday                             May 7
We regularly discuss the concept of vintage-dated wines and their corresponding vintage quality in many of our classes, and of course we regularly taste wines of all vintages with our students.  Maybe a couple of times a decade it is a special treat for wine lovers to have one vintage that produces top quality wines in a large number of different regions around the world.  Most recently that vintage is 2010.   French Bordeaux, California Cabernet, Tuscan Chianti, Spanish Rioja, and several others regions will be tasted in order to illustrate the wines from a top quality vintage.  $35 one session
      
Rosé Wines – Hot and Getting Hotter Each Year    
Wednesdays        May 14 and May 21
Don't let that pink hue fool you, rosé wine is for grownups and serious wine drinkers love it!  The many different shades of pink color are visually enticing as they range from a vibrant, translucent red to an ethereal pale hue.  Our annual pre-summer tasting will provide an opportunity to taste an assortment of flavorful rosés from around the world that are all perfect for warm weather sipping.  Week one we will taste wines that are all from France (the birthplace of rosé, after all!), and Week two will be to enjoy other selections from around the world.  $70 for both weeks

’Tis the Season for the Refreshing Wines of Summer          Wednesday                   May 28
In the wine business to describe a person’s taste in wine, we often use the term “seasonal drinker.”  This refers to the preference of drinking richer, fuller-bodied wines (usually reds) in the winter, and then switching to lighter, easier-drinking wines (usually whites) in the summer.  This class will introduce you to a selection of wonderfully refreshing selections, both white and red, from around the world that are sure to please.  The wines will be mostly dry in order to accentuate that thirst-quenching acidity that the lighter wines have, but we’ll also pour a couple of off-dry choices for when the occasion and/or the food pairing calls for it.  Join us for a taste of summer and to find some new favorites for around the pool, at picnics, and for all those “al fresco” dinners.    $35 one week

Call to reserve your Seat(s) (203)259-4692 (speak with Janice)
or 
e-mail harrys@snet.net (attention Janice)

Friday, March 21, 2014

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, March 21

Your host will be Jay LeBlanc of Hartford Better Beer Company.


Arch Amber    $8.99/6pb
Bright brass color with a cream tint to its long-lingering lacy head. Clean
fresh aroma, biscuit, citrus, cherry & toffee. Complex flavor starts with a mild caramel malt tone, followed by cutting crisp & complex hop flavors. German Lager meets British Ale. Thirstquenching with a beery balanced almond-cedar influence, a smooth & perfect body. Exquisite aftertaste features sublime fruit, as the intense hop bite fades quickly into a pleasant dry mineral hard water finish that invites another. Made with 5
malts, 5 hops, hard water. ABV 4.9%

Arch IPA    $8.99/6pb
Clear cherry-mahogany red appearance, dense and lacy head lasts all the way down. Bold citrus aroma, (hint of tangerine), almond and pine. Mild but detectable malt- nose, and cream up front in the flavor. With first big sip, the thirst-quenching hop flavors race from the front of the palate to the molars, and back. A hint of complex malt flows through in a second wave, without sweetness. The best of the big West Coast hop-monster craft brews meets the more delicate, traditional British Isles IPAs. Smooth drinkable body, on the lighter side. The aftertaste has a crisp and fleeting reiteration of the hop aroma, refreshingly fancy, draft-like, and balanced.
IBUs: 60
Alc by vol.: 6.0%

Sunshine    $8.99/6pb
Honey-blonde with grist >40% malted wheat. Unlike cloudy light ‘wheat beers’, ARCH
SUNSHINE KRISTALL WEIZEN is brewed strong & filtered, retaining a slight chill haze. ALLSEASON & ALL WEATHER beer made with 2- row barley, hopped like a Pilsner, with Czech, German hops, and made with pure soft New England water. Features naturally-occurring flavors of nutmeg, vanilla, clove, green raisin, & pear, all
topped by a spicy hop nose. Our lightest color beer- our strongest by alcohol content. ABV 6.2%

What is your favorite wine? The dance begins...

I had a customer last night that asked a very common question.

What is your favorite wine?
Simple question right? Well not exactly...

We get this question quite a bit and the answer is not as easy as a single wine, nor does it answer the question that you are really after and that is; What should I buy today?

There are alot of answers to the question "What is your favorite wine?" and many of those answers are in my cellar aging or having been aged and waiting for the right meal, on the right occasion, with the right person or people. Sometimes, depending on my mood that day, the answer has already been consumed and is a wonderful memory that gives me great pleasure in remembering the time and place that I had it. Some days I can hand it to you off of our shelf because it is available for purchase and it represents a wonderful opportunity for the right person to make a memory of their own. The truth however, is that most times when the question is asked, "my favorite wine" has nothing to do with that particular customers quest and so... the dance begins.

We have a list of questions that have become the answer to the question:
Red or white?
Heavier or lighter bodied?
Is there a particular varietal or area of the world that is interesting?
What price point?
Are you having it with food?
What type of wine(s) do you typically like?

Many of our customers are able to answer the questions and give us the direction we need to answer their question as they answer ours. The key is that when you leave, you have my favorite wine for your particular needs.

If the boss is coming over and has very discriminating tastes regarding the wines he drinks, the more information about his particular taste in wine is a big help. If his heart lives in Italy and he is a fan of Piedmont for example, It is probably not appropriate to have an Australian Shiraz with your Veal and Mushrooms tonight. On the other hand, if California Cabernet is on their list of favorites and the menu is steaks on the grill, I am not likely to hand you a Oregon Pinot Noir.

If you and your significant other are celebrating a milestone and you are looking for something sparkling or trying to recreate that special evening from earlier in your relationship with a bottle from a specific winemaker the answer to the question will be different.

I have to admit that the dance is one of the most rewarding things about the job and the ability to send a customer out of the store with "my favorite wine" for their particular need is what builds the relationship between us and gives me the ability to help them to continue to get my favorite wine for their next occasion. I get to know people as an appreciator of whatever type of wine that they are a fan of and/or need.

Another pickle that I have learned to have fun with is when we get to the end of the process and we are down to a couple of choices that we are considering for this particular evening and they are trying to get me to make the final choice.

The question...

Of these two bottles, which is your favorite?

My answer?

How many kids do you have?
(When I get lucky, mom or dad tells me that they have at least 2)

Which is your favorite? I ask... Tough to answer right? ;)

The key is that everyone needs to understand that it is just not that easy. My taste and yours are going to be a bit different and just because I might have a preference for myself, it doesn't mean that I would choose the same wine for you, or the next customer that asks me the same question.

Thank god none of us has to choose "A favorite wine". There are a great deal of wonderful wines from all over the world in different price points and styles that I, and the rest of the wine loving community, can pick as our favorites "for now".

It keeps the journey interesting and always leaves us looking for the next great one. Someday I may run into that one wine, the life changing wine that makes me stop wanting anything other than that bottle, but I have my doubts. I have been so fortunate to have had enough great memories surrounding an equally great bottle of wine that I would prefer to continue the journey.

- Cheers


Monday, March 17, 2014

A fun Irish Whiskey find!



 Occasionally we find one of those hidden gems and we like to share with our customers when a great little value comes along. We have a bottle open at the store for sampling so when you come by just grab one of the staff and we'll get you a taste. 

We have all of your usual suspects on the shelves including Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Middleton, Redbreast, Paddy's, Danny Boy, and Bushmills...

Get your green on!

Kellan Irish Whiskey $22.99 ltr
A blend of malt and grain whiskeys. It is double distilled and then aged more than four years in used bourbon casks.  Kellan is produced at the Cooley Distillery, one of only three distilleries in Ireland, and the only independent distillery in the country.

Kellan Irish Whiskey has a golden amber hue and soft aromas of honeyed grain, roasted nuts and sweet malt. Take a sip and taste a lot of the same, plus some chocolate, honeyed fruit and a slight caramel flavor from its days aging in a bourbon barrel.  The finish is long and dry, with lingering notes of wood.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, March 15

Your host is Paul Cleary of D.B. Wine Selection.

Begude Pinot Noir Rose 2013                   $13.99

One of the first rosé’s of the season, this one has a pale pink color with lots of red berry aromas.  On the palate are refreshing notes of juicy watermelon and thirst-quenching cranberry.



Dampt Bourgogne Blanc le Clos du Chateau 2010    $19.99

This wine has a crisp refreshing lightness with citrus aromas and lemon on the palate.  The light viscosity gives it some weight and a rich mouth feel. 



Chateau Cadenette Costieres de Nimes 2012            $9.99

Colors of deep red and magenta greet the eye as the nose fills with aromas of black fruits and licorice.  This is a blend of Syrah and Grenache that offers flavorful spicy notes along with balanced tannins and good acidity.



Chateau de Flaugergues 2010                             $16.99

Dark red color with a beautifully rich and complex smell of the Medterranean herbs and earth.  On the palate it is generous and well-structured with  strong tannins and a long persistence.  It finishes with hints of licorice and bay leaf.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, March 14

Your host will be Greg of Murphy's Brewing.

Murphy’s Red              $7.99/6pb
The bread notes in this beer are easily its most defining characteristic. It doesn't smell toasty as much as it smells like homemade bread warming in the oven. Even drinking Irish Red is redolent of biting into freshly baked bread: It is incredibly soft and rounded on the palate and leaves many of those same biscuity flavors in your mouth. The hops in this brew need to be more noticeable to keep pace with all the malt flavors, but overall, Heineken (owners of Murphy's) has made a very drinkable brew. When you can get it on tap, do: The head and body are much creamier when the beer's straight from the keg.

Murphy’s Stout            $14.99/10pc  or   $5.99/4pc 16oz
The lightest and sweetest of Ireland's Big Three (Guinness, Beamish and Murphy's), Murphy's Irish Stout is the "nice guy" of the group. But don't be deceived — that just means you can drink more of ‘em. Think chocolate milk topped with a double shot of espresso and finished with a one-inch thick head of caramel-infused creamy goodness. Since the company's acquisition by Heineken in 1983, Murphy's has been enjoying a reputation as one of the fastest growing stout brands in the world. Have a Guinness for dinner, but save this one for dessert. 

Are You Summer Ready?



By Billy Sanchez

It is time we gladly say farewell to the copious amounts of snow and ice.  As the sun begins to melt winter’s frigid breath, we welcome new beginnings and fresh starts.  Now, no longer confined and housebound, we are free to relish life.  

This is how I picture my release into summer. 
 


The beach is my heavenly escape.  I plunge my toes beneath the sand, allowing each toasty grain to analyze me as it absorbs me like a second skin.  A glowing sun hangs lazily atop an endless sea of blue sky.  My skin is alive with the warming touch of the sun’s golden fingers.  My nose soaks up the salty breath of the ocean, rejuvenating my body from the inside as I recognize it as the scent of pure freedom.  The sparkling and foamy waves crash out an infectious melody of fizzing bubbles.  I cling to its hypnotic song like a helpless child dependent on its mother.  A few seconds pass, but feel like an eternity of subliminal bliss, I begin to realize I am missing something.  That something is an enormously crucial element, what should I be drinking?  So I must ask you, are you summer ready?  
             
   No matter how you celebrate summer, that flawless drink will enhance any environment.  Renzo and I have relentlessly tasted and rated beverages at work and on our free time for your future enjoyment, which ensures you see the best bottles on our shelves.  Sometimes trying eight up to twenty spirits in one sitting can be a palate-wrecking burden, but when a spirit attracts our attention, we are overjoyed and cannot contain our excitement.  We are proud to announce this year’s picks to set you up for a successful and tasty summer.  The following choices will make you summer ready. Cheers!   

Renzo and I have daily discussions about which coast makes the best IPA’s (stand by for a blind West vs East IPA tasting blog in the near future). Living in San Diego, I am a believer in West Coast hop usage for their beers.  Renzo obviously stands behind the East Coast breweries and their fine beers.  Maybe we can meet half way and agree, say the Mid-West?   First on the list is Stone’s Go To IPA.   

Stone Go To IPA $10.99 a 6 pack
Stone did a great job with this session IPA and it is clearly reflected by the name.  This new release (March 2014) has 4.5% alcohol and 65 IBU’s and will be a big hit at BBQ’s and beach drinking.  The nose brings many floral notes mixed with big fruit a spritz of lime, which is Renzo’s favorite part to this beer.  The body is refreshing to the point your taste buds ask for more, which is unlike Stone and their philosophy of big and in your face.  They clearly showed restraint with the hops, and we see it is a perfect day drinker.  My favorite part was the finish, which is mellow and elegantly lingers.  It lacks an over the top big resin and hoppy finish, super subdued and clean.  


Lambrucha by Vanderg & DeWulf 750ml $11.99

For those who are unable to visit the beach this summer, here is a beer that has beach components to jump-start your summer senses.  This spectacular beer blends the marriages of two yeast strains, Kombucha and Lambic. The nose brings fresh cut jalapeño rind, rosemary, and beach mist. Your palate feels refreshed with crisp tartness and sour components of lemon zest, and Cedar. It finishes with a subtle spicy bite.
Previously, this had been my Beer Pick of the Week, so I naturally had to revisit it.  Like an old friend, I was not let down and it once again showed amazingly.  I found a perfect cheese for pairing, which allowed the best flavor profiles of the beer and cheese to be highlighted and not restrained. Comté is a firm, raw cow’s milk from the Jura Mountains of France.  The Comté carried by Fairfield Cheese Company is aged by the affineur, Marcel Petite.  Traditionally this alpine style cheese is sold aged under a year, but this particular wheel is a special reserve that has been aged out 2 years.  The small batch of wheels lucky enough to be chosen undergo continual testing to make sure that they will further develop, like wine; cheese can often have a flavor peak.  Descriptive notes:  nutty, brothy, creamy, savory with the protein crystals.  Walk next door and pick this Comté to set up your own pairing. 

Fortaleza Blanco $48.99
Throw all other tequila experiences from your memory and try this gem. The artisanship shimmers from within and outside the bottle. Packaged in a masterfully contoured and textured hand blown glass bottles with a Pina as the bottle topper.  Attention to detail oozes out of every facet.  As soon as you touch and handle this bottle, you feel a part of something special.  It hails from the lowlands of Tequila country, and spends its whole life on the estate.  The 7-8 year old blue agave is harvested and cooked in meter thick brick ovens for 36 hours.  Once the agave is ready, it moves onto the mill and crushing portion of its journey, where it is washed with the pure spring mountain runoff from the Volcan de Tequila (Tequila’s very own volcano).  The remaining agave fibers are fermented for 5 days in small wooden vats.  This leads to a minor dry wood taste on the palette. The nose is chock full of lightly salted fruit, mainly pear, apricots and dried pineapple.  It flows down ultra-smooth and leaves no bitter aftertaste.  The finish is silky smooth with hints of pepper and no harsh alcohol punch.  This great sipper blows other Blanco’s out of the water.   If you are using it as a mixer, your margarita will reach a new rung of deliciousness.  Especially with margarita season begging to enter the rotation, Fortaleza has impeccable timing.

Zafra 21yr Rum $48.99
My friend who works at a high-end wine and liquor store in Los Angeles sent me this bottle.  As soon as he tasted it, he sent me a text, followed by a phone call, and finally a box with a bottle of Zafra was at my door 2 days later.  I opened up the bottle for Renzo, Patrick, and I and we fully understood why my friend loved the rum.  We were floored by its overall flavor that we looked up the distributor to place an order for Harry’s shelves.  This spearheads the main reason why Renzo and I drink.  The feeling we get when friends and strangers can come together to share any type of alcoholic beverage.  We are beyond ecstatic to include this to our summer list.  This rum is the sole representation from Panama within the store. Upfront, the nose is nutty and caramelly.  Once it opens up, vanilla makes a light appearance.  On the tongue, you experience chocolate, cocoa powder, and fine brown sugar.  Once you are finished, your confused taste buds ask you, was that rum or was that a bourbon?  That is what we love about this bottle, it is deeply three-dimensional. Paired with smoked Gouda, the rum backbone is coaxed out and comes through with sugar and coffee.   The desert side is uncovered with their Black Lava Cashews, where it travels to a sweet, desert dimension of Amaretto.  Our advice, take this bottle home for one week and come back in and tell us what you think.  We have pairings that will give your bottle diversity and legs for the long run.



Downeast Cider 4 pack $8.59 
I cringe every time someone suggests drinking cider, be it male or female, but this was a pleasant and an eye opening surprise, regardless of your gender, you will agree.  The cider is unfiltered, raw, and is gluten free.  Coming in at 5% alcohol, it is crisp, refreshing, and light; this will quench your parched tongue. Not overly dry nor sweet, it is super balanced.  Being in cans, it begs to join you to the beach. 


Saturday, March 8, 2014

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, March 8

Your host is Jean Noel Maubert of Fine Terrior Selections.

Chateau Haut Selve Graves 2010                       $19.99
With strong new wood aromas, this concentrated wine shows vanilla as well as black-fruit flavors.  Acidity cuts the richness, giving shape to wine and focusing on the balance.  With firm tannins in the background, it needs several years.  Drink from 2016.  90 pts

L’Olivette Bandol Rouge 2008                           $27.99
Sanguine flavors of roasted plum and dried cherry feature a concentrated iron note, with plenty of smoke and spice accents. Mocha and dark chocolate overtones mark the broad, ripe-tasting finish. Pure and lively. Best from 2013 through 2022.  Wine Spectator, 93 pts

Saint Roch Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2012    $11.99
From the Loire Valley region of Touraine, this wine is in a similar style as a Sancerre.  It is crisp and dry with those mineral/flinty notes and bright acidity that Loire whites are famous for.  As it opens in the glass it also has floral and citrus fruit flavors that give it a real charm with food. 

L’Olivette Bandol Rosé 2012                    $24.99
This has a pinky/orange color, and proceeds on to the palate with woodland notes of strawberries, spice, thyme and a hint of black olives.  It has the classic flavors and mouth feel of  Southern French wines bordering the Mediterranean – an early touch of summer!

Friday, March 7, 2014

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, March 7

Who is that mystery girl tasting with Rick at the table today? Hmmm... There is something about her that is intriguing. I wonder why?


Your host is Rick Sorocco of Keegan's Ale.

Mother’s Milk                        $10.49/6pb
This was by far one of the finest stouts I've ever had the pleasure to consume . . . that's saying something as I am not a huge fan of stouts. It was smooth and creamy and remarkably delicious.  It could almost be a cookie . . . chocolate and oats . . . a liquid beery cookie.  Remarkable!  Apparently hubby thought so too, I think he drank most of it! (5% ABV)

Hurricane Kitty                     $10.49/6pb
The flavor follows with a bit of grapefruit, but lots of earthy pine notes. The finish is quite bitter of earthy, resin, and pine. The beer almost tastes like a lager with its balance of malts. There's a lot of caramel and toasted breadiness behind this beer.