Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, January 31

Harry's Staff Wine Tasting with Christelle Marilhet
Born and raised in Lyon, France. Christelle imported herself, along with her family from France in 1997. She took a job at a French bistro in Greenwich for nine years. She then accepted a position as a Banquet supervisor for G.E. but a year later in 2007, she decided to join Harry’s. Christelle’s opinion has helped us to expand and define not only our French section but has added much to the Italian section also. It is very obvious to us that she appreciates great wine at all price points and there cannot be any question that when she loves a wine Harry’s had better have enough for all.


La Manarine Cotes Du Rhone 2012    $14.99This wine is 100% Grenache and produces a classically spicy, full-bodied wine that speaks clearly of the “garrigue” of the region. The grapes are destemmed before the fermentation and the cuvaison is on the order of three weeks duration.  The wine is bottled without filtration after twenty to twenty-four months of “elevage”.

Crowley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir    $29.99A gorgeous mixture of bright red and violet gives this wine a beautiful presentation. The nose reveals high tone cherry, strawberry and pomegranate, with an alluring mix of earth and spice. Balanced and lean, the palate demonstrates crisp acidity and vibrant tannin structure. Raspberry, orange peel and clove round out this complex and vibrant wine which perfectly captures the expression of the angular and energetic 2012 vintage.

Bernhard Pinot Blanc   $13.99
Clear yellow in color, brilliant, expressive nose, peach, apricot, white flowers aromas. In the mouth it is light and fresh. This wine is always dry.

Beer Tasting Friday Jan. 30th 4-7pm

Your host is Harrison from Thimble Island Brewery. American Ale    $8.49/6pbtl American Amber/Red Ale We believe our American ale is a great example of this classic beer style. It has great character, it’s full of aroma and flavor that’s light enough to drink during the summer and hearty enough to drink in the winter.  It’s a beer for beer lovers. Coffee Stout    $9.69/6pbtl  American Stout What's unique about this recipe is that it features whole coffee beans from Willoughby's, a Connecticut coffee roaster.  Incorporating local craftsman was the inspiration for choosing coffee stout. With a classic dark color and subtle, yet unmistakable, aroma of coffee this brew presents itself as a modern American craft-brewed stout.  However it's surprisingly easy to drink and gives a nod to the traditional British stout with mellow hop presence

SUPERBOWL SALE! - Beer & Bourbon for the Big Game

Beer, Bourbon (and other American Whiskey) 

for the big game this weekend. 

Lots more special pricing on other, 
Unadvertised Wine, Beer and Spirits  
Sale begins today so come down and stock up!

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, Jan 24

Harry's Staff Wine Tasting with Janice "Bubbles" Monteleone.
Since meeting Patrick at a wine tasting in May of 2003, she has turned in her Pinot Grigio for Pinot Noir and has become quite the aficionado. Like her husband Patrick, Janice loves to travel the world’s great wine regions and is always looking for to the next place to explore. There is nothing like being there to really make you understand the wine and its culture.



Lucien Albrecht Cremant D'Alsace Rose N.V.    $17.99
The grapes are hand picked. The whole cluster grapes are directly pressed in a pneumatic press with a long and soft pressing, hence the coral/ light pink salmon color. Cremant Rosé is made by the Champagne Methode. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle. Afterwards it stays on its lees for 9 months follow by the remuage and disgorging.100% Pinot Noir

Grifalco Gricos Aglianico 2011    $14.99
This wine is a red violet color with fresh, tart berry, and violets aromas; Very juicy on the palate with flavors of dried berry, violets, candied violets, mineral with medium acidity, and a medium-plus finish. 

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, January 23

Your host Geoff Oliveira from Harpoon Brewery.


Harpoon IPA $9.69/6pbtlAs the definitive New England-style IPA, Harpoon IPA is a beautifully balanced beer. The citrus and pine of Cascade hops complement a sturdy malt backbone and the fruity aromas of our beloved yeast. Water, Three malts, including a 2-row pale, Northwest Cascade Hops, and Yeast.This copper colored ale is floral, medium bodied, with a crisp, refreshing finish.


Harpoon Long Thaw $9.69/6pbtlWith notes of orange peel and coriander, the soft mouthfeel of a Belgian wit, and an intense hop profile, The Long Thaw White IPA combines the warming backbone of an IPA with citrus notes indicative of the coming spring.


Harpoon UFO Gingerland $9.69/6pbtlCinnamon, clove and ginger combine with an unfiltered wheat beer in this deliciously spiced, gingerbread-inspired beer


Harpoon UFO White $9.69/6pbtlHazy, golden yellow in appearance, with strong aroma of coriander and orange. On the sweeter side of wheat beers with orange-y, sweet, cracker-y wheat. Light on the palate, quenching.

Brunello 2010, Does it live up to the hype?

The 2010 vintage in Brunello di Montacino is being touted as "The vintage of a lifetime" by James Suckling who goes on to say “The year 2010 for Brunello di Montalcino is the greatest modern vintage of Italy’s most famous red wine region. Never have the wines been so profound in quality, character, and quantity from the best hillside vineyards of Montalcino. They represent a new paradigm for Tuscany’s unique sangiovese-based red.” Robert Parker scored the vintage 96pts, which the highest rating he has ever passed out for the Tuscan region!

You can imagine our excitement when this highly anticipated event finally rolled around this past Tuesday and we were able to get our first glimpse of the wines from this historic vintage.In fact, in a rare show of excitement both William and I hopped the train to New york and made our way to Gotham Hall to taste. When it comes to trade tastings, Typically one or the other of us makes it out to the event while the other is "minding the store" so this was a special occasion indeed. This time the hype was just too much and we were both compelled to make the trip.

Followers of this blog may remember a couple of posts that were touting the 2010 vintage in Tuscany as a whole and Montalcino more specifically when Jan and I went to this same tasting a couple of years ago and fell in love with the 2010 Rosso di Montalcino selection. More recently the northern part of Italy has gotten a great deal of fanfare as the 2010 Barolo's have been releasing. These are great wines also but that is for another day.

Mid Day on Tuesday, We made our way to Grand Central and then got a bit of exercise as we hoofed it from the station down to 35th street and across to Broadway to the venue and we weren't alone. Thousands of Buyers, Somms and Wine shop owners along with a good deal of press showed up to see what all the buzz was about. We dropped off our coats and then checked in at reception where we got our name tag and tasting glass. A deep breath and we were off to work...

The very first wine we tasted was Argiano Brunello and it really kicked off the event well for us. Powerful with great structure, beautiful fruit and very well balanced acidity along with a very nice nose and long finish. I since learned that Suckling has already reviewed it and here is what he had to say "An unforgiving and powerfully structured wine with fabulous grilled meat and granite stone character with dried berry and flower petal. Full body, chewy and intense. Great structure and extremely long and intense. Sexy austerity. Gets the juices going. Best ever from here." 98pts. That will make the shelf!

Next up for us was Uccelleria and it was right on par. Both of these Brunellos oozed of greatness, showing style and lots of dimension along with a depth of flavor that has been missing from Brunello for too many vintages. "Maybe the critics are right" I said to William, "This could be a fun day!". We marched on...

Capanna was another true stand out for the day and perhaps my personal favorite with a more brooding personality that  tells me that it is very young in what should be a long life. There were others that also showed very well and the category will be well represented on our shelves in the coming months. We found a couple of surprises and tasted one from a producer looking for representation that may have found himself an importer at the event. Too many of the producers that we hoped to see didn't make the event and that was the sad part of the day for me. This event that I have loved so much in years past has still not bounced back from when they moved it a few years back. It was something I wrote about to in the last post I did about this tasting.

There is still work to be done to determine whether or not we agree with the "Vintage of a lifetime" moniker  and we have other avenues for getting to taste more of these 2010's in the coming weeks and months including other trade tastings and in store opportunities with importers and salesmen.

Is it the vintage of a lifetime?

I guess the jury is still out on that one but we did find some more exciting wines from the very memorable 2010 vintage from Italy!

-Cheers

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, Jan 17

Harry's Staff Wine Tasting with Scott Hill.

With over two decades working in some of the top wine stores in New York and Connecticut, Scott brings a lot of experience and a refined palate to Harry's. He is WSET trained and has enjoyed visiting wineries and trade events in California, France, and Italy. Scott's favorite part of the wine business is discovering exciting wines to share - he is always on the lookout for something new!

Camigliano Rosso di Montalcino 2012    $19.99
This broad, mouthfilling red offers cherry flavors accented by herb and mineral notes. Tobacco and tar hints show on the long finish.


Coudoulet de Beaucastel - Famille Perrin 2012   $30.99A juicy, forward and textured example of this cuvee (especially when tasted next to the 2013), the 2012 Coudoulet de Beucastel Côtes du Rhône has juicy blueberry, garrigue and lavender notes to go with a fleshy, medium to full-bodied feel on the palate. Soft, with low acidity and a hard-to-resist feel, it has just enough tannic grip to keep it drinking nicely for 7-8 years.
Wine Advocate. WA:89

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, January 16

Your host is Edward from Spiked Seltzer.

We make SpikedSeltzer using only purified water and a few natural ingredients.  Cold-pressed citrus essence from select varieties infuse SpikedSeltzer with fresh fruit flavors.  A blend of this citrus and sugar ferments naturally to 6% alcohol.  The result is clean and clear without the sugary sweetness of wine or the heaviness of beer.

Featuring:

*Cranberry     $8.99/6pbtl	Grapefruit     $8.99/6pbtl
Orange     $8.99/6pbtl	West Indies Lime     $8.99/6pbtl

BEER CLASS: Drink Wildly Different Beer Class

Wildly Different Beer Class
Thursday, February 19th 7-9pm
$10 per person, only 20 seats available
RSVP 203-259-4692

The Wild Beer Co was set up in September 2012 by Andrew Cooper and Brett Ellis to brew beers with a bit of a difference.

 To focus on different ingredients, different yeasts and different barrel aging techniques. Which we will be discussing throughout the tasting class.

Beers aren't brewed to style but are inspired by ingredients, occasions or experiences. Our backgrounds are around food and flavor, and inspiration is often taken from something we eat or drink or from our surroundings in the beautiful Somerset countryside. 

Brett has worked with food and drink all of his working life, mostly as a chef, before he served his brewing apprenticeship at a local brewery. He has a love of sour beers, big flavors and the subtleties and complexities of barrel-aged beer that led to the idea of the Wild Beer Co.

With their desire in mind to make beer that forces you to think differently this tasting class we'll explore the different ingredients, yeasts and barrel aging techniques that a at times crazy risks in this industry.

 Their Evolver IPA that was featured in Draft Magazine as a one of the TOP 25 beers of2014. 

 There will be light snacks offered to help keep your palette fresh. We do however recommend eating a meal before class. 

Only the first 20 responders will be guaranteed a seat. We will offer a wait list in case of cancellation.

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, Jan 3

Harry's Staff Wine Tasting with Angel Rivera.

Angel joins us with 8 years of retail experience working at and for a few other liquor stores along with a brief stint on the wholesale side of the industry. His desire to make a career in this industry has fueled his efforts to soak up as much knowledge as he can in the wine world. He continually is asking questions and dipping into the experiences of other, more tenured member's of Harry's wine staff. His current enthusiasm is for Pinot Noir and understanding its many nuances.


Ventana Pinot Noir $17.99

This wine has an explosion of wild cherry, raspberry and cranberry flavors with a delicious hint of cedar. Ten months of aging rounds out the flavor complexities with a touch of smoke and vanilla. The wine is medium bodied with a bright berry red color.
Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon $19.99

This Cabernet has a bouquet of ripe fruit and roasted spices. Full bodied, balanced, and mouth filling with gobs of black currant, charred oak, vanilla and cassis. Mild tannins with a mellow finish.

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, January 9

Your host is from Shiner Brewing Company.

Bock     $9.69/6pbtl

A distinctive, rich, full-flavored, deep amber-colored beer. Its handcrafted brewing process creates an inviting smooth taste without the excessive bitterness that characterizes many micro, specialty and imported beers.

Holiday Cheer     $14.99/12pbtl

An Old World Dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavors of this dark wheat ale are enhanced through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Kräusening ensures a smoothness that makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying.

White Wing     $6.99/6pbtl

Brewed with Authentic Belgian yeast and hints of coriander and orange peel, it has all the spice and citrus aromas of a true-to-style Belgian wheat all. Slightly sweet.

Finally, A Pappy Van Winkle story that feels right

As anyone that has asked us for Pappy Van Winkle can attest, The wait is long!

While the wait is long, if you are one of our customers and you are willing to wait, you will be rewarded for your patience with a fairly priced bottle from a reputable store. Recently while we were going down our list of names and passing them out to this years lucky recipients, We contacted one of our long waiting customers and we were able to put a bottle in her hand.

When she got to the store I went back and got her bottle and happily presented it to her. She said "I completely forgot I was even on your list and I didn't even know what you were talking about when you called" As dread came over me thinking that I was giving this bottle to someone that didn't even know what I was handing her, she confirmed my anxious concern...

"I don't even know what this stuff is" she said.  (ugh... I got it wrong, I thought)

But, she followed that statement up with a heart warming couple of sentences...

"It was almost five years ago when I got on your list. My sister was getting married and she wanted so badly to give her new husband a bottle on their wedding day." she said. "He had been looking for it for years and never had any luck".

(Hmm, I thought, Maybe I'm ok)

"I told my sister that if anyone could get it, Harry's would know what to do" (smile) "But then even you guys let me down" (frown). "I called her and told her that you had a bottle for me and she shrieked in excitement!" she continued. "She told me that he had been looking and looking and the only place he could find it wanted nearly $1000.00 for it so it just wasn't in the cards for him".

She went on to tell me that instead of being a wedding present, this was now going to be his 5th anniversary gift! While it is a long time to wait, we do handle it judiciously and fairly among all of our interested customers and a story like that confirms to me that we are doing the right thing.

Phew...

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, Jan 3

Harry's Staff Wine Tasting with Rachel Costanza. 

Rachel came to us from Hopkins Vineyard, CT. Over 7 years at the vineyard she was given many opportunities to learn about wine from vine to bottle and that is where her passion grew for the trade. When talking with her you will see her love for the vineyard, your sure to see the excitement she has in learning about the many facets of wine-making around world and how unique it can be to it's terrior, growers, and makers.

Connecticut Hopkins Vineyard Reserve 2013 $13.99 

Made 100% from Hopkins CT Estate Grown Seyval Blanc and Traminette grapes. Beautiful notes of yellow fruit with refreshing acidity.

Chatom  Cabernet Sauvignon 2009$21.99

Elegant aromas of black currant, plum and toasted almonds. On the palate, complex and full bodied tannins support rich flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate and a kiss of tobacco. Well balanced oak tones are followed by a long finish that leaves a lingering taste of dark, ripe fruit.

The eagle has landed!

With the interest in Bourbon building through the past decade we have been trying in vane to purchase our own single barrel of something great. Our name has been on "the list" at Eagle Rare for some time and for the first time this past October we finally climbed to the top of that list and a hard to find/get opportunity finally became available to us! The phone call was short...

"Hi Patrick, I understand that you have been trying to get your hands on a single barrel of Eagle Rare."

Yes, I said.

"We have a barrel of Distiller select 10 year available"

Send it! was my reply

Just like that the long awaited phone call and distillery confirmation were simultaneously taken care of. All that was left was the bottling and delivery...

Monday December 29,2014 we got a late Christmas present as our single barrel of Master Distiller Select Eagle Rare 10 year Bourbon arrived at the store. Only 150 bottles of this gem are available and a portion of that has already been put aside to fill pre-orders. Each bottle is hand numbered and will be sold on a first come first serve basis. Below are a few tasting notes from the sample we tasted and the specifics of the barrel that we purchased.

We are obviously very excited to get the 2015 new year started in such an exciting way and look forward to introducing more opportunities in the coming months that will be directly linked to this one of a kind barrel.(More on that as things develop).


Tasting notes:

The nose tells us immediately that this beautifully crafted whiskey is a high rye Bourbon showing lots of spice and grassy notes with underlying leather, almond and orange zest. Quite masculine but delicately balanced with honeyed notes, And that was just the nose! We stood looking at each other while we talked about the nose and soon realized that none of us had even tasted it yet and we were already chattering about all of its complexity.
Now the true test... As each of us tasted, the obvious came right out and that was that the nose did not lie. Spicy Rye right behind your lips with smokey and dry nutty flavors jumping right up. Through the mid palate the sweeter caramel and honeyed tones showed themselves with a nice faint bitter cocoa note at the finish. Orange peel, and warm caramelized apples hang on as the finish lingers.  The sense of classic Eagle Rare showed well and adding a drop or two of water expanded all of these flavors and broadened its profile.

We did very well with our purchase if we do say so ourselves!


Price: $39.99 750ml

Call to reserve yours today
(203) 259-4692

Happy New Year!

Barrel #	04-D-30-I-2-58-075
Fill Date	4/30/2004
Warehouse	I
Floor	2
Dump Date	12/8/2014
Age	10 years 7 months 8 days
Starting Gallons	53
Dumped Gallons	21.5
Entry Proof	125
Dumped Proof	131.9
Mash	1
Flavoring Grain	Rye