July 4th Food and Wine!

With summer in full swing and the fourth of July just days away, you might be asking yourself what should I do and more importantly what should I eat and drink. Independence Day has become synonymous with barbeque and there is nothing better than chowing down on a big juicy burger to celebrate on our nations holiday. Most everyone will have hot dogs and burgers, but if you really want to try to impress your neighbors and friends here are a few quick and simple ideas as well as wine pairings that will make this holiday even that much better.

Baby back ribs, Lamb Burgers or steak. These entrees scream for a big, rich and robust reds. Cabernets, Syrah and Bordeaux are all great choices.

Millbrant Cabernet 09 - $15.99
Petit Chapeau Cote Du Rhone 10 - $10.99
Chateau Blanchon 10 - $14.99

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Sausages. There are a variety of types of wines that can pair well with all of these dishes. Personally more medium bodied reds such as Australian Shiraz, Spanish Rioja and even a Chianti offer delicious flavor without overpowering your taste buds.

D'arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz 10 - $10.99
Ondarre Reserva Rioja 05 -$14.99
San Felice Chianti Classico 09 - $15.99

Salmon, Fatty Fish or Chicken. With these dishes both reds and whites are both acceptable. Personally a soft and light style red such as a pinot noir are always a great choice and if you wanted to try a white, something with a bigger and weightier body such as a Viognier would accompany these dishes.

Primarius Pinot Noir 09 - $14.99
Les Vins De Vienne Viognier $21.99

Shrimp, Scallops, and Lobster. Seafood always pairs extremely well with white wines no matter what type of fish you are having. With Shrimp and scallops a light zesty white such as a Gruner Veltliner is phenomonal. With lobster a creamy and oaky white such as a chardonnay is preferred
.
Hofer Gruner Veltiner 11 - $13.99
Cheveau Macon Solutre Poully 10 - $22.99

Enjoy and have a safe and fantastic holiday!

Chris OB

Your Memorial Day weather

Lots of people talking about the possibilities of weather issues today and tomorrow. We been watching closely to see haow it is evloving and it looks like there is an outside shot at an Isolated T-storm. Weather.com is giving it a 30% chance both today and tomorrow so I am going ahead with my party! Whats a few rain drops between friends anyway...

We're open both days, today 10-5 and tomorrow 12-5 and from the looks of things most people are planning to have their picnics just like us. This is just our second Sunday open and it buzzing pretty good around the store. Tomorrow will be our first opportunity to be open on Memorial day and since the parade has always started right here at our corner, the lot will be full with the marchers and the spectators cars until it winds up. We love the parade and the tradition of kicking it off here so we'll to continue to show our support and we'll wait until they clear out before we open. If your party starts right after the parade make sure you do your shopping today.

William has opened up a Magnum of Anne Pichon Rosé and we'll be pouring it through the day. Our own summer kick off party (Memorial day picnic) always consists of a huge selection of rosé and this one will definitely be on the list tomorrow. The Paella for 40 is served just around dinner time and is another great hit with the crowd since it works very well with the wine. It is a great tradition!

Cheers!

THE TUESDAY ICE SHIPMENT IS IN !!!!!!!!

We have recieved our ice shipment today. In order to help as many people as possible we our selling a maximum of 3 bags per customer. We realize how difficult these times have been post-Irene and are happy to be able to offer ice. We have even had people looking for ice for their friends and neighbors. Hopefully by tomorrow more of the community has their power restored and ice can be used for keeping kegs cold or putting in your drinks!

- Greg

We just got our delivery of ICE

Since Irene blew out of here Leaving 65% of our town without electricity, everyone is working to get back on track with their lives and the most asked question today here at Harry's has been...

Do you have any Ice?

We had some early on but it was gone with the first wave of people. We are fortunate to be a big seller of ice in geneeral for our supplier and when we called this morning they gave us some good news, Your are on "the list" for delivery today. Well, they just finished loading us up so we stuck a sign up on the road the says it pretty matter of factly.

WE HAVE ICE

We aren't selling much in the way of beer or wine but the parking lot has been buzzing with people looking for those frosty cold blocks. I don't know how long we'll have a supply so if you are in the need stop down asap and we'll get you taken care of. 3 bags per sale please.

-Patrick

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Aug 27

Your host is Jordan Ross of Pasternak Imports.

Pictured with Jordan are our neighbors and the owners of The Fairfield Cheese Company, Chris Palumbo and Laura Downey who just had a very nice honor bestowed on them when they recieved "Best Cheese Shop in Connecticut" as voted by Connecticut Magazine. It is an award that was hard earned and well deserved. Since there inception just two years ago their growth and commitment to excellence in their field have been great to watch through the glass wall that divides our two stores. If you haven't had the opportunity to stop in, please consider this your invitation.
Congratulations to everyone at the Cheese shop we couldn't be happier for you!

La Petite Perriere Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $9.99
Brilliant, pale straw gold with a translucent rim. Nose: fresh, clean and youthful with delicate nuances of lime, grapefruit, green apple. Well integrated acidity; medium bodied with lingering citrus-apple aromatic notes in the finish.


Les Charmes Macon Lugny 2009 $12.99
Fresh & crisp in the mouth, it has floral and fruity aromas with lemony nuances. Rich, full- bodied, almost unctuous dry white wine features a greenish-gold robe.


Prieure de Montezargues Tavel Rosé 2010 $22.99
This classic orange/salmoncolored wine offers up an exquisite nose of dried flowers, framboise, strawberry jam, Provencal herbs and spice. Its considerable depth of flavor and full body make this very dry rose the quintessential example of a great Tavel.


Marie de Beauregard Chinon 2009 $14.99
It has a rich ruby color and excellent structure. This value-priced wine has a subtle peppery spice and darker berry fruits with rich tannins on the finish and a juicy freshness throughout.

Irene is on her way, Do you have everything you need?

As we all hunker down in anticipation of hurricane Irene we have to wonder, have I done enough? Is it going to be as big as they say? Do I have everything I need? Well, I have been tracking this storm wondering what the impact will be on Harry's and Fairfield in particular but also the whole east coast. Is it just hype or are we in line for a devasting storm that will change the east coasts landscape forever? There are lots of questions and theories but not many answers. I guess only time will tell.

We at Harry's are a pretty sturdy bunch and we have helped our customers through the years to get their "emegency supplies" and today is no different. Just this past winter as the snow piled up and the mounds created by the plows kept rising our dorrs were kept open. I had a few people say to me that they knew we would be there, open and ready to go. Now I can't predict the future when it comes to mother nature but I can tell you that We are open since 8:00 am like usual and we will hang in as long as the weather permits. We aren't crazy and we'll be tracking Irene like everyone else. We all have families and won't put our employees in harms way but there are people looking for their emergency rations and though the supplies of Dark and stormies and Hurricanes will surely be put to the test we'll do our best to supply those in need.

A new load of ice will be in early a.m., we had some cases of water brought in, a couple of trucks delivering beer will come by soon the shelves are loaded with Rum. Recipes for recipes for Dark and Stormies and Hurricanes are below for those that need them.

Best wishes for a safe weekend to all!

-Patrick


Hurricane recipe:
1 oz vodka
1/4 oz grenadine syrup
1 oz gin
1 oz light rum
1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz triple sec
grapefruit juice
pineapple juice

Pour all but the juices, in order listed, into a hurricane glass three-quarters filled with ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice, and serve.
Serve in: Hurricane Glass


Dark and Stormy recipe:
2 oz Gosling's Black Seal rum
3 oz Ginger beer
lime wedge for garnish if desired
Preparation:
Build the ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice cubes.
Garnish with the lime wedge.

QR Code but this time you can win something

I've been talking about these QR Codes for the better part of the summer and this week we came across this one in a case of Mionetto Sergio that came in. One of our guys has an iphone with the reader on it so I asked him to scan it to see what it could tell us. He did and it took him to a site where they are running a contest where the winners get these Prizes: One (1) Illy Espresso machine. Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"): $400. One (1) OXO Kitchen Set. ARV: $99.99. One (1) OXO Barware Set. ARV: $99.99. One (1) OXO Wine Sleeve. ARV: $24.99. One (1) OXO Wine Rack. ARV: $19.99. Twenty-five (5) Wine Stoppers. ARV: $6.99 each.
The contest ends August 31, 2011. Drawing is on September 15th.

Just putting it out there, we aren't getting anything out of it and although I like the Sergio Prosecco, I don't have anything to do with the contest. It only takes a couple of minutes if you feel like getting in it. These QR codes are popping up everywhere I guess it is time to upgrade my old cellphone and join the modern age. Funny, it wasn't so long ago that I got my first cellphone and now it seems like if you don't upgrade about every 6 months or so you fall behind pretty quickly. Hard to believe how fast technology is moving now.

-Patrick

To Grüner, or not to Grüner ????

To Grüner, or not to Grüner ???? The answer is YES, pick up a Grüner Veltliner (Grüner for short) and enjoy Austria's lesser known white wine. For years Riesling was what first came to mind when thinking about great Austrian wines. Over the last 5 or 6 years Grüner has continued to grow here in the U.S. and nearly every good restaurant and wine shop will have at least one to offer you. Here at Harry's we usually have at least a half-dozen to choose from.

Recently I was out with some friends and we all decided on splitting a bottle of Grüner to drink as an apéritif while we looked over the menu. Each one of us agreed that it was a great wine and a perfect starter for a warm summer evening. The wines are refreshing and interesting. Across the board, Grüners exhibit great balance of fruit and minerality.

The first thing people notice when buying a Grüner is that many come in a 1 liter bottle (750ml is the common wine bottle size) and instead of a cork, many are sealed with a "pop top" (more commonly seen on beer bottles). These features help people in identifying these wines. We often hear someone come in and say, "I was over friends house this weekend and they had a great white wine that had a beer cap on it". This makes our job very easy, we simply march them over to they Austria section and show them the selection.

Two Grüners I have had recently are:
2009 Weingut Groiss, 1 liter, 12% alc, $9.99
2010 Weingut Berger, 1 liter, 12.5% alc, $14.99

Both are excellent wines. The Berger has a little more of a "citrus thing" going on, albeit still tempered by a nice firm mineral backbone. Anyone who is a Sauvignon Blanc fan should give this one a try. The Groiss is definitely a less fruity choice, more like an Alsatian Pinot Gris. I really enjoyed both of them and look forward to having each one again before summers end.

I forgot to mention, besides being great refreshing wines that are meant to be consumed within a few years, Grüner's also come in very high quality and age-worthy styles. These wines can age many years like great white burgundies. Grüner's of this caliber will be found in more traditional bottle shapes with cork closures for better aging.

Come in and check out our selection and give a bottle a try!

- Greg

Could summer be over already?

It is a sad day today at Harry's.

Here it is the first day of August, the real dog days of summer and a couple of key things happened today that let us know that summer is drawing to a close. First, today we took down one of our Rosè racks and counted the number of labels remaining... 55 types remain, which sounds like alot until you consider that at our high mark was 105 this year. Couple that with the fact that we are having difficulty replenishing some of our favorites of the season and it starts to sink in, the fall season is just around the corner.

If you are a rosè fan, come by and pick up some of your favorites before they are gone for the year. I'm giving all that read this blog fair warning so don't wait, the selection will not be the same in 2 weeks, if your are like me and are thinking about Rosè for your Labor day party, trust me, you will want to inquire sooner than later.

Oh yea, the other sign that summer is winding down...

Somebody came to me talking about Ocktoberfest!

-Christelle

My Favorite Summer Cocktail!

If you are looking for a good, refreshing summer drink, try the St. Germain cocktail.

St. germain offers a recipe book with many variations of cocktails using their french Liqueur made from Elder flower. My personal favorite is the traditional St Germain cocktail blended sparkling wine, club soda and fresh lemon (recipe below).

It was a couple of years back that a distribution rep came through Harry's doors with this funny looking bottle telling us that he thought we would like it. We all tasted and to our surprise it was a big hit with all of us. We bought a few bottles and put them out on the shelf. This was a hand sell product and no one knew what it was.

The following summer at the Bastille day celebration on Sanford street there was a booth serving this cocktail, made in a special decanter that really caught my attention. By the end of the day, I was hooked!

I soon learned through work that the decanter was free with you purchase of a 750ml bottle and my journey was complete. This is now MY summer cocktail. great on a sultry evening after work or at your backyard gathering on o sunny weekend afternoon.

Trust me on this one, I have led many people to it and always get great feedback. Try it and you will be a fan too.

-Christelle

The St-Germain Cocktail:
2 parts Brut Champagne or Dry Sparkling Wine
1½ parts St-Germain
2 parts Sparkling Water or Club Soda
Method: Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Variation: Think of Sartre circa 1947. Be the lemon twist.

Gift pack including free decanter with fill lines and recipe book, in stock. $35.99

Stimulate your Taste Buds!

The summer season is well under way and there is nothing better then kicking back and relaxing with an ice cold cocktail.There are a vast amount of liquors out there and when a few are combined correctly can make a refreshing and elegant drink.A few of my personal favorite summer time recipes are:

Mint Julep
4 fresh mint sprigs
2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp water

White Sangria
1/2 cup peach schnapps
1/2 cup cognac
1/4 cup white sugar
4 oranges, sliced into rounds
2 mangos, peeled and sliced
4 (750 milliliter) bottles dry white wine, chilled
1 liter ginger ale, chilled

Sour Apple Martini
2 oz vodka
1 oz green-apple schnapps
Splash of sour mix
Garnish with a lemon twist

All of these items can be found in our store and/or your local supermarket. So if your looking for that new and exciting drink to have by the pool this weekend, these are a few helpful recipes that will help cool you down in the hot summer heat!

-Chris O

Argentina's answer to Sauvignon Blanc

As summer is entrenching us with its long warm nights and vast amounts of sunshine, chilled whites wines are the perfect counterpart in helping cope with the summer season. Personally, a chilled bottle of torrontes is the perfect match. The indigenous white grape of Argentina refreshes the palate with beautiful structure and enjoyable acidity. Hints of peaches, oranges, citrus and floral notes can be seen throughout and leave you coming back for more. Enjoying this beautiful wine by itself or pairing it with soft cheeses, seafood and even spicy middle-eastern foods make this wine not only unique but irresistible. A few of our staff favorites are,

Jelu Torrontes – $13.99

Vinalba Torrontes- $9.99

Don David Torrontes - $16.99

-Chris O

Refreshing white wines

'Tis the season for chilled white wines!
I recently had an opportunity to serve two distinctly different white wines to some friends and family. The wines were the 2010 Chateau La Tour Beraud and the 2009 Felsner Gruner Veltliner.
The Beraud is a beautifully floral wine with a myriad of fruit flavors including peach and green apple. There is a lush body to this wine which would lend it as a great alternative for chardonnay drinkers.
The Felsner is bone dry wine showing a rich "minerally" character. The fruit takes a backseat to the rich terroir shown in this Austrian white.
Both wines would pair nicely with light summer cuisine.

-2010 Chateau La Tour Beraud Blanc, Region-Rhone, Grapes - 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne, 25% Marsanne. $9.99

-2009 Felsner Gruner Veltliner, Region-Austria, Grape - Gruner Veltliner. $12.99

-Greg

New Arrivals to the floor

We just recieved a couple of new white wines from the Loire valley. Both are 100% Chenin Blanc and are from Anjou Saumur, an area that is not well known, however, the wines are very good. Most people are more familiar with it's neighbor, Sancere.

The primary difference between these Chenin Blancs and the more well known Vouvray (also Chenin Blanc) is that these wines are vinfied bone dry while the Vouvray offers fruitiness that borders on mildly sweet. If you are looking for an alternative wine that pairs well with Oysters and other seafood, this should be on the list.

While I'm thinking of the Loire valley... if you are in the mood for a new red to try, how about one that is 100% cabernet franc. Listed below are some ideas in both catagories


Chateau Souchere
Anjou Blanc 2010 $16.99

Reserve Des Vignerons
Suamur 2010 $10.99

Laffourcade
Anjou 2009 $15.99 (Cab Franc)

-Christelle

2010 A Great vintage for rose'

2010 A Great vintage for rose'
To Say that we at Harry's enjoy rose' would be an understatement. For more than 30 years we have been supplying our like-minded fans with the best selection of great quality rose' from across the globe. This year we will top out with more than 100 unique choices.

France, USA, Spain and Italy are all well represented but the list goes on... Austria, Greece, Portugal and Argentina are on the menu too. Break down each country into regions and you really get to see the breadth of our selection. France has Provence (of course), Cotes du Rhone, Bordeaux, Gascogne, Languedoc, Minervois, Ventoux, Gigondas, Corbieres, Anjou, Costieres de Nimes, shall I go on? Then there is the good old U.S. of A. Where California, Washington, Oregon, and New York show up. Spain makes its mark with Rioja, Ribera del Duero, The Basque area, and Arianza, while Italy has put Sardinia, Campania, Marche, and Sicily on the rack.

It has been very difficult for us to say no because virtually everything we are tasting from 2010 vintage is good and many of them are very good or great. How can anyone ignore that ethereal pink hue I ask! Sophisticated enough for your evening cocktail party, simple and approachable enough for a picnic lunch and relaxed enough for a lazy weekend afternoon in the hammock. Personally I'll begin to drink it in early May and I don't hang up my Rose' glass until long after Labor Day. It is nice to see that the press has finally caught up with our fascination and for the last couple of years it has been nice to see that the enjoyment of rose' has moved into the mainstream where it belongs.

If you have not joined the legions of these summer quaffers, consider this your personal invitation to climb on board. For you skeptics out there let me say two things... This is NOT White Zinfandel and YES, you can drink rose' and still be cool. Stop in and see anyone on our wine staff for a great recommendation. I think you'll be happy you did.
-Patrick