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.