Rosè of the day Wednesday April 17, 2013

 

Varietals: 70% Grenache Gris and Grenache Noir; 10% Mourvèdre; 10% Carignan; 10% Cinsault.

Region:Corbières, Languedoc, France

Price: $13.99/$151.00

 

Tasting notes: A crystalline salmon colour with superb amethyst tints. Expressive and particularly tonic, the wine immediately gives off notes of raspberry, cherry and freshly picked strawberries - followed by exotic aromas such as pineapple and mango. Considerable freshness - the density and richness of the fruit mingle with the superb acid vitality giving a wine with a frisson and a magnificent persistence. Stunningly balanced, this is an extremely appetent wine!

Menu: Ideal as an aperitif with toast and crushed olives, or with wok-fried vegetables and garlic mayonnaise, grilled fish, lamb tajine, finely roasted guinea-fowl with rosemary...

Yesterdays Answer: One person answered yesterday (Jan would have answered but Laura correctly told her that she wan't allowed to play since she works for us and was available for many of the photos taken) The correct answer was given by Ouadia Gauthier when she said Tutto Pasta. We love the feel of the picture and interesting to note that Robert Sinskey Vineyards saw the picture and retweeted it yesterday.

Rosè of the day Tuesday April 16, 2013

Robert Sinskey Vin Gris Rosè 2012

Varietal: pinot Noir

Price: $32.99/$356.00 (very limited)

Tasting Notes: Dry, crisp and pure the Vin Gris is a perfect accompaniment to food. This is a "cult" rose if you are ever going to find one. Stunningly beautiful to the eye with a gem-like glimmer, this whole cluster pressed rosé of Pinot Noir exhibits delicate purity. Aromas of pear and wild strawberry dance from the glass as complex flavors of mineral and herb co-mingle with a vibrant mouth-feel—an absolutely refreshing experience!

Region: USA, California, Napa Valley

Menu:  This Vin Gris of Pinot Noir is an incredibly versatile wine to pair with food as it can stand up to the more extreme of ethnic cuisines—Asian, Mexican and Indian—yet it is completely comfortable with a simple sandwich or classic French bistro fare.

 Yesterday's answer: The DMZ Rosè was taken with a picture of the store's original owner and it's namesake Harry Pollack. The picture is in our California room and pays homage to our past. When we showed the picture to Saul he said "I'm not sure my dad knew what Rosè was, but Im sure he would approve." If you know an answer post it here or on our Facebook page.

Rosè of the day Monday April 15, 2013

De Morgenzon DMZ Cabernet Rosè 2012

Tasting Notes: This crowd pleasing rosé displays alluring aromas and juicy flavors of pomegranate, watermelon and strawberries, accented with delicate floral and spice hints.

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Western Cape, South Africa

Price: $11.99/$129.00cs



Today is the kick off for "Rosè of the day"!
Spring and summer are the perfect seasons for these sun in a bottle wines and we do quite a business with them all the way through Labor Day. Harry's has a long tradition with Rosè and the interest has exploded in the past few years and has gone mainstream. More and more producers from virtually every wine growing region in the world have joined the more traditional areas like Provence and are using different varietals and techniques to broaden the scope of the summer quaffs.

Our current selection has just surpassed the century mark and we haven't even reached May. Some have very small productions and will only be around for a few weeks, while others could go through the whole year. We have had a good time coming up with really creative pictures over the past couple of weeks and will post one each day on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc...

They all have a story to tell and aside from the stats like price, varietal(s), and tasting notes we have chosen interesting places in our store, at our neighbors and around Fairfield to shoot them. Click on the picture and see if you can pick the place we took it. Some will be obvious and some are designed to challenge you. Tell us what you think of the picture, the wine and where it may have been taken. This is geared to be fun and interactive and it will last through Labor Day.

The first picture has special signifcance to our store. Can anyone tell us why? Go to our page on Facebook and comment or leave a comment here. If you check in on our Facebook page don't forget to "like us" while you are there.

Have fun!

Wine Tasting - Saturday 1-4PM, Apr 13

Your host is Jennifer Englert of T. Edwards Wines.

La Foret des Dames Sancerre 2011             $16.99

A lovely, vibrant nose of citrus, melon, honey and wildflowers leads to fresh, crisp flavors of peach and gooseberry on the palate. Delicate mineral and herbal notes appear on the finish.

Alhambra Malbec Reserva 2011                 $14.99

This wine sees a combination of stainless steel (for freshness) and barrel (for richness) for 10 months. It’s a wine with medium-plus body and exacting purity of flavors. The Alhambra offers up clean, juicy raspberry, kirsch and plum notes with soft tannins and sneaky-long palate presence.

Chatom Cabernet 2007                                $21.99

Opens with a very spicy nose of cherry, oak and leather. Fairly fruit forward offering flavors of cherry, raspberry, baking spice, oaky vanilla and subtle hints of intriguing smokiness with soft tannins

La Ferme St Pierre Rose 2012                     $14.99

Culled from 100% Grenache grapes, the "Cuvee Juliette" offers delicious, serious dry Rose with beautiful copper/salmon coloring, tangerine and citrus blossom, tropical fruits, a whiff of white peach and lovely, pure mineral notes with excellent acidity

Beer tasting 4pm-7pm Friday April 12

Your host is Mike Weed from Abner Weed brewing.

Last week we officially kicked off our four consectutive months of local breweries! Renzo and the two brothers, Mike and Alex, have been working at this project and we now have the pieces in place.
So what defines local?

Will everything that we are promoting be from here in town?
From our state?
From the Northeast?
Please explain...

In this case, we are very cognizant of the defininition so we'll say it like this...there are not very many companies that brew right here in our state. There are quite a few labels that are owned locally but brew in places like Mass., or brewed here but owned outside of the state, so it isn't an easy task. In the end, it is all about our local economy and trying to keep the dollars spent as local as possible.
Having said that, if you look up Abner Weed brewery you will see that through a very convoluted and, in some ways, idiotic turn of events this Cailfornia based brew is being brewed right here in our state. It is actually a homage to a long since passed Senator from California and brewed here in the state of Connecticut by a family in Bloomfield that shares the Weed name. Some how all of this strange twist and turning gives you an idea of how the next 4 months will play out.
The craft beer world continues to get more serious in our state and things will be clearer, and their local connections more solid as time goes by as places like Two Roads in Stratford dig in. In the meantime, we are going to try very hard to do our part to support the local movement both in beer and business. We are a family owned business that continues to be owned by the same family that opened it more than 70 years ago. Now in our third, proud generation in this business, we are hopeful that our reputation as a leader and our ever humble approach continue to have meaning long into the future.
Help us to support the "local guy" as we spend the spring and summer featuring some of the best brews that Connecticut has to offer.

-cheers 

Abner Weed Amber Ale                   $8.99/6pb

Proudly named after the founder of Weed, this rich ale starts off sweet and malty and progressed into a light, bitter flavor.

When a full bottle of wine is more than you need - think 375ml!

There are times when you really feel like a nice glass of wine but are reluctant to commit to opening a bottle of wine because you know that you won't finish it.  Fear not, here at Harry's we have a wide selection of half bottles (375ml) at varying price points.  This way you don't have to feel bad about not finishing the bottle.  Depending on the stemware you use, a 375 bottle usually yields a little more than 2 glasses.  A half bottle also allows you to experiment with different producers or grape varietals at a reduced cost.

Something also to consider is that a wine bottled in a 375ml will age quicker than if it were in a 750ml.  This is especially helpful for people looking to invest in a case of a certain wine in 750 bottles. Buying and tasting a particular wine that is the same maker, varietal and vintage in a 375 bottle is like taking a peek into the future of the full size bottle. 

Don't throw away that bottle!

One of the best kept secrets in the wine industry... Keep your empty 375 bottle. 

Sometimes when I want just a couple glasses of wine, I can't find the one that I'm in the mood for in a half bottle so I do the following. 

- Take that cleaned and dried 375ml bottle (I don't use soap to clean the 375 bottle - just lots of rinsing with tap water)

- Upon opening the 750 bottle immediately pour half of the bottle into the smaller 375 bottle and push a clean, dry cork into the top.  Make sure to stop a a good inch away from the top of the bottle so you can reinsert the cork.  If done correctly, the wine has had very little exposure to air and will keep for a week, even weeks or more. It's the best way of preserving wine that I have found so far.

Remember, wines enemy is air (Oxygen in particular) so exposing it to as little as posible before you are ready to drink it is the key.

So stop in and check out our half bottle selection here at Harry's!

-Greg

FUNDRAISER: Kennedy Center Sat, April 6th 2013 7pm-10pm Quick Center, Fairfield University

The Kennedy Center's 2013 

"Magic Moments" Event

To Benefit The Autism Project

The Quick Center for the Arts

At Fairfield University

Saturday, April 6, 2013

7PM Cocktails, Food, Silent Auction

9PM Concert in Kelley Theatre featuring

         Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot –

         THE ULTIMATE

         BILLY JOEL BAND!

10:30PM Black Box After Party

7PM	Cocktails, Food, Silent Auction
9PM	Concert in Kelley Theatre featuring Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot – THE ULTIMATE BILLY JOEL BAND!
10:30PM	Black Box After Party

$125  Individual Ticket
$225  Black Box Ticket

  

RSVP:

Jo Ann McMullan, 203-365-8522   ext 229

Or   www.thekennedycenterinc.org

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Apr 5

Your host is Peter Slywka of Michael Skurnik  Wines. As you can see, Peter is tasting with some of our "Spring Chickens" today. I hope he got their ID's before he served them. Beautiful day to be out and about and I just saw on Fairfield Cheese Company's Facebook page that the grilled cheese is ready. That is where I am heading next. See you there!    

Berger Gruner Veltliner 2012                      $14.99

Fresh and espressive, with citrus, floral and mineral flavors that linger in the mouth.  It practically invites you to have a second glass.  Eric Asimov, The New York Times

Charles and Charles Rosé 2012                   $11.99

A perfect balance of fruit, acid and savory!  This Rosé features aromas of watermelon, grass, wet stones and citrus; all of which carry on through the palate to a finish of bright acidity.

Petit Chapeau Cotes du Rhone 2010           $10.99

With reliable, top-notch sources and excellent craftsmanship, the Petit Chapeau wines reflect their place of origin clearly and honestly.  This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 25%  Syrah, 20% Cinsault, and 5% Mourvedre. Petit Chapeau was created to offer consumers a terrific alternative to the ocean of over-manipulated, stripped, character-less value wines on the market.

Hirsch Bohan Dillon Pinot Noir 2011          $39.99

Explosive and exuberant aromatics, dominated by cherries and pomegranate. Opening to reveal notes of orange peel, clove, baking spices and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, the rich fruit of juicy plums and bing cherries is balanced by energetic acidity and a lithe tannic structure.



Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Apr 5

Your host is Nick Brown from The Cambridge House.

Big Hoppy DIPA                   $5.29/22oz

This hugely malty American Strong Ale brings together caramelized and toasted cereals in a round and oily mouthfeel where earthy and resinous hop leave their pleasant trail of bitterness.

Stout                                       $5.29/22oz

The taste is very good. It has a creamy chocolate taste, but not overly sweet. Nice balance. This goes down very well.

Kolsch                                     $4.29/22oz

German Style Light Ale. Smooth, easy drinking with subtle noble hop character.

Connecticut's craft beer movement is getting serious

The craft brewing industry is experiencing a boom right now, and Connecticut is right on board.  More and more people are looking to try new and different kinds of beer than ever before, and Connecticut is looking to supply what the people are demanding.  Over the past few years, Connecticut has seen an explosion of new breweries all over the state.  Connecticut is currently #33 on the breweries-per-capita list in the country (Vermont is #1, Maine #5, New Hampshire #11, Massachusetts #22), but you can expect to see Connecticut start to climb that list fast. 

In the past two years alone we have seen the emergence of breweries like Half Full, Charter Oak, and Back East join the list of Connecticut breweries with veteran breweries such as New England Brewing Co. and The Thomas Hooker Brewery, as well as the addition of the largest brewing facility and company in the state, Stratford’s own Two Roads.  In 2012, Connecticut also saw the formation of the Connecticut Brewers Guild headed by the president of The Thomas Hooker Brewery, Curt Cameron.  The guild, as well as websites like www.ctbeertrail.net were formed and aim to attract tourism and set up events for Connecticut breweries, as well as a source of news and information about the breweries.

Connecticut microbreweries are popping up fast all over the state, and with even more being planned currently.  With four breweries opening in 2012 alone, Connecticut is making great strides in the craft brewing industry, and starting to make a name for itself.  With craft brewery interest on the rise in the state and the rate of new breweries popping up, it is only a matter of time before Connecticut starts catching up with Vermont and Maine.  It is an exciting era for beer in Connecticut, and if 2012 showed us anything it’s that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

-Mike

Sources:

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=25639

http://articles.courant.com/2012-06-25/business/hc-craft-beer-guild-20120625_1_craft-brewers-market-craft-beer-olde-burnside-brewing

http://hartfordmag.com/article-590-somethings-brewing.html?current_page=1