Super Bowl & Wine

Can’t make it to New Orleans for the Big Game?

Me either!

However, No matter which team you’re rooting for – the San Francisco 49ers or the Baltimore Ravens – I am suggesting that you kick off your Super Bowl party with something out-of-the ordinary. Instead of the usual, chips, dips, and wings with beer, why not pull out all the stops, and make it a Super Bowl of wine. There is no reason why you can’t cater to both the wine drinker and beer drinker at your Super Bowl bash this year, and I think your guests will be impressed.

For the menu, I have provided some traditional Super Bowl Foods and a few wines that pair well with them. These selections will impress your guests and your party will be the big winner!  Enjoy the game!

-BUFFALO WINGS

   For highly-seasoned wings, go with a Sauvignon Blanc. Kim Crawford or Oyster Bay are two good choices to stand up to the sharp flavors. If your wings are exceptionally spicy, try a Dr. H. Thanisch, or a Dr Loosen Reisling, as they will tame the heat!

CHILI

 The classic Super Bowl food calls for top-notch American wines. Try a big, lush, Zinfandel. The bright berry flavors will be a perfect match for the sweet tomato flavors and meaty characteristics. A Ravenswood (get it?) or a rich Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel will do the trick.

VEGGIES AND DIP

  Crisp and crunchy tidbits call for a fresh, clean white. Try a unoaked Chardonnay from either Vrac or Eugene Blanc. If you want to go the red route, try something light and fruity like a well balanced Hangtime Pinot Noir from California or Patton Valley’s de-Classified Pinot from Oregon.

SUBMARINE SANDWICHES

 If you are rolling out the big sub at halftime, try considering a Cotes du Rhone (Red), Australian Shiraz, or a California Cabernet. Petit Chapeau is a nice choice for a Cotes du Rhone, and Joel Gott is the choice for Cabernet as it pairs well with its cherry cola and hints of anise flavor.

NACHOS

 Believe it or not, the best matches for corn based food such as chips or tortillas is Chardonnay. When going with creamy cheese dips Chardonnay is the perfect compliment. Go for a Simi or Wente Chardonnay (Based in San Francisco), as they both have a nice balance of oak, a bit creamy, and a tropical finish.

Enjoy, and surprise your guests with a little good taste this Super Bowl, and "wined" up for the game!

Take a look at our ad in the Minuteman this week for other fun wine and beer ideas including Niner wines and some beer selections that are from the teams home towns.

-Joe

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Jan 26

Your host is Robert Janelli of Harry's.

A graduate of Ohio University and Thunderbird (The American Graduate School of International Management) Rob worked in the wine and spirits business for 23 years with Joseph E. Seagrams and Sons in their International and Global Duty Free Division.  During this period one of his positions was Sales and Marketing Manager for wines where he developed a passion for the fruit of the vine while visiting wineries throughout Europe and California.

Bichot Cotes de Nuits Villages 2009                        $24.99

This wine has a complex nose of dark fruits and violets.  On the palate are earthy, supple and delicious flavors of ripe berry, earth, and plum.  It is all wrapped in a balanced and persistent finish.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2012                          $12.99

Pale straw green in color with brilliant clarity, this is zesty and aromatic with lots of lively, penetrating fruit characters. A concentration of tropical and gooseberry flavors with an abundant bouquet.

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Jan 25

Your host  is Alex of Harry's Staff.

 

Stillwater Folklore Stout                   $11.99/750ml

Human history is filled with myths and legends that shape and define our culture. Rituals, celebrations, gatherings.. whatever. One thing that’s for sure, is we enjoy a proper shindig. So let’s get the stories flowing and share a little ’Folklore’. A bracingly deep ale, built dark and rich with an elegantly lean body, accompanied by heady aromas of Belgian yeast, earthy hops and gently kissed by a wisp of smoke.

Stillwater Cellar Door                       $10.99/750ml

Over the ages the term ’cellar door’ has numerously been referred to as the most beautiful term in the English language. upon setting out to create the first summer addition to the Stateside line up of ales; the feeling that almost instantly came to me was that of beauty & cleansing. many summer offerings tend to lack the complexity of their bigger, colder season counterparts; so my goal was to craft an ale of extreme balance with a delicate complexity that allows for contemplation while also providing quaffable refreshment. starting with a base of German wheat & pale malts this crisp slightly hazy foundation was then accented with a blend of Sterling & Citra hops providing a intricate blend of herbal grass & tangerine citrus flavors and aroma. to pull this all together and to complete the ’cleansing’ aspect of my vision i gently finished the ale off with a touch of white sage, lending a mild earthy spice character to the blend. of course let’s not forget our house saison yeast that brought all the elements together leaving a dry yet intricate finish. enjoy, b.

McNeils Amber Dry Hopped           $4.49/22oz

An immensely drinkable amber that has served as McNeill’s flagship beer for fifteen years. A citrus nose blends with notes of caramel and raisins to make this stand out beer with a full red color.

Some not so Stoopid thoughts on a hopped up beer

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid  $4.99 22oz
8% abv

An India Pale Ale (IPA) that packs a punch of that beautiful bitterness with every sip. This “Hop-Head’s” delight is a great West Coast IPA that has distinct citrus and orange peel in the nose, accompanied by some sweetness to balance the beer. Once it hits your palate, the drinker experiences a burst of hops with the same characteristics as on the nose. Another success from Lagunitas!

This is my first official blog post for Harry’s. Patrick asked me to choose a beer that I really liked and put down my thoughts about it.

Here goes…

As an India Pale Ale (IPA) fan, I was really excited to try this beer. The more bitter the beer, the better. After the beer was poured into the glass and I got my first chance to smell it I was even more intrigued to get my first sip. The smell of the grapefruit and other citrus with fresh hops is a scent that I wish I could fill my house with.

The first sip gave me the punch of hops at the front of my palate that I have come to cherish. As the beer flowed from the front of my tongue to the back, I was given a smooth transition from bitterness and tropical fruits, to a nice sweetness from the malt, and back to that hoppy dry finish. While the next sips did not have quite the same intensity as the first, the flavors stayed consistent and made for an enjoyable beer from start to finish. This “Hop-Head’s” delight is just another example of a successful beer put out by Laguinitas.

Cheers!

Alex

Back by popular demand!

For the throngs of people that have been asking "When will Lily be in again?" Your wait has ended.

After a very busy holiday season followed be a handful of weekends that we were either not scheduled or had some sort of project going that didn't allow for her to come to work.

The day has finally come!

As I was getting ready to come in this morning I could really sense that she knew that something was up. She has made the connection with going out and fetching the BIG newspaper on a Sunday and seeing me get ready for work which tells her that maybe, just maybe, she gets to go to work today.

Well it finally happened this morning and she could not be more excited! She hopped in the car and that tail has been wagging non stop.

Lily loves kids and is looking forward to a day of greeting "her" customers so if you are out and about and want to stop by to say hello, she'll be ready too!

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Jan 19

Your host will be Joseph De Rosa of Harry's.

Castelvero Cortese 2011 $7.99
This is a fresh and lively dry white from the Piedmont region of Italy in the north. Made of 100% Cortese, which is the same grape as Gavi di Gavi, look for lots of lemon/lime citrus fruit and balanced, zippy acidity. Take a break from Pinot Grigio and try a wonderful alternative.



Vall Llach Embruix 2009 $24.99
This red has a smooth, polished texture, which carries harmonious flavors of berry, plum, licorice and mineral, joined by notes of wild herbs and chocolate. Approachable, but shows depth and intensity. Drink now through 2015. Wine Spectator, 90 pts

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Jan. 18th

Your host is Jared from Harpoon.



Harpoon brewery "IPA Adventure" mixed Pack $15.99 12pk

Rye IPA
This beer is brewed with hops, a variety of malts, our proprietary yeast – the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale – and more hops. A lot more hops. Centennial and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight add a multidimensional hop character, and the combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the rye and the pronounced hop flavor.


Black IPA
A specialty malt called Midnight Wheat gives this beer an almost stout-like appearance without the overly roasty attributes often associated with traditional dark malts. Chinook, Simcoe, Cascade, and Citra hops provide a fruity aroma to complement the earthy, spicy bitterness of this dark ale.


White IPA
Available only in the IPA Adventure Mix Pack, Harpoon White IPA style blends the spiciness of a Belgian Wit and the American hop character of an IPA.


Winter Warmer $15.99 12pk
Brewed since 1988, this beer has become a New England seasonal classic. Cinnamon and nutmeg dominate the aroma. The taste is a rich combination of the holiday spices and the hearty malt backbone. There is a mild sweetness to the finish along with the lingering flavor of the spices.

Thomas Hooker Saison (Connecticut Barrel Series)

Saison is a style with a very humble beginnings as a table beer brewed in the farmhouses of Wallonia, the French speaking region of southern Belgium. A Saison is brewed using more hops that other Belgian styles, making it a very durable beer(Hops working as a natural preservative). Traditionally Brewed in spring by woman, it was meant to last through the summer and autumn.

Thomas Hooker brews their Saison with traditional continental ingredients, using a sour mash of Weyermann floor-malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt, Wheat and toasted Wheat, finishing with a healthy addition of Czech Saaz hops, they dry hop with their own proprietary blend of Estate hops (CT grown in Thomas Hooker's New Hartford Hopyard) and spice with a light touch of Black Peppercorns. Then it is fermented with a renowned Saison yeast, which adds subtle hints of bubble gum, clove, and fruity esters to the aroma and flavor.

Thomas Hooker partnered with wineries on the CT wine trail to source an assortment of Chardonnay wine barrels from Chamard, Hopkins, and Jonathan Edwards Wineries. Each type of barrel contributes its own flavor and aroma, which blends to create a unique Saison.

Celebrate Connecticut by enjoying all of the beers in Thomas Hooker Connecticut barrel series Collaboration. A true "cellaring" beer, their Saison will delight as a fresh bottle, and will develop new flavors, aromas, and complexity as it ages.

Stay tuned for more THooker CT barrel series, next will be a Barley wine age in Chardonnay wine barrels.

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Jan 12

Your host is Janice Monteleone of Harry's staff.

Vajra Barolo 2007 $34.99
The 2007 Barolo Albe is a huge over-achiever in this vintage. Dark cherries, spices, menthol and flowers caress the palate in this deep, plush Barolo. With a little air some of the wine’s firmness melts away. The Albe is made in an approachable style meant for near-term drinking. I don’t think that will be much of an issue here. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. This is another superb set of wines from Aldo and Milena Vajra. What else is new? I am sure one day the Vajras will receive the broader recognition they so richly deserve. In the meantime, savvy readers know the exceptional quality these wines deliver for what remain very modest prices. Wine Advocate, 91 pts


La Cana Albarino 2011 $14.99
Aromas of white peaches, lychee nuts and spring flowers jump from the glass of this 100% old vine Albarino. The 2011 La Cana, from a relatively new winery founded in 2008, is medium-bodied, elegant and slightly restrained for an Albarino (which are usually flamboyant and aromatic). Fermented in both stainless steel and large format French oak, this dry white exhibits excellent texture as well as length. Drink it over the next year. Wine Advocate, 89 pts

It's not often that you beat the NY Times to a story or trend

As rosé season was winding down last August instead of breaking down the racks and storing them until the 2013 rosés come in, we decided to leave them up and feature a different category of wine. That category was wine from the northwestern region of Italy know as Piedmont. First of all, here at Harry's we all are huge fans of these wines and further more you can find some great values. What makes Piedmont such a great area is that you have a variety of grapes that each offer their unique flavors and styles.

The most common red grape varietals in Piedmont are nebbiolo, barbera, and last but not least dolcetto. Most people know nebbiolo as the grape used in making the great Barolos and Barbarescos. Barbera is fairly well recognized too. Then there is dolcetto, a lot of people have heard of it but aren’t really sure about what it tastes like or what to pair it with. The flavor profile of dolcetto is marked by dark fruit, delicate licorice, and fine tannins.

Just last week the Times did a feature story on the wines of Piedmont and they highlighted dolcetto specifically. This is a topic which we have been promoting full-steam since September here at Harry’s. Funny enough, the dolcetto that they rated #1 is a personal favorite of mine - Einaudi Dolcetto di Doglianin Vigna Tecc. I recently served this wine to guests and it paired beautifully with the charcuterie and cheeses we had picked out. The price range for dolcettos run from $9 to $29, so even the best ones are affordable.

We were glad to see that they agreed with our fascination of Piedmont

You can read their take on Piedmont here:
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/w/wines/the_piedmont/index.html

-Greg

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Jan. 11th

Your host will be Alex of Harry's Staff.


Breckenridge brewery Mix Pack $17.49 12pk

Vanilla Porter
Deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grows the perfect ingredient for an extraordinary Porter brewed in Colorado. Breckenridge Brewery’s Vanilla Porter. An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure.

Avalanche
That's what makes our Avalanche amber ale such a treat. We blend pale and caramel malts — and just a kiss of bittering hops — to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, anytime beer. Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Coloradosnow finish make this our best-selling beer.

Lucky U IPA
We sure did. And the result is a well-balanced, soulful IPA with just the right amount of hoppiness. An even keeled ale that goes down clean and refreshing, but still lets you know it’s been doted on by the Brewmaster. It's true to it’s IPA heritage, but also highly drinkable. Lucky U. And we seriously mean that.

Oatmeal Stout
It's a bold, smooth-bodied concoction that oozes dark-roasted coffee aromas and flavors of espresso and semi-sweet chocolate. We round out these heady pleasures with a dose of flaked oatmeal for a creamy body and a semi-dry finish. Unforgettable.

Only 15 cases of each made it to the country and its here!

Oude 25 Dodici
Aged in oak wine barrels and blended with 25 Dodici

and...

Old Antonia
when Calvados barrels meet the hops!!!

Come and see Renzo for more.

Wine Tasting 1-4pm Saturday, Jan 5

Your host is Greg Wood of Harry's.
After graduating from Bryant College, Greg launched his professional career in finance and marketing, including working for the Dutch Steel Company, Hoogovens Steel, as a business development specialist. After working in the corporate world for 10 years, he sought a more passioniate career and spent the next decade as a National Ski Patroller and ski equipment retailer. While Greg was patroling the slopes, his ardor for wine began to flourish. To slake his growing thirst for knowledge, he sought out masses of wine literature and set foot into the great wine regions of the world, traveling most recently to France's Rhone Valley. "It is everything about wine that fascinates me - the history, travel, tasting, and food pairing," says Greg. With his deep knowledge and passionate personality, Greg began working at Harry's in May 2010 and continues to find much joy in selecting the perfect bottle for the customers' needs.

Since his original bio was put up nearly three years ago, Greg has continued to grow and has become the floor leader in the wine department. As is often the case at Harry's the next guy steps in to the leadership role and that is just what Greg has done. Using all of the things he has learned by being part of the team these past 3 years he is now manning the reigns and assiting William with the training and day to day operations of our award winning wine floor. Come by and taste his selections for the day and put him to the test helping you to find the perfect wine!

-Cheers

Pillot Bourgogne Blanc 2009 $25.99
From a parcel on the southeastern end of Chassagne Montrachet, this wine now passes its elevage in stainless steel tank to preserve its freshness. It shares the broad shoulders and dense texture of the wines of Chassagne. Bottled twelve months after the harvest, this wine establishes the base-line for the generous, open style adopted by Jean-Marc Pillot for all of his wines. Winery Notes

Frescobaldi Remole Toscana 2010 $8.99
A rich, luminous ruby of appealing depth announces an equally complex nose, Remole 2010 reveals multi-faceted aromas of red and dark fruit and lifted by spicier impressions of black pepper and liquorice. The entry is velvety and warm, and the components on the palate are well balanced, with a tasty vein of acidity. Aromatic fruit returns to grace a lengthy finish. Winery Notes

Beer Tasting 4 - 7pm Friday, Jan. 4th

Your host is Mike of Harry's Staff.

Boulder Honey Saison $7.69 22 oz.
Boulder Beer Company has released a new limited-edition offering called A Honey of a Saison, brewed with large amounts of Wildflower Honey sourced from Madhava Natural Sweeteners in Longmont, CO.
A Honey of a Saison is a swarm of flavor and a stinger at 11.5% ABV. The French Saison yeast produces big, estery, phenolic aromas and flavors, while the Wildflower Honey lends a spicy, sweet aroma with

Cambridge House DIPA $5.29 22oz
A cloudy orangey reddish color with an off white head. Aroma is somewhat astringent due to the alcohol presence. Some hops and a huge malt kick in the nose hairs as well. The taste is a bit harsh as well. I wonder how this one would taste with a bit of age on it? Almost no bitternes.

Smutty Nose Homuculus $6.99 22 oz.
The Gnome was brewed in homage to the recent arrivals of hoppy Belgian beers that we’re starting to see here in the US. I was really shooting for that beautifully soft hopping that’s found in the Houblon Chouffe, however, the Gnome has developed its own unique characteristics and flavor profile. The base beer is a Belgian triple brewed with White Labs Chimay-style yeast. I really liked the fruit character from this yeast, but man, that stuff still hasn’t dropped bright. The hopping was done with Vanguard, Sterling and East Kent Goldings. I think this beer has a lot of potential, though I’d like another shot at brewing the style. There is a very limited amount of this beer, so if you happen to see it on tap, go ahead and share a pint with your gnomies!