Newsletter
November,
2003
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Seasonal Beers
In Europe brewers have been making special beers for different
seasons for centuries. This tradition has been embraced by craft
brewers in this country in the last couple decades. Winter beers
are generally darker, richer and maltier to provide more sustenance
and inwarmthle. Currently, we have more than 15 winter brews to
tempt you. Celebration, Jubilation and Winter Welcome honor the
festive season's approach. While Hibernation, Isolation, and Ebenezer
appeal to the Grinch in us all. Of course, we stock Bristol's Winter
Warlock, New Belgium's Frambozen and Anchor's famous Merry Christmas & Happy
New Year. It has been crafted for 29 years now and the recipe changes
every season. Stop in and pick up one of these special brews or
get our November or December sampler six pack that includes six
different winter beers.
Winter Seasonal Sampler #1
Six Pack - One bottle of each - $6.99
Isolation Ale ............................................... Odell Brewing
Co., Ft. Collins, CO
Ebenezer Ale .............................................. Bridgeport Brewing,
Portland, OR
Hibernation Ale ......................................... Great Divide Brewing,
Denver, CO
Wassail Ale ................................................. Full Sail Brewing
Co., Hood River, OR
Jubilation Ale ............................................. Avery Brewing
Co., Boulder, CO
Winterhook Ale .......................................... Redhood Ale Brewery,
Woodinville, WA
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Operation Turkey Freedom Reconnaisance ... Wines Before the Feeding Starts
Vin
du Bugey-Cerdon, Patrick Bottex, $17.99: One of the darndest
wines we have tasted. It's a sparkling wine from France, made near
Geneva.
It's like a kir royal in a
bottle. A more perfect morning wine might never have been made.
Rustico Prosecco, Nino Franco, $14.99: In the world of sparkling
wine, this is consis-
tently one of the top values. Unlike the above Bugey-Cerdon, it
is pretty much bone dry.
It's crisp and joyously refreshing. It will cleanse your
mouth of whatever foul essences
lingering from the night before.
Mirabelle Brut, Regularly $14.99/Sale $12.99: We
cannot understand why this sparkling wine hasn't set America on
fire? It's made by the esteemed Schramsberg winery in
California. It offers complexity and style at a shockingly low
price. Where have we gone
wrong?
2001 J.J. Prum Riesling Kabinett, $14.99: J.J. always knows how
to put a smile on
your face. This bottling is lively and refreshing with a tickle
of CO2. Green apple flavors
abound on the palate. There is an innuendo of sweetness that should
please those in your
party who don't like wines utterly dry.
Insertion of Special Forces Prior to Battle... Wines for Appetizers
Barbadillo Manzanilla, $8.99: If you are serving
"tapa-esque" appetizers, there is
nothing more appropriate than dry Spanish sherry, served ice cold
of course. With fat
Seville olives, "jamon de Serrano," guacamole, even
potato chips, there are few wines
better than dry sherry.
2002 Andrew Rich Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon, $15.99: Big, delicious
flavors here. For
some slightly more esoteric pre-prandial delights, you might try
this. With goat cheese
renditions, sweet/sour oriental stuff and sushi, this could be
the bottle you need.
2001 Pra Soave, Monte Grande, $14.99: Does anyone in the universe
serve baked Brie
anymore? Well, nothing really goes with that. Anyway, you might
try this with Italian
anti-pasti things. It could be delightful with Parmigiano, a young
Pecorino or roasted
garlic. This is a single vineyard Soave with some oak aging.
2002 Naia, Rueda Blanco, $10.99: Another bizarre Spanish wine
that defies most
entries available in the lexicon of wine adjectives. Other than
Swedish meatballs (or baked
brie), this could go with a lot of Thanksgiving appetizers. The
wine's popularity has
even amazed us. It comes from the area west of Valladolid. Huh,
maybe it could go with
Spanish meatballs ("albondigasls")?
Shock and Awe... Wines for People Who Do Not Respect Turkey
2001
Chiroubles, Domaine Cheysson, $13.99: Amongst the people in France
who
have a clue about wine, Chiroubles is held as the finest Beaujolais.
This, because it has
fruit, elegance and substance. If you are doing duck or salmon,
consider this. And, yes, it
could go with turkey as well.
2002 Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio, $11.99: Granted this might be
a bit light for most
main Thanksgiving courses. But, if you are eating trout, sole,
or happen to be a vegetarian
it could serve you well. Besides, it's one of the best Pinot
Grigios for its price.
2002 Miner Viognier, California, $19.99: A whole other wine here.
It's richer with
exotic peach, apricot and coconut aspects in the nose and on the
palate. It would be
interesting to try this with a pork roast in a fruit sauce. It
might work with river fish or
chicken too.
2002 Chateau du Donjon Minervois Rose, $9.99: If
your previous experiences with
rose and other itblanc de noirslc have left a bad taste in your
mouth, don't despair. This
crisp, aromatic, wonderfully fruity rose comes across like a DRY
version of strawberries
and cream. It's perfect with ham, and the most evocative
wine for the holidays - especially given it's deep, red-orange
hue.
2002 Domaine Stoeffler Gewurztraminer, $17.99/Sale $16.49: What
we love about
this wine is the acidic finish that cleans your tongue so pleasantly.
While this could tango
with turkey, it would enhance others dishes too. You might try
it with ham, goose, sausage
or Munster cheese quiche. Oh, and with pumpkin soup or butternut
squash soup you
could reach heaven before your time.
Moab...Consuming the Target
Turkey
2001 Ken Wright Pinot Noir, Oregon, Willamette
Valley, Guadelupe Vineyard,
$45.99: You have to have a pretty good turkey to serve with this,
because it is a banquet
in a bottle. It is luxuriantly fruity with a lattice of Pinot flavors
that we are incapable of
adequately describing. It seems to capture the best of Pinot Noir
aspects from the world
around. Turkey be wary.
2001 Terre Rouge ioEnigma,ly Sierra Foothills, $19.99: Talk
about exotic -the expansive, apricot-almond-melon-acacia blossom
aromas and flavors of
this Rhone-style assemblage from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
is one of many reasons to give thanks this
holiday season. Should you have a predilection toward white wine
with turkey, goose or
Cornish hens, trust us -this is the white for you.
1999 Coppo Barbera d'Asti, Camp du Rouss, $15.99/Sale
$14.49: Barbera can be
good, if the right person is making it. Coppo is one of the right
people. This is a medium
to full extracted wine with tons of red fruit flavors and aromas.
It would be sublime with
all colors of turkey flesh and most of the side dishes as well.
2001 Lange Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $17.99/Sale
$15.99: Oregon's
Don and
Wendy Lange have done it again, producing a fragrant, elegant,
beautifully balanced, black
cherry-like pinot noir that's absolutely delicious -and
at a price that we find hard to
believe (but we'll pass it on). Anytime during the hoildays
is a good time for a bottle or two
of Lange.
2000 Domaine du Bois Guillaume Beaune 1er Cru, Pertuisots,
$36.99: Leave it the
French to provide the key for transforming a turkey into something
more than an obese pigeon. This is a devilishly, intricate Burgundy
(Pinot Noir) with Pommard like weight. Among its many flavors is
even a touch of
cranberry. Ocean Spray should consider synthesizing the flavors in
this wine. "Cranberries a la Beaune 1er Cru?"
2000 Louis Bernard Cotes-du-Rhone, $9.99: Bernard's luscious
blend of Grenache and
syrah -with its delightful, mouth-filling flavors of raspberries
and black currants -is
almost addictive at the price. A very versatile wine, it will be
delicious with turkey and all
the trimmings or trot it out whenever lamb stew, duck or roast pork
are on the menu.
2000 Bennet Lane Syrah, Napa Valley, $26.99: For those who like to
deep fry their
turkeys (which seems to be the best way to do it, if you can refrain
from burning your
house down), Bennet Lane's Syrah should be considered. It's
big, bold, spicy and smoky,
but not cigarette smoky. It's smooth. You can gnaw and sip
contentedly with this.
Liberating the Oppressed Desert People... Dessert Wines
2002 MR Mosccatel, Malaga, $17.99/500ml: As
you all know from our previous fulminations, Telmo Rodriguez, the
anti-ETA Basque, is our favorite
Spanish winemaker. He's
delighted us with his wines from Remelluri in Rioja. Now he delights
with wines from all
over Spain. Here, his perfectly balanced dessert wine from Malaga
makes you yearn for
fruits, a light flan or a slice of pumkin pie.
2002 Elio Perrone Moscato d'Asti, $14.99: Elio may well
be the Piemontese king of
Moscato. With Moscato d'Asti you have a little fizz. This
keeps it clean, not cloying on
the tongue. With a hazelnut cake, drizzled with zabaione, it's
one of the most sensual
experiences you can have in your mouth or anywhere else.
Bonny Doon Framboise, Regularly $10.99/ for 375 ml. bottle: This
raspberry liqueur
is one of the most synergetic matches with chocolate desserts ever
conceived by man or
alien (which the maker, Randall Grahm may be).
Axe Hill Port, Mossops, $19.99: Other than being
sensational, this Port is hard to
categorize. It's from a South African vineyard where many
prehistoric stone artifacts were
unearthed, thus the name, "Axe Hill" It's not "ruby"
or tawny" as Ports are generally
categorized. As for pairings, it should go with dark fruit tarts,
caramelized desserts and
blue or aged cheeses.
Rebuilding Infrastructure... After Dinner Libations
Germain-Robin
Old Havana Brandy, Regularly $84.99/Sale $59.99: Well, we cannot
call it Cognac because it is made in California. But, it is made
by a French guy in the
traditional Cognac manner. It's an ungodly good distillate,
no matter where it comes from.
Try it with a cigar if you fancy (we have those too!).
Darroze Bas Armagnac, Reserve Speciale, $74.99: When you taste
this you can
understand why Darroze is considered one of the ihmegastarsln of
Armagnac. All the coffee,
chocolate, dried fruit essences boggle the palate and mind, not
to mention the liver.
Jacopo Poli Merlot Grappa, $63.99: For us, Poli may be Italy's
top grappa maker. His
range and quality are both awesome. This Merlot grappa seems the
most complex and
challenging of his line-up. If you want softer grappa, try his
moscato.
Edmond Briottet Crème de Peche, $29.99: If
hot and alcoholic after-dinner drinks
aren't your "truc" (thing), snag a bottle of this. It's
the essence of peach in a bottle, one of
the most gratifying fruit liqueurs we've tasted in ages. It's
almost impossible to stop
drinking. But, we say that about a lot of alcoholic drinks.
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Tasting Calendar
November 21st, 6 p.m.
PREMIUM AUSTRALIAN WINE TASTING AT THE CRAFTWOOD
G’day Mates! It’s that time of year again, when
temperatures begin to head “north” as we move from
fall to winter in the Rocky Mountain West. And that makes it
the perfect time to kick-off the holiday season with a tasting
of offerings from The Australian Premium Wine Collection, the
premier portfolio of distinctive red and white wines from the
land “Down Under.” The depth and diversity of Australia’s
finest wines—with wonderfully evocative names like brokenwood,
coonawarra, wishing tree, nuriootpa, isolation ridge, cooladerra,
blewitt springs, kangarilla, pigott range and hill of content—will
be showcased on Friday evening, November 21st, at 6 p.m., at
The Craftwood Inn, where Chef Jeff and company are rustling
up their typically delectable “vittles” to partner
the magical wines. We guarantee that your eyes will light up
once you sink your palate into these babies! Call Coaltrain
now (475-9700) for rezzies.
December 9th, 5:30-8:00pm
Christmas Wine Sale Tasting at The Craftwood Inn
For more years than we can remember, we have been holding
this wine tasting. We
will pour all the wines that are featured in our Christmas
wine sale (mailing to come
to you shortly). These are wines selected for their high quality
and their significant
value. There will be reds, whites, roses, sparkling wines,
Ports, Sherries and a few
things you have likely not heard of. The objective is to let
you taste wines that are
on sale and then select your favorites to have for the holiday
period. This tasting
will occur on Tuesday, December 9 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.at The
Craftwood Inn. The
cost is $30 per taster. And, as ever, the Craftwood kitchen
will prepare delectables
to accompany the wines. Please call us to reserve your places
(475-9700).
December 12, 7 pm
Best of the Best Wine Dinner at La Petite Maison
Yet another event whose lifespan predates our memory banks.
We do recall that
this is our annual wine dinner where we pour the best wines
of the thousands tasted
over the course of the year. These are the brightest and purest
stars of "winedom's"
dark and corrupted universe. We quiver in respect and awe at
utterance of these
wines' names. Our hearts beat in anticipation of the
moment we will taste them
again which is largely why we have this dinner (to sustain
our gustatory needs). So,
at this very moment, we are picking and matching these starred
wines with La Petite
Maison's stellar cuisine. There will be five or so courses.
The plan is to have it all
scoped in by Friday, December 12. On that evening, the dinner
will take-off at 7
p.m. We'd like you to come and share our "g'astronomical"
observations. The fee
per diner is $100 (plus tax and service). Please call us soon
to reserve your seats
(475-9700). Seating is severely limited to ensure inter-galactic
harmony and peace
in the dining room too.
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