NewsletterFebruary, 2009
TASTING CALENDARITALIAN WINE DINNERMonday, February 16th at 6:00 p.m., Pizzeria RusticaThe next installment of this extremely popular series will feature the organic, family grown Italian wines of the Small Vineyards program. Gabriele will once again be joining us to talk about these fine wines from his home country. Five courses paired with five wines for $49 plus tax and gratuity. All past dinners have sold out well ahead of time. For reservations please call Coaltrain at 475-9700.
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE WINE DINNERWednesday, February 25th, 6:00 p.m. La Petite Maison Recent years have been extraordinarily kind to the "vignerons" of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Maybe climate change can take the credit. Whatever the reason, we are planning to taste seven of the best, paired with a four course dinner of Provencal dishes whipped up by master chef, Henri Chaperont, of La Petite Maison. $66 plus tax and gratuity will be the extremely reasonable tariff for this fine evening.
BEER TASTING: PORTERS, STOUTS & BARLEY WINESFriday, February 27th, 5:30 p.m., The Warehouse Join us at the end of the month to enjoy some dark and delicious brews. We will feature three jam-packed flights at this sit-down tasting. A Porter flight, a Stout flight, and a Barley Wine flight, with welcome beers and intermediate beers to keep things interesting. Chef Chip and his talented staff will provide food pairings for each flight. $40 will cover all expenses, including a beer glass to bring home. Reservations are required. Stop by the store or call 475-9700. Wine Stimulus PackageDuring this hazy economic period, we want to make certain that Coaltrain’s loyal customers continue to drink superb wines, at the very best prices. So we have traversed the store looking for great wines we can lower in price. And we have been scouring our suppliers’ inventories searching for similar price/quality values. We’ve found more than a few. Following are some that we’ve discovered. Note the Spanish Rioja that we’ve lowered $17/bottle. It’s fantastic. 2006 Geode Chardonnay, Monterey, $14.99/Sale $13.99: Kind of different for Monterey Chardonnay, where tropical fruit flavors often hold sway. This baby is sateen and stylish, nothing in excess. A delicious accomplishment and super value. 2002 Random Ridge Cabernets, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder, $29.99/Sale $22.99: Wow, cherished Mt. Veeder fruit at this price! The wine is 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 35 percent Cabernet Franc, thus the name "Cabernets." It is round, balanced, complex and drinking delightfully now. Don’t be put off by the wild label…the maker is a self-proclaimed "surfer dude;" and, once, a surfing champion. Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley, $23.99/Sale $21.99: From the French Champagne house that makes humble little things like Cristal that rock stars and Russian oil magnates slug. What always wows us about this wine is how dry and clean it is with just a whisper of that true Champagne cream. We think it is in the pack with the best sparkling wines made in California. "Chapeau" to the house of Roederer. 2006 F. Giachino Abymes, Vin de Savoie, $13.99/Sale $10.99: The French Alps in a bottle. Thus it’s as fresh and pure as a stream pouring off a Mont Blanc glacier. The grape is Jacquere, which is a traditional white varietal of the lovely Savoie. It’s a wine with many potential food pairings, from fresh water fish to cheese such as "Tomme de Savoie" which is often available in Colorado Springs at one of our finer grocery stores. Actually, this wine is rarer than the cheese. 2007 Helfrisch Pinot Gris, Alsace $14.99/Sale $12.99: Almost the perfect intro Alsatian Pinot Gris, particularly for those who may have had Italian Pinot Grigio. This is a little more viscous, but not ponderously so, as certain Pinot Gris can be. There is a slight sweetness which makes it a good mate for spicy foods from the East or "comida" from south of the border. 2007 Allimant-Laugner, Pinot Noir, Alsace $19.99/Sale $17.99: We are ever vigilant for Burgundy style Pinots (sensual and fine) at a decent price. It ain’t easy. But we found one here. It has light bones, high cheeks and an ineffable haughtiness. For some, used to gushy New World Pinots, it may be too restrained. But we have always liked our Pinots to resemble "runway models," instead of Rubens’ "Three Graces." 2007 Secret de Campane, VDP de la Principaute d’Orange: $10.99/Sale $9.99: Here you have a terrific Rhone red of medium body, made from the usual suspects—Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault. But, there is also a drop of Merlot. You can drink this beauty all day, alone or with food. Perhaps duck, poultry or maybe, even, grilled salmon. We almost made this our "Red Wine of the Month." 2005 El Puntido Rioja, Sierra Cantabria, $46.99/Sale $29.99: "Sin duda," one of the finest Riojas we have tasted (and we’ve tasted a lot). It’s big, but not bloated. Everything is in precise proportion. It’s still a baby now. A pretty baby. We think it could age many years. Still you could enjoy it immensely today with a steak or "chuletas." 2007 Protocolo Rose, Tierra de Castilla, $9.99/Sale $8.99: One might call this "an all purpose" rose. It is dry and can provide refreshment, but it has the power to go with food. We like it with vegetarian pizzas, smoked salmon, or we drink it solo, on the deck, watching the world pass by. And, of course, it has Valentine’s Day potential. 2003 Ripanera Chianti Classico, $18.99/Sale $16.99: A remarkably mellow and soft Chianti Classico. Many Chiantis have some bite and tannin going on, but not here. Part of this is due to the 2003 vintage in Tuscany which produced easy, early drinking wines. Think outside of pasta as a match with this delightful Chianti. It can complement your best gastronomic creations. 2005 Cantina del Castello Soave, $12.99/Sale $9.99: We have a small amount left of this serious Soave from our Christmas sale. It’s one of the noblest of Soaves. The "Castello" (castle) dates to the 13th Century, constructed by the Pittiore di Verona family. Now everything is in the skilled hands of Arturo Stocchetti. You could match the wine with prosciutto, risotto, poultry dishes and much more. 2007 Fiano de Avellino, Tenuta Ponte, $19.99/Sale $16.99: From Campania, near Naples, which has recently become Italy’s fastest growing wine zone. They make excellent reds and whites down there. This is a white and perhaps the leader of Campania whites. It is highly individualistic. Besides bewitching fruit, if offers nutty, honeyed, biscuity flavors. It would be interesting to match with seafood pastas. 2006 La Madrid Reserva Malbec, Mendoza, $15.99/Sale $13.99: This wine is a clear step up from the ordinary Malbec. It is not filtered or fined, so it’s not completely fruit driven like many of its peers. It offers a captivating nose and an enchanting spiciness through- out. These Malbecs keep getting better and better. And. considering it takes only a quarter of the expense to make a wine in Argentina compared to France, the wine is a "hyper-value." 2007 Monchhoff Estate Riesling, Mosel, $15.99/Sale $13.99: We are big fans of this wine most every vintage. It’s nearly, but not completely, bone dry. It has this lovely Riesling "raciness," along with Granny Smith apple aspects. It shows you how great German Riesling can be without a great expenditure of money. Bin-End Blow-Out SaleAs usual, we have several one- or two-bottle lots of wine remaining after the holiday season. We can’t get more of them, and for some reason orphans sell slowly, even if they are great wines. So we are putting these wines on sale, big sale. In many cases, they are priced at cost, some below cost! Many of these bottles have received sky high scores in the wine press. Check them out in our bin-end boxes and pick-up some gems at sparkling prices. Customized ShoppingAs you may have noticed, we have had our new customer check out system in place for a while now. The reason for upgrading our system was to make your shopping experience more efficient and enjoyable. One of the important features of the system is an incorporated customer data base which will track and keep customer purchase information on file. We will be able to see which wines and beers you purchased on previous visits and help you remember which you really liked or didn’t. We try to do this mentally right now. Sometimes it works and sometimes we are at a loss. the new system will allow us to better serve you. We also would like to offer our loyal customers incentives and special deals based on your valued support. Most importantly, only minimal customer information will be collected, and only with your permission. It will be securely maintained and only used by Coaltrain working with you. Please feel free to talk to any of our staff about this important new service. Beer CornerWinter is Barley Wine season. These special brews are some of the strongest available. Traditional English Barley Wines tend toward the malty side of things, with the American efforts often containing massive amounts of hops. Either way, these beers are strong, ranging from 8% to 15% alcohol by volume. Dried fruits, malty sweetness, hops, and alcohol are what you’re in store for. Closer to sherries or ports, these brews stand on their own before or after dinner. We currently have about a dozen different offerings. Some of our favorites include: Dogfish Head’s Olde School $14.99/4pk, Great Divide’s Old Ruffian $7.49/22oz., JW Lees Harvest Ale (2000) $7.99/11.2oz, and Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot $11.99/6pk. Usually seasonal releases, get yours before they hibernate for the summer! A Valentine’s Day beer, you ask? Why, yes! Früli Strawberry Beer tastes of fresh strawberries from first whiff to finish. A little orange & coriander, typical of the Belgian Wit Biers, add complexity. A surprisingly tasty complement to dark chocolate for the perfect non-fussy dessert. $2.99/250ml Red Wine of the Month2007 Intimo Malbec, Humberto Canale, Patagonia, Rio Negro, $12.99/Sale $9.99: Here’s something completely different from our usual Argentine Malbec lineup. First of all it doesn’t come from Mendoza, like most, but from Patagonia, hundreds of miles south, at 39.2 S. Latitude. This is the Rio Negro wine zone, named for the river, which flows west into the Atlantic. Along its course, the river provides many fertile micro-climates in the normally hard-bitten land. From one of these places, Intimo comes. The grapes here were handpicked the first part of April. They are given a fairly long maceration (contact with the grape skins during fermentation) of 20 days. The resulting wine is aged a year in new oak. This gives you intense, ruby color and black fruit aromas. On the tongue, there seems to be more structure and less sappiness than some of the Mendoza Malbecs. There are soft, dusty tannins. If you are one of the legion of Malbec "aficionados," you are in for some new, pleasant sensations with this intimate Intimo. White Wine of the Month2007 Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato, Castelvero, $11.99/Sale$9.99: Cortese is the white grape behind Gavi and is, therefore, arguably the most significant white grape in Piemonte, where red grapes reign supreme, particularly the Nebbiolo of Barolo and Barbaresco. The Cortese is believed to have originated locally. It was mentioned in 1789 by the Turin Agrarian Society. This wine has a fetching pale color with glitters of green. On the nose, you sense grapefruit and minerals. On the palate there are minerals as well and a pleasing lemon drop aspect. Try it with freshwater fish or spring veggie dishes, or by itself. It’s a ridiculous value. 2007 Adrian Mathier, Fendant, Coteau de Sierre, $20.99/Sale $19.99— The Mathier family has traced its roots back to 1387 in the Swiss town of Salgesch, a charming wine producing community. More than 600 years of winemaking tradition unites the Mathiers with Salgesch and, ultimately, with us in here. The Fendant is the Valais white wine "par excellence" and it is made only from the Chasselas grape. $120 Mixed CaseFeeling frugal but not wanting to give up a steady supply of wine at home? Eager to branch out but don’t want to break the bank? Coaltrain’s got the solution: our first-ever preselected mixed case. We know you can find mixed cases for $100. But rather than pad a case with cheap wines we’re not crazy about, we decided to give you twelve wines that we’d be happy to drink any day of the week. The wines span geography and style, giving excellent examples of a broad range of wine-producing areas and grape varietals. We’ll always make sure the $120 beats our already great 10% off a mixed case. And what could be easier? They’re pre-packed (6 red and 6 white) & ready to go. Get ‘em while they last! top18th Annual Wine Festival of Colorado SpringsBenefiting the Fine Arts Center"Women in Wine"For 17 years, we at Coaltrain have helped coordinate this top wine tasting event and have been solely responsible for bringing in the remarkable winemakers who have attended. Each year we select a new theme. In the past, this has been a region or a particular grape varietal. This year we are proud to announce the theme, "Women in Wine." Few industries reach farther back in history and are more global in essence than the wine industry. And, lamentably, few other industries have excluded women from positions of influence and leadership for so long. No longer! Today, women winemakers hold many influential and respected positions in the business. And, at this year’s Wine Festival we are proud to have several of these distinguished ladies in our presence. Here is the line-up— Whitney Fisher of the venerable Fisher Vineyards, Lynn Penner-Ash of the famed Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in Oregon, Chrystal Clifton from the star-bound Palmina Wines, Diana Snowden Seysses of Snowden Vineyards in Napa and the illustrious Domaine Dujac in France, Joy Sterling from California’s celebrated Ironhorse Vineyards and, last but not at all least, Delia Viader of the distinguished Viader Vineyards. Take-your-breath-away ladies, indeed! They consistently accumulate top scores from Robert Parker, The Wine Spectator, The Wine Enthusiast, and the picky "Coaltrain crew." Attend this year’s festival and see what these winemakers are up to. Even more, let’s all celebrate the evolution of "Women in Wine." Complete details follow. The weekend-long Festival kicks off at the Broadmoor Resort on Friday evening March 13th, at 5:30 p.m., with the "Women in Wine" seminar. Join our superstar winemakers, up close and personal, along with Master Sommelier Sally Mohr, as they discuss the evolution of women in wine and present their finest creations. $30 per guest/$15 tax deductible. Next up is the GRAND TASTING, which follows at 7:00 p.m. This consistently sold-out event will feature over 300 different wines, as well as culinary delights from many of the region’s finest restaurants and caterers, a silent wine auction and live music presented by "Tiny Barge and The Big Chill." The cost of this event is $65 per FAC member/$70 per non-member/$40 tax deductible. Saturday, March 14th, tantalize your palate at the "CLASSIC WINE & CHEESE SEMINAR," beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Garden of the Gods Club. Wine and cheese, what a marriage! But, only when perfectly paired. Learn just how experts and winemakers make decisions. The charge is $30 per participant/$15 tax deductible. Next up and back by popular demand: the lunch-time "FOOD & WINE PAIRING EXTRAORDINAIRE," conducted by the guest vintners and chef Victor Matthews of the Paragon Culinary School. Together they will explain the matching of fine cuisine with complementary wines. This delicious, always sold out, luncheon seminar is yours for $50 per guest/$10 tax deductible. 12:30 p.m. at the Paragon Culinary School. The culmination of the Wine Festival is the "GOURMET WINEMAKER DINNER AND LIVE AUCTION," held at the Garden of the Gods Club on Saturday evening, March 14th, commencing at 6:30. This enchanting evening begins with a five-course, world-class dinner. Each course will be thoughtfully matched with wines from our distinguished lady vintners. At dinner’s end, our guest auctioneer takes the stage to lead you through the bidding on rare and collectible wines as well as wine-related lifestyle packages. Indeed, a night out of the ordinary. The event is $150 for FAC members/$175 for non-members/$75 tax deductible. For tickets, please call the FAC Box Office at 719-634-5583, or visit www.csfineartscenter.org and click the Events Page.
|
Printer Friendly Version
COALTRAIN
Wine & Spirits
330 W. Uintah
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
719-475-9700