Weekly Wine Tastings

5th-6th of March, 2010

Please join us for our FREE Wine and Beer Tastings  - Friday from 3-7 pm and Saturday 1-6; this week we are tasting:

WINE 

Though Middle-Eastern wine is something of a novelty in the U.S., wine is nothing new to this area; before Greek and Egyptians knew about wine, Phoenicians, the ancient dwellers of Lebanon, were tending vineyards, making wine and trading as far away as today's Jerez, and possibly even founded the port of Cadiz in Spain. Perhaps the oldest running wine concern in the region, Chateau Musar has been making fine wine 15 miles north of Beirut since 1930. These are wines of great character and subtlety, decidedly Old World in style.

2007 Cuvee Blanc, Chateu Musar
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Full-bodied, and truly unique, Musar Blanc is a blend of Obaideh(a varietal similiar to Chardonnay) and Merwah (Semillon) grapes, and is aged in oak for up to 6 months. This wonderfully sophisticated, intellectual wine is super-fragrant with aromas of mineral, bees wax, citrus, and floral notes, while already complex on the palate, this elegant, light bodied wine will continue to evolve for several more years.
Bottle: $16.99  Special: $15.29  Case: $14.44 

2007 Cuvee Rouge, Chateau Musar
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
A blend of Cinsault, Carignan, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the exact blen will vary depending on the vintage and how well the wines develop through vinification. Each varietal is fermented seperately in a neutral medium (usually concrete vats) and then spends up to 24 months in French Oak barriques at which point winemaker Serge Hochar creates the final blend. Penetrating scents of pure fresh cherry, with almond, cardamom, and nutmeg lead to an ultra juicy and invigorating, yet silken, almost buttey textured palate.
Bottle: $26.99  Special: $15.29  Case: $14.44 

2007 Cabernet Franc, Lang and Reed Cellars
Napa Valley, California
Like a domestic Chinon, the Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc showcases the varietal at its best. Violet-hued with gorgeously ripe aromas of black cherry fruit underscored by lavender, sage, and fennel aromas. This luscious, fleshy, but not heavy effort is easy to drink, especially with a slight chill on it, it is exceptionally food-friendly and can be enjoyed over the next 4-6 years.

Bottle: $24.99  Special: $22.49  Case: $21.24 

2005 Carrascal, Bodega Weinert
Mendoza, Argentina
A blend of 45% Malbec, 35% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet, this is a savory, red fruited wine, more reminiscent of the South of France than south of the equator. It has a lovely cherry and roasted meat aromas, with an excellent sense of individuality and style. Lush, exquisitely ripe, balanced, this hugely flavorful effort conquers the palate with a wave of spice-laden red and black fruits. Aged in a combination of concrete tanks and 2 to 3 year old French oak, this is a distinctive wine that's seriously out of step with the run so much of the de rigeur wines coming out of Mendoza right now (We're looking at YOU Michel Rolland).
Bottle: $15.99  Special: $14.39  Case: $13.59 

BEER

Rare Vos
Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
Named after a Brussels bar made famous as the starting point for bicycle and pigeon races, the Rare Vos Amber Ale is also a great place to begin the tasting. The beer is beautiful coppery-amber color with a rich creamy head. Flavors and aromas of spice, orange blossoms and caramel malt glide easily into a dry, hop finish.
$11.99 4pk. 

Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
Brooklyn Brewery/GA Schneider (Brooklyn, NY)
In May 2007, Garrett Oliver traveled to the 400 yr-old Schneider brewery in Kelheim, Germany, to brew Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse. This was dry-hopped with the local Hallertauer Saphir hop variety. In July, Drexler brought his yeast to Brooklyn and brewed Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, choosing the American Amarillo and Palisade varieties for the dry-hopping. The beer has a full orange color and the aromatics pair the banana and clove notes from the Schneider yeast with the mango and citrus qualities of the hops. The bitterness is robust but balanced, and the beer has a clean, hoppy finish.
$12.99 750ml. 

Leviathan IPA
Harpoon Brewing (Boston, MA)
Leviathan Imperial IPA is brewed with tons of pale malt and just enough caramel malt to provide a sweet malt body to balance the hop intensity. Using copious amounts of a variety of hops including Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo at various points during the boil to create a complex hop flavor and clean lingering bitter finish. The beer is then fermented with Harpoon’s own versatile proprietary yeast. Finally dry hopped at a rate of over 1 lb a barrel to produce this beer’s massive aroma.
$11.99 4pk.

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