February EVENTS
Wine Tasting - Cabs Tues. Feb. 9th
Peter will sample & discuss Cabernet Sauvignon (California, Bordeaux, and Chile).
Beer Tasting
Beer Tasting
Thurs., Feb. 25th
Try ‘traditional’ beers with industry rep from Narragansett.
Wine Tasting - Port
Sat. Feb. 20th
Caroline will sample and discuss Ports. Try some outstanding wines!
Every Friday - FREE In-Store Tastings
Learn from Guest Industry Experts
Spend a few minutes to sample one red and one white wine.
A really great way to end the work week or start the week-end!!!
RI DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS REGULATION LAW
Results being sent in Separate e-mail! Thanks, Lisa Magnuson for composing the Petition to RI DBR; follow her wine blog at www.examiner.com/x-14504-Providence-Wine-Examiner.
February's Wines of the Month
Case discounts on each btl!
White: Bonterra Chardonnay (ORGANIC) California
Red: Bonterra Merlot (ORGANIC) California
Inventory Reduction SALE; on both selected wines & liquors
BARGAINS! Check out our Reduced prices 'RED Tag Sale' (over 150 wines & liquors)!
Save money on our '2 - for' section’ ($12, $15, $20 and $25) it is filled with 'current’ vintage year wines - NOT 'old' closeouts typically found in most stores. OVER 500 wines under $20!
Wine & Chocolate
Most people think of Chocolate and/or Wine as a great gift for Valentine Day. It is a tough match; and more matches fail than succeed. Why? Chocolate is a monster; dark versions are usually tannic, full-bodied and loaded with deep flavors. Milk chocolate is creamier, milder and sweeter.
The secrets to a great match start with a ‘dark’, really good chocolate (60% cacao or more). Then focus on the wine – it must be sweet and have considerable acidity and/or alcohol. Red table wine with chocolate is one accepted match – ‘jammy’ Shiraz or Zin will focus on the fruit when paired with chocolate. My personal favorite and the most popular red with chocolate is Port. It is higher in alcohol and sweetness and pulls out more fruit. If your significant other always orders chocolate desserts that feature raspberry or cherry, get a Vintage Port. If you love chocolate and nuts, try tawny port’s nutty character (aged in oak barrels).
To combine characters of raisin, toffee, and nuts select a Spanish Pedro Ximenez (Alvear PX) made from ‘dried’ grapes and made in a ‘solera’ system (combining many vintages). Madeira is similar and besides the beautiful mahogany color and complex aromas, it was this wine which was used to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence! Perfect for toasting your Valentine!
Port - Lesson 101
Port is a fortified wine. Grapes are crushed, but fermentation is stopped before all the sugar can convert to alcohol (by adding grape brandy). Port has two salient features: higher alcohol content (20 %) and residual sweetness. Portugal is the epicenter for Port and is famous throughout the world. More than 80 grapes are authorized for Port production; most commonly used are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cão.
There are many styles and prices. Vintage Port is at the top as far as price, aging potential and prestige. It's made only from the best grapes of a single vintage, and only in years that individual Port houses have "declared" vintage-worthy (2 – 3 times a decade). They are bottled after two years in barrels and can age for 20 years plus; becoming more complex with time. Late-bottled Vintage (LBV) uses grapes from a single vintage year and spend 4 – 6 years in barrel, are less costly, but are often a mere shadow of a ‘vintage’ port. The best are usually unfiltered and are ready to drink young. Tawny Ports are aged longer in wood. The best are aged in oak 10 and 40 years. They are paler and have a mellow, nutty, slightly woody, dried fruit character. Colheita is a ‘vintage’ tawny Port, made from grapes picked in a single year and bottled after a minimum of 7 years aging in wood. Ruby Port is the most basic (least expensive) and is aged 2 – 3 years before release (neutral oak or stainless steel is used to preserve the fruit). Grapes from several vintages are blended.
Serving Port - use a small wine glass (pours are smaller than still wine). Temperature should be cool (‘cellar’) and a tawny can be slightly chilled. Pair with chocolate, nuts, any hard or blue cheese (or cigars). Mature Vintage Port is bound to have a lot of sediment. Follow normal decanting methods - keep the bottle upright for a day to allow sediment to settle, then pour slowly into a decanter, stopping when sediment appears. Sediment is important in creating a ‘great’ port! Port remains fresh and vibrant for a week after being uncorked. Oxidation begins upon opening and refrigeration does slow the process – don’t delay too much in drinking it. Careful, you may get ‘hooked’! Fine wine cellars throughout the world usually have a Vintage Port as one of their ‘gems’.
Wine & Food Pairing
Global ‘Flight’ of Syrah/Shiraz
The menu below was created by ‘Ladle to Crave’ Personal Chef, JoEllen for our Bacchus Wine Club’s Syrah/Shiraz Food & Wine pairing. Consider hosting an In-Home Wine Tasting Party yourself. This menu accentuated specific aromas and flavors in the wines – mocha, coffee, spice, smoke, lavender, eucalyptus and blackberries. What a gastronomic feast! Ask our staff to help you select from the 40 Shiraz/Syrah from around the globe. If your goal is fun or educational, we can provide all you need to get started. - Here is the menu:
Plum and Australian Spice Roasted Salmon on a bed of Arugula Salad with Lemon Myrtle and Smoked Black Pepper Vinaigrette – great with Australian wines
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Chili and Cocoa Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Lavender infused Blackberry Sauce served with Yellow Rice – great with Chilean & Argentinean wines.
Espresso and Chocolate Braised Short Ribs served over Blue Cheese Polenta with a drizzle of Chipotle Honey – great with Napa (or Central Coast), French or South African wines
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DESSERT - Blue Cheese and Truffles – will work with any ‘mocha’ focused Syrah/Shiraz.
Other Exciting Events Coming Up!
Our upcoming events will focus on South Africa, Southern France, Portugal and WOMEN winemakers. AND, it’s only Feb. 5th so who knows what ‘discoveries’ I’ll find throughout the year! I’m excited!
I (Caroline) networked at the Boston Wine Expo and will bring ‘industry’ guests and many new wines to Colonial for YOU, our valued customers. I’m helping new producers come into the state. We’re on the ‘leading edge’ and having a blast!
Bacchus Club members rejoice! We’re working on an expanded program for our Wine of the Month Club; more later. I am grateful for a keen ‘nose’ and ‘palate’ and the opportunity to sample over 1,000 wines/year to buy for Colonial! We’ve culled out the ‘great’ wines from the sea of ‘mediocrity’! Check out our ‘STAFF FAVORITES’ section for