The Grapevine - August 2009
August EVENTS
Meet Argentinean Winemaker Maria Eugenia at Dinner & Class on Aug. 11th
See Article elsewhere in this news letter. Phone Colonial at 294 – 4623 with any questions or click on our new website: www.colonialwines.com.
FREE In-Store Tastings
Learn from Guest Industry Experts
Fridays 4–7 PM we continue to host a weekly wine tasting. Spend a few minutes to sample one red and one white wine paired with wonderful cheeses..
‘Customer Appreciation’ Pot Luck Wine Dinner
Bacchus members sampled a dozen wines which paired beautifully with the many dishes. For a list of the wines we sampled, check with the Colonial staff and see what the wine ‘aficionados’ are drinking!
Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence List
Pick up a hard copy at Colonial to see which restaurants made the award list! Or click on our website www.colonialwines.com.
Meet Argentinean Winemaker
at Class & Dinner
Colonial Wine & Spirits and Eleven-Forty-Nine Restaurant are pleased to co-host a Wine Dinner & Class - a fundraiser for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Our featured winemaker is Maria Eugenia Baigorria; owner of Mi Terruño, who is coming in from Argentina. It’s the ‘DEBUT for her wines in the U.S.!
The wine tasting and class is Tuesday, August 11th at Eleven-Forty-Nine Restaurant in East Greenwich (1149 Division Street). The Wine Divas (women only) starts at 6:00pm and The Corks Society (men only) starts at 7:00pm. Call 401-884-1149 for reservations.
On a recent trip to Argentina, Caroline Larson, owner of Colonial Wine & Spirits, met with owners Gabriel & Maria Eugenia Baigorria from Mi Terruňo winery in Mendoza. The wines are awesome!
$38.33 per person (includes tax & tip) provides five wines and four dishes. A $5 donation is requested for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation. The sale of these wines through Colonial (www.colonialwines.com) results in $1 being donated by us for each bottle sold. Space is limited.
WINE PAIRING SEAFOOD
OK, you all know about fish going with white wine. Maybe you know that both Unoaked Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc go very well with almost all fish and seafood. Unoaked Chardonnay has no oak flavors to overwhelm the delicate food (see our in-store display). Sauvignon Blanc varies in style; France has grapefruit and ‘grassy’ aromas (think Sancerre) while New Zealand has racy tropical fruit. California draws from both styles. Sparkling wines like Champagne, Spanish Cava, and Italian Prosecco also are very flexible and pair well.
But, why get in a rut; there are dozens of exciting whites to choose from. This summer experiment with other outstanding whites which add excitement to your menu. Try Grȕner Veltliner (Austria), Riesling (Germany & Finger Lakes, NY), Arien, Albariño or sparkling Cava (Spain), Vinho Verde (Portugal), Gavi, Soave, Falanghina, Vermentino & Vernaccia (Italy), Chenin Blanc (S. Africa & Loire, France), Champagne, Bordeaux Blends (blends of Sauv. Blanc & Semillon), Muscadet, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Picpoul de Pinet (France); to name a few!
The second question is, what specific wines pair with various seafood. Our staff suggests these matches:
BBQ Fish: Falanghina, Soave, Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux)
Broiled Fish (light): Grȕner Veltliner, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris (Grigio), Vernaccia
Grilled Fish (firm – Salmon, Tuna, Swordfish): Cava, Falanghina, Soave, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer with spicy), Vermentino,
Clams (raw): Albariño, Muscadet, Orvieto, Arien (Oroyo), Pinot Blanc, Picpoul de Pinet, Cava,
Crab: Albariño, Vindho Verde, Cava, Riesling, Chenin Blanc,
Lobster: Cava, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux Blends, Riesling, ‘Oaked’ Chardonnay
Mussels: Muscadet, French Bordeaux blends, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc
Scallops: Albariño, Gavi, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc (French) Vinho Verde
Shrimp: Cava, Albariño, Sauv. Blanc, Riesling.
Save the Date Sept. 17th Chilean Wine Dinner
Watch for an ‘event alert.
Belgium Beer Dinner
Caroline fell in love with Belgium beer during a recent visit to Brussels & Brugge. Watch for an ‘event alert’..
New Website
Finally – our own website! So many events, classes, dinners - we wanted ‘get out the news’ to you! Soon the newsletter, BYOB List, Foor-Pairing Information and much, much more will be included. Come visit us at www.colonialwines.com!
BLOG Wine?
Lisa is now writing a ‘blog’ for the Providence Wine Examiner; - visit her at http://www.examiner.com/x-14504-Providence-Wine-Examiner to learn more & vote for her as your ‘favorite’.
Snug & Safe
Climate Control
Did you know we GUARANTEE all our wines? This is possible because Colonial Wine & Spirits is one of the only stores in the state that can boast of having a CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE ROOM. It takes only a few hours of unfavorable conditions to ruin a bottle of wine! Over 5,000 wines are snug and safe preserving all the aromas and flavors! There are aged Cabernets reaching peak – and you can be sure they are in great condition.
She’s Back! “Private Invitation” Wine Sales
Keep your eyes open for e-mail invitations to special in-store sales by owner, Caroline Larson. That’s when those allocated, rare wines get pulled from the back room (climate-controlled) and offered to customers.
Sangria Wine Recipe
1 750 ml bottle of red wine (Spanish or Portuguese)
¼ cup brandy
4 Tbls Lemon Juice & Orange peel
2 Tbls sugar (optional)
2 cup Sprite or Club Soda
Sliced oranges, cherries, etc.
(Fred Vuono’s recipe)
BYOB – SAVE $$$
Save money- go to a BYOB Restaurant! Pick up the new list at Colonial! New listing: Sonoma Grille (Mon. only)!
August's
Wines of the Month
Case discounts on each btl!
White: Las Perdices Pinot Grigio (Argentina)
Red:. Viña Von Siebenthal Parcella 7 Bordeaux Blend (Chile)