September 2009 EVENTS
Chilean Wine Dinner at Blue Grotto
Sept. 17th at 6:30 PM
Caroline visited wineries in Chile & Argentina last April with ‘industry’ people and will introduce those NEW wines with Chilean importer, Carlos Figueroa. Reserve through Colonial at 294 – 4623 – pay at door $50/pp plus tax and tip. Or call Blue Grotto at 272-9030 (ask for Colonial tables).
Argentinean Wines Arrive!
Mi Terruño wines arrive – pick yours up today! USA debut!
Julia Child Bacchus Club Wine Dinner
Look for an event alert!
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.
Helpful Hand-outs!
BYOB – SAVE $$$
Save money - go to a BYOB Restaurant! Pick up the updated list at Colonial! New listing: Sonoma Grille (Mon. only)!
Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence List
See which R.I. restaurants earned W.S. Awards of Excellence!
Gloria Gemma Fundraiser, USA Debut of Argentinean wines, and visiting winemaker, Maria Eugenia Baigorria
Customers of both Colonial Wine & Spirits and Eleven Forty Nine Restaurant gathered on Aug. 11th to sample ‘NEW’ Argentinean wines and meet a visiting female winemaker. A silent auction, wine sales, and donations by both co-hosts raised almost $3,000 for Gloria Gemma Foundation. The women (Divas) and men (Corks) paired those exquisite wines with wonderful food for an unforgettable evening while contributing to a good cause! Look for the arrival of these ‘NEW’ wines around Sept. 1st. Check at Colonial for a list of the wines (and tasting notes) served and see what the wine ‘aficionados’ are drinking!
New Website
Finally – our own website! So many events, classes, and dinners - we wanted ‘get out the news’ to you! Find our monthly Newsletter, BYOB List, Food-Pairing Information, etc. Visit us at www.colonialwines.com!
We select ‘unique’ wines with passion and provide lots of helpful information to our customers.
Rolling Back Prices!
We ‘feel’ your pain!
Everywhere possible, we are reducing margins, added new product, and reacting to the economy to GIVE you what you want. You’ll be amazed at the changes; we’ve worked hard to please you. We now have OVER 300 wines under $20! It was TOUGH! Most ‘inexpensive’ wines are ‘bulk’ grown grapes (weak & watery) with lots of chemicals added to mimic ‘real fruit flavors and tannin. Wine writers for the Wall St. Journal warn about ‘faux’ wines in articles and advise ‘finding a good wine merchant’ to avoid mistakes! You won’t find many ‘bulk’ wines at Colonial; instead you’ll find hand-crafted, ‘REAL’ wines at every price point.
Our 2 for section ($12, $15, $20, etc) is filled with awesome, ‘current vintage year’ wines – NOT closeouts typically found in these sections of most stores (fruit flavors are faded and wines are often ‘flat’).
Keep your passion for wine and ‘simple indulgences’ in tact!
Wines for the BBQ
When it comes to grilled steak, nothing pairs better than a Californian Cabernet or a spicy Australian Shiraz. Why? The tannins in red wines tame the fats found in red meat. White wines tend to be more acidic and are like adding a citrus to your dish—hence they pair well with fish. Most BBQ meats are spicy or smoky; reds match better!
When choosing a wine for you next BBQ, keep it simple and strive for harmony. Red Zinfandel has smoky flavors, so it pairs well with smoky foods. Opposites also attract, but don’t forget to balance the weight of the wine with the weight of the food. The sauce usually determines the pairing! Spicy or hot sauce pairs well with wines with lower alcohol (‘Old World’ style). Sweet BBQ sauces go well with high alcohol wines made in a ‘New’ World’ style (US, Australia, So. America). Cheese or dairy-based sauces pair best with wines with ‘structure’ (high tannin) like Cabernet. Thick sauces need a wine with body – Malbec or Cab. A light Pinot Noir will be lost in a bold and spicy steak sauce.
Here are some pairing suggestions for your grilled meats. In general, wines are listed lightest to heaviest; match the intensity of the sauce or spice to the weight of the wine:
* Beef: (reds) Rioja Rsv., Meritage red blends (like Bordeaux), Malbec, Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz, ‘fruit forward’ Cabernets (Australia, CA, WA, So. American, So. Africa)
* Burgers: (reds) Malbec, ‘fruit forward’ Cabernets (see above), Shiraz/Syrah, or Zinfandel
* Chicken: Rosé; (whites) Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio (Gris), Riesling, Gewurztraminer, ‘fruit forward’ Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, ‘fruit forward’ Chardonnay; (reds) Pinot Noir, Grenache, Chianti, Carménère, Merlot
* Lamb: Grenache, Rioja Rsv., Syrah, Carménère, Malbec
* Pork: (whites) Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris (Grigio); (reds) Merlot, Chianti
* Ribs: Malbec, Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz, ‘New World’ Cabernet
* Sausage: (whites) Pinot Gris, Riesling; (reds) Barbera, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Syrah/Shiraz,
* Veal: (reds) Grenache, Chianti Rsv., Rioja Riserva, Pinot Noir ($$$)
Sauvignon Blanc
Seafood, veggies, and salads pair perfectly with the fresh, crisp juicy orchard fruit flavors of this wine (usually unoaked). France reigns champion while California and New Zealand vie for a place in the top three sources of Sauvignon Blanc. Regions have distinct character that trump even the winemaker’s ‘style’; i.e. tropical fruit in NZ; floral, citrus and herbal nuisances of France, and mineral and grapefruit flavors of California. Loire Valley, FR (Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume) has some of my favorites featuring complexity, balance, and excellent length of finish. You must try several regions before deciding – this wine has multiple identities!
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 aromas and flavors); including ‘aged’ Cabernets now at ‘peak’.
Sept. Wine of the Month
Case discounts on each btl!
White: Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume (Loire Valley, France) SB
Red. Foppiano Pinot Noir (Sonoma, CA)
Quote
“Wine, and our expectations of it, are profoundly linked with age and time. Of all the food and drink we consume, only wine can live (and indeed change wonderfully for the better) for decades—even, exceptionally, for a century or more. Yet its life span is never certain: its aging process is unpredictable enough to seem to wear a mantle of mystery.”—HUGH JOHNSON