 |
The Savory Grape Wine Shop Newsletter |
 |
|
|
|
Greetings!
Mark your calendars and Save the Date! We are
exactly one month from our One-Year
Anniversary Celebration, which will be held
Thursday, April 12-Saturday April 14, and we
are quite excited about the festivities that
will include special
giveaways and of course special wine
tastings. We look forward to celebrating with
you the success of The Savory Grape thus
far. Thank you for your patronage and
support; we hope to share another year
with you! On that note, RI Monthly
will once again hold its "Best of RI" contest
from April 1-May 15. Last year, we won the
"Best New Wine Shop" award, and this year we
hope to obtain your vote for the "Best Wine
Shop" award. So when you get your ballot in
your RI Monthly magazine or if you go
to www.rimonthly.com
to vote, please consider The Savory Grape!
Please stop in for our tastings this
weekend if your schedule permits. On
Saturday, in celebration of St.
Patty's Day, we will have a special tasting
of selections that pair well with traditional
Irish faire.
|
|
The Savory Grape Upcoming Events |
|
L'Ecole Winery Tasting. Save the date
for a special wine tasting with Washington's
L'Ecole Winery on Wednesday, March 21. L'Ecole
General Manager Debbie Frol will be at The
Savory Grape from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm to discuss and
taste some of the vineyard's exquisite wines
that are receiving national recognition.
These wines are of small production and are
available in limited quantities. The evening
with L'Ecole will continue at Gracie's
Restaurant in Providence.
We hope you stop in for a special experience!
Italian Wine Tasting. Only a couple of
spots remain for the Main Street
Coffee /The Savory Grape Italian wine
tasting on Wednesday, March 28 at 7
pm. During the series' third tasting, we will
delve into the various wines and regions of
Italy. Tickets are $18 per person, which
includes sampling 5-6 wines and appetizers,
and should be purchased in advance. Space is
limited, so please contact The
Savory Grape (886-9463) or Main Street Coffee
(885-8787) for tickets.
|
|
The Beauty of Rosés |
|
In pre-feminist times, and until the 1980s,
rosé wine was referred to as ladies' wine.
Further demise was dealt to the reputation of
rosé wines by the development of White
Zinfandel in 1973, first by Sutter Home and
now by more than 100 different labels. Over
the years, the majority of grapes for the
production of White Zinfandel comes from the
great Central California valley. There the
grapes are allowed to grow prolifically and
to full ripeness due to the heat. The
resulting wines are low in acid (not a food
wine) and high in residual sugars (very
quaffable), in other words, not very balanced.
Since the juice of grapes is clear, rosé
wines are made with a light or short contact
of juice to the skin of red grapes. Some of
the best rosés are made from Syrah (Shiraz),
Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Pinot Noir,
and Cabernet. Rosé can come from California,
France, Italy, Spain, Australia you name it,
but when it is made correctly with a lovely
light berry fruit profile, crisp acidity, and
nice clean, dry finish, well you probably
have one of the most versatile wines on the
planet. (Remember, fruity does not mean
sweet. Therefore you can have a nice fruity,
yet dry, rosé.)
I will from spring to fall pair a well made
rosé with any type of salad entrée, as well
as chicken and all sorts of fish, especially
if they are seasoned or spiced up a little
bit. Mexican and Thai cuisine and rosé wine
are the new "matches made in heaven." So grab a
bottle of a few of our favorites that we
list below and see how
pleasant and enjoyable a rosé can be.
- Crios Rosé, Argentina (Malbec).
- Pares Balta Rosé, Spain (Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot).
- Charles Melton Rosé, Australia (Grenache,
Cabernet, Shiraz).
- Cotes de Provence Rose "Commanderie de
Peyrassol," France (Cinsault, Grenache,
Syrah). Available at the end of March.
|
|
This Week's Savory Selections |
|
2005 Talia Bianco, Sicily.
Talia in
the Sicilian dialect means "I wish." The
island of Sicily boasts the most varied
topography and growing conditions of
all Italian wine regions, and for centuries
Sicilian winemakers have planted a diverse
selection of
varietals throughout the island. Made from
mostly aromatic Cataratto with other
indigenous whites in the blend, the wine is
almost a clear to pale lemon in color with
light floral, lush pineapple and hints of
peach pit on the nose. The palate shows
differently with nuances of crisp apple and
light peach characters. There's enough
acidity to balance the fruit and keep
the wine light and refreshing. It finishes
clean, with a slight mouth watering tartness
that adds personality. ($9.49)
2005 Cantina Santadi Vermentino "Villa
Solais," Sardinia, Italy. Don't let
the wine's name intimidate you. A little
knowledge makes it easy. Produced by Cantina
Santadi, Vermentino is a white grape variety
that gives a light-to-medium bodied mouth
feel with an attractive minerality and
lemon/lime flavor. The finish is fresh and
clean. Its best food partners are lightly
prepared seafood entrees. Stay away from
cream sauces which will overpower the wine. A
Friday tasting wine.
($11.99)
2005 Negre Scala Dei Grenache, Spain.
One of
the most magical settings in Spain, the
Priorat lies in the rugged hills of Northeastern
Spain in Spanish Catalonia, not far from
Barcelona, and the
village of Scala Dei is within this region.
This lush red, made entirely from Grenache,
offers
blackberry jam, raspberry and cola flavors
that also are
accompanied by notes of game and earth. It
has light tannins that make the mouth feel
smooth, fruity and soft. ($17.99)
2002 Domaine de Gourzagaud Viognier,
France. This particular selection is from
Southern France's Minervois, one of the
most ancient vineyards of the Mediterranean
region and situated at the southern
extremity of the Massif Central. Its name
comes from the ancient city
of Minerve, a stronghold built by the Romans
and dedicated to the goddess Minerva. A beautiful
pale green in color, this Viognier exhibits a
typical nose of apricots and peaches and
beautiful complex aromas of white blossoms
common to this grape. The taste is full of
apricot and nectarine flavors that give a
very long and fine finish. ($15.99)
|
|
Weekend Wine Tastings |
|
Friday, March 16 (5 pm to 8 pm)
- 2005 Cantina Santadi Vermentino "Villa
Solais," Sardinia, Italy. Please
see the tasting notes in the Savory
Selections section. ($11.99)
- 2004 Renzo Masi "Erta e China" Rosso,
Tuscany. This Tuscan red demonstrates the
flexibility of the IGT regulations with a
non-traditional blend of half Sangiovese,
half Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 14 months in a
combination of French and American oak. Inky
dark garnet, almost black, it shows bright
reddish-purple glints against the light. It
exudes aromatic, dark fruits, (dried
cherries) and spice, and despite its long
stay in oak, the oak flavors are subtle. The
finish is beautiful, clean and lingering.
This, we think, an impressive full bodied
wine. ($13.49 )
- 2003 Lucignano Chianti Colli
Fiorentini, Tuscany. Another Chianti
worth trying and that is known consistently
for its exceptional quality and taste. It
displays intense black cherry fruit
characteristics that are elegant and not
overpowering. Its medium-bodied nature
enables it to serve as a sipping wine while
you are cooking but will also stand up to
fuller fare such as pasta and meatballs and
medium-aged cheeses. ($15.99)
Saturday, March 17 (3 pm to 7
pm) St. Patty's Day Selections
- Stop in to see our St. Patty's Day
Tasting Surprises and Selections
| Quick Links... |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
