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The Savory Grape Wine Shop Newsletter |
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Greetings!
Mark your calendars and save the date! We are
less than a month away from our Two-Year
Anniversary, which will occur the weekend of
April 11-13. Please stop in to see us that
weekend for special drawings and of course
special wine tastings. We look forward to
celebrating again with you. Thanks for your
continued
support. And on that note, RI
Monthly will once again hold its "Best
of RI"
contest from now-May 1. Last year, we
won the "Best Wine Shop, West Bay"
award, and
this
year we hope to obtain your vote again for the
"Best Wine Shop, West Bay." So when you
get your
ballot in your RI Monthly or if you
click here
to vote, please
consider The Savory Grape! If you don't
receive RI Monthly stop into the shop
where we will have complimentary copies
for you beginning tomorrow.
Our resident staff member and Johnson and
Wales Student Margot Wass, who has been an
integral part of The Savory Grape since the
doors opened and who knows a plethora about
wine and food, recently partook in
the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
Margot, like she did last year, shares her
excursion with us. Enjoy the reading below.
And remember to stop in during this weekend's
wine
tastings. Friday we will present and taste
three French wines from the famed Cairanne
vineyard, which has previously brought us the
very popular Cairanne Cotes du Rhone, a
customer favorite from our under $11 table.
We are looking forward to sharing with you
its Reserve Cotes du Rhone Village Rouge and
Blanc and its everyday red wine Secret de
Campane, a blend of Grenache, Carignane and
Cinsault. (Don't worry about the
wines' names we will decode them for you.)
And on Saturday we will taste two organic
wines from our under $11 table. So come out
and enjoy Spring with new wines. The
tasting wines will be 10% off beginning today
through Sunday.
Cheers! Jessica and Nino Granatiero
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The Savory Grape Upcoming Events |
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March 26th Wine Flight, Gracie's Restaurant.
On Wednesday, March 26th, The Savory
Grape will present a wine flight of its
favorite three wines paired with decadent
treats prepared by the chef at Gracie's.
The
Wednesday wine flight will be
held from 5-7 PM at Gracie's in
Providence. The cost is $10. For more
information, contact Gracie's at
401-272-7811. Come out and
enjoy a casual, relaxing evening.
March 31st Wine Tasting.
The Monday,
March 31st
wine tasting at Main Street Coffee, featuring
a line up of wines from Paso Robles' Rabbit
Ridge Vineyard, is now SOLD OUT. Stay tuned
for information on next month's tasting.
April 14th Wine Dinner, Gracie's Restaurant.
On Monday, April 14, Gracie's Restaurant
and The Savory Grape
will proudly present a wine dinner featuring a
line up of fine selections from Terre
Rouge and Easton Wines. That evening, we
will welcome and be accompanied by special
guest Bill Easton, who is the the president
and winemaker of Terre Rouge/Easton Wines
and who will guide us through the evening of
wine tasting. Tickets are $85 per
person (not including tax and tip), and
reservations can be made by
contacting The Savory Grape (886-9463).
Please click
here for the full menu and wine
selections. For questions regarding the
event, please call The
Savory Grape or contact Brendan Roane (Gracie's
Wine and Spirits Manager) at
winesoftheworld@hotmail.com. Seating is
limited.
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South Beach Food and Wine Festival Take II, by Margot Wass |
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"Tickets? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Empty
Stomach? Check" - all the things I thought to
myself before heading to South Beach.
Last year when I went to the Food and Wine
Festival,
held annually on South Beach, I was completely
overwhelmed by all of the food, wine and
spirits being
distributed. I was stuffed before I made it
through the
first tent! As I was told by one of our
customers, "That
was a rookie mistake, and this time you need a
veteran plan." Map in hand, I was ready to
make it
through to the end, while still indulging of
course.
I hastily entered the event with my large
gift bag and harnessed wine glass, and my first
greeting was by Guy Fieri, throwing t-shirts
into an
audience who was watching him prepare grilled
fruits. With his clever humor, and incredible
technique, he kept me distracted from Gail
Simmons,
editor of Food and Wine Magazine,
who was chatting with some
of her friends next to me. A little star
struck, I
introduced myself and we talked about Top
Chef, while cracking a few jokes about the
insufferable heat.
As I wandered, I enjoyed a glass of Albariño
(a Spanish white)
and a
sampling of tostones, which are fried
plantains. I
passed Giada De Laurentiis signing autographs,
Tyler Florence getting the crowd excited about
Caribbean cuisine and a tent entirely
dedicated to
Bordeaux. When the grand tasting tents
opened, I
hustled to the back of the second tent, where
the other
foodies had yet to venture. I was surprised
to see that
many of the vineyards being represented,
we have here at The Savory Grape.
McManis, Steele Vineyards, Duckhorn, Catena and
Stephen Vincent were all being
showcased! The most popular varietal poured
at the show was Malbec. While sipping I
thought to
myself, "Our customers are ahead of the
curve" as
many of the people at the show were not
familiar with
the Malbec varietal. Last year my favorite
dish was
ceviche, raw fish soaked in a lemon
or lime
juice, a process which essentially cooks the
fish. This
year I was
adventurous and sampled many new cuisines. The
two of which I was most proud were raw sea
urchin and
fried alligator! The sea urchin was a little
too "real" for
me, but the fried alligator was surprisingly
delicious. I'll admit, I had three helpings!
The festival gets better every year, and any
food or wine show I have ever been to has been
memorable. It is a great way to meet your
favorite
celebrity chefs, try foods you normally
wouldn't have
the opportunity to eat, and sample wines from
around
the world that are hard to find or just
simply out of budget! I always say the best
way to
learn about
wines is to try them, and at The Savory
Grape we
are always trying something new. So come
join us
every Friday and Saturday as we feature new
wines
from around the globe, and I'll share even
more stories from this year's Food and Wine
Festival!
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This Week's Savory Selections |
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2006 Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia
Valley, Washington. This wine is
produced from
organically grapes in Washington State's
Columbia
Valley. The vineyards there experience warm,
sunny
days and cool evening temperatures which create
ideal conditions for intense fruit aromas,
flavors
and acidity
development. The wine has
bold and bright aromas that fill the nose
followed by a
rich, mouth full of citrus and melon which
linger on the
palate. This is a very crisp and refreshing
Sauvignon Blanc that will pair well with a
variety of light seafood and chicken dishes
and high fat cheeses, such as triple cremes
and blues. ($8.99)
2005 Clos de los Siete, Argentina.
We are in love with this Malbec blend. Clos
de los Siete is an oasis comprised of seven
vineyards in
the foothills of the Andes, south of Mendoza.
A blend
of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah, this wine produces rich aromas of
cocoa, mocha, prunes and figs. On the palate,
the wine is balanced and
dense with a silky mouth feel. A new staff
favorite here
at The Savory Grape. ($20.99)
2006 Red Truck Winery Petite Sirah,
California.
You may be familiar with the Red Truck
label but not its Organic Petite Syrah which
is new to its arsanal of wines. Brought to us
last
week, this wine impressed us for the price.
Certified organic, this rich, deep red evokes
the magnificent natural landscape of the Red
Truck Vineyards, sending your palate
into
overdrive with lush flavors of cassis, dark
cherries and
plums infused with pepper and brown spices.
This
wine is a mouthful and a real bang for the buck.
($10.99)
2004 Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages
Rouge, France.
Mostly Grenache with some Syrah, Mourvedre
and Carignane added, the nose of this wine is
intense and
concentrated with
black cherry, prune and
blackcurrant fruits and pepper and cinnamon
spices. The mouth is concentrated and
ample with beautiful flavors of the same
fruits and
spices. A great partner for grilled ribs,
chicken with rosemary, chicken fajitas or
stuffed peppers.
($13.99)
2006 Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages
Blanc, France. This is an aromatic and
beautiful
white comprised of the grapes Grenache Blanc,
Clairette, Rousanne and some Bourboulenc. At
first smell, the nose has developed aromas of
flowers, pears and apricots. The palate is
rich, but well balanced with plenty of fresh,
zesty fruit flavors and a clean, dry finish.
A great pairing for salads with goat cheese
or grilled sea bass.
($13.99)
2006 Cairanne Secret de Campane,
France. From
Provence, this medium bodied, everyday red
is a real treat. Made of Grenache, Carginane
and Cinsault, the nose is full of very fresh
raspberries and red fruits. The mouth
emulates the nose and is fruity smooth, yet
with a dry, long
lasting finish.
($9.99)
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Weekend Wine Tastings |
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Friday, March 28th (5 to 8 PM)
The Cairanne Vineyard
- 2004 Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages
Rouge
Please see tasting notes above in this
week's
Savory Selections. ($13.99)
- 2006 Cairanne Cotes du Rhone
Villages Blanc. Please see tasting
notes above in this
week's
Savory Selections. ($13.99)
- 2006 Cairanne Secret de Campane.
Please see tasting notes above in this
week's
Savory Selections. ($9.99)
Saturday, March 29th (3 to 7
PM) Organics from the under $11 table
- 2006 Red Truck Petite Syrah.
Please
see
tasting notes above in this
week's Savory Selections. ($10.99)
- 2006 Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc.
Please see
tasting notes above
in this week's Savory Selections. ($8.99)
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The Savory Grape Wine Shop | 247 Main Street | East Greenwich | RI | 02818
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