April 11th and 12th, Two-Year Anniversary Weekend. Please join us on Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 to celebrate the two-year anniversary of The Savory Grape. During those two days we will have special drawings, promotions and wine tastings. Please see next week's newsletter for the full details.

April 12th Artist Opening Exhibition. During our two-year anniversary weekend, please join us on Saturday, April 12 from 4-8 PM to welcome artist Elena Avanesova during an opening reception. The vivid works of Avanesova will be on display at The Savory Grape from April 11 until July. Created primarily in oil on canvas, her works challenge our views of magnificent color palette and perspective, while remaining rooted in a familiar floral setting. Elena has lived and worked around the world. Her works have been featured in private collections in Switzerland, Ireland, Turkey and the US. To see more of Elena's work, please visit www.avanart.com

April 14th Wine Dinner, Gracie's Restaurant. Only 15 tickets remain for the Gracie's/Savory Grape wine dinner on Monday, April 14 at 6 PM. At Gracie's Restaurant in Providence, we will proudly present a line up of fine California selections from Ter re Rouge and Easton Wines. That evening, we will welcome and be accompanied by special guest Bill Easton, who is 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.

Besides the fact that wine is enjoyable and often said to have various health benefits, some researchers now believe it can help improve your memory. Drinking alcohol in moderate amounts may improve one's ability to create and maintain memories, according to a new study from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Researchers from these Universities found that rats that drank alcohol in moderation appeared to have superior cognitive skills compared to non-drinking and heavy-drinking rats, in ways that may occur similarly in humans. "We do believe these results are relevant to humans," said researcher Matthew During, a molecular pathologist working in Ohio and New Zealand, who co-wrote the study with Maggie Kalev- Zylinska, a professor at the University of Auckland's department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology.

The researchers separated rats into three groups of six. Group 1 was fed a standard diet and just water. Group 2 was served water with an ethanol content of 2.5 percent and Group 3 was served water with an ethanol content of 5 percent. (Groups 2 and 3 represented moderate and heavy drinking.) The blood alcohol level by body weight for the moderate rats never exceeded the legal driving limit for humans in Australia, the study said. The researchers then gave the rats memory and performance tests.

In both tests, the moderately drinking rats performed best, indicating the greatest cognitive ability. The rats that did not drink performed second best, followed by the heavy- drinking rats. At the end of these tests the rats' brains were examined. Upon examination, the brains of the heavy- drinking rats did show measurable levels of damage, therefore impairing the rats' ability on many levels. Although the heavy drinking rats had negative results, the rats who consumed a lower amount of the ethanol did not produce deleterious neurological effects at the behavioral, cellular or molecular levels.

According to the researchers, the main point of the study reveals that light to moderate daily consumption of wine is not associated with long-term memory impairment. So the next time you're enjoying a glass of your favorite wine remember you may be helping your brain. Of course, also remember everything in moderation.

2006 Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc, California. From the Eastside Vineyard of the Dry Creek Valley, this small production Sauvignon Blanc has a brilliant straw color with citrus, fresh cut hay and lemon notes in the nose. Sauvignon Blanc grown in Dry Creek Valley has a reputation for creating a wine with distinct characteristics and is considered one of the appellation's hallmark wines. In the mouth, this wine is tart and offers a full, fresh no-oak mouthfeel. Flavors of melon and grapefruit linger on the palate with just enough acidity to add a refreshing quality. The wine is clean and crisp with a rounded mouthfeel, and is created without oak aging to capture its luscious freshness. ($13.99)

2005 Pedroncelli Dry Creek "Mother Clone" Zinfandel, California. "Mother Clone" refers to the original Zinfandel vines planted on the property when John Pedroncelli Sr. purchased the ranch and winery in 1927. Those vines were planted some time around the turn of the twentieth century. Recently they have propogated their Zinfandel with cuttings from those vines. Deep purple-red in color, this is a full- bodied wine with many classic Dry Creek Valley characteristics: aromas and flavors of ripe boysenberry, jammy with subtle coffee and butterscotch accents. This is a concentrated Zinfandel that offers a nice balance of fruit, spice and tannin. The finish is long and packed with flavor. ($13.99)

2006 La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon Blanc, France. From the hillside vineyard in the ancient Côtes du Luberon, where the mistral cools the long Provençal summers, La Vieille Ferme white originates, a fruity, crisp, dry wine made from Rhône varietals: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Bourblanc and Ugni Blanc. The wine has a lovely floral bouquet with flavors hinting of spice with fresh, lemony fruit. Just like its red counterpart, this selection is a great everyday wine. ($8.99)

2005 Guardian Peak Frontier, South Africa. From South Africa, this wine is a blend of Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot. Its complex aromas are dominated by the red and black berry flavors and supported by some cedar and vanilla spice from the oak barrels in which the wine fermented and aged. The cumin spice and almond also complement the aroma of the wine. On the palate, flavors of dark chocolate, mocha and fruit cake are complemented by a smoky and spicy oak finish. ($13.99)

Friday, April 4th (5 to 8 PM) Pedroncelli Winery

• 2006 Pedroncelli Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc, California. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($13.99)

• 2005 Pedroncelli Dry Creek "Mother Clone" Zinfandel, California. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($13.99)

Saturday, April 5th (3 to 7 PM) New Staff Favorites

• 2006 La Vieille Ferme Blanc, France. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($8.99)

• 2005 Guardian Peak Frontier, South Africa. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($13.99)

email: jessica@thesavorygrape.com

phone: 401.886.9463

web: http://www.thesavorygrape.com