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The Savory Grape Wine Shop Newsletter |
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Greetings!
Earlier this week, Patrick and I were invited to
play in a charity golf tournament hosted by
the Community College of RI and its president
Ray DiPasquale. (Thanks again Ray!) It was a
marvelous day on the links at Warwick Country
Club - but then again, when isn't a day on
the course marvelous?
As we played and began to know the other
members of our foursome, they asked questions
about The Savory Grape. After explaining why
we were different than other places at
which they could shop, they asked us
about our personal preferences in wine. Well
it was a good thing we had a few hours left
to play.
They were curious to know the types of wines
and especially the prices of the wines that
we typically drink. We shared that,
generally, we drink wines in the $10-$20
range, but that we also love more
expensive selections because they are typically
smoother, have more complex flavors and
structure and have better aging potential
than their more affordable counterparts. They
seemed a little
surprised that two people in the industry
routinely drink wine in the lesser price
point range. But we explained how Jess and the
staff have a knack for finding great wines
under $15, and that there even is a section
in the store for under $11 gems.
Wines have a particular price tag for many
different reasons, and the quality of the
wine can sometimes get lost in the mix.
What's really great is finding a wine that
you enjoy at a price within your
budget - which is why we taste a lot of wines
searching for quality at all price points,
whether it's a $10 bottle or $100 bottle. Ah,
it's a tough job, but someone has to do it
for you.
Enjoy, Nino Granatiero
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The Savory Grape News & Events |
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November 15th Wine Festival. Tickets
are close to selling out to this year's Savory
Grape Charity
Wine Festival, on Saturday, November 15th at
the Varnum
Memorial Armory, 6 Main Street in EG. From
6-9 PM, we hope you will join us
to taste highly sought-after wines from
prominent and boutique vineyards.
You also will enjoy live music and sample foods
donated by the Pinelli Marra Restaurant
Group. We
will
hold a silent auction of rare wines as well
as various
items and packages, such as Napa vineyard
visits, in-home wine tastings from importer
Frederick
Wildman,
Italy's Mionetto and California's Moniz
Vineyard, and
dinner packages from some of the state's best
restaurants. RI Monthly Magazine will
be present to
capture pictures for its RI Scene page. This
is the
perfect way to start the holiday season.
Profits will be
donated to the RI
Community Action Association.
General tickets are $50 per person and $45
for active
wine club members. Tickets are nonrefundable but
are transferable. Please call The Savory
Grape (886-
9463) to purchase tickets.
September 25th Bottle Signing. Please
stop into the shop this Thursday from
4:30-5:30 PM to meet special guest Karen
McWilliam
of Australia's McWilliam's Winery for a
special bottle signing.
Following the signing, Karen will enjoy the
evening at the Post Office Cafe (11 Main St.,
E.Greenwich) for her exclusive
5-course winemaker's dinner at 6 PM.
September 26th Wine Tasting. Friday
evening at The Savory Grape, we will welcome
special guest Mark Jordan of
Johnson Brothers Distributors. Mark will
share with us various
great selections from
Australia and California, including Smith &
Hook Cabernet Sauvignon and Fife Vineyards
Redhead Red. Special pricing will be offered
on selected wines the night of the
tasting.
September 29th Wine Tasting. On Monday,
September 29th we will take a closer
look, and taste, at
Meritage wines, wines blended from the
traditional varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and
Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and
Sauvignon Vert. Join us as we explain what
Meritage (rhymes with "heritage")
means as well as taste various
Meritage wines. The tasting begins at 7PM on
Monday, September 29th at Main St. Coffee
(MSC) in EG. Please call ahead to reserve
your seat.
Tickets are
$25 and must be purchased at time of
reservation at
TSG (886-9463) or MSC (885-8787).
2008 Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau
Pre-Orders. As a reminder, we have only 3
days left to place our pre-order for the
Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais
Nouveau that will arrive by air the week of
Thanksgiving. The
cost per bottle is $14.99. Please email your
requests by Friday to
jessica@thesavorygrape.com or
patrick@thesavorygrape.com. All orders
received by Friday will have secured
allocations when the wine arrives in
November.
The Savory Grape has Gone Green!
Plenty of
recyclable wine totes remain, so pop in and
get yours. The totes
can be purchased for $1.99. Once you have
purchased your tote, you will
receive a
$0.25 discount each time you reuse the bag to
purchase at least two bottles.
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This Week's Savory Selections |
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2004 Peachy Canyon "Jester" Red Blend, Paso
Robles, California. This blend of Cabernet
Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet
Franc and
Merlot is what the winemaker likes to call, "The
Bordeaux meets the Rhone Blend." We like to
call it luscious! The wine's different
varieties complement each other with their
varied flavor and aroma profiles. Flavors
consist of
a full mouth of
currant, blackberry jam and raspberries with
a hint of
toasted oak. Aromas are made up of dark
plums, bing
cherry, raspberry cola and subtle black
currant. On
the palate, the wine is round and juicy
with a finish that is nicely dry. ($16.99)
2007 Cono Sur Organic Cabernet/Carmenere,
Chile. We just found another certified
organic wine to add into our repertoire.
Made of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, its
beautiful, deep, ruby red
color is the
opening line to a truly impressive wine.
Robust, it has an expressive
nose of
strawberries, berries and plum. In the mouth,
it is concentrated with black and red fruit
flavors which
are in complete harmony with soft tannins.
Showing
great character and a long finish, this
organic blend
will leave you with hints of toasted wood.
($12.99)
2007 Oxford Landing Chardonnay, Australia.
This 100% Chardonnay from South Australia shows
lifted aromas of fresh peach, citrus and
honeydew
melon with an underlying hint of nougat and
nutmeg
spice. The palate is evenly textured with stone
fruit,
tropical notes and citrus flavors. For its
price, this is a highly balanced wine with
refreshing acidity and lingering citrus
peel flavors
on the finish. ($10.99)
2006 Oxford Landing GSM, Australia.
Due to
vigilance and attention to flavor
development, the
2006 vintage at Oxford Landing resulted in
wines of
excellent varietal flavor and structure.
Specially
selected parcels of Shiraz, Grenache and
Mourvédre make this wine. The nose shows
lifted aromas of fragrant raspberry and plum
fruits and
touches of spice. On the palate, plum and
dark fruit
flavors from the Shiraz are complemented by the
raspberries, red cherries and spice from the
Grenache, creating a rich and generous palate.
Chalky Mourvédre tannins back up the fruit
flavors of
the other two grapes, providing structure
and a savory finish. ($10.99)
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Weekend Wine Tastings |
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Friday, September 26th (5 to 8 PM)
Join us to welcome Special Guest Mark Jordan of
Johnson Brothers Distributors.
Saturday, September 27th (3 to 7 PM)
New finds from our fall tasting adventures
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2004 Peachy Canyon "Jester" Red Blend, Paso
Robles, California.
Please see tasting notes above in this week's
Savory
Selections.
($16.99)
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2008 Ken Forrester Petit Chenin, South
Africa.
The 2008 Petit Chenin, made from 100% Chenin
Blanc grapes, is fresh, delicious and easy to
drink, a
must have for any casual occasion. Melon and
lime
are evident on the nose, while juicy citrus and
refreshing acidity are noted on the palate.
The wine is
extremely bright and welcoming, and for the
money it is
certainly a best buy. Try this wine with
striped bass,
clams, calamari and a variety of other treats
from the
sea. ($10.49)
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