January 28th Burgundy Wine Tasting. You may have heard about the famed red and white wines of France's Burgundy region but may not have had an opportunity to explore or taste them. On Monday, January 28th, you will have a chance to taste famed wines by various renowned producers, a tasting that will give you an upperhand when in wine circles with your friends or business colleagues. You will also learn about cellaring and storing these wines. For a list of the wines for the evening click here. The Savory Grape will hold the tasting at 7 PM at Main Street Coffee. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at The Savory Grape (886-9463) or Main Street Coffee (885-8787). Seating is limited to only 20 people. Payment is due upon making a reservation.

February 2nd Artist Reception and Wine Tasting. We are pleased to announce that the exquisite works of North Kingstown Resident and Artist Stephen Mancini are now on display at The Savory Grape. Vibrant and colorful, his works leave a lasting impression. Mancini is an artist, photographer and filmmaker of national recognition and his works have been included in galleries and corporate and private collections. After painting in oils on canvas throughout his twenties, Mancini shifted to collage-acrylic media in 1970 in order to accommodate the nature, speed, and energy of his work. Many of his works incorporate artifacts collected from the site at which he has painted. His paintings offer memorable, emotional impression of his New England surrounds and his travels to Italy, the Caribbean and Southwest Florida. Please join us on Saturday, February 2nd from 5 PM - 9 PM for an opening reception and wine tasting for Mancini.

February 12th Tuscan Wine Dinner. (SOLD OUT) Due to overwhelming popularity, unfortunately, both East Greenwich's Siena Cucina and The Savory Grape have sold out of their tickets for the Tuscan Wine Dinner on Tuesday, February 12th. We hope to share details with you about another upcoming dinner. Stay tuned and check your email and our web site regularly.

When we think of "New World" wines, immediately most of us would probably name those of California, Australia, Chile and Argentina. These are considered "New World" wine regions and all produce many fantastic wines, but another great, not as well known, "New World" region is South Africa. Just like Australia, Chile and Argentina, the wine industry in South Africa has taken off in the last couple of years. It now produces hundreds of different varietals in various styles with probably the most well known being its famed Pinotage.

According to research, the very first vineyard planted coincided with the arrival of The Dutch East India Company at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1655, three years after its arrival in Table Bay, Commander Jan van Riebeeck planted the first vines, but it was Governor Simon van der Stel who firmly established the wine industry in the Cape. He built the model farm, Constantia, and founded the town of Stellenbosch, both still considered wine focal points today. During the 18th century, Constantia's famous dessert wines established the Cape as a premium wine producing region and its reputation was romantically global. Meanwhile Stellenbosch grew as a hub of viticultural endeavors, including being home to experiments that led to the Cinsault and Pinot Noir grapes being grafted together into Pinotage, a "local" variety well suited to indigenous conditions. Besides Pinotage, other popular varietals grown in South Africa are Chenin Blanc (the most widely planted grape), Sultana, Colombard and Chardonnay. As for reds, Cabernet is the most widely planted, followed by Pinotage and Shiraz.

Like other global wine regions, South Africa had to deal with a few hardships. It has overcome many of these, and today the industry is as strong as ever. Nearly 60 officially declared appellations cover more than 100,000 hectares. There are many great producers throughout the wine regions of South Africa. Some producers that you can find here at The Savory Grape are Fairview, Wilderkrans, Meinert and Ken Forrester. Join us this weekend to learn more about this wonderful wine region, as well as learn the many tastes it has to offer.

Andrew Geoffrey Cabernet Sauvignon 2003- We are big fans of Andrew Geoffrey wines. And although they are not within everyone's budget, they are definitely "must try" wines at some point. After meeting owner Peter Thompson and seeing the passion that goes into this vineyard and the wines, which are named after his two sons Andrew and Geoffrey, makes it easy to love his highly sought-after, often pricey Cabernets. With only 1,450 cases of the 2003 Cabernet produced, this is a wine that we scooped up immediately, but that has also already been moving out the door quickly. Scoring 91 points by Robert Parker, this wine exhibits jammy black currant and cherry fruit intermixed with spices and a whiff of toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied with excellent fruit, a supple texture, and an attractive, long finish, this can be drunk now and over the next decade ($74.99)

Fairview Pinotage 2006 - Fairview's Pinotage is mostly harvested from bush vines, some of which are more than 25 years old. Using these older vines, the wine maker also supplemented fruit from younger vineyards. In doing so, the resulting Pinotage is one of a vibrant purple displaying spicy, fresh dark fruit aromas. On the palate, the wine is brooding and savory with ripe tannins and black fruit, vanilla and spice flavors. Although the wine is perfect for everyday consumption now it will continue to evolve when stored properly for another 3-4 years.($14.99)

Wildekrans Pinotage 2005 - Sourced from a single, low yielding and trellised vineyard, Wildekrans Pinotage is a soft, velvety and generous drinking wine with explosive ripe lingering fruit. The wine is deep violet in color with floral and raspberry aromas. Through vinification, handling was kept to a minimum to ensure that true fruit flavors were retained. From there the wine was matured in medium toasted French Oak for 9 months that gives it some soft vanilla flavors. Pinotage is the perfect partner for roasted and smoked beefs as well as smoked Gouda. ($17.99)

Ken Forrester Petit Chenin 2007 - From the town of Stellenbosch comes Ken Forrester's 2007 Petit Chenin, made from100% Chenin Blanc grapes. Fresh, delicious, and easy to drink, this white wine is 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. Serve with appetizers or fish or chicken salad - a no-brainer! ($9.99)

email: jessica@thesavorygrape.com

phone: 401.886.9463

web: http://www.thesavorygrape.com