EG Farmer's Market Wine and Cheese Pairings.

• Atwell's Gold, an aged Italian-style grating cheese - 2006 San Fabiano Chianti ($15.49)

• Salty Sea, a crumbly and fragrant Feta - 2006 Domaine Dupre Beaujolais ($12.99) or Hugel Pinot Blanc ($17.99)

• Fresh Mozzarella - 2005 Brillando Rosso Toscana ($15.49)

• Renaissance Ricotta - 2007 Lurton Pinot Gris ($11.49) or 2006 Cloudline Cellars Pinot Gris ($18.99)

Siena Wine Dinner October 30th. Due to such an overwhelming response, The Savory Grape and Siena Providence wine dinner on Thursday, October 30 is sold out. If you would like to be placed on the wait list, please contact us at 886-9463. As a reminder the dinner will be held at Siena on Atwells Avenue in Providence at 6:45 PM.

Compare and Contrast Wine Tasting. A few tickets still remain for the Compare and Contrast Tasting on Monday, October 20th at Main Street Coffee (MSC). Please join us as we analyze the similarities and differences of various New and Old World Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons, including those from Napa and France's Bordeaux. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at The Savory Grape (886-9463) or MSC (885-8787). As always seating is limited for this event.

November 15th Wine Festival. We would like to thank you for the fantastic response to this year's Savory Grape Charity Wine Festival. Tickets are sold out, but we are accepting reservations on the wait list . We also have had a great response from many businesses who plan to donate items for the silent auction. Please click here to see a list of donors thus far. (This list will be updated weekly.) If you would like to access the list at a later time, it can be found on the News and Events page of our website. All profits will be donated to the RI Community Action Association.

We in the United States may not be the number one consumers of wine, but every day more Americans are discovering wine with an eagerness to learn more. Whether you drink wine as an accompaniment to dinner or as a benefit to your health, you still may be left with questions. With a topic as complex as wine, it's no surprise that questions arise, including those about the purpose of decanting and which wines to decant. The answer to those and some others are provided for you below. Enjoy!

Q: What is the purpose of decanting? When is the appropriate time to decant, and should all wines be decanted? Aside from the aesthetic appeal of serving your wine in something other than a bottle, decanting serves different purposes - to remove sediment from and aerate wine. The act of decanting is to remove wine's sediment, a natural byproduct of wine that is often unfined or unfiltered. (Filtering wine removes its sediment, which is often comprised of dead yeast cells or minute particles of grape skins.) To decant, you should first allow the bottle of wine intended for decanting to sit upright, allowing any sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle. Once you are ready to decant you will need a decanter (of course) and a candle. As you begin to pour the wine into the decanter you will hold the candle under the neck of the bottle so you can see through it clearly. As the last one-third of the wine is poured, carefully watch for sediment. Stop pouring when any sediment appears in the neck of the bottle. (You can also use a funnel, which will catch any sediment when pouring wine into the decanter.) Mature or aged red wines may or may not contain sediment, but are still great candidates for decanting. With younger wines decanting is more for aeration, thus allowing the wine to breathe and harsh tannins to soften. But not all wines need to be decanted. Heavier, richer styled red wines such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, Brunello and Bordeaux are wines that are most often decanted. White wine can be decanted, but most types will not benefit from doing so unless it is a full bodied, oaked wine (ie. Chardonnay), which can benefit from aeration. So although it is not always necessary to decant for the purpose of removing sediment, it is still a great presentation and always a way to impress any guests you invite into your home.

Q: I have been collecting wine over the years. How will aging affect these selections? We think everyone should start their own small wine collection! The vintages that you love won't always be available, so it's nice to have some stashed away for celebrations, special occasions or just a personal treat. However, there is nothing worse than having your enjoyment ruined by a lack luster glass of wine that's past its prime. Understand your collection, conduct research on your wines or ask your local wine shop. As wine ages, you will notice that its color will change. Just as the vibrancy of color is stripped down over time, so too is a wine's tannin and acidity levels. The tannic nature will soften to reveal hidden aromas and flavors. Every wine has a different maturation cycle and some may age faster than others; so it's important to research the aging recommendations specific to vintage and varietal. Keep the temperature of wine constant. Lay bottles down to keep the cork from drying out. A moist cork will remain plump and tight in the neck and will keep additional air out of the bottle, avoiding oxidation, which can compromise your wine. When you do open that bottle, take time to enjoy it, whether on your own or with friends.

Q: I would like to give wine as a gift. What should I consider? As with any gift, the key to buying the perfect wine gift is the thought that is put into it. Do your research. Find out what the recipient prefers, and then take your gift giving to the next step by selecting a new or unique wine to provide your friend, co-worker or loved one. If you know that your sister loves Pinot Grigio but drinks it all the time, why not give her a Vernacchia or Orvieto, which are similarly crisp, dry Italian wines that would make for an interesting alternative. Next, think of what, or whom, you are celebrating. One of the great things about wine is that it can transport you to a place and time, bringing back fond memories. You also can make vintage purchases to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Lastly, consider your budget. Price does not always equate to quality! Fabulous wines exist to suit any budget.

2006 Mr. Riggs "The Gaffer" McLaren Vale Shiraz, Australia. Grapes for "The Gaffer" have been sourced from vineyards from McLaren Vale's best, and The Gaffer Shiraz is a testament to that. Made in barrels of new French oak, this wine shows excellent integration of Shiraz fruit with the gentle use of oak creating a big, rich, juicy, smooth style red that finishes with elegance. Co-fermented with a tiny amount of Viognier (one to two percent), the nose is delicately perfumed. The Gaffer is a flavorsome, fruit-driven, full-bodied selection that is well balanced and assured to please the palate. The simple black and white packaging has been given a splash of pink. Beginning with the 2006 vintage, monies from each bottle sold will be donated to the Pink Ribbon campaign. Mr. Riggs Winery hopes to raise $30,000 for breast cancer research. ($23.99)

Sweetwater Sustainable Land Company is a domestic, value-driven, sustainably-grown, appellation-oriented, stelvin-finished portfolio of red wines made by a Sonoma County family that has farmed there for nearly four decades. They have learned the hands-on ways of the original planters of Zinfandel vines that were planted in the valley as far back as 1895.

• 2005 Sweetwater Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, California. The Cabernet grapes used for this wine are sustainably grown and harvested entirely by hand. Sweetwater Cabernet has been aged for more than 22 months in Hungarian and American oak. The wine opens with rich aromas of ripe figs and bright red raspberries. After the initial flavor of black raspberry fills your palate, it is followed by a very pleasant, lightly toasted oak finish. This is perfect for dark chocolate or lamb with rosemary. ($16.49)
• 2006 Sweetwater Russian River Valley Zinfandel, California. Harvested from Zinfandel vines of more than 100 years old, these grapes have also been sustainably grown and harvested by hand. Sweetwater Zinfandel is aged in American oak for more than 20 months after naturally fermenting with its grape skins. On the nose, this wine shows red cassis with light notes of brambles and raspberry. Bright plum flavors dance across the palate and precede a delicate green peppercorn spice with a soft oak finish. Spicy BBQ or even rhubarb pie would partner perfectly with this bold yet agreeable Zinfandel. ($16.49)

We would like to thank Whole Foods Market in Cranston for providing cheeses to pair with our wines during all our weekend tastings. To obtain information on the featured cheeses, some often from RI's very own Narragansett Creamery, please stop in for a tasting or visit Whole Foods.
Friday, October 17th (5 to 8 PM)
A Tasting for the Fight Against Breast Cancer

• 2006 Mr. Riggs "The Gaffer" Mclaren Vale Shiraz, Australia. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($23.99)

• 2006 Cline Cashmere, California. This blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache was originally created as an auction lot but is now open to the public courtesy of Cline Cellars. And we are glad because it is flavorful and smooth with a strong presence of cherry, raspberry and chocolate. With hints of cracked black pepper and plum this dark ruby red wine has a fruity nose. On the back of every bottle you will still find that Cline has not forgotten its charitable roots. A portion of every bottle sold is donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. ($15.99)

Saturday, October 18th (3 to 7 PM)
Wines of Sweetwater Sustainable Land Company

• 2005 Sweetwater Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, California. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($16.49)

• 2006 Sweetwater Russian River Valley Zinfandel, California. Please see tasting notes above in this week's Savory Selections. ($16.49)

email: jessica@thesavorygrape.com

phone: 401.886.9463

web: http://www.thesavorygrape.com