January Wine Seminar. A fun time was surely had by those who attended this week's wine class! And The Savory Grape and Grape Ideas Wine Education, in conjunction with Trattoria del Corso Restaurant, are pleased to announce their next fun, interactive wine class, exploring the hills of Italy's Tuscany and Piedmont, on Monday, January 15th from 7 pm to 9:30 pm. During this class, Jennifer Pereira, AIWS, of Grape Ideas Wine Education and an instructor at the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University, will guide you in an exploration of famed Tuscan and Piedmont wines, such as Sangiovese, Chianti Classico, Barbera, and Barbaresco; classical cuisine from these regions; and how the cuisine and wines complement each other. You will sample various Tuscan and Piedmont style foods and analyze how they taste and pair with the various wines to determine their versatility. The cost is $55 per person, which includes instruction, sampling various Italian food courses, tasting 5-6 wines and instruction booklets. Advance reservations and payment can be made by calling or visiting The Savory Grape. Again, to ensure personal attention, space is limited to 20 seats, and as a preferred client of The Savory Grape, we are notifying you first before we publicize the class next week to those outside of The Savory Grape circle. So think about giving the gift of wine and education this holiday season. The private class will be held at Trattoria del Corso Restaurant at 223 Main Street in East Greenwich.

January Wine Dinner. Stay tuned for details next week.

'Extreme Brewing' Book Release Dinner. On Monday, December 18th, Dogfish Head Brewery Founder Sam Calagione, friend and fellow proprietor, will hold his second book release tour and craft beer dinner event in our own New England! Held at Gracie's Restaurant, 194 Washington Street, Providence, the four-course dinner ($55) will be paired perfectly with finely crafted Dogfish Head selections. For full menu selections and event information, please click here.

This weekend, a Savory Grape client shared with us an interesting article from Atlantic Monthly about the arena of the retail wine industry, its fate and whether the giant retailers will bully out all the small, independent wine stores, which interestingly are the backbone of RI's wine retail environment. Well written, we were compelled to subsequently share it with you, and of course get you thinking. The entire article can be accessed by clicking here.

We would love your thoughts on this topic. Please email any of your comments to us at jessica@thesavorygrape.com.

From now through the end of the New Year, we will include wines in our weekly Savory Selections that are great gifts for the wine collector as well as the novice.

2005 Michel Dutour "La Roche" Pouilly Fuisse, France - $15.99. This Pouilly-Fuisse is a barrel-fermented and-aged 100% Chardonnay that offers smooth pear and tropical fruit with a hint of banana, along with notes of vanilla, and a creamy richness. Although rich, it has plenty of acidity to keep it balanced and fresh. After tasting this wine several times over the course of an hour, we realized its true finesse and elegance. It is a classic Pouilly Fuisse at a value price.

2002 Chateau Calon-Ségur Grand Cru, Bordeaux, France. From the most northern area of the Bordeaux Medoc is this elegant classified growth. The vineyard's plantings are 55% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remaining Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Very intense sweet black fruits are exhibited on the nose; the palate is powerful but very well-balanced with an almost exotic feel. Its richness will allow you to drink this now, but it certainly has the tannins and acidity to last 10+ years. An excellent Grand Vin. For the perfect gift, pair with Bordeaux wine glasses!

2004 Whitehall Lane Bommarito Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - $23.49 This Napa Valley wine shows you a beautiful deep ruby color when you first pour it into the glass, and upon swirling you will notice the nice legs that it displays. Its aromas of black fruit and mocha meld with the lush, viscous, well-concentrated flavors of black cherry, chocolate and oak-vanilla spice. This Cabernet offering is round, ripe and succulent and offers a long, silky smooth finish. For those having lamb this holiday season, this is a wonderful partner.

Two Hands Lucky Country GSM, Australia - $14.49 We are fans of the many wines produced by Australia's Two Hands Winery, and continued, as well as recent press, is showing that there are many reasons to try these wines. This particular wine is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Shiraz, and 5% Mourvedre (GSM), and can be viewed as Australia's version of a Cotes du Rhone. This selection, also known as GSM, is peppery and fruity with lots of spice, an evolved color, and an easy-going style. This is one not to cellar and should be enjoyed now. We think it is drinking beautifully!

If your schedule permits, please stop in this weekend to sample some wines with us. On Friday, we will feature rich, luscious California reds that will give you a warm feeling on those increasingly chilly evenings of which we have yet to see many. Since these wines fall into a slightly higher price point than what we typically sample on the weekends, think about treating yourself or give one as a holiday gift. On Saturday, we will feature two new wines to the shop that we absolutely love.

Friday, December 8, 5 pm -8 pm

• 2002 Carr Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California.
Carr's 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, released in January 2006, is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 5% Syrah. This heady cuvee was blended after spending more than 2 years in French and American Oak barrels, and it exhibits an expression of Rutherford terroir highlighted with black currant flavors. It's deep in color with plum and ripe berry aromas, as well as a hint of elegant spice and vanilla. Just recently released, this is one to enjoy with special friends. ($21.49)

• Steele Winery Writer's Block Cabernet Franc, California.
You may remember this wine's name because this is one we feature at the shop, and one that many of you have come to enjoy. Writer's Block Cabernet Franc is not just Cabernet Franc. It is much more - Syrah, Zin and Merlot, to be exact, are blended into this wine. The blending philosophy of this wine is simply to make the best varietal-blend possible - a wine that pleases both a general palette and one of a more specified taster. Those who have experienced this red have enjoyed its rich, luscious, velvety dark fruit flavors that are balanced with notes of soft toasty oak, which comes from time in Hungarian and American oak barrels. A lovely partner for herb-roasted vegetables. ($16.49)

Saturday, December 9, 1 pm - 5 pm

• Castle Rock Pinot Noir, Sonoma California.
A relatively newer vineyard, Castle Rock Winery has built an enviable reputation for producing high quality wines at affordable prices for discerning wine lovers. With grapes grown in Sonoma County, which is recognized as one of California's finest Pinot Noir growing regions, this wine is light to medium in body and elegantly balanced. Upon first tasting, we immediately experienced a silky mouthfeel of rich, crisp plum and cherry flavors accompanied by oak nuances. The finish is long, harmonious and succulent. ($14.49)

• Gruet Sparkling Rose, New Mexico!
Yes, you may be surprised to hear of a wine from New Mexico, but in reality, New Mexico has a plethora of vineyards that are producing great wines. Gruet Winery is one of them! This Brut Rose selection is a lovely alternative to the Rose Champagnes that we so love. Gruet's Rose has a bright bouquet with hints of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. On the palate, it is rich and fruity in a dry, Brut style. The flavor of berries continues on the palate, revealing more strawberry, raspberry, cherry. This bubbly is lots of fun and very festive, but production is limited to 5,000 cases per year, so don’t miss out! ($16.99)

email: jessica@thesavorygrape.com

phone: 401.886.9463

web: http://www.thesavorygrape.com