Artist Showing and Wine Tasting. Please join us on Saturday, June 9th to welcome artist Erin Manchester whose photography is now featured in the tasting room at The Savory Grape. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Manchester's works showcase her travel excursions throughout the US and Europe, allowing her to become part of a culture that taught her so much about how to truly live life and give back to those living with so little. A portion of the sales from Manchester's work is donated to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. For more information on Manchester, please visit www.interpretations-ri.com.

With the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, it's time to shed our winter wine drinking habits and get into a lighter - bodied wine mode. As the weather becomes more consistently pleasant, we start to entertain thoughts of being outside at the grill enjoying nice times with family and friends. We at The Savory Grape consider wine to be an important part of that scene. Light, casual, simplistic yet in every way contributing to the making of a pleasant experience. We would like you to consider the following wines for your "al fresco" entertaining this weekend.

Orvieto. This is Umbria's best known wine, and is a stylish, crisp, slightly peachy white wine produced around the hills of the medieval town of the same name. This is a blend of white grapes with Trebbiano and Grechetto being the two main contributors to such a pretty wine. Our suggestion: Sergio Mottura Orvieto ($12.99)

Rosés. These wines can be from almost anywhere but a Rosé from Provence is our recommendation for the outdoor grilling that always seems to gravitate towards Mediterranean dishes with olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. Provencal Rosés are boldly fruity and snappy and extremely versatile in complementing many types of food. Our suggestion: Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé ($17.99)

Macon and Macon-Village. Forty-three villages contribute to our enjoyment of crisp clean Chardonnay. Often times these wines are just slightly oaked allowing the freshness of the fruit to shine through fully. It has citrus, spice and is far less conspicuous than the tropical and buttery Chardonnays from other parts of the world. Our suggestion: Domaine Pascal Renaud Macon Villages ($13.99).

We know you are probably cooking out this weekend so we have provided you with a simple salad to pair with all three of these wines. Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Lemon Vinaigrette.

• 1 package of orzo cooked according to direction.
• Slice in ½ inch thickness 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 small onion, and 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed and blanched for 2 minutes. Coat all vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill on a medium hot grill until nicely caramelized.
• For the Vinaigrette: combine juice of 1 lemon, 2 oz. rice vinegar, 1 tbsp honey in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly to the vinegar solution to create an emulsion, 4 to 5 oz. should do it.
• Coarsely chop your grilled vegetables add to the orzo, add chopped parsley or herbs of your choice and blend in the vinaigrette.

2001 Easton Cabernet Sauvignon, California. (Coming Wednesday.) This is the first release of this California Cabernet Sauvignon. This Cabernet has full blackberry -cassis fruit flavors and cedary spices with a nice touch of oak. It has beautiful balance and a sumptuous, juicy mouthfeel. This vintage is made from selected lots from the estate Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard that did not fit into the final 2000 estate Cabernet Sauvignon bottling blend. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, it has a lush vanilla finish. ($16.99)

2005 Terre Rouge Enigma, Sierra Foothills, California. (Coming Wednesday.) This lush white is comprised of 54% Marsanne, 23% Viognier, and 23% Roussane. The fruit is harvested from one vineyard site planted in volcanic soil at an elevation of 3,000 feet. Fermented in older French oak barrels, the wine's aromas suggest wildflower honey and acacia blossom with hints of tangerine and papaya. The flavors are creamy with peach and apple sensations competing for your taste buds. There is a crisp finish with classic stone (peach) fruit flavors intermingled with mineral tones from this rocky site. This is an enjoyable young wine that gains great complexity with bottle age. ($19.99)

2005 Cavas Submarinas Sauvignon Blanc, Chile. (Coming Wednesday.) This is a delightful new wine we brought in from Chile's Cavas Submarinas. Many are familiar with Cavas' Pinot Noirs that we have had, and hope to have back within the next week. Its Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for the warm weather months. Full of bright tropical, gooseberry fruit flavors that are reminiscent of New Zealand style Sauvignon Blancs, this wine is crisp, vivacious and refreshing. Try it with grilled scallops with bacon, roasted tomato and marinated greens. ($12.99)

2006 Chateau Pesquie Terrasses, Ventoux, France. The Cotes du Ventoux is technically in the Southern Rhone, but is really a "satellite" sub-zone with similar soil structures to the famed Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but with a climatic difference that is all its own. Viticulture has been present in what is now the Cotes du Ventoux for centuries, with the first official mention in 1222 AD. This particular Rose is comprised of varietals Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah that exhibits notes of raspberry on the nose with deeper red fruit flavors in the mouth. It displays a lingering dry finish and would serve as a wonderful pair for grilled shrimp with a mango salsa. ($12.99)

Friday, May 25 ( 5pm to 8 pm) Easton Vineyard Selections

• 2005 Easton Enigma, California. Please see wine tasting notes above in The Savory Selections area! ($19.99)

• 2001 Easton Cabernet Sauvignon. Please see wine tasting notes above in The Savory Selections area! ($16.99)

• 2005 Easton House. House or "H" is our new fun, easy drinking everyday table wine composed of predominately Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Like the New Wave wines of the Languedoc of Southern France, it's made from these two great grape varieties. House is what we like to sip on informal occasions. It is a café wine, a picnic wine, a boating wine, a great luncheon wine, a wine to enjoy when you want a delicious glass of wine, but you don't want to think too much about it. House complements most Mediterranean and Californian cooking and it works well with other full flavored foods. ($12.99)

Saturday, May 26 (3 pm to 7 pm) Chilean Summer Selections

• 2005 Cavas Submarinas Sauvignon Blanc, Chile. Please see wine tasting notes above in The Savory Selections area! ($12.99)

• 2005 In Situ Carmenere, Chile. Intense red in color, this Chilean selection is perfect for pairing with foods on the grill this summer! It has deep red fruit aromas on the nose that are paralleled on the palate. The mouth feel is silky smooth with accompanying spice notes and earthy tones. The flavors are concentrated and represent a big, bold wine. Grilled foods and pepper-based dishes are the perfect accompaniment. ($12.99)

email: jessica@thesavorygrape.com

phone: 401.886.9463

web: http://www.thesavorygrape.com