HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

December Selections

2003 Avila Winery Syrah Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County’s brightest star, Syrah, has now become deliciously affordable. Avila Winery has put out some of the best value wines in the country over the years. Deutz Champagne started the Laetitia label, and to our benefit, followed with the second label “Avila”. A perfect red wine for parties and hostess gifts, this also has a deserved place amongst rich appetizers and just about anything with black pepper in it.
Sale $11.99

2007 Masi Masianco Verduzzo/ Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Italy
That lovely green gold shimmer, that come hither scent of marzipan, citrus, and hints of honey, the crisp and dry palate tingling sensation! This is possible with Verduzzo and Pinot Grigio grapes that are allowed extra hang time on the vine in Italy’s Veneto. Cool enough in the vineyard to allow the fresh acidity to come through in the wine, and a little extra ripeness in the grapes to lend the tropical notes. Advice for the Holidays: Give this wine as gifts, and consume equal amounts for self. Repeat.
Sale $14.99

2006 Aguaribay Malbec Mendoza, Argentina
Coming to you from the “Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild” in Argentina is this pepper scented Malbec. Isn’t it interesting that the Aguaribay tree is the source for pink peppercorns, and is sometimes called the christmasberry tree? With the rest of the Rothschild family making Lafite and Mouton, this Aguaribay Malbec is an overachievement! Rich with a nice balance of ripe berry like acidity, this will be great with everything on the table!
Sale $11.99
Happy Holidays!

2007 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha Campo de Borja, Spain

Thank goodness for Betsy’s palate and recognizing a perfect grape selection for December: Grenache. It’s jolly cherry goodness brings warm spiciness to chilly days and nights. Tres Picos garnacha is no exception. One of the mainstays of Spanish viticulture, Garnacha gets deep and brooding when grown in Spanish soil and when harvested from old vines as this wine is. This bottling boasts hints of violets and plum cake with flavors of blackberry and sweet earth. Perfect for Sunday roast.
$19.99/ Bottle

Andrew's Corner

Schramsberg Sparkling Wine Brut Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noirs Napa, California
Each $37.99/ Bottle

Champers, shampoo, bubbly, stars, whatever you want to call California Sparkling wine, go ahead, but never ever call it champagne ‘cause it ain’t and never will be. It’s from California, it’s wine, and it has bubbles, right? It’s like this: French stuff is from France and cannot be reproduced exactly the same way here in the states. METHODS can be used, but when your grapes are firmly rooted in Napa, California, your wine will be Californian no matter what name you put on it. Champagne is from north of Paris in France in the region of the same name: Champagne. Blanc de Blanc, means white wine from white grapes, usually chard, blanc de noirs means white wine from dark grapes, usually Pinot Noir. Since the pulp of most grapes is clear this should be an easy concept to grasp if you remember that the color in wine comes from the skins. No skins, no problem. Gently pressed juice shouldn’t have much, if any, color. Now remember that good things come from California, and excellent SPARKLING WINE is made there. The Davies family have it down. They aren’t trying to duplicate the French, they have found the heart and soul of California Sparkling Wine by employing French methods and using California grapes and relying on the California sun. Help our economy and toast American!

Keep it up, Hugh

2005 Lynmar Winery Chardonnay Russian River valley, California
Lynmar’s very own tasting notes say it all:
“Aromas are fresh and vibrant--fragrant Bartlett pear and spicy applesauce go head to head with distinct notes of lemon custard and ripe mango. There is also a noticeable minerality which is much more upfront this vintage than in the past. Nuances of yeasty fresh rising dough are in the background, which we know will turn wonderfully “toasty” with a little more bottle age. Where this vintage really shines, though, is on the palate. The entry is deceptively soft with no hard edges. A remarkable flavor density is then apparent, seamlessly flowing into a rich mid-palate and bracing acidity.”
Looks like Hugh Chappelle has done it again as winemaker there at Lynmar! Keep up the good work, our palates thank you!
$35.99/ Bottle

Cellar Selection

2003 Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Veneto, Italy
The only fruitcake worth actually eating is Pannetone, and the only wine to have with it is Amarone. The best place to have them together is by a crackling fire with a bowl of nuts nearby. Don’t mistake great Amarone for the thick syrupy dreck that some claim it to be. Great Amarone is gentle and kind, bright and has aromas of walnuts, blueberry, cherry, good fruitcake, and yes, raisins. Its warmth and brightness is just the thing when it gets cold and dark outside…
$48.99/ Bottle
(perfect red for Florentine dishes)

Nigella Lawson's Recipe

Nigella’s famous Yorkshire Pudding:
1 1/4 cups of milk4 eggsScant 1/2 teaspoon of saltFreshly milled black pepper1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, sifted1 tablespoon of beef drippings (FAT!)
The oven should be heated to 450° F. Mix the milk, eggs and salt and add pepper, beating all well together. Let these ingredients stand for 15 minutes and then whisk in the flour. Meanwhile, add the dripping to the pan and put it in the oven to heat for about 10 minutes. Into this intensely hot pan, you should put the batter and cook for 20 minutes or until well puffed and golden. Bring it, triumphant, to the table.
Now here is the trick for this recipe for the holidays…
Fill these delicious goodies with Beef stew, creamed spinach, potatoes and bacon, or chicken. Even that funny green bean casserole looks and taste great when served with these “puddings”.

Tip: make these in mini muffin tins for the best hors d'oeuvres and use any left over popovers for stuffing!
Watch the heat, and take them out quickly or they will burn...

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

2007 Marquis Phillips Grenache Southeastern Australia
Xmas in a glass! They’ve mastered Syrah, but with winemaker Chris Ringland on board Grenache is King. There is something about Ringland and his deft hand with this red grape that hails from Chateauneuf du Pape and eastern Spain. The deep dark cherry core is indicative of the Grenache varietal, but with careful selection in the vineyard and a gentle touch in the winery, Ringland nails down the gingerbread, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and truffle aromas that can be coaxed out of this complex grape. Throw in the Southeastern Australian climate and one juicy, yet graceful behemoth is born.
$16.99/ btl
Catch it if you can!

I Want to Ride My Tricycle

005 Tricycle Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Obsidian Ridge Vineyard Red Hills, Lake County, California
Okay, forget the trike, hand over some of this Obsidian Ridge Cab. This lush red wine from the Mayacamas mountains is softer than anything you might get as a gift this season, not fuzzy, but smoother than silk. Dark as the black volcanic obsidian that is found all over Northern California, this Cabernet is the one to leave by the chimney with care when Daddy and Mommy get thirsty at midnight…
$29.99/ btl

Betsy's Corner

2006 Summers Winery Estate Charbono Napa Valley, California
Charbono was originally thought to be the Italian grape Barbera by Italian immigrants arriving in California during the late 1800’s, but as it turns out it is actually French in origin. Charbono as a wine is exclusively produced in California, and Summers winery is by far the champion of this rarity. Inky purple in color, and jam packed with a lush berry– cherry quality that remains vibrant on the palate. A difficult wine to procure outside of California, unless of course you are reading this and are familiar with our “taste it, gotta have it” take on excellent, hard to find wines!
This wine is sourced from the only 80 acres of Charbono that are grown in California. The estate vines that Summers uses are located in the northern Napa town of Calistoga, 40 acres of very old vines are located. The land up in Calistoga is spotted with hot springs and rugged hillsides, which make prime growing conditions for grapevines. It really shows through in the wine, because the more rustic the growing conditions, the more delicate and concentrated the wine can be.
If you love graceful wines, and are waiting to find the perfect Cal– Italian type of wine, this is most definitely it.
The top pick for the Holiday feasting is Summers Charbono!
$23.99/ Bottle