55 Degree Wine

BIANCOS ITALIANOS           $20.50 FLIGHT

Tenute Niccolai Vernaccia di San Gimignano

2008            Toscana, Italia

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is Tuscany’s most famous and original white wine, and the only white able to hold its own against the great reds traditionally produced in this region.

Tenute Niccolai Reserva Vernaccia di San Gimignano

2005            Toscana, Italia

It is said that Vernaccia has such complex aromas and flavors that, without looking, it can be mistaken for a red wine. Yet it is still a very appealingly drinkable white suitable for all occasions.

Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

2004            Abruzzo, Italia

Meet Emidio Pepe, the most meticulous and traditional Italian winemaker we’ve ever come across. 100% Trebbiano bottled by hand without filtering.

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WORLD OF TERREDAVINO              $12.50 FLIGHT

Terredavino Crotese Frizzante

2008            Piemonte, Italia

Cortese is an Italian grape revered in the northern parts of the country, but seldom seen elsewhere.

Terredavino “Paradis” Grignolino d’Asti

2008            Piemonte, Italia

The name Grignolino derives from the word grignole, which means “many pips” in the local Piedmontese dialect of the Asti region. The abundance of pips, or seeds, contributes to the strong, bitter tannins associated with the wine.

Terredavino Nebbiolo d’Alba

2006            Piemonte, Italia

Nebbiolo is the most important red grape variety in Piemonte and is a sensitive, and highly demanding varietal in terms of environment, soil and climate.

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Posted in Wine Tasting |

SAMUEL SMITH’s OLD BREWERY

“Beer-By-The-Glass”

Sunday Jan 31st  5pm

Enjoy a glass from Yorkshire England’s oldest brewery, founded in 1758.

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$6 per GLASS

India Ale (5.0% ABV)

English IPA Dry woody and bitter; herbal and earthy hops

Tadcaster Bitter (3.8% ABV)

English Bitter Lightly malted, slightly bitter with a fresh citrus aroma

Old Brewery Pale Ale (5.0% ABV)

English Ale Mildly sweet with caramelized fruits; herbal hops

Nut Brown Ale (5.0% ABV)

English Brown Ale Grassy malts; slightly bitter hops, hints of toffee

Winter Welcome Ale (6.0% ABV)

Winter Warmer Hints if butterscotch and spicy figs; sweet malty

The Famous Taddy Porter (5.0% ABV)

English Porter Roasted barley & full bodied; cocoa and molasses

Oatmeal Stout (5.0% ABV)

Oatmeal Stout Fruity & musty; milk chocolate and mild earthy hops

Organic Raspberry (5.1% ABV)

Fruit Ale Sweet & funky; tart raspberries; super dry

Organic Apple Cider (5.0% ABV)

English Apple Cider Dry & lightly sweet, from organic English apples

Posted in Sunday Beer Tasting |

Allagash Brewing Company Beer Tasting

Brewing out of Portland, Maine, these guys know how to diversify each of their batches!

Sunday January 24th

5pm-10pm

Interlude 2009

American Wild Ale ……9.5% ABV

Brewed using Belgian farmhouse yeast and their own Brettanomyces yeast strain, this brew is aged in Merlot and Syrah oak barrels.

Tripel Reserve

Belgian Style Tripel Ale ……9.0% ABV

This golden hued ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with subtle suggestions of banana and honey surfacing from its deep and complex palate.

Victor 2009

Belgian Strong Dark Ale ……9.0% ABV

Brewers decided to use red chancellor grapes for this batch. Over one hundred pounds of were crushed on site and added directly to the mash.

Grand Cru

Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale ……7.2% ABV

Allagash’s winter seasonal. Brewed each year in limited quantities. It has a full, yet refined malty palate and a gentle fruit and spice aroma.  Part of their “cellared” line.

Four Ale

Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale ……10.0% ABV

Allagash Four is brewed with four malts, four hops, four sugars and four Belgian yeast strains.

$16 to taste all 5 beers

Posted in Sunday Beer Tasting |

IBERIAN BRANCOS                $12.50 FLIGHT

Gallegas “Monte Lourido” Blanco

NV            Ribiero, España

Monte Lourido is a delicious blend of Treixadura and Torrontés, two native grape varieties from the northwestern corner of Spain.

Quinta Vista Fernão Pires Branco

2008            Lisboa, Portugal

This wine is produced exclusively from Fernão Pires grapes, one of these Portuguese finest varieties. The free-run juice is fermented in the traditional way off the skins.

Montinho São Miguel Branco

2008            Estremadura, Portugal

Arinto, Fernão Pires, Moscatel and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are crushed then allowed to sit on their skins for a few hours for extra texture and aromatics.

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COMPARING PINOT                       $17.50 FLIGHT

Quattro Valli “Ca’Delvento” Pinot Nero

2007            Emilia-Romagna, Italia

Pre-fermentation soak on the skins for 10 days captures the brightness of Pinot’s fruit.

Olsen Family Vineyards “Viridian” Estate Pinot Noir

2006           Williamette Valley, Oregon

“Viridian, a color halfway between the deep blue of a cloudless Oregon sky and the dark green leaves of our vineyards.” 100% Estate grown Pinot Noir.

McIntyre Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir

2006           Santa Rosa, California

100% Pinot Noir aged 9 months in French oak and 8 months in the bottle prior to release. Sustainably grown from our estate vineyard located in the heart of the coveted Santa Lucia Highlands appellation.

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MORE PORTUGUESE VINHOS              $12.50 FLIGHT

Vidigal “Reserva dos Amigos”

2007            Estremadura, Portugal

A traditional Portuguese reserve wine with an Old World style, made from Tinta Roriz, Castelão, and Tinta Miúda.

Quinta do Conde “2Us – Duas Uvas”

2007            Estremadura, Portugal

Prodoced mainly from Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz, with small portions of Castelão and Syrah, put through a long maceration and aging in Portuguese and French oak.

Quinta do Conde “Estacas”

2007            Estremadura, Portugal

A careful selection of some of Portugal’s finest varieties Tinto Roriz, Castelão and Touriga Nacional, aged for 4 months in oak.

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NEBBIOLO & BARBARESCO              $29.50 FLIGHT

Nada Fiorenzo Nebbiolo d’Langhe

2007            Piemonte, Italia

Made from a careful selection, during the harvest of some of the bunches located in the freshest rows of the vineyards comes this 100% Langhe Nebbiolo.

Fontanabianca “Sorí Burdin” Barbaresco

2004            Piemonte, Italia

30 years of winemaking experience by two families of wine growers, influence this full-bodied version of Nebbiolo from brothers who hand tend their vines in the township of Neive.

Ca’Nova Ghemme Nebbiolo

2003            Piemonte, Italia

From a tiny, family-run estate nestled in the heart of northern Piemonte, long recognized as one of Italy’s finest wine districts.

Posted in Wine Tasting |

LIGHT & BRIGHT WHITES          $10.50 FLIGHT

Quinta de Azevedo “Gazela” Vinho Verde

2009            Minho, Portugal

Vinho Verde literally means “Green Wine,” which refers to it youthful freshness rather than color. Made from local grape varieties Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso and Azal.

Terredavino Cortese Frizzante

2008            Piemonte, Italia

Cortese has a long history in Italian viticulture with written documentation naming the grape among the plantings in a Piedmontese vineyard as early as 1659.

Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

2008            Sonoma County, California

Dry Creek Vineyards has been perfecting Sauvignon Blanc since it was first planted in 1972.

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SWEET & FRIZZANTE           $14.50 FLIGHT

Picchioni “Sangue di Giuda”

2007            Lombardia, Italia

Croatina (60%), Barbera (25%) and Uva Rara (15%) finished slightly sparkling. From a small town, traditionally renowned for wine production, which until recently could boast the highest ratio of vineyards per total land area in Italy.

Puianello Lambrusco dell’Emilia Rosato Amabile

NV           Emilia-Romagna, Italia

Finished just off-dry, but more than balanced by the bubbles and natural acidity of the Lambrusco variety

Cascina Fonda “Bel Piasi” Asti Spumante

2008           Emilia-Romagna, Italia

Full on froth meets the insane aromatics of perfectly cultivated Moscato with just a touch of sweetness, all backed up by bracing acidity.

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Posted in Wine Tasting |

The Dark Side

Expose your palate to some of the darker, richer and malty ales from our store! Tastes and by-the-glass available!!!!

Sunday January 17th 5pm-10pm

Moinette Brune

Belgian Strong Dark Ale             Brasserie Dupont, Belgium……8.5% ABV

The name Moinette is derived from “moëne”, the ancient French word for swamp, in reference to the area where the brewery grounds are situated.

St. Feuillien Brune

Dubbel          Brewery Van Eecke, Belgium……7.5% ABV

Since 1873, the Friart family has been brewing various lines of beer, including this Tripel.

Scaldis Refermentée

Belgian Strong Dark Ale          Brasserie Dubuisson, Belgium……12.0% ABV

In operation since 1769, the brewery has an appearance of a small chateau, deep in the heart of oak and poplar groves.  This particular ale is perfectly suitable for cellaring.

AleSmith Grand Cru

Strong Dark Ale Ale Smith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA…10.5% ABV

Fermented using yeast which originated in a Trappist monastary.  A darker type of Belgian candi sugar gives it more color and a richer flavor.

Trois Pistoles

Strong Dark Ale           Unibroue Brewery, Quebec, Canada 9.0% ABV

Founded over 300 years ago, Trois Pistoles gave birth to several legends, including one about a sailor who dropped his tumbler overboard and exclaimed, “Trois Pistoles!”

Posted in Sunday Beer Tasting |

The Pale Side

Sunday  5pm-10pm

Expose your palate to some of the more pale, hoppy and blonde ales from our store!

Moinette Blonde

Belgian Strong Pale Ale                     Brasserie Dupont, Belgium……8.5% ABV

The name Moinette is derived from “moëne”, the ancient French word for swamp, in reference to the area where the brewery grounds are situated.

Poperings Hommel

Belgian Strong Pale Ale          Brewery Van Eecke, Belgium……7.5% ABV

The brewery was rebuilt following the French Revolution under the slogan of “Revolt all you want, but we still need beer here”.  “Hommel” is Belgian for hops.

Urthel Hop-It

Belgian Strong Pale Ale          Urthel, Belgium……9.5% ABV

This Belgian was in inspired of the brewmaster’s visit to the American Northwest and is her rendition of an American Craftbrewed IPA.

St. Feuillien

Tripel Brasserie St. Feuillien, Le Roeulx, Belgium……8.5% ABV

Since 1873, the Friart family has been brewing various lines of beer, including this Tripel.

Manoir du Parc Authentic Cider

French Apple Cider        La Brique, St. Joseph, France 5.0% ABV

A very dry blend of three different apple varietals from the Contentin region in Normandy, blessed by the maritime breezes of the English Channel.

Posted in Sunday Beer Tasting |

VINOS FRESCOS DE ESPAÑA                                                               $11.00 FLIGHT

Finca la Estacada “Laman” Blanco

NV                      La Mancha, España

Hailing from La Mancha, Spain’s largest wine-growing region, comes this 100% Airén.

Avelino Vegas “Arco de la Vega” Verdejo Viura

2008                Castilla y León, España

A new Spanish blanco of 50% Verdejo and 50% Viura.

Avelino Vegas “Arco de la Vega” Rosado

2008                Castilla y León, España

Made from the best Tempranillo grapes cultivated in the Duero area of Castilla y León.

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ROJOS OF SPAIN                                                                           $16.50 FLIGHT

Finca la Estacada “Viñansar” Roble

2008  La Mancha, España

A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The varietals were fermented separately before blending and aging.

Bodegas Alavesasa “Solar de Samaniego” Crianza

2003                 Rioja, España

Established in 1972, this bodegas continually produces outstanding Riojas. Tempranillo and Graciano aged for 12 months in American oak.

Don Jacobo Gran Reserva

1995                 Rioja, España

Tempranillo and Garnacha Gran Reserva is only produced in the top vintages, This wine has aged at the bodega for eleven years.

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PRIDE OF PLACE                                                                           $17.00 FLIGHT

Botter “Picco del Sole” Aglianico

2008              Campania, Italia

Born in the land-locked region of Beneventano, meet a fresh  bright approach to Aglianico.

Jacuss Tazzelenghe

2003                      Friuli, Italia

Authentically Friulian. This bold and acidic wine loves the rich fare of Northern.

Palamà “D’Arcangelo”

2008                    Puglia, Italia

100% Malvasia Nera made in memory of Arcangelo, the father of the farm.

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WONDERFUL WORLD OF CORVINA $13.00 FLIGHT

Brunelli “Ferve” Corvina

2008                   Veneto, Italia

100% Corvina (the “noble” grape of Valpolicella) that has been lightly air-dried before fermentation resulting in a richness of texture and flavor.

Corte Marzago “Vigna la Morara” Bardolino Organic

2008                   Veneto, Italia

This former 16^th century convent has been lovingly transformed into a wonderful winery.

Degani Valpolicella Classico

2008                   Veneto, Italia

This Valpolicella Classico is a perfect introduction to the wonderful world of Valpolicella.

Posted in Wine Tasting |