The 6-Pack is Back

 

 

Restock your everyday wines, stock up for your Super Bowl party, have a tasting, give it as a gift.  We're sure people have found even more uses for our 6-Pack of the Month, because we can hardly keep them in stock! A $70 value, you get 6 unique wines for $60, in a recyclable carrying case. This month's pack spans Argentina, Australia, Spain, and Italy, and all the wines are red (cause it's still cold out there!). Unlike our Holiday 6-packs, these monthly 6-packs don't contain tasting notes, but here are some that you can reference while enjoying the wines:

 

Los Cardos Malbec (Argentina)  According to their website, this winery was started and is funded by a well-known South American businessman. He provided the winery with all the latest technology and equipment, allowing the wine to be sold at reasonable prices.  All that you love about Malbec is here: dark fruit, undertones of spice and coffee, and a rich, full texture.

 

Wishing Tree Shiraz (Australia)  A lighter, more refined style of Shiraz: the fruit is definitely there, but it caresses, rather than pummels, the palate. Pungent red berries, rhubarb, pomegranate, bright raspberry and slightly bitter cherry flavors, with tangy acidity keeping everything in its right place. A hint of mint on the finish refreshes.

 

Wrongo Dongo (Spain) Though the goofy name seems like it should be on one of the palate-pummeling Australian wines mentioned above, this is actually a sleek-but-effusive Mourvedre from Spain's Jumilla region. One of the more fruit-forward and approachable Mourvedres we've tried, it bursts with blackberry, cassis and even some more unusual, savory notes (German chocolate cake and bacon, if you can believe it).

 

Tikalo "Alba Liza" (Spain)  A blend of Tempranillo and Grenache, this wine represents a bit more of the traditional Spanish rusticity than the Wrongo Dongo. Full of black cherries, licorice, and wild mountain berry fruit. The finish is tinged with some nice spicy, peppery notes. From central Spain's Castilla region.

 

Sella & Mosca Cannonau Riserva (Italy)  Cannonau is the same grape as Grenache, and it was brought to the island of Sardegna by the Spanish in the 13th Century. This wine, as with many of the wines of Sardegna, seem to merge the wine styles of Italy and Spain. There's rich, earthy notes of tar and tobacco with bright, cherry-kirsch-tinged red fruit and nice spicy notes. We often recommend this as an interesting way for Pinot Noir fans to branch out.

 

Quattro Mani Montepulciano (Italy)  Montepulciano is the grape, and it comes from Abruzzo, on Italy's eastern coast. The wines are something of the antithesis of the terrain: plump and generous, versus rugged and ungiving. Inky in color, with blackberries, a touch of earthy funk, and an attractive youthful vigor, this is a wine we return to over and over.

 

 

New Beer Deals, Just in Time for Super Bowl Sunday

 

 

While none of the beers below will have million-dollar commercial spots during the game, you should definitely make them part of your Super Bowl watching. Tradition may dictate some brand-name watery brew, but why not start a new tradition of making Super Bowl Sunday as much an epicurean event as a sporting one?

 

Mendocino Brewing Company "White Hawk" IPA (Mendocino, California)

SALE $8 / 6pack (was $10)

The White Hawk pours a brassy golden color with a small, yet sturdy white head. Lots of hoppy aromas of pine, a little citrus, and slight grassiness. The flavors are almost entirely hoppy with just a hint of malt to round out the palate. This is a rich, solid (and affordable) standby for IPA lovers and hop heads.

 

Mendocino Brewing Company "Eye of Hawk" Ale (Mendocino, California)

SALE $8 / 6pack (was $10)

Hazy, buttery/orange/amber in color, topped with a large beige head. The nose is definitely malty and contains hints of caramel, butter and dark fruit. Full and rich on the palate, nice hop presence cuts through the almost syrupy malt flavors. One of the more easy-drinking American Strong Ales, which is a bit oxy-moronic, but 8% a.b.v. insures that only the strong will survive.

 

Spaten "Optimator" Doppelbock (Munchen, Germany)

SALE $8 / 6pack (was $10)

A great example of Doppelbock. Dark mahogany in color with a nice, creamy head. Lots of roasted maltiness, and hints of dried fruit aromas and flavors that are balanced by just the right amount of hoppy-ness. The rich, creamy texture matches the carbonation level well. Very easy-going and drinkable for a high-alcohol beer. The long, lasting finish makes this eminently appealing to a wide variety of tastes.

 

Lion Stout (Sri Lanka)

SALE $10 / 6pack (was $12)

Super dark color, even for a stout. Lots of roasted coffee and malt aromas, with nuances of toffee and chocolate. Softer carbonation lends a very rich and creamy texture, yet the beer remains surprisingly drinkable. Nice sweet molasses and chocolate flavors are balanced by a slightly bitter coffee bean edge.  Superb, very affordable stout from a very unexpected locale.

 

 

This Just In...

 

Exciting new wines, in stock now!

 

Campos Reales Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain) $9  Our wholesaler is out of the ever-popular bargain Spanish reds Borsao and Vina Borgia, so we've brought this wine in to fill the gap for your excellent-value-everyday-Spanish-red.

 

 

Primaterra Syrah (Sicily, Italy) $10  The newest addition to the growing Primaterra line, this wine is bright and full of baked fruit flavors with a hint of earthiness.

 

Fontanafredda Barbera (Piedmont, Italy) $14  Discover the beauty of Barbera: a lighter, suppler red than many of its tannic Piedmont neighbors. A great alternative to Pinot Noir.

 

Tenuta delle Terre Nere (Sicily, Italy) $20  The grape is called Nerello Mascalese, but what you really need to remember is that this gorgeous, smooth and elegant wine is the first winemaking venture of the great importer Marc De Grazia, and it's reminiscent of Burgundy or Barbaresco.

 

Ambra "Santa Cristina in Pilli" (Carmignano, Italy) $20  A rich blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Colorino. Impeccably balanced (especially considering the number of constituents!), medium-bodied wine that is very food-versatile.

 

Langmeil "Three Gardens" (Barossa Valley, Australia) $18  A blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre from the winery that boasts the oldest Shiraz vines in Australia. Robert Parker gives his official seal of approval with a 90-point rating.

 

Iby Zweigelt (Burgenland, Austria) $20  If you've been on our email list for awhile, you've heard a lot about our love of red wines from Austria (as well as whites). This is our latest favorite Zweigelt, a grape that will appeal to fans of rich, fruit-filled reds with some spicy elements.

 

Cristom Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon) $33  Beautiful wine! On the nose there's cola, oolong tea and wild berry aromas. Smooth and velvety, with superfine tannins around a lovely core of cherry, earth and subtle spices, with a real transparency to the flavors as they linger effortlessly. Modeled on Burgundy, but with that New World lushness, as well as the vibrancy and sexiness that have endeared Pinot Noir to so many. 91 points - Wine Spectator