Upcoming Beer & Wine Tastings October 5-6
Please join us at the i.m.Wine tasting bar every Friday and Saturday from 1-7pm; this week we are tasting:
Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose, Lucien Albrect NV (Alsace, France)
With a wine making history that dates back to 1520, Lucien Albrecht is unquestionably one of the names to reference when talking about wines from Alsace. This Austrian sparkling wine is a frothy blend of Pinot Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc. You will be surprised with its finesse, flavor intensity. The wine displays a fresh, floral nose with hints of toasty yeast. A fine value, particularly for a sparkling wine, it exhibits a myriad of tiny bubbles in its flavorful, satin-textured, and light to medium-bodied, vinous character. Lively, yet rich, this wonderful alternative to high priced Champagnes can be served either as an aperitif or with a meal.
Food Pairings: Asian Cuisine, Sushi
Price: $19.99 Special Price: $17.99 Case Price: $16.99
2004 Reisling, Hugel et Fils (Alsace, France)
The first records of the Hugel family in Alsace can be traced back to the 15th century. Today the winery is still family-owned and operated, and the company is listed as one of the oldest in the world. The wine is a bright, pale yellow green color with expressive aromas of spring flowers, the wine shows a clean, lively, refreshing character on the palate that is very easy to drink.
Food Pairings: Asian/Indian Cuisine
Price: $19.99 Special Price: $17.99 Case Price: $16.99
2002 Chablis 1er Cru Vallion, Christian Moreau (Burgundy, France)
Christian Moreau, one of the leading figures in Chablis, is finally producing the wines he loves under his own name free of any personal involvement with the negociant company that his family founded and sold. He founded, along with his son, Domaine Christian Moreau Pére et Fils in 2001 and set up their winemaking operation in the very heart of the Chablis country, at the foot of its famous Grands Cru vineyards. The wine offers up brisk aromas of pepper and spice, with some flinty reduction. Then denser and sweeter than the village wine, with flavors of stone fruits and pepper, offers good cut and intensity and very good length.
Food Pairings: scallops, salmon, fish, crab
Price: $32.99 Special Price: $25.99 Case Price: $21.99
2004 Pinot Noir, Les Jamelles (Languedoc, France)
An affordable, and very quaffable pinot noir. This is another example of the way in which wine Maker Catherine Delaunay has transferred her family know-how to the South of France. This is a great example of a difficult grape to grow, new ideas and a terrific wine-maker. Scents of red and black berries mixed with floral notes, together with hints of delicate wood and vanilla. On the palate, this wine is complex, rich, long and fat. It displays aromas of crushed black fruits (blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries) and jam. The tannins are plump and well-integrated.
Price: $10.99 Special Price: $9.89 Case Price: $9.34
2005 Bourgogne Rouge "Cuvée Gérard Potel" Nicolas Potel (Burgundy, France)
Nicolas Potel is one of a new breed of vinificateurs who are redefining the meaning of négociant in Burgundy. This wine is sourced mainly from the site "Maison Dieu" on the plain of the commune of Pommard The wine is medium to dark ruby-colored, it reveals a spicy, dark cherry-laced nose. Medium-bodied and intensely flavored, this blackberry, cherry, Asian spice, and cinnamon-flavored wine is boisterous, satin-textured, and delicious.
Food Pairings: veal, turkey, lamb, duck
Price: $21.99 Special Price: $19.79 Case Price: $18.69
2004 Old Vine Carignane, Dom. De Nisaz (Languedoc, France)
Established in 1998 by acclaimed winemaker John Goelet (of Clos du Val in Napa fame), Domaine de Nizas seeks to craft high-quality artisan wines that evoke regional Mediterranean heritage. This long forgotten Languedoc grape variety refinds its unique character in this limited production cuvée. Its bouquet is intense and develops perfumes of small red fruit, black olives and wild Mediterranean herbs (thyme, juniper, rosemary). While still being round and supple, the palate makes for a wine of immediate pleasure with perfectly melted tannins and an impressive aromatic intensity.
Food Pairings: game, duck, roast pork
Price: $16.99 Special Price: $15.29 Case Price: $14.44
 Beer Tastings
With this being the last week of Oktoberfest, I’ve decided to abandon the traditional styles of Munich and show off some of the other regional styles of beers from Germany. Like many other countries throughout Europe, and even in pre-prohibition America, walking into the local pub and ordering a “beer” could be met with a host of different styles depending on where you were and the time of year.
Uerige Altbeir, Düsseldorf
Built in 1632 and converted to a brewpub in 1862, Uerige Brewery, named for the cranky owner, Wilhelm Cuerten, has established the Duesseldorfer interpretation of Altbier as the classic of the style. After the building was completely destroyed in World War II, the new owner, Rudi Arnold began reconstructing the brewpub in 1945. In 1949 he finished and in 1976 the Schnitzler family took over the company. Uerige Alt is in my view the finest example of the style, and one of Germany's truly great beers. I love it for its big, spicy hop aroma; its firm, malty, middle; and its confidently dry, appetising, finish. No short cuts, no compromises: a beer that punches it weight.
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock, Bamberg
Fuller and richer in body than the Maerzen style of this beer, it uses more malt and is matured at least one month longer. It is only brewed once a year for the Urbock-celebration at the Schlenkerla tavern in Bamberg in early October. When making the green malt always had to be dried (kilned). In the past, besides the usage of sun rays (which was quite difficult in Europe) there was only one way to achieve this: drying it over an open fire. Thus it was unavoidable that smoke penetrated the malt and gave it a smoky flavor. Technical developments over the centuries made it possible to produce malt without an open fire, thus without a smoky taste. Original Schlenkerla Smokebeer has preserved that old tradition of smoking the malt. Therefore you are, in effect, having a little piece of the past with every swallow!
Einbecker Schwartzbier, Einbeck
Pilsner and dark roasted malts impart a virtually opaque color to the Black Beer. It's distinctive palate, reminiscent of bitter chocolate, dry toffe and coffee, it's restrained richness, and hoppy, dry finish may be compared to the fruitiness of its top-fermenting English companions - stouts and porters.
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