Enoteca News: August Wine Club is in Friday! Around the World in 30 Days in August
What’s Fresh At Enoteca?
- August Wine & Beer Club in this Friday!
- Around the World in 30 Days - August Wine Tastings
- Remember the Orphans
- Upcoming Tasting Events
- About the Authors
- What is Wine & Beer Club?
- What is Wine Tasting Like?
Looking For Your Favorite Wine & Beer:
People have learned that finding a specific wine or beer can be very easy, you can simply ask the folks at Enoteca, and we are happy to track them down for you. Especially hard to find and specialty products! Simply fill out this form and we will do the hunting.
People have learned that finding a specific wine or beer can be very easy, you can simply ask the folks at Enoteca, and we are happy to track them down for you. Especially hard to find and specialty products! Simply fill out this form and we will do the hunting.
August Wine & Beer Club is in!
The wine and beer for this month’s club has arrived and will be in your bin on Friday, August 1st! If you’re not a Club Member yet, learn about the Wine & Beer Club?Wine & Beer Club is rolling out this Friday, and tasting is from 4-7 Friday. We will be tasting Saturday from 12-7 as well, which is a great time to taste wine to beat the rush. The cost is $10 per flight (3 oz. each of 3 wines), $5 per glass (5 oz. of one wine), and $10 for the Anniversary Club Red, glass pour only.
The lineup for Club and Tasting:
Vintage Club
Guenoc North Coast Victorian Claret 2006 (North Coast, California)
This wine is a complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. The 2006 Victorian Claret is dark garnet in color, with cherry, plum, and red raspberry aromas. Hints of vanilla and caramel add to the complexity of the nose, with a long smooth finish. Traditional fermentation in stainless steel tanks, then settled in oak uprights, before final aging for 8 months in French and American oak barrels. The wine pairs well with leg of lamb and lighter meat dishes.
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Petite Sirah
Small Vineyards Falanghina 2007 (Irpinia, Campagnia, Italy)
Grown in the visually arresting mountains of Irpinia, Falanghina is both the name of the wine and the varietal. It has a decidedly floral aroma, with citrus blossoms and green grape rind on the nose. Unoaked and refreshing, it has a crisp finish that begs for another sip. Perfect as a delightful alternative to Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, this is a very rare wine not to be missed.
100% Falanghina
Reserve Club
Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Don Nicanor Red Blend 2004 (Mendoza, Argentina)
Bodegas Nieto Senetiner was established in 1888 in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. This traditional winery, dedicated to the elaboration of high-end premium wines, is considered one of the top wineries in the country. Bodegas Nieto Senetiner has 1,000 acres of proprietary-owned vineyards in Mendoza, the country’s best winegrowing region. The winery has a state of the art bottling facility.
Bright purple with aromas of black currant, black cherry, plum, tar, clove and subtle tobacco. Medium-full with very good concentration and a rich mid-palate. This beautifully structured finish offers good persistence of fruit, lively acidity, nicely integrated oak and light herbal notes. Impressive now, this should drink well for five to seven years. Allow this wine time to open up, either by decanting or swirling in your glass. The fruit comes forward more with more oxygen.
34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec, 33% Merlot
Cuvee Anne Laure Gewürztraminer 2006 (Alsace, France)
A meeting of the best of French winemaking and German varietals. This is a unique white wine from Alsace in northeastern France.
This wine is a rich yellow color. On the nose this wine is powerfully perfumed, fruity, sports lychee character with floral and spice aromas. The mouthfeel is full bodied, rounded, with a backbone of acidity and a finish that lingers.
Pair with fish, chicken, and cheese, as well as salads and light starters. The slight sweetness of the Gewürztraminer especially does justice to spicy Asian or even Mexican cuisine.
100% Gewürztraminer
Premier Club
Chateau Beauchene Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2005 (Rhone, France)
From a blend of very old-vine Grenache (between 40 to 93 years) 65%, Mourvedre 10% and Syrah 25% from vines of 30 years average age respectively. Aged in French oak barrels for 1 year.
Deep ruby color. On the nose, suave kirsch and dark berry aromas are complicated by garrigue and dried flowers, with a kick of cracked pepper adding energy. Silky and sweet, with deep red and dark berry flavors, gentle tannins and excellent finishing thrust. Excellent cellaring potential here but there’s also plenty of immediate appeal. Maturity in 5-10 years.
This wine is in perfect harmony with game, red meat and cheese. A wonderful wine for celebrations. Try with goat cheese salad or duck with red fruit sauce. The winery recommends serving between 64-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
92 Points Stephen Tanzer, 90 Points Wine Spectator
65% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah
Woodward Canyon Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2007(Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyards, Walla Walla Valley, Washington)
This wine has a beautiful, light straw color and is brilliantly clear. The nose is beginning to show a touch of crisp gooseberry, maybe even a nuance of muscat. There are lively flavors of ripe white peach and spice; the fruit is in delightful balance with the acidity and the texture is layered and rich. The finish is generous and long; clearly this wine is our finest sauvignon blanc effort to date! Serve well chilled.
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Anniversary Club Red
Etude Napa Merlot 2002 (Napa Valley, California)
Tony Soter founded Etude Wines in 1982 and its name, “study,” describes his reverence for the ongoing learning process that is winegrowing. Early in his career, Soter realized that there were innumerable variables that guided a wine towards excellence. He learned to distinguish between winemaking techniques fundamental to quality, and those that imparted a winemaker’s signature. He sought to understand the voice of each individual vineyard, to maximize its expression in the glass. Today Tony remains the guiding hand behind Etude Wines, and eventually he will transition to a consulting role.
Ruby-red color with a nose of cassis, black raspberry, licorice and menthol, with a floral lift from the Cabernet Franc. Sweet, concentrated and densely packed, with berry and licorice flavors complicated by some exotic spices. A big, chewy wine with firm tannic structure and very good grip. It offers rich aromas of mocha-infused black cherries intermixed with coffee and herbal undertones. Sweet fruit, medium body, and a soft texture result in a complex Merlot. This wine has been aged to perfection, drink it now.
Bright, heady aromas of blackberries and cocoa lead to a concentrated and lush initial taste of ripe plums, bittersweet chocolate and anise. Supple, with superb balance and fine tannins, it displays layered complexity. The wine’s finish leaves a long, lasting impression of rich, ripe fruit backed by hints of smoky spice.
Etude is no longer making Napa Merlot, so this is a very rare vintage treat.
95 Points Wine Enthusiast, 91 Points Stephen Tanzer
84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot
Beer Club
Beer Club members receive 3 bottles of beer this month! Beer Club selections are not open for the tasting event, but a few bottles are available for purchase.
Stone Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout 2008 (San Diego, California)
Here’s what Mitch Steele, head brewer at Stone says:
Our Anniversary Ale this year stems from 2 pilot beers that were brewed by members of Team Stone. The first was Jeremy Moynier’s incredibly delicious Oatmeal Stout, and the second was Jake Ratzke’s amazing homebrewed Imperial Stout that had authentic Oaxacan chocolate added to the boil. We loved both beers so much that we decided to combine the recipes to make this year’s Anniversary offering: Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. This beer pours deep black with a rich brown head of foam. The aroma is dominated by roast malt and cocoa. Upon tasting, the cocoa (we used unsweetened, unprocessed cacao sourced through our friends at Chuao Chocolatier) really comes through with a deep chocolate flavor and a long lasting bitter finish. The roasted grains used add coffee and licorice accents. It is a thick beer, but not sweet, with the addition of oatmeal in the mash providing a rich, silky mouthfeel that adds to the creamy texture.Grains used: Pale Malt, Carmel Malts, Oats, Black Malt, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt and 100% Pure Cocoa
Hops used: Ahtanum, Summit, Willamette and Galena
9.2% ABV, 22 oz. Bottle
Deschutes 20th Anniversary Wit (Bend, Oregon)
This unique Belgian-style wheat beer was brewed with zested Curacao orange peel and just enough spices to keep your taste buds guessing.
With its slightly citrus taste and spices, the 20th Anniversary Wit pairs well with spicy Thai dishes like Pad Thai, garlicky Caesar salad, rosemary chicken or smoked cheeses such as Gouda.
5.5% ABV, 26 IBU’s, 22 oz. Bottle
Liefman’s Lucifer Belgian Golden Ale (Oudenaarde, Belgium)
This fiery blonde top fermented ale, strikes a balance between delicate bitterness, fruity aroma and a surprising mellowness. Strong Belgian Golden ale’s are typically named after the devil in some way or other, due to the fact that as a drinkable slightly sweet tasting beer with great flavor, the high alcohol content (8.5% ABV) sneaks up on you like a devil. Other brands that sport the naming convention include Duvel (Brabantian for Devil. Brabantian is a dialect of Dutch.) and PranQster (think about that one.)
This is a Belgian golden ale. On the nose it is lightly hoppy and yeastily spicy, with faint caramelly malt notes and a touch of citrusy and estery fruit. The head can taste extremely bitter, as is often the case with this style. Surprisingly fruity, but with a strong hoppy bitterness. There is a warming, malty, vanilla quality to it, which develops into an alcohol kick towards the end. Part of it’s flavor is imparted by secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Serve chilled in a Trappist glass, Tulip, or Tumbler
8.5% ABV, 750 ml Bottle
Check Out! In order to keep track of your Wine & Beer, we use a “Check Out” procedure.
When you come to pick up your Wine & Beer, please momentarily stop by the counter and check out.
Club members receive receipts by email.
Around the World in 30 Days - August Wine Tastings
August has a great line up of wine tastings coming!
Friday, August 1st and Saturday August 2nd, we will be tasting the August Wine Club wines, which include selections from the Northwest, South America, France, California, and Italy.
Friday, August 8th and Saturday August 9th, we will be hosting an expert on French wine, Lee Anderson of Chloe Imports, as he shares a selection of great French wines focusing on the stellar 2005 vintage.
Friday, August 15th and Saturday August 16th, it’s off to the Spanish speaking world of South America as we try some Argentinian and Chilean wines with Debbie Keller.
Friday, August 22nd and Saturday August 23rd, we’ll continue the Spanish speaking theme, but this time with wines from Spain. Casa Ventura Imports brings some excellent flavors to the table and Laura Stiff from Casa Ventura will be here to share them.
Friday, August 29th and Saturday August 30th, Kevin Olsonberg from Odom will be on hand to share selections from the awesome Antinori portfolio, as we will be featuring Italian wines!
Don’t miss this whirlwind tour of wines of the world, save your Fridays or Saturdays in August for Wine Tasting!
Remember the Orphans
The orphan shelf has had some recent admittants. Several bottles of wine were discovered that have been waiting for a home,
and some beer has even migrated to the orphan shelf.
Club members receive a 20% discount whenever they adopt an orphan. Find it in your heart.
A wide range of very delicious bottles are currently up for adoption. Come peer into the glassed-over eyeballs of these little fellas and see if one of them doesn’t tug at your heart. Pleeeze sir, can I have some more?
Tasting Events Coming Soon
Mark your calendars, Enoteca has a great lineup for the next few weeks. Join us for these excellent tasting events! More details will be available in this newsletter, as well as any changes that might come up.
Friday, August 1st - 4-7 pm
Taste of Club! August Wine & Beer of the Month Club! Club tasting event, taste all the wine club wines! This is a great opportunity to see what the Club is all about, and to see what others are getting in their bins. We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 2nd as well, from 12-7.
Friday, August 8th - 4-7 pm
French wine tasting! Lee Anderson will be here from Chloe Imports to share an exciting lineup of classic French wine. Why is 2005 being hailed as a great year for France? Come taste to find out! We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 9th as well, from 12-7.
Friday, August 15th - 4-7 pm
Debbie Keller will be here from IWM to share wine from the up and coming region of South America, including Argentina and Chile. We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 16th as well, from 12-7.
Friday, August 22nd - 4-7 pm
Casa Ventura Spanish Wine Tasting! Join Laura Stiff from Casa Ventura at Enoteca as she shares a great lineup from the value producing country of Spain. We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 23rd as well, from 12-7.
Friday, August 29th - 4-7 pm
Antinori Italian Wine Tasting! Antinori is a great portfolio of Italian wine, and Kevin Olsonberg from Odom will be on hand to share information about them. We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 30th as well, from 12-7.
Friday, September 5th - 4-7 pm
Taste of Club! September Wine & Beer of the Month Club! Club tasting event, taste all the wine club wines! This is a great opportunity to see what the Club is all about, and to see what others are getting in their bins. We will taste these wines on Saturday, September 6th as well, from 12-7.
Friday, September 19th - 4-7 pm
Vin du Lac Wine Tasting! Joan Corsi from Vin du Lac will be at Enoteca to share the unique and interesting wines from Chelan. How about a dry, tart Riesling? Or a sweet Sauvignon Blanc? These folks know how to mix it up! We will taste these wines on Saturday, September 20th as well, from 12-7.
Thursday, October 2nd - 7 pm
Special Thursday Wine Tasting - Raymond from California! Bob Cooper from Raymond Vineyards will be on hand to share his interesting lineup of wines. Maybe we can taste the 93 Point Cabernet, or 96 point Sauvignon Blanc?
You can keep yourself in the loop on Enoteca events! Subscribe to the Enoteca
Google Calendar to keep up-to-date on the latest happenings!About the Authors
Judah has been keeping Sarah busy lately, at almost 7 months old! Below is a new picture, he is too cool for school. Russell has been busy with Enoteca, working hard to help everyone who wants wine and beer, which is a lot of people. Sarah’s been decorating at Enoteca, come check out her new window display. Thank you for your support of our local family business.
Russell and Sarah
Enoteca - Fine Wine & Beer
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service@corkjoy.com
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