What’s Fresh At Enoteca?

1. Come in to taste warm Alpine Spiced Wine!
2. Day After Thanksgiving Wine Tasting
3. Gifford Hirlinger Wine Maker Dinner at Fleur de Sel
4. New Beers at Enoteca – Fine Wine and Beer – The Abyss
5. Upcoming Tasting Events
6. About the Authors
7. Tell me more about the Wine & Beer Club…
8. I’m a little intimidated, can you tell me what Wine Tasting is like?

Come In To Taste Warm Alpine Spiced Wine

A spiced red wine crafted from our traditional family recipe for ‘Glühwein’ by steeping with assorted holiday spices, just pour, heat, serve & enjoy!

Tis’ the season for warm spiced wine! Come visit Enoteca – Fine Wine & Beer this week, we have Knipprath Alpine Spiced Wine warmed up and ready to taste.

[Member: $12.59 / Retail: $13.99]

Day After Thanksgiving Tasting this Weekend

This Friday from 4-7 Enoteca will be tasting some “day after Thanksgiving” wines. We want to give you the opportunity to “try before you buy” so we offer a flight of wine for a low cost. Taste a flight (2 oz. each of 4 wines) for $10 per flight, and follow up with a glass. We will be tasting Saturday from 12-7 as well, which is a great time to beat the rush.



I never knew about the day after Thanksgiving shopping until I met Russell. That early Friday morning he woke me up and off we went with coffee in our hands and a gleam in our eye to get the best deals on our treasures. In the afternoon I was ready for a nap! This year if you plan on participating in the black Friday bonanza, get your goodies, take your nap and then head on down to Enoteca – Fine Wine & Beer. Well have wine open and ears to hear your war stories of shopping triumph!

For this week’s tasting, we have a nice Chardonnay and a smooth Washington Merlot to warm you up for the main event. Three different Syrah’s from Washington, California, and Chile! Compare and contrast the different styles from one grape. Maybe you’ll find something you like and have to take home!

– Sarah Mann

Screw Kappa Napa Chardonnay 2005
(Napa Valley, California)
Light straw in color, the nose of this wine is reminiscent of lavender honey, guava, and lemon custard. In the mouth, the driving flavors of this Chardonnay are Meyer lemon sorbet, orange blossom, and apricots finishing with delicate oak notes and a rich mouthfeel from sur lees aging.

This Chardonnay will be perfect alongside a generous bowl of fettuccini topped in a pesto cream sauce, or pan grilled halibut with a butter herb sauce and toasted almonds, or roasted chicken and vegetable soup with buttermilk dumplings.

[Member: $10.79 / Retail: $11.99]

Three Rivers Merlot 2004
(Columbia Valley, Washington)
What a smoothie! This wine is classic Merlot, smooth, supple, and delicious with some vanilla notes from oak barrels, and some clove and nutmeg notes.

Here’s what the wine maker says:
“The 2004 Columbia Valley Merlot is a beautifully balanced wine. Black cherry and mixed berries are showcased in this classically made wine. This wine was aged in small French oak barrels for sixteen months adding to its mouth feel and finish. The fruit is sourced from six different vineyards from throughout the Columbia Valley.”

Merlot 93%, Cabernet Sauvignon 4%, Malbec 3%

[Member: $16.19 / Retail: $17.99]

Pasek Syrah 2001
(Columbia Valley, Washington)
Try a unique Washignton Syrah. This one has some earthiness to it, some deep dark fruit, and all kinds of rustic chewiness.

[Member: $15.29 / Retail: $16.99]

Matchbook Syrah 2004
(Dunnigan Hills, California)
As a farm kid growing up in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s John Giguiere (Founder) was a confirmed pyromaniac starting various things on fire such as his father’s wheat field. At one point, fearing total ruin from his kids burning him out of the house and farm, his father took them to the city jail for an hour stay to impress upon his brother and him the futility of their fascination with fire. John and his brother answered at a later date by graduating from random fires to the launching of rockets which often blew up at some stage of the it’s journey resulting in more random fires and a call to the local fire department for help. They eventually grew out of this fascination with the “Matchbook” but still have fond memories of the power they possessed.

This is a full bodied red with fresh blackberry and blueberry flavors, a touch of smokiness and a hint of vanilla and spice on the finish. Enjoy it with spicy sausages, cured meats and many grilled meats such as chicken, beef and lamb. Don’t forget your roasted vegetables on the side.

This is one bold, full flavored bottle of wine. We tasted it again this weekend and it has such a unique and delicious flavor to it! Come in and give it a taste.

82% Syrah, 10% Malbec, 7% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Tempranillo.

[Member: $14.39 / Retail: $15.99]

Two Brothers Big Tattoo Syrah 2005
(Colchagua, Chile)

Rich, with lots of dark currant and boysenberry fruit and muscular tannins. Layers of bittersweet cocoa, coffee and game are here too, and they all run through the lengthy, muscular finish.

100% Syrah

[Member: $10.79 / Retail: $11.99]

Pricing disclaimer.

Wine Maker Dinner with Mike Berghan of Gifford Hirlinger
and culinary arts by Laurent Zirotti at Fleur de Sel

Wine Maker Dinner Tuesday, Dec. 16th Begins at 6:30 p.m. Only $65 / person Includes meal, wine tasting, tax, and gratuity

December’s Wine Maker Dinner is Currently Filled, Waiting List Available Tuesday December 16th, 2008 at 6:30, Enoteca – Fine Wine and Beer will be holding a wine maker dinner in partnership with Fleur de Sel and Gifford Hirlinger winery. This promises to be a fun and delicious evening. To read about the full experience, see our previous newsletter description about the wine makers dinner. This exclusive event is currently booked. To taste the Gifford Hirlinger wines, come to the Friday night wine tasting on the 19th of December. For future wine maker dinners, keep an eye on this newsletter. To join the waiting list in case of cancellations, call Fleur de Sel at 208-777-7600.

Email us at service@corkjoy.com with any questions, or call 208-457-9885. To be made aware of future events, join the email list at www.corkjoy.com

New Beers Seen at Enoteca Fine Wine and Beer

Thanksgiving week can be about more than just wine time. It can be about beer time too! Some of the new brews at Enoteca are perfect for dinner, such as Damnation and Inferno, which are both in the Belgian Golden style: high octane, full bodied, light colored, and smoothe without a bite. For the after supper chillin’ sip on The Abyss, or gear up for the next holiday with Santa’s Little Helper.

Here are a few new ones on the shelf at Enoteca – Fine Wine and Beer. If you’re looking for a new experience in beer, come check out the Enoteca beer shelf.

– Russell Mann



Deschutes The Abyss 2008
It’s here! As I write this I’m enjoying a bottle of the new 2008 vintage of The Abyss. This is a monster of a beer. It pours with a big frothy brown head that gives one a chocolate mustache. The aroma is about coffee type flavors, and the most noticeable part of the palate is the sharp hop driven finish. This is a beer that can age for a while, so buy a few more than you need and start an aging program! It’s easy to see why this beer sells out very quickly each year.

As of right now, 3 cases are available.

[Member: $9.89 / Retail: $10.99 / Member Case: $9.34 ea.]

Mikkeller Santa’s Little Helper 2007 (København, Denmark)
Santa’s Little Helper is an 11% ABV vintage dated Belgian Dark Strong. Sarah and I shared this one this week. Wow, this is packed with frothy malty goodness, and notes of chocolate, mocha, cocoa, mole, and chocolate. Did I mention that it has a certain chocolatey quality. The packaging is distinctly Christmasy, this would make a lovely gift for the beer lover, or the chocolate lovin’ lady who is a beer skeptic.

[Member: $13.49 / Retail: $14.99]

Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale
Oskar Blues makes some great beer IN A CAN! Beer Club Members will remember Ten Fidy, the 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout in a can, and Gordon, another crazy concoction in a can! We still have both available. Another great one from Oskar Blues is Old Chub an 8% ABV Scottish Ale. This is Dales Pale Ale, a serious, manly Pale in a can. It’s a hoppy American Pale Ale style at 6.5%. Put this up against Manny’s or Mirror Pond any day, but in a CAN! Named “Top US Pale Ale” by the New York Times, among numerous other awards.

12 Pack Cans: [Member: $17.09 / Retail: $18.99]

Lost Abbey Avant Garde
Brewery notes:

At the Lost Abbey, we pride ourselves on producing beers of the highest quality and distinction. Avant Garde is our commitment to brewing beers to no particular style. Some might want to label this as a beer brewed in the Biere de Garde tradition of Northern France. We would prefer to say it was brewed in the Avant Garde style of beers that will reward all those who seek the not so ordinary. Deep gold in color with hints of biscuits, caramel and fresh baked bread, this beer is sure to delight the senses and palates of consumers everywhere.

[Member: $8.09 / Retail: $8.99 / Member Case: $7.64 ea.]

Lost Abbey Judgement Day
Brewery notes:

A massive beer in every sense of the word. A stronger and more contemplative version of our Lost and Found Ale. Judgment Day is the base beer for our Cuvee de Tomme. Many of the Trappist Breweries produce a version of beer which ages incredibly well for many years to come. And, since none of us knows when the end of the world is coming, we suggest you stock up with lots of Lost Abbey beers so that when the end of the world magically appears from no where, you’ll have a beer or two on hand for even the stingiest of angels.

[Member: $9.89 / Retail: $10.99 / Member Case: $9.34 ea.]

Lost Abbey Inferno
Belgian Golden Ale along the lines of Duvel or Lucifer. “Duvel” is (Brabantian for Devil. Brabantian is a dialect of Dutch.) Expect the nose to impart light hop aromas with yeast and spiciness and fruity esthers. The flavor is smoothe and it’s medium bodied.

[Member: $5.99 / Retail: $6.66 / Member Case: $5.66 ea.]

Russian River Brewing Company Damnation
Brewery notes:

In the great beer producing country of Belgium, some brewers have made it a tradition to give their beers an unusual name. Sometimes the name is curious, now and then it is diabolical and other times it is just plain silly. Damnation is our brewmaster’s interpretation of a Belgian style Strong Golden Ale. It has extraordinary aromas of banana and pear with mouth filling flavors of sweet malt and earthy hops. The lingering finish is dry and slightly bitter but very, very smooth.

[Member: $8.99 / Retail: $9.99 / Member Case: $8.49 ea.]

Email us at service@corkjoy.com to reserve bottles, or call 208-457-9885.

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, November 28th – 12-7 pm
Day After Thanksgiving Wine Tasting! Come celebrate the weekend with wine. Have the day off? Great time to make an Enoteca Wine Tasting, we’ll open bottles starting at 12 just in case. We will taste these wines on Saturday, November 29th as well, from 12-7.

Friday, December 5th – 4-7 pm
Taste of Club! December 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, December 6th as well, from 12-7.

Friday, December 12th – 4-7 pm
Small Vineyards Italian wine tasting with Italian wine importer Tom Kelly. Have you had a wine from Small Vineyards, represented by the oval gold seal? Come try a selection of “Direct Imports” – wines that were chosen and brought in for this one time tasting! We will have Tom Kelly on hand to share stories from the wine lands and teach about the wines. We will taste these wines on Saturday, December 13th as well, from 12-7.

Tuesday, December 16th – 6:30 pm
Wine Maker Dinner with Mike Berghan of Gifford Hirlinger and culinary arts by Laurent Zirotti at Fleur de Sel. Only $65 per person. Includes meal, wine tasting, tax, and gratuity. To make reservations, call Fleur de Sel at 208-777-7600.

Friday, December 19th – 4-7 pm
Gifford Hirlinger wine tasting with wine maker Mike Berghan. Missed out on the wine maker dinner? Come try the wines on Friday night and meet Mike. We will taste these wines on Saturday, December 20th as well, from 12-7.

Friday, December 26th – 4-7 pm
Champagne and red wine tasting. Try some sparkling wines for the New Year, or try some celebratory red wines. We will taste these wines on Saturday, December 27th as well, from 12-7.

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!


Thank you for your support of our local family business.

Salute’

Russell and Sarah

Enoteca – Fine Wine & Beer
208-457-9885
service@corkjoy.com

Enoteca is open:
Tuesday-Saturday: 11-7


Directions, hours, and more about Enoteca: www.corkjoy.com

We’re always looking for feedback! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to let us know. Did you like a certain wine or beer? We’re here to serve you so let us know how we can help: service@corkjoy.com