Fun Events And News From Enoteca – Fine Wine & Beer

1. August Fine Wine & Beer Club in your Bin this Friday!
       Come taste with us for only $10 / flight (lots of wine!)
2. Orin Swift Wine Tasting: The Prisoner and then some
       Thursday, September 10th, 7 pm, 1/2 price, get tickets!
3. Remember the Orphans: Lots of Wine & Beer recently added
4. Owen Roe Wines: Big Huge Value, Little Prices
       Thursday, August 27th, 7 pm, 1/2 price, get tickets!
5. Upcoming Tasting Events
6. How much fun is it to join Wine & Beer Club?
7. Will I meet Niles and Frasier at a wine tasting?

A Note from Russell

It’s time for Wine & Beer of the Month Club! August is here, and we’re drinking wine and beer. Most of the Wine Club selections are from the Northwest, with a notable California, and French hold out in there for color. Beer Club members have 3 bottles of beer in their Bin, Germans and german style. Give them a shot, and share one!

Last Friday as we were enjoying the 3 Horse Ranch wines, into Enoteca walked The Kentucky Headhunters, the whole band! How much fun is that? Sarah recommended Weihenstephaner Hefeweissebier to one of the Headhunters and he liked it very much, eventually cleaning us out of all the remaining bottles. You just never know what’s going to happen in Post Falls on wine tasting night.

This newsletter sports some info on the Wine & Beer Club selections, and also on some of the upcoming events! The fun and tasty times ahead include the Owen Roe tasting on August 27th, and the Orin Swift tasting on September 10th. We also will be having a fantastic Small Vineyards tasting on Friday, August 21st, with wine that sports very limited availability. If you’re like any of the multitudes of Wine Club members and occassional tasters who love to see the Small Vineyards sticker on a bottle, don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Learn more about the selections and events below, and consider visiting us on Friday from 12-7 as we pour these wines, or Saturday from 12-7.

– Russell Mann

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 7th! 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 – red or white).


The lineup for Club and Tasting:

Vintage Club

Revelry Merlot 2006
(Columbia Valley, Washington)
If you’ve ever relaxed in a cozy chair, you know what this Merlot is all about: Soft, smooth, and luxuriously deep, with flavors of blueberry and black cherry supported by subtle suggestions of oak and spice.

Washington state’s Columbia Valley yields some of the most flavorful full-bodied red wines in the world. This Merlot encompasses everything we love about this grape. Featuring fruit from some of the warmer sites in the state, this Merlot is a ripe balance of body and tannins. The fruit from this region is wonderfully balanced – just right for crafting young drinkable wines.

100% Merlot

Revelry Chardonnay 2006
(Columbia Valley, Washington)
Fragrant hints of fruit, floral essence, and buttered toast on the nose. In the glass is a balanced array of light oak, soft citrus, and lingering touches of pear. A chardonnay unlike any other. It is a refreshing favorite, with each sip leading into the next.

A departure in style from our 2005 vintage, we only oaked this wine for a short time, thereby highlighting the fruit. The balance in acidity, the pear, pineapple and banana present throughout the palette in this wine all may throw you. It is Chardonnay as you rarely find it. Perfect with light seafood dishes and cold soups. Enjoy it.

100% Chardonnay

Reserve Club

Balboa Cat’s Meow Red Blend 2007
(Columbia Valley, Washington)
Harvested from two of our favorite vineyards, Candy Mountain and Mirage Vineyards in the Columbia Valley this blend shows vanilla bean, with classic red fruits, cherry, cassis, with a fig and dark chocolate finish.

41% Merlot 41% Syrah 18% Cabernet Sauvignon

When wine maker Matthew Erlandson visited and shared a rediculous number of his top quality wines at a Friday wine tasting, I tasted this one and knew we had to share it with you. Matthew’s family is local to Post Falls, but he’s making wine in Walla Walla. If you like this, I highly recommend giving his Sayulita blend a try.

Chehalem Reserve Pinot Gris 2007
(Willamette Valley, Oregon)
Reflecting this great vintage for whites, bright aromas and flavors of white peaches, tart nectarines, lime zest, citrus tartness, white pepper, and mineral balance marzipan and key lime–pie richness. The wine is structurally firm from acid and barrel fermentation and, with its bone-dry palate, asserts itself with rich foods and long aging potential. More complex and richer than Pinot Gris deserves to be.

92 Points Wine Enthusiast, 90 Points Wine Spectator

100% Pinot Gris

Decant your Pinot Gris? That is Paul Gregutt’s recommendation as he gives it 92 points for the Wine Enthusiast. We thinks he’s on to something, this is such a complex and fun wine, it deserves a decanter or at least put it through a Vinturi Wine Aerator for maximum flavor!

Premier Club

Nicholas Cole Camille 2003
(Washington)
Here’s what Wine& Spirits said when they gave it 93 Points:

This blend has great Washington pedigree: the fruit (cabernet sauvignon blended with merlot and cabernet franc) is sourced from Klipsun, Champoux and Seven Hills vineyards. Its heady humus scent barely suggests its bluehued, black currant fruit, but its flavors are sumptuous, warm and toasty, with earth and cedar spice notes shaping a rich core of black raspberry fruit. Give it time in the bottle; then serve with long-braised lamb shanks.

Here’s what The Wine Advocate said when he gave it 90 Points:

The 2003 Camille is a product of a very hot vintage. Composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc, it is a dark ruby/purple-colored. It offers an attractive array of toast, fresh herbs, tobacco, black currants and blackberry. This is followed by an intensely flavored wine with light tannins and a supple texture. The wine is slightly compressed in the finish but there is enough structure for the wine to evolve and fill out over the next 3-5 years. It should drink well through 2030.

93 Points Wine & Spirits, 91 Points Wine Enthusiast, 90 Points Wine Advocate

47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc

Big, rich, and opulent. The last bottle we opened had such a lot of “stuffing” in it it collected on the cork. It’s ok, just chew through it and enjoy this cocktail style quaffer! This is coming in at a significant price savings as well, normally in the $50 range, we have more available for $30.

Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay 2007
(Santa Lucia Highlands, California)
Silver Chardonnay grapes are grown in selected blocks of the Mer Soleil Vineyard and harvested at first ripening; the grapes are then pressed and fermented slowly in unlined, limestone concrete vats imported from Burgundy. The wine is not exposed to oak contact or malolactic fermentation. The wine is capped with a twist top to maintain its fresh fruit character and crisp citrus finish.

Charlie Wagner II is a fourth-generation winemaker from a family with farming and winemaking roots in the Napa Valley since 1906. Now winemaker and viticultural director at Mer Soleil Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation in Monterey County, Charlie began his training while still in high school.

He also is the winemaker for Mer Soleil Chardonnay and Mer Soleil LATE Late-Harvest White Wine. He produced his first wine with the 1997 vintage of Mer Soleil Chardonnay.

Light gold color with a pale green tint. Clean, lively aromas of honeydew melon and green apple carry over to delicate tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and papaya, balanced with crisp mineral notes. The full texture lasts through a luxuriously long finish.

100% Chardonnay

We tasted this at a professional event recently and it just blew our socks off. Mer Soleil is famous for their über-oaked style Chardonnay, and we stock it on the shelf if that’s your cup-of-tea, but this gem is an unoaked style, leaving the fruit to speak for itself.

Anniversary Club Red

Jean Luc Joillot Montagne Saint Desiré Pinot Noir 2002
(Beaune, Burgundy, France)
In Beaune, in the place known as Saint Desire, lived a hermit called Saint Desert (in 1609 one said “Saint Deserre”). He was murdered in his cell on 13th May 1619 and is buried in the cemetery of the Cordeliers in Beaune.

Smokey bramble spice with the structure to be expected from this grower based in Pommard. Good depth of fruit and some evident tannin. Deep, deep colour, aromas of gamey cloves, solid blackberry fruit with rich tannins and refreshing acidity.

Jean-Luc’s father died when he was very young and as a result the estate was held in trust for him until he was 21 years old. That was many years ago and today he uses traditional Burgundian methods, enthusiastically overseeing every aspect of the winemaking process. Recently he was named president of the Winemakers Association in Pommard.

100% Pinot Noir

We’re looking at a wine from Beaune, in the center of Burgundy, with a case production of 300, which has been aged to it’s benefit for 7 years since the grapes were picked. The vines are 35 years old on average, all the grapes come from a single vineyard site, about and acre and a half of grapes.

When you taste this wine, which may come across as austre to some, keep in mind that you’re tasting the very specific soil, weather, and sense of place, what the French call terroir, in a bottle of wine that was made as naturally as possible to allow those local flavors to come through.

I notice some earthiness, the aroma of the outdoors, and a dusty fruit flavor that pairs well with food such as pork steaks, anything with a mushroom base, and some pasta.

This is a fairly rare bottling, most of the 300 cases goes to Europe, we’re quite lucky to have a crack at some of it.

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.

Grand Teton Howling Wolf Weizenbock 2009
(Victor, Idaho)
Brewery’s notes:

Howling Wolf Weizenbock was brewed to showcase the role of yeast in creating the flavor of beer. It is modeled after a centuries-old Bavarian style and, like all of the 2009 Cellar Reserve beers, brewed in strict compliance with the Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer Purity Law.

The German “weizenbock” signifies a strong wheat beer, a fitting description for our Howling Wolf. Wheat has been used in brewing for millennia but is a difficult grain to work with and has largely been replaced in beer by its friendlier cousin, barley. In quantity, wheat contributes a pleasant, quenching citric acidity and delicacy on the palate, and its surfeit of protein is responsible for these beers’ massive, pillowy heads.

Howling Wolf Weizenbock was crafted with 40% wheat malt, including German Dark Wheat and Caramel Wheat malts, and minimally spiced with Liberty hops, an American version of the famous German Hallertau Mittelfruh. Like all Bavarian weizen beers, the yeast is the star of this show. We used an authentic Bavarian top-fermenting ale yeast that naturally produces flavors of cloves, bananas, bubblegum, green apples, smoke, and even vanilla. When this yeast ferments a very strong beer, the resultant weizenbock is a wonderfully complex brew, hiding its 8% wallop under swirls of fruit and spice aroma — raisins, dates, prunes, bananas, cloves — and fruity, bready, chocolately, caramel grain flavors.

Following in our Cellar Reserve tradition, Howling Wolf Weizenbock is bottle-conditioned to provide an almost explosive champagne-like sparkle. The yeast in the bottle provides earthy, nutty flavor and is rich in B vitamins. It can be swirles and poured into the glass, or the beer can be decanted carefully off the yeast, according to the drinkers preference.

This is one of the worlds most versatile beers for pairing with food. It is flavorful enough to stand up to hearty meats like venison or lamb, particularly with sauced or stewed fruit. The chocolate and caramel undertones work well with almost any roasted or grilled meat or vegetables, even mushrooms. Still, it will not overwhelm fish, as the wheats acidity and the beers effervescence keep it light on the palate. Those same qualities allow the beer to cut through fatty or creamy dishes.

But don’t stop at the entrée. Howling Wolf’s clovey fruitiness makes it aperfect with apple pie or strudel, plum tarts or banana pudding. Chocolate oand caramel notes pair impressively with chocolate cake and caramel flan.

8% ABV, 1L bottles

Weltenburger Kloster Asam-Bock
(Bavaria, Germany)
From the oldest monestary-brewery in the world! These monks started in 1050 AD to bring you this beer, consistently highly rated, quite delicious. The “Asam” comes from the artistic Asam brothers who built and sculpted the incredible Baroque Abbey of Weltenburg. Because if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it!

6.9% ABV, 500ml bottle

For the über-technical, Weihenstephan’s claim of oldest brewery in the world can stand, but since it was secularized by Napoleon, it’s not the oldest monestary-brewery. The Weihenstephaner beers are amazing, and also represented on Enoteca’s shelves.

Kulmbacher EKU Pilsner
(Germany)
Brewery’s notes:

When the very first clear, golden lager was brewed in the Bohemian town of Pilsen in 1842, beer drinkers the world over were enchanted. The Germans quickly proved to be the most passionate devotees of the new style. Towns across the land began brewing their own “Pilsener” beers, and the name of the style was soon shortened to the friendlier “Pils.” The German touch was to make the beer a bit lighter in body – better for everyday drinking – and to add an extra dose of hops for a refreshingly bitter zing. In Germany today, Pils is by far the most popular beer style, and every region has at least one brand to call its own. Pils brewed in southern Germany generally has a sweeter, maltier taste, while Pils brewed in the north tends toward a hoppier bitterness. In Kulmbach, in the center of the country – not far from the western border of old Bohemia – the best balance between the malty and hoppy elements of a classic Pils is achieved.

5.0% ABV, 12 oz. bottle


Pricing disclaimer.

Orin Swift Ultrapremium Wine Tasting

Lush… consistent… soothing… melodious… rich… lovable…

These are the words that come to my mind when I think of the Orin Swift wines. Since the first drop of Prisoner I have been a Prisoner to it’s flavor and allure. The Mercury Head was the graceful accompanyment to a fine Christmas dinner, really standing out and making a special day even more special. My new favorite is the Saldo Zinfandel, it’s perfect anytime, but especially after a REALLY bad day. It’s just the thing to cheer me up. For the Bordeaux blend drinker, give the Papillon a whirl!

I’m particularly excited that Enoteca is able to offer the full line of Orin Swift wines for this special event! I have a baby-sitter scheduled to make sure I can come, I wouldn’t miss this for the world! Come join Russell and I for this truly satisfying event! We have put a cap on attendance so order your tickets ASAP. This is a tasting event you don’t want to miss….and neither do I!

Special Orin Swift Wine Tasting!

One night only! Taste them ALL, 100% of Dave Phinney’s Orin Swift line up, including everything he makes. 7 pm, pre-register only, limited space, $15 per person.

This tasting will be a “classroom style” tasting starting at 7 p.m. and will last about 1-1.5 hours.

The tasting starts at 7 on Thursday, September 10th.
Tickets to attend are $15 per seat, paid in advance.

Club members can have tickets simply added to their Bin, and anyone can order tickets by coming into Enoteca in Post Falls, calling us at 208-457-9885 or sending us email at service@corkjoy.com

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?

Owen Roe Wines Now Available
Sarah Likes the Art and the Wine

I’m an artist always looking for unique and interesting beauty, so when the new deliveries of Owen Roe wines showed up I was like a kid in a candy shop! I know that you don’t judge a wine by it’s label, but I still find myself grabbing a bottle with a sweet looking label and putting the money down for just that one reason. The Sinister Hand (pic) is what grabbed my attention first on a trip to Seattle a couple years ago, and of course it’s the popular one that is out of stock at the moment. For the last two years we’ve bugged people to make it possible to sell these wines in Idaho, and finally it has happened!

Check out the Sharecropper Pinot Noir and Ex Umbris Syrah that are on hand right now, and and David O’Reilly’s second label wines too. Under the Corvidae label you’ll find fantastic labels such as The Rook (Cab/Merlot/Syrah blend) – label based on the classic card game, Mirth (stainless Chardonnay) based on an old thyme nursery rhyme, and The Keeper (Cabernet Franc) based on the Bible book Song of Solomon. Corvidae refers to the bird family that includes crows and ravens. Under the O’Reilly name standard varietals of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Riesling are now in stock, and sport cool Irish wolfhound mugs.

Maybe its my affinity for my people, the Irish, that leads me to like Belfast born David O’Reilly’s wine making, but don’t just take my word for it, these wines are often rated well and well known as crowd pleasers. Maybe it’s the literary connection to Poe in the Corvidae line, maybe it’s just tasty wine.

Russell likes the Sharecropper, Mirth, and O’Reilly Pinot Noir the most, you’ll have to ask him why he likes ‘em. I like the big juicy flavor of The Rook, the refined yet powerful Ex Umbris Syrah, and Corvidae Lenore Syrah the best. Lenore is named after the love interest of Poe’s Raven.

We will be having Lee Anderson of New West, the distributor who brings these in, come pour for a tasting of these wines, but we were so excited we had to share the news right away and give you a chance to come pick them up before that happens.

Special Owen Roe Wine Tasting!

One night only! Owen Roe wine tasting – try these incredible wines with great bargain value prices for the flavor. Unique labels as well, including the Edgar Allen Poe inspired Corvidae series, and the Irish Wolf Hound on the O’Reilly series. 7 pm, pre-register only, limited space, $5 per person.

This tasting will be a “classroom style” tasting starting at 7 p.m. and will last about 1-1.5 hours.

The tasting starts at 7 on Thursday, August 27th.
Tickets to attend are $5 per seat, paid in advance.

Club members can have tickets simply added to their Bin, and anyone can order tickets by coming into Enoteca in Post Falls, calling us at 208-457-9885 or sending us email at service@corkjoy.com

Tasting Events Coming Soon

Mark your calendars, Enoteca – Fine Wine & Beer 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 7th – 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 8th as well, from 12-7.

Friday, August 14th – 4-7 pm
TimberRock Winery Tasting with wine maker Dr. Kevin Rogers! Come visit us at Enoteca for this exclusive event to release and show off the new wines from TimberRock, and some old favorites in their new vintages. We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 15th as well, from 12-7.

Friday, August 21st – 4-7 pm
Small Vineyards DI Tasting! Join Nick Lobdell from Noble wines, as he shares a selection of hand-picked “Direct Import” wines from the Small Vineyards portfolio. These wines are all exclusive and limited to stock on hand for buying. You have to be here to taste if you want to acquire the goodies! We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 22nd as well, from 12-7.

Thursday, August 27th – 7 pm
One night only! Owen Roe wine tasting – try these incredible wines with great bargain value prices for the flavor. Unique labels as well, including the Edgar Allen Poe inspired Corvidae series, and the Irish Wolf Hound on the O’Reilly series. 7 pm, pre-register only, limited space, $5 per person. (1/2 price)

Friday, August 28th – 3-7 pm
Folio Partners wine tasting with Thomas Vogele. This is the importing company that brings in some of the world’s top Merlot’s including Ornellaia and Lamione, Italian super-tuscan wines. I never pass up an opportunity to open Ornellaia so we’ll do that, and while we’re at it Thomas will take us on a tour of Europe with Italian, Austrian, and Spanish wine! We will taste these wines on Saturday, August 29th as well, from 12-7.

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

Thursday, September 10th – 7 pm
One night only! Orin Swift wine tasting – including every wine they make! The Prisoner, Saldo Zinfandel, Papillon Bordeaux Blend, Veladora Sauvignon Blanc, and the mac-daddy Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon. 7 pm, pre-register only, limited space, $15 per person. (1/2 price)

Friday, September 11th – 4-7 pm
In honor of Patriot Day we will be tasting local legend, Mike Scott’s wine from Lone Canary winery. Come try something interesting from Spokane! We will taste these wines on Saturday, September 12th 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

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