Sam Adams Beer Lover's Choice 2010

On Saturday representatives from the Samuel Adams brewery visited our store and gave our customers a taste of two possible new additions to the the Samuel Adams line of beers. Customers filled out a ballot and voted for the beer they liked best. The beer that receives the most votes will be added to the Samuel Adams line and distributed next year. This year’s contenders included a Belgian I.P.A. and an American Rye Ale. The Belgian I.P.A. (Choice A) had a roasted sweet malt character with a hoppy, bitter finish. The American Rye Ale (Choice B) was medium-bodied and deep red in color. It had spicy citrus notes on the nose and finished strong with sweet malt flavors. I asked the representatives what the overall fan favorite was for the day and they told me the tally was close. The staff seemed to favor the American Rye Ale over the Belgian I.P.A. It will be interesting to see which one shows up on our shelves within the year.

Wine and Fresh Caught Fish

This past week I had the pleasure of spending a week in East Hampton, NY. A friend kindly offered his house to me, my husband, and my 10-year-old son. It turned out to be a glorious week in terms of weather, fun, food and wine. It also happened that my birthday fell on one of the days during our holiday and of course I took advantage of the opportunity to do something local and out of the ordinary. We went fishing! We traveled quite a ways out in the Atlantic and caught numerous Fluke fish. The next day I researched methods of cooking the fish (as I was not familiar with this type) and decided to put it in aluminum foil on the grill with lemon, butter, olive oil, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper. I could not believe how delicious the fresh caught fish tasted. It melted in our mouths.

As for the wine, our friend (who is a wine collector) wanted to open a special bottle to celebrate life, friends, and good food. We enjoyed the 2006 Kesner Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay which produces only a few hundred cases a year. In the wine making process they use a small percentage of new oak allowing the purity of flavors to shine. There was nice citrus and mineral notes that made it a fresh and lively pairing.

Since we had plenty of Fluke, we had the opportunity for another fresh fish evening and I chose to pair it with 2008 Bodegas Valdesil Montenovo Godello. Godello is a local grape of the Valdeorras region of Spain. It is a minerally, crisp white wine with citrus, melon, and pear characteristics. I found it to be a somewhat better pairing with the delicate Fluke fish. Another fun option that I would also choose is 2008 Cool Fish Chardonnay, an artisanal blend of Chardonnay grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands created with the purpose of bringing out a new dimension in seafood that other white wines may not.

If you are not able to catch your dinner, then head to your local fish monger and ask for the freshest white fish available. Cooking it on the grill in foil for a no fuss, no mess meal and pop a cork of white wine. Your spirit and mood will instantly lighten!

Wine Review: 2008 Diehl Dornfelder

A few months ago we were presented with the 2008 Diehl Dornfelder, a red wine from Germany. We were a bit hesitant to try it at first because Germany is often recognized for their white wines. The red Dornfelder grape had us running to our computers to do some research.

We discovered Dornfelder is a relatively new grape varietal, it was first produced around 1955 and became popular in the 1980’s. It is a hybrid grape, a cross between the Helfenseiner and Heroldrebe grape varietals. Dornfelder is considered to be one of Germany’s most promising red grapes and best kept secret.

The staff was extremely surprised after tasting it. The wine was irresistible! The 2008 Diehl Dornfelder has herbs and ripe red fruit on the nose. Flavors of strawberries, cherries and plum show on the palate. It finishes strong with a soft spiced acidity. It is light and easy to drink, yet full of flavor. It pairs well with red meat in rich sauce, roast game birds, grilled red meats, chicken in red wine sauce, or grilled fish.

We first introduced the 2008 Diehl Dornfelder to our customers by featuring it as a selection in our Wine of the Month club. We later featured it at one of our in store tastings along side the 2009 Diehl Riesling.

Personally, I can not get enough of this decadent red... and the fact it comes in a Liter sized bottle only sweetens the Diehl! (Ha. Ha.)

Summer Seasonal Beer Review

Today I shot an image of one of our first Fall seasonal beers for our website. After the initial shock of Summer ending wore off I came to my senses. Summer isn’t over quite yet, but according to the beer calendar it is. Distribution of Summer seasonal beers has stopped this week. And while I can live without a few of them, like Saranac’s Summer Brew, there are others I am not sure I can live without. A couple of my favorites this Summer were Kona’s Wailua Wheat and Rogue’s Somer Orange Honey Ale. Kona’s Wailua Wheat is extremely refreshing. It has a light hint of citrus and passion fruit, perfect for hot summer evenings. Rogue Somer knocked my socks off with flavors of orange and honey accompanied by a sweet malt character. An excellent match for barbecue or chicken. There is no doubt I will stash a few of those away for a taste of Summer when it gets cold out.

Now is the time to stock up on your summertime favorites, they will not be around for much longer!