We have just brought in a pair of new wines from Chile, from the Cono Sur Vineyards and Winery's "Bicycle" line.

 

Okay, so the name is a play on "connoisseur", but don't hold that against them!  In many parts of the world puns are actually considered quite clever. We wanted to bring these wines to your attention for other reasons than their marketer's cleverness.

 

First is the taste! These are quite well made wines from areas of Chile that are well known to us. The Pinot Noir is from the famous Colchagua Valley, which is very well represented in our Chilean aisle, and the Chardonnay is from the San Antonio Valley along the Pacific coast in central Chile.

 

The next reason is because of how they're made. The Pinot is farmed with sustainable agricultural practices, and the Chardonnay is fully certified organic. The winery truly cares about making their wines in harmony with nature, and they have made a real commitment to making great tasting wines as true to their core beliefs as possible.

 

And last is the great bargains these wines represent. They are each only $11.99!  And while there are some great buys to be found in Chile these days, you will have to look long and hard to find wines this well made at the values offered by Cono Sur.

 

The 2009 Chardonnay has a beautiful, young yellow color with golden hints. Exuberant and complex, it conveys refreshing citrus aromas, and fruity notes of white peaches. Complex fruity flavors mingle with lovely mineral notes in this very well balanced fresh tasting organic wine.

 

And the 2007 Pinot Noir is a voluptuously light red wine with rich fruit notes of cherry, raspberry, plum and strawberry - basically a red fruit party! It also exhibits subtle smoked hints that yield well to roasted meats and fuller flavored fish like salmon or swordfish. On the palate, the sweet fruit notes stand out, and its fine tannins give it a great texture and a mouth filling structure.

 

Balanced and New World styled, these are wines of personality and elegance. Sexy, pure and simple, it's a young and refreshing taste of South America at a very affordable price. What more can you ask for?

 

Look for them on your next visit to Wine World, or ask any of our helpful associates - they live for helping you find just the right wines! We'll see you soon!

 

 

From Sierra Nevada

30th Anniversary Pioneer Series 

If you're a beer drinker, and you shop at Wine World, chances are good you've tasted something from Sierra Nevada at some point along the way!

 

They've been making great beer in Chico, California for three decades now!  That's reason to celebrate!

 

And as you probably know, these guys don't do anything half-way, so if they're going to celebrate, you know it's going to be big!

 

The founder of Sierra, Ken Grossman, has invited some of the friends he's met along the way to join him to brew some favorite recipes, and offer the beers in a series now known as the "Sierra 30th Anniversary".

 

But these friends aren't just anybody... they're the "Founding Fathers" of the new beer revolution.

 

First there's Fritz Maytag, the founder of Anchor Brewing, one of the very first craft brewers to start his own brewery before anyone had even heard of "micro-brew". Fritz and Ken brewed a Stout for the ages for the first entry of this series, and if you can find a bottle anywhere, I'd advise you to buy it!

 

The second entry was an Imperial Helles Bock, devised and crafted by Charlie Papazian (the "Father of Home Brewing") and Fred Eckhart (author of the 1970 manual A Treatise on Lagers:  How to Make Good Beers at Home, along with Ken. We still have some of these available on our shelves, as they arrived not so very long ago.

 

The next entry is due to be released soon - mid July is what they promised, but we've learned they work from a different calendar than you and I, so patience is the key.  It will be an American Barleywine, crafted by Ken and Jack McAuliffe, the founder of the tiny New Albion Brewery in Sonoma. Jack has earned the name of "The Original" microbrewer from his early work there! It promises to be something special, so keep a sharp eye for this one.

 

The final entry will arrive later this year, toward Autumn, and will be Ken's own exclamation point on the whole series - a blending of his three most famous beers:  Oak-aged Bigfoot, Celebration Ale and a fresh Pale Ale, dry-hopped to excess of course, and giving all beer afficionados another reason to live!

 

We'll let you know when the last two arrive, but you can taste the second entry tonight if you like! Just ask one of the staff to show you something good from Sierra Nevada!

 

Five H White Riesling

A "DuClaw" Favorite Wine!

Our good friends at the DuClaw restaurant in Bel Air put us onto this wine!  It's an absolute hit for the summer and any time, and it comes from the Pacific northwest.

 

Five H Riesling is one of Oregon's premier vineyards. The "H" stands for Hinman, and they have spent a lifetime in the wine industry. Over that time, they've learned a trick or two for how to get the most of their grapes.

 

One of them is somthing they call "sussreserve". It's actually a German concept that involves adding a bit of selected grape must to the wine as a sweetening agent. While adding sweetness, it actually inhibits alcohol, making the wine more dense, rich and adding depth.

 

Different vintages require varying levels of sussreserve, depending on the levels of acidity that develop naturally while the grapes are on the vine. But knowing this technique allows the Hinman family to produce fabulous wines at very affordable prices.

 

Wine World is pleased to introduce the 2008 White Riesling from Five H Vineyards at the unbelievable price of just $11.99!

 

This vintage expresses zesty and fresh fruit, offering a vibrant style, and actually did not require much in the way of sussreserve, as it was quite a good year for Riesling in the Willamette region.

 

Grown near the Columbia River, the grapes were able to enjoy a long hang time, and weren't harvested until nearly Halloween! The extra time on the vine allowed it to develop natural sugars and a great degree of balance. It also picks up a bit of minerality from the soil in this area that adds a great counterpoint and complexity, making this one no "simple little Riesling".

 

We hope you will investigate and try this wine. Once you do, we think you'll be hooked - especially if you enjoy a nice, fat Riesling - not too tart, and not too sweet - either on its own or with a meal.

 

Ask about it on your next visit, and one of our associates will be happy to show it to you.

 

Where do you find wines like this at deals like these? Well, at Wine World of course!! And in this case, also at DuClaw! Enjoy it on your next visit to this fine restaurant as well!

 

Everyone loves Margaritas, but not everyone can justify the calories!  Well, Bethenny Frankel has the answer! 

 

She's the renowned natural foods chef, author of NY Times bestseller "Naturally Thin", star of "Real Housewives of New York City", and creator of the new Skinny Girl Margarita!

Made with all natural ingredients, featuring actual Blue Agave Tequila and lightly sweetened with real agave nectar rather than sugary syrups, Skinny Girl contains only 100 calories in a full 4 oz. cocktail.

 

As important as what it does have is what they left out! There are no preservatives, no "high fructose corn syrup", an no "yellow dye #5" or any other artificial colors. Oh, and those other 400 calories found in many other Margaritas!

 

It's a new concept in premixed cocktails whose time has come.  This time, it's come to Wine World! It's on our shelves today, priced at just $11.99 for the full 750 ml bottle!

 

Ask for it on your next visit - only at Wine World!

What's so amazing about an Old Vine designated Cabernet? Not a lot, I suppose.  That is if you don't consider what it's made of in comparison to the price!

 

You see, 2007 was a good year in Napa. No, strike that... it was a phenomenal year! Score it 10 out of 10! And the wines produced at some of the Valley's biggest named wineries have taken this phenomenal fruit and created some of the best wine in decades!!

 

The sad part (for them) is that the price they can demand for their products is market driven, and as we all know, this has not been the best of years for our economy.  Thanks to the recession, demand for $80-$175 bottles of wine has all but vanished and the wineries are finding themselves stuck with all of this fantastic wine.

 

There is a remedy, albeit not one they relish using. It's called the "Bulk Market", and it is sometimes the last line of defense for moving juice that you just can't sell under your own well known brand.

 

In this economy, you have to do whatever is necessary to maintain a cash flow - just ask the 100+ winery owners whose vineyards are currently up for sale or foreclosure in the Napa Valley.  It's a very sad state of affairs.

 

So, when wine is brought to this bulk market, the prices are severely slashed and the winery's good name is removed from the product, thereby protecting their brand for future boom markets.

 

Such is the case with this wine now called Rubus. The fruit came from a well known winery in the Stag's Leap AVA along the Silverado Trail. (They can't say exactly which one due to the bulk market's full nondisclosure requirement.) But this particular wine has been compared to names such as Outpost, Paradigm, and Silver Oak.

 

The buyer was able to finagle 2,000 cases of this 2007 Old Vine Cabernet at a fraction of its intended price, then he made it available under the Rubus brand, knowing full well that this deal could never be repeated.

Oh well! Long story short, Elizabeth found out about it, and has bought up every bottle she could. In a good economy this wine would be worth just under $100, but the way things have worked out, she is able to offer this magnificent Cabernet for just $19.99!

 

I know that sounds too good to be true, and that usually ends up being the case, but for those of you who have come to know Elizabeth over the years you know she wouldn't put her good name on the line like this if it weren't the real deal!

 

Here's the description of the wine from the Rubus folks:

"The Rubus 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from an exceptional vintage. Its long finish displays fully mature flavors of blackberry, currant and chocolate with just a hint of toasty oak and black cherry. The tannins are refined and polished, allowing the fruit to be the focus. Serve this Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a variety of bold preparations ranging from Osso Bucco to grilled red meats and cheeses."

I'm sure that I don't need to tell you how limited this supply is, nor how fast it will sell.  My best advice is to get there quickly before it's all snatched up!

 

 

UPDATE:  They sold out quickly, but we had our distributors round up any stray bottles from all around the state, and we're happy to say we've still got a few in stock!  Hurry though before they're gone too!

 

Also, we were able to score some Rubus "Old Vine" Zinfandel, 2008 and have those available for just $14.49!  It's another amazing find, so get them while they last!!