Our Warehouse Sale is coming up next week: Friday and Saturday ONLY, July 20 and 21. We've wrapped up our tastings and we're excited about the lineup! Don't forget that the sale starts early on Friday morning and only lasts until Saturday at 5 PM. Today's the day to start making room in the basement, the closets and the wine cellar for the cases you'll be bringing home.

 

As always, if you are going to be out of town, or just can't stand the thought of crowds in summertime, we can do the shopping for you. Just call our Wine Department and ask for someone to be your Surrogate Shopper. Here's how it works: tell them the types of wines you like, how much you'd like to pay, and how many bottles or cases you'd like. We'll do the rest. We'll bill the order to you and have it ready the following week for you to pick up. While you won't get a chance to personally taste the wines before buying, you will not miss out, and you may still alter your purchase after the sale (just in case we liked something but you don't!). We need to get all orders in by the end of the day next Wednesday, July 18th. That'll give us plenty of time to make sure you get what you want. We look forward to hearing from you or seeing you in person at the Warehouse Sale next week!

It can be revealed: most wine geeks would rather have a good chilled glass of dry rosé in this weather than anything red that weighs in at 16% alcohol. (Insider's tip: alcohol acts to make you feel warmer: the higher the alcohol, the hotter you feel. It's that flushed sensation. So, lower the alcohol content and you'll feel cooler.) The great 2006 Muga Rosado has arrived and it's even better than last year's sensation. Light in every way except flavor, and dry enough to handle grilled shrimp or trout, this is a great way to escape the heat. Normally priced at $11.95, it's on sale for $9.97 for ONE week only!

Back for the summer, our famous Signature Gazpacho, is made from a secret recipe and is sure to please. Here's a soup that needs no prep and won't penalize the chef by making anyone stand over a stove. This is the best blend of tomato and finely diced fresh vegetables, always made fresh, always ready to serve. Quarts are only $9.99.

Nothing is as easy to throw together as a Caprese salad. The Italian island resort of Capri has given the world this incredible, light salad that makes every meal a little easier and lighter. What could be easier than slicing a farmers' market tomato, layering it with a few slices of fresh mozzarella, topping it with a sprig of garden-fresh basil and drizzling the result with a little high-quality olive oil? But here's the secret: most restaurants and fans of this salad stop just short of the crowning touch. With our imported Italian buffalo-milk mozzarella, you're ready for an over-the-top experience that nothing else can match. Guaranteed. Seasonal, so order this from our deli today, $6.99.

 

Join us this Saturday as Rob Wetzel, part of the founding family of Alexander Valley Vineyards, joins us to pour the full range of his family's wines. We'll have reds and whites to satisfy every taste and preference, all for free, from 11 to 5.

 

If you had told me five years ago I'd be saying all these great things about this wine, I'd have told you to go pull a cork. But without a doubt, one of the unsung heroes of this summer for me is this absolutely outstanding Gruner Veltliner. Austria's most prolific white grape makes a lot of $10 quaffing whites that are super. But this old vines (alte reben) bottling of Gruner Veltliner from Bründlmayer is so much more than a quaff. Deep and complex without any weight or oak to complicate things. This 2004 is just coming into its own, and gets my two glasses up recommendation. Well worth a try. $39.95.

Is this you, a friend or spouse? Do you or someone you know love wine and dream of working for one of the country's leading wine merchants? We have a part-time position open with flexible hours. Friendly team to work with. Employee discount. Please contact Sterling Pratt at (847) 673-5711 to pursue this opportunity.

That's all for this week. If we may be of any further service, please stop by our store at 9965 Gross Point Road in Skokie (for directions, click here), visit our website at http://www.schaefers.com, give us a call at 847-677-WINE (9463), 800-833-WINE (9463), or click here to contact us.