Join us this Thursday, August 16th, for our next wine class. The subject is BASICS OF WINE: SUMMER SESSION. We will sample several wines and discuss approaches to analyzing and enjoying the world of wine. The session will start at 6:30 PM and end at 8 PM. Reservations are required in advance. Admission is $20 for CAP members, $25 for non-CAP.

As we announced last week, out late summer wine sale is under way. Lots of new arrivals are included in this sale, along with a wide range of old favorites at hard-to-beat sale pricing. If you're planning weddings or parties, or just re-stocking, now's the time to shop. You'll receive the mailed copy in another week or so. If you can't wait until then, be sure to stop by the store and see for yourself!

Who says all great Pinot Noir has to come from Burgundy, the Willamette Valley or Sonoma's coast? New Zealand has several superstars too. Villa Maria has been consistently producing a good value in Pinot for several years along with their Sauvignon Blancs. When they had the chance to take over a vineyard source for some of their Pinot, they decided to back a new label for the US market as well, the Thornbury Pinot Noir label. This 2004 has a good sense of structure with a hint of soft, gamey underpinning. Ripe and fully mature, this is one to enjoy over the next 12 months. Thornbury 2004 Pinot Noir, from Marlborough, is sale-priced at $19.97.

Anyone alive and drinking wine in the last 3-4 years knows about Santa Barbara and Pinot Noir. And hundreds of thousands of people who only learn about wine through movies have quaffed as much Santa Barbara Pinot as possible. But the market is bouncing back from shortages that caused, and this new arrival from Costa de Oro (at a whopping 14.2% alcohol!) is dramatic proof of how good these wines can be. Costa de Oro (Gold Coast) is an estate winery, producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their vineyard located in the Santa Maria Valley. It is owned by the Burk and Espinola families who strive to produce wines that are marked by balance and elegance through diligent farming and old-world winemaking techniques. Winemaker Gary Burk is the former assistant winemaker at the Au Bon Climat/Qupé facility and brought that valuable experience to his family's winery. We truly recommend this 2005 Costa de Oro Pinot Noir, intro. priced at $33.95.

Not every meal, not every palate is satisfied with Pinot Noir (though I can't understand why not). But even I knew when we sampled this a couple of weeks ago that I was in the presence of something truly great. When the book is written on Cabernet and Merlot in America, a lot of focus will land on Washington State as the other great Cabernet field. After Napa, no other New World region has done as well with the palate of flavors this grape can present. This beautifully aromatic Clos de Betz is a showcase blend of grapes from four different regions using all five Bordeaux grapes, predominantly Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (23%). "93/95 pts, nothing bloated or overdone, it's a one wine graduate course in blending, with subtle, intricate flavors of mixed fruits, scintillating whiffs of herb, and supple, sweet tannins. This may be the most ageworthy Clos de Betz ever made." - Wine Enthusiast. Clos de Betz 2004, Columbia Valley, $39.97.

 

Get here early, we'll sample a range of new arrivals from our latest sale as well as a range of the wines of the talented Susan Balboa from Argentina, the reds and whites of Crios and BenMarco. As always, its totally free.

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.