I'm very happy to be joining the prestigious ranks of Say Vino writers! For those of you who haven't yet met me, I've been a Wine Consultant here at Schaefer's for two years now (and a very regular customer for 10 years before that). I'm usually here Monday through Friday during the day and prone to giving far more of an education about wine than most folks expect when they walk in the door. And now I not only get to push you towards certain favorites when you're in the store, but I can do so online - oh boy! Read on...

More on getting to know me: in addition to enjoying restaurants throughout the Chicago area (yup, I'm half of the Schaefer's Eating Team), my husband and I love to visit wineries wherever we go, so one of the features of my Say Vino issues will be snippets about places and wineries we've traveled to. Sonoma is one of our favorite places to visit, and we just returned from our annual wine pilgrimage. Our first stop this year was W-A-Y up route 101, to Alexander Valley Vineyards. In addition to tasting through their line of wines, we got to take a private tour of their new caves and sample some barrels. One of our current favorites is their 2005 Redemption Zinfandel ($25.97, regularly $29.95), recently mentioned in a previous Say Vino, but one to watch out for next year will be their next release of Cyrus, their Bordeaux-style blend - each year has a slightly different blend of the best lots of their varietals, and we got to try some of the component wines in barrel - yum!

As a follow-up to Sterling's Pinot Noir info last week, here's a chance to order some truly exceptional Burgundies from Domaine Dujac! Domaine Dujac was acquired by Jacques Seysses in 1967. Since then he has been trying to blend what he admired in traditional winemaking with modern techniques, and Seysses has developed a style of his own, becoming what is quite possibly the single most exciting Pinot Noir producer on the planet according to many critics. Robert Parker rated these wines between 89-96 points and said "the results are consistently outstanding and at times astounding."

 

From the 2005 vintage, we are able to offer the Chambolle-Musigny (89 pts, $99.97), Morey Saint-Denis (92 pts, $99.97), Charmes Chambertin (92 pts, $249.97), and Clos de la Roche (96 pts, $289.97), as well as Dujac Fils et Péres Gevrey Chambertin (90 pts, $79.97) and Puligny Montrachet ($75.97).

 

From the 2004 vintage, we have the Charmes Chambertin ($159.97) and the Clos de la Roche ($179.97). We have an extremely limited amount of these wines available, so please call or e-mail us as soon as possible if you are interested in any of these wines.

Nido de Aguila - Armonía 2005 features an eagle soaring across the label: Nido de Aguila is translated from the indiginous name for this section of Chile's Maipo Valley, "Chinigue" which means "Place of the Eagles" and several eagles reside in the area, adding to the beauty of the place and helping to control the rabbits who apparently like to feast on the grapevines. Armonía, the Spanish word for "Harmony", is a wonderful Bordeaux-style blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc. The Armonía has rich aromas of fig, dried cherries, leather, and tobacco. It has flavors of ripe plums and vanilla with a long finish and will age well for quite a few years. Regularly priced at $17.95, it's on sale this week for $15.97 and definitely worth a try.

Join us on Thursday evening, September 6th for a special pre-High Holiday Kosher Wine Tasting, 5-7:45 p.m. We'll be opening a range of Kosher wines, including some new options specially priced for the holidays. Remember, just because it's Kosher doesn't mean it's sticky sweet (not that there's anything wrong with that) - there are some lovely dry whites and terrific dry reds, with options from all over the world, so even if you don't usually drink Kosher wine, mark your calendar to stop by and give some a try!

If your knowledge of Italian wines only goes as far as Pinot Grigio and Chianti, you're missing out on some of the world's greatest wines. Join us on Thursday, September 13 at 6:30 p.m. for a special in-store class, The Wines of Italy. This introductory class will focus on the unique wines of Italy, most of which are produced from indigenous varietals, often found nowhere else in the world. The class will be taught by local wine writer and educator (and former Schaefer's employee) Tom Hyland, a leading authority on Italian wines (he has visited Italy over 30 times).

 

The cost for this class will be a reasonable $35 per person. Class size will be limited and will be filled on a first-come, first serve basis. To enroll, please contact Tom Hyland at (773) 293-6790 or by email at: thwinewriter@comcast.net (do not contact Schaefer's). Your seat in class will be reserved by payment by check before the class. We hope to see you on September 13 for a great class on the distinctive wines of Italy!

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.