Our current Wine Sale officially ends this weekend, so now is the time to stock up on some of your favorites as well as to try some of the new discoveries. There's a whopper of a Cabernet made by David O'Reilly of Owen Roe winery. David is one of the most popular and creative winemakers in the Pacific Northwest. His Seven Hills Vineyard in Walla Walla is bordered to the south by the foothills of the Blue Mountains, which serve to channel ferocious wind gusts through the vineyard. The buffeted vines struggle on the hillside, and produce smaller berries with intense flavors. The fruit-bearing buds were frozen in the winter of 2004 and did not bear a crop that year. The 2005 crop was a perfect crop, and resulted in a powerful wine with significant depth and impressive structure.

 

This massive Cabernet is drinkable now (best decanted) and has the potential to evolve over the next several years. You'll love trying this wine, and will be thrilled down the road if you've tucked a few away in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Merlot 14%, Cabernet Franc 6%.

Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Washington $44.97/750 ml, $539.64/case (regular price $54.95)

 

Our next Third Thursday Wine Class is on October 18th, and the topic is How To Enjoy Wine: Desert Island Favorites. This tasting seminar will cover basics like how to describe taste, when to decant, when to cellar a wine and how to pick the right wine for your dinner plans. The fun part is that Brian will be using Top Ten wine picks to be stranded on a desert island with as examples of what makes a wine great.

 

This is a tasting for beginners and seasoned drinkers alike. Among the featured wines will be creations by Bonny Doon, Ridge, and Duckhorn. The class will start promptly at 6:30 and run until 8 PM. Cost is $25 ($20 for CAP members) and reservations in advance are required since space is limited. Please call us today at (847) 673-5711 to reserve your spot.

The world's most beautiful vodka is participating in the fight against breast cancer. A portion of the profits earned from each bottle of Pinky Vodka sold will be going to breast cancer research. Schaefer's is proud to host a tasting of this extraordinary Swedish Vodka. Pinky's will also be providing t-shirts, pens and pins for customers participating in the tasting. 

 

The world's most beautiful vodka is also the world's first vodka rosé. Getting its beautiful pink hue naturally from a blend of twelve delicately balanced flavors, Pinky is a singular experience with numerous layers of complexity. Pinky is the most beautiful vodka you will every try.

 

Each batch is hand-blended by champion wine tasters using natural and luxurious ingredients, including rose petals, violets and wild strawberries. It was created to enhance the taste, look and nose of any vodka-based drink. Though beautiful to look upon, its true beauty comes from within, captivating with a unique taste profile that holds its audience captive.

 

This vodka is packed with esters - the delicate top note flavors that give fresh fruit its vibrant taste. Mix Pinky with cranberry and you'll experience how it puts the life back into processed fruit juices. Combine Pinky with soda, tonic, or just a few ice cubes to transform the standard vodka fare into a smooth, balanced taste with a floral finish. It is to vodka what pink Champagne is to Champagne. Pinky has set out to create a category, Vodka Rosé, within the super premium vodka market. It is not to be mistaken as just another flavored vodka. As with pink Champagne, Pinky sets a new standard for vodka.

Pinky Vodka, Sweden CAP price $29.97/750ml, $359.64/case (regular price $34.95)

Join us on Thursday, November 1 for a special class on California Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. These two varieties have been among the most successful produced in the Golden State and styles vary greatly depending on where the grapes are grown. We will taste examples from some of the finest small estates in California from Napa, Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara County.

 

The class will be held 6:30-8:00 PM and will be taught by local wine writer Tom Hyland (a former Schaefer's employee). Cost will be $45 per person. Class size will be limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To enroll email or phone Tom Hyland at 773-293-6790. Do NOT contact Schaefer's.

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.