I'm not sure what pairs best with a Snickers bar or caramel apple, but I know there are a few drinks out there that are great at this time of year: You could have a Zombie, of course, and make it from Pyrate rum, or a Ghostbuster or a Vampire (call for recipes for any of these mixed drinks). But if you're looking for Halloween-themed wine, we have them. First stop, the local cemetery, for a glass of Zinfandel. Gerald Boyd wrote in Wine News: "Above meandering Lake Sonoma on a rugged ridge stands Rockpile Peak. This low-profile mountain has given its name to Rockpile, one of California's most unusual appellations, both in moniker and geography. The 15,400-acre Rockpile American Viticultural Area was approved in April 2002, making it one of the newest AVAs in Sonoma County. It has been so defined, in large part, for the distinctive character of its muscular red wines." The Mauritson family has been growing grapes in Sonoma since 1868. One of their prime sites is the Cemetery Vineyard. No need to worry, no one's buried beneath this vineyard. This block is so-named due to the extremely unusual outcrop of rock at the bottom of the vineyard. This particular rock formation is eerily similar to giant tombstones.

 

Here's another option: The #1 wine of Hungary is a robust, full-bodied red wine with deep berry flavors called "Egri Bikavér" which translates to "Bull's Blood." Bull's Blood is made from at least three varieties. Most producers feature Kékfrankos, because of its sturdy character and acidity; other grapes in the mix tend to be Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, plus another native star, the spicy Kadarka. In color, it's got a dried blood brown tint while in taste it's lighter than a Zin but still spicy, and at this price, it's not too scary to give it a try.

Mauritson "Cemetery" Zinfandel 2005, Rockpile/Sonoma CAP $39.97 (regularly: $45.95)

Bull's Blood 2003, Hungary $10.95/750 ml, $118.26/case (save 10%)

 

This Barbera is always one of my favorites - because it's Italian and it pairs so easily with food, not because it almost shares a name with me. Andrea Faccio's Azienda Agricole Villa Giada brings wonderful wines to the table from the classic grape varieties his family has grown in Italy's Piedmont for more than two centuries. Located midway between Asti and Alba, the world's foremost production zones for Barbera, Villa Giada specializes in the making of handcrafted Barbera wines from single vineyards. With more than forty-five acres of estate vineyards, located around three ancient farmhouses, Villa Giada's aim is to fashion great wines from individual vineyards and terroirs - a goal that local cognoscenti and international wine critics alike believe they have fulfilled. "Ajan" is a local slang name for the town of Agliano Terme. This Barbera is made with only the premium grapes from that area, and definitely displays a site-specific personality with focused cherry fruit, bolder underbrush character and a light spice on the nose and palate. It is light-to-medium bodied with a clean finish and will pair well with everything from Osso Bucco and veal chops to a simple meatloaf.

Villa Giada Barbera "Ajan" 2004, Piedmont Italy $19.95/750 ml, $215.46/case (save 10%)

Here is the first release of Boarding Pass Shiraz from Grateful Palate Airways, made from 100% Shiraz grapes grown on 10 to 15 year old vines from some of the best regions of South Australia including Kangarilla, Blewitt Springs and Kalimna. Captaining this new effort is the incredible Chris Ringland, master winemaker and source of any number of great big reds from our Aussie section. His co-pilot in this venture is of course Dan Philips from Grateful Palate importers and their new flight of wines is made under the R Wines label. This new Shiraz is a lively, dense, ruby red in color. It has intensely perfumed fruit, loads of ripe black cherry and hints of cinnamon spiciness and light mocha. The juicy palate finishes with ripe tannins - it's big, bold, and jammy in a good way, so I'm sure it will simply fly off the shelf!

Boarding Pass Shiraz 2005, Australia $19.95/750 ml, $215.46/case (save 10%)

Located in the northeastern part of Italy, the Veneto is home to Soave and Prosecco, but oh so much more! About an hour outside Verona, there are two gentlemen making some wonderful traditional Italian wines at Cavalchina, brothers Luciano and Franco Piona. The Cavalchina estate is located in the southeast of the Garda amphitheatre, which has been a traditional wine producing area since 1848. The winery has belonged to their family since the early 1900s. Their grandfather bottled his first wines under his own label in the early 1960s, yet today their equipment and techniques are completely modern. Ben and I had the pleasure of an overnight visit there recently, and Franco gave us a guided tour as well as a tasting through some of their lovely wines.

 

One of our favorites is their Bianco di Custoza, a traditional blend of light Italian white grapes: 30% Fernanda (a clone of Cortese), 30% Trebbiano, 30% Garganega, and 10% Trebbianello (a clone of Tocai). This one is fresh, crisp and easy - both to drink and to pair with food, with lovely mineral notes and strong flavors of apple and grass. Definitely worth considering for your Thanksgiving aperitif. Another treat was their Bardolino. Using the same traditional blend of grapes as Valpolicella (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and Negrara), this is a light yet intense red with lots of cherry, earth, and hints of pepper. Finally, for dessert, their Passito 2004: Made from semi-dried grapes, both Moscato and Molinara, it is similar to Vin Santo but fermented in stainless steel rather than oak in order to maintain its fresh fruit flavors. Full of apricot and candied peach, this one was a real treat - light and sweet but not overpowering - think spice cake or pumpkin pie.

Cavalchina Bianco di Custoza 2006, Italy $12.97/750 ml, $155.64/case (regularly: $14.95)

Cavalchina Bardolino 2006, Italy, $12.97/750 ml, $155.64/case (regularly: $15.95)

Cavalchina Passito 2004, Italy, $5.97/375 ml, $71.64/case (regularly: $11.95)

Join us 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 taught by wine writer Tom Hyland (a former Schaefer's employee). Class size will be limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Thursday, November 1 from 6:30-8:00 p.m., $45 per person. Phone Tom Hyland at 773-293-6790 to register. Please do not contact Schaefer's.

 

It's Down Under Day at Schaefer's this Saturday as our tasting features wines from Deen DeBortoli from Australia. His easy sipping and easy priced wines are huge favorites with our customers. We'll also be tasting CooranBong Vodka - new to our shelves, this is Australia's #1-selling premium vodka, 100% organic and the smoothest vodka known to man, according to our on-site expert Mui Baltrunas. Come see for yourself. We'll also be pouring a small selection of some of our favorite whites and reds perfect for Fall weather. As always, the Saturday tastings take place 11:00-5:00 and are free. Hope to see you there!

Now's the time to sign up for our November class on Elegant Pairings - Food & Wine. This special Third Thursday class will feature an extensive multi-course snacking menu from our deli with fine wines to match. We'll also focus on just what to do when pairing food and wine for more complicated meals: do you serve different wines with each course or offer the same white and red throughout the entire meal; do you compliment or contrast the dominant flavors; do you aim for the wine to stand out more than the food or vice versa? Space will be extremely limited, so please call to sign up - (847) 673-5711. Payment in advance is required.

Thursday, November 15 from 6:30-7:45 p.m., CAP $25 ($30 non-CAP members). Call (847) 673-5711 to register.

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.