We have assembled an excellent variety of gift packages for every taste and every budget for the 2007 season. These gifts can be viewed and ordered at our website Let the professionals at Schaefer's make your gift giving a delight instead of a chore. We are here to serve you.

Everything got started back in 1851 when William McPherson Hill became the first grower in Sonoma County to plant non-mission grape varieties. By his luck of choice he planted Zinfandel.

 

In 1855, Hill (who named his vineyard "Hill Ranch") and General Vallejo owned most of the land in Sonoma County. In 1889 Hill sold most of his property, keeping only the Old Hill Ranch and a 100-acre parcel on Spring Mountain which his son sold to Jack London in 1903. Hill passed away in 1897 leaving his ranch to his son Robert Potter Hill. Robert farmed the ranch until he died in 1940.

 

We jump ahead to 1981 when Otto and Anne Teller purchased the Old Hill Ranch which had been neglected for years. One could hardly recognize the land as a vineyard; it was covered by blackberry vines and poison oak. Otto Teller luckily met Joel Peterson at Ravenswood Winery who told Otto how to repair the vineyard and bring it back to health. Peterson then started purchasing the Zinfandel grapes, labeling and making famous the Old Hill Ranch by Ravenswood Winery in 1983.

 

In 2000 the Bucklin family, Arden, Kate, Ted and Will took over operations. Today the Old Hill Ranch is a 24-acre vineyard that is certified organic, dry farmed and rarely yields more than a scarce one and a quarter ton of grapes per acre. When we had Will Bucklin visit us at the store he described his wine as a "field blend." Most of the grapes are Zinfandel but there are 14 other varieties in the mix. We tasted the 2004 in the store to rave reviews from all our customers. Whether you enjoy Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah you will like this wine. If the label said Cabernet Sauvignon it would sell for twice the price.

 

Outstanding and classy! This is only the fifth vintage for these owners who once only sold their fruit to Ravenswood. The length and balance will remind you of a first class Cabernet or maybe a top-drawer Bordeaux, but this is Zin at its best. This is a beauty, with aromas of blackberry fruit and an earthy/spicy note.

 

Bucklin Zinfandel "Old Hill Ranch" 2004, Napa $35.97 (regularly $41.95)

Founded in 1985, Cloudy Bay is the winery that put New Zealand on the map, producing one of the best known New World white wines. Cloudy Bay itself is located at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, to the south of the Marlborough Sounds, although the grapes are grown in the Marlborough wine region further inland, on 200 hectares of vineyards in three sites: surrounding the winery in the Wairau Valley at Rapaura, at nearby Renwick and in the Brancott & Omaka Valleys, in the southern foothills. The just-released 2007 vintage is terrific: "reminiscent of a fresh summer fruit salsa - ripe peach, passionfruit, mango and juicy citrus - sprinkled with fresh fennel and a dash of Pastis. The palate is rich and succulent, with a zesty citrus and apple-sherbet acidity that leads to a long, lingering, and characteristically crisp finish," according to the winemaker.

 

The Henschke family is one of the longest-established wine names in Australia's Barossa, Johann Henschke purchased land for a farm at Keyneton in 1861, after fleeing religious persecution in Kutschlau, Silesia (Germany). He planted a small vineyard and an orchard, and after initially making wine for family consumption produced his first commercial vintage in 1868. Today, 5th-generation Stephen Henschke and his wife Prue serve as winemaker and viticulturist respectively. In addition to being an excellent area for wine, the village of Keyneton in the Barossa hills was also known as a musical center and was home to the Henschke Family Brass Band. This brass band survived generations and featured wonderful wind instruments such as a B flat euphonium, cornet and E flat clarinet, which have been restored and are still in the family. The B flat euphonium, a large brass wind instrument, was made in Leipzig, Germany, in the late 19th century. A warmer and more subtle tonal quality than its modern counterparts. The 2003 Keyneton Estate 'Euphonium' is also warm and subtle. A blend of 70% Shiraz, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc aged 18 months in oak, it has a deep red color and dense nose with aromas of blackberries, black currants, mint, dusty underbrush, and forest floor. Well-made, medium to full-bodied, and moderately tannic, with a good bit of pepper and softness, it is an excellent candidate for a decade of aging.

Fáilte go dtí Connemara (fay go ti conn mara) better known as Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey, captures the beauty of this region while reviving its traditions. This rare and original find among Irish whiskeys is a single malt, beautifully gilded in peat flavor. A pale golden color and an expressive nose with a vibrant presence of peat give the first hints of the smooth and rich taste that follows. The taste of Connemara is melodious with a superb mix of fruit and peat. The round and full character tantalizes with traces of almond, marzipan and biscuit. Connemara 12-year old can be enjoyed neat or with a little water to release the bouquet. This multi-award winning Irish whisky is often placed with the Scotch whiskies because it is so much like an Islay. The Napier University Whisky Society loved it so much that it rated it 9.5 out of 10 monkeys. The New York Times simply rated it as "Excellent".

 

We start with the wonderful full gold color and then dive into a rather delicate nose for which Bunnahabhain is famous, but this one is much more elegant, with some beautiful notes of field flowers. The very 'Bunnahabhain' nose gives way to the extraordinary flavor. Here we have different kinds of honeys, roasted hazelnuts, a little café latte, a little cinnamon, a little orange cake and the nuances continue through a long gentle finish. The oakiness is very pleasant, giving the whole a perfect backbone and even a little dryness that balances the honeyed notes quite perfectly. Quite perfect, if you need an alternative to old sherry and/or peat monsters. Bunnahabhain 18 year old was rated 4.5 out of 5 by Whisky Trader.

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey $49.95
Bunnahabhain XVIII $99.95

Tis the season to visit the sights and sounds of Michigan Ave. but all too quickly, it gets a bit much. So, we found a cozy if somewhat noisy and definitely pricey haven, the RL Grill, just outside the Ralph Lauren store. Warm comfort foods are the specialty - while the grilled cheese and tomato soup sounded tempting, we went with the chicken hash and lobster club. The wine list was also quite nice, even its by-the-glass options. Both our meals were terrific and the drinks matched quite well: the Trimbach Pinot Blanc was light and crisp to match the richness of the chicken while Ben declared the lobster club an "almost perfect sandwich" - which went really well with the restaurant's signature Bloody Mary, although be warned that it's very spicy, a function of too much horseradish (they will bring you extra tomato juice to cut it if desired). Reservations are absolutely recommended at this time of year - waits were running up to 2 hours for a table! (Barbara and Ben Rooks)

Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2004, Alsace $14.97/750 ml (regularly: $16.95)

Longbranch Bloody Mary Mix, Wilmette $3.99/32 oz. (which Ben prefers, since its level of spice is just right)

If you're by the store this Saturday, December 15th between 11:00-5:00, join us for our last tasting of the year when we taste the sparkling wines from the Mionetto Winery located in Italy's Veneto Region. Our Saturday tastings are always fun and always FREE. I hope to see you here!

Schaefer's will be hosting our twenty-seventh annual Champagnefest on Friday, December 28th. Stop by on your way home from work and enjoy a glass of fine sparkling wine on us! There will be sparkling wines from Italy, Spain and California, not to mention a number of top-rated French Champagnes selling at well over $125 a bottle. This tasting is always a friendly way to make the right decision about which Champagne or sparkling wine to serve on New Year's Eve. In addition, a variety of caviars, cheeses, patés and hors-d'oeuvre from Schaefer's food department will be served to complement your glass of bubbly.

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.