WOW! A throwback to the 1970's in a bottle! This was the finest wine I tasted in 2007. You might think I'd say that about a Zinfandel or a hardy taste of a Turley Syrah, but it wasn't even a red wine. Many of those familiar with the producer will recognize the label from across the room. The wine is from the famous Johann Josef Prum estate, or J J Prum for short. The label is the Wehlener (Wehlen is the town on the Mosel) Sonnenuhr (the sundial vineyard) 2003 Auslese. This wine has the most intense aroma and flavor of ripe "Granny Smith" apple you'll ever find. Everything about this gem is harmonious and balanced. Enjoy tonight or cellar for 20 years. I am!

Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2003, Mosel, CAP $49.97/750 ml, $599.64/case (regularly $54.95)

There are still spaces for our first Third Thursday wine tasting class of the new year! For our first class, join me as we explore the wonderful world of Zinfandel. Not the pale pink stuff but the honest-to-goodness big, spicy red Zins that we know and love - don't miss this one! The class will start promptly at 6:30 PM, January 17th and will end about 7:45. The cost will be $20 for CAP members and $25 for non-members.

In only 5 years Frank Mitolo has become one of the top producers of Shiraz in the McLaren Vale area in Australia. His wines have consistently scored 94 to 100 points in the Wine Advocate. "When I look at the winemaker behind some of my favorite Australian wines, the name Ben Glaetzer seems to come up frequently. From a wine making family dating back to the late 19th century, he has shown an exquisite talent for accessing fabulous vineyards and turning out world class wines." Wine Personalities of 2005, Robert Parker. These Mitolo releases are very limited. 
 

 

Germany and Alsace share a passion for Riesling, but no two areas could make so different a statement with the same grape. While German Rieslings have a delicacy and racy green apple zing to them, Alsace Rieslings have a lot of power and strength. In my opinion, no one does it better in the northeast corner of France than the Fallers, at Domaine Weinbach. Under the watchful eyes of the proprietors Colette, Catherine and Laurence Faller, their mission is to grow the highest quality grapes possible. This wine comes from the Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard and is known for its elegant style. If there is one powerhouse Riesling to show off how great this grape can be, there's no better example than the Weinbach Schlossberg! We have limited quantities of this 2006 vintage.

Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg, CAP $49.95/750 ml, $539.40/case - Save 10%

Our Winter Warehouse Sale is coming up in only a couple weeks: Friday and Saturday ONLY, January 25th and 26th. We just completed our sample tastings this week and we're excited about the options this time around. Keep watching this space for more details as the date gets closer, and make some room in the basement, the closets and the wine cellar for the cases you'll be bringing home.

 

As always, if you are going to be out of town, or just can't stand the thought of crowds in bulky winter coats, we can do the shopping for you. Just call our Wine Department and ask for someone to be your Surrogate Shopper. Here's how it works: tell them the types of wines you like, how much you'd like to pay, and how many total bottles or cases you'd like. We'll do the rest. We'll bill the order to you and have it ready the following week for you to pick up. While you won't get a chance to personally taste the wines before buying, you will not miss out, and you may still alter your purchase after the sale (just in case we liked something but you don't!). We need to get all orders in by the end of the day Wednesday, January 23rd. That'll give us plenty of time to make sure you get what you want. As they say, operators are standing by, so if you can't make the sale in person, give us a call today for your Surrogate Shopper order.

Again, courtesy of Word of the Day, we have a new word to learn this week: mouthfeel (MOWTH-feel) noun, the sensation created by food or drink in the mouth. This useful word is a simple combination of "mouth" and "feel" that can be used to describe the creamy warmth of a mushroom soup or the dry, velvety sensation of a Pinot Noir. This coinage is relatively new; its earliest known use dates back only to 1951.

Join us this Saturday, 11:00-5:00, Snow Queen vodka will be here and we will be featuring last-chance staff favorites wines from the winter sale (before it ends). Hope to see you there!

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.