Thanks to everyone who attended our 18th Annual Warehouse Sale last weekend. We had a lot of fun; it was nice to see everybody and to save everyone a lot of money. There was a lot of great stuff available. A good time was had by all.

 

For those of you who missed the big sale, we have two of our best deals available, so you can save money too. The first is a Washington State white wine from Columbia Winery. It's their 2005 Chardonnay, with fresh flavors of tropical fruit, pears and soft oak filling the nose. Ripe mango and nectarines are accented by delicate hints of oak that lead to a full and lively finish. Our tasting panel voted this a Best Buy and scored it 86 points.

 

On the red side, we have a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford Hill Winery. The 2002 earned 88 points from Wine Spectator. "A firm, tight, chunky and concentrated wine that's full of ripe plum, currant and blackberry fruit, with cedary oak flavors that are well-focused and persistent, ending with dry, clipped tannins. Drink now through 2009."

 

Take advantage of the great prices on these wines; save a bundle, and enjoy!

 

Columbia Winery Chardonnay 2005, Washington, CAP $7.97/750 ml, $95.64/case (regularly $12.95)

Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Napa, CAP $23.97/750 ml, $287.64/case (regularly $38.95)

There are few Napa Cabernets as well known and loved as the classically-styled Silver Oak Cabernets. The 2003 Cabernet is due to arrive any day now. Everyone remembers the first time they tasted Silver Oak, and most people remember every occasion they've been able to enjoy it. It's just one of those great wines that delivers that rich, silky style, year in and year out.

 

Silver Oak winemaker Daniel Baron describes this release as follows: "The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex and concentrated wine that deftly balances intensity and finesse. The wine has a dark garnet color with a deep purple edge, and displays aromas of blackberry jam, dark chocolate, rose petal, black pepper and cedar. In the mouth, the attack is quite rich, expressing notes of brown sugar and nutmeg, and the flavors proceed seamlessly to a long finish of fruit and ripe tannins. Properly cellared, this wine should give drinking pleasure until 2027."

 

Please contact us with your interest, and we will fill your order as soon as the wine arrives.

Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Napa, CAP $99.97/750 ml, $1,119.64/case(regularly $129.95)

"I like it naked on the plate at the beginning of a meal with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of the best darned Apulian olive oil I can find.." says Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of Flavors of Puglia (now out of print). She also says "The best way to eat Burrata is to hop on a plane and go straight to Apulia." Not true anymore. Our purveyor of all things deliciously Italian, John Nitti of Isola Imports Chicago, flies this lusciously, creamy cow's milk cheese from Puglia straight to us a couple of times a month. We can easily indulge in cheese bliss at home.

 

Burrata is a specialty of Southern Italy, especially the regions of Apulia. Classified as a "spun" or "pulled curd" cheese (think of it as mozzarella's rich cousin), Burrata's uniqueness lies in the buttery texture of the cheese's center: "burro" means butter in Italian. The outside of this decadent cheese is wrapped in a skin made from stretched sheets of mozzarella. This gives the exterior a soft, springy texture. The soft, buttery center is made from fresh cream and unspun mozzarella curds mixed with cream! When you bite or cut into Burrata, the cream oozes out irresistibly. It is true that serving Burrata "naked" is simply perfect. We have though, served it melted on hot polenta, steaming pasta, sautéed green beans or with fresh fruit. Fresh product arrives this week!

Join us for our next Third Thursday Wine Class on Thursday, February 21st, when our own Brian Flannery will confront the topic: Syrah to Shiraz: Petit and Beyond. The goal is to find the best examples of Syrah from around the globe, from the big producers and the boutique. There will be ten wines to study, along with some snacks from our food department. Reservations in advance are required because space is limited. Guaranteed informative and fun. Worth your valuable time!

02/21 THU - 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., $20 for CAP members (and you will become a CAP member). Contact Schaefer's at 847-677-WINE (9463) or by email to sign up.

Join us in our classroom on Thursday, February 7th for an introductory class on the Wines of Chile. This country has been blessed with a superb climate that features abundant sunshine mixed with cool breezes from the Pacific that create ideal ripening conditions. We will taste a total of ten wines, from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons and red blends. Former Schaefer's employee, Tom Hyland, who has been teaching wine classes to the public for more than fifteen years, will teach the class. He has visited Chile on several occasions and has written several articles on the subject. Class size will be limited, so to ensure your seat in class, please enroll right away.  We hope to see you on the evening of February 7th for a viticultural journey to Chile!

02/7 THU ~ 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., $35 per person. To sign up, phone Tom Hyland at 773-293-6790 or by email. Please do not contact Schaefer's.

Join us this Saturday in our tasting room when we will be sampling all our favorite dips, cheeses, snacks and refreshments suitable for a Super Bowl celebration; all our party favorites. What wine goes with chicken wings? Or with Super Bowl Chili? We'll find out. Hope to see you there!

02/02 SAT 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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.