At under $15.00, Clos LaChance's Cabernet Sauvignon is truly a value-priced treat that offers aromas of sweet blackberries and a rich and flavorful mouthfeel. Clos LaChance Winery takes its name from the French word for a fenced-in area enclosing a vineyard (clos) and co-owner Brenda Murphy's maiden name. The Murphys chose the hummingbird as their winery's symbol because of its aesthetic beauty and its useful ability to keep other birds from eating the grapes. Their winery is located in San Martin, 20 miles south of San Jose, and they've been making wine since 1992. In addition to their own 150-acre estate, they make use of neighbors' backyard grapes, a resource that spreads throughout 30 acres in the Santa Cruz mountains. We were pleasantly surprised by the complexity of this Cabernet, with its aroma hinting of rose petals, plum, vanilla and tobacco. There's also a touch of cedar and anise, and its mouthfeel is surprisingly full and rich, dominated by flavors of berry, currant and plum. Ripe tannins balance the fleshy fruit and leave a long, smooth finish. This soft and lovely red would be great with steak, rack of lamb or a rich chocolate dessert.

 

Trust McManis to continue to expand its value and flavor-driven offerings - we're happy to add their Zinfandel to our McManis lineup! Grown in the River Junction, located near the cool confluence of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers, just south of Lodi, this is the only appellation that houses only one winery. Their unique soil allows the McManis family to produce lovely wines across multiple varietals. The company was founded in 1990 by Ron and Jamie McManis - fourth generation family farmers. The McManis family has been growing grapes in this region since 1938. With the majority of grapes coming from the Lodi region, their new Zinfandel has a wonderful ripe raspberry and cherry bouquet with classic Zin characteristics. With a mouth full of bright cassis, as well as raspberry flavors, the wine is medium bodied and has a clean fruit finish.
 

CLOS LACHANCE CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Central Coast $14.97 (regularly $17.95)

MCMANIS ZINFANDEL, California $10.97 (regularly $12.95)

The long-awaited wonder-wines from superstar Paul Hobbs are now available, and we are accepting requests for these outstanding and limited wines. This time, we're able to offer not just the Chardonnay and Cabernet but also his incredibly intense Pinot Noir. Robert Parker had this to say: "87-88 points. The 2006 Pinot Noir Russian River is a straightforward, chunky, fruit-driven effort displaying notes of plums, ripe cherries, chocolate, and earth. Drink it over the next 2-3 years." This one is definitely worth hanging on to, as a little age will really bring out the darker fruit flavors. The Russian River Valley Chardonnay has aromas of white flowers, honeysuckle and citrus oil, with a creamy texture bursting with flavors of tropical fruit and custard. There's a touch of citrus on the finish, too. Robert Parker gave this Chardonnay an impressive 91 points and said it "offers abundant amounts of hazelnut and tropical fruits in an elegant, medium-bodied style. Drink this beauty over the next 2-3 years." Meanwhile, he gave the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet a whopping 92 points and said it "offers beautiful black currant fruit interwoven with notions of licorice, cedar, and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, opulent, and fleshy, it should drink nicely for 12-15+ years." Watch out for this one - it's also got a whopping 14.9% alcohol level! All 3 of these wines are in limited supply, so please order today using the links below.

 

PAUL HOBBS RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2006, Russian River $49.97 (regularly $59.95)

PAUL HOBBS RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY CHARDONNAY 2006, Russian River $49.97 (regularly $59.95)

PAUL HOBBS NAPA VALLEY CABERNET 2005, Napa $79.97 (regularly $99.95)

There are still a few spaces left for this week's Third Thursday Wine Classes focusing on Cabernets. Sterling Pratt will be leading this one and he has picked out some terrific wines from around the world to make it well worth your while. The food department will, of course, offer some appropriate snacks - please remember, if you would prefer a vegetarian tasting plate, let us know when you register. As always, reservations in advance are required so call or e-mail right now because space is limited.

 

03/20 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.

Ever notice how difficult it is these days to find a value from France or Italy? That's because our dollar is really weak right now in comparison to the Euro. However, there is a solution: "Euro-beaters", wines from other parts of the world that offer an excellent price/quality ratio and compare favorably to the more famous Old World Wines. Join us in the store on Thursday, March 27, for a class on discovering some of these "Euro-beaters" as we taste a total of 10 white and red wines we think you should know about from Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and more, including some values from the good ol' USA. The class will begin at 6:30 that evening and will cost $30 per person. The class will be taught by wine writer/educator Tom Hyland, a former Schaefer's employee. Payment in advance is required and class size is limited, so seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure your seat in this class, please enroll by March 22. We hope to see you on March 27 for some great values from around the world!

 

3/27 - 6:30-7:45, $30 per person. Contact Tom Hyland at (773) 293-6790 or by email to register. Please do not contact Schaefer's directly.

Join us on Thursday evening, April 3, for a free tasting of kosher wines, just in time for your Passover celebration. Kosher wine today means much more than Manischewitz - it's white and red, sweet and dry, and countries all over the world are making quality wines that just happen to be kosher. Stop by and try some!

 

4/3 THU- 5:30-7:30, FREE

Qino One is the first super-premium vodka made from quinoa [keen-wah]. Qino One was created by French restaurateur Jean Denis Courtin and CC Spirits, a U.S. import company founded by Massachusetts couple Dan and Christine Cooney. The vodka is produced in France and made from fair-trade organic Bolivian quinoa and Northern European rye. Quinoa is an ancient South American cereal grain with a distinctive nutty flavor that has been cultivated for over 5,000 years.

 

Join us for Saturday's tasting when we'll be pouring Qino One!

 

QINO ONE VODKA $27.95

What's in your Easter basket? Chocolate bunnies? Marshmallow Peeps? Well, it's time to lose the pale, pink, blue and yellow cream-filled eggs and fill that basket with some real cream...French cream!

 

Regal de Bourgogne is the party cheese of the season! A beautifully rich French triple cream cow's milk cheese formed in a perfect white ball, studded with sweet raisins that have been soaked and plumped in mirabelle, a potent French plum eau de vie. Regal de Bourgogne has a slightly salty, slightly sweet, grown up, elegant flavor. This is one gorgeous "cheese ball"! Place the cheese on your most beautiful serving plate and surround it with Toasted Wheat Champagne Crackers they are the perfect accompaniment to such a fancy and festive holiday treat.

 

The triple crème called St. Andre is one of the world's most luxurious cheeses. Deserving of its reputation," St. Andre might have an angelic facade, but there is no doubt that it's actually straight up sinful. Enchanting and celebratory, inside the downy rind you'll find a rich center that adds up to 70% butterfat. Seventy percent: a magic number that tells you this is the cheese for an opulent life, an every day delight and decadence. From the coast of France to your table, St. Andre is lavish and rich enough for the most special occasion. For Easter we like to serve St. Andre with Anna's Orange Thins, delicately thin, just sweet enough, Swedish cookies. Who needs candy? (mary)

 

ANNAS ORANGE THINS $1.97 5.25/oz (regularly $2.29)

ST. ANDRE $12.97/lb (regularly $14.99)

REGAL DE BOURGONE $14.97 (regularly $16.99)

Just in time for Easter dinner, we've got the wines you need, whether it's lamb or ham on your table. The Deli Dept. will provide great side dish suggestions plus we'll get a chance to try Qino One, too. Stop by and enjoy!!

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.