|
A Great Idea |
Click Here
|
Online Shoppping
|
|
Shop for Wine
|
|
Frequently quoted wine publications |
Robert Parker
|
|
| |
Say Vino: April 8, 2008
By Anje Schaefer-Cluxton
 We
email Say Vino every Tuesday evening. It contains news
from the wine world, our own opinions, and special offers
for our subscribers. Say Vino is available by email, at
our
website
and is also posted in our store.
|
|
Exceptional Wines, Impeccably Stored, At
Unbeatable Prices - George's Cellar Clearance Part Three
 As
you may know, we have been offering treasures from "George's
Cellar" at unbeatable prices for the past two weeks. George
has issued a mandate to price certain overstocks from the
1995 vintage to sell quickly, and these unique and perfectly
stored wines have been flying out the door. We continue this
week with our third incredible Cellar Special,
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1995. At only
$329.97, this is truly the best price in the
cournty for this wine, well known as one of the best!
Château Mouton Rothschild has its 200+ acres of vineyards
located on the slopes leading down to the Gironde, in Pauillac.
While initially passed over in the famous 1855
classification of Bordeaux, Mouton-Rothschild was elevated
to the First Great Growth status in 1973, after decades of
intense lobbying by its powerful and influential owner. This
brought about a change in the motto of the chateau:
previously, the motto of the wine was "First, I cannot be.
Second, I do not condescend to be. Mouton, I am.", and it
was changed to "First, I am. Second, I used to be. Mouton, I
do not change."
Robert Parker said "This wine is evolving
into one of Mouton-Rothschild's greatest vintages" and gave
it 95 points in his February 1998 review of this vintage,
saying this blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet
Franc, and 19% Merlot "reveals an opaque purple color, and
reluctant aromas of cassis, truffles, coffee, licorice, and
spice. In the mouth, the wine is "great stuff," with superb
density, a full-bodied personality, rich mid-palate, and a
layered, profound finish that lasts for 40+ seconds. There
is outstanding purity and high tannin, but my instincts
suggest this wine is lower in acidity and slightly fleshier
than the brawnier, bigger 1996. Both are great efforts from
Mouton-Rothschild. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2030."
Wine Spectator, in their retasting of the 1995 and 1996
vintages last year gave it an impressive 94
points and said "Aromas of ripe fruit and grilled meat
follow through to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins
and a long caressing finish. Very beautiful wine. Mouton
shows finesse yet richness in this vintage."
While we do not often promote our cellar wines, we are happy
to continue to share these special wines with our
customers as long as our overstock lasts. These exceptional
wines are in limited supply and we reserve the right to
limit quantities sold to any individual. Please click the
link below to order yours today!
|
Early Muscat for Early Spring
 Maybe
it's wishful thinking, but think lazy sipping in the sun on
the patio for this one! This light wine is a perfect partner
for springtime fun, with aromas and flavors of peach and a
tiny hint of both fizz and sweet. Labeled an "early Muscat",
this lovely Oregon rosé is a blend of 90% early Muscat with
5% each of Malbec and Syrah - not typical Oregon grapes.
Aromas leap out of the glass in an explosion of peach and
tangerine, honeysuckle and roses. The flavors of citrus
balance well with the aromas and there's a slight spritz to
complete this fun salmon-colored wine. Del Rio Vineyards are
planted to over 200,000 vines, twelve varieties, and 17
clones. It is located on a third generation pear orchard
that has become one of southern Oregon's premium wine grape
vineyards, supplying premium wine grapes to over 20 vintners
in Oregon and California as well as bottling their own
wines. The name of the wine is a double pun: 'rose jolie'
literally means pretty rose, and this certainly is a very
pretty rosé. Also one of the owners is named Jolee, and this
fun wine mirrors her whimsical personality. The land looks
over southern Oregon's Rogue River between the Cascade and
Siskiyou mountain ranges. Their rolling hills, alluvial
soil, and southern exposure comprise a foundation for great
wine making, and we know you'll like this wine as much as we
did!
|
|
Toss Your Beret in the Ring!
 April
brought a new set of Tri-Wines with this as the featured
red. It's a lovely Rhône-style red full of red fruits and
spice from its 80% Grenache with an added dark berry
character from its 20% Syrah. There is also a touch of
rich creaminess thanks to its time in oak. Unlike some
other regions of France that require some knowledge of
French geography to decipher the wine label, Vin de Pays
d'Oc wines are comfortingly labeled by the principal grape
variety. The grapes for Black Beret come from the best
parcels of 9 different estates located on the high hills
of the old Roman wine producing area of Languedoc. The
Grenache grapes come from old low yielding vines planted
on stony soil while the Syrah grapes were planted on
limestone soils. Pair this wine with grilled meats and
Mediterranean styled dishes, or enjoy it all by itself.
|
One Glass Lifts the Curse!
 As
you know, we're all diehard Cubs fans at Schaefer's, and
we're thrilled to offer Ernie Banks' 512
Chardonnay. The wine is being produced by Charity
Wines (also known as VinLozano Imports), which has raised
more than $400,000 for charity in the last year by
introducing wine labels with Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez
and Tim Wakefield (Boston Red Sox). Ernie Banks launched
512 homeruns in the friendly confines of Chicago and
created the Live Above and Beyond Foundation to eliminate
prejudice, support programs that enhance neighborhoods and
relieve discrimination among various age groups and races.
The foundation provides educational scholarships and
donates sports equipment. Every bottle sold will mean a
donation will be made to this worthy cause. The wine
itself opens with intense aromas of nectarine, tropical
fruit and toasty oak, leading to flavors of tangerine,
green apple, kiwi, and coconut. It will be in the store in
May, but we can take advance orders now - click the link
below to order your commemorative bottle today, and see
the related droplet below!
|
Celebrate Passover!
 Just
in time for Passover, and perfect for any occasion, Sabra's
Chocolate Orange Liqueur is probably the most famous liqueur
produced in Israel. The name 'Sabra' is the fruit of a
cactus found in Israel, and the word is used to describe
native-born Israelis - prickly on the outside but sweet on
the inside. The Sabra bottle is a 2,000 year old Phoenician
flask found in a Tel Aviv museum. The liqueur was first
developed in the early 1960s by the Bronfman family, the
owners of Seagram's. Since the 1990s, it has been produced
in Israel by Carmel, Israel's largest winery.
Sabra's Chocolate Orange Liqueur combines the sweetness of
chocolate, much loved by the sweet-toothed Israelis, with
the bitterness from the zest of Jaffa oranges, which were an
early symbol of Israel's citrus industry. The combination of
chocolate and orange was originally used in cooking by
Sephardi Jews from Spain. The aromas are more orange while
the flavors are more chocolate. Slightly chilling Sabra strengthens
the chocolate feel, while slightly warming it brings out the
citrus tones. Either way, it tastes great as an after dinner
drink and works well chilled, too. (Barbara)
|
Like Quixote and Sancho - Better Together!
 Spain
is a rich and varied country. From the northwest coast on
the Atlantic to the mountainous Pyrenees to the arid
southern stretches, each region has a distinct climate,
culture, and cuisine. Extremadura is a region in Spain's
southwest. Although its name conjures up an image of extreme
hardship, it actually comes from the phrase, extremo del
Duero that refers to the Duero River. Extremadura has a
frontier heritage with only a million people living in an
area the size of Switzerland. Much of the landscape is
sparse and hard, while the cities are full of spectacular
architecture, color and pomp. The unique climate of this
region does, however, produce extraordinary figs. Our 100%
natural
Matiz Fig
Bread comes to us from the hilly terrain
of La Vera. Tasty figs are combined with walnuts, honey and
natural spices, and then compressed into a sort of cake of
deliciousness. Its moist rich flavor, not too sweet, pairs
incredibly well with
Manchego the famous Spanish sheep's milk
cheese. Manchego is made exclusively from the milk of sheep
that graze on the plains of La Mancha, the land of Don
Quixote. Together
Manchego
and
Fig
Bread make that salty, sweet marriage
that's just right. Serve with a crisp
Las
Brisas white wine from Rueda.
 If
creamy's your thing, try
Tetilla,
a mild and creamy cow's milk cheese from Galicia. Slightly
gooey and luscious, Tetilla pairs wonderfully with nuts,
fruits of all kinds, especially classic Spanish
Membrillo, the gorgeous jelly made in Catalonia
from quince, and, of course, a bubbly glass of
cava.
TETILLA$9.97/
lb (regularly $10.99)
|
Best Beer Bags
Time to let your home team pride show with these great beer
carriers! Called The Kooler, this softsided ice chest will
hold up to 12 cans and comes with convenient handles for
easy transport. Just the thing for game-day get togethers -
go Cubs!
|
Third Thursday Wine Class - April 17th
 Continuing
our extremely fun series of Third Thursday Wine
Classes focusing on individual grapes, this month
we'll look at Chardonnays. And not just any
Chardonnays, but those on the Top Shelf - the good stuff.
Rombauer, Far Niente, even a Puligny-Montrachet from
Burgundy! 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.
04/17 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.
|
Springtime Cocktails
 Join
us for a fun and creative cocktail tasting seminar led by
accomplished mixologists. We'll show you how to make a
variety of tasty springtime cocktails, including the French
Riviera, Ginger Gimlet, Mango Margarita and Lemongrass
Mojito. We'll use a variety of spirits, fruits and spices to
help you mix it up as we move into warmer weather. Enjoy
this opportunity to taste some new recipes and expand your
cocktail repertoire!
4/24 THU 6:30 - 8 pm $25 per person
CAP Members (non-CAP $35)
|
Free This Saturday in our Tasting Room 11-5
We head to Spain for this week's tasting, with tapas ideas
that are party-perfect plus the wines to match. Spanish wines,
while still tied to the ever-ascending Euro, can still be a
good value, and they taste great! Stop by and check 'em out! |
Droplets
 Some droplets
of interesting wine news you may have missed. Just click the
links to read.
|
|
| |
See you next week!
 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.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at Schaefer's
|
|
|
