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Say Vino: October 14, 2008
By Barbara Rooks
 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.
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Baby it's cold outside
 OK,
it's not that cold (yet), but it seems that way after our
long summer. So now it's time to warm up with some richer,
fuller reds. Perfect for chilly nights, we just tasted
Frei Brothers' Reserve, a full-bodied soft
Cabernet from Alexander Valley (one of our favorite
appellations), and thought it was lovely, with good fruit
and a nice balance. People may not associate Gallo (which
owns Frei Brothers) with eco-awareness, but since the late
1970s, the company has set aside an acre of untouched land
for every acre of coastal California vineyard it has
developed - making for an impressive total of more than
6,000 acres so far. Mostly sourced from Gallo's Barrelli
Creek Vineyard, this juicy Cabernet shows cassis and
peppercorn notes. Wine Enthusiast Magazine liked it
too: " 90 points. A lovely Cab made in a
drink-me-now style, this polished Alexander Valley beauty is
soft and elegant. It has impressively rich blackberry,
currant, mocha, anise and tobacco flavors, with an earthy
edge of olive tapenade and cola." Drink-me-now is right -
try this one soon!
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Rhone to the rescue
 Here's
an old standby for fall, the Luzon Verde.
Made from 100% Monastrell, which is Spanish for Mourvedre,
this deep purple wine is full of plush blueberry and plum
with mineral notes. Considered a harsh and tannic grape,
Mourvedre is traditionally a blending grape in France, but
in Spain it gets just enough extra heat to ripen into
something just plain yummy. From the incredible importer
Jorge Ordonez, this wine is made from organic grapes - hence
the verde (green) in its name and the little bugs on its
label.
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Third Thursday wine class October 16th
 There
are still a few spaces in our special Build a Better
Bordeaux class for this Thursday! Class
participants will have the chance to try a few examples from
the phenomenal 2005 vintage, then, after tasting samples of
the component grapes, small teams will create their own
blends!
Due to the nature of this class, please plan to wear old
clothing, and note that we'll be charging $30
( $25 for
CAP members), but we definitely think it'll be
worth it.
The food department will, of course, offer some appropriate
treats. Remember, if you would prefer a vegetarian snack,
please let us know!
10/16 THU 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., $30/$25 for
CAP members. Contact Schaefer's at 847-677-WINE (9463)
or by
email
to sign up.
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Absolutely the world's greatest pretzel, hand-made treats,
perfect for soup
 I
Taralli al Gusto (ee tah-RAH-lee ahl GOO-stoh) is the
name of a wonderful Italian treat. Taralli, for short, are a
classic Apulian snack. Doppio zero ("00") flour is
the most highly refined flour and is talcum-powder soft.
This gets hand-kneaded with dry white wine and the best
olive oil, then rolled out and twisted into a little
(pretzel-like) loop. I can describe the taste but I can't
come close to conveying the deliciousness of taralli. You
have to taste them for yourself. We love the olive oil
taralli with a dab of soft goat's milk cheese or creamy
Gorgonzola or Robiola. The Mediterraneo, with spices, tomato
and herbs, give the palate a rich range of flavor mellowed
by the rich flavor of the best extra virgin Apulian olive
oil, delicious dipped in a spicy marinara. But oh...Taralli
al Formaggio is, for some of us, the ultimate taralli taste
sensation with the addition of the best finely grated
Parmesan and pecorino cheeses. Melt-in-your-mouth and
cheesy, these little guys need nothing but a big, steaming
bowl of minestrone or a glass of Salice Salentino. Molto
bene!
We love Frontier Soups New York Corner Café Minestrone. You
make it with Frontier Soups' dry soup mix, an easy shortcut
to homemade gourmet soup. This is one hearty meal that is
healthy and delicious. The mix contains cranberry beans,
peppers, carrots, pasta and all natural seasonings with no
added salt, no preservatives or MSG, which makes for really
good, really tasty (not too salty!) stick to your ribs soup.
You simply soak the beans, add a few fresh ingredients and
simmer. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and
mangia.
HINT: Recycle those rinds! Save the rinds
of your Parmesan, toss them into simmering soups (especially
Minestrone) and stews to add loads of flavor and body.
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This Saturday in our tasting room
October is a busy month and events are popping up all
over, because it's National Popcorn Month. At our FREE
Saturday Tasting, 11:00-5:00, we'll sample Gary Poppins
popcorn and maybe even drag out our own machine (you know,
the one at our warehouse sales). And we'll pair that up
with wines to suit junk food - not as much of a challenge
as you might think! Plenty of other deli treats and beer,
too! Don't miss our weekly party. See you here!
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Droplets
 Some droplets
of interesting wine news you may have missed. Just click the
links to read.
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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
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