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Say Vino: November 18, 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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This year's staff picks for Thanksgiving
 Every
year at this time the Wine Department looks over our shelves
and decides what to serve at this year's Thanksgiving feast.
As usual, everyone has particular ideas. We got a wide
variety of suggestions. They come from around the world:
predominantly France, with a little bit of Germany, Spain
and Argentina, and of course America, for this traditional
American holiday.
On the
sparkling
side, the crémants of Louis Bouillot, whether Rare or Rosé,
were definite favorites. Either will work well as lovely
starters for your meal, and both can be served throughout.
Whites
focused on light and slightly sweet/spicy - definitely a
good match for the many tastes offered by the side dishes
that appear on tables. In addition, even a big Chardonnay
made the cut - its fuller body will stand up to the
traditional big meal, too.
Reds
clustered around lighter, spicier grapes such as
Gamay from Beaujolais and Pinot Noir. Two special choices
are described in the next sections with more detail. And, as
usual, we've got a wonderful Zin to offer that adds depth
and fruit to pair with that big bird.
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Real tasty, not real pricey - Mandolin Pinot Noir on sale
 One
terrific option for the Thanksgiving feast is this
inexpensive tasty Pinot Noir. Mandolin, a small winery with
large ambitions, is generating considerable attention for
its stylish wines. With the luxury of drawing on top
vineyard sources in some of California's best growing
regions, they are yielding balanced wines with bright fruit
and a long finish. In fact, it is this characteristic that
led to the name of the winery - the mandolin, an instrument,
heralded for its brilliant tone and great carrying power,
was the inspiration. The Mandolin winemaking style leans
toward emphasizing balance and expressive fruit flavors,
rather than sweetness or excessive oak, and the result is a
very accessible, flavorful wine that appeals to experienced
wine drinkers and neophytes alike. This one would be perfect
for your holiday table, capable of pleasing everyone. Light
garnet in color, this one is crisp, light and quaffable. It
features bright strawberry and raspberry fruit with hints of
black pepper and cedar. The 2007 vintage is still a bit
young, so it's worth letting this one breathe for a few
minutes before pouring - it opens up beautifully!
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Il est -almost- arrivé!
 This
Thursday will be the 3rd Thursday of November, and that
means it's time for Beaujolais Nouveau! Always a great
choice for Thanksgiving dinners, we'll be opening all three
of the usual suspects on Thursday evening as well as during
our regular Saturday tasting.
Please stop by to try some!
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 Bounceberries
Beautiful scarlet cranberries were once named craneberries
after the shape of the shrub's pale pink blossoms, which
look like the drooping heads of cranes wading through
cranberry bogs. They were also called bounceberries,
because, well, the ripe ones bounce. Wisconsin produces more
of this power-packed berry than any other state in the U.S.
In fact, the cranberry is Wisconsin's official state fruit.
It is also the state's number one fruit crop, both in acres
planted and in the industry's valuable contribution to the
state's economy.
Wisconsin Wilderness is a company located in Milwaukee, and
is recognized for the production of delicious, award
winning, products which use the freshest ingredients -- many
showcasing Wisconsin cranberries. Virtually all of the line
is made in small batches insuring that the products are of
superior quality and have the freshest, truest cranberry
flavor. We have been huge fans of their products for years
and use them all year round, not just for thanksgiving.
Wisconsin Wilderness Cranberry Mustard has won so many
awards, we have lost count. It is sweet, tart and just a
little bit creamy. It is full of flavor. Great with turkey,
of course, shrimp, ham, or pork roast. You'll make the best
turkey sandwich you have ever tasted!  .
Their Cranberry Chutney is versatile. It is terrific served
over cream cheese or mascarpone cheese for a simple
appetizer, as an unusual and delicious accompaniment to
country style pates or as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
We use it every Thanksgiving as our "cranberry sauce".
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Waltzing Matilda
 Perfectly
suited for a waltz, a jig or any other dance, Matilda is a
wonderful little beer with a big taste. Sold in 4-packs of
12 ounce bottles, it is made by local favorite Goose Island
Brewery. They use a rare yeast that produces a fruity yet
spicy flavor (think a beer version of Gewurztraminer). There
is a complex maltiness coupled with a profuse amount of hops
that makes it a great beer to enjoy with all sorts of food.
Opened in 1995, the Goose Island Brewery produces twelve
different varieties of Goose Island beer and two craft
sodas. Because no preservatives are used in the process and
the beer is not pasteurized, Goose Island puts a freshness
date on all of its products. Unlike their regular beers,
however, Matilda is designed to age in the bottle for up to
5 years. If you haven't tried this yet, Thanksgiving is the
perfect excuse: a truly fancy beer to pair with your fancy
meal.
Due to shipping limitations, we are unable to sell this item
online, but you can order it via email and we will hold it
for you to pick up in our store.
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Third Thursday wine class November 20th
 This
is your absolute last chance to join us for our last class
of the year, our annual Food & Wine Pairing extravaganza!
We're continuing our year-long theme of focusing on specific
grape varieties and for this class, the featured grape will
be that most food-friendly of all, Pinot Noir! The food
department will, of course, match us course for course with
appropriate treats. (Remember, if you would prefer
vegetarian snacks, let us know in advance.) Please note that
we'll be charging a little more - $30 ($25 for
CAP members), due to the additional food
components, but we definitely think it'll be worth it. As
always, this class will be limited in size - there's only a
few spots left - so call today to reserve your space!
11/20 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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This Saturday in our tasting room
Stop by for our FREE Saturday Tasting, 11:00-5:00, when
we'll be featuring our annual staff picks for Thanksgiving
day, plus all the deli goodies you need to make your meal
complete. 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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