Antinori Orvieto Campogrande 2009

Straw-yellow in color with lime green hues. Elegant and refined, with aromas of tropical fruits and floral notes. A full-bodied Orvieto, luscious and soft on the palate. 40% Procanico; 40% Grechetto; 15% Verdello; 5% Drupeggio & Malvasia

Cote du Crow 2008

This Rhone-style blend has a rich ruby red color, highlighted with purple edges. Black cherry, blackberry pie, leather and spicy aromas jump out of the glass. The wine is medium-bodied with soft tannins; it offers a mouthful of red berry and cherry, along with sweet spice, red currant and a bit of toasty oak. Its weight and balance make it a perfect pairing with anything off the grill.

King Membership (the above two, plus...) 

Luna 2008 Napa County, Pinot Grigio

The 2008 Pinot Grigio is a pale golden color.  The nose is scented with grapefruit and pear, and on the palate citrus come to the forefront.  Mango and orange zest are accented by notes of guava and a pronounced minerality.  The wonderful acidity and full-bodied texture carry through a delicious lemony finish with hints of apricot.

Ironclad Man O'War 2008, Waiheke Island,  

New Zealand

The 2008 Ironclad is a blend of 52% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 10.5% Malbec, 9.1% Petit Verdot and 1.4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only is Waiheke Island gorgeous, but they are growing some incredible grapes!   

This wine is built with the Merlot component providing the fruit softness and lifted berry fruit aromas, the Cabernet Franc adding fragrant earthy notes and a sinewy structure. Malbec brings ripe tannins and intense floral aromas while the Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon add density and tannin weight to the wine. The blend draws all the elements of the five varieties together resulting in a complex aroma profile of cassis and red summer berries, earthy undertones with a touch of floral fragrance, tarmac and leather all framed within a mix of predominantly French oak and a small component of American oak.

If you've gotten this far and you haven't tried our Wine Program, this should be the month you try something new. There are no long contracts and you can cancel anytime...where else can you find that?  You will find yourself not only enjoying the exciting wines we share each month, but also the additional savings with higher discounts! Go ahead, ask us about it.

The curtains were up, the tablecloths out and tables set for the first beer-pairing dinner at Lighthouse Delicatessen, featuring Sierra Nevada beer. As each guest arrived they were greeted with a frosty pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and a smile from the staff. This was going to be a great night.

It all began with the idea that everyone is fairly familiar with the idea of a wine-pairing dinner. However, here at Lighthouse, we do our best to do things a little differently. In case you were unaware, we are big fans of Sierra Nevada beers and thought; let's begin there.

After looking over the wide range of Sierra beers we carry at Lighthouse Liquors, Chris and Rick created a menu that would not only be unbelievably delicious, but also highlight nuances of each beer.

Once everyone had settled into their seats and finished off their Pale Ales, the first course started to pour out of the Delicatessen kitchen. Our friend Rob, from Sierra, shared the secret of pouring the Kellerweis into the glass. Pour a little, swill the bottle, pour a little more, swill the bottle, and pour some more until your glass is full.  

In this first course, the Kellerweis was paired with chilled potato leek soup served in our homemade pretzel bowl. The flavors of the soup brought out some of the unique qualities of the beer and everyone was thrilled, and there were no remaining pretzel bowls when the plates were cleared.

The salad course was a unique blend of our house-roasted pork loin with baked pumpkin and local greens. The beer was the #4 30^th Anniversary Grand Cru, which of course was on tap, and was out of this world. The Grand Cru held up to the spiciness of the pork and sweetness of the pumpkin...

The main course of Pierogi's and bratwurst was served with Sierra's Porter. Wow. Some people can be intimidated by the darkness of a porter, but as Rob says, "don't be afraid of the dark." The flavors together were scrumptious and there wasn't an empty glass or anything left on the plates.

How could we top off this amazing dinner? Well, by going over-the-top of course! The #1 30^th Anniversary Stout with ice cream and raspberries. No, not side-by-side, but think Root Beer Float, with an amazing stout and homemade ice cream in a tall glass. YUM!

It was a great evening, we really want to thank everyone for attending and especially to Rob DeKerkel for all the information and goodies he brought and shared with the group of beer lovers.

Bummed you missed it? That's ok because we are just getting started with fun dinners like this one and there will be more! If you have a suggestion or would like to create your own beer/wine dinner, please contact us and we can begin planning the fun with you.

Did You Know...? 

* Hawaii is the only US state that grows cacao beans to produce chocolate. Have you tried our Black and White cookies?

* There is enough concrete in the Hoover Dam to pave a two lane highway from San Francisco to New York.

* When you snap your fingers, the sound is created from your middle finger hitting your palm and not your thumb rubbing against your index finger.

* And Finally...

The Statue of Liberty wears a size 879 slippa.