| July 28, 2009 |
Volume: # 2 Issue: # 30
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In Brief
Our Patio is open for Lunch & Dinner Daily - weather permitting.
Sun Singer offers a 10% discount on full case wine purchases.
Rearranged Beer Section!
Long anticipated, we've rearranged the racks in our beer area bringing new light, life and a more spacious feel to the west side of the store. Stop by soon for a look. The Feng Shui is good and we want to know what you think!
Gift Baskets Make Great Gifts
And Sun Singer makes great gift baskets just for you! There's hardly a day that a Sun Singer Gift Basket isn't bringing delight to someone in town. Stop by the store and select from a great variety of pre-assembled baskets for you to grab and run, or if you're more methodical, we're glad to combine your custom selections with our talent to create the perfect gift. House warmings, new babies, birthdays, weddings-you think of the occasion and we'll help you make it a celebration for a special person!
Notable Quote
"Wine is one of the loveliest and most intricate of nature's gifts to us, since its creation is unlocked by human interaction and it enables us to taste the landscapes and seasons of the natural world with extraordinary precision. To drink wine is to drink nature. This is why most of us love wine; it is also a kind of love for the world itself, for being alive and for being here." ---Andrew Jefford
Come share some wine with us soon.
Best Wishes,
Mark, Jackie & the Sun Singer Staff
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Upcoming Events
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Thurs., Aug. 27th
Krannert Uncorked
4:00 - 6:00pm
Krannert Lobby | |
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Sensational Saturday Tasting
GSM: Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre!
Saturday, August 1st 12noon - 4:00 p.m.
Price: Complimentary
Sun Singer offers complimentary tastings every Saturday afternoon between 12noon - 4:00pm. We invite you to join us each and every Saturday afternoon as we explore the many pleasures of the palate!
GSM is a name commonly used in Australia for a red wine consisting of a blend of Grenache, Shiraz (a.k.a. Syrah), and Mourvèdre. This blend originated from those used in some Southern Rhône wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A GSM wine is often easy drinking, fleshy in texture, rich and complex in flavor.
Click here for a complete list of Saturday's tasting.
P.S. We offer a great lunch in our Wine Bar Cafe. Stop by for the fun, stop by to refresh and refuel. Join us for 'Lunch and a Taste' every Saturday at Sun Singer.
Next week: Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc!
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Cheeses from Wales The Welsh are continuing to create new and exciting cheeses, and Abergavenny Fine Foods produces four cheeses that are always popular selections in the Sun Singer Deli.
 Harlech, made from cow's milk, is a zesty, smooth cheese named after Harlech Castle in Northern Wales. Built in the 13th century, Harlech Castle sits atop a cliff, keeping a watchful eye over the sea and Snowdonia, the land below. Harlech is a mature cheddar blended with horseradish and parsley. This vegetarian cheese is perfect as a table cheese to add a contrast to any cheese course, paired with a beer or a Rioja, and adds a new piquancy to cheese based dishes.
 Tintern owes its name to its namesake Abby built by the so-called "white monks of Tintern". It has a very recognizable green wax rind that makes it both festive and appropriate for its origin. Flavor-wise, the maturity of the cheddar contrasts with the fresh herbal notes of chives and shallots, but overall creates quite a brawny cheese. Tintern is perfect for pairing with a beer and for country-style sandwiches and also very good for melting.
 Black Mountain is a mature Welsh Cheddar that is creamy and flavorful. The complex taste comes from the addition of white wine, garlic, and herbs, and is quite striking. Named after the mountain range in South Wales where it is produced, this semi-soft white cheddar pairs very easily. This cheese does well as a snack with rustic bread and beers or as an ingredient in one of your recipes, try it in your grilled cheese, or shred it on your soup. Try it melted on baked potatoes, stuffed in chicken or on its own with crusty bread and washed down with a pint of ale.
 Finally, Red Dragon is a Welsh Cheddar with wholegrain mustard seeds and Welsh ale, coated in a bright red wax. This gourmet cheese combines the subtle sharpness and depth of natural mustard with the mild, piquant taste notes of the Welsh ale and traditional Cheddar. Red Dragon is a buttery and spicy cheese with plenty of bite, but is not too hot, not only do the mustard seeds give Red Dragon its marvelous flavor, but also its texture. Red Dragon is aged for 3 months.
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 Respect Rosé Cooking on the grill is not always about BBQ just as drinking wine is not always about Red or White wine. With regard to food and wine, the summertime pairings that get all the hype and acknowledgement are that of Zin and BBQ; while they are paired well together, Rosé wines are not getting their fair time in the limelight.
Like everything from fashion, to food trends, to decorating, wine tastes and flavors are cyclical too. Rosé is no longer perceived as the step child of wine making or wine marketing, and is an excellent contender for a great summer wine. Rosé is making a strong and creditable comeback. The past few years have seen a rise in the amount of rosé produced. Many wineries seem to take rosé more seriously, rather than making it as a by-product of their red wines. More wineries are jumping on the bandwagon as demand increases, so there is plenty of rosé in the marketplace now to try.
When we speak of Rosé we are referring to true Rosé wine not blush wine which includes White Zinfandel and White Merlot. Anjou in the Loire Valley, produces the delicate sweet Rosé d' Anjou this is the most notable exception to the other Rosé wines that display signs of 'big' structure without sugar and enough tannin and acid to sustain the fruit, producing refreshing wines of undeniable sophistication. Rosé is often made from red Rhone grape varieties, both single varietals like Syrah and Grenache, and blends. Pinot Noir rosé - a favorite - is generally more expensive because of the cost of the fruit. read more...
 Sun Singer manager Brian Bowman discuss Rosé wine with Rob Collins on The Morning Show. |
New this week at the Wine Bar
Join us for these new selections at the Wine Bar!
Adelsheim
Pinot Gris '07,
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Beautiful
Bosc pear, white peach and Winesap apple with a touch of spice. Gentle
creaminess that lends a mouth-filling texture and long finish while staying
crisp and clean.
Maculan
Pino & Toi '08, Veneto, Italy
Intensely
perfumed, offering refreshing notes of citrus and apples. It is well balanced
on the palate with loads of fresh peaches and pears, followed by a crisp and
fragrant finish.
Darby
& Joan Chardonnay '08, South Australia, Australia
Lifted
melon characters with subtle hints of passionfruit and oak complexity. A rich
wine on the palate, it balances textural mouthfeel with clean acid finish.
Four
Graces Pinot Noir '07, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Velvet texture,
balanced acidity, vibrant freshness, integrated tannins and long, elegant
finish are each signatures of this spectacular estate vineyard.
Robert
Craig 'Affinity' Cabernet Sauvignon '06, Napa Valley, California
Left
Bank-style blend with a bit of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot,
outperforms for the price. A clean, pure Cabernet nose: graphite, cassis, hints
of dried citrus peel to brighten things. Polished and sleek, with a lingering
finish.
And some Beer
Unibroque Blanche de Chambly (Belgium style White Ale)
In the spring of 1992, Unibroue marketed its first beer on lees, the Blanche
de Chambly. It contains 5 percent alcohol and is produced from an interesting
blend of unmalted Quebec
wheat and pale barley malt, to which spices and natural aromatics are added,
along with a light hopping.
New Belgium
Skinny Dip
New Belgium's
Skinny Dip started out as a challenge from our founder Jeff to brewmaster,
Peter Bouckaert. Jeff was looking for a full-bodied, highly drinkable beer for
after workouts - something a little lighter than the rest of the portfolio.
The challenge was to give the beer
body and complexity not usually found in beers at the lighter end of the
spectrum. Cascade hops frolic with a hint of lime leaf, making Skinny Dip a
bright, refreshing splash for the summer season.
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GET HAMMERED!
WINNER'S TANK
Velvet Sledgehammer
Shiraz 2006
Plum, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, with more depth than the 'regular' bottling as well as many years of aging potential.
A limited release. Only 500 cases produced. Come in and enjoy at the Wine Bar.
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HOLY MOLE!
NORTH SHORE
Mole Poblano
Each year Derek and Sonja bring together incredible combinations of ingredients to produce special single-batch spirits. This year's is no exception. It is our delight to introduce their Spring 2009 limited release, Mole Poblano.
This year, they have made just 500 bottles of this limited edition spirit, and as with past limited releases, once it's gone, it's gone.
Check out what the Chicago Tribune wrote about it on July 26th
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Electra Slushies!
We have the coolest way to beat the summer heat ready for you day and night at the Wine Bar Cafe. Go ahead the let the summer sizzle while we cool you down with our exclusive icy, adult treat. What a delight they are! Join us today for a little bit of 'Liquid Heaven'!
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