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Welcome to August!

"Fairest of the months!/Ripe summer's queen/The hey-day of the year/With robes that gleam with sunny sheen/Sweet August doth appear." (R. Combe Miller)

We New Englanders get a little crazed when August rolls around. We've just gotten into our summer groove, and all the sudden we're faced with the four-more-weeks warning bell.

To enjoy every last second of summer, TJ and I vow to do the following: poke through a farmer's market and eat a juicy peach, sit and watch a sunset, take a stroll for an ice cream cone, and open a bottle of wine (or two!) with friends.  Enjoy these final weeks of summer!

TJ and Hadley Douglas and the staff of The Urban Grape


Urban Tastings and Events

The Urban Grape is featuring two Kosher Wine tastings for the upcoming Jewish holidays:

August 29th, 7:00 pm: Sample some of the wide world of kosher wines and nosh on delicious bites for the upcoming Jewish holidays. This FREE event will include stories and reflections from Robin Cohen, food writer and blogger, on the role of seasonal food and farming in the ancient holiday traditions and their meaning today. Come away from this tasting with ideas of kosher food and wine to serve at your holiday table! This event is free but space is limited, so please email to reserve your spot. RSVP to [email protected].

September 2nd: Kosher Wine and Scotch tasting during our regularly scheduled Thursday tasting time, 5-7 pm (these will be different selections from the August 29 event)

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Don't forget to join us for our weekly tastings, held every Thursday and Friday from 5-7 and every Saturday from 1-3. These are free events, held for the sole purpose of allowing our customers to try new and exciting wines, beers and spirits at no risk to their wallet. Some of our August tastings include:

August 13th, 5-7p: Join Ray Cohen from Paradiso wines as he pours some unique and tasty selections to see you through the end of summer.
August 19th, 5-7p: Jeff Slavin from Hangtime Wines will feature "Bizarre Italians," little known varietals and wines from off the beaten track.
August 26th, 5-7: Back by popular demand, Ryan Sansosti from Ruby Wines will pour some of his favorite wines for the Labor Day holiday.

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Please also mark your September calendars for some unique events that we have planned.

September 13th: The first in The Urban Grape Progressive Scale education series - join us to understand how and why we rate bottles on a progressive scale and sample to taste the difference!
September 18th: Flora Springs Portfolio Tasting
September 24th: Slane Castle Irish Whiskey Tasting and Bottle Signing with Lord Henry Conyngham
September 27th: Wine Lover's Devotional Book Signing and Wine Tasting with Jonathon Alsop of the Boston Wine School.

Details for our September events (and additional event listings) will be shared in our September newsletter and posted on our website, Facebook and Twitter.


2007 T-Vine Napa Red "T" Blend   $50

Greek Salad

This little beauty of a red wine from T-Vine Cellars is a blend of "Frediani" Cabernet Sauvignon and "Nicholini Vineyard" Primativo and is considered a diamond in the rough. It is already blushing with notes of lilac and mint on the nose and red berries on the palate. Although this is a wine that is enjoyable now, it is also one that would do well to cellar for six months to a year to allow it to reach its full glory.

There were only 750 cases of the 2007 "T" Blend made and it's largely sold out, even through T Vine's wine club. We are lucky to have 12 bottles at The Urban Grape, where they are on sale for $50. 


Grilled Salmon with White Balsamic and Vanilla Marinade

salmon filets

This month we are so pleased to feature a gorgeous recipe from our new friend (and founding member of The Urban Grape Homegirls) Chef Robin White. When Robin visited the store in June, she left with a bottle of the Commanderie de Peyrassol Rose in hand. That served as her inspiration for this dish. Robin serves the salmon with a Grilled Fennel and Peach Salad, the recipe for which can be found on her blog along with Robin's musings on creating this spectacular entree!

4 4-6 oz pieces of WILD (not farmed) American or King Salmon, skin on
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 shallot, diced fine
1.5 tsp fresh organic parsley, chopped
1.5 tsp fresh organic basil, leaves torn
1.5 tsp fresh fennel fronds, chopped
1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Vanilla bean, split and seeds removed

In a plastic bag or bowl, mix all the ingredients and add the fish for at least an hour, or up to 2 hours. Heat the grill to medium high and brush a grill pan or aluminum foil with olive oil and place on the grill until hot. Remove the fish from the marinade, reserve for basting. Pat the fish dry and brush lightly with olive oil (Very Important!). Cook skin side down. The fish should start to sizzle. Cook 5-7 minutes on one side, flip and five minutes on the opposite side. After you flip the fish, baste it several times with the marinade, but leave the fish alone for the last minute of cooking. The salmon should be just barely cooked through, but still rare/pink in the middle for the most tender fish.

Serve with a nicely chilled bottle Commanderie de Peyrassol Rose, available at The Urban Grape for $21!



Urban Buzz

"Wine guru T.J. Douglas...might just change your life...[with his] fresh approach to the wine shopping experience." - Christine del Castillo, SuperTonic

"The Urban Grape is attracting both an alcoholic and an electronic buzz because of the innovative way it's selling wine and...marketing the shop." - Myrna Greenfield, PescoVegetarian Times

"The Urban Grape continues to impress and I strongly recommend you check it out." - Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie

'You know the saying life is too short to drink bad wine? I never knew what it meant until I found The Urban Grape." - Donna Manie, via Facebook

"After reading the blog post about Blange, I had to go pick up a bottle. It was the perfect wine...and the blog's description was right on point!" - Rick Randall, via Facebook

"Check out @urbangrape in Chestnut Hill just outside of Boston...great selection, super nice people & very informative" - @mellonyan, via Twitter




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