Join us at The Urban Grape for our weekly tastings, held every Thursday and Friday from 5-7 and every Saturday from 2-5. Our weekly tastings are all FREE! Here are a few highlights to mark in your calendar:

October 2nd, 2-5pm: Celebrate World Sake Day with a Sake Grand Tasting hosted by Certified Sake Educator and writer Richard Auffrey. We'll learn how Sake is made and what to eat with Sake, all while tasting a wide variety (12!) of this often misunderstood rice wine.

October 3rd, 2-5pm: We'll play our own version of Myth Busters when the Girly Green Girl teaches us the truth about Biodynamic Wines. Renowned biodynamic wine maker Cooper Mountain Wines will also be skyping in from Oregon as we taste seven different biodynamically grown vinos. 


October 16th, 2-5pm: Join Farnum Hill as they lead a tasting of their ciders at UG!

October 16, 3-4pm: TJ will be at The Fireplace Restaurant in Brookline talking and tasting all things Pinot Noir during their Fireside Chat. The plan? First cider at UG, then over to the Fireplace for Pinot. What a day!

October 17, 6:30pm: Join a real live Keeper of the Quaich for an in-depth Scotch Seminar. Taste, learn, see a man in a kilt. If you love scotch, do not miss this event!

October 22, 5-7pm: Go local-vore by tasting Apfel Eis, Apple Ice Wine from Still River Winery in Harvard, MA. Apple juice isn't just for kids anymore!

October 22/23: Going to Wine Riot? Complete the UG Scavenger Hunt to receive 10% off your next purchase or 20% off your next case. First hint - find TJ or Eileen to get your list of clues!

October 30, 2-5pm: You know him, you love him, you ask for him by name. Beer Guy Noah tastes us on his favorite fall beers and impresses us with his geeky beer knowledge.

If the thought of getting your children to bed after eight rounds of Trick or Treating has you down, make sure you stop by The Urban Grape before October 31st.

Les Sorcieres is a Carignan/Syrah/Grenache blend made with the vineyard's highest quality grapes. Bursting with fruit, but with delicate tannins and a sensuous mouthfeel, this incredible wine is delicious right from the bottle, or can be laid down to be enjoyed for many Halloweens to come. And it's a steal at only $18, a perfect value wine!

(Beer Guy Noah helped me translate all pertinent info from French...we did our best!)

Every year at this time, I start to get the itch for baking; after all, it's finally cool enough to turn on the oven. That's why I was so thrilled when The Fireplace's Chef Jim Solomon shared his Cranberry Pear Crisp with us. Pair (Pear?) it with the 2005 Cuvee Emile Willm "Selection de Graims Nobles" Gewurztraminer for a truly sinful experience.

Topping:
½  Cup Sliced Almonds
2 ½ Cups Flour
1 Cup Dry Oatmeal
2 ½ Cups Light Brown Sugar
¼ LB. Butter

Combine flower, sugar and butter in a bowl. Toss to integrate together.  Then add
almonds and oatmeal (which are added last, so as not to break them-up by combining
too early).

Filling:
5 Cups Red Pears-Sliced
2 Cups Dried Cranberries
1 Cup White Sugar
2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Cup Flour
2 Cups Cranberry Juice

Cook pears in cranberry juice and sugar until soft, stirring occasionally.

Add lemon juice, dried cranberries and flour.  Simmer on low heat (stirring a couple of
times for 5 minutes).  Allow the mixture to cool, preferably by pouring ingredients onto
a sheet pan.

Spoon the filling into a small casserole, or large Pyrex baking dish.  Fill until the mixture
reaches the top of the sides.  Then cover with the topping.  Bake in a preheated oven
of 350 degrees, for approximately fifteen minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and Gewurztraminer (available at UG for $40).