April 5th was supposed to be the official launch of our Rosé season, but the early warm weather combined with deliveries of case after case of gorgeous pink wine made us jump the gun and stock the shelves last week. It's officially Rosé Mania at UG, and we wouldn't have it any other way. TJ and Mike have spent the last several months sourcing the best rosés available in the state - we have a lot of new treasures along with old favorites like Commanderie de Peyrassol. We will have a few bottles open to taste all day and evening on April 5th, and mark your calendars for our Rosé Grand Tasting on Sunday, May 6th from 1-5 PM. 

You'll also see in the events section below that our vision for "Market Saturdays" has been fully realized. Each Saturday we feature a locally made beer or spirit, as well as a local food artisan sampling his or her wares. There is often wine too! Saturdays are fun, jam-packed, and busy at UG - everything we hoped they would be.

Happy Easter and Passover, and we'll see you at the store!

TJ and Hadley Douglas, and the staff of The Urban Grape 

Be sure to join us on Thursday and Friday nights from 5-8 and Saturdays from 2-5 for our regular tastings. 

Below are a few event and tasting highlights for the upcoming month:

Thursday, April 5, 5-8 PM: Prep for the holidays at UG by stopping by for our Passover and Easter wine tasting extravaganza! One table will feature Kosher for Passover wines, the other will have wines that pair beautifully with lamb and ham. We'll also have a few rosé wines open all day to get everyone in the mood to have rosé at your holiday tables!

Saturday, April 7, 2-5 PM: Sample Sweet Lydia's grown-up marshmallow confections (think Peeps for adults) while sampling the full array of Goose Island beers. We'll have some wine picks for Easter open too.

Sunday, April 8: The Urban Grape is CLOSED for Easter so our staff can enjoy the holiday with their families.

Thursday, April 12, 5-8 PM: One of our favorite wine producers, Margerum, will be at UG to sample their wines. They'll be pouring new selections (including their just released Riviera Rose!) as well as old favorites (oh, how we love that M5), so if you love the Margerum wines you've had in the past, you'll definitely want to stop by!

Saturday, April 14, 2-5 PM: Come stock up for your Marathon party with some easy drinking Farnum Hill Cider and tasty Nobscot Artisan Cheeses. This is a fabulous pairing!

Friday, April 20, 5-8 PM: It's a Friday night party as the guys from Spindrift Soda stop by to shake up some cocktails with Mike! They'll be demonstrating how to make perfect spring drinks with just the right amount of fresh soda fizziness.

Saturday, April 22, 2-5 PM: Find your inner hippie just in time for Earth Day with our tasting of Cambridge Brewing Company beers and selections from Sprouted Raw Foods (which isn't too hard with selections like Chocolate Nib Fruit & Nut Clusters!).

Thursday, April 26, 5-8 PM: The ladies of Russian Standard Vodka will be on hand with food, giveaways and samples!

Friday, April 27, 5-8 PM: Join Best Year Ever (a funky wine distributor with an amazing selection of unique wines) as they taste us on their favorite South African wines!

Saturday, April 28, 2-5 PM: Yup, we really are having a Whoopie Pie tasting at UG - complete with our new friends from Whoopie Monster! Rounding out the fun will be Ryan and Wood, the "Spirits" of Cape Ann - amazing artisanal vodka, rum and gin.

Tuesday, May 1, 7 PM: The Urban Grape is the exclusive retail partner of the upcoming Penfolds Grange wine dinner at Ruth's Chris in Boston. This is an amazing opportunity to sample five different Penfolds Grange wines, all paired with a delicious menu. Click here for more details and reserve your seats today!

Sunday, May May 6, 1-5 PM: It's our annual Rosé Grand Tasting! There simply will be no better chance to sample our selection of rosés and stock up for the summer.

Sunday, May 6, 7-9 PM: We're pretty pumped for our next Chef Pop-Up night with Jim Solomon and his team from The Fireplace. The theme? Mushrooms. The name? "Shroom Around the Room!" While there won't be any illegal substances, there will be a Candy Cap Mushroom dessert course, and lots of interesting wine pairings. Chef Solomon and TJ always have a lot of fun pairing together, this should be no exception! Tickets available here.

As always, check the events page on our website for event updates and newly added tastings!

Spotlight Wine: 2009 Braida di Giacomo Bologna Brachetto d'Aqui (Piedmont, Italy) HALF BOTTLES

If your Easter dessert will feature fruit, chocolate, or nuts, then we really must insist that you treat yourselves to this truly brilliant bottle of wine - a Brachetto d'Aqui from one of our favorite Italian producers, Braida. We feel so strongly about this fact that we are offering it to you in half bottles at up to 25% off!  

This is a pale ruby red wine with an exuberant, fragrant and aromatic bouquet of mature red fruits and roses. It's sweet (not cloying), smooth, and delicate with just the perfect amount of effervescence. It's ideal with berry desserts - especially strawberries - and harmonious with hazelnuts, almonds and figs. But where it truly shines is as a pairing with chocolate. Marry a chocolate and berry dessert with this wine and, truly, your Easter dinner will end on the highest note possible. 

If you've never tried Brachetto d'Aqui, now is your chance! 

Regular Price: $15

15% Bottle Discount: $12.75

25% 6-Bottle Discount: $67.50 ($11.25 per bottle, a savings of $22.50 per 6-bottle case)

2010 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, NZ)

A lively wine with a sorbet-like medley of fresh lychee, grapefruit and honeydew melon. But really, all that matters is that great name - Greywacke! 

Regular Price: $22

20% Bottle Discount: $17.60

2010 Brigaldara Valpolicella (Verona, IT)

This wine has a vibrant ruby red color and aromas of cherries, vanilla and spices. It's dry, but still velvety and has a lovely medium-bodied finish. Great value for the quality!

Regular Price: $15

20% Bottle Discount: $12