Is anyone else having a tough time drinking red wine these days? I haven't enjoyed a glass in at least six weeks and even TJ has been avoiding it. Instead, we've been drinking whites and rosés with a little sweetness and a nice dry finish, or playing around with cocktails like "TJ's Martha's Vineyard Mint Juleps." Our palates have enjoyed the break, but it's also a little scary when a whole portion of the wine wall seems temporarily unappealing. 

Regardless of what you're drinking, we're making it even easier this month to save money with not one, but two, Spotlights this week and a host of interesting Tweets for the remainder of the summer. Even though it's summer, we're still bringing interesting new wines in every week, so it's worth it to stop in and browse the selections. We'll also be announcing our Fall Pop-Up Chef Nights soon, so be on the look out for the announcements via Twitter and Facebook!

Enjoy your summer! 

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 3-6 for our regular tastings. For the month of July, the staff will be pouring their favorite bottles choices of the moment during our Saturday tastings! 

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

Thursday, July 5, 5-8 PM: Back by popular demand, the most charming French man this side of the Atlantic, Martin Dupont, will pour his FAIR Spirits. Come try Quinoa Vodka, and Goji Berry and Café Liquors!

Friday, July 6, 5-8 PM: Kevin from Ideal Wine & Spirits will pour a selection of goodies from this indie distributor. 

Thursday, July 12 5-8 PM: Spencer from Grand Ten Distilling will be on hand to pour samples and cocktails of this locally made gin that is taking the market by storm. Fingers crossed, if the label Gods approve, he'll also be pouring their brand spanking new vodka!

Friday, July 13, 5-8 PM: Join Shirlee from United as she wheels and deals and sells the store right out from under our feet. Also a good time with good wine when she is at UG!

Wednesday, July 18: Join TJ at Lineage as he works the floor and helps you choose wine for your dinner - just like he did back when he worked in the restaurant biz! TJ's wine choices for the night - the Hanzell "Sebella" Chardonnay and the Marguerum "Uber" Syrah, will be half price at dinner that night. We're bringing the UG to Lineage, baby! Call for reservations, 617.232.0065.

Thursday, July 19, 5-8 PM: A huge opportunity for Scotch drinkers! Join Charlie Whitfield, the brand ambassador for Macallan, as he samples us on the Macallan line-up, all while educating us to the finer points of this amazing Scotch whisky. Charlie is Scottish and in his headshot he is wearing some seriously nifty red plaid pants in such a hip, cool way. We are in for a serious treat on the 19th! 

Thursday, July 19, 6 PM: We're so excited to join Volante Farms in Needham for their first Dinner in the Field! TJ will pair wine with each just-harvested creation from Chef Todd Heberlein. Tickets to this event are sold out, but click here to be put on a wait list for future dinners! 

Friday, July 20, 5-8 PM: More local boy love at UG, when the makers of Ryan & Wood stop by with their fabulous spirits. Made in Gloucester, their gin is the stuff tonic dreams of when it hears you're making a G&T.  

Thursday, July 16, 5-8 PM: We're working our way through the local breweries. On tap for tonight, Marissa from Mayflower Brewing Company in Plymouth will pour their line-up for our sipping pleasure!

Friday, July 27, 5-8 PM: Join Jennifer from Berkshire Mountain Distillers and stock up on spirits for the weekend. We're loving this locally made booze which has great quality for the value!

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

Spotlight Wine: 2009 Pine Ridge Vineyards "Dijon Clones" Chardonnay (Carneros, CA)



In the wine world, a serious Chadonnay battle rages on: French Chadonnay versus Californian. Typically, French Chardonnay is brighter, more crisp (aka less buttery), and better with food than it's Californian counterpart. That doesn't mean you should like one more than the other, it's just how the differences are defined. It's very hard to make a California Chard in a French style, but Pine Ridge has attempted just that with it's Dijon Clone Chardonnay. 

After starting with clones of French Chardonnay vines that have been transplanted in California, Pine Ridge does allow its juice to see some oak (six months in French barrels), but keeps the wine from undergoing malolactic fermentation. Are your glazing over yet? All you need to know about "ML" is that this is the process that causes the buttery overtones in wine. So you have French grapes, grown in a California climate that add up to a brightly acidic, citrusy wine. In the French vs California battle, this is where the two sides can meet for a glass of wine. 

This Chardonnay is a perfect dinner party wine. Or wine to take on vacation with friends. It will make a lot of different palates happy, without having to pop a lot of different bottles. We don't often feature white wines in our spotlight, so this is a great opportunity to pick one up at a very significant discount.  

Regular Price: $41

15% Bottle Discount: $34.85

25% 6-Bottle Discount: $184.50 ($30.75 per bottle, a savings of $61.50 per 6-bottle case)

Back by popular demand, it's our wildly popular "You Get What You Get and You Don't Get Upset" beer spotlight, the all local edition. 

Just in time for the 4th of July, stop by UG and pick up a four-pack of bombers at a steal of a price. You get whichever one we grab, no mixing or matching. You promise not to whine, we promise not to throw in the skunked, returned catering beer. In all seriousness, we've picked all local beers that will make any beer lover happy. For example, you might get those four local beers in the picture there!

The regular price of the four-packs would be $31. For this week, or until they're all gone, they are on sale for $25. That's a 20% savings. And it's a win-win for everyone, because once we've made a little room on the shelf, we get to bring in some new geeky beers that everyone has been dying to try. 

Regular Price: $31

20% off Spotlight price: $25 

Offer valid while supplies last!