Dear Friends,    

FALL is finally here! Though we know not officially until September 23rd, the weather and the changing leaves are convincing us otherwise. Augusta wine country is simply breathtaking this time of year! Head out on the weekends when we have entertainment or during the week to avoid the crowds. Although if you are a people watcher, we suggest the weekends. 

Just a reminder, if you can't make it out during the week before 5.30pm we do have private tastings available. Call us up and reserve a group of ten for a private after hours wine tasting. It's just $10 per person and that includes the tasting and cheese and sausage pairings.  

Here at Augusta Winery we're still harvesting and processing and this year is looking great so far!  Speaking of harvesting...
This weekend (9/16-9/17) is the town of Augusta's Harvest Festival! What a great time to come out and enjoy a kick-off to Fall! Check out all the festivities at http://www.augusta-missouri.com/swinging-vines-2011.pdf. 

 If you've visited us this month you've probably heard about our "lost vintage". We discovered some '07 Chambourcin at the beginning of the month and have been sampling and selling the few remaining cases. We are now down to 12 from the 42 discovered just a couple weeks ago. That speaks volumes about the quality! The '07 Chambourcin is very berry forward and finishes long and smooth. If that sounds like something that would please your palate, HURRY! Get it before it's gone! If you can't make it in we do ship so you can call us at 888-MOR-WINE to place an order. Due to the limited quantities this one is not available online.

We are always looking for ways to peak interest and tantalize taste buds so look forward to a couple new releases coming soon! The Wine Club of course will have first exclusive access. Look to the left to see the details and descriptions of our newbies.

Last but not least, everybody loves a party! We wanted to give you plenty of notice to put our Hallo-Wine Party on your calendars. Fall into character and come out Saturday, October 29th for a costume contest, washers, Joe Fry the Guitar Guy and tasty seasonal drink specials. More details will follow but we wanted to give you a "save the date" notice. 

Enjoy this issue and join me in having a glass of Chambourcin while we read. 

Hope to see you soon! - The Augusta Winery staff 

Wine Tasting Techniques.. 

The Senses: SMELL - Part 1  

How to "nose" a wine: 

People vary as to which they find the most effective way to smell or "nose" a wine, and you may find a combination works best.    
1. Short, sharp sniffs; best for quick impression or confirming a fault like excess sulphur dioxide.    
2. Deep, prolonged sniffing; strongest impressions early on.   
3. Short, gentle sniffing; often reveals smells that are fleeting.
4. Prolonged, gentle sniffing; to pick up a more subtle bouquet.

When smelling a wine, the temptation is always to first swirl, then sniff. Resist the temptation! If you are only smelling after swirling you are likely to miss a lot of the lighter, finer aromas. The three states in which to smell a wine are:

 1. Still: before swirling, and after it has been at rest a while. In this state you will pick up some of the most delicate aromas, most fleeting, often displaying the "varietal character" of the grape most clearly, especially in a young wine.

2. After swirling: the aromas in this state are often more penetrating but less defined. In a wine with an interesting bouquet there is often a progression of wonderful, tantalizing scents which come and go for several seconds as the wine settles.

3. (After shaking): This is in brackets because it is only necessary if you feel the wine is "dumb" or "dull" and no specific aromas are immediately present or if you suspect there is something unpleasant. This is done by placing your hand over the top of the glass and agitating the wine in all directions. 

So sniff, swirl, sniff, sip... and enjoy!  

In the next newsletter look for more wine tasting techniques on where to hold your nose and "what's that smell?".                                                                                                                                                                         

Sit back and relax...