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Wine Shop at Foxcroft Newsletter Weekly Newsletter of Upcoming Events
Tuesday September 22, 2009
7824 Fairview Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28226
704-365-6550
"At the Wine Shop at Foxcroft we are committed to bringing you Charlotte's very
best selection of artisanal, small production, and naturally made wines
the world has to offer in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere."
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| And another thing... |
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Back from New York City; Good Food, Wine and Music...
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I had a fun and productive time in New York last week. Over three days I tasted more than 500 wines from Domaine Select, Terry Theise Selections, Montecastelli, David Bower and Neil Rosenthal Wine Merchant. This is the time of the year that all the big trade tastings take place and although Charlotte is a thriving city, to see and taste the entire importer's portfolio of wine it's necessary to travel to a place like New York where the numbers justify the expense of such a tasting. I also prefer the notion of me making the buying decisions rather than one of our distributors trying to guess what I may or may not like.
I've found a lot of great new wines that I will be bringing to the Shop for your enjoyment. I hope this is one of the things that makes us different than other stores. We really want to bring you the best wine the world has to offer.
 Esca Restaurant
Hats off to Jon Serge, co-creator of Charlotte's "Customshop" for getting me a reservation at Dave Pasternak's Esca. (Voted James Beard Award's 2004 New York's Best Chef. It's midtown's Italian take on Seafood and fresh is not the word! Delicious crudo (Italian cerviche/sushi), squid-ink pasta and a bevy of exotic Italian liquors and hard to find, seafood friendly wines. (Why can't our local restaurants get a clue about offering wine that actually goes with the food they're serving???) Thanks to Victor, the consummate bartender who's service was impeccable.
 Dave, the owner came out and we chatted for some time although in my heightened euphoric state, I'm sure "tolerate" was more accurate but Dave's a humble guy and so it went. (A few local restaurateurs could lear a thing or two.) He was more than kind and I highly recommend his restaurant to anyone visiting the city. It sets the standard for Seafood in my mind. Thanks Jon!
"Fatty Crab"
Thanks to Michelle Farkas from Domain Serene for the great recommendation for dinner. Fatty Crab is a mandatory for every future visit to New York. Malaysian cuisine with a hip-hop soundtrack and a rockin'' eclectic wine list. ( Again I ask why can't we do this here???) Two locations, we had dinner at the one on Hudson St. in the West Village. I had Green mango dipped in sugar and chili. Then watermelon crispy pork salad. Even Better. Finish that off with some fatty duck and a Sylvaner or Hitachino Nest Classic ale and you've got a religious experience. Thanks Michelle!
Webster Hall - Wee Craic Fest
After the great meal at Fatty Crab we caught a cab over to Webster Hall for the Wee Craic Fest, a Irish Arts and Music show that is New York's answer to Ireland's Craic Fest. My friend and great musical talent was the headliner. You guys know him from my previous blogs on this newsletter. It was his only US show before a tour with band in Australia. Afterwards we and a couple of his friends from back in County Offaly went bar hopping for drinks and conversation. Let me warn you that you should never try to out drink an Irishman. My advanced age and the fact that I needed to wake up to catch a flight back cut the adventure short. A great show and a great way to end the trip. Now it's back to work as the owner of the city's best wineshop and wine bar ( and most humble...LOL!) Can't resist posting one more Mundy link for you guys...
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Heads Up...
I'll be in Italy the following week so no newsletter. These things take a good amount of time and as much as I love you guys, I am not working on a newsletter while I'm in Tuscany, no way! I will return with lots of great stories and adventures to share with you. Until then don't forget us. Crystal and Alex will be more than happy to help you with all your wine questions and needs. Until then I'll just say "Hanno un grade momento e ci vediamo quando torno..." |
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Arrivederci!
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| Wine Shop Staff Favorites |
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Francois Cazin Cour-Cheverny
"Le Petit Chambord"
Cheverny is one of the most recent new appellations in the Loire Valley (1991). The area, south of the Loire and abutting the marshy region of Sologne (the best hunting grounds in France), has produced wines since at least the 6th century.
Cazin makes a cuvée of Cour-Cheverny, exclusively from the ancient local grape Romorantin. This varietal, with its high acidity and minerality,when it achieves high ripeness, the wine has astonishing grapey, apricot and roasted nuts flavors, kept fresh and lively by good acidity. This is a very good vintage. This wine was a favorite by the glass last year and we're excited to be getting it back in.
Last Rosé of Summer...
Chateau Pradeaux Rosé
(Bandol)
$28.99 BOTTLE
Chateaux Pradeaux is considered a "First Growth" of the Bandol region. At one time in the not so distant past wines from this region rival the great growths of Bordeaux in fame and price. The estate doesn't give a flip about current fashion and ready to drink wines. They make reds for the long haul and usually don't show their charms until a decade or more in bottle. With the current trend to drink everything within 48 hours of purchase we as consumers miss a lot of great wine experiences that way. The king of grapes in the Bandol region is Mourvedre. One way to experience the quality of Chateau Pradeaux is to try a bottle of their exquisite rosé. Those of you ( and there are many) who've had the Commanderie de Peyrassol come close to the experience. The salmon pink color could lead you to believe that it's a light quaffer but nothing is further from the truth. In a blind tasting this could pass for red wine there's so much flavor in it. Stones and gravel, wild herbs, lavender and rosemary wait for you. Will you hear it's call??
Freemark Abbey Cabernet
(Napa Valley)
2005
$29.99 BOTTLE
Freemark Abbey is one of those old bastions of Napa winemaking, starting life over a century ago in St. Helena. Winemaker ted Edwards really helped put them on the map in the nineties with his big bold approach to Cabernet. As demand for Napa wines grew so did the price with this wine hovering in the $50 dollar range not long ago. At this price it's a great value indeed. (Winery price = $35.00 plus shipping) Dark ruby in color, the 2005 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon delivers great balance and flavors of black cherry with subtle hints of cedar, spice, chocolate and espresso. The combination of French and American oak barrels adds layers to the dark fruit flavors that lead to a long clean finish. In other words drink it now...
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| FREE SATURDAY TASTING
1:00 - 400PM |
Come join us every Saturday...
Come join us for lunch and try a great assortment of wines.
This Weekend:
Damon Haynes
from
Centerba Selections
The September
Fab Five
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| RECESSION WINE TASTINGS
Continuing
On
Tuesdays... |
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5:00 - 7:00 PM - Every Tuesday
Cost: FREE!
Come join us at the Wine Shop at Foxcroft this Winter every Tuesday evening for a free wine tasting from some of our favorite wine distributors. We'll be tasting an incredible array of wines from all over the world. Stop in on your way home from work. It's free and a lot of fun. As always there's special pricing on the wines of the evening.
TONIGHT:
Sept 22nd - Neal Rosenthal Tutored Tasting Wines of Italy and France
Tuesday, September 1st - Gene Casey from Mutual Distributors | |
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Greetings!
An Abundance of Riches...
 The Pretenders circa 1981
I was putting this newsletter together on Sunday and there was a live concert from Cornbury Music Festival in Oxfordshire England that was filmed back in April of this year. The Pretenders were playing the show and like I often do, I was overcome with a fit of nostalgia. The great English rock band, fronted by former Akron native, Crissie Hynde was a force to be reckoned with in the day. They've had a rocky road as a band over the 31 years to be sure. In fact Crissie Hynde is the only surviving continual member since their first debut in 1978. Martin Chambers, the original drummer was back on the skins for the show although he hasn't faired as well as Crissie. Of course neither have I. I had the fortune to catch their show at the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta back in 1981. Shortly after that Crissie dismissed ex-paramour and bassist Pete Farndon from the group for chronic drug problems. It was two days later that guitarist James Honeyman Scott died of a cocaine-induced heart attack. Pete was dead from drugs within the year as well. They were a great band that were known for their hybrid mix of punk and pop hooks. It was a song off their sophomore release "Pretenders II" that always stuck with me. A tender song of remembrance called "Birds of Paradise." A slow ballad that takes me back to that time, a long time ago full of promise for the future. Although Crissie continued on and had great critical success, in my opinion they never recaptured that magic of the original line up. This song captures that loss very accurately....
Birds of Paradise
"I wrote a letter to you my friend
so many letters that I never send
I think about you at the day's end
the time that we had
I laughed in my bed
the stupid things you said
we were two birds of paradise
when I was a little girl
with clay horses and lambs on the shelf
I caught frogs in ditches, listened for elves
my friends and I had a world unto ourselves
no grownups could find us when we
made our plans so secretly
to run away and fly to be
with the two birds of paradise
now once upon a time my mind still there wanders
back in the room the things I remember
one time when we took off our clothes
but you were cryin', cryin'
you said nothing lasts forever
we were happy together
I thought about you in Stockholm and Rome
me in my hotel room
you in your home
this is the life they say that
dreams are made of
don't forget
please do forgive me
I still have something you did give me
come into my dream with me and dream
please don't forget
do forgive me
I still have something you did give me
come into my dream with me and dream
oh dream of paradise."
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TONIGHT!!!
Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant
Portfolio Tasting
Tuesday September 22nd 2009
Time:7:00 PM
Cost: $20.00 |
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"The Mad Rose Group is the corporate umbrella for a close-knit group of people who understand that wine is an agricultural product and that in its best and purest form wine must reflect a specific sense of place."Neil shares the goal of communicating this concept to an ever-increasing public by presenting the finest examples of wine made in this classical tradition. I'm actually composing the newsletter this week from the Char-Meck Superior Courthouse where I'm fulfilling my civic duty as a juror and have taken the time to read his book "Reflections of a Wine Merchant." A great read and inspiration to me in how I want to conduct business in wine.The objective for Neil from the outset was to work as directly as possible with growers who were dedicated to producing limited quantities of the finest quality wines and who shared the his passion for "terroir", that ephemeral "sense of place". Over the last 30 years he has assembled an amazing portfolio of winemakers from France and Italy. He along with a handful of other importers leads the charge to restore wine to it's rightful place and away from the marketing madness the wine world has become today preferring to seek out other small sources of supply rather than work with a cooperative, negociant, or large commercial producer to keep the flow of wine coming.We're excited to bring Neil's portfolio to Charlotte with Trey Stephenson, Neil's SE Regional sales manager for a tutored tasting of the country's leading, 100% organic, 100% estate bottled wines.
Please call the shop to reserve your seats.
704.365.6550 |
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THE SEPTEMBER FAB FIVE...
Centerba Selections &
The Wines of Louis Dressner
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Receive an additional 15% off when you buy a mixed or solid case these wines - on top of the regular bottle discount!
"Louis/Dressner Selections is a portfolio of over 60 vignerons from the major wine growing regions of France and Italy.They are a partnership of Denyse Louis, a native Burgundian, Joe Dressner and Kevin McKenna. Collectively,they spend nearly nine months a year in Europe working with their growers and selecting wines for importation to America.They have no "brands." They are not looking for them. What they do have is a group of often fanatical growers who are doing their best to make wines that are original because they are honestly crafted. These might seem old-fashioned, but in the present context it is almost revolutionary....There are no gobs, no exaggerations, no over-this and over-that. We don't have fruit bombs. What we do have is a group of growers who work their vines and make their wines with honesty, passion and humor."
In that sense THE BRAND is the convergence of these crazy growers and their American importers. Working together to produce and market natural products that follow several principles:
Wild Yeasts
All wines are made with the natural yeasts on the grapes, in the vineyards and in the cellars. Cultured yeasts to rush fermentation or add "enhancing" aromas and flavors are unacceptable. They look for wines that express their terroir. No enzymes, no hormones.
Hand Harvesting
Growers harvest by hand, not machine. They want the ripest fruit to be brought carefully and lovingly into the winery.
Low Yields
The growers want low yields for greater concentration. They look for growers with holdings in old vines.
Natural Viticulture
They encourage growers to plow their vineyards to keep the soil an active eco-system, and to use natural methods in tending their vines.
No or Minimal Chaptalization
They do not want an artificially high degree of alcohol produced by adding sugar to the must. Non- or slightly chaptalized wines are more enjoyable and healthier to drink.
Non-Filtration
Wines are either not filtered or minimally filtered. We also encourage low levels of SO2.
Non-Interventionist Winemaking
They prefer a harmony, not an imposed style -wines should showcase their place of origin and varietal character. We are not looking for oak flavor, particular fruits or overly done aromatics. Minimal use of S02 is encouraged.
Quality Control
They taste at our growers several times before and after bottling before shipping wines. Where possible, we work with the vigneron to make special blends representing the very best wines in their cellar.
Enjoyment!
Lastly, their most important "principle." Because, the overblown world of overdone wines is fundamentally tiresome. they're not looking for tasting specimens, but for wines that are great fun, and a great pleasure to drink.
Clos Roche Blanche Sauvignon 2008 (Touraine, Loire Valley)
Reg. Price $20.99
Discount Price $15.99
Touraine, a Loire Valley appellation, designates a large viticultural area around the city of Tours. The vineyards of .JPG) Clos Roche Blanche were planted on the Touraine hills bordering the Cher river by the Roussel family at the end of the 19th century and have remained in the family since. They converted the vineyards to organic farming and, with the 1995 vintage, received the official "organic agriculture" accreditation. The vines are treated with copper and sulfur solutions, and plant decoctions (a mixture of nettles and other herbs) used in biodynamic viticulture. The grapes are hand-harvested and the Sauvignon Blanc is macerated for 48 hours. Neither Catherine or Didier has studied oenology or viticulture.They both learned their trade in the vineyards and the cellar, searching for methods and techniques to make wines of exceptional character in an appellation of modest reputation.The wine smells of fresh cut flower and lemon zest. The fruit is perfectly ripe without the feral aromas sometimes associated with Sauvignon Blanc, and there is a nice interplay between fruit and mineral with brisk acidity keeping everything in balance.
Baudry Chinon Rosé 2008
(Chinon, Loire Valley)
Reg. Price $17.99
Discount Price $14.99
Bernard Baudry is one of the newer stars of the Chinon scene. A graduate of the Lycée de Beaune, Baudry created  his 25-hectare estate out of family parcels and purchased land. He quickly rose to prominence in the appellation for precise, textured Chinon. Along with the wines of Domaine Joguet, Baudry is at the vanguard of a new approach to traditional Chinon: purity and extract. In A Wine & Food Guide to the Loire Valley (the most comprehensive guide to Loire Valley wines yet written), Jacqueline Friedrich writes, "My interest in Loire wines hadn't gone much further than the tasty "petits Chinons" I habitually drank in the wine bistros of Paris. In four days I changed my mind completely. Not only did my thirst grow for the mouth watering little Chinons, but I found the "serious' versions made by vignerons like Charles Joguet and Bernard Baudry exhilarating." Baudry's Chinon Rose is a pale salmon/orange tint with fresh stony aromas wafting from the glass. Firmly focused flavors of blood orange. "Pure, bracing and penetrating." This wine is all about minerality. Try it with shellfish or Ahi Tuna tartare.
Chateau de Oupia"Tradition" 2007
(Minervois, France)
Reg Price $13.99
Discount Price $11.99
Everyone talks about the new quality of wines from the Languedoc. For us, this doesn't mean the ubiquitous varietal bottlings from irrigated flat vineyards but the wonderful wines coming from the best hillside vineyard sites in AOCs like Minervois, Corbières and Coteaux-du-Languedoc. The Château d'Oupia is one of the best.
The Minervois Tradition is 60% Carignan (from vineyards up to 100 years old), 30% Syrah and 10% Grenache. It is aromatic, full and densely colored, with a long finish of dark fruits. The wine is elegant and balanced - it is both enjoyable to drink young and can age 5-7 years. dark berries and spicy aromas.Robert Parker has consistently praised this estate and rated the wine a "best buy." He wrote: "Château d'Oupia has produced the ideal bistro wine. Dark, ruby-colored, the wine is wonderfully clean and pure, with an exuberant personality, and gobs of rich, peppery, red and black fruit...Bravo to proprietor André Iché!"
D. Ventura Pena do Lobo 2007
(Ribeira Sacra, Galicia)
Reg Price $19.99
Discount Price $17.99
You may remember us featuring this wine a couple months back in our staff picks. With all of the hoopla in the NY Times about the Ribeira Sacra region and D. Ventura we
thought it would be fun to feature another wine from the producer. This is not a Louis Dressner Selection but it is 100% organic Mencia from Andre Tamers De Maison line, the spiritual cousin of Dressner and a damn good wine. Like the Vina Caniera except grown on granite soils. It received 90 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Medium red. Spicy red currant and rhubarb on the nose, with a fine mineral overlay. Tangy, focused red berry flavors benefit from nervy acid lift and show no noticeable tannins. Finishes with excellent precision and mineral grip, with no excess fat. I love this wine's elegance but suspect that some will find it austere. This is the polar opposite of Mollydooker."
Eric Texier Brezeme Rouge 2006
(Rhone Valley, France)
Reg Price $20.99
Discount Price $18.99
Eric Texier became a winemaker after a first career and without any family background in vines or wines. As such, his goals and methods developed not so much from his years of schooling, but from his readings, his visiting winemakers  around the world, and working in Burgundy with Jean-Marie Guffens at Verget. Like all good winemakers, Eric strongly believes that wines are made in the vineyard, and that his work, after the harvest, consists in following the lead of the vintage, and accompanying the wines so they fulfill their potential. Exact steps in vinification vary according to the varietals, terroirs and vintages, but the goal is always to provide the grapes, musts and wines with the best environment and intervene as little as possible.Eric began using biodynamics in the vineyard in 2001, and the first properly biodynamic vintage was 2003. 'My main concern was that I didn't want to use herbicides any more, so we had to buy all the equipment to plough with. This was the main obstacle to going to organics and biodynamics.' Shifting from organics to biodynamics was almost nothing in terms of investment, so I tried it, and I'm carrying on with it, but I'm not a biodynamic ayatollah.' According to Eric the difference between organics and biodynamics is very small. 'Once you don't use herbicides any more, the difference is in the preparations, which are very simple to use', he says.. He's Demeter and Ecocert certified, but doesn't use this on his labels.Brézème is a small, and at one point nearly forgotten, viticulture area located near the town of Livron-sur-Drôme about 18 kilometers south of Valence. Like Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage, Brézème sits on the eastern bank of the Rhône and produces both red and white wine. In 1990, Éric became intrigued when reading about the little know region of Brézème in the 1880's book Les Grands Vins de France by Dr. Ramain. After exploring Brézème, Éric believed the steep, southward facing slopes of primarily limestone and clay had the potential to produce truly great Syrahs. His Brezeme Rouge is 100% Syrah and smells and tastes like a top-notch Côte-Rôtie except at a forth the price.
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At the Wine Shop at Foxcroft our goal is to provide you with Charlotte's best selection of quality wines and beers at competitive prices. Great service is what we strive for so if there's anything you're looking for: that difficult vintage, a special gift, whateve, don't hesitate to contact us with your requests. We look forward to seeing you in the shop...
Sincerely,
Conrad, Crystal, Alex and all the
Wine Shop at Foxcroft Staff
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| THE WINE SHOP AT FOXCROFT
7824 Fairview Road
Charlotte, NC 28226
704-365-6550 |
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