Great Wine Deals Best wines for nice prices at Back Room Wines
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Greetings!
A vinous carnival ride for you today. The Main Event: a visit to our Great Wine Deals menu on the website. Everyone wants a deal these days. At least that's what the papers tell me, so it must be true. I'll show you where to find Back Room's always-changing Great Wine Deals menu for the most under-priced/under-valued wines on our racks. As for tasting events, it's a one-two punch this Thursday and Friday night. The events are soooo different from each other, you can attend both and hardly feel you came to the same place two nights in a row. I'll explain further below. New Food & Wine Blog! WOO HOO! Involves succulent little birdies and yummy Pinot Noir. Make your way to the bottom of the email (& take your time doing so) for some spicy inspiration.
Into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown, like a dog without a bone, an actor out alone Sing me the chorus. Phone calls only. Be one of the first two callers to sing the song with the right words & notes (I forgive being out of key) and win a bottle of Skylark "Red Belly," featured below.
Good luck, and good singing. Dan
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GREAT WINE DEALS Here are six of the MANY listed at backroomwines.com
The website's "Great Wine Deals" page lists 70 wines as of today. The dynamic list includes everything from $15 Cava to Late Harvest Torrontes for $14/half bottle. While a "Great Wine Deal" doesn't have to be cheap (relatively speaking of course), I do acquiesce to expectation and keep almost all wines on this list under $30. I'm proud of this list: it's full of delicious wines from near and far that will satisfy a discriminating palate such as yours. Will flattery get me somewhere?
I ask you to peruse the 70 wines currently on the "Great Wine Deals" page. For those of you who are speed-readers, I've picked out six of my Great Wine Deals for no particular reason. Just kidding: of course there's a method to these six: they're local, ready to drink, good with food, and progress from crisp white to big red. For easy ordering, my proposed mixed case (or half case) will take you from appetizers through the main course (and cheese) at your next holiday meal. Enjoy reading, and enjoy the wines. Thank you.
YORKVILLE CELLARS Sauvignon Blanc Yorkville Highlands 2007 $15/bottle
From the organic "Randle Hill Vineyard" behind Yorkville's winery
& tasting room (head to Anderson Valley, and you'll see Yorkville
on Hwy 128 just before). 100% Sauv Blanc, barrel fermented in neutral
barrels for texture, not oak flavor. Delicious! Taste apples,
grapefruits & peaches. Good full texture and just a little
floral/herb edge.
ENKIDU Chardonnay "Tin Cross" Alexander Valley 2008 $26
You get it all in this artisan Chardonnay. Sweet butter (50% "ML")
green apples & grapefruit (cool climate gives nice acidity), light
toast and caramel (barrel-fermented, 1/3 new French oak,
lees-stirred). Rich, creamy mouthfeel, long finish of juicy/tangy
fruits, sweet butter and toasty croissant. If you live nearby, check it out for yourself: we're pouring Enkidu this month at the Wine Bar.
SKYLARK "Red Belly" North Coast 2007 $22 47% Carignane, 47% Syrah, 6% Grenache
Red Belly fills the Pinot Noir spot in this six wine progression. Why? Because, like Pinot Noir, it's red fruit flavored, really aromatic on the spicy side, boasts good acidity and will probably be the first wine drunk up at the dinner table (i.e. it rocks with food). 50 year old vine, head pruned Carignane gives "Red Belly" spice
and intensity. Syrah gives flesh, violets on the nose and power. Touch
of Grenache gives more fruit. This is spicy, seamless, silky and
aromatic. 775 cases made.
S AND T Syrah "Brookside Vineyard" Napa Valley 2005 $29
Mom & Pop Napa wine at its finest! S is for Susan and T is for Tom. Their vineyard is at the northwest
corner of Napa-town, surrounding the B&B that they run. This is delicious Syrah with subtle Rhone-like qualities.
Loads of blueberry, black cherry, cocoa, roast beef, & black
licorice. This strong-flavored red is drinking at its best from now
through 2012. Only 200 cases made.
RUSINA Petite Sirah Alexander Valley 2006 $20
A real teeth-stainer. Nose is black pepper, raspberry and black cherry
liqueurs. Very ripe fruit in the mouth, really big, and still very well
balanced. 10% Zin adds zing. 33% new Hungarian lends sweetness. Rusina:
the Roman goddess called upon by ancient farmers to protect their
fields and vineyards. 150 cases made. Rusina Petite used to be $30/bottle, and I found it worth every penny then. Sign of the times; the winery dropped my price to spur sales. Passing on this price break to you cuz I like ya! Rusina Petite Sirah is being poured at the Wine Bar this month.
Ramian Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2006 $29
Sweet spicy nose of cola, black pepper, fruitcake, and Mexican
chocolate. Dark mulberries and blueberries, full and rich mouth
presence, juicy, supple tannins, BIG. Price sure is right. For an
artisan, tiny-production Napa Cab, What's not to like? Rutherford &
Mt Veeder fruit. 100% Cab Sauv. 500 cases made. Don't just take my word for it: Ramian Cabernet 2006 has had more repeat orders than any other "Back Room Wine" in 2009. Not just bottles: cases. It's so good to have around.
MIXED CASE 2 bottles of each $250 (includes 10% discount)
HALF CASE 1 bottle of each
$135 (includes 5% discount)
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This and Next Week's Tasting Events
Think I'll take a Thanksgiving breather on the email next week. The event schedule for this week and next:
Clos Rougeard & Domaine Charvin This Thursday, November 19 (5 to 8 P.M.) There's really good wine, and there's great wine. Domaine Charvin, one of the Top 5 producers in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. We just got in the epic 2007 Charvin Chateauneuf. We'll taste it, along with the 2006. Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny 2005s. The greatest Cabernet Franc wines in France? In the world? Only reason they don't get votes is because they make so little. We received a small allocation, and are thrilled to check them out. We'll taste two Clos Rougeaurd 2005s, their "straight" Saumur Champigny & single vineyard "Les Poyeux." Here's more information on the Charvin & Rougeard Tasting $25/tasting
BACK ROOM BLOW OUT XXXIV This Friday, November 20 (5 to 8 P.M.) Our signature event...it's our 34th walk-around tasting! Visit & taste with Y Rousseau, Violet Green, Oberschulte, Tres Sabores and Coho Wineries. Five wineries, eight (or nine) wines, poured by the owners and/or winemakers. Taste and enjoy these wines with those know them best! $15/tasting, and credit back with purchase. More information.
Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Chateauneuf-du-Pape Next Friday, November 27 (5 to 8 P.M.) the day after Thanksgiving: Come & enjoy two wines from each of these Southern Rhone Valley villages. Five of the six wines will be from the celestial 2007 vintage. "Best vintage I've tasted in 30 years," says Robert Parker. Here's the line-up $20/tastingDecember is silly with fun, social tasting events at BRW. Check out our December event schedule here.
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My latest Food & Wine Blog: Yummy Pinot Noir and Grilled Five Spice Quail
| Last Sunday morning, I found a pack of six quails near the bottom, in a deep freeze and almost forgotten.I had the wine in mind to match: AUGUST WEST Pinot Noir "Rosella's Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands 2007, $40/bottle. How should I flavor up the quail? I got it, Chinese Five Spice! A grand match. Santa Lucia Highlands Pinots are famous for their spice, and the August West is spicy indeed! Owned & made by the talented Ed Kurtzman (he makes ROAR and Freeman Pinot Noirs as well), the August West is rich, soft, of course spicy, and easy to please-even those who favor grapes other than Pinot Noir. Want to learn more? Right this way to read on and buy the August West Pinot Noir "Rosella's" 2007.
Drink more Potato Vodka.
Dan
Daniel Dawson
Back Room Wines
Corner of First & Main Streets (First Street Entrance)
Downtown Napa, California 94559
Phone: (707) 226-1378 Toll Free # is 877-322-2576
email: [email protected]
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BACK ROOM BLOW OUT XXXIV
This Thursday, November 12 5 to 8 P.M. Visit & taste with 5 winery owners and/or winemakers. Tonight we welcome Violet Green, Coho, Y. Rousseau, Oberschulte and Tres Sabores / �Por Qu� No? Wineries.
$15/tasting: $5 back with purchase of each bottle of Blow Out wine.
More information here
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DOMAINE CHARVIN & CLOS ROUGEARD
This Thursday, November 19 5 to 8 P.M. Domaine Charvin Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny: Two spectacular French wine producers.
This Thursday night, we pour two wines from each.
$25/tasting
Here are the wines
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