Wine & Beer of the Week

Alright, I am back from Minnesota and ready to get back on the horse. Lots of goodies to tell you about this week, but let's start with these.

Beer of the Week:

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Fritz and Ken's Ale

Since I was out of town this beer simply came in and went right into backstock. I wanted to be here to sell every bottle of this special brew. This is the first in a series of beers celebrating Sierra Nevada's 30 years of brewing. The first collaboration brings Fritz Maytag into the mix. Fritz is widely regarded as the father of modern American craft brewing. The heir to the Maytag fortune, he purchased a small San Francisco based microbrewery (Anchor Brewing) back in 1965 that was going out of business. 35 years later he is still at the helm, and has worked tirelessly to promote craft brewing in the U.S.

This is one big and impressive stout, with ability to age. A big malty sweet palate, with dark chocolate, dates, coffee, light smokiness and a touch of resin-y floral hops to round it out. Do not miss out on this beer, it will not last long!

Wine(ry) of the Week:

Baileyana Winery

This winery has easily been one of the biggest suprises for me this year. All three of their wines are under $21, and great values for their price point. All three are also certified sustainable. Here is just a quick blip about all three.

Chardonnay
"This wonderful union of winemaking and viticulture brings a Chardonnay of tremendous concentration. Bright flavors of pear, pineapple, and citrus marry with a nuance of minerality. Our first unfiltered effort has given us a wine that is intense and full with classic cool climate characteristics."
Winemaker, Christian Roguenant

Syrah
"Wow, what a wine! Cool climate Syrah is a whole different monster from the norm. There is not a lot of it in the ground and when grown right, it makes a wine that I believe will define Syrah in California. Lavender and blueberry jump out of the glass and are complimented by hints of white pepper on the palate."
Winemaker, Christian Roguenant

Pinot Noir
"Fruitier and fresher than many Pinot Noirs, this wine is intensely characteristic of its varietal. It is packed with flavors of rich black cherries and luscious black raspberry jam, with a hint of spice in the background. Smooth tannins and a velvety texture finish off nicely, leaving the palate asking for more."
Winemaker, Christian Roguenant

All three wines have scored 90 plus points in at least one major wine publication or another. My Favorite was the Chardonnay at $19, although it is tough to argue with a $21 Pinot Noir with this much depth and complexity. Give all three a try and decide for yourself.

Wine & Beer of the Week

Here is the first installment of what will become a weekly series. Each week I'll pick a wine and a beer that has caught my eye, and tell you all about it.

Wine of the Week for March 1st

Clua-Doménech Terra Alta Tinto –

This husband and wife team have combined 3 generations worth of winemaking and vineyards into one winery. Xavier Clua and Rosa Doménech both learned winemaking from their grandfathers, and inherited the estates in time. When the two married it combined two amazing winemakers and enologists with loads of fruit grown from old vine vineyards. Red wines from the Terra Alta are almost always Garnacha (Grenache) based and this wine is no exception. With 50% of the blend being Garnacha and the balance filled in with 20% Syrah and 15% each Cab and Merlot. The result is a deep rich wine with plenty of dark fruit, smoke and minerality. This wine does not spend any time in oak, which really allows the fruit to shine. At an average yield of one bottle per plant this is as small and boutique as you can get without paying an arm and a leg.

Snap up some of this Spanish gem at $13 a bottle!!!

Beer of the Week for March 1st

Allagash Confluence





This is one of the most under-rated breweries available in our market. They are a small production brewery located in Portland, Maine and make some of the best beer out there. The Confluence is a mixed fermentation beer that uses both a house Belgian style yeast in combination with Brettanomyces yeast, giving the beer all sorts of cool funk. Loads of tropical fruit and spice explode on to the palate with this beer, but the extensive ageing adds another dimension of stone fruits and a slight earthy tartness. This brew may be a little pricey, but trust me it is worth every penny!