Don't believe the hype...

I get so irritated everytime I see a "Vote YES on Question 1" ad.
It's such propaganda.

And what's so interesting is that I'm seeing so many "Vote Yes" ads, and have seen no "Vote No" ads on television. I received one mailer about voting "no".

Why are they working so hard, if it's such an obvious answer to the question? I'll tell you why. Because they're lying. They're not being honest with the public and the people behind this bill think the public are fools.

Question 1 does not "simply allow supermarkets to sell wine". That's a very misleading statement.Question 1 would grant ANY retailer who sells any type of perishable product - which by Massachusetts law requires them to carry a grocer's license - the ability to sell all alcohol that is covered under a retail wine license. This would include White Hens, 7-11s, Christys, you get the picture. This would even include some gas stations that are "Mini-Marts". Do you know that there are some malted liquors that are considered "wine" by retail licenses? This is what they are not saying on their commercial ads.

Don't be fooled. Supermarkets in MA have been able to sell wine and beer for a while now - it was regulated on a "x" amount of licenses per chain. BJs, Costco, Sam's Club - they've all been selling these products for years with little or no impact to most retailers. Will supermarkets have an impact on some stores....sure. Or if a store is located directly next door to a major supermarket - yes, it will be detrimental to them. Most major competitors of liquor retailers are other retailers and this is a competition we've had to deal with for years. For some reason, liquor stores seem to be bundled in areas. It's rare to be the owner of a liquor store and be the "only gig" in town. We are our own worst competition. And as the advent of Amazon and other online "malls" didn't destroy the retail walk in business - this allowing of supermarkets to carry alcohol is no way connected to preventing a monopoly amongst retail stores. That is just one of the most foolish things I've heard.

Here's why you should vote "no" on Question 1. It doesn't matter whether we "catch up" with the rest of the country with regards to our laws on selling alcohol. Truly, does "keeping up with the Jones'" mean anything with regards to our children's lives? We can't prevent our children from underage drinking, or doing drugs. But we don't have to make it so readily accessible to them either. As it is, Massachusetts has been pushing for the driving age to be raised as a result of the high rate of teenage driving deaths we've seen over the past few years. Do we truly need to add alcohol to the mix? Do we want our kids to pull into the gas station that has wine available and have them "fill up" on all levels? Are the teenage kids that work at the supermarkets responsible enough to card their peers? We have enough peer pressure in schools today regarding the use of controlled substances, let alone adding the pressure for distribution of them. And the ABCC is understaffed as it is. They're having a hard enough time monitoring package stores, how are they going to be able to monitor the sales from all of these additional stores.There is a liquor store on virtually every corner in Massachusetts. And most stores are open 7 days a week. Tell me, what is the true advantage to having the White Hen or 7-11 selling wine?

Call me crazy. Call me old fashioned. Call me responsible. Leave the sales of alcohol -- which is still a controlled substance, might I add - to the retailers who have been proven responsible enough to control the sales and distribution of such product.

Summer Sizzle....and Cigars!

While Boston is a tourist town, summer on the Hill slows things down quite a bit.
Fewer wine parties, fewer tastings...fewer postings on our blog.

However, we have added something new to the store: Cigars!We've started off slowly, offering 4 different varieties in very reasonable price ranges.
The next time you're looking for a stogie to go with that scotch, come on in! We're hoping to add to our collection and offer finer cigars in addition to what we've presently got in store.

Random question:Have you tried any new wines this summer, in light of the heat? Did you find any new favorites?If so....what is it? Please share!

'Til next time.....

Kali Hart Pinot Noir & Olivier Nyakas

Kali Hart Pinot Noir:
Kali Hart Pinot Noir is an inky-deep ruby in color with great clarity. The nose shows concentrated cherry, ripe strawberry, oak notes, cedar, and terroir. Fruit-forward and concentrated in style, the wine displays blueberry and strawberry jam flavors on the palate. The finish shows a good acid backbone with a balanced sweetness of French oak.

Olivier Nyakas:
Nyakas Cellars Olivier is a delightful Hungarian white wine made entirely from the native grape varietal Irsai Oliver of the Muscat family. This wine comes from the Budai wine region of Hungary, home of the Hungarian capital. Handcrafted for Monarchia by Nyakas Cellars.Nyakas Cellars Olivier is a brilliant crystal in color with a nose of muscat, citrus, floral and mineral notes. It is crisp and dry with light/medium body, offering flavors of lime, muscat and almond. Aged in stainless steel tanks, the wine is rich and aromatic, nicely balanced to enjoy over the next 4-6 years. On the finish, it is fresh, clean and crisp.Enjoy Nyakas Cellars Olivier with baked halibut, grilled chicken, fruit salads and mild cheeses.

Attention Realtors!
Looking for the perfect gift to give to your clients who just bought their dream home? Surprise them with a wine gift basket...select a wonderfully mixed half case....or a gift certificate to let them choose their own wines for their rack!

The options are endless, and we're more than happy to recommend something perfect for your gift.

Around the World with Wine....

Last night, I hosted a wine party up in Merrimack, NH for a group of wonderful women. This was a Wines from Around the World tasting, and so we sampled a variety of wines from different countries. There were lots of laughs, and hopefully the women walked away learning a little bit more about wine and a better understanding of what styles they may or may not prefer - than what they had walked in with. The following are the tasting notes.

1. Chateau Couronneau Bordeaux

Bordeaux is a style of wine - named for the region in France where it is developed. Bordeauxs are usually big wines – and the astingency, dryness, fruitiness and finishcan be dependent upon the region within Bordeaux they come from; St. Emillion wines for example are big and soft; this wine is from the Supriere region, on the northeast section of Bordeaux. As a result of being in a different area within the region, the wine results are different. This is not big and soft; it’s a bit thinner, and tighter than most Bordeauxs. This is an absolutely fantastic organic bordeaux from this region, created by Christophe Piat, (Food & Wines of France magazines 'Bordeaux wine-maker of the year in 2002'). (Organic meaning "no added sulfites".) It’s predominantly a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; this wine is more of a Merlot blend so you’ll see it’ s softer on the finish. Wonderful with roast beef, steak, rib roast, roast pork loin, rack of lamb, or duck; braised veal with mashed potatoes.

2. Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz

This medium-bodied Shiraz offers bright fruit-forward flavors of coffee, plums and strawberry, followed by a dash of pepper and a touch of black licorice. It’s fruity, but still has a hint of oak – so it’s got some structure to it. Shiraz is one of your all purpose wines – great for barbecue – great with pizza – great w. pasta.

3. Sabato Malbec

Here is an Argentinan wine, whose charms are irresistible. Deep ruby colored, this wine approaches the "fruit bomb" category without going over the edge. A rich, full-bodied red wine from the Mendoza region of Argentina, this Malbec has flavors of plum and black currant with a hint of dark chocolate. A steak wine for sure, but also great for sharp cheese.

4. Graham Beck "Pinno" Unoaked Chardonnay

A very fine example of one of the increasingly more available "unoaked" Chardonnays which are revitalizing the market. It's something new… that's actually something old. Both New Zealand and Australia have been practicing this method, and now South Africa is catching on as well. Unwooded Chardonnays, as they're inelegantly described, never really went away, we just forgot about them. Now they've been re-discovered and are gaining in popularity. This wine shows brightness, pure apple blossom aromas, straightforward but low key fruit flavors and a clean, engaging texture. It's quite dry throughout and its medium long finish is quite satisfying. Unoaked Chardonnays growing in fanbase as many people prefer the crispness of the wine over the vanilla creaminess that traditional oak aging provides. Food pairing follows the same as a Sauvignon Blanc, but can stand up to heavier cream sauces and pasta dishes quite well.

5. Macon Uchizy

The village of Uchizy in the heart of Burgundy (Loire Valley) produces very complex and sophisticated Chardonnay. This wine is made of 100% Chardonnay and is complex, dry and well structured with slightly spicy, ripe lemon flavours with a very zesty lingering finish. Pairs nicely with many styles of cheese – but do not pair with pears; the sweetness and softness of the pears takes away from the sweetness of the wine and leaves it tasting tart in comparison.

6. Giesen Sauvignon Blanc

Light straw color with a glint of gold, this wine is exceptionally aromatic. Ripe peaches come up first, followed by juicy lemon-lime and a whiff of the "green chile pepper" scent that's often found in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Ripe and full, juicy fruit flavors are so intense that the wine almost seems sweet; but a snappy citric tang brings it into balance, clean and lingering. The wine's "in-your-face" flavors make it a challenging food match, but asparagus - here in a farfalle pasta dish with ham and a saffron-tinted cheese sauce - stands up to the herbaceous chile-pepper flavors in the wine.

7. Muscat Vin De Glaciere Eiswein

The way Eiswein is made is simply extraordinary, something completely unique in the world of wine. Grapes--most often Riesling grapes--are left on the vine until the first frost hits. In the press house, they are pressed ever so gently as winemakers try to squeeze whatever honeyed drops out of them they can, without crushing the ice crystals that have formed. The secret of Eiswein is that nature has frozen most of the water in the grapes, and the winemaker crushes the grapes gently so as to leave the water behind! As one of the world’s truly great dessert wines, the best examples are very rich and sweet, but shot through with the most searing acidity you've ever experienced; the balance will take your breath away… Randall Graham, the brilliant clown prince of California wine at the Bonny Doon winery. Ice Wine has to freeze on the vine, of course--but some years ago Randall started chucking grapes in the freezer, then crushing them in the classic German fashion

Wine Classes & Pepperwood Grove

So, I've been toying with an idea about expanding a portion of our business: Wine classes.

An informal way of educating groups of approximately 30 at a time - on the basics of understanding wine.
Not so much the complexities of the subject -but the basics.

To be able to order something other than White Zinfandel, or the "house red" or "house white" when at a restaurant.
To gain an understanding of one's palate.

Would you attend if you had the opportunity to?
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Okay. So, I haven't given many tasting notes on reds to date.
And tonight is not any different!

2004 Pepperwood Grove Chardonnay.
In a word - delicious.

Fruit forward, but with a lingering finish that has what I would call a hint of oak. Not a dry, wine. Full bodied with a softness about it. Great stand alone, but try it with grilled salmon, mushroom risotto or barbequed pork chops. We had it tonight with chicken marinated with a bourbon sauce, cajun garlic rice - and sauteed kale & stringbeans w. onions. It was very nice.

So many wines - so little time

Today we spent 2.5 hours at the Wine Expo. We don't stay much longer than that, because the trade hours are only for a short time. After the general public is allowed in, it gets hectic and crowded - and very difficult to "talk shop" (no offense!).

We focused on finding some good Malbecs, and Bordeauxs. We didn't get to try as many different styles as we had hoped, but we did manage to find some really interesting prospects to add to our eclectic selection. Besides, your palate can only handle tasting so many wines in a short period of time, so I think we did well.

Once I get my notes together, I'll post tasting information on a few wines that I found to be rather interesting.

If you attended - and found something in particular - please do share. We'd love to hear what you enjoyed.

Boston Wine Expo 2006

This weekend is the largest wine expo in the country: The Boston Wine Expo.
And we will be there, sampling wines that we can add to our already eclectic, and ever changing inventory.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you - our customers - to sample wines from around the world, and in bulk. Bring a notebook, and a pen - and be sure to not swallow too much of what you sip. This one weekend is an amazing crash course in wine so that you can find what you do - and don't like about different wines. Taste the difference between Syrah and Shiraz...sample unoaked chardonnays...drink an unfiltered wine for fun.

Please - let us know what you like!
Our goal is to help you find the perfect bottle to enjoy.

And I will be posting tasting notes on some of my personal favorites!

Cheers!

2004 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc

Mmmm, Mmmm, Good.
If you are the type of wine drinker that looks down upon the screw cap concept - think again.
From the first opening of this bottle, the aroma of grapefruit fills the air. This is a full bodied, sweet - not overly crisp - and almost perfumey wine. It's got one of the longest finishes I've ever tasted on a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It envelopes your mouth....Definitely give this a try.

We're having this with crab stuffed haddock, potatoes au lait w/ mushrooms, and a garden salad.

Looking for food pairings?
Coming this week: What to drink with your holiday dinner!

2003 Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranch Chardonnay

The 2003 Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches is a great wine to try if you like chardonnay, but don't want too much oak. It's soft with good weight - it's got a great finish with just a hint of oak, and a lingering citrus taste - I'd say lemony, but not overbearingly so. While this is traditionally good with dishes such as pasta, chicken and risotto - we think it held up quite nicely with the grilled steak we had this evening, sided with parmesean rice and garden salad.

Gene prefers Napa Chards; I prefer Sonoma - but we both enjoyed this wine this evening.

South African Sampler...

We hosted a South African themed wine party last night, and so I thought I'd share my own personal tasting notes on the wines we tasted out. Enjoy....

Graham Beck Railroad Red Reserve Shiraz 2003:
This Shiraz is not as big as most Shiraz' tend to be. It's rich in color, but falls short on the big round taste that it's Australian cousin has. This Shiraz leans more towards it's other cousin, Syrah - and this particular Shiraz actually pairs better with lambs, stews and game foods which is more typical of Syrah; whereas an Australian Shiraz pairs great with barbecue and hearty beef. If you like Syrah, this SA Shiraz is your choice.

Wildekrans Pinotage: Pinotage is the signature wine of South Africa. Either one likes Pinotage, or one doesn't - very few fall in the middle. This particular Pinotage is softer than most - it's been blended very well so that it suits American palates moreso than other Pinotages. This style of wine usually has a "twist" - it dances on your tongue (I love Pinotage). However, this particular Pinotage is something you would enjoy if you enjoy Merlot.

David Frost "Gene Sarazen" Cabernet Sauvignon 2000: This is a good tasting Cabernet, however, it is not a big one; so if you are a fan of traditional Cabernet, you may find this falls short. Pleasant tasting, great color - but just not big. It's sweet and jammy, and after being decanted - it opens up some; but truly should be held a little while longer to drink.

Ken Forrester Sauvignon Blanc: Not quite as crisp and acidic as a New Zealand SV, but quite nice. A good fruit flavor when served room temperature; chilled- it's a little thin. Pineapple and Melon on the finish. Decent enough, but if you're a classic NZ SV fan - this you will not love.

Graham Beck"Pinno" Unoaked Chardonnay: (I love unoaked Chard!) South Africa is catching on to the trend of steel casking their Chardonnay as Australia and NZ have done. This tastes more typical of a SV than a Chardonnay because it's so full, and has a nice acidity to it. Chardonnay is up and coming in the South Africa wine making circles - it's always been secondary to the Sauvignon Blanc. Unoaking it - will bring it forward in the drinking trends. Crisp, fruity and round. If you'd like to try a very interesting unoaked Chardonnay -not South African - try Kali Hart. Let me know what you think.

Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc: This style wine is one that is not being produced much by South African wine farms because it's quite difficult to produce one that is not too thin. This is a very full bodied Chenin Blanc - and for those who don't normally like white wine - this particular Chenin Blanc is a good one to try. It's tight and dry - but sweet.

Stop in and see us sometime...

So, I'm a little dissapointed that this community tasting forum hasn't quite taken off as I'd hoped. Especially since blogging is such a "hot" thing at the moment. But I will keep on posting, and maybe - just maybe - some of you will participate!

If you are in the Boston area, please stop by. We've just recently refurbished our French, German, Australian reds, and white Burgundy sections to the point of them being referred to as "the best, eclectic selection in Boston" by some of our competitors - who were nice enough to identify themselves while they were "spying on the competition"! I'll withhold their names out of respect, as we do appreciate them sharing that tidbit of information with us.

Autumn is falling upon us in short order - time for me to start thinking about sampling bigger, heartier wines than I'd been drinking previously....Please, feel free to share your tasting notes or ask questions. We want this to be a forum for all.

Cheers!

Kientzler Pinot D' Alsace 2002

Again, I had Thai tonight. (I'm noticing a run on Thai food with us lately...). So, looking at our wine rack at home, we decided to chill some Pinot D'Alsace 2002. Quite a nice choice for Thai.

Gene had a very spicy Pad Thai, and I had Drunken Noodles w/ Shrimp. Pinot Blanc from Alsace can sometimes be good - but not "great". This is quite nice; a great compliment to the spicy food - it really brought the sweetness out of the wine. It's sweet without being too sweet; and it's got a great mineral taste to it. It's got a finish that lingers - and the fruitiness is just right. It's light, but so "there".

Definitely well worth trying. And as fall approaches, think about this: sauerkraut, roast pork, sausages, bacon and potatoes - with a nice glass of D'Alsace. I'm thinking that would be a great dish to try this with if you're not in the mood for Thai.

Cheers!

Kim Crawford 2004 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Don't let the screw cap fool you...for those of you who don't know, Kim Crawford who is one of NZ's leading and award winning vineyards has been using screw caps for years. This is wine is one of my favorites....rated 91 points from Wine Spectator. It is refreshing, crisp with acidity,yet full. This is an amazingly "fresh" tasting wine, it wakes your palate with every sip. Drink now - good until 2009; This was #44 TOP 100 of 2004 from Wine Spectator Magazine.

I have two words for this wine "pha-nomenal". It's one of my all time favorites. I had it this evening with Pad Thai; would be excellent with seafood of any kind, or as a counterbalance to a spicy dish (as I mentioned, I had Thai). But I have to be honest, I love this wine so much, I'd drink it with anything.

2001 Domaine des Causses Lirac: Surprisingly Soft

I'm not usually a fan of Syrah, I tend to favor Shiraz... however, the Lirac is a pleasure to drink! This is a French wine, from the Southern Rhone Valley - and is made of 100% Syrah grapes. This particular type of wine is usually made with a blend of grenache and syrah, so this is a particularly interesting wine. As a result this wine is very lavish, almost hedonistic. The flavors you will pick up on the strongest would be blackberry and black raspberry fruit flavors. This is a full bodied wine, and the interesting thing about this wine is that it’s got lots of great color -- without all the tannins -- so it’s softer than you would expect. This would be best with strong blue cheeses and / or Leg of Lamb.

Reynella Shiraz - Not your average Shiraz!

Let me warn you - this is not your average Shiraz, in quality - or price. This is an award winning, BIG shiraz. For those of you who don't know, Shiraz is the leading grape of Austrialia – and it is the same grape as the French Syrah. This is an Australian wine, rich in texture, with warm chocolate flavours and blackberry overtones. Shiraz is a very soft, jammy, wine with a wonderful aroma and is a wonderful wine to drink, especially for those who think they don’t like red wines. Its not nearly as dry as it’s French counterpart, Syrah. Shiraz is perfect with just about any kind of meat: beef, lamb, venison. And let me tell you - it was fantastic with the grilled steak I had for dinner tonight!

Shiraz is one of those great, grill friendly wines, and as I said - for those of you who don't think you like red wines, try a Shiraz. Reynella may be something you might want to work up to - or.... give it a shot! For experienced wine drinkers, this is a must.

For anyone who lives in the Boston area, we're having an instore tasting tomorrow at 2pm. For more information, check out our newsletter

Cheers!

Is that a Martini you're drinking - or are you just happy to see me?

Okay. So I'm going to go a little off topic of wine - and give a HUGE plug to a local restaurant that makes the absolutely BEST Martini's....ever. Even if you think you aren't a Martini fan, you will be after visiting this place (those of you local to MA).

It's called Venetian Moon, on Main Street in Reading Center. (Rte 28). If you do a search online for them, it appears there's no website, but CitySeach seems to have an outdated menu there - with NO Martini's listed. So you're going to have to trust me on this one.

The food is very good - eclectic Italian style dishes; good sized servings and one of the best Marsala's I've tasted. As simple as Marsala is - it's difficult to find a good one at a restaurant. Average entree is between $14 - $20.

BUT - the point of all of this is the Martini bar and selection. I didn't count so don't hold me to this number, but I believe they offer 50 different kinds. Our goal is to try each one of them, of course! Not only are they creative and fun -- they're all made really well. If you like Martinis, then you know how dissapointing it is to order one and have it be all wrong. I've had 6 different ones there, and yet to have one that wasn't made just right. Just a little FYI about me: I'm not really into "fou fou" sweet drinks (e.g. Green Apple, Watermelon, etc..) - I'm more of a "plain Jane" Vanilla Vodka kind of girl... ;)

On a wine note -- I drank a few average wines over the week, nothing worth noting really.
Cheers!

Cha..Cha...Cha...Cheap, Chilean Chardonnay

Okay. First off, let me preface this by saying that I am a big fan of NZ whites. I love steel casked wines.

Now that we've established that, let me introduce you to the wine I had tonight.
Los Vascos Chardonnay: Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) 2004
This is a really fruit forward, crisp Chardonnay from Chile, that at my first sip - I thought for sure it was a Sauvignon Blanc from NZ. It's got a great balance of acid and fruit. Its not as "big" of a Chardonnay as some that I've tasted (Kim Crawford, for example...) but at $9.99 - it's a great summer white. Check it out, see what you think.

Thanks for visiting us...

We're hoping to use this space as a way to share information about wines that we're drinking personally - as well as selling. Feel free to add your own tasting notes if you'd like!

For those of you who have found us via the Blog - visit our site: http://www.beaconhillwine.com

We specialize in eclectic, boutique type wines - but we also carry not so unusual wines as well.
Feel free to share your thoughts, comments, and suggestions.

If you have a wine inquiry, you can leave it here, but for an immediate response (since this might take some time to catch on...) you might want to email Rebecca@beaconhillwine.com, Gene@beaconhillwine.com, or call 617-742-8571.

We have an email newsletter as well - Feel free to sign up!
Cheers!