New or returning to our shelves….
We’ve got a pair of fantastic wines from Spain’s boutique winery, Ego Bodegas.
Acuma Red Blend 2018 – Ego Bodegas
A hand harvested, six time award winning blend of 70% Monstrell, 20% Syrah, and 10% Petit Verdot, Acuma is well receivd by critics, with James Suckling describing it as,
“Super intense fruit aromas…dark cherry and plum palate…silky and soft.”
James Suckling – 91 Points
Goru Monastrell 2016 – Ego Bodegas
With too many awards to count, this popular blend of 75% Monastrell and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, wows critics with Wine Spectator noting,
“Earth, anise, espresso and mineral flavors that frame a core of currant and cocoa.”
Wine Spectator – 92 Points
We’ve got an impressive selection of seasonal German style craft brews, just in time for Oktoberfest…
Blue Point Oktoberfest – a traditional German Oktoberfest style brew – 5.7% ABV
Port City Oktobefest is a Marzen-style lager, unfiltered and naturally carbonated. 5.2% ABV
Devil’s Backbone O’Fest! – An Oktoberfest lager brewed with a “contemporary” blend of malts and hops. 5.9% ABV
Victory Festbier – A Märzen brewed from German malts and whole flower German hops. 5.6% ABV
Great Lakes Oktoberfest – This 4-time award winner promises “toasty autumnal flavors”. 6.5% ABV
Left Hand Oktoberfest – A Märzen lager promising to add just enough hops to the malt for a “dry & spicy finish”. 6.6% ABV
Goose Island Oktoberfest – A German style Märzen offering a “mild earthy bitterness” due to Hallertau hops. 5.7% ABV
Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Amber Märzen promises “aromas of honey and biscuity bread”, with flavors of caramel and graham cracker. 5.5% ABV
As the hot summer nights continue, we’ve selected another pair of Sauvignon Blanc, both hailing from Marlborough, New Zealand.
Duck Hunter Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Duck Hunter harvests Sauvignon Blanc from vineyards in both the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. The winemaker describes a “crisp and clean pallet” and a nose “bursting with stonefruit and melon.”
Rich Cook agrees, awarding Duck Hunter Sauvignon Blanc a 94 pt score, with notes that include:
“…fresh citrus, mild grass, bright stony minerality and a sexy texture that finishes with a zesty pop.”
Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc 2020
According to the winemaker, a lower crop resulted in a higher concentration of flavor and texture – describing this Sauvignon Blanc as “fresh, zesty, juicy and full.”
Wine Spectator seem to agree, awarding Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc a 92 pt score, with tasting notes that include:
“…generous and juicy mix of passion fruit, key lime and ruby grapefruit flavors.”
They seem to arrive earlier every year, and sell out long before Halloween. This year’s crop of great pumpkin beers are here…
Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin – Pumpkin Ale – New Belgium
Brewed with cinnamon and habanero chili peppers for “just the right amount of heat.”
The Great’er Pumpkin – Borubon Barrel Aged Pumpkin Ale – Heavy Seas
In addition to the usual cinammon, ginger and clove, barrel aging adds notes of “oak, vanilla, and of course, bourbon”.
The Fear – Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Flying Dog
Spicy and sweet, brewed with 4 types of malt, two types of hops and 300 pounds of pumpkin per 50 barrels.
Punkin Ale – Brown Ale – Dogfish Head
A brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg.
Pumpkin Ale – Schlafly
Schlafly intends this to be “like a slice of pie in a bottle.” Caramel and ginger feature strongly in the tasting notes.
Jacques Au Lantern – Belgian Pumpkin Ale – Evolution Craft Brewery
An unfiltered amber ale, brewed with pumpkin and spices, fermented with Belgian yeast.
We’ve selected a pair of Sauvignon Blanc to keep you going through these hot summer nights.
First up from Chile, we have EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2019 from Matetic Vineyards. The “EQ” refers to the balance or “equilibrio” in Spanish, the winemaker sees in the soils of the Valle Hermoso vineyard. Matetic’s tasting notes include:
“….fresh and vivid, crisp and concentrated, very fruity with a salty mineral dimension leading to a lingering finish.”
And from New Zealand we have Manu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020. Manu is a collection of New Zealand wines from winemaker Steve Bird. Steve Bird Wines descreibes Manu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as:
“…vibrant and tasty, packed with flavors of lime, stone fruit and fresh herbs.”
We’ve got two exciting limited brews to feature this month, hailing from two always exciting breweries.
Stone Brewing Co – Imperial Star Fawker Hazy IPA
This new release from Stone Brewing originated in their Napa, California facility. Stone Imperial Star Fawker is brewed with Rakau and Citra hops for a flavor profile the brewer describes as “ripe mango, juicy stone fruit, pineapple, orange what and…hop derived diesel notes.” 9% ABV
Bell’s Brewery – Incessant New England IPA
Similar to Imperial Star Fawker, Incessant also began at a smaller facility, the original brewery, before moving to the production brewery in Comstock, MI. Incessant is a double New England IPA, weighing in at 8.5% ABV. Bell’s Brewery promises “tropical fruit” tasting notes