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Upcoming events
Put it on your calendar! Here is a list of what is coming up at Savour Wine and Cheese in the next few weeks |
| Come See the New Savour Wine and Cheese! |
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Saturday Tasting Wines for Father's Day!
with Matt Sidmore of Wine Trust
June, 16, 2 - 5 pm
complimentary!
($5.00 suggested donation to Pathways for Children)
2015 Valentina, Vermentino, Tuscany ~ $17.99
These vineyards are situated in Suvereto, on low hills, about 100 metres above sea level. The soils are gravel, clay and low yielding. The local microclimate makes the Suvereto area an ecological niche with potential for great Tuscan wines with outstanding structure. The estate Gualdo del Re has an overall surface area of about 45 hectares. Vines are trained following the traditional guyot and cordon systems to very low yields, about 6,500 vines per hectare, with soils of gravel and clay. Alternate cornfields, barley, sunflower and broad bean plantations are planted on the land. Broad bean is also used as a fertiliser along with manure. At Gualdo del Re chemical fertilisers and herbicides have no reason to exist, everything follows its own natural rhythm. A round, delicious white, it's made with organically farmed grapes. It opens with intense aromas of apricot, exotic fruit and white springtime flowers. The juicy palate offers ripe yellow peach, pineapple and lemon peel along with notes of baking spices.
2016 Orison, Anao Vaz, Arinto, Koupeiro, Verdelho, Alentejano, Portugal ~ $17.99
The winemakers at Orison say they have been fortunate to work in some of the most beautiful places on earth - a collection of the worlds top wineries, from Harlan Estate & Bond Winery, Chateau Montelena, Domaine des Croix, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Blackbird, and more. From Burgundy to Napa Valley, New Zealand to Portugal, they have been inspired by the people, winemaking techniques and traditions of each incredible location. Their goal has been to take the friendships and ideas they love
and tell the story of our travels through wine.
Today they make wine in both Alentejo Portugal and Napa Valley California. Two regions, centered in agriculture, that have influenced the path of their lives more than they could have ever dreamed. This white is stainless steel fermented, and aged in oak barrels. Hand battonage, and stirring the lees uniquely highlights the flinty minerality and citrus fruit of this refreshing wine.
2015 Blanc de Birot, Bordeaux, France ~ $17.99
The Birot estate is in Cadillac, the fortress town on the banks of the Garonne. The Blanc de Birot is a dry wine elaborated from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. These grape varieties bring intensity, roundness, and structure to the wine. Bright pale yellow in color, the 2015 vintage unfolds aromas of white flowers and grassy elderberry on the nose.Bright with great acidity, the wine is both lively and round in the mouth with citrus notes on the finish. This wine is the perfect accompaniment to seafood dishes, grilled fish, or goat cheeses.
2015 Orison, Alentejano, Portugal ~ $19.99
The Alentejo region covers about a third of Portugal, and winemakers in the remaining two-thirds can often be heard to complain about the popularity of Alentejo wines. The reds, easy drinkers, rich and fruity, are the darlings of Lisbon cafés and restaurants, also to be found on wine lists the length of the country. There are quaffing wines, but also fine wines, especially in the red department.An eclectic blend of Tempranillo, Trincadeira & Alicante Bouschet, this wine showcases the more delicate side of Portuguese red wine. This is a playful red wine, not too serious, that one can just enjoy as a sipper or to enjoy with a plate of Portuguese tapas. Notes of spiced strawberry, raspberry, black pepper, vanilla and smoke unfold in this lovely Portuguese red.
2014 Raptor Ridge, Willamette Valley, Oregon ~ $27.99
Scott Shull is an engineer turned self taught wine maker, who started off as an independent producer. He founded Raptor Ridge in 1995, making the first vintages in an old converted sheep's barn. Then in 2000, he had a wild idea to tear up an old cherry orchard in the Chehalem Mountains and plant a mix of Pinot Noir, Pommard, and Grüner Veltliner grapes. They share a 27-acre estate with families of Raptors ~birds of prey such as Red-tailed Hawks, Kestrels, Sharp-Shinned Hawks and Owls. Located on the northeast side of the Chehalem Mountains, 10 miles north of Newberg, Oregon, the winemaking goal is to capture the fresh fruit flavors and delicate aromas offered by Oregon's Willamette Valley winegrowing region. Raptor Ridge Pinot Noir ages in French oak and is racked in synchrony with the dark of the moon. Raptor Ridge wines are bred and spread by Owners/Winemakers Scott & Annie Shull, whose winemaking philosophy has two tenets: one committing the winemaker to deep personal involvement with the vines and every barrel of wine; the other balancing science with tradition. Their approach to winemaking focuses as much on the vineyard as it does the cellar. Winemaker Scott Shull is personally involved alongside growers and field hands in pruning, trellising, cluster counting, cluster thinning, leaf pulling, quality monitoring, and all harvest decisions. Uniquely- during harvest, Scott is in the field picking fruit alongside seasonal workers, and personally transports the wine grapes back to Raptor Ridge were he oversees the "crush." Family and friends are involved in processing the fruit into fermentation vats while Scott personally adjusts nutrients, inoculation, fermentation processes, and wine handling procedures. It's Scotts philosophy to intervene as little as possible in the miracle of wine, while employing a full knowledge of fermentation science only to avoid diminishment of quality or removal of flaws. In each vintage year, Raptor Ridge produces about 1000 cases of wines using traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques. High quality is the focus, not higher quantities. This wine soars like the raptors that grace the skies above the vineyards!
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Our 5-part Wine Course,
"Become a Wine Expert"
begins
Tuesday, October 2 at 6:30 pm
at Savour Wine and Cheese
76 Prospect St., Gloucester
The class runs for 5 weeks (four Tuesdays in April and 1 in May)
$250.00 - or $225.00 if paid in advance when you sign up. Limited to 12 people - so call 978 282-1455 or email Kathleen, or sign up on line to save your place!
Added bonus - You get 10% off everything at Savour during the 5 weeks you are a "student."
Learn How to:
Make a $10.00 bottle of wine taste like a $40.00 bottle of wine in minutes. Save as much as 300% on wine in a restaurant. Choose the best value in a wine store, and save at least 10% on every purchase. Find a wine that will make both your food and the wine taste better together.
"Become a Wine Expert" will show you all of these "tricks of the trade" and more. The five-part series, taught by Dr. Kathleen Powers Morgan, Ph.D., wine consultant, and author, will lead you step-by-step through the dizzying array of information about wine.
After taking the "Become a Wine Expert" course, you will order wine in a restaurant with confidence, enter any wine store and find the right wine at the right price, be able to choose the right wine for any food, and know the best tools for serving and preserving your precious stock.
"Become a Wine Expert" shares the insider secrets, gleaned from Dr. Morgan's years of experience with retail shops, four-star restaurants, wine distributors, importers, and wine makers from around the world.
This is the best way to learn what you personally like, so you can fully appreciate wine. It is also perfect for couples and friends who want
to enjoy an activity together. Whether you are a complete novice or a seasoned veteran, "Become a Wine Expert" has something for you.
Call Savour at 978 282-1455 to sign up today for only 250.00. ($225.00 if paid in advance). Cost of class includes notebooks and instructional handouts, vintage charts, food, and several high-quality wines, valued at over $700.00, to taste each week.
Class series includes: 1) Tasting Wine, proper evaluation of wine using techniques from the Court of Master Sommeliers, 2) White Wine Varietals, 3) Red Wine Varietals, 4) Wine Tips - Storage, Buying, Ordering in a Restaurant, Decanting, Choosing Glassware, Vintages, Proper Serving Temperature, and 5) Wine and Food "taste testing combinations."
Instructor - Kathleen P. Erickson, Ph.D.
Certified sommelier and wine educator, wine consultant,
Owner - Savour Wine and Cheese, and
Experienced lecturer on history, culture, and wine.
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Soup's On!
(Bone-broth and soups ready at Savour)!
With the temperatures dipping into the single digits, and the big game ahead, there is no better time for a steaming bowl of soup or nourishing bone broth from Savour's kitchen. (And, in case you missed it, January was National Soup Month, so if you forgot to observe it, now is your chance)! Katrina has been busy in the kitchen whipping up some of Savour's classics as well as a few additions. We just finished a fresh batch of our deliciously warming, slow-cooked, healthy bone broth. There is nothing better for sipping on a chilly winter day.
From "Eating Bird Food"
We also have more of our classic Brunswick Stew (a tomato-based chicken delight) as well as the hearty, rich Tuscan vegetable stew, simmered with the rind of the famous Cravero Parmesan cheese. And, just because one of our good customers, Lewis, told Katrina he was "craving it," she cooked up a full pot of her Mushroom Barley Flank Steak stew. Finally, we have a new vegan option with "Three Sisters Black Bean stew." The "three sisters" of Latin American cooking are corn, beans, and squash (butternut in this case). All stews are cooled and vacuum-sealed the same day, and frozen in quart-sized mason jars, for absolute freshness. Find them in our freezer, priced from $14.99 - $18.99. So - whether you are dining alone, feeding a crowd of Super bowl fans, or taking a night off from cooking dinner for the two of you, these delicious, filling, flavorful soups will satisfy your cravings and warm your soul!
From "A Food Centric Life"
We still have some places left for our Mardi Gras dinner this Sunday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. Chef Matt Beach will be cooking again (Yay!), so we are thrilled to have him running the show in the kitchen. We also just got an entertainment license, so we have our first musical event (a wonderful jazz trio, Krewe de Roux).
Please come out and support these incredible local musicians. In general, all your favorite local retail shops and restaurants absolutely need your support this time of year to survive. Talking with many other business-owners in our area, this has been the toughest January in many years. We so appreciate your support and encourage you to frequent other favorite businesses on Cape Ann. In that spirit, I want to give a shout out to a few great restaurants in our area - Tonno (where we recently had one of the best wine-dinner experiences to be had on Cape Ann (along with C.K. Pearl, where Chef-Owner Patrick Shea continues to outdo himself with innovative, artful fine food) and Cygnet in Beverly Farms, now with new owners, a new executive chef and a great new wine list. We are so fortunate to have business owners who care to do their best for their customers, so thank you for supporting all of us in the frigid days and nights of New England winter...maybe we should make it WINEter?
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