Category Archives: Other

Don’t Let Your After-Dinner Drinks Be An Afterthought

An easy and impressive way to elevate any meal – especially Thanksgiving Dinner – is to offer your guests an after-dinner drink, served alongside – or in lieu of – dessert. And all that’s required for this elegant and delicious end-to-a-meal is a thoughtful bottle choice (we can help with that), and clean glassware. Baking not required.

Though there are many mixed drinks that are popular after dinner (ie. Irish Coffee), we’re focusing on one-bottle postprandial sippers: those that you merely need open and pour to enjoy. Here are the 4 styles we like to serve during Thanksgiving season.

1. Sweet Dessert Wine ranging from fruit-sweet (Sauternes, Moscato D’Asti) to sugar and nut-sweet (Madeira, Port). One small glass does a body good either by itself or paired with pungent cheese.

2. Amari bitter (and sometimes sweet) liqueurs originally produced to calm upset bellies. despite — or perhaps in light of — their at-times super-bracing bitterness, an increasing number of folks are enjoying Amari after dinner – stomachache or not.

3. Liqueurs / Cordials traditional european liqueurs made with flavors of almonds, coffee and mint (just to name a few) are now being produced in small batches by American artisans. these new bottles are an outstanding treat.

4. Bubbles popping a bottle of sweet (sec) or semi-sweet (demi-sec) sparkling wine is an elegant and festive way to put a celebratory cap on a merry holiday meal.

Call or visit the store for help in finding the perfect bottle to end your feast.

Cheers!

More Daring Pairings for Your Thanksgiving Table

Last week we shared 9 beautiful, crowd-pleasing wines, each of which will pair perfectly with the all of the flavors on the Thanksgiving plate. This week we have wines that are a bit more daring: they may not be for your beer-drinking Uncle Tom, but your sommelier-in-training cousin Susan will undoubtedly thank you for elevating her Thanksgiving dinner to new heights.

Broc Cellars Carignan 2013, CA $26.99

“A vibrant wine, Broc’s Carignan has zesty flavors of cranberry & blueberry, white pepper, and a touch of citrus zest. I love how it cuts through the heavier flavors of turkey & stuffing (much like a cranberry sauce does) and brings clarity to the whole Thanksgiving meal. A fun wine for a fun time.” – Liam

COS Frappato 2014, Sicily $34.99

“I’m a huge fan of Frappato – a still relatively-obscure grape to most. This one is light-bodied, has bright fruit and an earthiness with a lot of food-friendly acidity. The lively freshness keeps your palate from getting fatigued as you load up on that second plate, or third…” – Nick

2011 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany $27.99

“After a long day of pre-dinner snacking, your mouth needs a second wind and this Riesling is your answer. Have a glass or two as you sit down to dinner as the tastiest palate-fatigue cure you’ve ever had.” – Eric

NV Westport Rivers “Farmer’s Fizz” MA (off-dry) $15.99

“Because I hate candied yams, but love how their sweetness balances buttery mashed potatoes, rich roasted squash and a creamy green-bean casserole. These semi-sweet bubbles mimic that candied-ness and their ripe pear, juicy apple and bright melon flavors are tailor made for the turkey-day table.” – Katie

Michael David “Petite Petit” 2012, CA $19.99

“Not only will you show up to family dinner with the coolest looking bottle, but you’ll win brownie points for pouring this big, bold wine. A blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot, this wine offers rich, dark fruit flavors with hints of licorice and vanilla. A meal so full of flavor deserves a wine this rich to stand up to it.” – Alex

2013 Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah, Washington State $17.99

“From one of my favorite winemakers, this Syrah is bold and earthy with black cherry notes. It pairs really well with fruity and herbal flavors and is, thus far, the best wine to pair with my Mom’s roasted garlic mashed potatoes.” – Rico

Perfect Pairings for Your Thanksgiving Table

One Plate. One Wine.

The classic Thanksgiving dinner isn’t comprised of course after course of individual flavors and tastes; rather it’s a wholly-American one-plate mashup of differing flavors and textures that somehow equals a sum greater than its parts. For your table this year we’ve chosen wines grounded in this one-plate tradition: wines that within one glass heighten every flavor on your one plate to new levels of deliciousness.

Though from different regions of the world and from different grapes, what these wines have in common is a medium to high acidity (to cut through the richness of classic side dishes), a depth of fruit flavor (which will match flavor intensity) and, in some cases, a decent tannic structure (which primes the palate for an onslaught of cream and butter).

2014 Clos de Rocs “En Pres Floret” Macon-Loche, France (Chardonnay)

Crowd-pleasing chardonnay meets exceptional winemaking chops to bring to your Thanksgiving table refreshing minerality and lean apple flavors with minimal oak presence.

2013 Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California

An opulent, fuller-style chardonnay rich with yellow apple, lemon curd and toasted bread flavors. Its robust yet balanced oaky finish will impress.

2012 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, California

Pinot Noir was made for Thanksgiving dinner. Its high-acid, bright berry flavor mimics the effects cranberry sauce has on rich foods: it enlivens even the heaviest of side-dishes.

2012 Domaine Foretal, Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, France (Gamay)

Moulin-a-Vent produces wines with slightly stronger tannins than other appellations in the Beaujolais. Its deep blackberry and savory notes are balanced by a crisp minerality – just what our palates crave at the Thanksgiving table.

2014 Tenuta di Gracciano, Rosso di Montepulciano “Della Seta,” Tuscany, Italy

Ripe cherry flavors and refined tannins give this elegant, dry wine a place at the Thanksgiving table, right next to the earthy and herbal stuffing, the roast bird, and the green bean casserole.

2012 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore, Veneto, Italy

Ripe black cherry and spice notes give this bottle the brawniness it needs to stand up to the roast bird, yet its northern Italian (read: cooler climate) acidity keeps it from clobbering the turkey.

2013 Dry Creek Heritage Vines Zinfandel

Dark berry flavors abound in this zesty zin from the good ‘ol US of A. It’s full of warm and savory allspice and pepper notes, too – just like many classic turkey side dishes.

2012 Yardstick, “Ruth’s Reach,” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

A cornucopia of big aromas and flavors (chocolate and butterscotch on the nose, raspberry, caramel and oak on the palate) are contained in this medium-bodied, single-vineyard Napa cab. It’s a voluptuous complement to the bounty of the Thanksgiving table.

2014 Georges Vigouroux “Gouleyant” Cahors, France (Malbec)

This lively and beautifully-fruity malbec has suede-like tannins that give buttery potatoes and silly gravy something to grab on to.

From all of us at Bottles to you and yours – Happy Thanksgiving!

5 Spooky Bottles Guaranteed To Be The Hit of The Halloween Party

When it comes to Halloween parties for the adult set, nothing is more true than Ogden Nash’s apt aphorism:

Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.

We couldn’t agree more. Here are 5 bottles that will steal the spotlight off your neighbor’s sexy zombie costume:

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Battle Axe Malbec

An Argentinian malbec, with a round & fruit-forward start & a long, toasty finish.

Belzebuth

Billed as ‘The Most Unique Ale in the World,’ it’s strong, spicy, & golden.

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Long Trail Limbo

An award-winning IPA, full of rich hop character, & the perfect drink to have on hand as you await the ending of your torments.

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Kah Reposado Tequila

No Halloween is complete without this devil of a tequila. Each bottle is hand painted & clocks in at 55% ABV.

Uinta Jack be Nimble

A black pumpkin ale, as dark as a moonless All Hallows Eve, with a kick of bourbon from aging in barrels.

Come on in and we’ll help you select the scariest, booziest bottle for your trick or treatin’. Happy Halloween!

The Bottles Instagram Beer #Regram Giveaway!

UPDATE:
We’re so excited about this week’s @gansettbeer / @Revivalbrewing H.P Lovecraft Honey Ale release that we decided to add it to our #bfwbeergiveawayInstagram regram contest! Simply follow us, like the picture, regram, and @ mention @bottlesfinewine and ##bfwbeergiveaway to join the contest and a chance to win a 6pack of Honey Ale, or any of the 3 previous beers! Ends Sunday 1/25 at 11:59PM! 3 winners, 4 choices!

The Iris Cantillion beer from our last giveaway was so popular we decided to feature ALL beer, 3 awesome and delicious beers that is, for our second Instagram giveaway! So take a chance and join in on the regraming! Choose from our sweet selection of: Jester King Brewery: Mad Meg Provision Ale, De Glazen Toren: Saison d’Erpe-Mere Lentebier, and Prairie Artisan Ales: Prairie Ale Saison!

How to enter:

1. First, follow @bottlesfinewine on Instagram.
2. Like and regram the Giveaway Prize Photo.
3. In your regram, you must @-mention @bottlesfinewine and #-hashtag #bfwbeergiveaway!
That’s it!

The Bottles Instagram Beer Giveaway ends at 10:59PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, January 25rd. Three winners will be announced on Monday, January 26th, and winners will also be contacted privately through Instagram direct with details on how to claim their prize!

Giveaway Rules:

-Must be 21+ years of age to enter contest
-We cannot ship to Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah or Vermont. We do not ship outside of the United States.

– Enjoy responsibly!

Jester King Brewery Mad Meg

A Provision Ale unique to Texas Hill Country, where naturally occurring wild yeasts impart a sense of place. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned beer. Named after “Mad Meg”, a peasant woman from Flemish folklore who leads an army of women to pillage hell. Also known as “Dull Gret”, she’s famously depicted in Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s 1562 painting by the same name.

De Glazen Toren Saison d’Erpe-Mere Lentebier

An unfiltered Begian dry-hopped saison. It’s springtime in a glass! Also, it’s delicious dry, sparkling, and very, very floral.

Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Ale

A beautiful golden toned saison with a generous addition of Saaz hops, which adds a spicy, floral flavor and aroma. Brewed with a mix of three different yeasts, including ‘brettanomyces bruxellensis’, a yeast known for its pineapple and mango flavors.

Good luck! Cheers! The Bottles Team

For official rules click here–

Happy New Years from Bottles!

Hope you all had a great year! We can’t wait for the 2015 and all the booze that comes along with it!

Cheers!

The Bottles Team

Top 9 Holiday Wines!

The Holidays are busy times for all of us, with numerous family gatherings, parties, and special dinners to attend or even host. The wine experts at Bottles are here to take the stress out of the Holidays by helping you select great wines for any occasion. Need a handsome hostess gift? Having a few people over to your home? Choose from our top 9 Holiday wine picks – they are sure fire bets to please any wine lover, novice or expert.

Laetitia Chardonnay, California – Mouth filling and spirited fruit flavors of Bosc pear, pineapple and ripe lemon. Great to sip on as an aperitif or with warm appetizers.

Sonoma Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, California – One of the most iconic wines from California! Great balance between lively acidity and rich flavors of Golden Delicious apple, white peach, a hint of vanilla and a touch of butter.

Cheveau Pouilly-Fuisse ‘Les Vieilles Vignes’, France – Made from 50 to 70 year old vines! A powerful wine of great depth and length. Only 1200 bottles of this elite cuvée are imported into the U.S.

Gruet Brut, New Mexico – Brilliant with ultra fine bubbles. A wonderful, fine aroma dominated by green apple and grapefruit flavors. A true classic!

Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, France – Delicate, elegant and balanced with striking freshness of the floral and fruity fragrances of lemon and bergamot orange coupled with richer notes of butter, vanilla sugar and hazelnuts.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, France — From one of Champagne’s oldest houses and is bottled in the traditional bottle shape from the 1800s. Impressive power and elegance with exotic ground spice, orange zest, anise and jasmine flavors and aromas. An invigorating finish and an excellent gift for anyone, including yourself!

Château Vaisinerie St Emilion, Bordeaux, France – Smooth, lush and voluptuous wine – a really special treat for yourself or any wine lover. Mostly Merlot with a little Cabernet Franc blended in for an expressive nose and flavors of ripe bramble fruit, wet crushed stones, cedar and graphite. Excellent with prime rib, roast lamb, or rib eye steaks.

Château La Matheline Bordeaux Superieur, France – Impressive wine at an unbelievable price! From a great vintage and from just outside the famous St Emilion region. Big, ripe flavors of dark red currant, cherry and raspberry fruits coupled with cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate. Great with lamb or roast beef.

Château Blaignan Medoc, Bordeaux, France – A new top pick for staff and customers alike. Almost half and half Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a little Cabernet Franc for added perfume and complexity. Pronounced notes of blackcurrant, black cherries and a hint of spice with a rich, smooth body and velvety tannins.

Happy Holiday! (Good luck….)

Cheers,

The Bottles Team

4 Classic Bourbon Cocktails for Fall

There’s nothing like that warm whiskey feelin’ to help adjust to cooler nights. So, to ready yourself for fall, here are a few of our favorite bourbon cocktail recipes. They’re classic, easy to make, and delicious to boot!

– The Stone Fence incorporates freshly pressed apple cider…live dangerously (like we do) and try a Tripping Hazard as well. Our own ‘special’ recipe, a Tripping Hazard uses Downeast Hard Cider instead of regular ‘ole apple cider. It’s the Dark N’ Stumbly of the fall!

– A Whiskey Fizz is good for your digestion, and gets you tipsy at the same time.

– Need that sophisticated look? Make a Manhattan — be sure to use Luxardo maraschino cherries — they’re possibly the best maraschino cherries out there.

To shop the recommended bourbons & ingredients, swing by Bottles, and look for our Bourbon Special display. And if you’d like to learn more about our featured whiskeys this fall, you can read our latest post here to learn even more.

FREE PRINTABLE RECIPE CARDS >
Perfect to lay out at your next party!

Stone Fence

INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Bourbon (Evan Williams 1783)
Bitters (Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters)
Fresh pressed apple cider

DIRECTIONS
Get a big glass & fill with ice. Pour in 2 ounces of bourbon (Evan Williams 1783), and maybe, just maybe a dash of bitters. Fill with Freshly pressed cider from your local orchard. Drink it!

Tripping Hazard (our ‘special’ recipe)

INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Bourbon (Evan Williams 1783)
Bitters (Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters)
Downeast Cider

DIRECTIONS
Get a big glass & fill with ice, pour in 2 ounces of Bourbon and maybe, just maybe a dash of bitters. Fill with Downeast Cider. Drank it!

Whiskey Fizz

INGREDIENTS
2 oz. bourbon (Rittenhouse Rye)
1/2 oz. simple syrup
Half a lemon
Seltzer water
Mint, lemon zest, or fruit garnish

DIRECTIONS
Get a highball or similar glass & fill with crushed ice, add 1/2 oz. simple syrup, pour in 2 oz. bourbon (Rittenhouse Rye), and squeeze in half a lemon. Stir the bejeezus out of it, top with seltzer water, and garnish with mint, lemon zest, and/or fruit.

Just make a Manhattan, Dangit

INGREDIENTS
3 oz. bourbon (Henry McKenna)
1/2 oz. vermouth (or more to taste, use Noilly Prat Vermouth)
Bitters (Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters)
Maraschino cherry

DIRECTIONS
Get your best martini glass. In a shaker, add 3 ounces Bourbon (Henry McKenna), toss in a few dashes of bitters, and add 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth (or more, to taste). Shake the living heck out of it & strain into your cocktail glass. Drop a maraschino cherry in there and act sophisticated.

Cheers!
Bottles <3

Learn All About Heaven Hill Distilleries – Small Batch Bourbons, Bottled-in-Bond, and Beyond!

In the spirit of welcoming in the fall season, we are having a new Bourbon Special at Bottles! We’re featuring a wide range of whiskies by Heaven Hill Distilleries: America’s largest independent family-owned producer of Bourbon, who holds the second largest inventory of bourbon in the country. They make great bourbons like Elijah Craig, Evan Williams 1783, Rittenhouse Rye, and much, much more. Below we’ve outlined some of the featured whiskeys from our display. So take a read, soak it in, and swing by the store today and grab a bottle or 5 off our new display!

Henry McKenna 10 Year, Bottled in Bond
By law, a Bottled in Bond whiskey must be bottled at 100 proof, aged for a minimum of four years in a government warehouse, and must contain whiskey from a single season of distillery production. Henry McKenna is one of our all-time favorite whiskies, from anywhere in the world. Bold without being pushy, and deceptively boozy, you’re gonna want Henry in your corner on a night out (or in)!

Bernheim Wheat Whiskey
A straight whiskey that utilizes winter wheat to bring out extremely soft, sweet, slightly herbal flavors. Very good on its own and eminently mixable, this is a truly unique whiskey!
Elijah Craig 12 Year
These days, you don’t see a lot of 12 year old Bourbon out there, and certainly not at an affordable price. Elijah Craig 12 is a truly small batch bourbon each batch is blended from no more than 70 hand selected barrels. The result is a clean & bracing whiskey, with clear vanilla & oak notes.
Evan Williams 1783
1783 was the year the first official distiller opened in Kentucky, and this Bourbon pays tribute to that Kentucky spirit. A small batch version of Evan William’s Black Label, it’s dry & toasty, with a beguiling zesty & spicy finish.

Evan William Single Barrel
Bottled from a barrel aged near the top of Heaven Hill’s rickhouse, where the average temperature is much higher. The resulting whiskey has penetrated deep into its barrel, picking up remarkably nuanced flavors of cocoa, black tea, vanilla, cedar, and a light citrus quality.
Evan Williams White Label, Bottled in Bond
By law, a Bottled in Bond whiskey must be bottled at 100 proof, aged for a minimum of four years in a government warehouse, and must contain whiskey from a single season of distillery production. This antiquated system helped protect farmers and distillers in the past, giving them a government backed cash crop and tax breaks on warehousing. Nowadays, it just means good, quality Bourbon.
Rittenhouse Straight Rye
A spicy rye whisky that smells and tastes like running through a field on a warm summer day. This 100 proof expression loves to be mixed, though it can be consumed on the rocks if you want to put some hair on your chest!

Cheers!

Walrus and Carpenter Oysters – Farm Feast 2014

Over my many years, we’ve been a part of many special dinners and events, but nothing has compared to the experience we had at the Walrus and Carpenter Dinner Series.

Things started off at Lavin’s Landing Marina right on Ninigret Pond – a brackish pond that opens up to the Atlantic Ocean via the Charlestown Breachway. As people arrived at the marina they were greeted by a beer or “Docktail” as we waited to board the boats. Once everyone was loaded and secured on the skiff and pontoon we headed slowly to the Oyster Farm, a 3 acre plot, all underwater, leased by Walrus & Carpenter from the State of Rhode Island.

At the farm, owner of Walrus & Carpenter, Jules Opton-Himmel, showed us oysters growing in their bags and taught us everything there is to know about oyster farming. Once we had learned about all about the process and history of the oyster cultivating industry, we made our way to the raw bar, set up a few meters away from the dining area. We all enjoyed the raw, hand-shucked oysters with lemon slices, a lemon-honey relish, and more than enough sparkling wine to go around!

Once all the oysters were gone, we took a short walk to East Beach – the part of the beach that’s way down at the end, and part of the State Park system.
We had the whole span of pristine beaches to ourselves. Once we had amply documented and soaked in the scenic vista (even some taking a quick swim!) we head back on our trek through the sandy paths to dinner.

As we approach the sandbar, we saw that dinner would be served on a long table top placed oyster baskets and crates (mermaid chic), complete with tablecloths, cloth napkins, stemware and silverware – and our own little private bar stocked with a great selection of wine selected to pair with the night’s cuisines, set a few feet into the water, right next to our docked skiff from the ride in. Certainly the fanciest beach picnic you’ve ever seen!

The entire dinner was cooked on a grill set over a wood fire, from the broccoli and heirlooms, squid and corn, to the beautiful bluefish, caught right off of Point Judith, to the beautiful currant clad desert.

Chef Ben Sukle, Ed Davis and the team from birch prepared and cooked the wonderful selection of the locally sourced meal – it was more than fantastic and perfect for this very special setting. A truly memorable experience, and one that we’ll never forget.