December 27th, 2011


Join us Wednesday from 6-9pm to taste a delicious lineup of Champagne, including a 1998 vintage!
We love sparkling wine all year-round, but it’s especially fun to drink on New Year’s Eve. Click HERE to shop our selection of bubblies – from festive Prosecco and refreshing Cava to elegant Champagne. Or let us put together a selection for you. Check out our Sparkling Six-Pack – a tour de force of our favorites from around the world!

December 21st, 2011

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ICONIC CHAMPAGNE & MORE – A SPECIAL TASTING THURS, DEC 22nd 6-9pm

The Billecart Salmon rosé has achieved iconic status among Champagne lovers. A classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, this might very well be the platonic ideal of rosé bubbly – it’s fine and focused with lovely berry fruit flavors highlighted by exotic hints of orange peel and spice. Simply put, Billecart-Salmon is the house for rosé. At wine industry trade tastings, the pros flock to get a sip of the Billecart before it disappears. Try it with us at a special tasting this Thursday night from 6-9pm. But come early! We’ll also be tasting 3 other French wines that are perfect for holiday dinners.
December 12th, 2011

DO’s like Cava and Priorat have raised the popularity of Spanish wines over the last two decades, but the country is covered with lesser-known regions that produce delicious, interesting wines. Join us Wednesday night to taste a vintage rosé Cava and a bold, densely layered Priorat. We’ll also pour two other Spanish beauties from the south of the country where just about everything exudes vibrant personality.
As always, 15% off wines featured at the tastings!

We’re not big fans of an early freeze, but the closer we get to winter the more we enjoy coming in from from the cold and opening a bottle of warm, toasty red. Whether you’re cooking a hearty stew, simmering a pot of Sunday gravy or roasting a duck (maybe a Cassoulet?), it’s nice to have a robust, flavorful red to open while you’re in the kitchen and around the table. Thursday night we’re tasting four wines that will ease the onset of winter.

Clockwise from left to right: Freedom Hill in Oregon, Sealing Wax at Breuckelen Distillery, Lake Garda, Italy, and Friuli, Italy
Ask someone who works in wine to explain the French concept of terroir, and you’re likely to get a tortuous explanation that mentions everything under the sun (literally), including what species of alfalfa the winemaker’s mother fed the family cows. Terroir is a sort of all-encompassing term (here we go!), but basically it means place – where does the wine come from? The most important factors, of course, are soil and climate, but for other reasons too numerous and intertwined for anyone to explain without sounding like an idiot, some sites just possess a little more magic than others. Friday night we’ll introduce you to three very distinctive wines that each embody the unique characteristics of their origins. We’ll also pour Breuckelen Gin and Whiskey, made a skip and a hop from the Gowanus Canal – distinctive indeed!

British Barmaster + U’luvka Vodka = The Perfect Holiday Punch
| Valdesere Punch
1/2 Bottle U’luvka Vodka
1/2 Bottle Becherowka
3oz St Germain
Juice of 4 lemons
1L apple cider
2 tbls allspice sugar
4 dashes angostura bitters
2 oranges studded with cloves
2 cinnamon sticks |
Uluvka Vodka – Legend has it that members of the 17th century Polish Royal Court drank vodka from glasses without bases. Unable to set down their drinks, courtiers simply partied until the liquour was gone and then smashed their glasses in the fire. Unfortunately, affairs of state virtually ground to a halt as permanent intoxication set in. Loathe to reform, the king instead asked the royal alchemist to produce a spirit that would allow his people to party all night yet work all day. The King’s man responded by creating an elixir of rare purity. As the story goes, U’luvka has worked with modern alchemists to reproduce the recipe and distill an exceptional vodka from Polish rye, wheat and barley. The result is fresh, light and elegant with floral aromas and a smooth texture. Na zdrowie!
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December 10th, 2011

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBBIE LEE
THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS AT GNARLY VINES
We’re thrilled to have Robbie’s photographs back in the shop – be sure to check them out next time you’re here, or get a look at his work at robbieleephoto.com
December 9th, 2011
BOND, JAMES BOND
VESPER MARTINIS & BOLLINGER CHAMPAGNE – FRIDAY DEC 9th 6-9pm

THE VESPER
3oz Gin, 1oz Vodka, 1/2 oz Lillet. Serve shaken (of course) with a lemon twist.
Given Bond’s globetrotting ways, we thought it fitting to make our Vespers with Hendricks Gin (from Scotland), Reyka Vodka (Iceland) and Lillet Blanc (France). And it wouldn’t be a Bond tasting without Bollinger, an iconic Champagne that’s powerful, opulent and sensual, all at the same time – much like 007 himself. Bollie is made with 60% Pinot Noir and and ages for at least three years on its lees, giving it the rich, toasty character that has made it famous. This is an assertive but beautifully balanced Champagne, with autumnal notes of baked apple and brioche accented by hints of smoke and exotic, gingery spice. No wonder Monsieur Bond can’t resist…