   |  Newsletter ArchiveSmitty, The Pilgrim, and Please Don't Hold the Presses Smitty, The Pilgrim, and Please Don't Hold the PressesPlease Don't Hold the Presses First off, thanks to all of you who keep coming into our store. These first four months have gone better than we hoped and it's all because of our return customers and the amazing word-of-mouth we have received. Last week, thanks to a gaggle of faithful and generous patrons who wrote in on our behalf, we were featured in Daily Candy, the gold standard for what's new and undiscovered in the major cities across the U.S. and London ( click here to read the article). We knew this was a big deal but it didn't really hit home until we saw 35,000 hits on our website. Thank you thank you thank you. Free press fits perfectly into our ad budget. Also check out la.foodblogging.com, a great new foodie site about Los Angeles food written by Los Angeles eaters. Here's a few of our recent mentions: la.foodblogging.com If any of you who have enjoyed your experience at our store happen to have a little time on your hands, our CitySearch listing is looking terribly bare and we'd love to get a couple of reviews ( click here to view). Thanks!
This week we're going to list our wine tastings WITH the dates. That helps.
Upcoming Wine Tastings
The Smitty This Friday the 17th Time: 5:30-8:30 (but you can show up anytime before 8pm) Cost: $15/person Cheeses, Breads and Crackers (Reservations Recommended) Have you been meaning to come to a tasting but are afraid you'll feel funny not knowing much about wine? Well, come on in this Friday and let Smitty be your guide. Anyone who insists you call him 'Smitty' can not be a wine snob. One of our favorite wine guys, Michael "Smitty" Smith, will be returning in his adventure hat (you'll get it when you get here) to pour a selection of wines from the Wine Warehouse catalog. Wines Leasingham Magnus Riesling '03, Clare Valley, Australia Dry Creek Chenin Blanc '03, Dry Creek Valley, CA Delas Crozes-Hermitage Blanc '01, Cotes-du-Rhone, France Aquinas Merlot '02, Napa Valley, CA Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon '01, Napa, California
The Wine That Drinks Like a Meal Sunday the 19th Time: 1:00-4:00pm Cost: $10/person Cheeses, Breads, Crackers Guinness is certainly the beer that drinks like a meal, but we've got a wine selection this Sunday that fits our own personal food pyramid. For the first course we're starting with a sparkling aperitif, moving to a big white and big red for the main course, then capping it all off with a Tawny Port (which happens to taste like Pecan Pie) for dessert. And as always, the dessert is the best part. Wines Avinyo Cava, Penedes, Spain Zaca Mesa Viognier '03, Santa Ynez, California James Judd Cabernet Sauvignon '02, Paso Robles, California Mooiuitzicht Old Tawny Port, Bonnievale, South Africa
NOTE: Colorado Wine Company will be closed on Sunday, July 3rd as we celebrate our country's independence by exercising our independence of the store. We'll re-open as usual on Tuesday morning at 11am. Thanks for understanding !!
New Arrivals! Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon '01, Napa, California -- $14.99 McMannis Syrah '03, California -- $8.99 Marques del Puerto Rioja Crianza '01, Rioja, Spain -- $14.99 Garvey Amontillado Medium-Dry Sherry, Jerez, Spain -- $7.99 Brander Natalie Cuvee White '04, Santa Ynez, California -- $14.99 DiBruno Sangiovese '01, Santa Barbara County, California -- $18.99 FINALLY SOME GLASSWARE!
Riedel 'O' Series, Stemless Wine Tumblers : - Viognier/Chardonnay 2-pack: $16.99 - Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo 2-pack: $19.99 - Cabernet/Merlot 2-pack: $19.99
The Pilgrim It almost doesn't work to write about Dave and his new sandwich shop down the street from us (Dave's Chillin' and Grillin', (619) 733-8500, 2152 Colorado Blvd, formerly The Juice Exchange). I can't do the thick, Boston accent. I can't sufficiently convey with bolding and underlining the animated enthusiasm Dave shows to his customers when describing each and every vendor, butcher and bakery he gets his ingredients from. I've never before met anyone who gets physically angry about water-injected meats. When his delivery guys bring anything slightly below top quality, he rejects the order and takes the item off the menu for the day. He drives to friggin' San Diego to use his old butcher to make his veal and beef meatballs from his Grandmother's recipe every week. I mean come on. Subway? Quiznos? No, thank you. Dave just added a crab melt to the menu that is real Snow Crab on Porto's bread ( click here if you don't know Porto's). And for this week only he's making something called "The Pilgrim" which is fresh roasted turkey with stuffing, cranberry and gravy. It is because of "The Pilgrim" that I am typing this right now. Wow. This rivals many fantastic Thanksgiving meals we've had (sorry, Moms). Get thee to Dave's.
Wine 101 Ok, this isn't exactly "wine 101", but it's close enough. Many of you have come in wondering if the recent Supreme Court decision regarding state-to-state wine shipments opens up the borders for friends and family around the U.S. to receive those fantastic wines you discovered at Colorado Wine Company (I took a little creative license at the end there). There are 13 reciprocity states (of which CA is one) where shipping wine between those states is fairly clear and easy. Then there are 15 limited states where each state has a different set of convoluted rules regarding what can be shipped into their state including one rule which requires us to purchase a time machine and determine specifically which wines might be ordered and shipped in the future. Then there are the 23 prohibited or "silly" states, mostly in the Northeast and the South, where it can be a felony to ship one bottle of wine over that state's borders. What the recent Supreme Court decision has done so far is only pave the way to fight it out state by state. Who wants these laws changed? Most wineries and retailers (and my family who are all in the Northeast, waiting for all the deals I promised them). Who doesn't? Most large alcohol distributors who control the movement of alcohol throughout the U.S. Click here for a great article that describes what's going on MUCH better than I can.
See You Soon, John and Jen
"But every time I learn something new, it pushes out something old. Remember that time I took a home wine-making course and forgot how to drive?" - Homer, The Simpsons |