It's Geraldo's Vault, Guzzle or Spit, and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Sidekick

***Spots are going quickly for next Thursday's winemaker tasting - Abeja Winery !  Sign-up soon if you want a spot! (see details below in the wine tasting schedule)***

It's Geraldo's Vault

     As I'm sure you all well know, this Friday the 21st marks the 20th anniversary of crack reporter Geraldo Rivera's special "Al Capone's Secret Vault", where, to the largest viewing audience for a TV special ever, he revealed a pile of dirt and a bottle of bathtub gin.  He noted his disappointment that he was not able to find the bones he expected and recite the lines from Hamlet that he had rehearsed.  Poor, Geraldo.  So, what better way to celebrate than to drink some wine (no, I have no better tie-in than that) and share old Geraldo war stories.  I'll begin....for a short stint, Geraldo was Kurt Vonnegut's son-in-law.  I'm not kidding.  Doesn't that create some sort of rip in the fabric of time or something?  See tasting schedule below for specific wine selections.  We hope you can join us!

***Eagle Rock's new sushi restaurant, Mia Sushi, is now open for lunch!!  The LATimes is already working on their 2nd piece about this gem so if you haven't been there yet, you're late....and square....and probably pretty hungry***

Mia Sushi / 4741 Eagle Rock Blvd / Eagle Rock, CA  90041 / (323) 256-2562

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Sidekick

     New York Times wine writer Eric Asimov stole this idea from Peay Vineyards, so we're continuing the trend and stealing it from him.  Lab beakers as wine decanters - what a fantastic idea.

Now you can be two kinds of geek at once with your very own wine decanter/beaker.  We've got a few in house for $39.99/each.  Bunsen burners sold separately. 

Wine Tasting Schedule

Wines from the region of Rivera de Heraldo

This Friday the 21st

5:30-8:30pm

$15/person

5 wines, cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

Reservations recommended!  Fridays have been busy lately and we hate turning people away, so call ahead anytime and get your name down in advance:   info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985

Though the primary reason for Friday's tasting is to celebrate the "Al Capone's Vault" 20th Anniversary, it's also getting warm out so that means in with the Sauvignon Blancs, Roses, and Rieslings.  This Friday the whites will be new domestic Sauv Blancs and the reds are a few affordable, under-appreciated foreign bottles including the already popular Hecula from Spain, a 100% Cabernet Franc from France, and a new vintage of one of last year's favorites, the Prieure Saint-Sixte Lirac Rouge from France (Lirac is part of the Rhone and produces, rich, big, spicy reds).

wines

Quivira "Fig Tree Vineyard" Sauvignon Blanc 2004, Dry Creek Valley, California

Clayhouse Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Paso Robles, California

Hecula Red 2003, Yecla, Spain

Lieu-dit 'Les Poyeux' Saumur Champigny (Cab Franc) 2003, France

Prieure Saint-Sixte Lirac Rouge 2004, France

Lazy Sunday Tasting

This Sunday the 9th

1:00-4:00pm

$10/person

4 wines and gourmet cheeses provided by Auntie Em's Marketplace

No reservations necessary       

This Sunday we'll be pouring two whites and two reds.  Email or call in this weekend for specific wine selections info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985.

(Wines TBD)

Thursday Winemaker Series: Abeja Winery w/ winemaker John Abbott

**this tasting consists of just two wines **

**by reservation only**

$12/person

Includes a variety of fine cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

6:00-8:30pm

Thursday, April 27th

RSVP:  info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985

Abeja Chardonnay 2004, Washington

Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, Columbia Valley, Washington

(bottle purchase amounts may be limited depending on availability) 

(other wines will be available at normal by-the-glass pricing)

Unwooded Chardonnay and Sangiovese

Friday the 28th

5:30-8:30pm

$15/person

5 wines, cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

Reservations recommended!  Fridays have been busy lately. 

Call ahead anytime and get your name down: info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985

wines

AbbeyVale Unwooded Chardonnay 2004, Margaret River, Australia 

Tolosa Unwooded Chardonnay 2004, Edna Valley, California

Noceto Sangiovese 2003, Shenandoah Valley, California

Caparone Sangiovese 2002, Paso Robles, California

Vigna Benefizio Morellino DiScansano (Sangiovese) 1998, Italy

Lazy Sunday Tasting

Sunday, April 16th

1:00-4:00pm

$10/person

4 wines and gourmet cheeses provided by Auntie Em's Marketplace

No reservations necessary 

Every Sunday we pour a variety of wines for your gustatory pleasure.  Email or call next week for specific wine selections info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985.

(Wine selection TBD.  Check back next week --> www.cowineco.com/calendar )

Guzzle or Spit: Wine Tasting vs. Wine Drinking

      Recently we had some new customers come in and when they saw how crowded our Friday tastings can get, pulled me aside and said, "I thought we were coming to wine tasting, not a bar."  Clearly, these folks were annoyed that they weren't getting a more serene, winery tasting room experience which we do provide, but not usually on a Friday night.  Wine makes people uptight like no other beverage and I think it is our fault.  The "our" I'm referring to are wine stores and restaurants which employ slick salespeople in suits to present bottles of wine like they're Faberge eggs.  Don't get me wrong, there's a place for the high-end wine store, just like there's a place for the warehouse-like liquor stores, but for too long our country has fostered this impossible snobbery in the presentation of wine.  They're doing their best to sell a privileged lifestyle rather than the actual product - fermented grape juice.  The good news is, much of the wine industry has been shedding this pompous stigma for the last few years thanks to a new generation of internet-educated, more cost-conscious wine drinkers.  We can describe a wine to a customer for 15 minutes but in the end, we'd much rather have you taste it than tell you a story about how much the Duke of Blah Blah Blah enjoys it at his Summer house in the Hamptons. 

     And that's the rant for the day.  It's fun to talk about wine but infinitely more fun and educational to drink it.  If you love crowds, CoWineCo Fridays are a blast.  If you want a more private experience, come by for a mellow Sunday tasting or on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday for our wine bar.

See You Soon,

John and Jen

"Can you believe this? First, they didn't have the bamboo umbrellas for the wine, and now snails on the food! Two boobs! That's what he takes us for!"

~ Steve Martin, The Jerk