   |  Newsletter ArchiveSoda Hates You and Wants You to Pay More Taxes, Silver is Gold, and Hey Puckface! Soda Hates You and Wants You to Pay More Taxes, Silver is Gold, and Hey Puckface!Soda Hates You and Wants You to Pay More Taxes Many people think, because we have a wine store, that we must have an issue with beer. And fair enough, society has long painted a picture of the tough, grizzled cowboy chugging beer, and the fey millionaire sipping wine. First off, we LOVE beer! We sell a selection of ales at the store and, perhaps because of the memories associated with it, there are certain occassions that call for a cold can of Milwaukee's Best and nothing else. But in this season of political campaigning and down and dirty television spots, we would just like to say that while soda might be a fine beverage here and there for the kiddies, he does not have the credentials to lead your dinner table. He will take over the taste of your food, rot your teeth, and more than likely keep us in Iraq for another 10 years. Wine on the other land leads the dinner tables in most other western countries except for the U.S.A. Wine improves any dinner, cares about America's children, and promises to save Social Security from ruin. As you head to the polls this month, vote WINE - she's got the experience to lead, and she tastes good, too.
Silver is Gold
So what pulls a young guy from a pre-veterinary degree in animal sciences in Amherst, Massachusetts to the vineyards of Santa Barbara, California? Grapes. Good grapes. Ben Silver is beginning to get much deserved attention for his limited production wines in Santa Barbara. Ben got the wine bug in 1993 from a summer job at Chicama Vineyards on Martha’s Vineyard. From that job he went on to a low-level job with Daniel Gehrs at Zaca Mesa Winery, eventually working his way up to supervisor in the lab. In 2000, he set out on his own to form Ben Silver Wines and the rest is history. Ben's wines are rich, nuanced, concentrated but balanced. When you taste his Pinot and Cab, you know you're tasting California sun, but you're also tasting the Santa Barbara terroir because he didn't go over-the-top for one big WOW up front with no finish. Ben Silver Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir - $20.99/btl (only 3 cases left!!) This a medium-bodied Pinot, heavy on the earthy/spicy notes and lighter on the typical cherry notes. If you like your Pinots with some guts to them, this is your bottle. Ben Silver 'Casa Blanca Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - $24.99/btl Unlike Napa, Santa Barbara is not known for its plethora of award-winning Cabernets, but Silver crafts a really interesting wine here. Similar to the Pinot, if you like your cabs heavier on the toasty, spicy, baked blackberry pie side (yes, that last one is our addition), then is is a truly unique Cab that we believe is underpriced for the quality in the bottle.
Special November Events! Thursday, November 17th : Karl Hahn Art Opening - details to follow in the next newsletter Thursday, November 30th : CoWineCo's 2006 American Beer Tasting - an all new selection of 5 premium, low-production all-American beers - details to follow in next newsletter
Wine Tasting Schedule
Wine Cellar Wednesdays 400 Wines By the Glass Kinda. On Wednesdays only, in addition to our regular 6 wines by the glass, pick any bottle off of our shelves and make it your by-the-glass selection for the price of the bottle plus a $10 corkage.
Friday, November 3rd $15/person 5 wines and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace Reservations recommended! Call ahead anytime and get your name down: info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985 On this day in 1959, hockey goalkeeper Jacques Plante returned to the game wearing protective head gear after being smashed in the face with the puck, thus marking the first use of a protective mask on hockey goalies in professional play. Holy crap. I guess that's one way to figure things out. Let's cheers this guy tonight. He's earned it. But, back to wine, we have a new vintage of our cherished Domaine de Puoy white in house, a subtle, crisp grenache blanc blend from La Vieille Ferme, a new Bonarda from Argentina (no need to know what that is in advance - think concentrated, rustic, oak), a new vintage of a pretty Rhone blend from Chateau Grande Cassagne, and a dark, inky petite sirah from Guenoc. Come on out and celebrate the perfect weather (and puckface). wines Domaine de Puoy White 2004, Gascogne, France La Vieille Ferme Blanc 2005, Cotes du Luberon, France Durigutti Bonarda (Charbono) 2004, Mendoza, Argentina Chateau Grande Cassagne G.S. 2004, Costieres de Nimes, France Guenoc Petite Sirah 2004, California
Sunday the 5th 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 on Sunday for specific wine selections info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985. (Wines TBD)
Wine Cellar Wednesdays Pick any bottle off of our shelves and make it your by-the-glass selection for the price of the bottle plus a $10 corkage.
Wine Tasting: Theme TBD Friday, November 10th 5:30-8:30pm $15/person 5 wines, cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace Reservations recommended! Call ahead anytime and get your name down: info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985 wines (check back next week for specific wine selections www.cowineco.com/calendar )
Lazy Sunday Tasting Sunday the 12th 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 on Sunday for specific wine selections info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985. (Wines TBD)
A New Week-O-Wine for November/December 2006! - $39.99/4-pack We pick 4 affordable wines that we think deserve more attention than they're getting, put them in a pretty white box, take a couple bucks off, and include wine tasting notes for your educational pleasure.
La Yunta Torrontes, La Rioja, Argentina
Pretty Smith Mission View Zinfandel 2000/2001, Paso Robles, California So, this is 100% Zinfandel, 100% Paso Robles, 100% Pretty Smith Vineyards, 50% 1999 vintage and 50% 2000 vintage. That’s a lot of numbers, but now you get why it has no vintage on the label. This is one of the best deals in rich reds we’ve tasted this year and we’re going to try to keep this one in the store straight through Christmas unless they sell out (which is probable). We get a great, rich mouthfeel with tastes of black cherry, vanilla and raspberry with a throughline of spice not usually found in California Zins at this price.
Located about 80 miles southwest of Santiago, the Colchagua Valley is often referred to as the “next Napa Valley” with strong, consistent sunshine, and cool breezes off the Pacific. Founded in 1892 by French wine pioneer and ancestor Emilio Bouchon, Casa Silva is now owned by Mario Silva and family - the fifth generation of winemakers. Many of the vines planted are over 90 years old, carried over from Bordeaux, pre-phylloxera, by the first generation. Previously selling their juice to larger, bulk wineries, Casa Silva began a bold, estate bottling program in 1997. Now, the Silva Family are viewed as leaders of the new generation of premium wine producers, and their wines have received international acclaim. This is another fantastic deal in Sauv Blanc from Chile with balanced acidity, strong citrusy notes, a very subtle effervescence, and a bone-dry finish.
Lucas & Lewellen Queen of Hearts Pinot Noir 2004, Santa Barbara, California Definitely in contention for world’s ugliest wine label, this affordable Pinot from Lucas & Lewellen is one of the better deals in Pinot that actually tastes like Pinot (not huge like a Syrah). Grown in the Santa Maria Valley, this medium-bodied pinot has notes of black cherry, raspberry, and cola aromas with hints of earthiness. Pour with your hand covering the label and you’ll have yourself one of the last affordable Santa Barbara pinots available in 2006.
See You Soon, John and Jen
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