Newsletter Archive

Vincent's Price, Judgment Day for that Double Bastard, and Autumn is a Phony

*** Stay tuned for a special Thanksgiving-themed email next week outlining our suggestions for your Thanksgiving table ***

 

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Vincent's Price

 

***We've got limited stock on this wine until Friday afternoon, so if you're looking for a case or more right away, give us a call anytime we can hold some for you.***

 

So this happens very rarely, but after we sold out all of our Stephen Vincent Pinot Noir from Sonoma County during our Friday tasting a couple weeks ago, the distributor called to say the price was being reduced.  Really?  Is there something wrong with it? Did you spit in it?  No, they told us, the winemaker just wanted to get the name out there a little more.  Fantastic considering we've been carrying Stephen Vincent for a couple years and our customers already know it!  So what was $14.99 is now $12.99/btl AND, if you buy a case or more before the end of 2008, instead of the regular 10% off, you'll get 15% OFF on this label only.

 

 

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Autumn is a Phony

Yes, we're forcing the idea of Fall even though it's supposed to be 95 degrees all weekend.  Global warming is DEFINITELY a farce.  Anyway, Fall screams syrah (not literally) and we've got a few new lovelies for you to check out.

 

 

 

On the left, the Eric Kent Dry Stack Vineyard Syrah from Bennett Valley in Sonoma ($38.99/btl - 285 cases produced), and on the right, the Eric Kent Kalen's Big Boy Blend Syrah from Sonoma County ($40.99/btl - 325 cases produced). 

If you don't know the Eric Kent wines, they are really, really, really worth the investment.  Winemaker Kent Humphrey has been making remarkable syrah, pinot noir and chardonnay under the Eric Kent label for 4 years now and we were lucky to get in on the first vintage when CoWineCo opened its doors in 2005. 

Are you more of a Northern Rhone syrah fan?  Go for the Dry Stack Syrah -- this year is hands down the best syrah we've tasted from them.  Like the big, concentrated fruit that only California can offer?  Then the Kalen's Big Boy Blend is for you (and their most popular).

 

From the winemaker:

Dry Stack Syrah 2006: Just when you thought is was safe to “predict” this wine, we’ve added two new vineyard blocks with clones 470 and 174 to complement the 877 and Estrella River of our past bottlings. The result is a gloriously complex wine. Deep purple in hue, verging on black at its core, a beautiful nose of minerals, smoked sausage, pine needles, mint and blackberry is so satisfying you don’t even need to drink the wine. . . but that would be such a waste! A sip offers racy rhubarb, red and black raspberry, black pepper and a hint of carpaccio, all buoyed by bright acidity to deliver a long and lively finish.

 

Kalen's Big Boy Blend Syrah 2006: We call it "Big Boy" for a reason and the '06 lives up to its moniker while retaining both a grace and balance that make us proud. Inky dark red in color, aromas of black cherry, graphite, licorice and tea leaves draw you into the glass. Black cherry carries through to the palate, joined by boysenberry, dark plum, a touch of chocolate and a hint of blueberry, gently embraced by fine tannins through a velvet finish that begs for another sip.

Our goal every year is to showcase the rich, delicious fruit forward nature of Dry Creek Valley Syrah, complemented and enhanced by cooler climate Syrah to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. I'm delighted to say that '06 achieves this goal like never before and is my favorite Kalen's Blend yet.

 

Also....

Jaffurs Santa Barbara County Syrah 2007 - $26.99/btl - 94 POINTS, WINE SPECTATOR

An open-throttle Syrah, with wonderful, pure, sumptuous blackberry, wild berry and black cherry cobbler flavors that are delicious and refreshing. Tight, deep and persistent. Drink now through 2013. - WS

    

 

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New Arrivals This Week

 

CALIFORNIA

Martin Alfaro Gimelli Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006, Cienaga Valley - $24.99/btl

 

SOUTH AFRICA

Southern Right Pinotage 2007, Walker Bay - $23.99/btl (YES, IT'S FINALLY BACK IN STOCK)

 

ARGENTINA

Zolo Bonarda 2006, Mendoza - $10.99/btl

 

BEER!

Bear Republic Racer 5 India Pale Ale, Healdsburg - $4.50/btl (1pt, 6oz)

"This is a hoppy IPA. Did I say hops? Your brewer is a hop head! This is a full bodied beer using American grains. The goal was to create a base for showing off the unique floral qualities of two Pacific Northwest hops, Columbus and Cascade."

 

Stone Brewing Double Bastard 2008, San Diego - $6.50/btl (1pt, 6oz)

"This is one lacerative muther of a beer.  It is unequivocally certain that your feeble palate is grossly inadequate and thus undeserving of this liquid glory..."

 

Port Brewing Lost Abbey Judgment Day, San Marcos - $9.99/btl (1 pt. 9.4oz)

"A massive beer in every sense of the word. A stronger and more contemplative version of our Lost and Found Ale. Judgment Day is the base beer for our Cuvee de Tomme. Many of the Trappist Breweries produce a version of beer which ages incredibly well for many years to come. And, since none of us knows when the end of the world is coming, we suggest you stock up with lots of Lost Abbey beers so that when the end of the world magically appears from no where, you’ll have a beer or two on hand for even the stingiest of angels."

 

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Regular Wine Tasting Schedule

 

*** We hold tastings twice a week on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons , and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the bar is open for wines by the glass . Please see our calendar for details on any given day: www.cowineco.com/calendar ***

 

 

Wine Tasting: Green Eggs and Wine

Friday, November 14th

5:30-8:30pm

(wines by the glass also available from 4:00 to 11pm)

$15/person

5 wines and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

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

 

Today is the first day of National Children's Book week in the U.S. so I say to you:

I do like them in a house

I do like them with a mouse

I do like them here and there

I do like them everywhere

I do like green eggs and wine

I do like them,

Gertrude Stein

(sorry...first name that came to me)

wines

Baroncini Pinot Grigio, Italy

Los Vascos Chardonnay, Chile

Zolo Bonarda, Mendoza, Argentina

Ramsay Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

The Guardian Cabernet Sauvignon, California

 

Lazy Sunday Tasting

Sunday, November 16th

1-4pm

$12/person

4 wines and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

No RSVP necessary

wines

(call for selections)

 

Wine Cellar Wednesdays

Every Wednesday

4-9pm

No corkage fee on any bottles in the store!

Grab anything off the shelf for the price of the bottle, ask the nice bartender for some glasses, sit, and enjoy

 

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The Poll Booth

Well, according to our homepage poll, 69% of you got the man you wanted in the oval office, 6% of you were very, very unhappy around 8pm last Tuesday, 6% of your are headed to Canada, 8% of you weren't going to toast anyone becuase you can't afford a glass, and 11% of you were going to crank call Joe the Plumber.

New poll....yes, this one is a bit self-serving.  On our homepage we've listed the 5 best selling wines of 2008 -- vote for your favorite and make one of those bottles a star.  Rumor has it, the Gustavo Thrace will take the crown, but as we all know, "rumors" make an "ass" out of "you" and "me".   CLICK HERE to vote!

 

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Thanks to everyone who came to spend one of the most historic nights of our lives at CoWineCo last Tuesday!  We had a blast with you all.

 

 

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See You Soon,

John and Jen

 

 

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools."

- Ernest Hemingway