Marmotaphobia, Come Hang Out With a Bunch of Jerks, and a Shiny New Week-O-Wine

***COWINECO WILL BE TURNING 2 YEARS OLD IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS!! MORE DETAILS TO COME, BUT PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY, SATURDAY THE 17TH***

Come Hang Out Witha Bunch Of Jerks

CoWineCo's second annual Jerky/Wine Pairing Tasting is here! It's our way of taking back food/wine pairing from the clutches of high-end, hard-to-pronounce cuisine. Itisn't only about foie gras and truffles!!! (I know, "truffles" isn't hard to pronounce or spell but it is still snooty)

We've got about 10 spots left. Here's the menu:

Spiced Beef Jerky

Turkey Jerky

Old-Fashioned Pepper Jerky

Teriyaki Jerky

Chef's Surprise Jerky

paired with

Obsidian Cabernet Sauvignon, California

La Terza Malbec, Argentina

Claiborne and Churchill Gewurztraminer, California

Scott Harvey Zinfandel, Amador, California

Opera Brut Bubbly, France

Thursday, February 1st

6:00-8:30pm

$20/person

5wines,jerky jerkyjerky,and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

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

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Wine Tasting Schedule

***We hold tastings twice a week on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons , and on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the bar opens at 4pm for wines by the glass . Please see our calendar for details on any given day: www.cowineco.com/calendar ***

Marmotaphobia!

This Friday the 2nd

5:30-8:30pm

$15/person

5 wines and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

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

Apparently, our Groundhog day has roots in the European Celtic civilization and their fear of Marmots. Marmotaphobia, of course. Around the fifth century, the European Celts believed that animals had certain supernatural powers on special days that were half-way between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Folklore from Germany and France indicated that when marmots and bears came out of their winter dens too early, they were frightened by their shadow and retreated back inside for four to six weeks. This was adopted by the Romans as Hedgehog Day and eventually led to our Groundhog Day. I'll drink to that!

wines

207 Chardonnay, North Coast, California (remarkable, balanced, tropical fruit)

Valle de Salinas Monastrell,Yecla, Spain (had the Hecula Red before? You'll love this new one)

Italo Cescon Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy (a pretty wine in a pretty package)

The Lackey Shiraz 2005,South Australia (new vintage! betterthan last year)

Pillarbox Red, Australia (it's back!)

Sunday Tasting

February 4th

1-4pm

$12/person

4wines and gourmet cheeses from Auntie Em's Marketplace

Our Sunday tastings will now feature slightly higher-end wine selections. Our Friday tastingsget a little too loud to discuss the wines in great detail (we're not complaining), so if wine knowledge isyour grail, Sundays are the best tastings for you. Call Sundayfor selections.

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A New Week-O-Wine for February/March 2007! - $41.99/4-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.Selections below:

Foxglove Chardonnay 2005, Edna Valley, California
The big difference between most California chardonnays and those from Burgundy, France is the ripeness of fruit and the winemakers’ use of oak. People who love Chablis, which is chardonnay from that area in Burgundy, love the steely crispness of it, versus the way it’s often made here – heavier, rounder, and with layers of oak. This is a chardonnay to please French white lovers, full of complex fruit flavors for which Edna Valley is known, pretty scents of lemon and a stony crispness that could be easily mistaken for a top-notch (and much more expensive) Chablis. Mr. Parker likes it too- and gave it 90 points.

Alesmith Grand Cru Ale
As winos know, a grand cru is the finest offering from a winery. While beer geeks might debate this appellation vis'a'vis AleSmith, there is no doubt that their Grand Cru is a superlative beer. Brewed to a very hefty 10.5% using a yeast strain from a Trappist monastery (probably Westemalle), AleSmith's big, brown Belgian-style brew is a testament to the fact that quality and talent trumps location and national lore every time. You should find the nose to be phenolic and filled with soft, tropical fruits, while the taste is spicy (from only the yeast) yet deliciously malty. Plus, the warming glow from the alcohol will make anyone smile. (notes by beer's #1 fan, Jonny Lieberman)

Mas Carlot Cuvee Traditionale 2003, Languedoc, France
Lying to the south of the Rhone Valley, this estate stretches to the south-east of the old Roman city of Nîmes. Its landscape that is not unlike that of Tuscany, made up of round pebbles colored by the red clay soils of the Costières area. Winemaker/owner Nathalie Blanc-Mares manages the vineyard with her husband Cyril Mares, owner of the neighboring property Mas des Bressades (she’s so busy, she married the boy next door). This table red is a blend of Syrah and Grenache, the Syrah giving it deep color, spicy notes and elegance, the Grenache its fruity, rounded finish.

Kilikanoon "The Lackey" Shiraz 2004, South Australia

Kevin Mitchell and his father Mort have been growers in the Clare Valley of South Australia for more than 30 years. In 1997 Kevin purchased Kilikanoon and began producing his own, award winning wines. This full bodied, concentrated Shiraz is heads and shoulders above last year's vintage and has a hint of eucalyptus.It is affectionately named "The Lackey" meaning, lowly paid worker, as it is far too good for the price.

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Auntie Em'sFarmer's Market Dinner is Back!!

On Thursday, February 1st, Auntie Em's Kitchen is back with their1st Farmer's Market dinner of 2007. Check out the menu below, choose your entree, make a reservation with Auntie Em's and grab a bottle of wine from CoWineCo on your way to dinner. We've paired some of our wines to go with the menu and there's NO corkage!

starter

Trio of warm roasted vegetables - garlic roasted brussel sprouts, mashed cauliflower with Guyere and roasted baby beets

wine pairing : Try with: Our dry white Cassagnoles (Gascogne, France) at $9.99, or our Mormoraia Trebbiano d'Abruzzo at $17.99. A light red would do as well, we love the Pierre Chermette 2005 Beaujolais at $13.99as well as our Anglim Grenache at $21.99.

main course

Braised port with creamy polenta and slow cooked greens

or

Cod poached in white wine with potatoes and escarole

or

Swiss chard, fennel, mushroom and smoked Scamorza cheese turnover served with roasted baby carrots and baby turnips

or

Parsley and mint marinated leg of lamb on preserved lemon couscous and topped with curried yogurt sauce

wine pairing: Nearly all the main course choices would pair well with a medium-bodied Pinot Noir - our Wedell Pinot ($39.99 ), or Broadley Pinot Noir ($20.99), with its greater acidity would marry with the lamb especially well. The cod would be great with a white that is not too citrusy. I love our St. Innocent Pinot Gris ($19.99) from Oregon, or try a dry Chardonnay like our Terlan northern Italian Chardonnay ( $16.99). If you'd like red, try a
light one like our Spanish Zeta Grenache ($10.99).Maybe go with a bigger red choice for the turnover with its fennel notes, and a Cabernet Sauvignon like Kenneth Volk Cabernet Sauvignon at $20.99 would be delicious. You could also try a blend like our Estampa from Chile ($17.99) which would stand up to the flavors but not get in the way. A spicier option is our Boxcar syrah ($18.99).

Jody's cheese course

a selection of cheeses from Auntie Em's yummy cheese shop

wine pairing: Don't forget how incredible dessert wines can also be with Jody's cheese selections! Stilton-style cheeses with a port is an unforgettable way to end dinner, and Muscats are fantastic with most desserts.

Dessert

Chef's choice

$28/person or $8/child (call for children's menu)

PLEASE RSVP DIRECTLY TO AUNTIE EM'S: (323) 255-0800 OR INFO@AUNTIEEMSKITCHEN.COM

4616 EAGLE ROCK BLVD.

EAGLE ROCK, CALIFORNIA 90041

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See You Soon,

John and Jen

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

~ Abraham Lincoln