1. 25% OFF* All 750ml Bottles of Wine

You read that right — 25% OFF every 750 bottle of wine — making it the perfect time to replenish your wine stock, try something new, or splurge on that high-end wine you’ve been dying to buy.

A few of our TOP PICKS:

Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc -  A “treat yourself” wine you need to try, this rich and elegant Sauvignon Blanc is blended with Sémillon for added depth and complexity.  

Breezette Rosé - When we think about Rosé our first thought is always the Rosés from Provence and this one doesn’t disappoint. A pale salmon-hued blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvedre is in a word: exceptional.

Luca Paretti Lovo Prosecco - The hint of fresh fruit and crispness of this effervescent, sparkling wine from Italy makes it ideal for enhancing light summer foods. Bubbly, crisp and so refreshing.

Lolea Sangria - Handcrafted all-natural sangria, in cute polka dot bottles, is perfectly refreshing for parties and available in red, white and rosé varieties. Chilled, fruity, the stuff of celebrations!  

2. 10% OFF* all Spirits

Whether you’re a vodka lover, whiskey aficionado, gin drinker, or all of the above, now is the time to stock up on the spirits you will need to get you ready for a season of cocktail-worthy good times.

A few of our TOP PICKS:

Prohibition Distillery Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka - Not your ordinary vodka, this organic micro distillery vodka from New York is incredibly smooth (one of the smoothest vodkas we’ve ever tried). Hard-to-find, but we have it!

Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky - Looking to try something new? Here’s a whisky you’ll love. Mellow vanilla, with spicy hints. It’s amazing on the rocks or sipped neat.

Dad’s Hat Rye Whiskey - Spicy with a dry finish – not as sweet as bourbon and without the smoky finish found with most scotch whiskies. Should be part of any whiskey collection.
   
3. In-Store Wine & Beer Tastings

We’ll be pouring, you’ll be tasting — all day long! Perfect sips of private-label, best-sellers, and hard-to-find wines, and our favorite craft and microbrew beers.   Plus, our Wine and Beer Pros are always ready, willing and able to help you find the newest, the best, the tastiest items around!


4. FREE Giveaways

Fun gifts, wine and beer accessories and more. All day long and all FREE!   

5. A 1st Look at the Best Wine & Spirit Store in the Area

Bigger and better than we were before, with an expanded selection of the products you asked us to stock and prices that you won’t be able to resist.  Our Wine, Beer and Spirit Pros can help you find the items you are looking for or recommend things we know you’ll come to love. Plus, we have an exclusive collection of gift boxes and baskets for every occasion!


Join us on Saturday, April 28th at 1:00PM for the official ribbon cutting at our brand new location at 124 Maple Avenue in Lakeview Plaza!  Then enjoy special savings, free giveaways, and tastings all day long!

See you then!


*Excludes sale items.




 

As the unofficial kickoff to spring, Easter Sunday presents an opportunity to lighten up the dark and heavy reds of winter and welcome wines with more delicate flavor profiles. If you’re hosting the family or plan to be the most popular guest at the table, we’ve gathered some of our favorite Easter-worthy wines to pair with some of the most popular menu options!

Serving Turkey? Try pairing with:

California Wine Project Chardonnay

A well-known Napa winery makes this bright, balanced Chardonnay exclusively for Wine Country. We can't tell you which winery, but once you try it you'll want to buy a case to keep on hand. It's that good.

Crios Rosé of Malbec

A beautiful, deep, vibrant rose color. Has a surprising amount of body for a rose wine, and beautiful aromas of fresh, ripe wild strawberries. Pairs beautifully with turkey.

Valenzano Family Winter Shamong White

This light, refreshing white from a family-owned New Jersey winery is fruit forward, lusciously sweet and the perfect partner to roasted turkey.

Serving Ham? Try pairing with:

Montes Syrah Cherub Rosé

A good choice if you’re just starting to appreciate rosé. A seductive, elegant, dry wine, with an intense cherry-pink color, it shows distinct Syrah character: spiciness and hints of strawberry, rose and orange peel.

Eaglestone Winery Napa Valley Pinot Noir

One of the smoothest Pinot Noir wines we’ve tried in a long, long time and one of those rare wine finds that will have everyone asking where you bought it. Don’t miss this one!

Flowers Rosé of Pinot Noir

Flowers vineyard has been wowing wine drinkers for years with their extraordinary Pinot Noirs and this rosé version is every bit as memorable. Brilliant coral-salmon hue with fresh, fruity and wonderfully balanced flavors.

Serving Lamb? Try pairing with:

Meiomi Pinot Noir

A distinctive California Pinot Noir with a world-class taste. Rich ruby hue with lush, fruity aromas and hints of vanilla, mocha and toasty oak. Silky texture and wonderfully balanced.

Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

A lighter, friendlier red than your typical California Cab, this Pinot Noir is medium bodied, wonderfully aromatic and has crisp fruit and spice flavors

California Wine Project Merlot

Intense fruity flavors, and incredibly smooth, this California Merlot comes exclusively to Wine Country from one of Napa's most recognizable vineyards (but that's our little secret). Easy, velvety and ready to drink now.

Southern Israel’s vineyards, which you can count on one hand, have one winery that consistently scores marks above 90 in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, the worldwide arbiter of good wines. It was my pleasure last week to meet Roni Jesselson and Etti Edri of Yatir Winery at Congregation Ahavath Torah’s evening of wine and whiskey, sponsored by Wine Country, and also again at Royal Wines’ Kosher Food and Wine Experience.

Jesselson, whose family is among the current owners of Carmel, the first and largest winery in Israel (founded in 1882 by Edmond James de Rothschild) and has been primarily known for sacramental wine and juice (though it has developed a very interesting single vineyard series, more on that in another article), explained that Yatir is a boutique winery, founded in 2000, now completely separate from Carmel, with only some shared business operations. Eran Goldwasser is the winemaker and Yaa’cov Ben-Dor is the CEO. Yatir, Jesselson said, is “the ultimate Israel story.”

Yatir prides itself on having grapes grown in the desert alongside a green forest, at the northernmost end of the Negev, Israel’s southern wine region/appellation. It’s next to the 3,000-year-old ruins of the Canaanite settlement of Tel Arad. “I was in the Israeli army, and I learned that David Ben-Gurion wanted to build a forest here,” said Jesselson. “He wanted the desert to bloom. He was laughed at but the forest was planted in 1964, and now there is a forest in the desert. It’s so inspirational,” he said. The JNF did indeed plant that forest after Ben-Gurion was told by multiple scientists that a forest would be impossible to grow in this region; he famously responding by telling them to “change the scientists.”

In 2000 Yatir Winery became part of that lush landscape, growing grapes between and around the forested areas, which “changed the desert soil and made it a better environment for grapes,” Jesselson said. The area is heavily irrigated and reaches the mid-80s in temperature most days.

By the mid-2000s the wines were winning awards and medals. One early benefit of being associated with the Carmel winery was using the option to age wines longer before releasing them. The winery only produced 150,000 bottles a year, Edri said, compared with Carmel’s 15 million bottles annually.

The only white wine Yatir makes is the Yatir Viognier 2016, 100 percent viognier, which is aged partially in steel vats and partially in old oak barrels for a very subtle influence of oak to keep the fruit forward. The nose contains peach and green apple, the taste has nice acidity and the aftertaste is distinctly and strongly citrus. Try this wine at Wine Country for $29. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate chose the Yatir Viognier 2013 among only five Israeli wines selected as one of the best wines and best value of 2015. I know I don’t generally recommend whites priced at this level but this is a wine to try if you love whites with little to no oak and a beautiful mouthfeel.

Yatir’s Mount Amsha 2012, an inviting red blend, is made from 50 percent cabernet sauvignon, 30 percent syrah, 14 percent petit verdot and 6 percent merlot. As the winery’s main entry level red wine blend, the grapes differ from year to year, but the winemakers work hard to ensure that the wine is uniquely “Yatir.” The wine’s beautiful dark red color, its nose of ripe plum and leather and its pleasant aftertastes of smoke and spice are indicative of its year spent with the varietals aging separately in oak, and then combined, bottled and then further aged another 24 months. Wine Country is selling this wine for $33. I recommend trying it while it’s still available!

Every wine at Yatir is a hit, including the Petit Verdot ($35), the Syrah ($40), the Cabernet Sauvignon ($41) or for a special occasion try Yatir Forest ($65). Yatir Forest is one of Israel’s leading wines, and has been awarded 90 points or more for the last nine consecutive harvests by Wine Advocate. This year’s wine, from 2013, comprises 68 percent cabernet sauvignon and 32 percent petit verdot. It is aged in French oak, some of which is new, for 14 months, then aged in the bottle for another year. It has deep, dark color with a nose of fresh tobacco leaves and strong, bracing tannins. This wine has a delicious warmth and strong sense of elegance and structure.

Whether you prefer California Sparkling Wine, Champagne from France, Proseccco from Italy, or Spanish Cava, the lively bubbles and celebratory cork pop of Sparkling Wines are key to any festive occasion. But as it turns out, Sparkling Wine isn’t just good, it’s actually good for you. Here’s how:

More Diet Friendly Than Wine - The average glass of wine (red or white) is between 135-200 calories, but a glass of dry champagne is just 95 calories. Plus, there are lower-sugar versions — known as “low dosage” that can have as little as 95 calories a glass!

You’ll Probably Drink Less - The effervescence in Sparkling Wines naturally make you drink slower and feel full more quickly. End result? You probably won’t drink as much!

Glowing Skin - The antioxidants and tartaric acid in Sparkling Wine helps detoxifies skin and even out skin tone, while the antibacterial properties can even help with breakouts on oily skin.

Better Brain Health - According to a University of Reading study, one to three glasses of champagne each week can help boost brain health. Test rats were served champagne every day for six weeks (not bad for a rat) and tasked with completing a maze. Sober rats had an average success rate of 50 percent, but the champagne-drinking rats had a 70 percent success rate. 

Good for Your Heart - That same University of Reading study concluded that,"two glasses of champagne a day may be good for your heart and circulation and could reduce the risks of suffering from cardiovascular disease and stroke.”

Cheers to Sparkling Wine and to a very bubbly New Year! 
 

It’s somewhat shocking to consider that a country the size of New Jersey has such wide variety in its winemaking terroir (the soil, topography and climate in which grapes are grown) that it has at least four distinct regions. Israel actually has five official, legally defined wine region appellations: Galilee, Judean Hills, Samson, Desert and Shomron. We are dividing our article slightly differently because the broadest swath of interesting kosher vineyards in Israel is concentrated in the Galilee, Shomron and Judean Hills regions.

With thanks to Tzvi Silver of our Jewish Link/Israel offices, we will discuss the regions as north (comprising the Golan Heights and the Upper Galilee), "east" (comprising Gush Dan, Samson, the coastal and Judean Plains), west (comprising the Jerusalem area, Judea & Samaria/Shomron) and south (the desert/Negev region).

Israel’s broad variety in terroir is likely one of the reasons why the winemaking world generally has not yet characterized with any certainty the unique nature of the “typical Israeli wine.” While a typical wine likely doesn’t entirely exist, in this series we are looking at both classic and new wines that have characteristics that have already or may yet become defining wines for Israel, in both the kosher and the secular world. “The fact that kosher wines from the Shomron’s Tishbi Winery, for example, are now on menus in restaurants and hotels as ‘a wine from Israel,’ and is not specifically listed on menus as kosher, is a sign of a growing trend for importers to market good-quality, high-end wines from Israel to the general population, rather than only to kosher-keeping consumers,” said Ami Nahari, CEO of The River Wine. This represents an important step in the growth of Israel as a winemaking region, he told The Jewish Link.

For this part one of four planned articles, my tasting group sampled both a white and a red from three vineyards in the north of Israel, with wines coming from the Golan Heights and the Northern Galilee. Notably, these are wines from the most temperate/coldest region of Israel; meaning the grapes experience extreme temperatures between the day and nighttime hours as they grow. Temperatures can reach close to freezing at night and can be very hot in the daytime. This results in wines similar to the Burgundy region in France, and for these reasons, the winemakers tend to riff off of French winemaking rather than California styles to bring out the best in their grapes.

Hayotzer Virtuoso Chardonnay 2016 and Genesis Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Hayotzer is a brand-new boutique winery formed as a spinoff of Arza, the oldest winery in Israel, founded in 1847, and has been known for more inexpensive sweet wines and juices. The Shor family, the original owners of Arza, are still the owners of Arza and Hayotzer today. Hayotzer has begun exporting wines from its first vintage just this fall, with many wines placed under its aptly named Genesis label. Hayotzer’s French-trained winemaker, Philippe Lichtenstein, was the winemaker for Carmel’s Zichron Ya’akov wine cellars for many years.

The Virtuoso Chardonnay, made with 100 percent chardonnay grapes, has “an extremely cool bottle design,” said Aaron, but the nose was even more impressive. “Clean. Grapefruit on the nose but the citrus wasn’t as strong in the flavor of the wine,” said Brooke. Rather, upon tasting, some spice notes of vanilla and sugar cookie came to light. For that reason, we found it paired well with sweeter foods and would recommend it with lighter fare such as white fish, root vegetables and baked apples. It’s on sale at Wine Country in Bergenfield, as are all the wines in this article, for $19.99.

Hayotzer’s Genesis Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is an extremely accessible wine. While it’s a rich red with a full nose of red berries, it’s also light in viscosity. My opinion on this wine, and the other Hayotzer reds I tasted this past Yom Tov season, is that Hayotzer is making “red wine drinker’s red wines,” meaning that people who love red wine will love Hayotzer. “There is that typically slight metallic nature and acid with this red,” said Jen. “This wine grew on me,” said Brooke, noting that her first opinion of it changed after the second taste. “Very drinkable,” she added. Wine Country’s sale price for this wine is a great deal at $14.99. I recommend the entire Genesis line as new wines to try along with Thanksgiving dinner.

Matar by Pelter Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2016 and Stratus 2014

Matar is the kosher winery spinoff of the non-kosher Pelter winery. Pelter, headed by Tal and Nir Pelter, is based in Tzofit in the Golan Heights. The award-winning non-kosher winery was established in 2005, and Matar, its kosher line, was established in 2012 to make Pelter’s “invigorating and elegant” wines accessible to a wider variety of customers.

The gold-skinned semillon grape is most commonly blended with sauvignon blanc and is classically grown in France’s Burgundy region or in Australia’s Margaret River region. There are very few semillon wines available that are kosher. The Matar Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon is an easy-to-drink crisp wine that “I just want to keep drinking,” said Allyson. “It’s smooth; I like the clean and subtle flavor,” said Shoval. It’s citrus and green melon notes along with its light green color makes the wine inviting and contributes to its overall pleasant and easy quaffability. Wine Country’s sale price for this wine is $29.99.

The Matar Stratus 2014, which is 90 percent syrah and 10 percent petit verdot, has a smooth, plummy nose with flavors of cocoa, red cherries and fall spices, like cloves and nutmeg. “It’s a dry red wine, which I don’t generally like, and I not only drank this but enjoyed it,” said Aaron. It has multiple layers of full-bodied flavor, which is attributed to the grapes coming from multiple low-yield vineyards in Ramot Naftali in the Upper Galilee. This was was aged 14 months in new French oak. Like the white we tried, it is also on sale for $29.99 at Wine Country.

Yarden Katzrin Chardonnay 2014 and Golan Heights Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Yarden and Golan Heights Winery are among the most recognizable brands of Israeli wine, mainly because the Golan Heights Winery has a beautiful tasting room and touring facilities, which are part of many visitor itineraries on their first visit to Israel.

Yarden’s Katzrin line of high-end, sophisticated wines are known for their complexity and drinkability. The Katzrin Chardonnay, which retails for $28.99, did not disappoint. “This wine has a thicker viscosity than all the whites we tried,” said Brooke. Shoval noted the wine’s significantly darker color than the other whites in our tasting as well. The golden color of the wine is the result of nine months of aging in French oak, which results in smooth flavors of spice, vanilla and apple. This is a special-occasion wine that is sure to impress; it will certainly enable all kinds of wine drinkers to enjoy it. “I can’t imagine anyone not liking this,” said Allyson. Though kosher whites tend to not age well, this 2014 wine is tasting beautifully now and can also be cellared and saved for at least three to five more years.

The Golan Heights Cabernet Sauvignon was similar to the Katzrin in that it was balanced and smooth, with beautiful viscosity, and was easy to drink. “There are not-too-strong tannins here; the tiny bit of acid hits the back of the throat in a good way,” said Allyson. “This wine balanced; it isn’t too sweet or too dry,” said Jen. Brooke noted its rich flavor would go well with main courses, but also with desserts including berries or chocolate, as both of those deep flavors were present in the nose. The sale price is $24.99.

By Elizabeth Kratz

 Special thanks to Wine Country for curating the selection of wines for this article. All the wines mentioned are on sale for the next week at Wine Country in Bergenfield, 89 New Bridge Road. Contact 201-385-0106.

There are few things we like more than a good bottle of wine; but, an annual wine festival with literally hundreds of locally-grown New Jersey wines to sample might just be one of them. We had the pleasure of doing just that as we spent a few hours this weekend at the Valenzano Family Winery for the NJ Wine Fest 2017.

Not just for wine lovers, the NJ Wine Fest is an outdoor festival with a real party vibe — think NFL tailgate with lots more food and wine. Held right on the Valenzano’s Family Vineyard (with grapes on-the-vine just begging to be tried), there were thousands of attendees many of whom arrived with their own lawn chairs, picnic baskets, and blankets to be a part of this annual celebration. 

With 10 different NJ wineries represented and each offering several varieties to try, we had to be selective when deciding which wines to sample. It wasn’t easy, but we did have a few favorites!

From Valenzano Winery’s Destination Series, the Malbec was outstanding — made in the Garden State from grapes sourced from other wine-growing regions. Floral notes, touches of oak, absolutely worth trying.

Valenzano’s Limited Edition Old Indian Mill’s Blend was a soft and fruity complex blend of old and new world wine styles mixing Merlot and Chambourcin varietals. 

For a totally different wine style from Valenzano, we tried the New Jersey Devil Honey Wine — made with local honey and flavors of apples, oak, vanilla, and a touch of spice. Very sweet, very mouth-coating, very delicious.

Chestnut Run Farm had pear and plum wines for sampling and we tried both the sweet and dry Asian pear varieties, two very different wines than what we’re used to drinking but that’s what makes a wine festival so much fun.

Quite possibly our favorite wine of the day was from the Four JG’s Winery. Their Chambourcin Reserve was outstanding — a premium wine, without the premium price. 

In all, ten different NJ wineries, dozens of food trucks, live music and countless craft vendors make the NJ Wine Fest 2017 a must-attend event for next year.

In the meantime, you can try some incredible New Jersey wines from the event when you pick up a bottle or two at your local Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country Store.







 

Take your cocktails to the next level with booze-infused fruit or tipsy veggies. Simple, refreshing, easy to make. Grab your favorite produce, a few mason jars and your favorite spirit and join the infusion craze!


1. Peaches and Bourbon
Nothing says summer like a refreshing peach cocktail. To make: Remove the peach skin, slice flesh and store in a mason jar with bourbon for three days. Hint: Try pouring over ice cream for a grown-up treat.


2. Cucumbers and Gin
Slice cucumbers and add to a jar with a few basic leaves and your choice of gin. Chill and serve. Fantastic!


3. Jalapenos and Tequila
Spicy cocktails get you going? You’ll love this one. Slice peppers and let them soak in tequila for a few hours or a full week — the longer you soak, the hotter it gets. Strain peppers and seeds and add to your margarita for a cocktail that’s kicked up a notch.


4. Blueberries and Vodka
Muddle the berries in a jar with vodka and let it sit for a few days before straining adding to your favorite cocktail. Berry, berry good!


5. Cherries and Bourbon
Cut cherries in half and remove the pit and stem. Soak in bourbon for at least one week to extract as much juicy cherry flavor as possible. Strain cherries, pour and enjoy!

Don’t see your favorite fruit here? Relax, you can make endless boozy infusions using the fruits and veggies of your choosing. It’s a great way to experiment and get creative with your summer cocktails. Cheers!

 

Wine and chocolate are two favorite treats that we absolutely love. Let’s face it, sometimes you need to eat chocolate in sweatpants with a glass of wine (Don’t worry we aren’t judging). Or maybe you had a great day and want to celebrate! Either way, this wine and chocolate pairing guide will help you find the perfect wine to enjoy with your favorite chocolate.
 

Dark Chocolate+Port
Port, or Vinho do Porto in Portuguese, is served as a dessert wine and pairs fabulously with dark chocolate. We suggest Sandeman Porto Founders Reserve, because it has a warm, fruity taste that complements the strong cocoa taste in dark chocolate.

Milk Chocolate+Lambrusco
Lambrusco is known to pair well with pasta or sausage but sweeter Lambruscos can complement milk chocolate. Riunite Lambrusco is slightly sweet with a fruity flavor which pairs well with milk chocolate. Just chill and serve with chocolate!

White Chocolate+Moscato d’Asti
This sweet, sparking white wine from Piedmont, Italy pairs well with the sweetness of white chocolate. We suggest Cupcake Vineyards Moscato d’Asti because it is fruity and bubbly. A great after dinner treat!

Visit your local Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country store to pick up any of these wines — after you buy some chocolates, of course! Cheers! 

One of the many things we love about wine is that it is so much more than just a drink. It’s an experience. Something you pair with food, you share with friends, you toast with at life’s very best moments. Wine is life.

For any wine lover, visiting a wine region should be an absolute must-do for your bucket list — touring Napa or Sonoma in California, visiting Bordeaux or Chablis in France, exploring the beautiful vineyards of Italy, any opportunity to see and taste where the wines are actually made!

But if jetting across the country — or to another continent — isn’t in your plans or your budget, there are still vineyards to explore that are practically in your backyard!

This weekend, we wanted to try a different kind of wine experience and so we headed out to the North Fork of Long Island, a place where wine is becoming a huge and very successful part of the economy and where it is catching the attention of wine aficionados and reviewers alike. 

A bit of background…

A little more than forty years after the first vineyard was planted, Long Island’s North Fork is one of the up-and-coming wine regions in the nation, producing crisp whites, fruity reds, light rosés and bubbly sparkling wines.

With more than 50 wineries in the region, there is a vineyard for every taste. But since we had limited time (and a liver to consider), we kept our tasting to just one vineyard: Raphael. 

We took the Raphael Winery Tour, which provides a fascinating behind the scenes look at the production side of a working vineyard, along with an opportunity to taste a variety of different wines grown and bottled on the 52-acre site. 

Our tour guide, Gabby (who, by the way was awesome), told us how the grapes are harvested by hand so only the finest ones make it into the bottle and showed us the machinery that prevents stems from ending up in the wine (giving it that overly bitter tannic taste). She told us about the sustainable growing methods favored at the vineyard (we’re big fans) and that Raphael’s Head Winemaker is named, Anthony Napa (sounds like wine is in his DNA). 

But one of the most interesting things we learned about, was a wine produced exclusively in Long Island’s Wine Country called…Merliance! Never heard of it? That’s ok, we hadn’t either, but it’s a great story about winemakers coming together…and it’s a pretty terrific wine, too! 

Merliance is the name given to the Long Island Merlot Alliance, a group of vineyard owners who commit to contributing to the only cooperative wine made on Long Island. Essentially each of the five vineyards: Raphael, T’Jara, McCall, Wolffer and Martha Clara contribute Merlot grapes from their respective vineyards, harvested on the very same day, and co-fermented to showcase the versatility of Long Island Merlot. If you head out to the North Fork, a bottle of Merliance is a must buy!

With dozens of vineyards popping up along the same stretch of road, visiting vineyards is an enjoyable way to make the most of summer and fall weekends. Each vineyard has its own distinct personality, some with chic tasting rooms and available foods pairings, others with outdoor tables and live music where you can sample bottles and enjoy picnics of your own making. There are great restaurants, quaint B&B’s, the gorgeous Long Island Sound, plus the Hampton’s beaches just a short drive away. If you’re a wine lover, make sure the North Fork is on your radar to visit.

 

It’s as American as apple pie and baseball, the burger is a well-loved mainstay on tables across the nation. So beloved, is this juicy beef patty, that it warranted it’s own special holiday, which is celebrated each year on May 28th.

Whether you like to cook your own burgers on the grill or enjoy them out at your favorite restaurant, add piles of toppings or simply add a bun, the one thing that really “makes” a burger is wine.

We’ve pulled together some of our favorite burger-loving wines, which all just happen to be from Spain, and kept our selections all under $10 so you’ll be ready to celebrate this all-American holiday without breaking the budget!
 

Luzon Petit Verdot
It’s juicy, gently sweet, with a just a hint of licorice and spot-on fabulous with a plump grilled burger, hot off the grill.

Luzon Crianza Red Blend
This supple red blend offers bold black cherry, and a smoky finish that’s charcoal friendly. Ready to drink now and perfect for BBQ season.

Filon Grenacha
A savory and spicy wine that’s nicely balanced, easy to drink and has confidence enough for a flavorful chili-topping or barbecue sauce.

Mano a Mano Tempranillo
Decades-old Tempranillo vines make this wine strong and tasty, with slightly sweet tannins that pair beautifully with any grilled meats (but particularly with burgers).

So, fire up the grill and offer a toast to National Burger Day with your favorite bottle of wine… or try a few of ours!
Cheers!

Halloween is just for children, right? It’s a time for dressing up as a princess, superhero or
ghoul and going to door-to-door in pursuit of all the candy your plastic pumpkin can hold.

But in recent years, something has happened to Halloween and it’s not just for kids anymore.
In fact some would say that Halloween has been hijacked by adults. And the data
supports it! According to DDB Worldwide, 13% of Americans between the ages of 18-44
claim that Halloween is their favorite holiday, helping to turn this once kid-focused day
into an $8 billion a year industry for young and old alike!

Adults are getting dressed up, we are going to Halloween parties and we are definitely in
the Halloween spirit. So, if you’re hosting a Halloween party, the right wines can help
maintain the spooky mood for the night. And, if you’ve been invited to attend a Halloween
bash, gifting your host or hostess with a Halloween-worthy wine tells them you’re more
than just a great guest…you’re a great guest who knows how to choose the perfect wine.

We’ve pulled together a few bloody good reds for adding the perfect spirit to your Halloween
festivities. Read on…if you dare:

Apothic Dark
Winemaker’s Notes: Seamlessly integrates flavors of blueberry and blackberry with enticing
notes of coffee and dark chocolate for a rich and smooth mouthfeel with layers of texture.

Why We Like It: This limited-edition offering takes everything people love about Apothic
Red and turns it up a notch. A spectacular, mouth-coating blend of zinfandel, merlot, sirrah
and cabernet, it’s incredibly complex and coats the mouth with velvety goodness.

Freakshow Cabernet
Winemaker’s Notes: This 4th incarnation has more of everything…more depth, more ripe
fruit, more pizazz! Nicely balanced with fruit (pomegranate) and oak (showing some
smoke). Warning—it's gulpable!

Why We Like It: If you like classic cabernets, you’ll love this one. No need to aerate, it’s
super smooth upon opening.

7 Deadly Zins
Winemaker’s Notes: Crushed berry, soft oak and cigar box notes create a fragrant appeal
that leaves you wanting more.

Why We Like It: Consistently good. A multi-dimensional, easy-drinking zinfandel that
never fails to please. Buy it for Halloween, but drink it all year long.

The Velvet Devil Merlot
Winemaker’s Notes: This little devil is wrapped in a velvet robe. Full with density and
bursting with flavor. Dark fruit, cherry, blackberry. Brimming with cedar, pipe tobacco and
earth. Truth in a name: Velvet.

Why We Like It: The perfect Halloween wine. As the name implies, it’s velvety smooth,
with bold fruit flavor. We’re partial to Washington state merlots and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Spellbound Petite Sirah
Winemaker’s Notes: Intensity of color, rich black and brambly fruits, vanilla bean and
roasting coffee aromatics are complemented by remarkable approachability.

Why We Like It: Full bodied, highly drinkable, superbly consistent. It’s one of those wines
you can count on to deliver each and every year.

These are a few of our favorites, but there are dozens of wines with spooky names or scary
labels that are still frightfully good enough to please the palates of vampires, ghouls, werewolves…
and the rest of your friends, too.

Visit your local Wine Country Store or Wine & Whiskey Country store and scare up some
bloody good wines for your Monster Mash.

Happy Halloween!

It’s officially weddings season! For the brides, grooms, parents and other loved ones who are happily planning for their version of “wedding of the year,” it can be a daunting task. Finding the perfect venue, gorgeous flowers and a mouthwatering menu that will have your guests talking for months is hard enough, but then you have to choose the wine! And, that can be very difficult.

Until now. Introducing Dozen Roses Wine — in white, red and rosé varietals — beautiful-tasting wines in equally beautiful bottles. Bottles pretty enough to take a place of honor at the table on your most special of days.

Crowd-pleasing, semi dulce wines that that are big on taste — small on cost and with white, red and rosé varietals, there’s an option for every course, every menu item, every wine drinker at your wedding. 

Dozen Roses White: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Semi-Dulce

Selecting only the best grapes from the harvest, then gently crushing and destemming, results in first class“free-run” juice. Fermentation, at low temperatures, facilitates a slow sugar consumption and brings out the best aromas and qualities of the varietal. By stopping the wine from complete fermentation, the winemakers preserve a delicate balance of light sweetness that is heaven with every sip.

The result is an ultra-smooth, easy-drinking white that’s best served chilled with your favorite food and your favorite people. Universally appealing, what we call a “crowd pleasing” white. Love from first taste to last.

Dozen Roses Red: 100% Tempranillo
Semi-Dulce

Harvested at the peak of maturation, gently crushed and destemmed, this lush, round fruity red is fermented and pumped over in stainless steel tanks. By carefully monitoring temperatures, the winemakers extract the maximum amount of flavor, color, and inherently rich qualities of the Tempranillo grape, with just the slightest hint of sweetness.

A wine for pairing with food and sharing with the people you love. Unpretentious, friendly,
incredibly smooth, without even a hint of bitterness or bite, get ready to fall in love.

Dozen Roses Rosé: 100% Tempranillo
Semi-Dulce

Through careful monitoring in the vineyard, the grapes are harvested at the optimal point of maturation. After crushing and destemming, the grapes are stored in stainless steel tanks, maintaining a maceration of several hours, giving the wine its rose-pink hue. Low-temperature fermenting ensures a greater extraction of flavors, while the mouth-pleasing fruitiness is a result of knowing exactly when to stop the fermentation process to maintain its pleasant sweetness.

A wine that is made for dining al fresco, or enjoying a sunset with nothing but a wine glass and someone you love. Like summer in a bottle, you can practically taste the warm Spanish sunshine with every sip.

Of course, before you commit—to the wines that is—you really need to sample. That’s where your local Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country Store come in. They’re the first in New Jersey to carry Dozen Roses Wine and they’re more than willing to let you take a taste or two. Because once you do, they know you’ll want to Share the Love by making it a part of your once-in-a-lifetime day. 
 

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Grand Opening of our brand new location at 124 Maple Avenue, in South Plainfield such an incredible success!

Special thanks to:

• Mayor Anesh and Members of the South Plainfield City Council for being on hand for our official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
• Our incredible customers — both old and new — for stopping in and helping us achieve a banner sales day.
• The many local business leaders for visiting and showing their support.
• Our new neighbors, Ciccio’s Pizza for donating delicious pizza and zeppolis, and Dunkin’ Donuts for the donuts provided for our customers to enjoy.
• Our partner vendors for organizing all-day wine and spirit tastings.
• The most enthusiastic, knowledgeable, professional staff, who helped customers and made expert recommendations throughout the day.

To keep the celebration going, we’ll continue to honor our Grand Opening Sale prices through Sunday, May 6th with 25% OFF every 750ml bottle of wine and 10% OFF all spirits*!

We’re proud to be a part of the South Plainfield community and look forward to being your source for the best selection, pricing and service when you need wine, spirits, beer and even great gifts that you won’t find anywhere else!

Cheers!

Scott Maybaum
President, Wine Country Management

*Excludes sale items.

Everyone loves gifting (and getting) bottles of wine or spirits, but, when it comes to presenting them as a gift, you’re left with virtually one option… the gift bag. And, if you are sending a bottle of wine or whiskey to someone, the options are even less appealing. Until now.

Gift Box Pros, a subsidiary of Wine Country, has an exclusive line of gift boxes that were made to do one thing really, really well — that is to make your wine or spirit gift as enjoyable to look at as it is to drink. 

It starts with choosing a box that suits the occasion. We have designs for all the standard events that come up throughout the year from birthdays to congratulations to new homes and new jobs, plus special holiday boxes that are limited offerings just for the season. 

They aren’t just ordinary boxes. They’re richly colored, beautifully designed and sturdy enough that your gift recipient will probably find a way to use the box again long after the wine has been enjoyed. 

Once you’ve selected the perfect box, the fun really starts. You can browse the inventory of wines available on our website and choose the ones that you think your friend will really love. You can even let us choose for you, with special pre-selected offerings in every price range. 

Choose up to two bottles (standard 750ml size work best) and we’ll add a novelty stemless wine glass that goes perfectly for the occasion — with happy birthday wishes, congratulations, funny sayings… you get the idea.

The boxes include customized dividers so the bottles won’t break in transit and we’ll add colorful paper fill for adding cushioning. Everything gets neatly finished with a festive box and the end result is nothing short of spectacular. They’ll love it. You’ll get all the credit.

Corporate Gifting — Because Wine is Way Better Than a Personalized Monthly Planner!

Forget the typical engraved pens or golf balls and send a gift they’ll actually be excited to receive — namely, wine! For corporate gifting, we can customize the stemless glass with your company logo or event name. Your clients or employees will think of you whenever they use it (that’s long after the wine is just a fond memory)! 

You can pick up a Gift Box Pro gift box at your neighborhood Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country store, or you can order online, and we’ll send the gift out for you. What could be simpler than that?

Gift Box Pros… boxes so pretty, so unique, there’s no need for wrapping paper!