In addition to spending time with loved ones and pausing to reflect on what we are most thankful for, Thanksgiving is all about food. Lots and lots of food. The centerpiece may be the turkey, but it’s your recipes that make your Thanksgiving meal distinctly yours. A reflection of your family, your ancestry, even the region of the country where you are from.

And, all of those dishes need wine (because everything does, doesn’t it?). And there’s no better holiday-worthy wine than Dozen Roses (even the bottles seem dressed for the occasion). After all, holidays call for crowd-pleasing wines, the kind you’ll enjoy just as much as your Great Aunt Mabel and your niece just home on college break.  

Because, whether you choose the red, the white or the rosé, Dozen Roses Wine has the perfect hint of sweetness to work with roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, candied yams, glazed carrots, sweet potato souffle, and of course, homemade apple pie.

But don’t take our word for it, try our Easy Apple Pie recipe, paired with a perfectly chilled glass of Dozen Roses White Wine and get ready for compliments!

Easy Apple Pie

• Store-bought puff pastry pie crust

• 8-10 apples, cored, peeled and sliced (choose your favorite variety, we like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Braeburn)

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

• ½ tsp. Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Roll out dough if needed and place in bottom of pie pan.

Mix apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in bowl and place in pie shell. Top with second pie crust. Crimp edges together and vent top of crust by making 4-5 slits in top of crust. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425º for 35-40 minutes. Serve with a chilled glass of Dozen Roses White.

Cheers!

Looking for some colorful drinks to celebrate 4th of July in Style? Here are our top picks to give your holiday celebration some patriotic flair!

Dozen Roses Rosé Sparkler

• 5 ounces Dozen Roses Rosé
• Sliced Fresh Strawberries
• Fresh mint leaves
• San Pelligrino Sparkling Water or club soda

Place 2 tablespoons of fresh strawberries into bottom of wine glass and muddle into juicy pulp.

Fill glass with ice.

Add Dozen Roses Rosé until glass is 3/4 full. 

Top with sparkling water or club soda and add fresh mint leaves for garnish.


White Lady

• 2 oz. Dry Gin
• 1/2 oz. Cointreau
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, Cointreau and lemon juice.

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.


Rockin' Royal Blue

• 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 oz. Citron Vodka
• 1 oz. Blue Curaco
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Granulated sugar & lime wedge

Sprinkle sugar onto plate. Moisten rim of chilled martini glass with lime wedge and dip moistened rim into the sugar to coat lightly.

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add cranberry juice, vodka, curacao and lime juice; cover and shake. Strain into martini glass.


Whether you’re celebrating at the pool, beach, lake or right in the comfort of your air-conditioned home, they cocktails are easy to make — and easier to drink — so you’ll definitely want to try them all!

Cheers!

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. 
 

The weather is warming up and that can only mean one thing…it’s BBQ season! A time for healthy grilling, dining outdoors and of course, great wine! But, what wine should you serve with your favorite BBQ fare?

It depends. Certain wines blend beautifully with burgers, but horribly with grilled fish, so it all comes down to the right pairings.

But, don’t worry about making the wrong choice—we’ll take the guesswork out and give you some great tips on which wines to pair with the most popular BBQ foods.

Burgers & Malbec
Take the all-time American grilling favorite and pair it with the National Grape of Argentina!
Argentinian Malbecs are renowned for their dark fruit flavors and smoky finish. And, if you’re looking for an alternative to higher priced Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, this is it. Big juicy burgers are the perfect food for Malbec. And, if the weather is really hot, don’t be afraid to pop your Malbec in the fridge to add a bit of chill—despite what wine snobs might say, red wine needs to be served cooler in hot weather.

We Recommend: King Malbec, Maipe Malbec Reserve Mendoza, and Achaval-Ferrer Malbec.

Sausage & Zinfandel
Sure opposites attract, but sometimes the very best pairings are those that are alike.
With its unique taste, deep dark color and sometimes off-the-charts alcohol content—Zinfandels pack a real punch, with fruit-driven aromas and flavors of berries, black pepper, spice and sometimes even with a hint of chocolate or citrus. Add a spicy grilled sausage to the mix and you’ve found “foodie nirvana.”

We Recommend: Predator Old Vine Zinfandel, 1000 Stories Bourbon-Aged Zinfandel, and Bogle Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel

Portobello Mushrooms & Pinot Noir
You don’t have to grill meat to enjoy a good BBQ and we’ve got the perfect wine to go with that meatiest of all veggies…the mushroom!
Sensuous and silky, Pinot Noir’s enticing sometimes earthy perfume is practically made to pair with mushrooms. Intensely flavored, complex, with incredible longevity—it’s a wine meant to pair with food and since it’s lighter than heavier Cabernets, Pinot Noir  won’t overshadow your meal.

We Recommend: Joel Gott Pinot Noir, Decoy Pinot Noir, and Gloria Ferrer Etesian Pinot Noir

Chicken & Rosé
There’s lots of reasons why Rosé appreciation is on the rise and one is it’s ability to pair with classic summer foods.
Rosé is the absolute perfect hot-weather wine. Poolside, al fresco dining, beach picnics, no wine is a better choice for summer than rosé. Now, add some grilled chicken with your favorite dry rub or tangy BBQ sauce and you have the makings for a memorable summertime feast.

We Recommend: Estesian Pinot Noir Rosé, Crios Rosé of Malbec, Breezette Rosé

Seafood & Chardonnay
Hotter weather sometimes calls for lighter foods and wines and few combinations are lighter and more refreshing than fresh fish and chilled Chardonnay!
One of the few white wines that gets better with age, some Chardonnays won’t reach their peak of flavor for five to eight years. The aging process, done mostly in oak barrels, give buttery and toasty flavors to the wine and a crispness that really enhances the flavor of your favorite grilled seafood.

We Recommend: J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay, Hess Napa Valley Collection Chardonnay,  and Butter California Chardonnay

One last thing about BBQs…
For many, BBQs are a natural setting for bringing out the beer—and with good reason. The carbonation, acidity and coldness of beer acts as a natural palate cleanser. But, fear not, wine lovers you too can experience that same palate-cleansing effect, that same freshness.

How you ask? Sparkling wine. It’s bubbly, it’s cold, it’s the perfect effervescent beverage to kick off a season of outdoor dining, warm nights and good wine.

We Recommend: Contessa Annalisa Lambrusco Rose, and Cantina Montelliana Prosecco


So, cheers to the unofficial start of summer and to a season full of perfect wine and BBQ pairings!

Chardonnay is among the world’s most popular white wines. So popular, in fact, that we celebrate National Chardonnay Day each year on May 24th.

Paired with food or all on its own, Chardonnay is a great wine 12 months a year. While heavier reds can be tough in the heat of summer, Chardonnay knows no season. As comfortable with grilled chicken at a BBQ or turkey at Thanksgiving, Chardonnay is a wine for all seasons and all reasons.

Chardonnay is one of the few whites that actually gets better with age, in fact some Chardonnays won’t reach their peak of flavor for five to eight years after bottling.

But, one of the things that really gets people going about Chardonnay is its “dual-personality” — some chardonnays are crisp, fruity and bright, while others are creamy, buttery and oaky. It’s like they are two entirely different wines. But they’re both Chardonnay. Interesting, right?

Simply put, it’s all in how it’s aged. During the fermentation process, essential to all wines, the barrel that the wine is fermented in has a huge impact on the flavor of the wine.

Steel-aged Chardonnays tend to be fruiter, with lots of bright apple and citrus flavors. You’ll find many European Chardonnays are steel-aged, but there’s one from California that we really like and there’s not a hint of oak in it (not even in its name): Tolosa No Oak Chardonnay.

American Chardonnays are almost exclusively oaked and usually have a rich creaminess their European counterparts do not. Oak-aged Chardonnays are less fruit-forward, and are often described as “buttery.” Some oaked Chardonnays are aged elsewhere and then stored in oak barrels, resulting in a wine that is less oaky than those that are both aged and fermented in oak barrels.

Nothing makes us happier than a “butter bomb” chardonnay and one of our absolute favorites is California Wine Project Chardonnay. It’s smooth, creamy, imminently satisfying and did we mention it’s just $10 a bottle! Don’t miss it!

Whether you like your Chardonnay with or without oak, be sure to have your favorite bottle ready to toast on National Chardonnay Day! 

Cheers!

Sure flowers are pretty for Mother’s Day, but what Mom wouldn’t be a whole lot happier with a “bouquet” of a dozen Rosés instead? Beautiful pastel colors, light, refreshing and as necessary for summer as sunscreen and barbecues. 

Lighter and fresher than heavy reds, but with a tinge of color that gives it more personality than white, Rosé wine is actually made when red grapes are lightly crushed and left to soak with their red skins. The longer the skins sit in the wine, anywhere from a few hours to a few days, the “pinker” the finished wine will be and the stronger the tannic characteristics will develop.

Rosé wines are meant to be enjoyed right away, usually within 2-3 years after the label date. And, since they are made from many grape varietals, which can include: Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carigan, Mourvèdre, and Sangiovese to name a few, you’ll be able to find rosé wines that span the taste scale from quite dry to refreshing and fruity. Basically, there’s a Rosé for every taste.

The absolute perfect warm-weather wine. Poolside, al fresco dining, beach picnics, no wine is a better choice for summer than Rosé. And, because they are relatively inexpensive to make and don’t require aging, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a greater value than Rosé wine, so they’re typically as kind to your wallet as they are to your tastebuds.

There are so many Rosé wines available, it can be confusing to know which ones to try, so we’ve pulled together some of our favorites so you can gift your Mom with a Dozen Rosés she’ll absolutely savor… plus, buy any two bottles of wine and get one of our exclusive “Mom” or “Dozen Roses” gift boxes!


Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah

Why We Like It:
Intense aromas of fresh red fruits, lead to a smooth finish.  Perfect with sushi or other seafood. And the label is pretty awesome, too!


Etesain Pinot Noir Rosé

Why We Like It:

Big and creamy, with tons of strawberry and cherry flavors, but you don’t care about that, you just want a really great Rosé that pairs with all of your favorite foods… well this is it.


Crios Rosé Of Malbec

Why We Like It:

They had us at Malbec — and a rosé version for warmer weather? Sign us up. Great with Chinese take out, make sure you let it breathe a bit before drinking. 


Charles Smith Sangiovese Vino Rosé

Why We Like It:

Washington State winemaker, Charles Smith has a no-nonsense approach we really like. This mouth-watering Rosé has the added bonus of a screw-top cap so there’s no need to bring your wine opener when you’re enjoying it on the beach.


Decoy Rosé - Estate Syrah & Pinot Noir

Why We Like It:

The debut Rosé offering from the premiere vineyard which produces Duckhorn Wines, it’s a truly elegant Rosé in every sense of the word. Vibrantly fruity, beautifully poised, a mix of two outstanding grape varietals.


Flowers Pinot Noir Rosé

Why We Like It:

Another Rosé option for the discriminating wine lover, Flowers version has a brilliant coral hue, aromas of strawberry, grapefruit and rose petals and wonderful complexity.  


Matua Valley Pinot Noir Rosé

Why We Like It:

The first thing you'll notice is the color — somewhere between blush and bubble gum – and it just gets better from there. Really.


Seaglass Rosé - Pinot Noir & Syrah Rosé

Why We Like It:

Got an invite to your friend’s beach house? Bring this one and ensure you’ll be invited back. It’s bright and juicy and everything you want in a summer wine. 


Breezette - Cinsault, Grenache & Mourvedre

Why We Like It:

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


Hess Rosé - Syrah & Petite Syrah

Why We Like It:

We can’t think of a better varietal blending than Syrah and Petite Sirah. They perfectly complement and enhance each other, resulting in a wine that’s smooth and just fruity enough.


Ferrari-Carano Dry Sangiovese Rosé

Why We Like It:

Don’t like sweeter wines? This California Rosé is dry and fragrant, with refreshing fruit balanced by the perfect level of acidity and an elegant finish.


Juliette Rosé - Grenache & Syrah

Why We Like It:

It works with some of the toughest wine-pairing foods we know — spicy Thai, Indian curry, Tex Mex, even pizza.


There you have it… a dozen Rosés guaranteed to make you the favorite kid this Mother’s Day. Pick up the entire dozen, or just one or two, at your neighborhood Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country Store.

And, don’t forget, buy any two bottles and we’ll give you a FREE “Mom” or “Dozen Roses” gift box — so pretty you can skip the wrapping paper.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Wine Country Stores!










 

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.

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.




 

Face it. The neighborhood Book Club thing has been done to death. And Bunco? Don’t even get us started. But a Wine Club — a way to share your love of wine (and learn about it), while hanging out with your friends? That sounds like something worth spending a Thursday night doing.

What You’ll Need to Get Started:
• Friends
• Wine
• A Place to Host

Pretty simple, right?

Friends - Put out an All Points Bulletin for friends who enjoy wine. Post on your Facebook page, on your Office Intranet site, do a group text, you’ll be AMAZED at how many people respond when the word “wine” is included.

Wine - The point of a Wine Club is not to spend a fortune, it’s to learn about wine and enjoy doing it with the people you care about. Read up, look for that unknown wine that will blow your friends away (we’ll get to some recommendations later). A Wine Club is not the time to pull out those bottles that can be found anywhere.

A Place to Host - The best place for a Wine Club meeting is in someone’s home. There are no time restrictions, cover charges, or costly food obligations. We always like to do a rotating hosting schedule, so everyone gets a turn to play host. Don’t have a place to host when it’s your turn? Offer to provide the cheese and crackers for someone else to play host on your behalf! 

Now that the basics are covered, it’s time to put your own personal stamp on things. Assign a theme for each night that will make things interesting and help expand the groups’ knowledge and appreciation of wine.

Category Suggestion: $10 & Under Wines

Resist the urge to go for something safe. Yes, Apothic Red is a real crowd pleaser, but just about everyone has tried it. Think outside the box (or in this case outside the bottle) and bring something that most people have never tried. 

Our “can’t miss” recommendation: California Wine Project

Four different varietals to choose from - Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, or Chardonnay. Whichever one you select, you will not be disappointed. Incredibly smooth, incredibly flavorful wines that come to us exclusively from one of Napa's most recognizable vineyards (but that's our little secret). Our favorites are the Chardonnay and the Cabernet. One sip, you’ll be hooked.

Category Suggestion: Something That’s Nearly Impossible to Find

One of the best things about starting a wine club is discovering wines you (and your friends) may never have tried before. 

Our “can’t miss” recommendation: Eaglestone Winery Pinot Noir

Before you say something like, “that’s not impossible to find, I’ve had Eaglestone before.” True, you may have had their Cabernet or their Red Blends (both excellent, we might add), but their Pinot Noir is the unicorn of wines. Go ahead and Google it. Go on,we’ll wait…

You couldn’t find it, could you? Not even on Eaglestone’s own website. BUT WE HAVE IT (don’t ask).  And it’s AWESOME. Fabulous at $30 or more, but you can get this one direct from our $10 & Under collection! No joke.


Category Suggestion: Something Truly Unique

Select a wine that’s whiskey-bottle aged (for an intensely different flavor profile). Bring a bottle of bubbly, dry, deep red Lambrusco — a colorful alternative to golden sparkling wines. Or break away from the California wine rut and bring a bottle from a place your friends won’t expect

Our “can’t miss” recommendation: Something kosher

Yes, kosher. Some of the hottest new wines are hailing from Israel. And, if you haven’t tried kosher wines before, you really don’t know what you are missing. Old World Style, amazing varietals, today’s kosher wines are a must-try for any wine lover. Try the Cabernet Franc from Alexander Winery, you won’t be disappointed.


Category Suggestion: Rosé All the Way

The fastest growing wine varietal in the United States, rosé is the new favorite wine and an absolute must-drink from Spring to Fall! With so many incredible rosé wines to choose from running the spectrum from blush to magenta, super dry to slightly sweet, there is a rosé wine to suit every taste

Our “can’t miss” recommendation: Dozen Roses Rosé

Not your typical French rosé, this one hails from Portugal and it's sublime. Exceptionally easy drinking 100% tempranillo, with the palest pink hue, it's light and refreshing with just the slightest hint of sweetness in the finish. Like capturing summer in a glass!

One last thing…

While it isn’t necessary to have a prize for the favorite wine of the night, it certainly adds an extra special touch. We suggest a gift of — you guessed it, Wine! 

Pick up one of the special “congratulations” gift boxes from Gift Box Pros, add a bottle or two of your favorite wines, some novelty wine glasses, openers, whatever — or get a pre-made gift box as the evening’s award and cement yourself as the “World’s Best Wine Club Host.”

Cheers!







 

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.

You’ve got your holiday list and if it’s anything like ours, it gets bigger every single year! But what about those unexpected guests who show up around the holidays — gift in hand — while you mentally sort through things in your house that could be wrapped up and re-gifted in a pinch? 

This year why not be prepared with special little gifts for last-minute guests, the guy at the parking garage you see every morning, the coffee barista who always gets your order right or your favorite manicurist? A good bottle of wine (really good, in fact), hand-selected by us, and each just $10 or less! Add one of our exclusive single bottle holiday gift boxes (so festive and pretty, you can skip the wrapping paper) and you’ve got an oh-so appropriate gift you’ll be proud to give and they’ll be thrilled to receive. 

We recommend:

Dozen Roses Red
This exceptionally easy-drinking Tempranillo from Spain is perfect for holiday entertaining and one of the smoothest reds we've ever tried (seriously like velvet in a glass). Plus the lush, rose-covered label is practically made for gifting. We've noted some incredible reactions when we've done samplings of this wine in our stores — people absolutely love it (really, really love it) and they are shocked to find it in our $10 & Under section, but it is. Pick this one up, you will not be disappointed.

Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery Shiraz
This is one of those great wine surprises, from a region not traditionally known for its wine production. A hidden gem from the heart of Rahovec Valley in Kosovo, a region with more than 2.000 years of winemaking, and passion you can taste in every bottle.  This full-bodied Shiraz has distinctive flavors of forest blueberries and blackberries, with a long, exotic finish. Out of the ordinary and definitely worth trying.

Eaglestone Winery Pinot Noir 
We love finding truly unique, hard-to-find wines and this is one of our absolute favorites. Before you say something like, “that’s not impossible to find, I’ve had Eaglestone before.” True, you may have had their California Cabernet or their Red Blends (both excellent, we might add), but their Pinot Noir is the unicorn of wines. Practically impossible to find, but we have it  and it’s AWESOME. Fabulous at $30 or more, but you can get this one direct from our $10 & Under collection! No joke.

Adega Grande Reserva Tinto
If you're looking to explore the wines of Portugal, this is a great one to start with. It's fruity, soft, easy drinking and just right for sipping in front of the fireplace, while admiring your Christmas tree. A surpisingly good wine, at an incredibly good price. 

80 Vinho Regional Alentejano
If you like a good red blend, you'll love this one. A soft, balanced mix of Aragonez, Trincadeira, and Castellan grapes from Portugal, it's a uniquely different wine than the typical red blends from California. A find at any price, a steal under $10.

It’s all in the presentation…
Forget gift bags, and don’t even think about trying to wrap a bottle of wine. Pick up a few of our exclusive holiday design gift boxes (two shown above), perfectly sized for holding a single bottle of wine and wonderfully festive without a stitch of wrapping paper! 

Simple — and affordable — gifts for anyone on your Christmas list. See our entire assortment of $10 & Under Wines at your neighborhood Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country Store! 

Cheers!
 

Let’s talk turkey… the natural inclination is to pair turkey (and other poultry dishes) with white wine. But did you know that there are many red varietals that can work beautifully with your turkey and all the trimmings feast?

Before you head to the wine store to stock up for the holiday, take a look at our favorite red wine choices for your Thanksgiving meal!

Pinot Noir:

If you like red wine, the natural choice is Pinot Noir. Intensely flavored, complex, with incredible longevity—it’s a wine meant to pair with food, and it won’t overshadow your meal. Sensuous, with an enticing, sometimes earthy perfume and soft, silky, yet structured texture.
One of our favorites: Flowers Pinot Noir

Merlot:

The easiest drinking red there is, Merlot is soft, ripe, elegant, and a great starter wine for newer red wine drinkers. French for “The Little Blackbird,” the Merlot grape became known in Bordeaux for its ability to add softness and luscious fruit when combined with the region’s favorite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s ability to not overpower is what makes it so great with food.
One of our favorites: Rodney Strong Merlot


Zinfandel:

Classic Zinfandels have fruit-driven aromas and often include flavors of berries, black pepper, and spice, sometimes even with a hint of chocolate or citrus. While some zinfandels, are quite bold and spicy there are others that are more fruity and subtle. Those are the ones that you’ll want to select for your Thanksgiving table.
One of our favorites: Rombauer Zinfandel

Cabernet:

A bit heavier, but still a good red choice, Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most complex, layered wines around. Typically full-bodied, with dark fruit flavors and savory tastes from black pepper to bell pepper, there’s a Cabernet Sauvignon for everyone.
One of our favorites: California Wine Project Cabernet

In the end, Thanksgiving is about counting your blessings, while sharing food—and wine—with the people you love. Visit any Wine Country Store or Wine and Whiskey Country Store and let one of our Wine Pros help you pick out the perfect wine for a truly memorable Thanksgiving…Cheers!

Let’s say there’s an occasion that calls for a gift. A birthday. An anniversary. Congratulations on a job well done. Or thanks for inviting us to your beach house for the weekend. There are literally dozens of times each year that you’re charged with picking out a gift for someone special and dozens of opportunities to wow them with your good taste. 

So what to get? Forget flowers. Pass on perfume. Skip those impersonal gift cards. We’ve got a suggestion that’s both easy and always the right choice. Wine. It’s the best gift ever and here’s why: 

1. You’ll find a wine in every price range. Want to spend a lot, you definitely have choices, but the great thing about wine is that there are some outstanding bottles available today for under $20 and there are even great bottles to be found for around $10! 

2. There’s a wine for absolutely everyone. Wine aficionados aren’t the only ones who will appreciate a gift of wine. From Chardonnay to Chianti, Barolo to Zinfandel — light and sweet or bold and intense — wine has flavor profiles to suit every taste and pair with every meal.

3. Wine is for celebrations. Think of the best occasions — dinners out with friends, family meals, weddings, parties — chances are that wine is a big part of those occasions. Another reason why it makes the perfect gift.

4. They’ll probably want to share. It’s no fun drinking a bottle of wine alone, so chances are if you give them a bottle of wine they may just invite you to share it with them. Lucky you.

5. Wine is the star of any gift box. Pick out a gift box (we love the unique boxes available from GiftBoxPros.com), add a bottle (or two) of wine, choose some gourmet snacks, a novelty wine glass, a bottle opener, you name it, as long as wine is a part of the gift it’s a winner!


There you have it. Our top 5 reasons why wine makes the absolute perfect gift for any occasion. Don’t believe us? Give a bottle the next time you need to bring a gift and see how happy you’ll make the gift recipient!

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!

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.







 

Pinot Noir… perhaps the most romanticized red wine in the world. Why? Well, for one thing, Pinot Noir grapes are exceptionally hard to grow, making a great bottle of Pinot Noir a pretty rare find. Without question the world’s finest Pinot Noir comes from the Burgundy region of France—age-worthy, earthy reds, that are usually pretty costly. You can; however, find some affordable Pinot Noir wines from California and Oregon, as well as New Zealand, Australia and Chile, but they are typically more fruit forward, or lighter than their French counterparts.

As Pinot Noir is grown in so many different regions around the world and since it is very much a reflection of where it is grown, it is hard to really pin down just one personality; however, Pinot Noir is typically delicate and fresh, with very soft tannins. Fruity aromas of cherry,
strawberry and plum, are often paired with rustic notes of damp earth, worn leather and tea-leaf.

Why we love Pinot Noir: Intensely flavored, complex, with incredible longevity—a wine meant to pair with food, that won’t overshadow your meal. Sensuous, with an enticing, sometimes earthy perfume and soft, round, silky, yet structured texture. Finding the perfect Pinot Noir is the Holy Grail of wines.

Food pairing ideas: Great with salmon or other fatty fish, glazed ham, turkey, roasted chicken or beef, and mushroom risotto.

Five of our favorite Pinot Noir wines:

Flowers Pinot Noir
Why we like it: Deep garnet hue. Incredibly complex and ultra smooth, this is one of our favorite Pinot Noirs from California. Easy drinking and a wonderful partner with food this is American Pinot Noir at its very finest.

Meiomi Pinot Noir
Why we like it: 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 Pinor Noir
Why we like it: A lighter, friendlier red than your typical California Cab, this Pinot Noir is medium bodied, wonderfully aromatic and has crisp fruit and spice flavors that work beautifully with so many foods.

Fess Parker Pinot Noir
Why we like it: A family-run vineyard producing world class wines, Fess Parker’s Pinot Noir  features flavors of Bing cherry, cranberry, sage, black currant, black raspberry, green peppercorn and a touch of vanilla.

Goose Bay Pinot Noir
Why We Like It: Pinot Noir is a lighter red, making it an easy pairing wine for some foods you might not think are typically red-friendly.

Visit your local Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country store and one of our Wine Pros will help you select the perfect Pinot Noir for you.

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 month is hard enough, but then you have to choose the wine! And, that can be very difficult.

But, don’t worry, we’re here to help. The good news is that having good wines doesn’t mean having to spend a small fortune. We have some great suggestions and even greater prices on the perfect wines to serve for your big day.

When choosing wines for weddings, or any large gathering for that matter, look for wines that are reasonably priced (under $20) and that offer wide appeal. Avoid wines with extremes in flavor profiles—too oaky, too much acidity, too sweet, weddings aren’t the time for those types of wines—instead look for wines that a wide range of people will enjoy, from wine novices to wine snobs.

If your wedding is being held at a venue, they usually provide the wine, but will often allow you to select the wines being served. If you are holding the wedding in an outside or private location, you may be responsible not only for choosing the wines, but also determining how much wine is needed. The general rule is that each person will consume approximately four 5-ounce glasses. 

Of course, before you commit—to the wines that is—you really need to sample. Read reviews, pick a few that sound like they might be good and then buy a bottle of each. Sample them with your significant other and choose a few to be a part of your celebration, always keeping in mind your event’s menu. You’ll definitely want a mix of whites and reds and at least one sparkling wine to provide your guests with lots of tempting choices. 

Here are a few of our recommendations for some true-blue wines that are destined to be a memorable part of your big day.

    

Secco Italian Bubbles by Charles Smith Rosé 
Why We Like It: Highly drinkable and delightfully pink—this sparkling wine will have guests coming back for more than just the toast! Rich strawberry and Italian cherry with subtle biscotti and a hint of red vines and Necco Wafers! 

California Wine Project Cabernet Sauvignon
Why We Like It: Complex, lush, mouth-coating—all the hallmarks of the beautiful Cabernets from the top Napa Valley winery where it's made exclusively (and anonymously) for us.

           

Joel Gott Unoaked Chardonnay
Why We Like It: A great “unoaked” Chardonnay perfect for those who are sensitive to the traditional oaked versions. Aged in stainless steel, very smooth and summer friendly.

        

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Estate Charlotte's Home
Why We Like It: We think Sauvignon Blanc is the absolute perfect warm-weather white because it’s so incredibly light. But, unlike some other Sauvignon Blancs out there, this one has some backbone to it, some real flavor. Your guests will love it and so will you!

Visit your neighborhood Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country store and let one of our Wine Pros help you say “I do” to the perfect wines for your wedding or other upcoming event. 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! 

Want to enjoy one of summer's coolest summer treats? Get ready to make a pitcher of Frosé. One part frosty, one part rosé, and totally addictive!

Slightly sweet, incredibly refreshing, and so easy to make you'll definitely want to try it at home. 

What you need:
• 1 750ml bottle of Dozen Roses Rosé 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 ounces strawberries (quartered)
• 2 1/2 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup crushed ice
 

We suggest: Dozen Roses Rosé
Why we like it: 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.

Now that we have our ingredients let’s make some frosé!

Pour your rosé into ice cube trays (Take a sip, cooking is hard). Let the rosé freeze for at least 6 hours. It won’t completely freeze because of the alcohol content, but will get pretty slushy.

When you think your rosé is frozen enough, bring the sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir the sugar until it dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add in the strawberries and remove from heat. Let sit for 30 minutes so the strawberries give the sugar syrup an intense flavor. Strain the mixture into a small bowl making sure that the pieces of strawberry are collected. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Ok now it’s time to bring out our rosé ice cubes. Put the cubes in a blender, add lemon juice, the strawberry syrup, and crushed ice. Purée until smooth. Put the blender jar in the freezer for 25-35 minutes so your frosé can thicken.

When you are ready to serve, take your frosé out of the freezer and blend until slushy. Pour into glasses and enjoy! 

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.

 

Lambrusco: the sparkling red wine of Italy!

There’s an exciting movement happening in imported wine and it’s getting a lot of buzz. Lambrusco is making a comeback. No, not the super sweet fizzy wine that was popular in the U.S. back in the 1970s and 80s, but REAL Lambrusco — dry, earthy, refreshing and beloved by Italians for generations.

Actually, Lambrusco is both a red wine grape and the region where the wine is mad. Grown in four zones in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy, around the provinces of Mantua (where Romeo was banished), Modena (also famed for its Balsamic Vinegar), Parma (parmesan cheese, anyone?) and Reggio nell’Emilia (an up and coming Italian fashion hub). Although this region has a winemaking history which dates back to the Etruscans, the most highly rated Lambrusco wines today are frothy, slightly sparkly (or frizzante as they say in Italy) red wines, meant to drink now. Made using the Charmat process, with a second fermentation inside a pressurized tank.

From Italian Celebrations to Yours!

Italians have long included sparkling wines as part of life’s celebratory moments. Some, like spumante are sipped for toasting at the start of a meal. Others, like sweet moscato d’ Asti are paired with desserts and often pushed aside after a sip or two. But, there are some effervescent Italian reds too good to set aside after toasting and meant to be enjoyed throughout the entire  meal. These refreshingly dry, frizzante reds are the stuff of celebrations. Of family reunions. Of holidays. Of weddings. And, these are the wines that are arriving in America.

The quality of today’s imported Lambrusco wines is astounding. Fruity and simple, with a touch of earthiness and loads of finesse. From dry — or secco —though semisweet; from pale rose to deep purple hues, there’s a Lambrusco for everyone. Plus, Lambrusco is a great value. With most wines coming in under $20 a bottle, it’s a whole new reason to celebrate.

Planning a wedding? Make sure to invite Lambrusco!

Perfect for weddings — it’s effervescent, light, has a lower alcohol content than traditional reds and the color is like romance in a glass. For the next big thing in sparkling wine, it’s time to go red!

A few of our favorite Lambruscos:

MOLO 8 Lambrusco Mantovano

Why We Like It: Brilliant as an aperitif. Rich fruit, but with a bubbly effervescence that brings this wine to a whole new level. You can drink it with anything, but actually you can drink it with nothing at all. 

I Quercioli Secco Reggiano Lambrusco DOC

Why We Like It:
It actually smells like violets! We love pairing this with an antipasta course of dried meats, parmigiano reggiano cheese, olives and crusty bread. 

Lambrusco di Sorbara DOP Rosato Frizzante

Why We Like It:
The highest quality and most aromatic Lambruscos come from the Sobara region. Pour it in the glass and you'll smell rose petal, violet, and fresh red fruit. Elegant long-lasting froth wakes up your tastebuds. 

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!

Lighter and fresher than heavy reds, but with a tinge of color that gives it more personality than white, Rosé wine is actually made when red grapes are lightly crushed and left to soak with their red skins. The longer the skins sit in the wine, anywhere from a few hours to a few days, the “pinker” the finished wine will be and the stronger the tannic characteristics will develop.

Rosé wines are meant to be enjoyed right away, usually within 2-3 years after the label date. And, since they are made from many grape varietals, which can include: Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carigan, Mourvèdre, and Sangiovese to name a few, you’ll be able to find rosé wines that span the taste scale from quite dry to refreshing and fruity. Basically, there’s a Rosé for every taste.

The absolute perfect warm-weather wine. Poolside, al fresco dining, beach picnics, no wine is a better choice for summer than Rosé. And, because they are relatively inexpensive to make and don’t require aging, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a greater value than Rosé wine, so they’re typically as kind to your wallet as they are to your tastebuds.

There are so many Rosé wines available, it can be confusing to know which ones to try, so we’ve pulled together some of our favorites:


Montes Cherub Rosé of Syrah - $14.99

Why We Like It:
Intense aromas of fresh red fruits, lead to a smooth finish.  Perfect with sushi or other seafood. And the label is pretty awesome, too!


Etesain Pinot Noir Rosé - $12.99

Why We Like It:
Big and creamy, with tons of strawberry and cherry flavors, but you don’t care about that, you just want a really great Rosé that pairs with all of your favorite foods… well this is it.


Crios Rosé Of Malbec - $13.99

Why We Like It:
They had us at Malbec — and a rosé version for warmer weather? Sign us up. Great with Chinese take out, make sure you let it breathe a bit before drinking. 


Charles Smith Sangiovese Vino Rosé - $13.99

Why We Like It:
Washington State winemaker, Charles Smith has a no-nonsense approach we really like. This mouth-watering Rosé has the added bonus of a screw-top cap so there’s no need to bring your wine opener when you’re enjoying it on the beach.


Decoy Rosé - Estate Syrah & Pinot Noir - $16.99

Why We Like It:
The debut Rosé offering from the premiere vineyard which produces Duckhorn Wines, it’s a truly elegant Rosé in every sense of the word. Vibrantly fruity, beautifully poised, a mix of two outstanding grape varietals.


Flowers Pinot Noir Rosé - $32.99

Why We Like It:
Another Rosé option for the discriminating wine lover, Flowers version has a brilliant coral hue, aromas of strawberry, grapefruit and rose petals and wonderful complexity.  


Matua Valley Pinot Noir Rosé - $12.99

Why We Like It:
The first thing you'll notice is the color — somewhere between blush and bubble gum – and it just gets better from there. Really.


Seaglass Rosé - Pinot Noir & Syrah Rosé - $12.99

Why We Like It:
Got an invite to your friend’s beach house? Bring this one and ensure you’ll be invited back. It’s bright and juicy and everything you want in a summer wine. 


Breezette - Cinsault, Grenache & Mourvedre - $15.99

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


Hess Rosé - Syrah & Petite Syrah - $11.99

Why We Like It:
We can’t think of a better varietal blending than Syrah and Petite Sirah. They perfectly complement and enhance each other, resulting in a wine that’s smooth and just fruity enough.


Ferrari-Carano Dry Sangiovese Rosé - $14.99

Why We Like It:
Don’t like sweeter wines? This California Rosé is dry and fragrant, with refreshing fruit balanced by the perfect level of acidity and an elegant finish.


Juliette Rosé - Grenache & Syrah - $12.99

Why We Like It:
It works with some of the toughest wine-pairing foods we know — spicy Thai, Indian curry, Tex Mex, even pizza.


There you have it… a dozen Rosés guaranteed to make your weekend.  Pick up a dozen, or just one or two, at your neighborhood Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country Store.

Cheers!


 

Face it—the standard cocktail party has been done to death. Why not host a party with a decidedly different slant? One that combines your love of entertaining with your love of wine? Sounds like the makings of a truly memorable night and it sounds like something you need to get on your social calendar ASAP!

Follow our step-by-step tips and you’ll have a wine tasting event your friends will be talking about for months!

The Guests:
To get the most out of your event, this wine tasting will need to be somewhat intimate. We suggest inviting no more than eight couples (plus you and your plus one, of course). If your friends are mostly single, try not to have a total of more ten people since you don’t want to have more than 10 bottles at the tasting or it will be too many bottles to effectively taste.

The Invites:
This is one party that really does need an invitation, so whether you do an electronic or traditional invite make sure you send invitations to your guests. It’s the most effective way to explain the rules (which we will get to shortly) and also to stress the importance of being punctual. The format of this wine tasting really won’t work unless everyone arrives on time, so leave your perpetually tardy friends for another event.

The Wines:
When hosting this type of a wine tasting at home, it’s best to decide between a red wine or a white wine tasting rather than a mix of both. Red wine tastings are arguably more interesting to do; however, doing a white wine tasting in the warmer months could be a fun way to try some new white wine varietals. 

The Details:
Ask each couple (or guest if your friends are single) to bring one bottle of their favorite red (or white) wine—no price requirement, no regional or country requirement, the only request is that it is either red or white depending on your instructions (wines will be poured for the tasting later and you don’t want to be mixing reds and whites in the same glass).

The Food:
Since you won’t know exactly which wines your guests will bring, stick with tried and true wine-pairing basics: cheese, crackers, dried meats, crusty bread and olives. If you want to provide more extensive food choices, keep them simple finger foods that don’t require you spending time in the kitchen while your party is in full swing.

The Glasses:
If you don’t have enough wine glasses to pull this off and you’re thinking about resorting to plastic cups—STOP! For a small investment you can get real wine glasses at your local dollar store that you’ll have on hand for parties for years to come. 

The Start:
When guests arrive, take their bottle of wine before any other guest sees it. Place the bottle into a paper lunch bag, so only the neck of the bottle is visible, secure the top with a rubber band or tape and label the outside of the bag with a letter. 

Have an area set up for mingling and invite your guests to enjoy an assortment of light white wines (or maybe sparkling wine) you’ve provided for them. Flume Blanc, Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc are three light whites that come to mind or pop open a bottle of Prosecco or Champagne. Need help? Ask your local Wine Country Wine Pro for advice. 

The Rules:
Once all of your guests have arrived and you’ve enjoyed some time with friends–and with white wine—it’s time to start the tasting!

Give a two minute explanation of the process:
• Keep pours small—about an ounce of wine. That’s it. It’s a tasting. Oh, and all wine pours are self serve.
• Everyone gets a ballot with the lettered wine choices and a ranking for each from 1 to 5. Be sure to have enough pens/pencils on hand for everyone. 
• As guests taste—small tastes of each, please—they will rate the wine on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best). Have a pour bucket on the table for guests to discreetly dispose of wines they don’t like.
• When all wines have been tasted (generally no more than an hour), gather the tally sheets and do a simple averaging of the wine’s rankings and award the winner. 

The Winner:
The wine having the highest average rating wins! Award a prize that is wine friendly. Might we suggest one of our exclusive Gift Box Pros wine gift boxes or you can buy a really special bottle of wine to award as the prize, it’s up to you.

Congratulations! You’ve just hosted your very first wine tasting. Now enjoy the rest of the night with your good friends and a whole new assortment of wines you may have not tried before. Cheers! 

Lately, the big trend in wine production is "green." Sustainable vineyards with a focus on conserving natural resources—reclamation and reuse of water, solar power, limiting the use of harmful pesticides, and promoting the viability of the agricultural community for generations to come. 

In sustainable growing, synthetic substances are kept to an absolute minimum and are replaced with age-old methods, like natural predators instead of pesticides to help prevent insects and animals from harming the vines. Just a few examples include:

• Predator mites, often placed on leaves by hand, feed on harmful mites.
• Owl boxes invite owls and other raptors to roost and keep the rodent population in check.
• Even special leafhopper tape, traps invasive pests to keep them from damaging vines

The result? Better soil and plant health, higher quality fruit and ultimately a better bottle of wine.

Intrigued? We’ve got a few “green” wines you should try:


Rutherford Ranch Sauvignon Blanc

What the Winemaker Says:
Fresh flavors of grapefruit, fig and mango with crisp and clean acidity and long, lingering finish.

Why We Like It:
Bright, fruity with a citrusy kick of grapefruit and lemon. Chill and pair with creamy goat cheese, grilled shrimp or spicy Thai or Indian food.


Rutherford Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

What the Winemaker Says:
Full-bodied with soft tannins, velvety mouthfeel and a long, lingering finish.

Why We Like It:
The softer side of Cab. Light, soft, smooth & delicious, it’s an easy drinking wine that’s as comfortable on its now as it is paired with food.

Predator Cabernet Sauvignon

What the Winemaker Says:
An intense, full-bodied wine with flavors of dark berries and spice.  A smoky finish with firm yet refined tannins.

Why We Like It:
Like a jam explosion with lush blackberry flavors that coat your mouth. We shared this wine with strangers at a restaurant. Now they’re friends.


Predator Old Vine Zinfandel

What the Winemaker Says:
An intense, full-bodied wine with dark berries, dried herbs and spice. Silky tannins over a long, smoky finish.

Why We Like It:
A great crossover Zinfandel for Cab lovers, this unique Zin has a hint of pepper and when you breathe it it, you just may catch a hint of smoky bacon flavor, too.


Visit your neighborhood Wine Country or Wine & Whiskey Country store and ask one of our Wine Pros to recommend a “green” wine for you! Then, come back and let us know what you think on our Facebook page @WineCountryStores.



 

It’s been 13 years, but the impact of a single line tossed casually in a movie set in the California wine region continues to reverberate to this day. 

The 2004 comedy, Sideways, earned Director Alexander Payne an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, but little did he know that his writing would help shape the way Americans drink wine for years to come. 

In the film, Jack (played by Thomas Hayden Church) tries to get his wine snob friend Milo (played by Paul Giamattii) to join him in drinking a glass of Merlot. Milo’s reply was classic:

"If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving, I am NOT drinking any (expletive) Merlot!”

That’s it. That’s the line that almost did in one of America’s favorite red wines. After the movie’s debut, Merlot sales (which truth be told had already begun to slide) fell at a rate of 1.4% each year. Simply put, it became “uncool” to drink Merlot.

By contrast, sales of Pinot Noir, which is highly touted throughout the film, spiked 16% in the months following the movie’s release and have continued to increase at a rate of 9% each year since. 

"People called it the 'Sideways effect on Merlot,' " says Steven S. Cuellar, chair of the department of economics at Sonoma State University. "Here in wine country when you speak to people who produce Merlot, there is a lot of conventional wisdom and folklore about declining Merlot sales after Sideways.”

Merlot — the easiest drinking red there is!

But, there’s so much more to Merlot than being the punch line in a movie. After Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is the most popular varietal in the U.S (even with the “Sideways Effect”). An easy drinking red that’s soft, ripe and elegant, Merlot is a great starter wine for newer red wine drinkers. French for “The Little Blackbird,” the Merlot grape became known in Bordeaux for its ability to add softness and luscious fruit when combined with the region’s favorite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon.

When the grape first arrived in California in the mid-nineteenth century, American winemakers put their own spin on things and began making wines using 100% Merlot. The idea really paid off—American wine drinkers loved the softness and low tannin levels of Merlot wine.

One of, if not the, easiest drinking red wines, Merlot has a pleasant plummy taste and chocolate notes. It is traditionally a bit more affordable than your typical Cabernet and it’s meant to drink now. Right now. No need to cellar—buy it, pour it, enjoy it.

Today, one of California’s biggest winemakers, Rodney Strong Vineyards, producers of one of the best selling Merlots sold in the U.S. is trying to help break the “Sideways Effect” and save this noble grape varietal once and for all. 

Pick up a bottle of Merlot (we recommend Rodney Strong), give it a try with dinner, rediscover the joys of this wonderfully rich red wine and help us Save Merlot… one bottle at a time.

For wine tips, news and special offers, follow us on Facebook @WineCountryStores
 

At Wine Country we like to make wine shopping as easy as possible so you can start enjoying your wine that much sooner. With literally thousands of wines to choose from it can be a bit intimidating when you’re looking to make a purchase, so we’ve selected a handful of our favorites to spotlight and we’ll tell you exactly what makes them so special. 

Like our Wines to Impress. Special-occasion wines for life’s most memorable moments or that hard-to-please friend. Top-level choices for people who know about wine.

Want to “wow” someone with your wine choice? Try a few of our recommendations from our featured winemaker, Huneeus Wines. 

Vintner Agustin Huneeus has been discovering great vineyards of the world throughout a career in wine spanning five decades and 15 countries. After years in the global wine business, Agustin, along with his wife Valeria, founded the Quintessa estate in the Rutherford District of Napa Valley in 1990, establishing a portfolio of wines that represent the finest vineyard estates, appellations and wines in both North and South America.

Along with the Quintessa Estate, the Huneeus Wine portfolio includes Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Illumination Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

In 2009, the Huneeus family forged a partnership with Flowers Vineyards & Winery, producing world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast.

We are extremely impressed with the assortment of wines offered by Huneeus. A few of our favorites include:

Illumination Sauvignon Blanc

Why We Love It: The white wine offering from highly renowned Quintessa, it’s a Sauvignon Blanc that’s alive with exotic stone fruits, lemon zest and a hint of mineralogy with a fresh, flavorful finish. Incredibly aromatic, you’ll notice hints of white peach, lemon, fresh herbs and honey. Delightful from the very first sip. 


Flowers Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir

Why We Love It: Definitely not your typical Rosé. This premiere Pinot Noir Rosé is from one of the finest Pinot Noir growers in Sonoma. Luscious, coral-salmon hue with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, white nectarine, and pink grapefruit and a surprisingly complex flavor profile. You’ll crave this one, all summer long. 

Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Why We Love It: We fell in love with this Pinot Noir the first time we tried it. Rich garnet hue, beautifully fragrant nose of wild strawberries, cranberry, violets and herbs, with soft tannins, brilliant acidity and a memorable finish. In a word: spectacular!


Faust Cabernet Sauvignon

Why We Love It: The kind of wine that you gift someone to ensure you’ll get invited back. Pricey, but worth every penny. A big wine, with big flavor, a great bouquet and incredible legs. It’s what we call a WOW wine.    

Quintessa

Why We Love It: An absolutely amazing red blend from Napa Valley. Organically grown, a vivid  blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère. It’s bright, fruity, beautifully structured, exhibits unbelievable suppleness and has an ultra-smooth finish that goes on and on. Ready to drink now, only gets better with age. 


Huneeus Wines are truly impressive. But, don’t take our word for it, taste them for yourself at the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival Grand Tasting at Crystal Springs Resort on Saturday, April 1st 7:00 - 10:00PM and then pick up a few at your neighborhood Wine
Country or Wine & Whiskey Country store or online at www.4wineandwhiskey.com

Don’t have a ticket yet to the Wine & Food Festival yet? Reserve yours today before they’re all gone!
 

5 Health Benefits You Need to Know — According to TheNewPotato.com

1. It can help you ward off a cold. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that among 4,000 faculty members at five Spanish universities, those who drank more than 14 weekly glasses of wine for a year were 40% less likely to come down with a common cold. According to the National Institute of Health, antioxidants in wine are believed to fight infection and protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which may play role in cancer and other diseases.

2. It can regulate your blood sugar. The skin of red grapes—a rich source of red wine’s natural compound resveratrol—may actually help diabetics regulate their blood sugar, finds recent research published in the journal Nutrition. Study participants who took a 250 mg resveratrol supplement once a day for three months had lower blood glucose levels than those who didn’t take the pill.

3. It lowers your risk of stroke and heart disease. Red wine tannins (which are what make red wine the color red) contain procyanidins, which are known for protecting against heart disease. Resveratrol also helps to remove chemicals responsible for causing blood clots, which is the primary cause of coronary disease and strokes.

4. It can boost your metabolism. Flavonoids in wine alleviate stress. When your body is going through a period of high stress, it looks to store the most fat; flavonoids encourage your body to let go of excess stress hormones, booting metabolism. Red wines with a high amount of flavonoids (think an intense Cabernet or any other dry red) can help regulate your metabolism – in moderation!

5. It can boost your mood. We got this tip from Nutritionist Mikaela Reuben: “Wine, but more specifically red wine, contains resveratrol. Resveratrol can stimulate structural change in the hippocampus of aging rats. These changes are associated with improvements in mood functioning and regulation. It is not determined whether red wine contains enough resveratrol to stimulate structural change and improved mood in a human brain, but it is a great thought, and based on my own personal experience, seems to be legit.”

So grab yourself a glass of your favorite Pinot Noir and toast to your good health!