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Stroll Up & Down Tejon Street tasting wine along the way!         

  Taste up to 16 different wines at 7 great Downtown venues!                          

      Enter to win 3 liter bottles, Magnums & other wine goodies!

Join us Thursday, September 23rd 5:30-9pm

Check in at NOSH (Free parking off of Colorado Blvd) 5:30-6pm

Then your off to explore the great participating restaurants & Vintages Wine & Spirits (of course)!

Bring Your Commemorative Wine Stroll Glass along with entries for prizes at the 7  venues:

The Famous                                                 Sonterra Grill                                    The Melting Pot

The Ritz                                                 MacKenzies Chophouse                         NOSH

                                                             Vintages Wine & Spirits

End the Night @  The Ritz for great prize & wine drawings….All For A Great Cause….TESSA (safe house & Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence)

 All For Only $30 Per Person~ Reservations @ 719.520.5733

On-Line Ticket Sales Available Soon!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Join Us This Saturday, July 3rd Noon-5pm

All American Wines~ Come Taste No-Charge!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Napa vs. Sonoma Mountain Fruit Reds…Take the Challenge!
Deal o’ the Day!
Both Chappellet Mtn. Cuvee & Stonestreet Fifth Ridge Red have been given 92 Point accolaides…Both are Mountain Fruit…Both are roughly half Cabernet Sauvignon, half Merlot…

So take the Challenge & Save
Purchase a bottle of each for only $40~ do it for Father’s day…in honor of your dad…or share it with him!

2006 Stonestreet Alexander Valley Fifth Ridge
Alexander Mountain Estate stands on the western ridge of the Mayacamas Mountains towering over the Alexander Valley below. High elevations, volcanically derived soils and cooling maritime breezes give a unique location from which to pursue the quest of mountain winegrowing.  The 2006 vintage is a blend of Merlot (54%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (46%).
 92 Points/Editor’s Choice – Wine Enthusiast

Was $38.99/btl NOW $22.49/btl

2007 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee
Chappellet winery always seems to over-deliver on quality for the price, thanks in large part to the estate’s 100 acres of vines on Pritchard Hill, high above Napa Valley. The 2007 is a blend of 51 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 46 percent Merlot, with a dash of Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine is rich and seamlessly mouthfilling yet complex and beautifully structured. 92 points Wine Spectator
     Aromas of plum, fig, and cherry-cola lead to similar flavors that coat the palate. A full, round, and juicy mouth-feel give the wine a seamless quality. With tannins tucked into the body of the wine, a strawberry essence lingers on the finish.
 Was $28.99/btl NOW $22.49/btl

Purchase a bottle of each for $40! (while supplies last)

Popularity: 10% [?]

Why does wine need to breathe?                         
Wine opens up to reveal its fullest flavor when it has had a while to breath before being consumed. This is because when wine comes into contact with oxygen, its chemical structure changes. This breathing process allows the flavors and aromas to marry into a smoother more enjoyable taste with less tannin bite. As a result, wine drinkers everywhere know that the best way to enjoy wine is decant the wine and let it breath for a while before you enjoy it.  However, if there is no time to decant…try the Wine Snorkel!   Only $15.99

Popularity: 16% [?]

Montinore Estate: Williamette Valley, Oregon
All the difference: 100% Estate Grown • Farmed Organic • Demeter Certifi ed Biodynamic®

Montinore 2007 Pinot Gris:
It is very aromatic with notes of fresh ripe pear, yellow
apple and a pleasant fl oral/herbal accent. On the palate
it bursts into fl avors of ripe honeydew melon with hints
of mango overlaying ripe apple/pear character. Th e long
fi nish is dry, fresh and crisp with a sweet/tart apple essence
and distinct mineral qualities.
Was $13.99 per bottle, NOW $10.99 per bottle

Montinore 2007 Gewurztraminer:
Straw gold color introduces an intense aroma of rose petal,
lychee and grapefruit with hints of orange rind. On the
palate is bursts with rose and lychee fl avors evolving to a
rich pink grapefruit and mandarin orange.
Was $13.99 per bottle, NOW $12.99 per bottle

Montinore 2008 Almost Dry Riesling:
Beautiful aroma of lime, fresh fl owers and tangerine
with hints of lilac. On the palate it has an elegant, almost
silky fresh entry with fl avors of grpefruit accented with
mandarin and tangerine. Perfect with glazed ham.
Was $10.99 per bottle, NOW $9.99 per bottle

Montinore 2008 Pinot Noir:
Th e product of a lovely Indian Summer. Pinots just love
a long, slow ripening period, and that’s just what it got in
2008. Th e colors are deep and ruby. Th e aromatics are of
clean, very rich, ripe fruit, without any cooked or jammy
notes. Th e acids are perfectly balanced, with mouth-fi lling
full-bodied wines with fi ne-grained, elegant tannins.
Was $22.99 per bottle, NOW $18.49 per bottle

Free in-store wine tasting…
Join Montinore Estate Owner Kristin Marchesi
Wednesday, April 7th from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
We will taste these fabulous Montinore Wines listed at the bottom
of this page! Kristin will be available to answer questions and
sign purchased bottles!

Pacific Rim meets Pacific Northwest…
Vintages & The Melting Pot present:
Montinore Estate Oregon Winemaker Dinner
Wednesday, April 7th at 6:00 p.m. • $55 (includes tax and tip)
Reserve your space today! Call 385-0300
Kristin Marchesi will how us her delicious Rieslings, Pinot Gris,
Gewurztraminer & Pinot Noir as we taste 3 wonderful Asian
influenced fondue courses along with 6 wonderful wines.

Popularity: 17% [?]

By Melissa Breyer, Producer, Care2 Green Living

By the most basic definition, organic wine is made from grapes that have been grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Different countries have different certification criteria, so standards vary.

Just like a lot of smaller produce farms, though, many wineries that practice organic methods choose not to become certified. It can be too restrictive and the extra costs and bureaucracy can be prohibitive. An expert in the industry (my sister, Laura!) told me, “Growers are also weighing in their minds and wondering aloud about sustainability versus organic. If a grower can make one pass per season with a conventional herbicide, what are the carbon, soil compaction, and petroleum fuel trade-offs with several passes per season with an organic method?”

Many grape growers love their vineyards like children, and want to do what is best for the grapes. A lot of them consider official organic certification not as important as managing their vineyards in a sustainable way that respects the grapes and the ecosystem. This means little or no harmful chemicals, resulting in a wine that is healthier to consume than conventional wine. Take Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley, for example. Shafer makes some of the most highly regarded wine in America, and they use owls, songbirds, hawks and bats in place of insecticides and rodent poisons. They recycle their water, make their own compost and have converted to 100 percent solar power. Sustainable? Absolutely. Certified organic? Nope.

So it’s tricky. Sustainably produced might meet your green criteria, but remember that sustainable doesn’t necessarily preclude the use of chemicals. Since there is no labeling system for sustainability it is up to the consumer to do their homework. Ninety percent of the wine produced in the America is made from grapes grown in California; if you drink California wine you can check this list from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance of wineries and vineyards who have made a commitment to sustainable winegrowing.

What the Labels Mean
If you are unable to determine if available wines practice sustainability or if you want wine that is guaranteed to have been produced without the use of chemicals, there is a labeling system for organic wines. Here’s what the labels mean:

100 Percent Organic
For a wine to be labeled “100 Percent Organic” and bear the USDA organic seal, it has to be made from 100 percent organically grown grapes and not have any added sulfites. It may have naturally occurring sulfites, but the total sulfite level must be less than 100 parts per million. (More on sulfites below.)

Organic
To bear an “Organic” label, the wine must be made from at least 95 percent organically grown grapes, with the remaining 5 percent of ingredients either an agricultural ingredient that is not grown organically or another substance like added yeast. “Organic” wine may also have naturally occurring sulfites, but the total sulfite level must be less than 100 parts per million.

Made with Organic Ingredients, Made with Organic Grapes, Organically Grown
Wines with any of these labels must have at least 70 percent organic ingredients, with the remaining 30 percent of ingredients either an agricultural ingredient that is not grown organically or another substance like added yeast. These wines may contain added sulfites, but the total must still be under 100 parts per million.

Sulfites
Sulfites are a naturally occurring compound found on grapes and other plants, nature’s way of preventing microbial growth. They also have a history of being added to food as a preservative.

The Food and Drug Administration estimates that one out of 100 people is sulfite-sensitive, and that 5 percent of those who have asthma, are also at risk of suffering an adverse reaction to the substance. In 1985, a study found that sulfites are harmless for most people, but pose a hazard of extreme potential severity to asthmatics and others who are sensitive to these preservatives. Based on this report, in 1986 the FDA prohibited the use of sulfites to maintain color and crispness on fruits and vegetables meant to be eaten raw (like salad greens), and required companies to list on product labels sulfiting agents that occur at concentrations of 10 parts per million or higher.

Since sulfites are naturally inherent in grapes, there are no purely sulfite-free wines. In addition to naturally occurring sulfites, winemakers add sulfites to prevent discoloration, bacterial growth and fermentation. Winemakers have been adding sulfites to wine for thousands of years.

The use of added sulfites is a topic of hot debate in the organic winemaking community. Some swear by their use in small quantities to help stabilize the wine, others refuse to use them. If the sulfite content of a wine is less than 10 parts per million the wine does not require a “contains sulfites” label. Wines labeled “100 percent organic” and “organic” cannot contain added sulfites. The next level of labeling “made with organic ingredients” can contain added sulfites, but the level must be below 100 parts per million. Conventional wines typically contain sulfites at a level of 125 to 250 parts per million.

Biodynamic Wine
Biodynamic winemaking is fascinating! It follows the teachings of Austrian anthroposophist Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925), and moves beyond the organic philosophy into a realm quite beyond. The principles of biodynamics are based on Steiner’s spiritual philosophy, which includes understanding the ecological, the energetic, and the spiritual in nature. It is holistic and lovely and takes agriculture to a new level, one where even the position of the moon and planets are considered! I thought that biodynamic wines must certainly be very niche, but they are becoming increasingly more main stream. There are nearly 400 vineyards making biodynamic wines; many well-known and prestigious winemakers included. Not all of them are boasting about it, but many say that wine produced from these practices are nothing short of stellar.

(Special Thanks to Melissa Breyer, Care2Green Living)

Popularity: 18% [?]

Vintages Wine & Spirits Events

 Singles Wine Tasting Group: Round up your single friends for our series of Singles Only Wine Tastings~ Sponsored by Vintages & The Ritz.  We will taste 5-6 wines, some learning, lots of social & singles fun!  Mark your calendar for the 2^nd Wednesday of the month.  Our next tasting will be Wednesday, March 10^th  5:30pm.  Admission is $15 & includes wine tasting + a $5 gift certificate to The Ritz (can be used that night for appetizers) & $5 Gift Certificate to Vintages!  Please RSVP @ 520-5733!

Chef Brent Beavers & Sommelier Ann Wallace Present

February 28^th 5-7:30 

Enjoy an amazing five course Italian dinner paired with great wines

Cost is $55 (cash or check only).

Please contact Brent Beavers at 650-6257 or chefbeavers@comcast.net for reservations or more information.

Amuse

Crostini of marinated cheeses and mushrooms

NV Torre Zecchei Prosecco, Valdobbiadene, Italy

2^nd course

Grilled artichoke and sun dried tomato salad with aged cheese and arugula

2008 Tessari ‘Grisella’, Soave Classico, Italy 

3^rd course

Fresh beet tagliatelle, grilled asparagus and sage butted

    2008 Cantine Barbera Nero d’Avola, Sicila, Italy

4^th course

Cream braised and rosemary scented pork with creamy basil polenta

2006 Rodano Poggiolupi, Toscana, Italy

5^th course

Honey, ricotta and pine nut tarts with caramelized plums

2008 Gagliardo Moscato ‘Villa M’, Piedmonte, Italy 

February 28^th 5-7:30

Enjoy an amazing five course Italian dinner paired with great wines

Cost is $55 (cash or check only).

Please contact Brent Beavers at 650-6257 or chefbeavers@comcast.net for reservations or more information.

Amuse

Crostini of marinated cheeses and mushrooms

NV Torre Zecchei Prosecco, Valdobbiadene, Italy

2^nd course

Grilled artichoke and sun dried tomato salad with aged cheese and arugula

2008 Tessari ‘Grisella’, Soave Classico, Italy 

3^rd course

Fresh beet tagliatelle, grilled asparagus and sage butted

    2008 Cantine Barbera Nero d’Avola, Sicila, Italy

4^th course

Cream braised and rosemary scented pork with creamy basil polenta

2006 Rodano Poggiolupi, Toscana, Italy

5^th course

Honey, ricotta and pine nut tarts with caramelized plums

2008 Gagliardo Moscato ‘Villa M’, Piedmonte, Italy

Popularity: 32% [?]

Popularity: 34% [?]

Cambria 2006 Pinot Noir Julia’s Vineyard~ 93 Points, Editor’s Choice & #1 Wine of the Year, Wine Enthusiast

Hot Off the Press, This beautiful Pinot Noir is #1 Wine of the Year from Wine Enthusiast. Get it before it’s gone…. On Sale Now
Was $21.99/btl NOW $17.99/btl (While Supplies Last!)

“This is the best Pinot Noir at this price on the market. It’s…absolutely dry and silky, with complex flavors of cherries, Manderin orange, colas, pomegranates, licorice and cinnamon spice, made even richer by smoky oak”

Popularity: 35% [?]

Exciting, wine maker John Duval stopped in for a visit last week!  If any of you are unaware of him, here is a little bit of background  information:  After 29 years as a winemaker with Penfolds, one of Australia’s most famous wineries, he started his own wine label in 2003. He has had a fortunate career, graduating in agriculture and winemaking in 1973 at Adelaide University and then following in the footsteps of some of the greats of Australian winemaking such as Max Schubert, the creator of Penfolds Grange and Don Ditter, another famous Penfolds winemaker of the 1970s and early ’80s.

Tasting Notes-  2006 John Duval Entity-  Dense ruby purple in color, The nose is youthful blackberry, blueberry fruit complexed with savoury French oak.  In the palate is very rich and generous with good concentration of dark fruit. The tannins provide a good frame for the wine but are fine, ripe and balanced. The structure has restrained power but remains elegant and finishes with excellent fruit intensity.

96 Points- James Halliday’s Top 100 wines of 2008- “Saturated crimson-purple; has achieved the density of fruit to guarantee a 30-year life without the least hint of overripe fruit or alcohol heat; perfect balance and integration of fruit, oak and tannins; the work of a master.”

-James Halliday (wine guru of Australia)

94 points Robert Parker-“The 2006 Entity is a 100% Shiraz cuvee exhibiting a bit more restraint than the Plexus.  It presents and aromatic array of smoke, pepper, Asian spices, tar, blueberry and blackberry liquor.  On the palate it is full-bodied, smooth-textured, deep, and intensely flavored but not over the top.  Its impeccable balanced should permit 5-7 years of additional cellaring and it should offer prime drinking from 2014 to 2028.  It too, is a superb value!”

- Robert Parker

You may find this excellent wine here at Vintages for $38.99, on sale for only $31.99.  Stop in today and try out this fabulous Shiraz from Australia!

Popularity: 55% [?]