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September 9, 10:00 AM to 6:00
PM Thieves,
Bandits and Trucks
Hopefully everyone has survived the rains
from the hurricane and mopped up all the excess water. We thought we would
sample out some new wines this Saturday made by innovative winemakers who
definitely think "outside of the box." What we are talking about
here are new wines that taste really good at a reasonable price, and use clever,
creative marketing to entice customers to pick them up. The Bandit Bianco
was such a hit last week we thought we would do it again, along with its
stable mate, Three Thieves Zinfandel. These two wines are produced by three
guys that fancy themselves as latter day Robin Hoods in that they liberate
wine from the world's richest regions and sell it to the masses at a rock
bottom price. The Three Thieves are Charles Bieler, Joel Gott and Roger
Scommegna. Charles Bieler is the proprietor of Chateau Routas in France,
Gott is noted as in expert maker of California wine, and Scommenga is a
venture capitalist from Milwaukee who happens to be friends with the other
two. These guys are on a mission to take pretentiousness and high prices
out of the wine buying equation. They know that most customers prefer
fresh, fruit-forward wines that are smooth and easy to drink. Their
strategy is to locate great wine from any region in the world, get the
producer to give some up to them, and put it in an eye-catching and functional
package. Their logo is three bandits riding wild horses and waving pistols
in the air accompanied by the caption, "Liberators of fine wine."
What closes the deal is the great price these wines sell for. Their formula
works because the Thieves have gotten publicity everywhere from USA Today
to the TV news. As L. Pierce Carson of The Napa Valley Register says,
"Forget all about Two Buck Chuck and that other swill Central Valley
opportunist are foisting upon an unsuspecting wine-buying public. The hottest
new product on the shelf--offered in a distinctive package with a nod to
our past--is Three Thieves Zinfandel, a mighty tasty wine bottled in a
one-liter glass jug." Another great value wine that we have discovered
something called Red Truck, delicious red from Cline Cellars in California.
According to the wine's label, the wine is just like an old red truck that
you use when you need it. "It rumbled to life and made you feel good.
It's reliable, well crafted, full of life and great tasting." Come on
by Saturday and try these exciting new wines. -Gordon
Three Thieves Bandit Bianco Regular customers will remember the one liter jugs of
California Zinfandel and Cabernet we have featured in the past. The labels
feature outlaw-looking horsemen that promote themselves as,
"liberators of fine wine". Once again, they have come out with a
great value wine in an innovative and unusual package. The new one is
called Bandit Bianco and is a crisp clean white wine made from Trebbiano
grapes from Italy. The new and unusual package, known as a tetrapack, is
something of a box constructed of layers of cardboard, plastic and foil.
The whole affair is topped off with a screw cap type lid. The beauty of
this deal is that you get a liter of crisp, clean delicious white wine for
the incredibly low price of $6.95! This fresh, clean and crisp wine makes a
great aperitif to serve with appetizers of smoked salmon or shrimp
cocktail. $6.95
Three Thieves Zinfindel 2002 California This fruity red wine is guaranteed to explode your
preconceived notions of what a proper red wine should look, act and taste
like. This cutting edge project is the brainchild of three wine
entrepreneurs; Napa Valley's food and wine maverick, Joel Gott, Charles
Bieler of the Rhone's Chateau Routas and venture capitalist Roger
Scommegna. These guys have capitalized on the fact that there is a glut of
juice in California right now and have scored a major purchase of premium
juice from the Napa Valley and Lodi growing regions. Their self-designated
moniker is, "Liberators of fine wine." The packaging is
definitely novel and unique. It is a one liter jug with a ring finger
handle that looks like a vinegar jug emblazoned with a bright red label
depicting three wild west-looking hombres riding horses and waving pistols
in the air. Beneath the picture is the caption, "liberators of fine
wine." The whole affair is sealed with a black screw cap. But, don't
let the bargain basement packaging fool you. The winemakers have turned
high quality Zinfandel juice into a bright, fruity red wine that displays
notes of blackberry, raspberry, vanilla, chocolate and sugar-dusted
violets. There is just enough tanginess on the finish to be refreshing with
non-serious foods such as burgers, B-L-T sandwiches, or grilled eggplant
drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Don't be afraid of the screw
cap because this is the wave of the future. Regular customers here are
familiar with the fact that natural corks can develop undesirable musty
odors known as cork taint and that one remedy for this is sealing the
bottles with a screw cap. For more information about cork taint ask our
staff. SPECIAL PRICE $9.95
Red Truck 2002 California Red Table Wine We have a customer who just returned from a trip to
California and brought us some things to taste that people out there are
all jazzed up about. One of the items in his box was this Red Truck, a
blend of Mouvedre, Syrah, Merlot and Petite Sirah produced by California wine producer Cline Cellars. Cline traces their
history to the community of Oakley, located in Contra Costa County. This area is halfway between the state capitol of Sacramento and San Francisco. Cline's founder, Fred Cline, used to spend summers
in the moderate weather there with his grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi who
founded the famous whirlpool firm that bears his name. Fred gained an
appreciation for agriculture and winemaking from his grandfather during
these summer sabbaticals. Contra Costa County is notoriously hot but the convergence of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers moderates the climate around
Oakley. The area had been settled around the turn of the 20th century by
Portuguese immigrants who planted vines in this Mediterranean climate. Over
the years the root louse Phylloxera and urban sprawl took their toll so
that only 600 acres of vine remain in this area today. Of these, 300 acres,
some of which belong to Cline, are some of the oldest surviving grape vines
in California. Red Truck uses Rhone varietals Mouvedre and Syrah for the backbone of this
full bodied wine. The wine displays a deep purple color and aromas of
cherries and red fruits. Mouvedre's tendency to display notes of leather
and horse sweat has been muted in this wine and instead flavors of
blackberry, blueberry and chocolate cascade over the palate in a surge of
luscious richness. Mild tannins are present on the lingering finish. Wine
Spectator gave the wine 88 points and rated it number three in their recent
top 50 California wines. The winemaker recommends pairing it with pizza
or tomato-based dishes. $11.95
Bellot Cider One of the more unusual libations we carry here at
Wine Gourmet is an artisan apple cider made in Normandy, France. Henri Bellot produces this cider in the village of Chource, just outside of Champagne. Bellot uses only apples that have never touched the
ground. This sweet, sparkling cider is fermented from local apples and is
bottled unpasteurized. Crisp and fresh apple aromas arouse one's senses in
anticipation. The cider tastes just like a sparkling apple juice, but it
has 7.5% alcohol. In France it is served with duck roasted with turnips in cider
sauce. This is pure refreshment. It comes in a 750 ml. bottle with a wired
down stopper just like Champagne. $5.95
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