Menotomy Beer & Wine

August 19th, 2010

Dear MB&W Fans,

Whew! We're happy to say that the walls are still standing at 80 Broadway after Neil's Wine Tasting last weekend! A good time was had by all, with lots of laughs and great wine! The Menotomy staff's favorite rosé, the Domaine de Pellehaut, was far and away the hit of the day - with a lot of self-proclaimed "non-rosé" drinkers taking home bottles after giving it a try!!

On tap this Friday is more Oktober goodness, this time with beers from the likes of Spaten, Abita, And Sierra Nevada. All three have some delicious seasonal beers that stray from the typical pumpkin path. Spaten's Oktoberfest is an always anticipated brew for the fall months and rightly so: when its brewed right it stands up to the heaviest of heavyweights, including Ayinger. And this year, it's brewed just right. Abita's Satsuma is a lovely take on the witbier, brewed with satsuma fruit and spiced ever so lightly with delicious malts and hops. Sierra Nevada's Tumbler is a brand new brown ale from the west coast kings and, finally, the Shipyard Pumpkinhead is here for all you gourd-heads. It's delicious as always, and a tad less sweet than in past years, which makes it all the more appealing to a guy like me. As always, a fifth mystery beer could be on the table depending on when you show up!

Karen is manning the ship again on Saturday with five wines that we're sure will float your boat. (Sorry, I had to go with it...) In all seriousness, we'll be spanning the globe with these five wines - from FIVE different countries! We'll have a beautiful new white Côtes du Rhône; a new vintage of a little-known grape from Spain; a customer favorite Sauvignon Blanc from Chile; a new Valpolicella from Italy; and, a Zinfandel from California that we haven't been able to get since the holidays.

Come on in and see us this weekend!

Beer Tasting Friday, August 20th 4-7 PM

Abita Satsuma Witbier
Strong, but not bold, and creamy, but not thick. Abita's Satsuma is a superbly balanced witbier that has a little bit of everything going for it. Satsuma fruit is used to add an orange-like citrus flavor to a base wheat beer with touches of hop spice and coriander laced through it. The spices aren't extravagant and there isn't the usual banana pitfall getting in the way of the other flavors. As a result, some wonderfully sticky malt flavors come through in the finish and compliment all the citrus notes floating around. Satsuma won't change anybody's mind about how fruit and beer work together, but it will satisfy drinkers who want a change of pace from the summer ales without venturing too far into Oktober-land.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead
This is far and away the best selling pumpkin beer that we carry. It tops Southern Tier, Brooklyn, and any other pumpkin offering you can imagine by a country mile. Of course, it's one of those beers that straddles the line between being an ale and a candy-ish drink, but don't let that stop you from giving it a shot. In fact, this year's version is far less sweet than it has been in past years and many of the spices have been toned down just enough to make the underlying grains noticeable. And who cares if you can't notice them, anyways? The beer is smooth and pleasant, with a burnt malt bitterness and easy character that reminds me of Boston's beautiful fall weather and the smell of cool air. Hey, don't bash me for getting a little poetic with this one, because even if it is candy drink, it's a pretty darn good one and something I've associated with Boston's best season since I first moved here.

Spaten Oktoberfestbier
Some beer lovers anticipate Spaten's Oktoberfest märzen every year, more than any other seasonal offering. Though produced by a major brewery, this little lager can be radically different from year to year, and in some cases it can rival the best märzens from the very best breweries. If you've had either of our märzens from the last two weeks (Ayinger's and Harpoon's) then you'll have some idea of what to expect. The difference-maker is Spaten's incredible sense of balance; their hop additions are subtle and perfectly suited to the semi-sweet malt base. The typically creamy body is turned down ever so slightly, making this märzen less filling and a little more thirst-quenching than normal. Come in and try out this year's edition and decide for yourself whether or not it's worth the wait.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler
Sierra isn't exactly known for their dark beers. Sure, they've had some good stuff come out in the past, but their hoppy beers are far more popular and sell more consistently. With Tumbler they're trying to change that. It's a mild, fairly middle-of-the-road ale that manages to incorporate a number of different flavors without being too sweet, thick, or alcoholic. Pine or spruce, along with nuts, caramel, and burnt toast all show through, though none of them are overwhelming. Hops are well incorporated without forcing the signature Sierra flavor into the mix. The beer doesn't need it anyways. It's a tasty addition to the Sierra Nevada line and an excellent bridge between the summer and full-fledged winter offerings.

Wine Tasting Saturday, August 21st 4-7 PM

Camille Cayran Le Pas de la Beaume Côtes du Rhône Blanc '08
Planted on clay and limestone hillsides covered with small pebbles in the town of Cairanne, France. The slopes are gentle, well exposed to the sun and selected from the best of Camille Cayran's Cairanne plots where the climate is appropriate to achieve optimum ripeness, therefore producing elegant wines and reducing phytosanitary treatments. The wine is a blend of 65% Grenache blanc, 20% Clairette and 15% Marsanne; it has a very shiny color with green golden tints. It has good intensity with a lot of floral tints and white peach notes. Slightly sharp freshness.

Gryphus Sauvignon Blanc
The Gryphus has taken on a life of it's own here at Menotomy. We've never OFFICIALLY tasted it - it's never been mentioned in an e-mail (it was a bonus pour back when we first brought it in). When we looked at what we've sold this summer, it turned out to be the fourth best-selling wine of the season - with no fanfare! We thought we'd offer it this week to our Saturday-tasters and see what you think! It is bright and vigorous but with a fully ripe mouth feel. It is zippy and clean but with loads of fragrant pear aromas. In other words, the grapes can get ripe while still maintaining acid-a delicate balance sought by winemakers everywhere, but which can only be achieved naturally when microclimate and varietal are perfectly matched.

Gaba do Xil Godello '08
Godello is a relatively rare Spanish white grape. Though often overshadowed by the more well known Albariño, Godello arguably produces some of Spain's best white wines, which can be remarkably complex, yet crisp, refreshing and extremely versatile with food. This version is made by Telmo Rodriguez, one of spain's top modern producers. "Classic pears, freshly cut hay and a touch of guava and hot wax are all there. Very robust and tight for a white wine, kind of like white Burgundy in structure, but nothing like it in flavor. Crunchy minerals and an acid laden finish."

Fumanelli Valpolicella Classico '09
The Marchesi Fumanelli family have been cultivating grapes and producing prestigious wines since 1470 at the Squarano estate which is located in the heart of the most classical Valpolicella, on a gentle hilltop surrounded by vineyards, cherry and cypress trees. 40% Corvina Veronese, 40% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella. Ruby red with hints of violet, bouquet of red fruits such as cherries and blackberries. Well balanced, optimum contrast between tannins, acidity and sweetness. A wine to be enjoyed on all occasions. Ideal as accompaniment to appetizers, soups and typical Mediterranean pasta dishes.

Calistoga Cellars Zinfandel '06
This one appeared briefly last Holiday Season, and you all LOVED it. Unfortunately, we were unable to get our hands on it for awhile, but now it's back. This Zinfandel has a deep ruby-black color, a raspberry nose, and an elegant palate with lots of plump black cherry. Many wine lovers think of Zinfandel as a wine that is jammy and has high alcohol. This one is quite different, with a medium body mouth feel and it drinks well right now. Try this wine with any kind of cuisine. Of course, nothing is better with a barbecue than a Zinfandel!

Other News and Items of Interest

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, September 19th 1-5pm

Menotomy Grand Wine Tasting to benefit Operation Success: The Arlington After-School Homework Club. Details to come - but be sure to mark your calendars, it's going to be a good one!

Exciting Beer News!! All 22 oz. People's Pint bottles now 2 for $9.99

The headline says it all: you can now get two bottles of a regular 22 oz. People's Pint beer for $9.99 (plus tax). They regularly go for $5.99 a bottle. This deal does not include specialty items they send our way, however, like the 12 oz. Imperial Stout. This means you can get two of their delicious IPA bottles for $9.99 or one pale ale and one brown ale, or maybe two wheat beers, or... you get the idea!

Read more various tidbits about beer and wine that may surprise and educate you in the Health & Education section.