Greetings MB&W Friends
Welcome back to everyone who has spent the summer weekends on the Cape or up in Maine or New Hampshire. We missed you! It's that time of year again when the kids go back to school, and we all fall back into our familiar routines. I always felt like September was the beginning of the year, and not January!
There are lots of familiar things going on here at Menotomy, but not this week's tasting wines! We're actually hoping to bring in new things weekly, and want to give you a chance to find some new favorites!
We're hoping you'll find our new Cotes du Rhone to be one of those new favorites, in addition to some fantastic new Alsacian varietals.
On the beer side, even though it's still running in the 80's, we're well beyond summer brews and fully into Oktoberfest season!
We look forward to seeing everyone here this weekend at the tastings!
As we look towards the end of summer, and therefore the start of the school year, I feel I must remind you of our Wine Club program. Most of us are a part of some sort of club or organization (PTO, church group, or other such club) that could benefit from some unsolicited donations. We have donated a substantial amount of money to many organizations over the past year simply because their members purchased wine here at MB&W!
Here's how it works: members of your club or organization sign up for the Wine Club, and we give 5% back to your group when members purchase wine here at Menotomy. We can also help with the sign-up process by hosting a private wine tasting evening!
One unhappy note, the Houchart Rose from Provence is no longer on our shelves. Both the winery and the distributor have stopped shipping due to a leakage problem. Sorry to those of you who fell in love with the light Rose!
We hope to see you all this weekend at the tastings!
Here is a little heath tidbit for you from the RN in me! I am sure you know by now that red wine is a rich source of biologically active phytochemicals, chemicals found in plants. Particular compounds called polyphenols found in red wine, such as catechins and resveratrol, are thought to have anti-oxidant or anti-cancer properties. For some time, there was doubt about whether antioxidants could be absorbed when ingested as foods and whether they were biologically potent. The most current research has erased any doubt that the antioxidants remain vital when consumed this way. They appear to be even more active than the more renowned antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. These compounds ARE present in white wines as well but not to the same degreee. Found chiefly in skins, their concentrations tend to be higher in red wines (when skins are included in fermentation) than white (when skins are culled). So drink your medicine!
Portuguese wine has been a huge seller for us over the past few months. One of our best selling "value wines" is the Alandra Tinto. This box wine has been selling great, but if you do not want to commit to 3 liters of wine you will be happy to hear the the Alandra bottle will be back in the store this weekend! We will also be tasting on a Rose from Portugal. The makers of Esporao, one of our best selling Portuguese whites, vinifies this fantastic Rose.
Our 4 and 6 pack re-usable carrier bags have been flying out the door. They are the perfect way to carry your purchases home and return, soon after we hope, to fill it back up again! Customers have been loving the design, and they are cheap! At $2.99 for the 4 pack and $3.99 for the 6 pack they are a steal. Get yours this weekend at out tasting events!
We are happy to tell you that our much awaited re-usable wine bags are now in the store. They are incredibly handy, small enough to stick in your glove compartment and pretty darn nice looking! We have kept the price nice as well, 4 bottle bags are only $2.99 and 6 bottles bags are $3.99. Stop in and pick up your re-usable wine bottle bag today. Keep in mind that we give back 5 cents every time you bring in your own bag!
Here is an interesting beer tid-bit. A scientific study undertaken at the Technical University of Munich concluded that the collection of minerals and trace elements in beer have a favorable effect on nerves and muscle strength, electrolyte usage, enzyme activation and hormone levels. In addition, iron and copper help blood production, phosphorus supports metabolism and magnesium strengthens the heart muscle. Zinc is necessary for your pancreas' production of insulin and fluoride protects your teeth from cavities. Finally, Manganese also helps in the production of beer's Vitamin B, which is very valuable to the human body. Drink your beer and be sure to check out Lucas's beer blog!
Hope to see everyone here over the weekend!
We've been "Yelped" - several times actually! Check it out! Please feel free to add your kudos there. As always, email us, info at menotomybeerandwine.com with other comments and suggestions. It is always nice to hear that our customers are happy!
Did you know that red wine can be very helpful in regulating blood sugar levels? It is partucularly helpful in managing Type II Diabetes. Red wine and tea contain natural antioxidants that may slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine and eventually into the bloodstream and prevent this spike, which is an important step in managing this disease. Both red and white wines were tested in the laboratory using in vitro enzyme studies to determine how well they could inhibit the activity of a target enzyme called alpha-glucosidase, responsible for triggering the absorption of glucose by the small intestine. Red wine was the winner, able to inhibit the enzyme by nearly 100%! Values for white wine hovered around 20%. Just another reason to drink up!
In the efforts of reuse, reduce and recycle, we are pleased to introduce our plans to be "greener"! We are now offering a 5 cent credit towards your purchase when you bring back your bag or 6 pack holder. By May we will also be selling 6 pack re-usable fabric bottle holders made by Earth Wise Bags.
Some of you may have noticed that a few of our very favorite wines are disappearing over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, that trend will continue. We love to focus on the smaller wine makers as we feel they put out the best quality wine. Supply does not often meet demand, though. Not to worry we are working hard, researching and tasting on new favorites!
Many of you have asked about those handy vacuum wine sealers; we are happy to report that we now have them back in stock along with additional stoppers. These can really help to maintain the freshness of your wine, even extending an open bottle from 2 days to 5-6 days. It also helps to keep open wine in the refrigerator (even reds) as this will preserve the wine better. Of course many of you are wondering what the heck I am talking about.... who has wine left over???!
Lucas, our beer tasting expert, has been very busy updating the MB&W beer blog. Want to chime in? Click here!
We hope to see you at our tasting events this upcoming weekend!
Did you know that all of our "green label" wines denotes wines that are organic, made with organic grapes, bio-dynamic, sustainable farming or carbon neutral practices? In addition many wines from Italy and France a made with old world farming methods. We also carry a few organic beers as well including Peak and Wolavers (tasting beer for Friday!)
Menotomy Beer or Wine of the Month Club
You pick the amount of money that your gift recipient can spend each month and they drop by and make their own selection. A fantastic way to give a big gift without breaking the bank as you will only be charged for one purchase each month. Please ask us for details when you drop by the store.
MB&W Blog
We have a new blog for you to read reviews, post reviews, make suggestions, and leave us comments. Please join us at the new online community at http://menotomybeerandwine.blogspot.com/.
Here is an interesting fact: Beer is rich in important vitamins - most are delivered to you by the beer's yeast. Vitamins B1, B2, and B6 are food for the nerves and found in beer! They improve your ability to concentrate, support the production of red blood cells, have a positive effect on your blood circulation, and stimulate your metabolism.
We're now doing both wine tasting and beer tasting weekly! Wine tasting is every Saturday from 4-7 PM while beer tasting is every Friday from 4-7 PM. Updates are made on the events page on Thursdays prior to the weekend and sent out to our e-mail list. If you're not already on it, sign up now!
Some tidbits about us: Along with having very competitive beer pricing all prices include deposit! What you see is what you pay.... isn't that nice. We also carry a great selection of gift baskets with wine or craft beers. Keep us in mind for that hostess gift, housewarming or special occasion. Perfect for the holidays and those "hard to buy for" friends and family. We will wrap any bottle of wine with a simple bag and distinctive ribbon for no charge, just ask!
Menotomy Beer & Wine is proud to announce that we are the BITE OF THE MONTH!
Visit www.arlingtonbites.com to check it out. If you are not familiar with this website you should get acquainted. It is a great resource to check all of the local businesses Arlington has to offer.
Sign Up for our E-mail Newsletter
Want to know what new wines and beers are coming in? Want to know when the next wine tasting is? Want to know of some other special events? Drop us an E-mail at info @ menotomybeerandwine . com to sign up for the E-mail newsletter. All E-mail addresses go directly to us, are completely confidential and will not be shared with anybody.
Arlington is Not a Dry Town!
Check out what the Arlington Advocate has to say: Broadway beer and wine store on tap.
See also Selectmen OK Arlington's first wine, beer store at YourArlington.com.
We're Now Open
We're located at 80 Broadway in East Arlington (walking distance to the Somerville border at Alewife Brook Parkway) with easy access to the MBTA bus (route 87) and within walking distance to Mass Ave and the 77, 79, and 350 bus routes.