20207 Goshen Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
301-948-4300
For directions, please call or visit our website.
"A man can not make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine."-Shakespeare
Selection, selection, selection!! Surely you'll be able to quench your thirst's desires this Saturday. Please join us from the hours of 12-4 PM, May 3rd for an explosion of tastes! Not only will we have five great wines open for tasting, but we will also be joined by the dazzling Jen Lockman, account manager for Sam Adams Brewery, with a selection of four fine beers open as well.
First on the list this
week, a delicious Australian white, Koala Blue Chardonnay-
Founded by Olivia
Newton-John and Pat Farrar.
Sourced from selected parcels of fruit from premium Australian vineyards. This fruit driven Chardonnay combines tropical fruit, peach and citrus flavors with a lively, fresh taste. Vibrant, crisp, quintessentially Australian- a wine to suit all tastes and occasions.
Next, a fabulous Californian white, Concannon Chardonnay-
A rich
full-bodied Chardonnay with lots of butter, apple pie and vanilla flavors. This
smooth, mouth-filling Chardonnay is a perfect example of expert craftsmanship
in winemaking. After bringing the grapes to full ripeness, Tom Lane allowed
just the right amount of fruit extraction, barrel fermentation (87%) and
malo-lactic fermentation (35%) bringing out the natural lushness of the fruit.
Excellent with poultry, pork, veal and rich creamy dishes
Third on the list, an excellent white from New Zealand, Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc-
Winemaker's Notes
To ensure
a spectrum of flavours with this Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, sections of
the vineyard were harvested selectively over a nine day period. All of the
fruit was harvested at night - crushed, destemmed and pressed quickly to ensure
minimal loss of flavour. The settled juice was inoculated with aromatic flavour
enhancing yeast, cool fermented (12-14 degree Celsius) for approximately 28
days. Post fermentation, the wine was given the standard finings for filtration
prior to bottling.
Tasting
Notes
Classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - scented, aromatic and richly flavoured
with passionfruit and pineapple, whilst still retaining the more traditional gooseberry,
redcurrent and herbal aromas. A long, intense finish on the pallet.
Another consistent, immensely appealing wine with wonderful flavour intensity
produced by Fairhall Downs.
The fourth wine, an excellent red, Terroir Du Trias Beaumes de Venise Cotes du Rhone Villages-
"A big, sumptuous, powerful Beaumes-de-Venise, Cotes du Rhone Villages. The name terroir du Trias refers to the Triassic era and to a very rare type of soil in which the wines - old Grenache with a small proportion of Syrah - are planted, at the foothill of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain. To drink on its own or with rich meat dishes and venison as well as strong cheeses."
Finally, we will be tasting another outstanding red, Chateau
Larode Bonvil -
This
great blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes is ruby red in color and
medium bodied. It has wonderful tastes of raspberries and cherries.
This inviting red goes perfectly with meats, pasta, salads and cheeses.
Truly a delightful Bordeaux to serve on all occassions.
"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in
a case. Coincidence?"
--Stephen
Wright
Be sure not to miss the Sam Adams extravaganza presented by Jen Lockman of Sam Adams Brewery. Early visitors may walk out with free Sam Adams give-aways! We will be tasting four of their lighter beers just in time for the warm season.
Summer Ale is tangy and crisp, brewed with wheat malt, lemon zest, Hallertau Tradition and Saaz hops, the Boston brewery's own ale yeast, and an historic, nearly forgotten brewing spice called Grains of Paradise. Grains of Paradise gives Summer Ale a peppery citrus note, which enhances the tanginess of the lemon peel. This nearly forgotten brewing ingredient -- used by brewers in the 13th and 14th centuries -- brings a subtle, elegant aroma to the wheat ale base. The ale yeast fermentation produces background notes of tropical fruit: you'll detect hints of mangos and peaches. This is a well-balanced, quenching beer -- perfect for summertime.
Summer
Ale is delicious with all summer foods: salads, sandwiches, grilled vegetables,
and spicy foods. Serve it a little cooler -- about 45 degrees.
Wheat beer is
a distinctly summery and refreshing style, particularly welcome when a thirst
quenching drink is called for. Cherry Wheat perfectly balances the delicacy and
citrus tang of a wheat ale with the taste and aroma of fresh cherries.
Wheat beers combine beautifully with fruit, and Cherry Wheat is no exception.
Savor Cherry Wheat's spicy, herbal note. This delightful beer has a dry, crisp
finish due to the wheat malt used in the brew; fresh cherries from Michigan
give it a lovely aroma. You'll detect a slight sweetness from the clover honey
which is used sparingly to balance the tartness of the fruit.
Try Cherry Wheat as an accompaniment to goat cheese, roasted peppers and pine
nuts wrapped in filo pastry, or with a Chinese dish spiced with ginger and
garlic.
It took 2
years of brewing, tasting and testing to come up with the final recipe for Sam
Adams Light. We focused on brewing a flavorful, high quality beer with a
light-bodied taste and fewer calories. Sam Adams Light is a unique beer,
it's not a lighter version of our Boston Lager.
- Sam Adams Light uses no adjuncts and a
traditional brewing process to ensure a balance of flavor and light-bodied
taste.
- Sam Adams Light is brewed with the
four classic beer ingredients: barley malt, hops, pure water and lager
yeast - using only two-row malt and Noble hops.
- The quality ingredients that make up
Sam Adams Light include some of the most expensive hops in the world,
Spalt Spalter Noble hops.
- At 124 calories, Sam Adams Light
features a clean finish and no aftertaste.
This American version of a traditional Bavarian wheat beer is pale gold in color, flavorful and very enjoyable. Two row malted barley and malted wheat give it a crisp but layered maltiness with a light sweetness. Hand-selected Spalt Spalter hops impart a bright finish and Bavarian yeast adds a special spiciness. Cheers!
All
of the above items, (6-packs, 12-packs and wine) will be sold at a 10% discount
during the tasting hours of 12-4PM, this Saturday, May 3rd. Show up early
for the best selection, as you may know the best products sell out
quickly. Don't forget to check our website at www.grape-expectations.biz for the
latest sales and new items!
Hope to see you Saturday!
Sincerely,
The Grape Expectations Staff
If you would like to be removed from this list, please write to jeb@grape-expectations.biz with the subject containing the word "Remove."