Beija at Alibi:

I previously raved about Beija, a new Brazilian Cachaca, also known as a virgin cane rum. It is a new liquor on the market and I think it is great just on the rocks or mixed in any number of cocktails.

You can sample this new liquor at a party that is being hosted by Beija at Alibi this Sunday, February 17th, from 10pm-1am. Alibi is located in the new Liberty Hotel, the site of the former Charles Street Jail. Why not stop by and try some Beija?

Send an email to info@Beija.net to get on the guest list.

Fireside Wine Tastings

The Wine Shop of Reading has announce their new partnership with Willowdale Estate, the original Bradley Palmer mansion in Topsfield,which has opened its historic doors after the completion of a $1.5 million restoration. The Wine Shop of Reading is the preferred alcohol beverage partner for Willowdale Estate's weddings, corporate and social events.

The original Bradley Palmer mansion once welcomed guests such as England’s Prince of Wales and President William Howard Taft. Bradley Palmer, a prominent Boston lawyer and industrialist, was an avid equestrian and nature lover who donated his 721-acre estate to the Commonwealth in 1944 to protect the property in perpetuity as a park. The Craftsman and Tudor Revival stone mansion was renovated and recently opened, a historical home to hold private and public events. ”

The partnership of The Wine Shop of Reading and Willowdale Estate are now presenting a series of Fireside Wine Tastings. At each of these events, Robyn Mathers, the owner of The Wine Shop of Reading, will uncork six wines from the world's great wine regions. You will savor those wines as they are paired with a lavish assortment of hors d'oeuvres all in the stylish and warm surroundings of the historic Willowdale Estate.

The current Fireside Wine Tasting Dates, each starting at 6:30pm, are:
Friday, February 29, 2008 - Wines Around the World
Friday, March 14, 2008 - Discover Italy
Friday, April 11, 2008 - Flavors of Spain

To reserve a ticket, please call The Wine Shop at 781-944-4521. Tickets cost $50 per person and Limited Seating is available.

WBW #42: Italian Wine in 7 Words

Today is another Wine Blogging Wednesday, the 42nd edition of this wine blogger tradition. Started by Lenndevours, Wine Blogging Wednesday is a day when many wine bloggers all drink wines based on a shared theme. Then, each blogger posts a wine review and links them to a central site.

The theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday #42, chosen by Spittoon, is that you must review an Italian wine, of any type, but only use Seven Words. There were a few additional rules: "The finished tasting note must make sense, be grammatically correct(ish), punctuation will help of course. The wine name, type, producer, vintage do not have to be included in the 7. But a reference to aroma, flavour, length, food matching etc. should be considered. Inventiveness is the key."

This was certainly a challenging theme as seven words is a very small amount to encapsulate the complexity of many wines. But it was a fun challenge and I look forward to read what everyone else did.

My wine for this theme was the 2005 Tenuta Pederanza Lambrusco “Grasparossa,” from the Emilia-Romagna region and costing $13.99.

I actually wrote two seven word reviews, one which is just more evocative while the second being more descriptive. You can consider the first entry to be the official entry and the second to be kind of extra credit.

Entry #1: "Riunite bows to the true Lambrusco god."

Entry #2: "Playful effervesence and fresh berries yet serious."

Let me tell you a bit more about this wine. “In the province of Reggio Emilia and Modena, Lambrusco vineyards extend from the slopes of the hills to the line of the Po River, which separates the district from Mantuan territory. All four of the existing Lambrusco Denominazioni do Origine Controllata are found in that zone. Lambrusco has an extremely noble background. The wild vine from which the existing variety originated, called labrusca by the Latins, was known to the Etruscans and Romans. And its fossilized remains have been found in soils of the Eocene period. Despite is extremely ancient origin, Lambrusco was never well known or appreciated outside its production area until it achieved a remarkable commercial success in the U.S. in the seventies and eighties. Despite the fact that it is now widely distributed, there are still many prejudices about the wine. Matters are not made easier by the widespread conviction that there is only one Lambrusco when, in reality, there are many, each different from the other in sensory characteristics and composition, whether in terms of the subvariety used or in those of area or origin.”

In college, I used to drink a lot of Riunite Lambrusco. When I tried the Grasparossa, I certainly did expect to find such a serious wine. This is a single varietal, estate bottled wine and is served chilled. It actually has a cork like in a Champagne bottle. It has a bit of frizzante, a slight carbonated taste, which is refreshing. It has lots of flavor, nice berry tastes and only 11.5% alcohol content. It is not a sweet wine, not like Riunite. It has character to it, and I found it very appealing. Thus, Riunite must bow itself to the true Lambrusco, the authentic ruler. Ruinite is but a poor pretender to the throne.

Poll: Drinks With Dinner

It is often said that many Europeans, especially in countries like France, Italy and Spain, drink wine at dinner nearly all the time. It is their belief that wine is supposed to accompany food. This is an important component in creating "wine cultures" in such countries. Wine becomes a necessity as well as an everyday occurrence.

Yet in the U.S., it is often said that wine is primarily meant to be drank on its own. Despite numerous people drinking wine with dinner, it is far less an everyday occurrence. It is much less frequent. Thus, the U.S. has far less of a wine culture. Wine becomes something "special" rather than ordinary. Maybe this should change. Maybe we would benefit from a more European view of wine.

Before I go into more depth on the subject, let me start off with a simple poll.

The new poll question is: Which Drink Do You Most Often Have With Dinner? The possible answers include: Wine, Beer, Spirits, and Non-Alcoholic Drinks.

When the poll is finished, I will have more to say on the topic.

Stoneham Sun: Melissa's Main Street Bistro

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the February 13 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it may also touch on a few other food and wine topics.

The new column will be published tomorrow and is currently available online. The new column is a restaurant review of Melissa's Main Street Bistro, a local Stoneham place. Why not try some creative cuisine at a local, intimate dining restaurant?

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, I present another restaurant review.

Dine with passion!