   |  Newsletter ArchiveI'll Take Former Dictatorships for $15 Alex, Tiny Bubbles, and Turkey Solutions I'll Take Former Dictatorships for $15 Alex, Tiny Bubbles, and Turkey SolutionsOur 88 degree Los Angeles "Fall" weather marks the beginning of the Holiday Season when things get pretty busy for everyone. CoWineCo is no exception and we have some scheduling changes to announce:
Our typical weekend Friday/Sunday tastings are still happening this weekend, 11/4-11/6, and will continue again the weekend of 11/18-11/20.
SORRY! We will be CLOSED Friday, November 11th while the owners take over the store for a pre-nuptial gathering
Saturday, November 12th the store and bar will be OPEN as always
Sunday, November 13th we are OPEN but there will be no afternoon tasting
Wine Tasting Schedule
I'll Take Former Dictatorships for $15, Alex This Friday the 4th 5:30-8:30pm $15/person 5 wines and artisanal cheeses provided by Auntie Em's Marketplace Reservations recommended: info@cowineco.com or (323) 478-1985 On Friday we're focusing on wines from former dictatorships, Argentina, Chile and South Africa. All three are late bloomers in the global wine industry but recently have become some of the most watched wine growing areas in the world. We have the Lafite Rothschilds and Mondavis in Chile, the Chandon, Mumm, Deutz and Piper-Heidsieck names in Argentina, and Chablis icon Michele LaRoche moving into South Africa. All this activity means more money and exposure to develop these fast improving regions and a wider selection of wines on American dinner tables. Anyone who has that pointy-goatee-look like seemingly 90% of all dictators, gets $2 off their tasting (women included). Wines Araucano Sauvignon Blanc 2004, Valle Central, Chile Susanna Balbo Crios Torrontes 2004, Mendoza, Argentina Finca Koch Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Mendoza, Chile Montelomas Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Argentina Montestell Shiraz 2003, Cape Town, South Africa
Eagle Rock's Test Kitchen: Thanksgiving Pairings This Sunday the 6th 1:00-4:00pm $10/person 4 wines and artisanal cheeses provided by Auntie Em's Marketplace Planning a dinner party can be rather stressful (we know, we plan two a week), so start a little early this year by tasting some of our Thanksgiving dinner pairing suggestions. No, we will not be providing a big turkey at this event for fear of everyone falling asleep in our bar. Wines TBD (check the website in a couple days --> www.cowineco.com/calendar )
Tiny Bubbles New bubbly has arrived to welcome in the holiday season. From the 93 point, Duval-Leroy 1996 Champagne, to the $10 house bubbly of the Paris Opera, we will have something here for whatever type of celebration you're having between now and when the ball drops.
New Bubblies Opera Brut Blanc de Blanc -- $10.99/btl - This is a great value bubbly with a creamy mouthfeel and dry, yeasty flavors. Marques de Monistrol Brut Cava, Spain -- $7.99/btl Marques de Monistrol Rose Cava, Spain -- $7.99/btl Duval-Leroy 1996 Brut Champagne, France -- $42.99/btl - 93 points, Wine Spectator Paul Bertheleot Brut Champagne, France -- $29.99/btl Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne 750ml, France -- $39.99/btl Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne 375ml, France -- $19.99/btl
Turkey Solutions Most people have wine with Thanksgiving dinner but few give much thought to which wines go best with that particular menu. Thanksgiving menus vary widely from table to table, from sweet potatoes with brown sugar, to roast duck, to green jello with strange little floating marshmallows inside (ok, maybe that was just my family). Regardless of the differences, most people sit down to a huge array of tastes before them and that requires a wine that works on many levels, or a series of wines to pair with each course. If you want to go ahead with the single bullet to cover the whole offering, we recommend pairing a jack-of-all-trades like a dry bubbly . Dry sparklers offer that crisp acidity with notes of citrus, fruit and an underlying yeastiness which compliments most food. Another angle is to go with a serious, dry Rose . Pink seems to scare so many off but that's better for you because there's so much left for you to choose from. They really are perfect for Thanksgiving because you get a touch of the flavor complexity of the red grape (whether the Rose is made from Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache or Malbec), with the light weight and mouthfeel you normally associate with a white. Even better, combine the two and choose a dry, pink sparkler . Recommendations: Parigot & Richard Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blanc, France -- $19.99/btl Avinyo Brut Cava, Penedes, Spain -- $15.99/btl Marques de Monistrol Brut Cava Rose, Spain -- $7.99/btl Les Clos de Paulilles Rose 2004, France -- $14.99/btl SoloRosa California Rose 2004 -- $12.99/btl
If you would rather pair a series of wines with your viking-like feast, try picking and choosing from some of the wines below: Reds Pinot Noir is really the go-to red for Thanksgiving (yes, well before Sideways was even a sparkle in the writer's eyes). You get medium to light bodied, low tannin red that tends to have hints of cherries, strawberries and earth-tones, complimenting both the crispy skin on a roasted turkey and the sweet, carmelization on the sweet potatoes. For the more adventurous, shoot for a light, fruity 100% Grenache or a light Grenache/Syrah blend (preferably from Australia or California where the fruit is more forward) to bring out the sweet in cranberry sauce and herbal qualities of Fall side-dishes. Recommendations: Harmonia Pinot Noir 2004, Oregon -- $19.99/btl Opolo Vineyards Paso Robles Pinot Noir 2002, California -- $24.99/btl Bishop's Peak Central Coast Pinot Noir 2003, California -- $14.99/btl Anglim Grenache 2003, Paso Robles, California -- $21.99/btl Morgan Cotes du Crowes Grenache/Syrah 2001, Monterey, California -- $13.99/btl
Whites The most versatile whites will be the crisper ones without a lot of buttery oak flavors to get in the way of the food. Sauvignon Blanc in its many forms is a safe and fantastic food wine with complex herbal, citrus and fruit flavors that work wonderfully with green bean and squash dishes. Recommendations: Fieldstone Alexander Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2002, California -- $12.99/btl Fiddlehead Cellars Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc 2003, Santa Ynez, California -- $20.99/btl
Chenin Blanc is our go-to white for Thanksgiving with its forward aromas, full, weighty mouthfeel and crisp, tropical fruit flavors. Try it with a butternut-squash soup or roasted potatoes. Recommendation: Foxen Santa Barbara County Chenin Blanc 2001, California -- $14.99/btl
Gewurztraminers are a darkhorse in the whole Thanksgiving meal because they can often be too sweet and overpower the dish. But when you consider how many varying degrees of sweet are typically on the Thanksgiving table, a little sweetness might be exactly what you need. Try to find a slightly sweet Gewurztraminer with spicy notes to compliment any pumpkin or squash sidedish. Recommendations: Sineann Celilo Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2004, Columbia Gorge, Oregon -- $19.99/btl Hugel Alsace Gewurztraminer 2001, France -- $17.99/btl
Dry or slightly sweet Rieslings and unoaked or slightly oaked Chardonnays (especially for cheesy, creamy dishes) will also pair very well with as variety of the dishes above.
Don't forget, after you've finished your feast and are in the full throes of over-eating guilt, a Port or dessert wine is a great excuse to stay at the table, keep the conversation going, and put off the inevitable mountain of dishes in the kitchen.
See You Soon, John and Jen
"A thousand cups of wine do not suffice when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of minds." |