a few of our recent crushes

July 22, 2009 – 4:06 pm

Unique Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Loire Valley, France - $16.99
“Sancerre fans will rave for this crisp white imported by the legendary Kermit Lynch. Vibrant citrus flavors and excellent minerality highlight this 100% single estate Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.” -Wine Library

Slatestone Dry Riesling 2008
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany - $12.99
“Rich aromatic nose of fresh peach and slate, mineral dominance on the mid palate and a dry refeshing finish. Great sipping wine and very versatile food wine.”

Presidial Rouge 2005
Bordeaux, France - $16.99
“Blend Of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet & 15% Cab Franc–Rich & Round With Aromas & Flavors Of Raspberry, Blackberry, Rose & Licorice.”

Terripin Rye Squared - $9.99 (4pk)
Double the malt, double the hops, and double the flavor of the original Rye Pale Ale recipe. (Hence the name Rye Squared.) With its mammoth hop aroma, bitterness and flavor, this beer is not for the faint at heart.

Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Napa Valley, Stags Leap District- $77.99 (750ml)
“Aromas of warm blackfruit, cedar,chocolate, and dried herbs, followed by rich, juicy flavors of blackberry,dark chocolate,and tobacco, with a nice long finish. The tannins are ripe and supple.” -Elias Fernandez

Raw Power Shiraz 2006
Adelaide Plains, Australia
$11.99
Reading the back label, one would think that Mister “Rawley Power” is going to take you back to the days when you spiked your hair and you knew who “Sid & Nancy” where… This “Garage-Band” shiraz is produced by Longhop/Old Plains and is sourced from the Adelaide Plains region. It is packed with chocolate coated licourice, tar, blackberry, mineral, ripe cherry and a nice lick of cinnamon spice flavors. In short this wine kicks a#&!!!

Lonely Cow Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Marborough, New Zealand
$8.99
Lonely Cow jumps from the glass with aromas of white peach and lime. The mouthwatering palate is a juicy mix of candied pineapple and tangerine flavors followed by a crisp but lingering finish of wet stone and white pepper accents. This is what New Zealand is all about, as the label suggests, Lonely Cow Sauvignon Blanc stands alone in its field.

Calandray Reserve Cotes du Roussillon 2005
(60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, & 20% Carignan)
Cotes du Roussillon, France
$15.99
This wine is the result of the partnership of Jean-Luc Thunevin, owner of Chateau Valandraud, and the Caves Cooperative of Maury, which was rated by Robert Parker as one of the best in the south of France. The vines for this wine are old, over 40 years, and on two terroirs, Clay/limestone and black schist. Since this wine does not see any barrel ageing, it is overflowing with bright juicy flavors of blackberry and black cherry. It has a long savory finish with well balanced spices… Yumm!

Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 2006 “Les Chenes”
Bourgundy, France
$39.99
Wine Spectator: 88 points - “Rich with black cherry, licorice and leather aromas and flavors, this red has sweet fruit to cover its tannins, with a long spicy finish. Best from 2010 through 2017.” 60 cases imported. –BS. Per the Spectator, the 2006 vintage for Burgundy was graded a B. We feel that this is a great example of burgundy… Drink today or hold it for about 5+ years to see it develop.

The Magnificent Wine Co.
House Wine White 2007
85% Chardonnay, 10% Riesling, & 5% Muscat
Columbia Valley, Washington St.
$9.99
If you are looking for a wine that says, “Summer-time in Nashville”, stop your search because we have found it… House Wine White. This luscious beauty packs gobs of fresh apple and citrus flavors with a refreshing clean, crisp finish. One gulp just won’t do for this summer sipper… This wine especially goes great on summer-time evenings with good friends enjoying some cool grooves!

Anciano Gran Reserva 1998
100% Tempranillo
Valdepenas, Spain
$12.99
This could be one of the best values we have found this year. No, it is not a closeout… Yes, it is 10 years old and the current vintage. If you don’t believe us just see what the Wine Advocate has to say…
90 points - Wine Advocate, Issue #181, February 2009
“The 1998 Anciano “Aged 10 Years” is 100% Tempranillo matured in French and American barriques. Dark ruby-colored with a brick rim, it offers up an expressive bouquet of vanilla, earth notes, leather, spice box, and blackberry. This leads to a medium-bodied wine with notes of licorice, espresso, and fruit compote emerging on the palate. Quite rich and full-flavored, this elegant effort will drink well over the next four years.” Jay Miller

Clos La Coutale Cahors 2007
80% Malbec & 20% Merlot
Cahors, France
$15.99
This nomad grape, once very popular in Bordeaux, has traveled all over the globe and found its home in Argentina and southwestern France. Here at graces, we appreciate good malbec frequently from Argentina. However, we found this wonderful example of the grape hailing from Cahors (in the southwest of France). Usually malbecs from Cahors are too rustic for our tastes’, but the Clos La Coutale brings finesse and refinement to the table. This wine has aromas of dark fruit and a hint of cooking spice; dark chocolate and fennel follow to create a silky, lush finish. The merlot works to soften the edges of the malbec while giving the wine another level of richness. If you like malbec, you shouldn’t let this gem pass you by…

Telegramme Chateauneuf du Pape 2006
90% Grenache & 10% Mourvedre
Chateauneuf du Pape, France
$34.99
This second label from Vieux Telegraphe is a great “drink now” Chateauneuf du Pape, but will continue to develop in the bottle if cellared for a few years. This wine has depths of earth, spice, dark fruit, and cedar. Its floral aromas lead to lush dark cherry and hints of pepper flavors, with a sexy finish. It is a stand-out at $34.99 and should be enjoyed by everyone from beginners to experts…

88 points - Wine Spectator (Nov 15th, 2008 issue)
88 points - Wine Advocate (issue #179, Oct 2008)

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grace’s weekly crush

June 22, 2009 – 2:42 pm

weekly_crush_n622blog

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grace’s first cellar offering

April 22, 2009 – 4:15 pm

if you’re following us on here, don’t forget to check out our first cellar offering on the site HERE. for the initial offering we are making available some direct import orders on some  2004 bordeaux wines. check out the details on our cellar page and give daryl or todd a call here at the store if your interested!

615.386.7660

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petite fusion, grand taste: the bordrhone

April 21, 2009 – 4:11 pm

we just put a funky little wine with a big taste on sale for $17.99 and i wanted to write un petite blog about it. since it’s monday tuesday and there is really no other reason not to, the lucky bottle featured today is…

the 2006 petite petit by michael & david (lodi vineyards)

applause. applause: it’s lucky. and unique - here’s why:

first, it has a cool label.

exhibit a

exhibit a

this is not up for debate, people. please see exhibit a.

i realize that some of you may be afraid of circus-esque themes, people, ideas, etc. but for those that this applies to, please don’t be scared - the elephants are big, but they are your friends! i believe the winemakers put the elephants on there to use symbolism. elephants are BIG, like this wine. but they are friendly, like this wine. and they ostensibly get along with carnies, like this wine.

and second, it’s a funky twist on a blend.

since this is a wine blog, i suppose i’ll actually write about the wine now. the blend of the petite petit is 85% petite syrah, and 15% petit verdot.

let the wine lesson commence:

petite syrah is a grape thought to be originally known as durif, and was initially thought to be related to the renowned syrah of france’s rhone region.* now almost extinct, it is primarily grown in california and is currently known as petite syrah. a much better name, in my humble opinion. some characteristics noted would include a deep color, peppery taste, tannic in structure, robust in flavor, with a good aging ability. it’s frequently found as a wine on its own, but it’s also often blended to get more zest and complexity. (*source: wine lover’s companion)

hello petite! hello petit!

hello petite! hello petit!

the petit verdot is a grape from the bordeaux region in france, considered to be of high quality, but great immaturity (doesn’t mature well). (seriously, this grape cannot handle it’s alcohol  - gosh, petite verdot, can you please grow up!?! ) this grape produces wines with many of the same characteristics as the petite syrah - deep colored, spicy, tannic, and high alcohol - but is used more for blending than anything else.

so we have a bordeaux grape mixed with a rhone grape. un petite petit. sounds like a blend made in heaven, right? i wonder, would the french be so inclined to name it for its own? …would the capulets and the montagues come together and party? though a dramatic comparison, i’m doubting so.

now, not to get off on a tangent, but with the french, things are much more strict when it comes to naming a wine. over there so we can’t call this a bordeaux or a rhone - or a bordrhone for that matter (that one’s mine, folks), not at least according to AOC (’Appelatlation d’Origine Controlle’) standards. we americans get to muck all the standards up, and so we’ll just go with “funky blend”.

but, really… “what’s in a name? that which we call a bordrhone by any other name would taste as robust?”

so, if you’re looking for some other descriptions, you may include “berry explosion” (not to be confused with cannon explosion), “dark.. fruit bomb” “jammy, jammy”, “intensity”, and “smooth tannins”.

and so to wrap up this verbose post, for this type of big, flavorful funky blend, you want to make sure to have a big, funky flavorful meal to go with it.  it’s for a petite carnival this spring, and for a petit carnivore.  this big wine with a little name absolutely calls for grilling out. and if you’re inviting me over, there is no doubt i’m in. bart would suggest some wild game. daryl thinks lamb is the best fit. and for me and my bordrhone, i say use it to drink with and marinate a petite filet - add some veggies to the fire and you’ve got yourself some red petite fusion with a grand taste…

happy grilling and drinking!

-candace

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april staff picks (who’s yours?)

April 13, 2009 – 6:31 pm

happy april showers, wine lovers!

over here at ye old wine store, we’re getting to know the weather, and how you like it (or don’t). and we’re excited that you’re getting to know us, and what we like (or don’t!). one of the best parts of my job is recommending a wine to people and then the next time in, hearing how much they loved it. then, the better part is when they they say “thank you sir (or madame!) may i have another?”.

that hasn’t actually happened yet, but i’m holding out for it to one day.

but honestly, this is the mentality behind our staff picks:  we hope that as we all get to know each other, and as we become your friendly neighborhood wine shop, you’ll know who to find to match your style of wine choices. and you’ll come back for more. your palate is your own, but hopefully between the six of us and YOU, there’s one of US that has a preferred style juice, that lines up close to yours!

and we hope you’ll come in, ask for us by name, and we’ll do a little dance, and have a grande old time celebrating the love of wine, together. or, if you’re a little more shy, and not quite ready to celebrate with us in such a manner, make sure that as you are perusing the racks you notice the rack tags that mention “staff pick”. these little cards have a staff name on it and are placed behind all current and previously picked wines. we’ve got picks in all varieties, and from all regions, and there are plenty more to come.

now, as for this month, we decided to focus on all whites. the ABC’s of White - Anything But Chardonnay. now, i know many of you love it and it’s really mostly what you drink. and, its OK - the rest of america agrees with you. but we gotta get outside this box here, people! now, i will admit that personally, whites are the “the thorn-in-my-side of recommendations”, if you will, but i found one that fits me, and i know you can too!

it’s truly a learning process, and i’m more than happy to educate myself on! and, if you want - let’s do it together.

in april’s list we’ve got: a couple sauvignon blanc selections, a pinot gris, a viognier (prounounced VI-OH-NAY), a picpoul de pinet and a torrontes. check out those links to learn a little more. and then come in, test me on my newfound knowledge, and get yourself a bottle to toast to the ABC’s of white wine.

here’s to rainy & sunny days all-in-one, nashville.

happy drinking!

candace

oh, and ps -if you need a little more motivation, tuesday’s are the day to try something new - 10% off your ABC pick!

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Wining with the Stars

April 2, 2009 – 6:38 pm

WE heard through the grapevine that Sting is now selling wine - his ultimate ‘Message in a Bottle’, if you will.

Were you already impressed that with the Francis Ford Coppolla line? Well, here’s a list of celebrities that are also involved with the wine industry. Who knew vino &  hip-hop had so much in common?!

Curious: Would a celebrity influence your choice in selecting a wine?

-Candace

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Pink is the New White

April 1, 2009 – 4:02 pm

An old thought process here in the South is that pink wine is sweet and the people drinking it are often times college-aged women purchasing Sutter Home or Beringer White Zinfandel - while the guys are drinking their  Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and/or Miller Lite. We all have been down this road of beliefs. While there is nothing wrong with drinking White Zinfandel (and I myself have had a bottle or two), there is such a broader universe to Pink Wine.

Rosés have been produced for a long time and are for the most part (characteristically) bone dry. Traditionally, there are three different ways to produce Rosés: Skin Contact, Saignée, & Blending.
Skin Contact:
This process is primarily used when Rosé wine is the main product intentionally being produced. During this process the red grapes are crushed and then sent to a tank to settle (juice, skins, everything). The skins are the part of the grape that make red wine red in color. If you are making red wine usually the juice and skins would sit in the tank for about 2 weeks give or take a few days. But the Rosé juice being produced using this method, is only in contact with the skins for about 2 to 3 days. It is then pumped off  into another tank to be fermented and turned into Rosé wine - which tends to be pale pink in color and softly fragrant.
Saignée:
Everything starts the same as in the Skin Contact method, but the difference is that the main product intentionally being produced is actually red wine. The Rosé ends up simply being the by-product of the winery setting out to make a big, rich, intense red wine. The idea is that if a winery pumps off some juice from the tank to reduce the juice-to-skin contact, then it makes a deeper, richer red wine. But they have to figure out what to do with the left-over juice that was pumped out of the tank. This is what the wineries make the Rosé from. The wine tends to be more electric pink in color and takes on more of the character of the variety that they were oringially intending to produce. For example, if they were producing a Syrah, then the Rosé would be Syrah-like.
Blending:
Blending is not a widely used method, but it seems to be causing some heated issues with our friends across the pond. Blending is when the wineries take a red wine and a white wine, and blend the two together to make a certain style of Rosé (dry, semi-sweet, etc.). Recently the EU has decided that it is legal to use the Blending method and label the wine a Rosé, but the French seem to see it a different way. To read more about the controversy, check out a recent article highlighting this issue, here. 

Rosés offer a great alternative to people who want to explore something new and different instead of just drinking whites. Rosés go with almost any food that you would normally pair with a white wine, from fresh fruit to grilled meats (and everything in-between). I love Rosés in the spring and summertime.

Now the question is - What do you think? Have you tried a Rosé before? If yes, what is your favorite? Also, what do you think about the issues “over the pond” with the labeling and production of Rosés?

Let’s get this blog-versation going…

Cheers,

Daryl

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A Special Friday Tasting

March 27, 2009 – 4:19 pm

One of the cool things about working at a wine shop, as many of you may suspect, is that we get the opportunity to taste a LOT of wines. Sometimes this means a lot of bad wines, and sometimes this means a lot of good wines.

Really, REALLY good wines.

This particular friday (a day in which we typically don’t do many tastings) we (Bart, Daryl, Candace) had the chance to taste some Penner-Ash Pinot Noir. Now I (Candace) already knew I was IN LOVE with this wine, back in February upon my first partaking of the ‘07 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir. We tasted both the 2007 Williamette Valley Pinot Noir and the 2007 Dussin Valley Pinot Noir.

This made an OK Friday turn into a GREAT Friday. And, I’m pretty sure even Bart agrees - it was a great lead up to his lunch.

Penner-Ash is a winery in Newberg, Oregon which is about 6 miles outside of Portland. This particular region of the country has two PRIME factors in cultivating great tasting wines - a fantastic climate (long summer days averaging 80 degrees, cool nights, and rainy winters), and perfect soil  for the fragile (and difficult) pinot noir grape. In Williamette Valley, there is actually volcanic ash in the soil, which contributes to the earthy taste of this wine. 

If you thought that California made some good pinots - you will be extremely impressed with the juice from this region. Oregon pinot noirs have been perfected over the years, and are now as competitive, if not better than, their California counterparts.

This particular winery is also very conscious of their environment, as energy conservation is very important in how they run their operation. And, who doesn’t want to support a brand that cares about our little peice of earth down here?

So, check them out online at www.pennerash.com and the next time you want a special treat or need a really great, classy gift - this is THE wine to buy.

But, make sure whoever you buy it for, is willing to share. And, if you get one for me (ahem), I’ll definitely let you have a sip! 

See you soon!

-Candace (Bart  &  Daryl)

Grace’s Wine & Spirits

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Welcome to unWined!

March 25, 2009 – 7:30 pm

Hello Blog Land, Hello Reader, Hello Wine & Spirits Drinker!!

As the inagural blog post and blogger here at Grace’s, I want to welcome you here. We have started this communication resource for several reasons. Not only because we want to be current with trends in social interaction on the web, but for several other reasons that have to do with YOU, our consumer, our customer and our friend.

We’re hoping that this will be a place you can come to and learn about wines, spirits and what is going on in the wine and spirits industry. Things that will not only educate you to help you be more savvy and in-the-know as you shop our aisles, but things that will give you an insight into our daily world as a business in an ever-changing industry.

We’re hoping that this will be a place where you can directly give us feedback by commenting. We welcome and want you to let us know what you think - on the web, and in person! Let’s have a conversation!

We’re hoping that this will also be a fun way to document - and for you to come along with us on the journey of the life of a wine & spirits retailer here in the Nashville and Green Hills Community.

And, we’re hoping that we’ll be here for years to come - and that you’ll be around, too.

See you soon. Cheers!

-Candace

Grace’s Wine & Spirits

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