Beer and Wine Weekly Update, November 17, 2014

By Josh Downs, Beer and Wine Manager

Last week I made a subtle mention of Beaujolais Nouveau, knowing that I was going to end up talking about it this week.  For anyone who doesn’t know, Beaujolais Nouveau is a very young French wine, made from the Gamay grape, that is released to the public once a year on the third Thursday of November.  In America, it has been coined as the wine to drink at Thanksgiving, mostly due to the proximity of its release and the holiday (it also pairs very well with Thanksgiving fare), but its origins didn’t have the American holiday in mind.  The wine had always been made to celebrate the end of the harvest in Beaujolais, but up until World War II, it was only for local consumption.  During the war, AOC (appellation d'origine controlee, a French Certification regarding regional requirements for wine, cheese, and other agricultural products) rules were established for Beaujolais, stating that the wine produced there could not be sold until December 15^th in the year of the harvest.  The rules were later changed in 1951 to a release date of November 15^th, and the wine officially became known as Beaujolais Nouveau.  It was after this change that vintners in Beaujolais realized there was some big marketing potential for the wine.  Members of the UIVB (L'Union Interprofessionnel des Vins du Beaujolais) hosted a foot race to Paris, carrying the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau the whole way.  This event instantly became a hit, and by the 70’s, it had become a national attraction.  The date of the release was finally changed to the third Thursday in November in 1985 to take advantage of the potential sales in America for the holiday season.  At City Market, our normal delivery days are Fridays, so we will be seeing Beaujolais a day after its release, but don’t worry, it will still be just as fresh!

Changes in the Department

I know I’ve mentioned it a few times, but the Thanksgiving Wine 6 Packs are finally out for sale!  You can find them stacked up next to the Specialty Beer cooler where you normally have wine displayed.  They retail at $56.99, with an original price of $79.94.  This display will be complimented by Beaujolais Nouveau when it arrives on Friday!  There is also another new addition to the department in light of the holidays: Harpoon’s Grateful Harvest Cranberry Ale.  Although not quite as limited as the Beaujolais Nouveau, this is a beer brewed specifically for Thanksgiving.  Not only is this a great beer to have alongside turkey and stuffing, but every time you buy a six pack, you are helping to support a great cause.  For every six pack purchased, Harpoon donates $1 to a local food bank.

Outside of holiday products, we have a couple other additions to the department this week that are definitely worth noting.  On Tuesday we are receiving some limited release Dogfish Head beers that I’m extremely excited about.  Beer Thousand, American Beauty, Old School, and 75 Minute IPA are all arriving on Tuesday.  Beer Thousand is the only new brew in this small shipment, and is another music collaboration; this time celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Guided by Voices classic album, Bee Thousand.

Local Beer of the Week

Foley Brothers Brewing is a small outfit in Brandon, Vermont that puts out big flavor.  Here at City Market we have carried their Ginger Wheat, Hob Nob, Native IPA, and Fair Maiden Double IPA which are all fantastic beers.  Last week we got a pleasant surprise when a shipment of a new beer, Citrennial IPA arrived.  This beer is a pretty small batch, but we should have it throughout the week depending on how quickly it sells.

The Citrennial is an American-style IPA brewed with (as the name suggests) both Citra and Centennial Hops.  It comes in a 22 ounce bottle and pours a translucent golden straw yellow with about an inch and a half of thick, persisting white head.  There is a strong aroma of citrus and tropical fruit, mixed with a subtle note of floral hops.  The beer has a pretty light body that is full of flavor.  A bit oily up front with notes of citrus that lead into a slightly bitter hopped finish.  The beer was very well balanced, crisp, and refreshing.  I’d suggest drinking this alongside mild cheese, curry, or on its own.

Weekly Winners

This week we are featuring two City Market staples.  Both Mark West Pinot Noir, and Woodchuck Cider have been tried and true products here at the store and now they are at some of their best prices yet!

Mark West was founded in 1978 under the principles of creating fantastic California Pinot Noir at an affordable price.  The California Pinot Noir is mellow, with notes of black cherry, cola, and strawberry.  This pinot, like most will be a great choice for Thanksgiving, but also pairs very well with a big burger, or grilled salmon.

Woodchuck Ciders started out of a small winery in Proctorsville, Vermont in 1990.  Back then it was known as Vermont Old-Fashioned Hard Cider.  After a few changes to the recipe, the first Woodchuck cider was born, Woodchuck Amber.  The cider quickly became a hit in Vermont, and its popularity eventually spread throughout the country.  It has always been popular here at City Market, and we are happy to be offering both the 12 pack cans of Amber and the Variety 12 packs on special this week!

Beer and Wine News

We have an exciting addition to the craft beer community in Vermont in the form of a community organization called Girls Pint Out.  The organization was founded in 2010 in Indiana by Amanda Wishin, with the goal of building a community of women who both love craft beer and contribute to the craft beer community.  They accomplish this by holding various events, both educational and social that focus on craft beer.  Chapters are very active in social media, and also host forums for members.  Membership is completely free, and there is no sign up process, just simply join them for a beer at one of their events!  There are currently over 50 chapters of Girls Pint Out across 30 States, and now Vermont officially joins those ranks thanks to founder Bethany Baker.  Look forward to Vermont’s chapter of Girls Pinot Out’s first event in mid-December.  For more information on Vermont Girls Pint Out, check out their Facebook page.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or topics you’d like covered feel free to contact me at jdowns@citymarket.coop, or give me a call at 802-861-9730.  Until next week, Prost!