Beer and Wine Weekly Update, November 3, 2014
By Josh Downs, Beer and Wine Manager
The colder weather of late fall in Vermont is upon us. The cravings for rich stouts and deep red wines are beginning to outweigh those for lighter ales and crisp white wines. This shift in preference is already apparent here at City Market. Cabernets are flying off the shelves, and seasonal stouts and winter ales are already starting to pop up from various breweries. The seasonality of beer is a little strange. Summer beers were out before the temperatures reached the 70’s and Pumpkin Ales hit the shelves in July, both of which seem a little out of season. But the beer world moves at a fast pace. Thankfully, the colder climate of Vermont makes the timing of the winter releases seem more fitting. Some local breweries are switching up their winter seasonal selection a little as well, which is always exciting. Long Trail has put Hibernator on the backburner in order to put out “Sick Day” IPA, and Harpoon is putting out a Ginger variety of their UFO series. Both are delicious new twists on old favorites. Look forward to these and more as we move into winter time in the beer and wine world!
Changes in the Department
The biggest change as of late is the back wall of the beer section. For those of you who frequent the store, you know that area is pretty tight, especially around lunch time when there is a line for sandwiches. I wanted to bring in the beer display a little bit to ease the shopping experience in that corner of the store. To do so, the out-of-cooler 12 pack display was taken down. There are still a few in that area, but not nearly as many. If you are in the market for a 12 pack that hasn’t been chilled, just let one of our fantastic Beer & Wine staff members know what you are looking for, and they can grab it for you if it’s in stock. We also brought the tallboy displays into the void left by the 12 packs, so they have shifted location slightly. The 6 packs above that display have been given a little more room as well to make a purely Vermont beer display. Most of the beers on this display can be found in the cooler in addition to this location, but some cannot so make sure to check it out!
The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is a small batch, specialty beer series that tends to step outside the box when it comes to beer styles. Beer making is both a science and an art, and the best part about the process is how free you are to experiment. The 100 Barrel Series takes this freedom to experiment and produces some pretty awesome, uniquely styled beers. This week we are drinking the current release in the series, #51 Cambridge Uncommon, India Style Pale Lager.
The Cambridge Uncommon blends the light, crisp flavors found in a traditional Czech Pilsner with the bold flavor of an American IPA. The result is an incredibly drinkable, rich in flavor, but light in body styled beer. The bottle pours a translucent pale yellow, with a frothy white head. The aroma is subtle, with notes of piney hop, grass, and citrus. Up front flavors of citrus are followed by a pleasant piney, oily hop and bready malts. The finish is clean and crisp, with a bit of bitter hop on the tail end that keeps you picking up the glass. The Cambridge Uncommon is great to enjoy alongside light fare or on its own on a sunny fall afternoon.
This week we are offering a couple ‘tried and true’ old favorites here at City Market. Not only do you know these are going to taste good, but they are at a great value!
90+ Cellars has been a hit ever since they hit the shelves in 2009. Their goal was to provide fantastic wine from respected vineyards around the world at a reasonable price. They do this by buying large quantities of wines at a reduced price and then bottling and labeling it on their own. This week we are featuring the Lot 53, Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard that produces this wine was originally planted in the 1700’s and has been family owned ever since. The wine itself is fantastic. Big, rich, and fruit forward with notes of mocha, tobacco, and oak leading into a long, persisting finish.
Last week we had a relatively new-to-the-game cider featured as the Weekly Winner, but this week we are giving an old favorite a little love. Harpoon Cider has been a staple here at City Market for a long time. The cider is light, crisp, and pleasantly dry. There is no added flavors or preservatives in this cider, just pressed apples and ale yeast, giving it a natural, fresh apple flavor. We’ve always carried it in bottles, but this week we are offering the 12 pack cans on special, perfect for those end-of-season fall hikes.
I’m very excited this week to unveil a little project we’ve been working on here at City Market. When planning Thanksgiving dinner, so much time and thought goes into the actual meal that when it comes to wine, we are usually scrambling to grab the first Pinot Noir we see. This year we wanted to make that experience less stressful, and so we have picked six wines that pair perfectly with Thanksgiving dinner. The wines come in their own package, which is very durable and will travel well. The box will also include a pairing card with tasting notes on each wine, as well as information on where each wine fits in during the meal. The following wines will be included in the six pack:
- Cupcake Prosecco
- Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Rose
- Kenwood Yulupa Pinot Noir
- Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages
- Yalumba Viognier
- False Bay Chenin-Blanc
The box will be $56.99 (a savings of $23!), and we'll only have 30 boxes available this first year. We will also be holding a tasting of these wines in the department on Thursday, November 20th, so come check it out!
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!