Happy Wednesday fine people!
We are staring straight into a wild weekend and beyond as we gear up for ECLIPSE MONDAY...the craziest damn thing Columbia has possibly ever experienced.
Honestly, one can only expect this weekend to be absolutely bonkers. Cause, ya know, when your city is about to double in size, well, may we all find patience. Lots of it.
Of course we are expecting big crowds at the restaurants.
And thus,
with the pending masses closing in quickly, here we are with an early edition of this week's Wine Club/Mystery Case and a very special "piece of history"!
But first....
**Please join us this Saturday for another
GIANT WINE SALE & TASTING from 12-2pm!
Former GM Kaitlin will be joining us and wants to see YOU!
And I'd be willing to bet she will squeeze in a few extra goodies for you to taste!
Cost is only $8 to taste our assortment of over thirty wines.
And if you buy at least two bottles, you taste for free.
Free? what's?
Just buy two bottles and find out.
THIS WEEK'S $90 MYSTERY CASE
Need a Mystery Case? You know you do. The eclipse is coming and Lizardman might appear, so here's that:
**If you're new to our E-Wine Club, please see the
how-to-order notes in the box to your right**
Here's how it works... you pick five wines from this week's selections in the lines provided below. then we pick the other seven selections. you won't get all red, you wont get all white.
you may copy and paste your desired selections in a reply email, or just tell us your five picks.
Also please note...
-ALL ORDERS MUST BE PAID PRIOR TO PICKING UP.
-All orders are confirmed before we charge your card.
-All orders are confirmed via Email within 24 hours.
-Wines may be picked up Mon thru Fri from 11am-10pm,
a
nd Saturdays from Noon-10pm.
We are closed on Sundays.
-PLEASE INCLUDE the ZIP CODE for your credit/debit card
-$10 Upcharge for an All-Red or All-White Mystery Case
-individual bottle price follows each wine.
This Week's Mystery Case Selections
White, Pink & Sparkling
Vitiano Rosado, 16 Italy $8
Mirabello Rosé of Pinot Grigio, 16 Italy $9
Casal Garcia Vinho Verde, 16 Portugal $10
Twin Vines Vinho Verde, 16 Portugal $9
Prendo Pinot Grigio, 15 Italy $12
Gnarly Head Sauvignon Blanc, 15 California $10
Martin Codaz Albariño, 16 Spain, $14
Charles Smith "Eve" Chardonnay, 15 Washington $14
Zolo Unoaked Chardonnay, 16 Argentina $13
La Vielle Ferme Blanc, 16 France $10
Cape Heights Chardonnay, 16 South Africa $11
-Ricky's Pick White-
name a varietal not listed and we'll surprise ya!
Reds
-Vegal Syrah, 13 Spain $10
-Ricky's Pick Red-
name a varietal not listed and we'll surprise ya!
# Mystery Cases u want____
Your Five Picks are...
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ALL FIVE Mystery selections
MUST BE DIFFERENT WINES
CALIFORNIA WINE HISTORY?!?
Okay, now about this California Wine History...
Should we keep you guessing for a few?
First of all...
*plunk*
What was that? That was the sound of YOU putting down all your preconceptions and silliness about a grape named... MERLOT. We'll come back to this shortly.
Because this just isn't any old Merlot. This is the last vintage ever produced of a little wine called
SHAFER MERLOT.
If you know Napa, you know Shafer. John Shafer (who, at 93 still works at the winery) is the classic early California winemaking story. He left the corporate life in Chicago in 1972 and purchased a 200 acre property in what would later become the Stag's Leap District. He knew nothing about grapes, and taught himself how to drive a tractor.
John's son Doug joined as winemaker in 1983.
Together with now-winemaker Elias Fernandez, Shafer has racked up more through the roof scores over the years than can be counted. Their now famous Hillside Select claims five 100 point Robert Parker scores alone. Considering that, you'd imagine Doug Shafer is a pretty stuffy dude. But no. Get Doug in a room, and he'll drop F-bombs like a sailor and poke fun at himself for hours.
"Buut..
Merlot? Really?" YES, y'all: Merlot. A real California Merlot such as this will make you question why the Merlot stigma is so real. And we can thank none other than Doug Shafer for helping put
real California Merlot on the map. Doug pressed his father to replace the Zinfandel vines on their estate with Merlot in 1982. He loved Merlot for it's softness and soulfulness. Whereas Cabernet can have harsh edges, Merlot has a softhearted richness.
This 2014 vintage comes from an ideal Napa growing season; an abundance of sun, cool nights and overall consistency. This wine contains a touch of Malbec and and even smaller touch of Cabernet.
93 Points Rated and a "Cellar Selection" by Wine Enthusiast, it is vibrant with notes of black cherry, dark plum and cedar, heightened with accents of fresh red fruit. A dark undercurrent of cigarbox and clove lingers, which will continue to unravel with time. Wine Enthusiast suggests its prime drinking window will be 2020-2024.
So why cease production, now that we've dazzled you with Shafer's unrelenting passion for Merlot? Shafer will be releasing a new wine in the coming weeks. The story is simple and doesn't yield the Merlot enthusiasm: winemaker Elias told the Shafer team that
"if he could go with the best fruit from a small collection of vineyards we own just south of Stags Leap District - regardless of variety or percentages - he could make a wine (they'd) all love." So they took him up on his idea. It remains Merlot-dominant and will be an exciting turn for this Napa winery built on tradition.
So for all you collectors and California wine-lover out there: DON'T MISS the chance to grab one of the last bottles of Shafer Merlot ever made! This wine will most certainly gain value (and tastiness) if you hang onto it. Drink one, save one- sounds like a reasonable plan to us. Or maybe drink five, save five? Just do it!
*please note: orders placed by 4:00pm Thursday 8/17 will be ready for pickup anytime after 4:00pm on Friday, 8/18*
Shafer Merlot, 2014 Napa Valley
Average Retail: $59
Your price: $56
10% discount offered on 12+ bottles
# u want_______________
