Beer and Wine Weekly Update, December 22, 2014
By Josh Downs, Beer and Wine Manager
There is a lot of cause for celebration this time of year, and with celebration comes the need for a good glass of bubbly. When it comes to buying sparkling wine, there are so many styles and varieties to choose from it’s easy to get confused and just grab whatever first caught your attention. Even though that is a perfectly normal and reasonable way to shop, informed buying will help make sure you get the best bottle for you. Champagne is the most well-known variety of the sparkling wines. You will see many bottles of sparkling that claim to be champagne, but true champagne needs to come from its namesake region of France. Champagne traditionally is only made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Pinot Meunier grapes. The wines from these grapes are produced separately, blended, and then bottled with additional sugar and yeast in order to allow a second stage of fermentation in the bottle. The carbon dioxide produced in the bottle from this second fermentation is what makes it bubble. Other varieties of sparkling wines are made with similar methods. Prosecco is sparkling wine produced in Italy, and tends to be a little softer and lighter than Champagne. It is traditionally made from the Glera grape, but is sometimes made from a blend. Similar to Champagne and Prosecco, Cava is sparkling wine produced primarily in Catalonia, Spain. On top of these, there are various sparkling wines made in other regions around the world, including the United States. Another good thing to note when buying sparkling wine is the difference between Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, and Demi-Sec. Extra Brut is the driest of the dry (not to be confused with Extra Dry, which is something entirely different). Brut is still on the dry side and the most popular style of sparkling wine. Extra Dry, is a good choice if you don’t like something too dry or too sweet. Finally, Demi-Sec is your dessert sparkler, relatively sweet with big fruit flavors.
There have been a few new additions to the Department as of late, some of which are geared towards the holidays, while others just happened to show up this time of year. We put up a Corsendonk Christmas Ale display last week that I’m very excited about. Corsendonk is a highly rated Belgian strong ale made in Turnhout, Belgium. The beer is fantastic and perfect for the season. We currently have the gift packs on display, which include six beers, and a Corsendonk glass! I’m also very excited that Citizen Cider, Vermont’s most popular cider, has started canning two more varieties. We now have (when available) Full Nelson and Wits Up in 4 packs of 16 ounce cans. The packaging is beautiful and would make great gifts for anyone who loves cider. Finally, new to both the store and the state in general, Dogfish Head Raison d’Extra singles are available in the Specialty Beer Cooler. This is a big beer that packs a punch. If you have ever had the Raison d’Etre, it’s similar to that, but turned up to 11. Raison d’Extra is a Belgian style brown ale brewed with raisins and brown sugar. It’s a beer that is big on flavor and packs a punch. Weighing in at a little over 15% abv, this is the strongest beer you’ll find in Vermont. Supplies are limited so get it while it lasts!
As the weather has gotten colder, I’ve been in an “I only want to drink porters and stouts” mood. So needless to say, we are drinking a stout this week. The Long Trail Brush & Barrel series is a relatively new series of beer from the standby Vermont brewery. This series has proven to push the limits of what Long Trail can produce and has put out some fantastic beers. Today, we are drinking the latest release in this series, the Imperial Stout.
The beer pours an opaque black-brown with a thick, frothy tan head. The nose presented a smoky, almost earthy tone, with a bit of roasted malt. It goes down really smooth for being 8.8%. It is rich in flavor with notes of coffee and chocolate, which lead to a slight bitterness from the subtle hint of hops. It all culminates with a dry finish that really rounds out the beer. Overall, this was incredibly enjoyable and would pair very well with a rich, cold weather meal, or chocolate desserts.
Continuing the celebration theme, we have another sparkling wine on special this week. This time it’s the crowd favorite, Lunetta Prosecco. Also on special this week, jumping back on the cider train, is all 6 packs of Harpoon Cider. The 12 packs were so successful that we decided to give the 6 packs a chance to shine.
Lunetta, meaning Little Moon in Italian, is a Prosecco produced by one of Italy’s top Prosecco producers, Cavit. The wine is made from 100% Glera in the traditional Italian Charmat method. This is a process similar to making Champagne, but the second stage of fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks instead of in the bottle. Lunetta is an incredibly approachable Prosecco and is a fantastic addition to any celebration.
Harpoon, as I’ve said before, makes a great cider. Harpoon has always been a good go-to cider. It’s dry, crisp, and has a great, fresh apple flavor. We are offering both the seasonal and the regular on special this week!
Beer and Wine News
Our Winter Wine 6 Packs are selling well - 6 wines matched to the winter season and the New Year to come, all for the great value of $56.99 (a savings of $25!). Find them in the Department until they sell out. From everyone at City Market, Happy Holidays!
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!