A Couple New Faces

Excelsior Shiraz 2006. Dark fruit, smoked meat, and a little bit of good stink. Quite a bit of complexity for a mere $10. Great for the cool weather coming our way. Think hearty autumn stews.




Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc '07. Owners John & Tracy Skupny have produced a lovely example of California Cabernet Franc. Hailing from the higher elevations of Lake County, this Cab Franc has bright cherry fruit, nice earthiness, pretty floral notes, and lively acidity. Think gift or fall/holiday food. $25

To Life!

Kosher wines are now in for the holidays.

Putnam Weekley in Model D

Model D talks about the Detroit Food Scene with Putnam Weekley. Great overview.

Just A Reminder

The next two wine classes are filling up.

Exploring The Loire Valley - Thursday, September 17 - 6:30-8:30 pm

and

Wine & Cheese Pairing Class - Thursday, September 24 - 6:30-8:30 pm

For complete descriptions, click here.

For registration information, click here.

More Than Worthy

Some upcoming events to raise proceeds for some very worthy local organizations.

Growing Hope -- the awesome Washtenaw County non-profit organization dedicated to helping people improve their lives and communities through gardening and healthy food access -- will be hosting their 5th annual Hope's Harvest Benefit Dinner on September 20th.

Savor the creations of featured local chefs and farmers, paired with outstanding local beverages. enjoy an afternoon in their garden and see the progress on their Growing Hope Center.

Also, tomorrow night (we hope we're not too late and tickets are still available) is the Ozone House's fundraiser right here in Kerrytown. Ozone House is a wonderful community-based, nonprofit agency that helps young people lead safe, healthy, and productive lives through intensive intervention and prevention services.

Join Ozone House for a festive open-air dinner with fresh food & drink (all provided by local merchants) at a unique local venue (that would be Kerrytown)! Featuring a four course meal, wine, beer, live entertainment & a silent auction.

Check out more details here.

Happy Labor Day

In an effort to make your Labor Day as labor free as possible, we've rounded up a few wines for the three-day weekend.

Clos La Coutale Cahors 2007. Pair this with a steak, ribs, or hearty grilled veggies. 80% Malbec, 20% Merlot. Dark plum, blackberry, and earthy. Full bodied and rich, but it has just the right amount of acidity and tannins to balance it. Also wonderful on its own. A gem at $15

Domaine La Bastide Syrah 2007. Another great barbecue wine. Let it breathe a bit and you'll be greeted with dark fruit, cassis, a little spice, black pepper, and a bit of bacony goodness. Well balanced with nice acidity. Definitely French, but bold. $12

Giocato Pinot Grigio 2008. Just over the Italian border(Friuli), this Slovenian wine will renew your faith in inexpensive Pinot Grigio. Chalky, mineral notes, lots of complexity for the dollar. For a limited time we have it at $11.

Can Feixes Blanc Seleccio Penedes 2008. Don't be fooled by the tall, skinny bottle, this is totally dry, with a cool stony shellfish nose. This comes from the Cava region of Penedes and combines the typical Cava grapes of Parellada and Macabeo with a smattering of Chardonnay and Malvasia that give it a lovely viscous texture. A great food wine (we're picturing a thick sword fish steak, but feel free to get creative). $14