Cabernet Franc, Cave Rocher 2008, Saumur Champigny - $38.

Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc
From: N. France, Loire Valley.
Description:

Light but still fruity & tasty - great summer wine. Typical of a Cabernet Franc it has a slight peppery taste You can offer to serve this chilled. Fact: The Loire region also produces Chinon (also Cab Franc) & Sancerre (usually white/sauvignon blanc the rose is pinot noir) Food Pairing: Sort of light red wine you'd take with you for a picnic so think salads, fish, white meat!

Gamay, Potel Aviron 2009, Cotes de Brouilly - $44.

Grapes: 100% Gamay From: SE. France, Beaujolais. Description: Light, minerally, hint of mushroom & earth. Cote de Brouilly tends to be more concentrated and less earthy than its counterparts. A surprisingly complex Beaujolais. Fact: Technically the beaujolais area is part of Burgundy. (South) However it is different in that red burgundies are generally 100% Pinot Noir grape and Beaujolais are 100% Gamay. It also gets a rap for its "Beaujolais Nouveau" which is a mass produced table wine found in all French Bistros. Good wines from this area also include "Fleurie", "Moulin-A-Vent" Morgon" "Chenas" - Cotes de Brouilly is within the "Brouilly" area. Food Pairing: Light red wine but with a bit more body than the Saumur Champigny - good one to suggest if someone wants a light red with fish or white meat.

Pinot Noir, Jigsaw 2008, Oregon - $48.

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Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir From: USA, Oregon Description Starts off fuity, then linger with spicy and earthy tastes. (described as tasting of ripe tomato, mushroom and barnyard.) A smooth non-tannic nor acidic wine, this is very approachable if people are looking for a lighter red (not as light as the Brouilly or Saumur Champigny) <><> Fact: Oregon is famous for producing some the best pinot noir outside of Burgundy - possibly because the climate and the soil (chalk) is similar. Pinot noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be cultivated for wine.  It's know to be a difficult grape to work with. The winery that makes this started as a distillery and produces Ransom Old Tom Gin (Served on the 2nd Floor on Clinton!) Food Pairing: Grilled meaty fish, lamb (Merguez) and other simple but rich food. Also anything you associate with Burgundy!

Syrah/Carignan, Les Heretiques 2009, Languedoc - $32. - $8gl.

Grapes: Old Vine Carignan & Syrah From: S FRANCE, Languedoc-Roussillon (on the mediterranean) Description Cherries, plums and spices - smooth, lightly complex and restrained making it a good all rounder and an easy wine to transition from aperitif to meal. Also goes great with chocolate! <><> Fact: There are no rules as to what defines an "old vine" as opposed to a "new vine" in France - in this case though they are 70 years old. The name “Les Heretiques” comes from the cult of the Cathars who flourished in this region and had ties to the legend of the Holy Grail. They were labelled as heretics by the Roman Catholic Church and slaughtered at the massacre of Minereve. Food Pairing: Good with most things - the lightest of our wines by the glass so maybe veer towards the lighter meats and maybe grilled lamb - Merguez.

Bordeaux, Merlot/Cabernet, Roques de Jeanlice 2007 - $29.

Grapes: 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
From: S W FRANCE, Bordeaux
Description
Ripe, fruity and nicely rounded this is a good entry level Bordeaux

<>with a "right bank" style (ie more merlot that cabernet sauvignon) 

Fact: The Bordeaux region is the most important wine producing region in France and in the world. Bordeaux has about 7,000 chateaux! Very crudely the region is split in 2 distinct areas by a huge estuary the "Garonne".  The left bank produces a predominantly more Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine (St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St.-Julien, Margaux) and the right bank a more Merlot-based wine (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Bourg, Blaye) The other grape used in Bordeaux reds is Cabernet Franc. Food Pairing: Good with red meats, game and cheese - Steak

Nero D'Avola, Tenuta Rapitatia 2008, Sicily - $32.

Grapes: 100% Nero D'Avola
From: S Italy, Sicily
Description
This wines smacks of the Mediterranean with its tastes of herbs, spices, red fruit and plum.  Sweet tannins round this off to create a wine with a lot of character and warmth.

Fact: The Nero D'Avola grape is indegenous to Sicily, in fact it is named after Avola, a town in the far south of Sicily.  It's wines are sometimes compared to new world Shiraz. Food Pairing: Good with rich food and game.  BBQ ribs?

Chianti Classico, Sangiovese, Melini 'Isassi' 2008 - $42.

Grapes: 100% Sangiovese
From: Italy, Tuscany
Description:
Strawberries, spice and rustic tannins.
This is a traditional style Chianti Classico made from old vines by a producer whose family have been in the area since 1705.
Very classic with 1 year of oak aging to round out the wine whilst letting it keep its rustic tannic structure.
Fact:
In order to qualify as a Chiante, wines must contain 80% Sangiovese (and be from this region)
The black rooster (in Italian "Gallo Nero") on the neck of the bottle, is the emblem of the Chianti Classico producers association.
Food Pairing:
Good all-rounder for with any Italian style food - pasta

Sangiovese, Merlot, Cab Fr., Muschen 2008, Marche - $36. - $9

Grapes: 50% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
From: E Italy, Marche
Description
Lively berry with a zippy finish, this wine is easy to drink.  It has a little more body than the Heretiques and the unmistakable earthiness of a Sangiovese with the peppery undertones from the Cabernet Franc.

Fact: The Selvagrossa winery is owned by 2 brothers. One of them is Alberto who was the somelier at Falai just up the road and is a friend of ours - Tony D has harvested grapes on this estate, infact the he may have harvested the ones in your bottle!Food Pairing: Good with Italian style food - pasta, pulled pork sandwich.

Cotes du Rhone, Syrah, Brezeme 2009 - $52.

Grapes: 100% Syrah From: France - Northern Rhone Description: Typical of Northern Rhone wines this is 100% Syrah.  Nice ripe red fruit is balanced with a spicy, earthy and almost gamey flavor. Aromas of smoked meat and leather make this a beautifully balanced wine <><> Fact: Wines from North Rhone tend to be 100% Syrah (Cote Rotie, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas) Wines from Southern Rhone tend to be a blend of grapes the main ones being Grenache (dominant), Mourvedre, Syrah  (Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape) Food Pairing: Great with lamb, pork and any smoked meats. Merguez, pulled pork sandwich

Rioja, Tempranillo, Hermanos Pecina 2003 - $49.

Grapes: Tempranillo (predominant), Garnacha (Grenache in France) & Graciano From: Spain - Rioja Description: A great nose of cherry and tobacco which combines with ripe fruit , vanilla and toasted wood . This is a refined Tempranillo with a medium body - truly a Spanish gem. <><><><> Fact: The vanilla hints come from the fact that this wine is aged 2 years in oak barrels. There are 4 levels of Rioja (this one is a Crianza): "Rioja," is the youngest, spending less than a year in an oak. A "crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which was in oak. "Rioja Reserva" is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. "Rioja Gran Reserva" wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle Reserva's & Gran Reserva are not produced every year. Food Pairing: This will go nicely with Chorizo, Merguez & BBQ Ribs

Tempranillo, Mosaico de Baco 2008, Ribera del Duero - $36.

Grapes: 100% Tempranillo From: Spain - Central (South West of Rioja) Description: Dense fruit flavors with prunes and leather dominating.  This is a big rich wine with generous Tannins - in many ways it resembles a bolder but  less refined Rioja - its big brother to the north. <><><><><><> Fact: Tannin is an acid found in the seeds, skins and stems of grapes.  A white wine can have tannin but it is usually associated reds.  It adds a little texture, taste and lots of body to a wine. The level of tannin in a wine can be measured when you taste the wine and is reflected by how much that dry, puckery feeling at the back of your mouth comes forward to the tip of your tongue.  The further forward the more tannic the wine Food Pairing: This is a good alternative to Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and will go with similar rich, juicy food Steak, Burger.

Gigondas, Grenache blend, Chateau De Trignon 2006, Rhone - $54.

<><><><> <><><><><>Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault From: S E France - Southern Rhone - Gigondas <>Description: Brilliant ruby color.  Notes of toast, mocha, cloves and general provence countryside lead to a powerful full bodied wine with a complex structure and a delicate oaky finish.

Fact: Southern Rhones must contain a minimum 40% of Grenache and gigondas has to have a minimum of 15% Syrah! Grenache is also known as Garnacha in Spain (see Rioja) Food Pairing: Spicy dishes, game, strong cheeses, red meats Steak, burger

Cabernet Sauvignon, Imperio de Sentidos 2007, Mendoza - $28.

Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
From: ARGENTINA, Mendoza (mid west Argentina, bordering on Chile)
Description
Beautifully rich red wine with flavors of ripe red fruit - nicely rounded and full with fine tannins.
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Fact: The province of Mendoza accounts for two thirds of Argentina's wine production. Malbec is the regions most important grape, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Planted at an average altitude of between 2,000 to 3,600ft, it has some of the highest vineyards in the world. Food Pairing: This is a big wine so requires some fairly big food.  Given that Argentina is also famous for its cattle, I would recommend this with Beef - would be great with Hamburger or steak. Good with red meats, game and cheese - Steak

Malbec, Beviam 2008, Mendoza - $32. - $8gl.

Grapes:  Malbec From: Argentina - Mendoza (bordering on Chile)ja Description: Big juicy wine with loads of spicy red & black fruit and a pack of bold tannins - yummy. <><> Fact: Malbec is the most important grape in the Mendoza region. This is right on the border of Chile so will please those who prefer Chilean wine. This differs from the Cabernet Sauvignon in that it can have a little more Tannin and has a distinctive plum and anise note (cabernet sauvignon is associated with mint & eucalyptus and in some cases green pepper!) Food Pairing: This is our boldest and fullest wine by the glass - if guests like a fu;ll-bodied or ask for a cabernet sauvignon this could be the one to offer. Goes well with juicy red meat Steak, burger

Shiraz, Wishing Tree 2007 - $35.

Grapes: 100% Shiraz
From: Western Australia
Description:
Bouquet of black raspberry and spices - on the palate a hint of pepper and minerality with almost sweet dark berry flavors. Long finish.  Much more fruit forward than a French Syrah (see northern Rhone)
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Fact: Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. Food Pairing: Works well with fuller richer food. Might also try it with the Tagliatelle Bolognese?

Cabernet Sauvignon, Johnson Family 2008, Napa - $45.

Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon From: USA, Napa Description: This wine has black currant, and chocolate notes with hints of wood smoke and spice box. On the palate it explodes with big, bold fruit, spices and liquorice - great balance with lots of complexity -Classic Napa <><> Fact: Only 900 cases of this wine were made. Food Pairing: Big fruit and spices will pair well with juicy, heavy food - Burger maybe?

Zinfandel, Ridge 2009, 3 Valleys, Sonoma - $48.

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Grapes: 70% zinfandel, 15% carignane, 10% petite sirah, 3% grenache, 2% mataro From: USA, Sonoma Description: This is a typical Zinfandel - it's a full spicy wine with tastes of cedar, cranberry and raspberry-like fruit.  It's tight with a slightly hard finish and full tannins - definitely a big food wine. <><><><> Fact: The Ridge winery has been producing wine since 1885 - they only started producing Zinfandel in 1964. Zinfandel tends to be grown in California -it is very similar to the "Primitivo" grape from  South Eastern Italy/Puglia  (they are both clones of a of a Croatian grape called Crljenak) Food Pairing: Zinfandel will pair well with big hearty food - think BBQ Ribs.