Experience the Harvest

In most vacation destinations there are ideal times to visit. In our hometown of Vail, most would agree that July is the perfect summer month and a powder day in March is the best of winter. After just returning from a trip to Sonoma, I realized that experiencing the harvest in full swing is by far the best way to see wine country and to fully understand the entire process of growing grapes to bottling wine.

We planned a trip to Sonoma, Healdsburg to be exact, with 3 other couples. One was our Wine Buyer at West Vail Liquor Mart, Dan Brewster and his wife Kimberly.

I would highly recommend renting a private home during any wine country trip. Having a home or condo allows you buy the wine you liked during daytime tastings and then enjoy it safely in your residence at night. We assembled plates of cheese, meat, nuts and crackers to compliment our wine while overlooking the beautiful vineyards off our deck. We stayed at Cecelia's Vineyard Villa. This home (see pictures above) was the perfect retreat for 8 people and was complete with a gourmet kitchen, large deck and hot tub, 2 living areas and a state of the art media room displaying the first of the McCain/Obama debates and therefore generating much discussion.

On to the wine, the starring player in any wine country visit. Tom, owner at West Vail Liquor, and Dan, Wine Buyer, started their business a few days before the rest of us showed up to distract them. They visited many vineyards including Benziger, Goldeneye (Anderson Valley), Landmark, Seghesio and Londer Vineyards and had many treasured "souveniers" to show for it.

Our larger group started our tour at Simi Vineyard. This is one of the oldest operating producers of wine in the area and was started by Pietro and Guiseppe Simi after first failing to produce gold and then vegtables. Guiseppe's daughter Isabella ran the vineyard for over 70 years! My personal favorite wine variety is Chardonnay and the Simi Chardonnay does not disappoint! Simi's Chardonnay ($17.99 at West Vail Liquor) has lively fruit flavors of pear, pinapple, peach and has a long, lively finish on the palate. I particularly enjoyed the Simi Cabernet Sauvignon ($24.99 at West Vail Liquor) which had nice cherry and fruit flavors.

If you are looking for a wonderful culinary experience, stop into the Oakville Grocery on the Healdsburg square (or the original store in Napa) for a delicious lunch, extra bottle of wine or supplies for your next wine and food pairing. They have the most incredible collection of cheeses, meats, olives, spreads, cookies (amazing molasses), local produce, deli and wines.

So, after a some time in Sonoma, we started yearning for a little recreation and less consumption. We started one day on our beautiful lawn with a private yoga class led by our own instructor, Wendi Buick. Another day we ventured out to Lake Sonoma for some lake kayaking, canoeing and some type of crazy water biking. Simply running or walking in this area is a treat with the views and aromas overloading the senses.

With the scenery, vineyards, culinary focus and recreational opportunities, Sonoma is the perfect place for a fall getaway.

Vino en Mendoza

When pondering the great wine regions of the world, Mendoza, Argentina might not exactly come to the forefront. Places like Burgundy, Tuscany and Napa Valley are more commonly known, and for some reason seem more accessible. Yet this vast region in Argentina is rapidly making a name for itself in the wine world, and rightfully so.

I recently visited Mendoza to check out the wine scene there, and I was very impressed. The region is constantly expanding and already filled with a myriad of top quality wineries. Argentina is currently the fifth largest wine producer in the world. In the past, most Argentinian wine has been manufactured for domestic consumption and the general consensus on the quality of the wine has been not great. Recently Mendoza has completely reversed this thought and is now producing some very big, high quality red wines that can stand next to any others worldwide.

It seems that all great wine regions have a standout grape in association with the area: Merlot on the right bank, Cabernet Sauvignon on the left bank in Bordeaux, Pinot Noir in Burgundy, Sangiovese in Tuscany, and so on. Mendoza has its shining star as well; Malbec. Malbec is traditionally a Bordeaux Varietal that was generally used for blending, very rarely seen on its own. Being that most of the clones brought to South America are from France, Malbec got mixed into the scene. Mendoza has a very unique terrior (essentially land, weather, slope, etc.) It sits at a relatively high elevation for growing grapes and sees a lot of sunshine, almost three hundred days per year. Along with this sunshine is a very arid climate that cools substantially at night, allowing for a slow ripening process. All these elements combined allow for the ideal environment for the grape Malbec. So not until the last twenty or thirty years have they really realized the potential for this grape in this terrior. And only in the last ten to fifteen have they really started to perfect it.

So now along with their outstanding beef, Argentina is producing the world's best Malbec, in my opinion. The best part about this, beef and Malbec happen to be a great pair. So if the opportunity presents itself, get down to Argentina and order up a big steak and an even bigger bottle of Malbec. It won't burn a hole in your pocket, trust me. And if you can't make it to Argentina, we have a ton of great Malbec from Mendoza available right here at West Vail Liquor Mart.

Cheers,

Nick Agnew

Port Brewing Hop 15

I just tried this beer called Hop 15 from Port Brewing and it blew me away. These guys brew in the San Diego area so I was expecting to get crushed by hoppy bitterness, I was wrong, and it worked out even better than I imagined. This beer is made up of fifteen different hops with a different one being added every fifteen minutes during brewing, and with an ABV of 9.7% you can see where I was coming from with my assumption. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of the bitter greatness that hopheads love, but it is perfectly balanced with smooth floral notes and a big full body. This is my new favorite brewery and I recommend checking out their website for more info. If you live in the Vail area stop by West Vail Liquor Mart to pick one up, you won't be sorry!


Matt Knapp
Beer Buyer/Manager
West Vail Liquor Mart

Adult Halloween Party Planning

Halloween is not just a time for young kids. It is also a great time for adults to put on that fantasy costume, invite your adult friends over and have a party. Planning a party for halloween is very easy. It comes with its own color scheme (orange and black), atomosphere (scary), and a costume dress code.

Because halloween in a perfect holiday for adults, it is also one of the biggest days to get together with your adult friends and throw a party. This also means you may want to have one or two halloween themed drinks or cocktails on hand to make the party more festive.

Here a a couple of easy suggestions:
1. Kahlua Black Cat
1oz Kahlua, 2 & 1/2oz of Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka, 1/4oz of Sambuca: Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with espresso beans.

2. Jagermonster
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Ad 1oz Jagermeister, 1oz Grenadine and fill with orange juice and serve in a beer mug.

Tequila 101

To truly understand tequila and really appreciate it's taste, you must first know several things about this unique spirit. The origin of tequila, how tequila is produced and finally the different flavors that are present as a result of the production. With a basic understanding of tequila, it will better enable you as a consumer to purchasing the right tequila for your next fiesta or when making a relaxing drink after work.

Tequila is actually a town that lies in western Mexico. This is where the liquor comes from and gets it's name from. Other regions around Mexico produce very similar liquors, (Mezcal, Sotol, Banacora) but they can't carry the title of tequila simply because they come from different regions in Mexico. Tequila is in the state of Jalisco where production of the spirit started more than 200 years ago.

The basis of tequila is the juices obtained from the hearts of the blue agave plants grown in the Tequila region. The hearts of the blue agave plants are referred to as the pina or pineapple. The blue agave has long bluish green leaves with sharp points. The large heart or pina is located at the center of the plant from which the juices are extracted. This juice is then twice distilled.

Tequila that is made with 100% blue agave will clearly mark it on their label as a standard of excellence. This is something to look for because tequila made with 100% blue agave has no additives such as flavoring, colorants, or fragrances. By definition, tequila must be made with only 51% blue agave juices. The other 49% can be made with adding neutral spirits and additives that are used as fillers. Jose Cuervo Gold is only 51% tequila and the rest is made by adding caramel coloring and spice additives to mellow the flavor.

After fermentation, all tequila begins as a Blanco tequila or Silver tequila. Blanco or Silver tequila is clear and transparent. It is usually bottled immediately after the distillation process and has no artifical additives. This style is strong in flavor and fragrance. Blanco tequila is traditionally enjoyed in a 2 ounce small glass known in Mexico as a caballito. In the states, we simply call them shots.
The next style of tequila is Gold tequila. This style is only 51% tequila and 49% neutral spirits and additives. Gold tequila is simply Blanco or Silver tequila that has been mellowed by the addition of colorants and flavoring, caramel being the most common of these. For most restaurants and bars, this is their tequila of choice for margaritas. These are not the best tequilas on the market but since the quality isn't the best, it's inexpensive for restaurants and bars to purchase.

Reposado tequila is Blanco tequila that has rested in white oak casks called, pipones, for more than two months and up to one year. The oak gives Reposado a mellowed taste, with a pleasing bouquet, and it's natural pale color. No flavors are added or artificial coloring. Reposado keeps the blue agave taste and is gentler on the palate than both Blanco and Gold tequila. This style is great for shots, sipping, and mixing. Reposado is the most versatile of the tequilas.

Anejo tequila also starts as Blanco tequila that is then aged in white oak casks for more than one year. The amber color and woody flavor are picked up from the oak, and the oxidation that takes place through the porous wood develops the unique bouquet and taste. This tequila, even though it spends more time in oak than Reposado, actually is not more mellow and soft on the palate. Just the opposite starts to happen. At first the oak mellows the tequila, but then once left longer than a year in oak, a lot of the oak and smoke of the barrels gets imparted into the tequila making it a more complex and dynamic tequila to drink. Anjeo tequila is normally sipped from a glass instead of taking shots or mixing it into a drink. If this tequila was mixed in a margarita for example, a lot of the tequila spice, the oak and smokey flavor would dominate the drink. Hence a lighter style Blanco or Reposado is recommended when mixing to help balance the flavor of the mixed drink.

That ladies and gentlemen is everything you need to know when shopping for your next tequila at West Vail Liquor Mart. Whether it's shots, sipping, or mixing, this tequila tutorial should better help you decide which style best fits your needs. Next time you are in, check out our selection of tequila and discover a whole new side of Mexico. Viva la Tequila.



Chris Kormanicki
West Vail Liquor Mart