The Grab Bag

It's time for our weekly review and preview. We always have lots to share on a Friday, so let's get started.

Store Events

We outlined our upcoming events in yesterday's blog post. Click here for that post, so you can see the information for both stores. Click here for the Event Calendar for Lawrenceville only; click here for the Woodbridge Event Calendar.

New Products

We have this important reminder for anyone who enjoys craft beer. Other than what we'll note here, we're not likely to get any additional deliveries of summer beers and ales. Our autumn beers and ales have already started arriving.

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin is now in stock in Woodbridge only.

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin is back in stock, Woodbridge only.

Schlafly Summer and Schlafy Kolsch. Limited availability, Woodbridge only.

We've doubled our Mead selection in Lawrenceville. Look for expanded selections from The Colony Meadery, Golden Coast Mead, Dansk Mjod and Moonlight Meadery.

Elysian Brewing is back in stock in Lawrenceville, after a bot of a hiatus. Look for Superfuzz, Loser, Dragonstooth and Dayglow.

We've brought in several brews from Pennsylvania's Appalachian Brewing Co. We're now carrying their Outtafocus Double IPA, Chocolate Avenue Stout and Jolly Scot. Lawrenceville only.

Château Devise d’Ardilley Haut-Médoc 2012. 91 points from Wine Enthusiast. "Balance makes this wine so impressive. Ripe and rich black fruits are laden with firm tannins without losing sight of their freshness. The structure and solid character of the wine point to good aging. Drink from 2018."

We had last carried the 2009 vintage of this wine. Only $16.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Ripped from the Headlines

New York's Next Winemaking Frontier?  The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is reviewing an unconventional new American Viticultural Area application in New York state. The proposed Champlain Valley of New York AVA, with the backing of the Lake Champlain Grape Growers Association, has designated itself specifically for hybrid grape varieties.

According to the petition, filed by North Star Vineyard owner Colin Read, the distinguishing feature of the proposed AVA is its short growing season, suitable only for cold-hardy North American hybrid varieties such as Frontenac, La Crescent and Marquette.

Frescobaldi's Inmate Harvest Interns. If Italian prisons are anything like their American counterparts, there is a fine tradition of making vino della latrina with fruit salad cups and socks as agents of fermentation. But that’s not really the Frescobaldi Way, as the 700-year-old, 30-generation Tuscany-based Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi has a bit of a quality reputation to uphold. Instead, Lamberto Frescobaldi is taking fine wine to the big house: Since the 2012 vintage, he’s been making a white blend of Vermentino and Ansonica from a vineyard on the prison island of Gorgona, and the 2014 vintage is now out. The prisoners—including, according to the Italian Tribune, “celebrity” killer Benedetto Ceraulo, who was famously contracted to off fashion heir Maurizio Gucci—work the project, and the goal is rehabilitation and education for them, most of whom are serving lengthy sentences for serious crimes. But Gorgona now boasts a recidivism rate of just 20 percent, compared to the 80 percent average for Italian prisoners.

"I’m very happy to see how the Gorgona project is growing from year to year," said Frescobaldi in a statement. (This year he doubled the vineyard size by planting 2.5 more acres.) "Our family is very proud of what we’re achieving: providing practical training for the inmates on the island that will lead to employment opportunities after incarceration." Frescobaldi so far has invested $130,000 in the project and partnered with the likes of tenor-vintner Andrea Bocelli; this year, Cescot, a hospitality company, is involved, and one lucky/industrious inmate will receive a full scholarship and internship in food studies.

News courtesy of Wine Spectator.

Have a great weekend!