Monday Grab Bag

So much to talk about, and so little time. If you're holiday shopping, some of our gift sets have already sold out. We do, however, still have a great variety of beer, wine and spirits gift sets available. For the best selection, please shop soon!

New Products

Ramsay Pinot Noir. A new vintage at an incredible price. Notes from the winemaking team: "This is now our 27th year of producing Ramsay Pinot Noir. I look back over all those vintages and am pleased to see the constant style, and the yearly improvements. Making this wine has been one of the joys of my winemaking life. It has always been good tasting and good value.  Year after year I have been able to improve on my sources of grapes and on my winemaking technique — and year after year I find myself enjoying the wine more."

"2014 was a nice year to grow Pinot Noir. Summer was mild and rain free. Harvest had no hot spells. The grapes came in just the way I like them….juicy and plump with no raisins and no rot. The result was a lovely juicy and plump wine…full of rich Pinot Noir fruit….brambles and roses."

Yards Chocolate Love Stout. Passionately brewed with over 200 pounds of pure, 100% cacao Belgian dark chocolate, this irresistibly smooth stout explodes with the taste and aroma of rich, dark chocolate goodness. This deep black beauty will seduce you with her roasty maltiness and hints of vanilla and caramel. 6.9% ABV, 30 IBU. Limited availability.

Pairings:  Chocolate Love Stout likes long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, big comfy beds, cabins with fireplaces, scenic overlooks… you get the picture.

Castello Di Gabbiano Toscana Solatio 2012. 89 points from Wine Spectator: "Meaty, offering plum, black cherry and spice flavors, including a hint of black pepper. Balanced, with moderately firm tannins and a tangy finish. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese." A ridiculously low Bottle Club® sale price that we can't post here. New to Lawrenceville.

The Problem With Pappy

It's not just the various Pappy Van Winkle expressions, it's the many different items in the marketplace where the demand to supply ratio seems like 100:1. If you're not a whiskey drinker, maybe it was one of the Goose Island stouts. If not, maybe it was Screaming Eagle (maybe not-we haven't had a bottle to sell in 6 years). The point is that we want to be as fair as possible in making these kinds of products available to our loyal customers and new customers alike.

Sometimes, items are on display, but in a locked case. Sometimes, we can't even put the product out, for any one of a number of reasons, such as producer requirements (common for craft brewers). If our managers maintain a mailing list for specific categories, it's to allow us to communicate directly with you on the availability of products that interest you. If you are interested in purchasing items are known to be limited (like the ones mentioned above), please sign up for the appropriate list.

We'd love to have enough Pappy or Utopias or Screaming Eagle to fully meet the demand. Until that happy day arrives, we will keep refining our processes. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

News You Can Use

Photo: Time Life Pictures/National Archives/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Today is Repeal Day, marking the end of Prohibition. Click here for just one of a zillion stories on the topic, which is near and dear to us. maybe raise a glass tonight to Repeal Day.