Start of Summer Grab Bag

Yes, in addition to Father's Day, Sunday also brings us the calendar version of the start of summer. The start of summer seems to be the most personal of any season, doesn't it? Some people say that summer starts on Memorial Day weekend, while others tie it to the end of the school year. We rather like summer, so we'll vote for whatever interpretation gives us the most warm weather.

Store Events

Click here for yesterday's blog post, where we preview this weekend's events at both stores. Bridging the first two categories is the Bourbon Dinner that Store Manager Toni Carver is hosting on Monday, at Vidalia's in Lawrenceville. Click here for more information on this fun and tasty event.

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Click here for some of our favorites. In addition, we carry three expressions of Dad's Hat Rye, a Pennsylvania whiskey. The distillery's name is a tribute to the founder's father, so you get a good story to match the good whiskey.

New Products

2012 Horsepower Vineyards Syrah The Tribe Vineyard. Horsepower Vineyards is about tradition and history—and making history. It’s a connection between a vigneron and his roots. An homage to craft and family. An embrace of the earth that seems at once old-fashioned and new. And at its simplest, it’s a man slowly working the vineyard with his horse, just like generations before him.

The Wine Advocate rating is 95-98 points. "The 2012 Syrah The Tribe Vineyard offers classic peppery spices, flowers, licorice, cured meats, toast and assorted red and black fruit qualities to go with a full-bodied, exceedingly structured feel on the palate. Showing additional fruit and flesh over the 2011, this beautiful Syrah will require short-term cellaring and have upwards of two decades of ultimate longevity."

The release price was $259. Our regular price is $174.99, and our Bottle Club® price is $154.99. This is a new project from the founder of Cayuse.

90+ Cellars. We already carry several of their wines, which really hit the price/quality matrix. We're adding Lot 122 Chardonnay, from Mendocino, CA. Lot 122 is a brilliant yellow gold in color with aromas of green apple and white peach backed by a touch of honey. The wine is round, full-bodied, and fresh with an elegant creamy texture and a tangy finish. Serve it with a crab and avocado salad topped with cilantro and lime, or grilled chicken with a lemon and caper sauce.

Also look for Lot 113 Big Red Blend. Big fat aromas of cassis, blackberry, and plum with traces of vanilla and cedar. Full-bodied and larger than life, you'll have to stretch out your mouth for that first sip. Greet your guests with a smile when you pour them a glass as they walk through the front door. Tell them to get ready for one big adventure.

Ripped from the Headlines

Innovation in Bordeaux? Why they may approve additional varietals in the classic blends. Click here for the story.

Have a great weekend, everyone!