Arguably one of the greatest wineries in the world. Bodegas R. Lopez de Heredia crafts some of the most complex Rioja’s; red, white and Rosado. We just received a small shipment of their Rosado (rosé) with a current vintage of 2000! This Gran Reserva wine is a blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Viura and aged in oak barrels for 4+ years and then an additional 2-3 years in bottle. A serious wine with layers and substance. Get it while you can because the next vintage won’t be out until 2016!

As the onset of winter arrives this is also the season for some amazing full flavored cheese. Many of these cheeses have been produced from summer milk, aged throughout the year and are now ready to be consumed. One of our favorites is consistently Beaufort été alpage. This cheese is made from the milk of cows that graze in the highest pastures of the French alps during the summer, feeding on mountain flowers and herbs. The flavors are mouthfilling and seductive, come in and try for yourself…

 

Husband and wife team Jeremy and Angela Kirkpatrick have stocked their small space with a treasure trove of gourmet food, microbeers and wine, and accouterments. One wall is filled with imports like chutney, pasta, and olive oil, plus unusual items like orange flower water and roasted chestnuts.

Read the North Shore Dish’s full review here:
A Slice of (Foodie) Heaven in Newburyport

Some of our wine selection from France and Spain

Many of us think of drinking sparkling wine during the month of December for that special meal, cocktail parties, and to celebrate the New Year! As one of our favorite styles of wine, sparkling is something that we (and you) should enjoy any time of year for any occasion. This season we have numerous options from a couple of Proseccos from Northern Italy to rare Erbeluce from Piedmont and from grower Champagne (estate grown and bottled) to classic Cava from Penedes, Spain. However, we also like to travel outside of the well known areas and into Alsace, the Jura, Limoux, Campo de Borja, and more. Whatever you like, rest assured we have something that will satisfy your palate and budget.

As the cool winds of Fall send us scrambling for hearty, rich food – such as herb-roasted meats, root vegetable stews and truffle terrines – we search for the perfect wines to pair with them.  With the abundance of spice and flavor in these dishes, our palates crave bold wines.  Everyone has their favorite red, but we love those coming out of the Priorat/Monsant region of Spain.  Considered one of the greatest red wine producing regions, this small, beautiful spot, located just an hour west of Barcelona, bottles powerful, plush reds derived from Grenache (Garnaxta), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carinena and Merlot.

When it comes to white wine, pairings for seafood stews, bouillabaise, paella and chicken dishes, we prefer rich whites that have lots of white fruit flavors such as melon, pear, white peach and stone fruit.  Several of our favorite regions produce some sturdy wines that blend beautifully with these food pairings.  France’s Rhone Valley makes medium to full-bodied white winnes that are typically un-oaked, letting you taste the pure expression of the grapes, which can range from Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Rousanne to Bourbelanc, Ugni Blanc, Viognier and beyond.  A little further south, on the coast of the Mediterranean, the famous apellation of Bandol, noted for its reds, also makes some outstanding white wines, often with similar blends as above.  Mouthwatering, rich , smooth and complex, Bandol Blanc can be a mind-blowing wine.

Further north in the Loire Valley, an area abundant with produce, mushrooms and lots of meat dishes, the Chenin Blanc grape is transformed into everything from bone-dry to barrel-aged and buttery, and off-dry to sweet dessert-style wines.  When we sit down and have lobster or any mushroom dish, we instantly think of barrel-aged Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley that is aged in oak, but not overdone, prducing full-bodied wine with flavors of butter and nuts with melon and citrus flavors lingering in the background.  These wines tend to have real length on the palate and are a pleasure to sip.

So now that the sun sets sooner, dust off those cookbooks and un-cork one of these memorable wines.

It is that time of year when local tomatoes are tasting their best whether you have grown your own or picked some up at a local farm. We like to make numerous different dishes with our tomatoes however one of our favorite dishes is Caprese salad. Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala layer with slices of tomato, a drizzle of great olive oil, a touch of Maldon sea salt and some fresh torn basil leaves.

Buffalo mozzarella does not mean “large Mozzarella”. We get the question all the time…”what is the difference and why should I pay $10 for one?” Mozzarella is made from either cow’s milk or water buffalo with cow’s milk versions considerably milder and more prevalent but also cheaper. Mozzarella di Bufala is a protected cheese made from domesticated water buffalo from only a few provinces in southern Italy notably Campania, Puglia, and Lazio. With its delicate thin rind, the flavor of this cheese is milky with complex delicate flavors of slight sourness to fresh cream nuances. If you haven’t tried one you need to come in and get one while those juicy tomatoes are still around. Each is sold in a tub packed in its brine direct from Italy!

La Encella (Spain) -raw aged sheep’s milk with Saffron mixed into the cheese

Tamié (France)-raw soft cow’s milk cheese made by monks in the French Alps

Tarentaise (Vermont)-raw aged cow’s milk with a nutty smooth flavor

U Pecorinu (Corsica)-sheep’s milk with a buttery complex taste

…and many more including several from Vermont