Petite Petite

It's time to grill some steak tonight, which Cabernet should I buy? Hold on before you go for a Cabernet try a Petite Sirah. Why Petite Sirah? Well let me tell you why. Its small berries, and consequently high skin-to-juice ratio, allow Petite Sirah to produce wines with high tannin levels, surprisingly high acidity, and thus the ability to age. Characteristically, these wines have dense blackberry fruit character, mixed with black pepper notes. Which makes Petite Sirah a perfect food pairing for a big juicy steak. Petite Sirah is our wine of the month for May so stop in and take a bottle home tonight. You steak will thank-you for it.

Springtime is Winetime

Can you feel it? Warm air, thunderstorms & a south wind that seems to never quit! It is spring and time to get outside. This winter was a LONG one. I don't know about you but I got real sick of see the same four walls for the last four months. Nothing is better than doing some light yard work then popping open a great bottle of light refreshing wine. One of my favorite patio wines is a lightly oaked Chardonnay or a crisp Riesling. Both are very satisfying after being out in the warm spring sun for a couple of hours. A Chardonnay is a dry style white wine but I like my Chards crisp! So I get a lightly oaked Chad. If you like semi-sweet then a Riesling is what you want. I recommend a German Riesling then are sweet but have a little tartness on the finish which make the wine pop. So stop in today and let us help you find a great spring wine!

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is almost here and time to GET OUTSIDE! I know most people feel like spring and warm weather means break out the white wine but hold on. There are a lot of great warm weather reds to consider. Pinot Noir for example is a great, light red wine for almost anytime of year. Merlot is also very good on a cool spring night on the patio or just after some light yardwork. Merlot is our wine of the month for March. I have been very partial to the Lodi appellation in California and we have a few great Merlots from this area. 181 is a great Merlot from Lodi (it's 337 Cabernet little sister) it is not a huge Merlot but it has soft tannins and big fruit which make it a excellent spring red. Stop in today and we ca help you find a perfect spring red wine to enjoy.

Sweetheart Delight

If you have ever eaten at the Olive Garden, most have tried a little wine called Moscato d' Asti. I have had customers trying to find Castello de Poggio Moscato d' Asti. This brand is ONLY sold to Olive Garden but I have a solution for all that want to drink of this delicious wine. We carry 5 to 7 brands from the same region in Italy called Asti. One of the most popular is Risata, meaning laughter, this is a Moscato d' Asti notice the end Asti is used in both wines. That's because the are from the same region in Italy, so you will get similar taste profiles from most Moscato d' Asti. This wine is made from the Moscato Bianco grape which is hand picked right off the vine. Then the grapes are pressed, filtered and stored. Straight to the chiller to about freezing to prevent fermentation then the wine is fermented in batches to ensure the wine is of the highest quality. The wine is of the frizzante style which gives the wine a small amount of bubbles. It is NOT a full sparkling wine like Asti Spumante which uses the same grape but with a second fermentation to give it lots of bubbles. So stop in today a pick-up a bottle for your sweetheart tonight.

Happy New Year

The new year is here time to make some promises to yourself that you may or may not keep for more than 1 week. Well I have a couple great resolution for 2010. Drink more wine and spend more money on each bottle than last year. If you are stuck in the land of Beringer or stomping around with a Barefoot try to push yourself to that $10.00-$15.00 range you will not be disappointed. One event that is coming up in February is the Hy-Vee Wine & Food Experience over 60 booths and 300 wines to try. If you like wine but can't dig deep enough to spend a little more for a bottle then go to this event. I guarantee you will find some nice wines for a good price.

Holiday Gifts

Christmas is coming quick so time to buy some gifts. A bottle of wine is a great gift if you know what you are getting into. First things first you must know what the person or persons like to drink. It's very important if they love reds and you buy a sweet white they will be disappointed. Do your homework pay attention when you are over at their house or out to dinner. Second spend at least $15.00 on a bottle of wine! Don't buy a sale wine at $3.99 and think you will be invited to the next dinner party. Third do not spend more than $25.00 if you spend too much they will feel bad for making you think they are too good for less expensive wines. Last talk to a knowledgeable person that can help you with your purchase. So stop in today and Hy-Vee help you find a great wine to give as a gift!

Thanks for Wine

Well it's time for turkey again. I get a lot of questions on what wine goes with turkey? There is no one wine that pairs perfect with this bird because turkey has white and dark meat. You may have a light sweet wine like Gewurztraminer which is sweet but a little spicy or a Riesling. Two reds that always stand out are Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. Both are fruit forward with soft tannins and can be slightly chilled. Here in Nebraska one of the most popular holiday wines is Edelweiss which is more of a desert wine because of it's high residual sugar content. But like I say just go with what you know and enjoy.