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.

Halloween Wines

There are some great wines for Halloween parties this year. You can scare your friends with Vampire wines or Dracula Wines. Michael David Winery has a large selection of scary wines. They have wines like 6th Sense Syrah, 7 Deadly Zins & Incognito Red Blend. I enjoy all of the Michael David wines, they are a Lodi appellation from California and are delicious. Stop in today before these spooky wines disappear.....

Summer Fling

Summer is coming to a close. The air is cooler, the leaves are changing color and school is back is session. A perfect time to go outside throw some wood in the fire pit and relax. Just imagine you on a chair, feet up the sun is setting, a nice fire going and a relaxing glass of wine. This time of year is the best time to finish off some of those light summer white wines like Pinot Grigio or Moscato. Soon the holidays and cold days will be here and it will time for robust, deep reds! So enjoy what is left of summer and know snow is just around the corner.....

Football Tailgate

It is almost football season again! Time to move the grill from the backyard and to the parking lot. The time to tailgate is upon us fans of the pigskin. I know on a previous blog that I had wrote about Tetra Packs. Now is the time to put that information to good use. Tetra is the best way to enjoy wine at a tailgate party. They come in perfect sizes for outdoor use. They are smaller in size than a box wine and easier to deal with than a bottle of wine. From 4pks to 500ml to 1 liters, you will find nothing goes better with a grill hamburger and football than a Tetra pack of your favorite wine. Stop in today and see our selection of tailgate wines. GO HUSKERS!

BEER FEST!!

Yes it's that time again, time for Beer Fest. What is Beer Fest? Well, first it's FREE that's right FREE BEER samples. Every 3 months or so we give you a chance to try those 10.99 6-pk import or mirobrews that you just couldn't open the pocket book for. I understand if you spend $10.99 on a 6-pk of beer it better be good! So here is your chance. On Friday, August 7th from 4pm-8pm in the wine & spirits department we will have 10 tables over 50 beer samples. Food sample are going to be available, also we will have a wide selection on tailgate foods which will not be free. So bring friends, family or whoever and as many as you want to beer fest at Hy-Vee 84Th. Please drink in moderation. If you have any question please call 467-5505

Zinfandel Sale

This is the last week of our Zin-tastic Zins sale. We have a large selection on Zinfandels on sale, plus an added bonus all non-advertised Zinfandels are 10% off everyday retails. Zins are great summer wine because they pair with about any grilled or BBQ meats. So stop in today and pick up a bottle of Zin for dinner tonight.

Wine Pak

Convenient, sustainable and renewable, Tetra Pak fill all the needs of today's busy consumer. Tetra Pak has been around for years but it has now founds it's way to the vineyard. When you think of box wine what comes to mind? A large 5ltr box of wine, well now wine comes in 4pk Tetra Paks. I call them juice boxes because that is what they are of course for adult consumption only. Many winery's are replacing glass 4pk with Tetra Pak 4 packs. Tetra Pak is primarily made of paper which is easier to recycle than glass and takes less energy. Next time you in the store ask any of the wine & spirits staff to show you a Tetra Pak 4 pack of wine. We are always there to help.

Zin-Tastic Zins

Zinfandels are great wines for the grilling season. They are softer on the tannins than a Cabernet but not as dry as a Merlot. So they pair well with burgers or even fish like grilled salmon. I especially enjoy Zinfandels from the Lodi region of California. The climate is warm during the day and cool at night. Some Zins have what is called alcohol burn. It that whoa feeling during the finish which can be too much for some. Lodi puts out what I call fruit bombs for Zinfandels, alot of sweet jammy fruit and just enough Whoa! Stop in today and check out our wide selection of Zinfandels, which many are the wines of the month. We have great Zins like 7 Deadly Zins, Seghesio Sonoma, XYZin and many more are 10% off until July 1st. So stop in we are here to help find the right wine for you.

Yard Work Wine

During late spring and summer yard work is a weekend staple. After a long day of mowing the lawn or working in your victory garden, most go for an ice cold beer to cool & refresh them. I would like to suggest an even better way to cool down. Try a crisp, fruity Sauvginon Blanc with just enough acidity and tartness this wine will cool you off and relax your mind. Put a bottle of Sauv Blanc in your fridge before you start cutting the grass and when your done grab a wine glass, find some shade and pour a relaxing glass of Sauvignon Blanc you won't regret it.

Springtime Wines

It's that time of year to start transitioning from winter wines like Merlot and Cabernet to lighter wines like Pinot Grigio,White Zinfandel or Chardonnay. Don't get me wrong you can still have a good heavy Cabernet with a big juicy steak but if you want to just sit on your back porch and have an easy drinking, light wine you may want to try a white wine. If you like sweet wine try a bottle of Moscato. This is a light, sweet wine that is great for beginners or seasoned wine drinkers. Next time you visit our store stop in and see our large selection of light, white wines. We are always here to help.

Easter Wine

Ham is the traditional Easter dinner, so what wine goes with ham? Well first ham has a light somewhat sweet flavor. The glaze which goes on ham is sweet, so a heavy Cabernet will over power the taste of the food. A tart wine like Pinot Grigio just doesn't work. If you like white wines I suggest a Gewurztraminer which is both spicy and sweet. For red wine lovers I suggest a good Pinot Noir. My personal favorite is Mark West Pinot Noir. Other wines that pair well with ham is any kind of rose, blush or White Zinfandel which in Nebraska is very popular. Stop in see our large selection of wines that will pair with Easter dinner. We are always there to help.

BEER FEST!!!!!

Yes it's that time again, time for Beer Fest. What is Beer Fest? Well, first it's FREE that's right FREE BEER samples. Every 3 months or so we give you a chance to try those 10.99 6-pk import or mirobrews that you just couldn't open the pocket book for. I understand if you spend $10.99 on a 6-pk of beer it better be good! So here is your chance. On Friday, APRIL 3rd from 4pm-8pm in the wine & spirits department we will have 10 tables over 50 beer samples. Food sample are going to be available, also we will be grilling inside and out which will not be free. So bring friends, family or whoever and as many as you want to beer fest at Hy-Vee 84Th. Please drink in moderation. If you have any question please call 467-5505.

The Box is Back!

I know box wine has a bad rap but some box wines are very good. Box wine are not only good, they are a great value. First the price, a 3-liter box wine is equal to 4-750ml bottles of wine. Let's do the math. Say you have a 3-liter of box wine for $10.99 that is equal to $2.75 per 750ml a great value! Also box wine are shelf stable up to 5-weeks! Inside the box is a bladder which contracts while each glass of wine is poured. No air comes in contact with the wine which is a huge problem if you don't drink a full bottle of wine after you open it. Unless you have a pump or other method of getting the air out of the bottle. Franzia has been the staple box wine but we have some great wines like Bota Box. We have a large selection of box wine in our store so stop in and check it out. We are always here to help.

We Recommend....

When looking for a good wine, something to look for are points. Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast both have experts and wine masters that judge wine. The wines that they feel are the best get points awarded to them. Good wines usually start in the low to mid 80's and go up from there. The higher the points the better the wine. We recommend wines to people all the time. If you want to help yourself just look for the bright orange signs the say "This Wine Recommended by:" If you ever need a wine for dinner or to give as a gift just ask. Both myself and Drew are Certified Wine Specialist and can recommend a great wine for any occasion.

WINE TASTING 101

Wine tasting is an art form. Most people don't understand if you drink 8-10 samples of wine and you drink every sample the last one may be the best one. Why? Well after multiple wine samples the alcohol may start taking it's toll on your senses. In wine tasting using your sight,smell and taste are very important. When sampling wine first look at the wine. Look at the color, is your chardonnay light yellow or brownish. Next use your nose and smell the wine. What flavors are you getting fruit, grass, smoke or maybe some leather? If you smell cork after you have opened your wine and poured a glass it is been corked and is bad. Now taste the wine, let your taste buds tell you what is in the wine. NOW SPIT! It's OK. To be a good judge of wine, being sober when you sample the last wine is important. I know it seem wrong to spit out perfectly good wine but you may find the first wine was the best.

OH Sherry!

Many people have been coming in to the store asking "what is the difference between cream and dry sherry?" Let's start with, what is sherry? Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes. The dominate white grape used in making sherry is palomino. All wine labeled as "sherry" must legally come from southern Spain in an area know as the Sherry Triangle. When the fermentation process is done, sherry is fortified with brandy, fortifying helps preserve the wine. Sherry is produced in a variety of different styles. Some are dry and light while others are dark and sweet. The main styles that we carry are Fino or Dry, Sweet and Cream Sherry. The grocery aisle also has sherry but it has salt, potassium and other preservatives. You should NOT drink cooking sherry. So Sherry that has Fino or no indication is dry, Cream Sherry is sweet. Dry Sherry is used a lot for cooking but Cream Sherry goes great with desert. Chocolate cake for one is delicious or try something with nuts in it. So next time you are in our store stop in a see our selections of Sherry.

Organic Wine and Sulfites

There is some argument about organic wine and it's labeling. The argument stems from sulfites. Sulfites or sulfur dioxide is added to wine to help preserve the wine, sulfites also have high levels of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. All wines have sulfites in them, most are added in the wine making process but it is also a natural occurring process after bottling. So here is the controversy, to some organic means how the grapes are grown and processed. To others it means grown, processed and NO sulfites added. To know if you have a wine which has no sulfites added, it will usually have an expiration date. Wine that has sulfites have a much longer shelf life than wine with no sulfites added. We have a growing selection of organic wines. Natura, True Earth and Candoni to name a few. If you need help finding our organic wines just ask.

Blend it out!

Wine blending has been around for hundreds of years. Wine blends are taking one grape and blending it with another. For example Menage a Trois Red is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet. They are fun wines to drink with a good meal or a relaxing evening with friends. Starting on Thursday February 5Th, red and white blends will be the Wines of the Month at all Hy-Vee locations. Stop in and check out the large selection of blended wines that we carry.

French Wine Club

On January 22nd, at Hy-Vee 84th we had the privilege of Adrien Laurent presenting wines from Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Adrien was born in Paris and lives in Bordeaux, France. I think I can speak for most when I say I was impressed with his wine knowledge and ability to share that knowledge with all of us at the show. Hopefully sometime in the future we can welcome him back to Lincoln. If you are interested in joining Hy-Vee 84th Wine Club just stop in to the store or e-mail me at www.1386liquor@hy-vee.com please include your name, e-mail and phone number.