Cellar Selections Jan 30h - Feb 6th

January 30th thru February 6th
Weekly Cellar Selections ~ South American Wines
Wine Tasting this Thursday, January 31st from 5 to 6:30p.m. $5 per person. This week we have Donald Roth of Alabama Crown pouring some new wines from our current Cellar Selection. Our food features this week are our new cheeses from Spain; Mahon, Murcia al Vino & Idiazabal. Hope to see you all here!

Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos “Select Torrontes”, Argentina $11.99
NEW TO ALABAMA!
The great white wine of Argentina, Torrontes hails from Mendoza, the Napa Valley of Argentina. Characteristics similar to the great white wines of the Southern Rhone Valley. The bouquet is fresh orange blossom & honeysuckle with delicate perfume. Flavors consistent with the bouquet in concert with citrus & rich minerality. In short…it is delicious! Very limited supply.

Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos “Select Malbec”, Argentina
Reg. $11.99 now $10.99
Aged in medium toasted French oak, which adds vanilla aromas and supple tannins to the wine’s rich berry flavors. Deep violet in color with intense fruit on the palate that makes this wine just right for hearty stews and grilled meats.

Trivento Bodegas y Viñedos “Select Syrah”, Argentina
Reg. $11.99 now $10.99
An alluring nose of violets and cassis. Intense red in color, the wine is smooth and velvety on the palate with supple tannins. It offers rich fruit flavors complemented by spice notes. Aged in American and French oak for 5 to 7 months, it is perfect for braised beef or lamb as well as for Mediterranean fare.

Natura Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile
Reg. $11.99 now $9.99
100% Organic! For Chardonnay lovers, this juicy, succulent white is sure to please. Soft yellow in color with tropical fruit with mineral notes, combined with soft hints of nut and marzipan. Lightly oaked with pineapple and melon flavors, with elegant notes of almonds and balanced by a zesty acidity; it's a winner. This Chardonnay's fruit flavors combine well with spicy fish and shellfish, shrimp in garlic, fried seafood and grilled chicken.

Natura Carmenère, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Reg. $11.99 now $9.99
100% Organic! An ideal wine to get acquainted with the beauty of Carmenère, Chile's unique red grape. Most affordably priced versions can be too herbal and earthy, but this wine captures the spicy, dried herbal notes of Carmenère coupled with its sultry texture. Intense red in color with attractive aroma with hints of chocolate, black fruits, toffee and spices. Big volume on the palate with soft round tannins with a firm, well balanced structure. Good balance between fruit and oak with a long, sweet finish. This wine's soft and fruit forward palate marries well with most red meats, well-seasoned fish such as spicy grilled albacore tuna, French onion soup, or vegetable lasagna.

February Event Schedule all $5 per person from 5 to 6:30p.m.
Tuesday the 5th – Super Suppers February Menu Tasting
Thursday the 7th – Colleen Moore with International Wines & Super Suppers
Thursday the 14th – Leigh Monroe with Pinnacle Imports & Mudtown Eat & Drink
Thursday the 21st – Branden Haley with Key Selections & City Hall Diner
Thursday the 28th – Dennis Fullmer with Rush Wines & featured cheese selections

The Wine Cellar
970 Highway 31 · Vestavia Hills · Alabama · 35216
205·979·2151 phone 205·979·2149 fax Subscribe: vwinecellar@bellsouth.net
Store Hours: Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10a.m. to 4p.m.
We are located 2 ½ miles north of I-65 on Highway 31 in the Vestavia Hills City Center (Publix Shopping Center)
www.thewinecellar.info www.myspace.com/wine_seller http://thewineknow.blogspot.com

Boycott Birmingham Budweiser

The Wine Cellar

No tasting this week. Huge news for beer lovers! http://www.freethehops.org

Free The Hops launches boycott in response to Budweiser distributor’s opposition to pro-craft beer legislation. Free The Hops is calling for a consumer boycott of Anheuser-Busch products sold in the Birmingham/Jefferson County area.The group’s president, Stuart Carter, says his group is calling for the boycott because of the anti-craft beer lobbying efforts of Birmingham Budweiser and the distributor’s vice president, Pat Lynch.Lynch, Carter says, has been a major opponent of state legislation which could legalize gourmet, typically higher-strength beer in Alabama. Free the Hops has been working for three years to change current Alabama law that limits beer to no more the 6% alcohol by volume (ABV). This ABV ceiling means the majority of America’s finest craft beers, and many of the world’s best imported beers, cannot be sold in the state.The Free the Hops organization is seeking to raise the state’s ABV limit for beer to 14.9%.Lynch’s lobbying efforts against the higher ABV limit led to the Free the Hops supported legislation (HB-195) failing last year, Carter says.Free the Hops has called for a boycott of all Budweiser products sold in the Jefferson County/Birmingham area. http://www.freethehops.org/

THE WINE CELLAR

970 Highway 31 · Vestavia Hills · Alabama · 35216

205·979·2151 phone 205·979·2149 fax Subscribe: vwinecellar@bellsouth.net

Store Hours: Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10a.m. to 4p.m.

We are located 2 ½ miles north of I-65 on Highway 31 in the Vestavia Hills City Center

www.thewinecellar.info www.myspace.com/wine_seller http://thewineknow.blogspot.com

Cellar Selections Jan 16th-23rd

Weekly Cellar Selections
Spanish Wines

Wine Tasting this Thursday, January 17th from 5 to 6:30p.m. $5 per person. Oddly enough last Wine Tasting was a success & we even had a Tornado threaten to ruin our night! Just shows you what dedicated customers we have, they come rain, shine or snow??? This week we have Leigh Monroe of Pinnacle Imports pouring Spanish wines from our current Cellar Selection. Our feature Menu items this week are Shrimp & Grits, Chicken Salad & Potato Salad from Mudtown Eat & Drink in Cahaba Heights. *To see more information on Mudtown Eat & Drink scroll down to the end of the newsletter* Hope to see you all here!

2006 Morgadío Legado Del Conde Albariño, Rías Baixas

Reg. $18.99 now $16.99

With a beautiful, bright lemony robe and a fresh, rich nose that carries the scent of spring flowers, mimosa, and the waft of a sea breeze, this Albariño makes a grand statement and an even grander entry. Dry, pure, and hauntingly scented, this friendly Albariño offers up plenty of minerality and a mouth full of light clean fruit to balance its long, crisp finish. Albariño is a singular varietal with a unique character: it is both ethereal and intense and Morgadío captures the essence of this grape variety in their 2006 Legado Del Conde. This is a classic Albariño – a truly dry white wine and a Spanish classic. In fact, this Albariño is an Old World treasure and a wine of breed and noble bearing. A perfect pair to sautéed scallops, grilled snapper, crabmeat salad, and most everything else that once inhabited the sea. We suggest that you try this wine with Cheese, especially well made Mahon, one of Spain's most delectable cheeses. Mahon in stock now for $7.99! -90 Points Wine Advocate, February 2007

2006 Can Feixes “Blanc Selecció”, Penedès

Reg. $18.99 now $16.99

This wine possesses an amplifying nose, comprised of the scents of pure mineral, gravel, citrus, and wild flowers. Long and textured in the mouth, the Blanc Selecció caresses the palate with luxuriant fruit and spice – without a hint of sweetness. Moreover, the wine ends with a dry, embracing finish that needs to be experienced to be described, as this wine is neither simple nor ordinary. Although beautifully right now, this wine will undoubtedly evolve for several more years in bottle. Very versatile wine to pair with food, in fact, most fish and poultry will be right at home with this wine. Interestingly, the only drawback to serving this wine seems to be its ability to disappear in a hurry, so if you open a bottle before a meal you will want to have another bottle on hand!

2005 Castillo de Monséran Garnacha, Cariñena, Spain

Reg. $11.99 now $9.99

Let the warmth of the sun-baked fruit slowly fill your soul as you taste this wine. The rich ripe fruit is complemented by intriguing aromas of sweet tobacco and spice. It's ample and mouthfilling on the palate with chewy tannins and just the right acidity to give vitality to the finale. A wine with this much character can only come from a region with a lot of soul and Castillo de Monseran is no exception. Its roots are firmly implanted in the proud region of Aragón. Paired perfectly our new cheese from Spain, Idiazabal $10.99!

2006 Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya, Monastrell “Ungrafted Old Vine”, Jumilla

Reg. $15.99 now $13.99
This ungrafted old vine Monastrell (92%) is deep ruby red in color, with ripe, powerful scents of blackberry, cassis and candied plum, with a bit of Garnacha (8%) in the blend seeming to brighten the darker fruit character. Fat and lush, with deep, sweet blackcurrant and blackberry flavors and no rough edges it finishes dense, fresh and long, with a repeating blackberry note. This has the concentration and sappy texture of a much more expensive wine. Perfect with our Murcia al Vino $8.99!

*If you forgot or want to refresh yourself about the cheeses we just got in last week go to: http://www.thewinecellar.info/New_Cheeses.htm I picked these cheese especially for the wines from this weeks Cellar Selections!

*Have kids? Need a College fund? Just set up one for Granger using a friend of mine, Richard Mason with Morgan Keegan, for $50 big ol’ bucks a month. Email me if you would like his number, he is easy to work with & super nice.

What is Mudtown Eat & Drink? We’re LOCAL! If you’re looking for a local eating establishment to support, we’re it. Our latest advertising campaign claims an amazing menu. We think it is. More importantly, the guests who dine with us for lunch and dinner seven days a week tell us so. We’re proud and grateful of the praise. Judging by the response to a new menu rollout in early June, we continue to be on the right track of making people and their tastebuds happy.
Even though we named a restaurant after dirt, the food is fantastic, fresh and fun. The beverages are cold and unique. The atmosphere is inviting and comforting. As you walk in to Mudtown, you will feel the prevailing friendly spirit, smell the enticing aromas from the kitchen and anticipate a quality dining experience served by people who genuinely appreciate you stopping by.
Coming soon to Mudtown Eat & Drink, Meals-to-go! If you love their menu & need office meetings, bridal parties or anything else catered Mudtown is an established Catering service as well. Visit http://www.mudtownalabama.com/catering.pdf for details!

Mudtown Eat & Drink

3144 Green Valley RoadVestavia Hills, AL 35243

(205) 967-3300 store

http://www.mudtownalabama.com/




THE WINE CELLAR

970 Highway 31 · Vestavia Hills · Alabama · 35216

205·979·2151 phone 205·979·2149 fax Subscribe: vwinecellar@bellsouth.net

Store Hours: Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10a.m. to 4p.m.

We are located 2 ½ miles north of I-65 on Highway 31 in the Vestavia Hills City Center (Publix Shopping Center)

http://www.thewinecellar.info/ www.myspace.com/wine_seller http://thewineknow.blogspot.com/

Just in!

NEW! Spanish Cheeses

Mahon $7.99 Ref. $8.99

Mahon is produced on the Mediterranean island of Menorca in the Balearics. Although it is a small island, Menorca produces enough cheese to make Mahon Spain 's second most popular cheese next to Manchego. A 100% cow's milk cheese, Mahon comes in large squares of about six pounds. Ripened in underground caves for at least 60 days, Mahon has a bold, magnificent flavor that could never be called mild. The yellowish-orange rind conceals a soft, slightly salty and decidedly spicy interior. This unique cheese is a must try for any cheese lover and an absolute necessity for the true connoisseur.
Murcia al Vino $8.99 Reg. $9.99

Similar to the Spanish wine cheese, Drunken Goat, this wine-bathed cheese is made from pasteurized goat's milk in Murcia region of Spain . This region has a rich variety of grasses, shrubs, and wild herbs on which the goats graze to give the cheese a distinctive taste and aroma. The unique feature of Murcia al Vino is that it is washed in red wine during ripening. The wine deeply tints the cheese, giving the rind its characteristic burgundy color and imparting a strong floral bouquet. Murcia al Vino is a real gem. It not only has a bold, delicious flavor, it has the intoxicating aroma of a good bottle of wine.

Idiazabal $10.99 Reg. $11.99

This handmade, unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese comes from the Spanish Pyrenees. Idiazabal is naturally smoked with a hard but edible orange-brown rind. In the old days, Basque shepherds lived in small mountain huts and had no space to store and age their cheeses other than inside their stone chimneys. As it turned out, people enjoyed the smoky flavor that the cheese acquired from aging inside the chimneys, and Idiazabal spread throughout Spain . Today, Idiazabal is produced in more modern facilities, but the process is still all-natural. The cheese is as delicious as ever, and the quality is more consistent. We love its perfumy bouquet and rich, buttery flavor and enthusiastically recommend Idiazabal as one of Spain 's greatest cheeses.

Tornado Party!

It seems every time I have a Wine Tasting it rains. Not just rains but POURS! Sick cosmic joke or am I just lucky? Last year I got discouraged with the tastings & stopped having them as regular as I should have, must explain the drought! =)
I am so excited about the way we will be having our wine tastings this year. Our Wine Tastings will resume Thursday January 10th, today, from 5 to 6:30p.m. $5 per person. We want to start the New Year with a fresh approach with our Wine Tastings. We will be working with a few Restaurants in the Vestavia Hills area to get familiar with their menu & specials. We hope this will make our Wine Tastings more popular this year as well as the Restaurants that are featured.
Here is to a Prosperous 2008!

About Us

Friendly, knowledgeable service
Regular Business Hours: Monday – Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wide variety of wines
· Domestic (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache, Red Blends, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, White Blends)
· Imports (French, German, South African, South American, Australian/New Zealand, Italian, Spanish)
Wide Price ranges ($5.99 - $200.00)
Splits and Magnums available
Special orders
Case discounts – 5% on 6 Bottles 10% on 12 bottles – mixed or solid
Closeout bin with discounts up to 20%
Great selection of gourmet cheeses and foods
Gift Baskets & Gift Items
Gift Certificates
Private wine tastings
Party and/or reception wine planning
Wine Events
Wine Tastings
Monthly Wine Dinners- Off premise
Monthly Wine Classes- Food & Wine Pairings, Basics of Italy, World of Rieslings, Basics of Wine Tasting, etc.
Monthly Newsletter sent via e-mail
Cellar Club-
Need gift ideas? Here is a great one that works for almost all occasions! Birthdays, Weddings, Anniversary, House warming! How about Wine? A monthly Cellar Club will remind your loved ones every month with Great bottles of wine! Each selection comes with a complete description and tasting notes for each wine. When you join our Club; you'll sample the world's finest wines and get the education and experience as a bonus!

Cellar Selections January 8th thru the 16th

Wine Tastings will resume Thursday January 10th from 5 to 6:30p.m. $10 Door Prize from Mudtown Eat & Drink given at every tasting! We want to start the New Year with a fresh approach with our Wine Tastings. Beginning with the January 10th Tasting we will be working with a few Restaurants in the Vestavia Hills area to get familiar with their menu & specials. As you know a tasting is a sampling of products. The same applies to the food, as we are not serving dinner just sampling a couple of menu items. January 10th we will have Parmesan Chicken with Creamy Sage Sauce from Super Suppers in Vestavia Hills. They will be giving 10% off Entrees to people that attend this tasting on this night only. Hope to see you all here!

2005 Domaine de Rieux Cotes De Gascogne Blanc Reg. $10.99 now $6.99
Domaine du Rieux is a part of Chateau du Tariquet estate well known for its superb Armagnacs. The grapes are kept at a low temperature for some hours before being crushed and fermented. The results have become a major success story. Yves Grassa is now producing hundreds of thousands of bottles of an extremely fruity, refreshing dry white wine which is a delight when consumed young. Robert Parker and other journalists have repeatedly stated that these wines are perhaps the best value available today. Pierre Grassa is a master at producing this delicate, finely balanced white from Gascony that mimics the style and aromas of classy dry Sauvignon Blanc. Made from 80% Trebbiano, 15% Colombard, and 5% Gros Manseng. This wine is dry and crisp perfect for drinking now with a soft green apple nose leads to tropical, pineapple/grapefruit flavors. Beautifully balanced by a fresh clean acidity.

2005 Lagar De Pintos Albarino Reg. $19.99 now $14.99
The winery, located in the Valley Salnés in Rias Baixas (southwestern Spain), has been in the Pintos family for several generations. The vineyards that the family owns in Ribadumia heart of Salnés, facilitated by the combination between microclimate, soil and the age of vineyards. This white, made from 100% Albarino, is fermented stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature on their own fine lees for 12 weeks. It has an elegant, pale yellow color leading to a clean, intense and fruity nose – typical of the varietal. Very fresh in the mouth, with balanced acidity and body.

2003 Renieri Rosso di Montalcino Reg. $23.99 now $16.99
Located in the prestigious Montalcino DOCG production zone in Tuscany, Renieri is like a precious jewel in Marco Bacci’s treasure chest. Renieri lies southeast of Montalcino and the estate extends over 320 acres of which 75 are dedicated to vineyards. This wine is made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso from estate vineyards located in the southern part of Montalcino with eastern-northwestern exposure. A mix of volcanic, clay and stony soils make this location extremely well-suited for the production of Sangiovese Grosso. After fermentation, the wine is aged for one year in new and second passage oak barrels, providing for extra elegance and refinement. Bright ruby red in color, this Rosso offers generous, ripe aromas of cherry and blackberry jam, followed by hints of vanilla, cedar, and leather. Plush and rich, this Rosso is the perfect wine for barbecued meats, game, and medium-aged cheese. 89pts.WA

2000 La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Reserva Reg. $21.99 now $15.99
The 2000 Reserva Vina Alberdi is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Mazuela (Carignan) from Rioja, Spain. Medium ruby in color, it exhibits a nicely developed and expressive nose of fresh strawberries, cedar, spice, dried herbs, café-au-lait oaky notes and red currants. This wine is light to medium-bodied, seamless, elegant and ripe in style. The taste is tangy and brisk, with a bright, nervy character and good focus to the dried cherry flavor. Well integrated tannins. This silky red finishes with a crisp acidity that draws out the finish with good concentration. 88pts WA

Super Suppers info:
Take a deep breath and let Super Suppers help you put delicious meals on your family table. There are many ways to participate, so just pick one that works for you.

* You can order for pick up: We'll assemble your entrees, sides and desserts for you. Just stop in to pick up and you're all set.
* You can assemble your own entrees just the way you like them. Register online for a session or simply drop in.
* You can simply stop by and get some of our delicious entrees from our Grab-n-Go freezer.

Any way you choose to participate, the outcome is the same...delicious, convenient, inexpensive family meals that give you back the time to do the things you really want to do!

1944 Canyon Rd., Vestavia Hills, 36216, 205-822-2898, http://www.supersuppersbirminghamvestavia.com/

THE WINE CELLAR

970 Highway 31 · Vestavia Hills · Alabama · 35216
205·979·2151 phone 205·979·2149 fax Subscribe: vwinecellar@bellsouth.net
Store Hours: Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 10a.m. to 4p.m.
We are located 2 ½ miles north of I-65 on Highway 31 in the Vestavia Hills City Center (Publix Shopping Center)
www.thewinecellar.info & www.myspace.com/wine_seller