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DECEMBER 2007
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Give
a gift basket this year and your friends and family will be very impressed! |
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The
Discount Code for this special offer is: decbask15. |
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Coupon valid December 1, 2007-December 31, 2007. Coupon does NOT include Wine. Coupon applies only to our prearranged and wrapped gift baskets online and in
the Wine Merchant Store.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
| The Los Olives Wine Merchant and Cafe is proud to announce |
| Eligio Bautista |
| . . . as December's Employee of the Month! |
Eligio Bautista
Eligio has been
a member of The Los Olivos Cafe family for 5 years.
His diligent work effort is felt throughout the whole restaurant,
from the dining room, to the kitchen. He splits his work
schedule between bussing in the dining room and helping as a prep
cook in the kitchen. Eligio comes from a family of strong
work ethic. He has two older brothers, Daniel and Luis,
who are lead cooks at The Cafe as well. Eligio not only
enjoys working at The Cafe, but he loves the food that is produced
here as well! His favorite items on the menu include the
Santa Maria Pizza and the Tri tip Sandwich with steak fries.
Director of Operations, Anthony Endy, speaks highly of Bautista,
"Eligio is an individual that not only provides great service
and consistent production, but he does it with a joyful attitude.
I am constantly proud and thankful of his presence here."
SAM'S HOLIDAY PICKS
SAM'S PICKS have been carefully selected by Sam with the
assistance of the Wine Merchant staff to ensure you
a great wine that will leave a long lasting memory on every occasion!
These wines are not to be missed and will go quickly!
Be sure to check out our online Los Olivos Wine Merchant &
Cafe store at
www.buysantabarbarawine.com
to reserve your wines for the holiday season!
Do you want a wine that will imbed in your memory like your very first kiss? Then try the...
| Domaine Alfred 2005 Chardonnay | |
| 88 points Wine Enthusiast |  |
| Chamisal Vineyard, California Wine, 750ml | |
Lots of acidity in this crunchy wine; this is so tart it's almost like fresh-squeezed lime juice. Fortunately, creamy lees and plenty of new oak add softer, sweeter notes of buttered toast and vanilla.
The winter and spring of 2005 provided almost double the average rainfall and gave us an early burst of vegetative growth. The weather turned warm and dry for flowering and fruit set and the near perfect conditions led to the "bumper crop" vintage of 2005. At Domaine Alfred, we eschew high yields, and we responded by dropping even more fruit than we usually do in order to enhance both balance and intensity.
| Click here to Purchase Domaine Alfred 2004 Chardonnay | $24.00 |
Do you want a wine that will make you shine so bright your reflection makes the disco ball shine on the dance floor? Then try the....
| J
NV Cuvee 20th Anniversary Brut Sparkling Wine |
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| Sonoma County, California, 750ml | ||
Celebrating twenty years of winemaking excellence, J Cuvée 20 proudly displays an exceptional, stylish assemblage from our best cool-climate vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley. This J non-vintage Brut gracefully opens up with crisp lemon peel, honeysuckle and delicate yeast aromas. Upon entry, these notes follow through to a mix of Fuji apple and grapefruit interlaced with toast, caramel and almond flavors on the mid-palate. The acidity adds just enough liveliness and the citrus zest leads to a lingering, warm pear and lush finish. Demonstrating an illustrious combination of yesterday and today, its fresh exuberance showcases layers of depth and complexity.
Final Blend: 55% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Meunier
| Click here to Purchase J Cuvee 20th Anniversary Brut Sparkling Wine | $32.00 |
Do you want a wine that sings arias down your throat and compels you to sing like Pavarotti? Then try the....
| Huber
2005 Dornfelder Charlotte's Reserve |
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| Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California Wine, 750ml | ||
Dornfelder can barely be called a red wine, in that it is so dark that it almost appears to be black. A very dark garnet color with glints of purple edges first hints of the depth of the wine to come. Fresh blackberry and anise notes on the nose are echoed on the palate, along with dark plum, black currant, elderberry , marion berry and spicy hints of clove. This is the most fruit forward Huber Dornfelder to date, and is nicely balanced with bright acids, elegant dusty tannins and a very pleasant lingering finish. A beautiful food wine, the 2005 Dornfelder pairs exquisitely with barbecued ribs and is a delight as an after dinner wine with a Black Forest chocolate cake and hard cheeses. Only 90 cases produced of this little known German varietal. Sam was not impressed with the 2004 vintage, however the 2005 is amazing! Inky Black with unbelievable concentration and flavor. You can put this up against your best cabernet!
| Click here to purchase Huber 2005 Dornfelder Charlotte's Reserve | $52.00 |
Do you want a wine that after one sip, you are tempted to get a 2nd on your house, buy all that is left, then dig a hold in an obscure hidden place, and bury every bottle without telling a single soul what you have done? Then try the....
| Dierberg
2005 Pinot Noir |
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| Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, California Wine, 750ml | ||
At Dierberg, we make three tiers of Pinot Noir from our Santa Maria Vineyard. The Dierberg Santa Maria bottling is intended to be our most accurate representation of the unique characteristics of the vineyard. Winemaking is necessarily "hands off" and viticulture is the driving force behind this wine.
In keeping with the traditional Dierberg style, the 2005 Pinot Noir is an immense wine, yet one that retains great balance, nerve and elegance. Dark raspberry and wild blackberry notes are accented by the characteristic "sauvage" note of our special terroir. Flavors lean towards the fresh raspberry end of the spectrum, with sexy mocha and complex forest floor nuances. As always, our Dierberg Pinot Noir features surprising grip and structure for such a ripe wine. Enjoy it now for its wild fruit and explosiveness or cellar for several years to bring out the subtle complexities lurking just below its surface.
| Click here to Purchase Dieberg 2005 Pinot Noir | $51.00 |
Do you want a wine that will erase the troubles of the day and peacefully bring you to a pleasant state of mind? Then try the....
| Barrack
2004 Happy Canyon Vineyard Piocho 92 points Robert Parker |
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| Santa Barbara County, California Wine, 750ml | ||
Tom and Laurel Barrack's hillside vineyard, Happy Canyon Vineyard, is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Since 2002, we have been making a wine we call Piocho, the Indian name for the property. In 2004 the quality level of the vintage and the maturity of the vines demanded reserve wines, which are called Barrack. The winemaker is Doug Margerum. Barrack Piocho on the east side of the Santa Ynez Valley where it is hot and Boudreauz varieties do well. The soft an generous wine is medium bodied and has a soft and plumy finish, made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc go well with holiday turkey, pasta and can stand up to a hardy steak!
| Click here to Purchase Barrack 2004 Happy Canyon Valley Piocho | $40.00 |
Do you want a wine that will make you wonder whether all of the above even matters?! Then let Sam do the picking, and try SAM's PICKS! They won't last long so hurry and order your wine today!
Are
you a Los Olivos Wine Merchant Wine Club Member? |
Join us for Wine and Art the First Tuesday of every month Art Reception December 4, 2007, 5 - 7 pm
An
award winning local artist living in Solvang, California.
Ron found a love in drawing and pen & ink work and followed
that path for over 20 years. After moving to Solvang
over 3 years ago, Ron began to pursue his interest in oil painting
that he had studied in his college years. Having a passion for
California Impressionism has led the artist to create wonderful
scenes of the central coast.
"UNDERSTANDING YOUR PALATE TUESDAYS"
An educational experience
We are pleased to announce the following events to the public; you are invited to educate your palate with the aid of our special educators talking and teaching about wine education starting at 5:00 PM. No reservations are required. $15 per person (Wine Club Members pay $10) includes all wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres.
December
11-
Blind
Tasting
December
18 - Champagne & Sparkling Wine Tasting
January
15, 2008 - Burgundian Varieties Tasting
"EVENING WITH THE WINEMAKER"
Wednesday Tastings
You are invited to rub elbows with the winemakers as they present five of their selected wines. The tasting will be starting at 5:00 - 6:00 PM. $15 per person includes all wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres.
November 28, 2007 - Craig Jaffurs of Jaffurs Wine
December
5, 2007 - Kaena & Beckmen Winery
December
12, 2007 - Flying Goat - Norm Yost
December
19, 2007 - Peter Cargasacchi - Cargasacchi Wines
January
2, 2008 - Ross Jay Rankin - Imagine Winery
January
9, 2008 - Clay Brock - Zaca Mesa Winery
January
16, 2008 - Carina Cellars
February
6, 2008 - Norm Becko - Cottonwood Canyon
February
13, 2008 - Norm Huber - Huber Cellars
March
26, 2008 - Whitcraft Winery
May
7, 2008 - Michael Grace Wines
from Chef Nat!
Italian Sausage and Sage Stuffing
Makes one 10" x 14" pan, thick pyrex works best
Ingredients
1 (1-pound) Italian style bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes (8
cups)
2 pounds
sweet Italian sausage (out of casings)
1
stick unsalted butter at room temperature
2
cups butternut squash, peeled seeded and diced
3
medium onions, chopped
4
large celery ribs, chopped
5
garlic cloves, minced4
large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4
cup heavy cream
1/2
cup chicken broth (canned is fine)
1
cup Grated Parmesan
1/2
cup coarsely chopped parsley
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350*
Toast bread cubes on cookie sheets until just dried out, about 10 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook half of sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl or plate with multiple paper towels to absorb the fat.
Clean your skillet. Heat butter over medium heat until foam subsides and cook squash, onions, celery, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl combine vegetables, toasted bread and sausage for your stuffing mix.
Whisk together eggs, cream, chicken stock, cheese, and parsley,
then stir into stuffing mix. Pour stuffing mix into your
baking dish,cover with foil tightly and bake at 425 F until hot
throughout, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until
top is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes more.........Enjoy!!
Cafe Gratin Potatoes
Makes one 10" x 14" pan, thick pyrex works best
Ingredients
10
large russet potatoes
2
cups manufacturing cream or heavy cream
1
cup ground parmesan
1/2
cup Herbed breadcrumbs
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400*
10 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced. You
should have about 8 cups. Bring cream to a simmer in a large pot
on the stove top. Add 1 tbls salt, a pinch of white pepper
and all of your perfectly, thinly, sliced potatoes. You
want to stir the potatoes just enough to coat them with the cream
and warm them up. (The starch from the potatoes might start
to thicken the cream as well.) Pour the potatoes from the
simmering pot into your baking dish. Sprinkle on top ground
parmesan and herbed breadcrumbs. Cover with foil and bake
for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes
before cutting. Can be made the day ahead and reheated.
Delicious!!
WINE
CLUB MEMBERSHIP
What does being a Los Olivos Wine Merchant
Wine Club Member Mean?
-
A great chance to try wines at a discounted rate!
- Quarterly deliveries of the newest,
must try wines!
-
We will pick the right wine for YOU!
- You tell us what you prefer, and
We will send you the perfect
wine!
For
more information about the Wine
Club Membership, click here.
|
Mark your calendars for our next Winemaker Dinner scheduled for February 8, 2008! We welcome you to experience and enjoy Winemaker Bruno D'Alfonso and Kris Curran at our Valentine Lovers of the Vine Dinner. |
| More details to follow in an upcoming newsletter but mark your calendars now!! |
Private Dining Room and Catering
Birthday?
Anniversary? Holiday Party? Whatever your special occasion
might be, let us help you create
an unforgettable dining experience!
Call Christina
today to start planning your special event!
1-805-688-7265
ext 216
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Wines of Santa Barbara County and the California Wine Country Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant, 2879 Grand Avenue, P.O. Box 205, Los Olivos, CA 93441 Phone Toll Free: (888) WINES4U * Fax: (805) 688-5953 * All site contents © 2007 Site Designed and Maintained by Mark Pavlich/WebDev Services |