Mike Palmeri, a New York State wine merchant, was fined $10,000 this week for the crime of selling wine gift bags to his customers.  It appears a law exists on the books that prohibits liquor stores from selling such items, as it somehow constitutes running a second business.  Giving the bags away for free is permitted.

Marketview Liquors’ customers are irate over the situation, and have started a petition to put a halt to the fine, and hopefully change the law.  Palmeri, however, blames himself – not the state. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” he said. “It’s like saying you didn’t know what the speed limit was. I violated the statute.”

The 10K Wine Gift Bag is a post from: Rhino Wino

According to The Economist, champagne sales have been declining along with the U.S. economy.

“The bubble has now burst, says Trevor Stirling, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein. Only Moët et Chandon, the biggest of the five public producers (responsible for Veuve Clicquot, Mercier, Ruinart and Krug, as well as the Moët marque) maintained its revenues in the third quarter. The other four—Rémy (Piper Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck), Vranken Pommery, Boizel (Lanson) and Laurent Perrier—have seen their sales plunge. Worst hit was Laurent Perrier, where sales were 30% lower in the third quarter than in the same period in 2007.

Because the financial turmoil has deepened since September, Mr Stirling reckons that sales have since fallen even further. “Wholesalers will be sitting on a lot of stock, so we are expecting big price cuts even before Christmas, traditionally the busiest selling season,” he says.”

What will you be drinking on New Year’s?

Champagne Sales Losing Fizz is a post from: Rhino Wino

La Cave des Fondus, a new underground fondue restaurant in New York City’s hip SoHo district, opened this week, and is receiving more than its fair share of attention, due to their untraditional method of wine service.

All wine and beer will be offered to customers in baby bottles.

Sound strange?  The restaurant didn’t invent the concept.  La Cave des Fondus is a faithful recreation of the famed Parisian restaurant, Le Refuge des Fondus, where locals have been getting into the infantile spirit for years.

Jacques Ouari, who owns the Manhattan restaurant but not the one in Paris, said, “I wanted to set up my place exactly like the one in Paris. It’s such a fun place. Everybody loves drinking beer and wine from baby bottles – even my father thought it was fun – and I think New Yorkers will like it too. I checked with the health department and as long as we put the bottles in the dishwasher they have no problem with it.”

Wine by baby bottle?  I think I will stick to my Sade Wine Glasses, thank you very much.

La Cave des Fondus Introduces Wine’s Latest Novelty Receptacle is a post from: Rhino Wino

The Wine School at City Winery (143 Varrick Street, Manhattan) recently kicked off its new tasting series with Jean-Luc Le Dû, former sommelier for Daniel and owner of Le Dû Wines. The tastings will be paired with Murray’s Cheese and Sullivan Street Bakery breads.

Up next in the series is a sampling of eight different Bordeauxs.

“Bordeaux is considered the classic example of French wine throughout the world. From St-Estephe to Pomerol, its vineyards deliver some of the most balanced and age worthy blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  We will embark on a trip through its elegant Chateaux and rolling vineyards. We will taste 8 wines from the St-Estephe, St-Julien, Margaux, Graves, St-Emilion, Pomerol and Sauternes regions.”

The tasting will take place on Tuesday, December 9th at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets: $100/person.

Bordeaux Tasting at City Winery – December 9th is a post from: Rhino Wino

The Seattle Times published an interesting article this past week, extolling the virtues of some unconventional food and drink pairings, geared towards the holiday season, and the inevitable swarm of homebaked cookies it brings.

Among the suggested pairings?  Rum Balls, paired with Dark and Stormy cocktails, for a rum on rum double whammy.  Or how about Popcorn Balls, paired with a Dark Belgian Ale?  Our favorites, however, have to be Lace Cookies, paired with a light and delicate Late-Harvest Riesling, or Sparkling Wine, paired with buttery Shortbread Cookies.

A Unique Holiday Wine Pairing is a post from: Rhino Wino

The Beaujolais Nouveau arrived yesterday, but it seems that wine merchants are not celebrating like they usually do on the third Thursday of November.

Dismissed as unsophisticated by many wine critics, Beaujolais Nouveau, a red wine made from Gamay grapes, surged in popularity in the 80s and 90s.  The typically inexpensive wine has met subtle price increases in the past few years, and with competition from other cheap wines on the market, is not selling like it once did.

Via the Wall Street Journal: “Demand has certainly been waning,” says Chris Ryan, chief executive for Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., a New York-based wine distributor that sells Joseph Drouhin’s Beaujolais Nouveau. Sales began to slow about four years ago, he says, but have since leveled off. The drop in sales coincided with a weaker dollar and higher transportation costs.

Can the Thanksgiving holiday save this once powerful force on the wine market?  With its light and fruity taste, Beaujolais is considered very drinkable with the traditionally rich foods served on Turkey Day.  Will it be found on your table?

Save The Beaujolais! is a post from: Rhino Wino

Looking for a new twist on your Thanksgiving bird this year?  We came across this recipe that incorporates white wine into a sweet and citrusy glaze.

Herb Roasted Turkey with Wine

1 15 pound fresh or thawed turkey
2-3 tblsp olive oil
3 large lemons – juiced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large limes – juiced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
fresh marjoram
fresh sage
fresh thyme

Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and reserve for gravy.  Rinse the turkey with cold running water and drain well. Soak all the water with the help of paper towels and blot it dry.

Roast the turkey for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours in a preheated oven at 325 degrees and baste with the pan juices. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, baste the turkey with citrus glaze and loosely cover with a lightweight foil to prevent excessive browning. Roast till the temperature of the thigh reaches 165 degrees – it will rise to 180 degrees as it sits out of the oven.

Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Herb Roasted Turkey with Wine is a post from: Rhino Wino

November, 11 from 6:30 – 8pm
at Murray’s Cheese Greenwich Village
254 Bleecker, between 6th and 7th Ave

The Pleasures of Piedmont

Mark Fornatale, Italian Portfolio Manager at Michael Skurnik Wines, will lead a tasting and discussion of Piedmont wines that will be paired perfectly with an impressive assortment of cheeses straight from the cases of the famous Murray’s Cheese.  Find out why the Piedmont region boasts some of Italy’s most famous (and tasty) expressions of the vine.

Tickets available for $65 per person at the Murray’s Cheese website.

The Pleaseures of Piedmont – at Manhattan’s Murray’s Cheese is a post from: Rhino Wino

According to The New York Times, montepulciano d’Abruzzo has a good deal in common with eggplant alla parmigiana. Both the dish and the wine are common staples in low to middle-tier Italian restaurants, and rarely reap raves.

But alter the dish somewhat from its traditional preparation (greasily fried and heavily-laden with cheese), and you get a dish that’s flavorful and light, which pairs well with an everyday montepulciano. We learned this was true just last night, when we filled our NuVin Goblets from an $11 bottle of montepulciano, and tried the following suggested recipe:

Eggplant Alla Parmigiana

4 small eggplants, each 6 – 8 ounces
salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
8 leaves of fresh basil

1. Trim eggplants and slice across 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and place on one or more racks (cooling racks for baking) on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet on medium, add garlic and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. When garlic is golden, add tomatoes and cook down a few minutes. Season to taste. Transfer to a food processor and pulse briefly until nearly puréed.

3. Rinse and dry eggplant slices. Heat half the remaining oil in a skillet on medium-high. Fry as many as fit comfortably until golden, adding more oil and eggplant in shifts. Transfer fried eggplant to paper towels to drain.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread a little tomato sauce in a 9-inch casserole. Add a layer of eggplant, then half the cheese, half the basil and half the remaining sauce. Repeat layers. Top with a layer of eggplant. Bake 20 minutes. Remove and allow to sit 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot or at room temperature.

Pairing Foods With Everyday Wines – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo & Eggplant Parmesan is a post from: Rhino Wino

Looking for a Halloween Wine?

Trick or Treating for the 21+ crowd…

Armida describes it as a “wine to die for”, this Zinfandel blend has aromas of blackberry, plum, and cassis, with oak flavors of vanilla and brown spice.  Sounds delicious…but its the packaging that really caught our eye.

Available at Armida.

“Reserve” Poizin from Armida Winery is a post from: Rhino Wino