The fun continues... we've been saying for weeks that there's nothing quite like a moving sale, especially if it's at a wine store. This week, the fun gets really fun.
As we know, to lighten their load before moving down the block, Astor Wines is offering wines at 25% during the month of February - each week they feature different regions.
And this week's regions are the France, Italy, Germany, Austria , plus Dessert Wines. This sale runs now through Sunday, February 19.
You can purchase wine in the store (12 Astor Place at Lafayette) or online at Astorwines.com
i went last night and it was TOTALLY civilized!
i got 6 wines for $70, the boy bought 4 and they're all really awesome wines!
so very very very excited
look for the FAB Brun bordeaux from 2003 with a pretty, unusual label
usually $14.99, its now barely $11! and AMAZING!
go go go! and enjoy!
I just got back!
some of the bottles I'd scoped out were gone,
but it was still totally fun
there's plenty of wine
to stock up
and try some new regions and grapes . . .
they are soooo smart to have this sale
it's getting me excited for their new space
I was consulting "Food & Wine" Sept 2005/Asian issue...
Rieslings are a usual suggestion for Vietnamese, with the Austrian Gruner Veltliners pairing better for garlicky dishes...we'll see. I've found chiles to brighten up the sweetness of a riesling, not in a good way.
Chef Phan from the Slanted Door in SF suggested the 2004 Filliatreau La Grande Vignolle for banh mi.
I think this is hilarious - banh mi is a sandwich that I love to get a bunch of to serve at informal gatherings.
And I can't wait to try it with the wine, which they actually had at Astor.
oh guido, i love pairing wine with sandwiches
i recently discovered that a really overblown australian syrah (you know the type that's slightly better than yellow tail, but still just a mass marketed syrah that you pick up at the corner store b/c you reaaaaally want wine but its snowing too hard to walk all the way to one of the good stores) goes really, REALLY well with ham and provolone on a hero with tomato, lettuce, mayo and oil and vinegar
pastrami and swiss on rye goes great with pinot
and my fave pairing is ANYTHING withe cab franc paired with a cubano
freaking de-lici-OUS!!!
i have a banh mi place near my house, i'll have to try pairing it with a gewurtztraminer, my favorite form of slightly sweet-esque white wine ;-)
ooh - went to Astor last night and I had a blast! Unfortunately I missed some of the cherries I'd previously spied but I did pick up a whole slew of Nebbiolo, which is ordinarily too expensive for my everyday budget. Including one with ample stock for this week's wine suggestion ~ stay tuned.
I got the Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggione, Brovia 2002
with absolutely no idea of what that is . . .
blog the wine sale jenny!
Brovia is an awesome producer! I picked up one of their Barolos, yum! These are wines that can definitely age for a few years.
O Jenny, all I want to do is ask you questions . . .
San Pio, Mastrojanni 1997
is that a hold or a drink?
(I got it for the across the board late 90s good vintages in Italy)
Ask away Guido! Drink it this year. In fact, figure out an excuse to drink it this week and tell us about it. If I recall correctly this is pretty medium body/styled wine, it was good of you to hold it this long but it's probably ready to drink.
'twas Astor holding on to San Pio, not me
there's a lamb roast coming up in our future, we'll see how that goes
I'd love for you to do a feature on wine 'futures', or at least the basics of thinking about that
for example
I was surprised that Astor recommended a few years time for
Vouvray Sec "Amédée", Brisebarre 2002
I bought wine with 2006 in mind, but I'm always intrigued by waiting
Debrief from a Washington State tasting at Astor:
Maryhill Viognier 2004 from Washington State is just lovely. We loved that and Kiona Lemberger 2002, a varietel of German origin. Great everyday red, great price.
But I digress. The Viognier with spicy lemongrass Vietnamese shrimp, which just murdered it.
But before that, it was GORGEOUS to drink while cooking . . . even my reds-only sweetie was surprised and impressed. She did not love the Lemberger as much as me and a discerning French person partial to Chateauneuf-du-Pape...