4/5/2021 Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

This Wednesday, April 7^th is National Beer Day. It’s a day to recognize and celebrate the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage (and following water and tea, the third most popular drink overall). Beer is one of the world’s oldest prepared beverages, dating back possibly as far as 9,500 B.C., when grains were first farmed by the earliest civilizations.

April 7^th marks the date the Cullen-Harrison Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first step toward ending Prohibition. The law allowed people to brew and sell beer in the United States. These days, one of the best things about beer is the sheer number of varieties that exist – IPAs, Pilsners, Lagers, Porters, Stouts, Sours… the list goes on and on. The Wine Cellar will always be about wine, first and foremost, but we sure like beer as well. There’s a nice selection of craft brews and imports here in the Cellar, and we keep a good selection of them cold. So try to make it in this week and you can hoist a cold brew to help toast National Beer Day!

FEATURED WINES THIS WEEK

Domaines Schlumberger 2018 Riesling Les Princes Abbés (Alsace, France) $22.99

This juicy, crystalline Alsatian Riesling exudes a classic, aromatic nose of lime, mineral and peach. It leads on to a crisp and focused palate that deftly blends its chalky, stony framework with refreshing citrus and white pear flavors. The finish is long and fully dry, inviting another sip…

Fattorie Melini 2018 San Lorenzo Chianti (Tuscany, Italy) $14.99

The Melini family has been making wines in Chianti since 1705. The San Lorenzo Chianti is a vivid ruby-garnet color in the glass, with a fine bouquet of raspberries and cherries plus accents of violets and irises. Flavors of dark cherry, wild forest berries and almonds are full and savory.

Mon Frère California 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon $15.99

Mon Frère Cabernet has a fragrant nose of cherry, currant and raspberry, plus hints of toasted oak and vanilla. In the glass, flavors of wild berry and plum mingle on a lingering finish. Polished tannins, a moderate palate weight and the rich fruit make this wine very easy to drink.

Gérard Bertrand 2015 Art de Vivre (Rhone Valley, France) $19.99

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, Art de Vivre opens with aromas of spices, dark fruit, fennel and a hint of black olives. In the mouth it’s smooth and easy to drink, with polished, supple tannins that support black cherry, plum and wild raspberry flavors. Hints of balsamic and espresso add interest, along with a dash of minerality to enliven the finish.

Hearst Ranch Winery 2015 The Pergola Petite Sirah (Paso Robles) $24.99

This Petite is smooth, rich and polished, with layers of blackberry, blueberry and plum fruit. Lush and super-saturated, it literally coats the palate, with floral and spice elements adding to its abundantly ripe black fruit flavors. It’s a big and bold, yet silky-smooth mouthful of red.

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS

Argyle 2018 Reserve Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) $39.99

The Argyle Reserve Pinot is classic Oregon. It begins with intense aromas of ripe plums, dark cherries and raspberries, along with subtle accents of earthy truffle and spice. Precise and clean, it delivers an alluring palate of ripe black cherry and plum fruit, edged with a subtle hint of tobacco leaf.

McBride Sisters 2019 Chardonnay (Central Coast) $17.99

This opens with aromas of green apple, honeydew melon and orange blossom. The palate shows a perfect synchrony of flavors, with a refreshing character of lemon curd and quince. The elegant finish emotes crème brûlée, with the perfect toasting derived from light oak barrel aging.

McBride Sisters 2018 Red Blend (Central Coast) $19.99

This proprietary blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Malbec and Petite Sirah was aged in a mix of French, American and Hungarian oak barrels. Aromas of cherries and plums dominate the nose, with a backdrop of cedar and vanilla. In the mouth it’s an elegant and balanced red, with rich dark fruit flavors and soft, easy tannins.

Cheers!

Mike Shelhamer
Old Town Wine Cellar
265 S. Main Street, Suite E
Yuma, Arizona 85364
928-373-0405