Mills Fine Wine & Spirits

Wow,  we’ve really been in the local spirit lately!  As the economy rebounds we’ve really noticed the importance of supporting local Annapolis businesses.  This is a close knit community that really needs to focus on supporting each other.  We are pushing forward at Mills and have been really excited about working with our neighbors to create fun and interesting tastings for you!

Last Thursday,  I had the the pleasure of hosting two different tastings.  In the morning I attended Chef Brendan O’Dea’s cooking class at Williams-Sonoma and brought  along some of our wines to pair with his, “Spring Pasta”, class.  The wines and the food were a hit.  I brought the Chateau Felice Rose 2008 $18.99 to pair with Farfalle with proscuitto and peas.  You may think its strange to pair a Rose with pasta, but it was a fantastic combination!  Light summertime pastas with basic olive oil based sauces  seemed perfect with the Chateau ducla entre deux Mers 2007  $12.99 .  This is a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc,  Semillion and Muscadelle blend wine.  It’s fresh herbaciousness and soft body married amazingly well with these pasta dishes.

In the evening I hosted a tasting at, The Annapolis Running Shop, ( owned by Jon and Megan Line)  for ladies night.  If you are an avid runner and have not been to this store your missing out!  Jon does gait analysis in the store and can get you fitted with the perfect running shoe.  How many times have you bought running shoes on your own and have been dissapointed because the fit was all wrong?  I’ve been running for many years and can honestly say I’ve done this several times.  Everyone enjoyed the wine choices but the most popular choice of the night was the,  Tenuta Rapitala Nero d’ avalo $12.99.   This is a great red wine for cocktail parties and just fun to drink.  It’s lighter bodied and slightly fruity and balanced.  There were more than a few of the ladies who were hooked and didn’t wander far from my wine table!  I had a great time being surrounded by such great company all night!  We are also working with Jon and Megan to do a Wednesday evening run benefitting Haiti this summer on June 2nd.  For $25.00 you can join in a little fun run around downtown that ends at a wine tasting in our store.  All proceeds from the race will be donated  to Haiti and you recieve a t shirt!  To sign up for the race, contact Jon Line at 410-263-0010.

On Sunday we partnered with Paws Pet Boutique for a dog friendly wine tasting called,  “Wag for Wine”!    We did two tastings for, “Wag for Wine”, this month  and they were both a huge success and a lot of fun!  Our raffle wine and doggie baskets raised  money to donate to Fidos for Freedom and The Westie Rescue which totaled over $1000.00.  Wine and dog lovers seem to go hand in hand in Annapolis!  Who would of thought?  We had a great turnout.  The wine of the day was, Domaine Michel Fonne Pinot Blanc 2008 for  $11.99!  It’s crisp and fresh with just the right balance of fruit and acidity!  I couldn’t keep it on the tasting table long enough because customers loved it so much.

We love working with local businesses  and we have some great events and meet  The Wine Maker dinners planned for the rest of the year.  Make sure to get on our email list so you’re  not to miss anything! If you are a local business and would like to plan an event with us contact us at our store.  Here are just a few of the events we are working on….

Kilwins and “Women and Wine”,  Tuesday April 20th from 2-5pm.  Sample delicious chocolates and wines!

Women and Wine Champagne Luncheon at Sam’s Waterfront with Pol Roger Tuesday May 4th at 12pm

Meet the Wine maker dinner with Julie and Tres Sabores Wines at Paul’s Homewood Cafe Monday May 17th at 7pm

Meet the Wine maker dinner with Walter Hansel at Lewnes Steakhouse Tuesday May 25th at 7pm

Run for Haiti,  a fun run and wine tasting Wednesday June 2nd at 7pm

Women and Wine Tuesday is every Tuesday (Wine tasting from 2-5 focused on women in the business)

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On Tuesday,  I had the great pleasure of meeting Martha Barra of Girasole and Barra Wines.  Martha is married to Charlie Barra (Legendary Veteran Vintner and Grape grower) and is the female driving force behind Barra and Girasole.  She is quite focused on promoting the brands and spends lots of time on the road to do so.  She generously offered to pour her Girasole wines for our, Women and Wine Tuesday”,  wine tasting in our store.   She was a grand hostess and was eager to explain the Barra’s  wine making philosophy.

Barra of Medocino wines including Girasole is a family estate owned operation entrenched in a long history of wine making.   When Martha and Charlie wed in 1980,  Martha began working  with him to farm 200 acres of certified organic vineyards on the rolling benchlands of the  Mendocino appelation in Northern California.  This is Charlie’s 64th harvest!  Wow!  Interestingly enough he admits there were 20 years in the beginning when he didn’t even know they were growing organic as if there were not any other way to do it!

Girasole means, Sunflower in Italian.  Girosole wines can easily be recognized by the bright sunflower on the label.  I had the opportunity to try the entire line of Girasole wines with Martha.  I was quite impressed!  These wines are all certified organic and vegan.  For those of you who are allergic or sensitive to sulfites,  these wines have a very low count.  The grapes are grown on the estate organically without the use of pesticides,  herbicides,  sewage,  sludge or radiation.  This allows the fruit to really shine through in the wines.  The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks producing crisp and clean wines that are never over oaked.  These wines are great everyday drinking wines and are meant to enjoy now.

Two of the favorites during the wine tasting were the Girasole 2007 Zinfandel and the 2008 Pinot Blanc.  The Zinfandel was light to medium bodied,  delicate and fresh.  This is not the over the top jammy and spicy zin.  It’s the perfect balance of crushed fresh cherries and berries with spice.   The Girasole Pinot Blanc will be the perfect sipping white for a long awaited summer!  It’s beautiful with flavors of apple and vanilla and a creamy mouth feel.  The Girasole Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also available in our store.  The Chardonnay has a touch of Pinot Grigio,  giving it a fresh zippiness.  I appreciated its balance and un-oakiness.  The Pinot was pretty on the nose with flavors of cherry,  vanilla and cranberry.  All of these wines are also  reasonably priced under $20.oo!

A big thanks to Martha for visiting our store and sharing her wines with our customers!

If you would like more information about Girasole Wines or Women and Wine Tuesday please call me at Mills!  Keep in mind men are always welcome to our Tuesday tastings.  Women and Wine Tuesdays strive to showcase women leaders in the wine business and local Annapolis businesses.  If you are interested in being involved in a future tasting contact me!

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Anyone who knows me well will tell you how crazy I am about organic food!   Nowadays,  organic food is readily available but good organic wine is hard to come by.  It’s an area in wine that is just starting to come around as the demand for organic and biodynamic wines increase.   It’s my intent to take some of the guess work out of finding good organic wines and explain some terms.

There really is some confusion about organic and biodynamic wine.  Technically, the Bureau of Alcohol,  Tobacco and firearms does not allow the term “Organic Wine” to be used on wine labels.  Often,  you will see such terms as , “Grapes organically grown” or “Organically processed”.  (More on these terms later)  Some wineries have been practicing organic and biodynamic methods for decades and there may be nothing on their labels to indicate so.  I know….even more confusing!   Mendocino County in California, for example, has the largest percentage of  organic vineyards of any county in California.  Often you won’t see anything on their labels because for these wineries and vineyards, this is a moral way of life.  It’s an issue of supporting and respecting our mother earth.

If you are interested in organic wine then it’s just a matter of doing your research.  Don’t hesitate to google your favorite wineries and check out their websites.  Often they will share their philosophy of making wine and if organic or biodynamic is important to them.

Some terms to know:

Organically grown grapes: Grapes that have been grown without the use of chemicals,  pesticides or fertilizers.

Organically processed: Wine that can’t have any sulfites added during winemaking.  Sulfites occur naturally in wines and are also often added to preserve.  Some organically processed wines are filtered and fined until no sulfites are detected.

Biodynamic: Developed by Austrian philosopher Rudolf  Steiner in the 1920′s,  It involves delving  deeper than just using organic grapes in such that it is a holistic system of  “living agriculture” where the soil is nurtured in rhythm with the alignment of the planets and cosmos.  Natural animal and plant matter are used.  These wineries are completely self sustainable.

Demeter: The only certification for Biodynamic products made world wide.  On their website,  www.demeter-usa.org,  they state, “As a non-profit organization,  Demeter’s  mission is the improve the health of the planet and it’s people by providing certification of products whose ingredients are grown and processed according to the highest agricultural and environmental standards.  ”

Vegan: No use of animal products may be used in the winemaking process.  Many wineries use some animal products in fining and filtering wine.

CCOF: Stands for California Certified Organic Farmers.  This is a certification agency that requires both the vineyards and the winery be certified organic in order to carry their seal.

Following are some organic wines that are stocked in our store that I highly recommend.

Orleans Hill line of wines are stamped USDA Organic.  This is possible because there are no sulfites detected and no sulfites added.  If a wine is stamped USDA Organic it can not have sulfites dectected or very little detected.

Orleans Hill Alexandria White:  $12.99

A blend of muscat and French Colombard.  Simple,  refreshing and aromatic with notes of pear and mango.  Pair it with fresh pasta,  light cheeses,  seafood,  salads,  mixed veggies or chicken.

Orleans Hill Our Daily Red:  $9.99

Easy drinking red blend of  Cabernet,  Syrah and Carignan.  Bursting with strawberries and vanilla.  Pair with berries,  poultry,  cheese,  pork,  lamb,  tuna or salmon.

Orleans Hill Cote Zero 08:  $9.99

A red blend of Grenache,  Syrah and a bit of Voigner.  Tart cherry flavors and mellowest from this line.  Pairs with poultry,  pork,  lamb or fatty fish.

Orleans Hill Cabernet 08:  $10.99

A chewy Cab with the classic green olive aroma followed by enough tannin to stand up to hearty meals.  Drink now or cellar for a few years.

Macon Loche:  2007 $17.99

This wine is stamped with the demeter symbol indicating it is biodynamic.  It’s an excellent Chardonnay from Burgundy.  Youthfully fresh,  crisp and dry and has never touched oak.  Great lingering finish and great with meat and seafood.

The Yorkville line of wines are grown in Mendocino County in California

Yorkville  Eleanor of Aquitaine White 05 $24.99

Complex and full bodied 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion.  Aged for 10 months with the majority in French oak.

Yorkville  Semillion 06 $19.99

Dry and light to medium full bodied with a little oak and spice.  Blended with 23% Sauvignon Blanc.

Yorkville Malbec 05 $21.99

Medium bodied with red and black berry and plum.  Smooth and balanced.

Tre Fili Pinot grigio $14.99

Made with organically grown grapes, it’s simple,  dry and easy drinking with a clean finish.

Girasole Vineyards wines are made from certified organic grapes grown  in Mendocino California.  These wines are stamped with the CCOF symbol and are also vegan.

Girasole Chardonnay 2008 $13.99

The 08 Chardonnay is fresh and lively with aromas of lemon,  lime,  vanilla and custard.  Flavors include,  lemon zest,  nectarine and toasted grahm crackers.  Smooth,  creamy and balanced fruit and oak.

Girasole Pinot Noir 08 $15.99

Fruit forward and medium bodied with hints of cranberry,  cherry and roasted nuts,  this wine will pair well with anything  from salmon to pork to grilled vegetables.

These wines are all excellent choices.  We also have several others in our store that I will be tasting soon.  It’s great to see times change as people become more aware of what we put into our bodies.  I’m glad to see these wineries doing their part to help our environment.

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On Thursday,  I joined Chef Brendan O’Dea’s  (from Lewnes Steakhouse) cooking class at Williams-Sonoma to pair wines with his festive Winter menu.

This was a lively crew who clearly enjoyed the wine and food pairings.  We all had a great time and bystanders and onlookers were truly envious!

The first dish was a mini crab cake with avocado paired with the Casas Del Mar Cava.  This cava is very fresh with hints of toasted brioche,  very reminiscent of it’s Champagne counterpart without the huge price tag.  The students were amazed about it’s $11.99 price!  Sipping the Cava after a bite of the crab cake really made  the toastiness of the almonds and hazelnuts shine through.  I explained not to be afraid to pair Sparkling with appetizers or seafood dishes.  They are versatile and can pair nicely with all sorts of food!

Next on the menu was a Gorgonzola and Pear Tart paired with the 2008 Dozoe Albarino.  The saltiness of the Gorgonzola needed a wine high in acidity and the Dozoe did not disappoint.  The students loved this wine even before they tasted the tart.  After biting into the tart,  I heard oohs and ahhs because this was definitely a match made in heaven!  The cheese really made the wine take on an almost creamy finish and the pear mingled with the wines light,  crisp and tropical flavors.

The following dish was by far the favorite dish and wine pairing.  It was Braised Leg of Lamb paired with the 2006 Alaine Jaume (Grand Veneur) Clos Sixte Lirac Rhone.  The heartiness of this lamb dish really intensified this Rhones blackberry,  blackcurrant and spice.  It was perfection!  A couple of the students noted that this wine was already beautiful on its own but a beautiful marriage with the braised lamb. 

Following on the menu was Pan Seared Sockeye Salmon with the Walter  Hansel Pinot Noir.  I can’t say enough great things about this Russian River Valley Pinot Noir!  Often, some are hesitant to pair red wines with fish but Salmon is a heavier, fattier fish that Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with.  This particular combination really made this wine shine even more.  Lot’s of ripe cherries and plumbs led to a lingering finish.

The final dish was Veal Scallopini paired with the Batasiolo Barbera d’Alba.  This Italian pairing was right on target!  The richness of the veal played on the concentrated red berry and spiciness of the wine.

A big thank you to Chef Brendan and Williams-Sonoma of Annapolis for letting Mills pair the wine for this cooking class!  Thanks as well to all of the students and their input.  The class was a success and we hope to do this again. 

For more information about signing up for a cooking class at Williams-Sonoma,  contact Wendy Higgins at 410-571-0589.

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The name alone begs for you to take it to a special holiday dinner.  Bennett Lane’s,  Maximus Red Feasting Wine,  is a beautiful meritage wine from Napa.  The blend is 64% Cabernet,  25% Merlot and 11% Syrah.  What a fabulous blend it is!

The nose is heaven with aromas of plum, dark chocolate and vanilla.  On the palate,  it exhibits blueberry,  plum,  vanilla clove and nutmeg.  I personally really enjoy the hints of blueberry quite a bit!  It’s so perfectly balanced and the finish is just as good as the beginning!

This wine will pair with almost anything but also great without food.  Bring it to your next feast!

I love,  love,  love this wine and it’s definitely a new favorite for me.  I can’t wait to revisit it!

P.S.  Bennett Lane also makes a White Feasting Wine that is 87%  Sauvignon Blanc,  11% Chardonnay and 2% Muscat.  We tried this in the store the other day and it was a staff hit.  Peter had some leftover turkey that he brought in and it paired nicely!

Cheryl

I came home tonight and wondered what I could throw together for dinner that would pair with this bottle of wine that I brought home from Mill’s. “Wow”, is all I can say about this combination! So, I thought I’d share, only with our mills customers and staff my very own recipe and tasting notes.

Here’s what you will need:

Bottle of Mader Alsace Gewurztraminer or any Gewurztraminer from Alsace at Mill’s

pizza stone

1 ball of pre-made pizza dough (Trader Joe’s makes an awesome one)

3 sweet vidalia onions

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 stick butter or my favorite, Earth Balance Vegan butter

2-4 cloves garlic (depends on your own preference)

1/2 zucchini and 1/2 yellow squash sliced very thin or any other veggies

olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

In a large sauce pan saute the onions and mushrooms and half the garlic (chopped or minced) for about 20 minutes on med-low heat until translucent and brown and cooked down.

Lightly flour the pizza stone with flour or cornmeal.

Spread your dough ball thinly onto the pizza stone, overlapping the edges by a couple of inches. Bring the overlapped edges back up forming the crust for the pizza. Poke holes with a fork all over the dough then brush with some olive oil. Finish with some shaker cheese and bake in a 425 degree oven till browned. (about 10 mins) Pull from the oven.

Melt the butter and add rest of garlic to melted butter. Brush onto the pizza dough.

Spread the caramelized onions and mushrooms onto the dough. Top with the Parmesan.

Top with the sliced zucchini and squash (and any other favorite veggies) and add shaker cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for about 15 mins or until browned.

For comparison, sip the wine before and after tasting the pizza. Its a fruity wine at first sip, lots of lychee, apple and pear. Sip after the a bite of pizza and your in heaven! The wine evolves even more and the acidity pairs perfectly. It really packs a fruity mouthful! Not too sweet, just a lingering beautiful finish! This Gewurztraminer is from Alsace. We have a few from this region in our store that will have the same affect. Just ask, we’d be happy to lead you in the right direction! Enjoy!

Share your own favorite recipes and wine pairing. We’d love to hear about them!

Cheryl

Wow!  We just got a delivery from Preiss Imports today.  Rick is very excited to be able to offer you some of the most intriguing and unique spirits and cordials in this area.

Here’s a list of some of the things we just got in stock:

From Luxardo:

Anice Forte: Classical anise liqueur infusion of chinese star anise.

Sambuca dei Cesari: Made with an infusion of elderberry and green aniseed.   Since antiquity,  elderberries have been know for their digestive and tonic benefits which Luxardo transfers to their classic anise base liqueur.

Ammaretto di Saschira: Made from pure almond paste and aged 8 months before bottling.  Distinguishable from other Amarettos by the high quality almonds picked around Avola in Southern Sicily.

Limoncello: An authentic Italian lemon liqueur.

Espresso Liqueur: Luscious coffee liqueur infused with the best Arabica coffees from Central America.

Additional Preiss Imports:

Pontarlier Anis: All natural,  tantalizing anis without artificial coloring, made from the finest ingredients.

Kalani Coconut Liqueur: Finest natural coconut extract and essences are blended with pure cane syrup to create an exotic, tropical coconut liqueur.

Senior Chocolate Curacao: Deeply chocolate flavored and rich,  followed by a wave of orange.

Mitchell’s Blended Whiskey: Signature blend from Scotland’s oldest distilling family.

Rick has stocked the shelves and set up a new tasting bar right in our store.  This tasting bar is a unique opportunity to try some of these rare gems.  So, stop in and let Rick show you these special cordials and spirits!

Cheryl amaretto, anice, anis, bar, curacao, limoncello, luxardo, mitchell's, pontarlier, Tasting, whiskey

We just got this great bottle of white in.  It’s 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Sauvignon Blanc.  I know what you’re thinking….what an unusual blend! Not being a chardonnay drinker myself,  I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this wine!  It’s very clean,  crisp and fresh with grassy notes.  What a great bottle to take to a holiday party.  It’s 11.99 and from what I can taste,  one of the best deals in the store!  Pair it with fish or white meat or serve it as an apertif.

Cheryl

Our Tuesday wine tasting focused on California.  As you may know, our California wines are  featured this month.  We have an awesome selection of California wines and are offering a buy one bottle and get the same bottle for half off.  This includes even the highly sought after cult wines.  What a deal!  With that being said,  we tasted 2 pinot noirs and 1 sauvignon blanc from California yesterday.

The Laetitia vineyard  located in the heart of California’s Central Coast in the Arroyo Grande Valley  was established to create and promote a singular portfolio of burgundian style wines.  We tasted the Laetitia Estate 2006 Pinot Noir.  Our customers seemed to favor this wine most out of our three picks.  It is an elegant wine with ripe plum and blackberry fruits and dark chocolate.  It’s balanced well with soft tannins yet still fuller bodied for a pinot with a beautiful finish.

We also tasted the Toad Hollow 2006 Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley.  This wines soft plummy color really threw us for a loop!   We expected a ripe fruity style pinot judging from the color and the terroir.  However it was more autumnal in style,  a lot of dried leaves and and fruit with a full yet elegant body.

We also tried the Walter Hansel Sauvignon Blanc.  Hansel is delicate on the nose with scents of floral and honey. It’s  bright, crisp and mellow on the palate.  No overpowering citrus here!  Lot’s of melon, pear and soft citrus notes give way to a finish that holds you for a bit.  By the way if you are a pinot fan, this winery makes a spectacular  pinot noir.  It’s by far my favorite in the store!

Cheryl annapolis, california, laetita, Mills, pinot noir, russian river valley, sauvignon blanc, Tasting, toad hollow, tuesday tasting, walter hansel

Ladies, We know it’s a rainy, dreary
Tuesday but it’s the perfect kind of
day to swing by and try some some
of our lucious wine choices for today!

Cheryl Mills, Tasting, Wine