Winter Whites

I sat down with some friends earlier in the week to taste a handful of white wines. As it gets colder outside, most of us tend to think about big, chewy red wines, and begin a Winter-long white wine-drinking hiatus. Well, we defied that trend, and blind-tasted Sauvignon Blancs - specifically two bottles of Sancerre from the Loire valley in France, and two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand. All four were quite good, but I especially loved the two Kiwi whites.

Nobilo SB (retails for around $12), nearly reminded me of an Alsatian white, as it showed vibrant, zesty tart fruit balanced by a yeasty breadiness mid-palate. The Babich SB (retails for around $13), as one other taster described, was "an explosion of citrus fruit" on the palate. Unabashed, grapefruit and orange peel jump out of the glass, and the flavors remain persistent. If you're looking for good, thought-provoking, reasonably priced white wines to enjoy year-round, these New Zealand Sauv Blancs will do the trick.

Layered

After a lengthy (i.e. 5 months) hiatus, one of the most popular Aussie Reds is finally back at Stimmel's Market. Layer Cake Shiraz, now at $15.99 a bottle, is still a great value; pick some up today!

Those Holiday Brews

We're knee-deep in the holiday season, and we've got a pretty incredible selection (ahem...if I may say so...) here at the market. So far, here are some of the seasonal brews now available:

Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Goose Island Christmas Ale
Bell's Winter White
Moylan's White Christmas
Buckeye Brewing Ho Ho Ho
Great Divide Hibernation Ale
Samuel Smith Winter Welcome
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
Anchor Our Special Ale
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
Delirium Noel
DeDolle Still Nacht
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve
Penn Brewing St. Nikolas Bock
Blue Moon Full Moon
Southern Tier Old Man Winter
Summit Winter Ale

...and more.

Cheers!

Kill Ugly Radio

The good folks at Lagunitas Brewing Company, out of Petaluma, California, happen to be big Frank Zappa fans. Really big. So big, in fact, they decided to honor Frank by releasing a special beer every year, named after his album covers. Last year's brew, "Freak Out" covered Frank's first album, but this year's brew, released here in Ohio yesterday, isn't called "Absolutely Free" (the title of Frank's second album). Instead, the Lagunitas guys, after talking with Frank's family, found out that Frank wanted to name his second album "Kill Ugly Radio". Well, the record company wasn't thrilled with the name, and it died on the vine - until now.

'Kill Ugly Radio" is an agressively hopped beer, veering into Double IPA territory, and can be had for a mere $3.99 per 22 oz. bottle. This is a no-holds-barred original brew; I think Frank would be proud.

On Pumpkins and Oktoberfest

The Autumn beers are here. So far (with more yet to come in the next few weeks):

OKTOBERFEST
Great Lakes
Brooklyn
Goose Island
Left Hand
Penn Brewing
Stoudt's
Bell's
Hofbrau
Ayinger

PUMPKIN
Lakefront
Dogfish Head
Shipyard
Brooklyn
Blue Moon

Seasonal Creep

One of the newer terms bandied about the retail business these days is "seasonal creep" - that is, the fact that seasonal items find their way on to retailers shelves earlier every year. Seasonal creep has found its way into the beer and wine business as well in recent years, although that's not such a bad thing. Christmas Ales hit the shelves in October these days, Summer Ales in April, and now Oktoberfest brews are available around the first of August.

We've received our first batch of Oktoberfests, all from Pennsylvania, and these malty lagers really hit the spot. Stoudt's, Weyerbacher and Pennsylvania Brewing Company all produce terrific Oktos - stop by today and try some, and remember, Christmas is just around the corner!

Hot Deals

A couple of great close-out deals on beer to help beat the heat:

J.W. Dundee Hefeweizen - only $3.99 a sixer

Shiner Dunkel Weizen - also just $3.99 a six-pack

Get 'em while supplies last!