What is it that drives us to learn as much as we can about the wines we love so much? If you are reading this, odds are that you suffer from this same irresistible urge to know all you can about your favorite pleasures. Make no mistake, I’m no Anthony Bourdain, but the wine and the region I’ll discuss today are very familiar to him: Sardinia, home to Anthony’s wife. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and this region is also home to one of my favorite wines.

Argiolas Costera [retail $19.99]

                If this wine were a symphony, it would be like Mahler’s 8^th symphony. Rich, dark, with complex harmonies and structure. The nose is full and heady. Heavy dried fruits are carried by rich white chocolate and fresh cracked black pepper. The body is warm on the palate with balanced acidity and pleasant tannins. Ripe fruit rounds off the taste to a cadence that lingers with great satisfaction.

Cannonau is the main varietal used in this blend. I know that some of you are thinking that you have never tried this varietal before, but it goes by many names. The French call it Grenache, and the Spanish call it Garnacha. Cannonau is native to Sardinia and grows well with the island’s Mediterranean climate. During the year there are approximately 300 days of sunshine, with a major concentration of rainfall in the winter and autumn, some heavy showers in the spring and snowfalls in the highlands. The average temperature is between 11 to 17 °C (52 to 63 °F) the Mistral from the northwest is the dominant wind on and off throughout the year, though it is most prevalent in winter and spring. It can blow quite strongly, but it is usually dry and cool and makes for a sailor’s paradise. Since Cannonau ripens late, because of the 300 days of sunshine and the mild Mediterranean climate, the yields must be carefully controlled. Otherwise the wine will lack structure and color. This is one reason Carignano and Bovale Sardo are included in this blend.

Enjoy Argiolas with suckling pig or wild boar roasted on the spit or boiled in stews of beans and vegetables, thickened with bread. Or pair with a filet seasoned with herbs such as mint and myrtle and brushed lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with a salad of arugula, tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and a strong cheese.

Come by today to enjoy this wonderful but not very well known wine. Wednesday is wine day so you can enjoy this gem of a wine at a discounted price. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

David Waddle

Our local Budweiser distributor has really stepped up to the plate the last few weeks in trying to bring some very high quality craft beers into the state, Golden Eagle will bring in Goose Island Bourbon County Stout which is one of the highest rated beers in the world!  I am told that we will have this product in our store by no later than Wednesday February 3rd,  Springhill has bought a large quantity of this wonderful beer in anticipation for a very high demand.  I will (hopefully) be able to set some aside to do a little aging and release in small amounts down the road as part of my aged beer collection as I have done with some 09 Bigfoot and Celebration.  Check out Goose Islands website for some great info on this beer and some others we will also have very soon!

On the 23rd and the 30th of January we will be doing Moylan’s appreciation days, we will be doing in-store tastings and offering a 15% discount on any Moylan’s purchase.  Below is a description of the nine different Moylan beers that are currently available here.

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Dragoons Dry Irish Stout
Dry, roasty and incredibly rich in flavor, Dragoons Dry Irish Stout is made with a unique blend of imported hops and malted barley from the United Kingdom. This award winning stout is brewed in the Irish tradition to commemorate General Stephen Moylan, Irish-born commander of the 4th Continental Dragoons during the American Revolutionary War.

Alcohol 8.0% by Volume

Moylan’s Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale
Robust and Strapping , Our Scotch Ale takes BIG Beers to a whole new level. Rich malt balances perfectly with delicate hops to provide a concentrated and intense flavor; an ideal companion for hearty foods, or as a meal unto itsself. Allow this ale to warm slightly in your glass to enhance its truly bold character .Sharing is encouraged, as this is one beer that lives up to its name! Hey! No peeking! Slainté!

Alcohol 8.0% by Volume

Moylan’s Hopsickle Imperial Ale- Tripple Hoppy
This is a “Hop” tribute, worthy of a King’s Imperial Court! Enjoy the blast of fresh Tomahawk, Cascade and Centennial Hops as they stimulate the taste buds in a truly imperial fashion. Pucker Up!

Alcohol 9.2% by Volume

Moylan’s Tipperary Pale Ale
Our version of the classic Pale Ale style is named in tribute to County Tipperary, our Founder’s Father’s Homeland. Sweetly sharp and smoothly bitter, this beer straddles the line between what you want and what you need. It’s not a long way to Tipperary anymore!

Alcohol 5.0% by Volume

Moylan’s Celts Golden Ale
Pale gold in color, sweet and fruity, with a slight dryness and crisp hoppiness in the finish. This California Golden Ale is the perfect “session” beer- an excellent ale that complements all occcasions.

Alcohol 5.0% by Volume

Moylan’s IPA (India Pale Ale)
Exciting and provacative, India Pale Ale provides a stimulating assault on all senses.Our version of the IPA style possesses a deep golden hue that nearly winks at you from the glass. Extremely full-bodied, its rich flavor wraps your tongue in a lush blanket of sweet malt with a spicy hop finish. Two hop varieties in the Dry Hopping provide an enticing floral bouquet, with notes of resin and herbs,creating a delightfully quaffable and refreshing ale we’re sure you’ll love!

Alcohol 6.5% by Volume

Moylan’s Irish Style Red Ale
A rich ale recipe from the Homeland, Paddy’s Irish Red Ale is malty sweetness in liquid form. A low hop profile dances above the massive barley character, creating an invigorating aroma and carmel character that will compliment most foods. Hearty and luscious, this brew is what keeps those Irish Eyes A’ Smilin’!

Alcohol 6.5% by Volume

Moylan’s Old Blarney Barleywine Style Ale
Our Barleywine Style Ale is a rich and heavy ale brewed to a high gravity. Massive body, mouthfeel and hoppiness. Barleywines are the “brandy” of the ale world. A great sipping ale, and a perfect finish to any meal.

Alcohol 10.0% by Volume

Moylan’s Ryan Sullivans Imperial Stout
Originally brewed to withstand the long voyage from London to Czarist Russia, Imperial Stouts are rich, thick and intense. Named in honor of our St. Patrick’s Day Piper, Ryan Sullivan’s Imperial Stout brings chocolate truffles, espresso coffe, burnt currants and the sweetness of sherry to mind. This is the classic “Cigar Stout”.

Alcohol 10.0% by Volume

It is that time of year again where not just good beer is hitting the market but GREAT beer!  I am happy to inform everyone know that on Thursday October 30th Sierra Nevada’s 2009 release of Celebration will be available and that Sam Adams Utopias will also be for sale - let that sink in for a minute, Yes Sam Adams Utopias has finally made it to Arkansas (in extremely small quantities) and Springhill Wine and Spirits was very lucky to get a hold of some.  This very rare and unique beverage retails for $149.99 a bottle.

We have just received in a shipment of Double Dead Guy, It will be available in 750ml bottles and will retail out for $11.59

Rogue Double Dead Guy

Style: Strong Ale Food Pairing: Pork / Hot & Spicy

Tasting Notes:

Deep amber copper color. Buttery peanut brittle, orange blossom tea aromas follow through to a rich chewy and fruity full body with nice notes of caramel drizzled dried apricot and roasted grains and spice. Finishes with a long, tangy grilled grapefruit and chocolate fade.

World Class Package:

750ml “Dead Red” Painted bottle.

Glidewell Distributing is now offering a small line of craft beers from Oklahoma and Missouri here in Pulaski county.  Choc brewery out of Oklahoma has a line of six different beers available in six packs and a six pack mix pack which includes one of each of their offerings.  Charleville brewery out of Missouri has a line of three beers available in 22 oz single bottles.  Glidewell is wanting to become Arkansas premier craft beer distributor and is in talks with several other brewery’s hoping to bring them into Arkansas, here is hoping much success in their endeavour.  Also as a Razorback game week special I brought in another beer from Choc called Texas Sux, something for the avid fan to display on game day’s and when family or friends from Texas come over.

Choc Brewery - All Six Packs $8.39

Pietro Piegari - American Amber

Miner Mishap - Black Lager

Waving Wheat - Belgian White

1919 - American Wheat

Basement Batch - American Pale Ale

Last Laugh - American White

Texas Sux  -  Novelty Beer

Charleville Brewery - All 22 oz $4.69

Tornado Alley - Amber Ale  (Awesome)

Half Wit - Wheat

Hoptimistic - IPA  (Awesome)

We are now offering all of our Kasteel products at a very deep discount,  Supplies are limited and once they are gone unfortunately these great beers will no longer be available in this market.

Kasteel Rouge, Triple and Donker 4 packs are now $7.59

Kasteel Rouge, Triple and Donker 750ml’s are now $3.79

Rouge has a 92 rating from Ratebeer.com

Triple has a 85 rating from Ratebeer.com

Donker has a 92 rating from Ratebeer.com

Don’t miss out on this limited offering

Cheers,

Eric Shatzer

Our distributor is closing out Kasteel Belgian Ale so when it’s gone, it’s gone! We will have bottles open for tasting all weekend. Come by and try it and stock up!! Don’t miss out!!

Kasteel Rouge 750ml/$3.79 and 4pk/$7.49

Castle Red is the fruit beer of the Castle range. Its unique dark red colour is obtained by mixing Castle brown that has been left to mature for at least 6 months with sour cherries. This beer has gastronomic qualities and can be drunk as an aperitif, with a BBQ, to accompany a dessert or simply as an outstanding real ale.

Kasteel Triple 750ml/$3.79 and 4pk/$7.49

A golden craft-beer, brilliant, topfermented, refermented in the bottle. An exceptional blend of malts and quality hops, an elegant nose and a particularly smooth flavour.
11% ABV.
Should be served at 9°C.

Kasteel Bruin-Brune 750ml/$3.79 and 4pk/$7.49

From beer to castle… it’s a long way! Endeavouring to comply with ever more strin-gent
requirements, the master brewer carried out numerous tests before he produced a creamy dark
beer. The fruit of his labours goes under the name of Kasteelbier. It combines the unparalleled quality of
the past and a resolutely modern taste. Kasteelbier is a brown craft beer mild and tasty, fullbodied and creamy… It has a shelf life ofseveral years. 11% ABV.
Should be served at 12°C.

We will have a bottle of the new Toasted Head Untamed Red open and ready for tasting on Wednesday. Be sure to drop by!

Grape Source
Fruit for this red blend is sourced from the North Coast and Dunnigan Hills AVAs
of California. The North Coast is ideal for growing and maturing Zinfandel as the
moderate summer days allow for full ripeness and fresh bramble fruit flavors.
Petite Sirah grown in the warmer Dunnigan Hills AVA which contributes ripe, hearty
tannins and intriguing floral notes. The Syrah comes from both areas, with the North
Coast fruit offering rich mocha/chocolate flavors on the palate, while our estate
vineyard in the Dunnigan Hills produces Syrah with vibrant blueberry fruit notes
and hints of lavender. (45% Syrah, 37% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 2% Other)

Vintage
The 2007 vintage began with a wet spring, followed by a summer of ideal, moderate,
and even conditions which concluded in excellent ripening weather. The vines
were well balanced and the harvest proceeded smoothly, allowing for the character
of the vineyards and fruit to shine.

Winemaking
The style of winemaking for this blend was designed to let the fruit shine through.
After crushing, the grapes undergo a 24-hour cold soak, which aids in the extraction of
color. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, and skin contact averages approximately
10 days. The wine was pressed off skins slightly before dryness, when color is at
a maximum and tannins are moderate. Following malolactic fermentation, the wines
are aged in small oak barrels, 10% of which are new American, providing complex
butterscotch and coconut flavors. The remaining barrels are older French and
American barrels, which round out the wine without dominating the fruit. The
Untamed Red is unfiltered.

Winemaker Notes
This rich, mouth-filling wine features prominent flavors of wild blackberry and red
raspberry. There are intriguing lavender accents on the nose, and the barrel aging
adds nuances of vanilla and cedar. Round and ripe on the palate, the wine has medium
tannins that carry into a long, spicy finish. Untamed Red is deeply hued, with notes of
maroon and carmine.

Food Pairings
This balanced wine will pair well with proteins from lamb, pork, and veal, to pasta
or Osso Buco.

Technical Data
WINEMAKER: Barry Bergman
VARIETY: Red Blend | APPELLATION: California
ACID/pH: 5.62 g/L / 3.73 | RESIDUAL SUGAR: 2.4 g/l | ALCOHOL: 13.5%

Another Wednesday, another wine tasting. Today we have 3 really great bottles.

337 Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon Today’s price $11.04

 Here is what their website has to say: 337 delivers concentrated flavors that ignite the senses. The 337 clone is an early ripening grape with small berry clusters that deliver a bold, but luscious wine with spice and blackberry. The 337 clone is renowned for lacking the herbal and veggie characteristics that can detract from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.The 337 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 exhibits enticing aromas of toffee, black cherry and currant. Balanced tannins underscore core flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and currant, interlaced with roasted coffee bean and hints of black pepper. This Cabernet Sauvignon can be enjoyed on its own or matches well with braised meats.

Anne Amie Cuvee A Amrita Today’s price $11.89

Bright pale straw in color, the Cuvée A Amrita has an upfront minerality and striking fruit-forward aromas layered with notes of gooseberry, passion fruit and key lime pie. With each sip you find a veritable smorgasbord of citrus flavors with highlights of grapefruit, citrus peel and Meyer lemon leading the way. This wine is delightfully crisp with long finish that is fresh, elegant and seductively charming.

Anne Amie Cuvee A Pinot Noir Today’s price $21.07

Our 2007 Cuvée A Pinot Noir is gleaming ruby in color and bursts with aromas of fresh blackberries, plums, spice and hints of forest floor. On the palate, the wine opens up with lively acidity and a round mouth-feel that leads to flavors of ripe cherry, raspberry and sweet-maple touched with cinnamon, cardamom, and sandalwood spice. A smooth, lingering finish is backed by firm, seamlessly integrated tannins . We recommend drinking our Cuvée A Pinot Noir now, to enjoy its lively freshness and youthful charms. This wine pairs beautifully with a broad array of cuisine. From delicate fish to succulent venison there are endless great matches to this versatile food friendly wine.

REMEMBER, WEDNESDAY IS WINE DAY! 15% EVERY WINE THE STORE!