SHOP HOURS
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Mon - Wed: 11 - 6
Thurs - Fri: 11 - 8
Sat: 11 - 6
Sun: 12 - 5
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Hope you all enjoyed the special edition yesterday. Now to the real news of the week.
We've
got a diverse group of events for April listed below, so please peruse
and if there is something that catches your eye, email or call us
quickly so you can reserve a seat.
Friday Night we will be
tasting wines from the Remondo Palacios estate in Rioja. These
are exactly the type of wines you need in April - great values and
great quality all rolled into one bottle (or in this case, 4 different
bottles).
Sara Shaw has two delicious selections this week
described below. Supply is limited on both so if you're
interested, speak up now!
We're Under Construction. This
is an exciting time at the shop, as we approach our two year
anniversary. I've decided it was time to shake things up a bit on
the floor, so you'll notice some small construction projects under way
over the next 6 weeks as we reorganize and expand some areas a
bit. I'll have all the details once everything is in place, but
until then, please bear with the mess and let us help you find items
that may be getting moved around more than normal.
Finally, Free Corkage Night continues on Thursdays at Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill throughout the month of April.
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APRIL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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APRIL EVENTS
WINE 101 · Wednesday, April 9 · $25/person · 6:30pm
LEARN,
DRINK, HAVE FUN! Sara Shaw will guide you and your friends on the basics of
wine tasting. We start with aromas, then analyze the difference
between tannin, acid and sugar, and finally taste 5 examples of
different styles of wine from around the world. These classes are
always informative to the beginning wine drinker and those who have
never had a chance to learn the basics along the way. Class is limited
to 14 people and includes some light appetizers. Class participants
receive 15% off all store merchandise the night of the class.
WINE & CHOCOLATE with ALMA · Thursday, April 17 · 6:30pm · $25/person
This
class was so much fun when we taught it back in February that we have
decided to try and do it more regularly. Sarah Hart from Alma
Chocolate will join me as we talk about pairing chocolates with wine.
Because Sarah uses such interesting flavors, more common to the savory
side of the pantry, it makes for very interesting wine pairings. Oh,
and you get to eat chocolate and drink wine! Sarah will bring plenty
of extras for this evening and you'll receive 15% off all Alma
Chocolates and the featured wines the evening of the class. Limited to
14 people. Email for reservations.
2006 GERMAN RIESLING VINTAGE REPORT · Wed, April 23 · $20 · 6:30pm
Morgan
will guide Riesling lovers down the Mosel River and discuss the 2006
Vintage while tasting a selection of new arrivals she's picked for the
shop. Last year's Riesling tasting was one of the best of the year, so
don't miss this look at what's new!
TASTE OF THE NATION · Monday, April 28 · Get tickets at portlandtaste.org
Cork, along with importer Casa Bruno, is proud to be the Beverage Sponsor for the special Champagne Reception
at this year's Taste of the Nation event. What was formerly referred
to as Chef's Night Out, an event that my wife and I have participated
in since 1996, Taste of the Nation calls upon the best culinary talent
in the city to share their creations in an effort to raise money for
local agencies working to end childhood hunger. Regular tickets start
at $75, but for $200, you can get one of just 100 tickets to attend the exclusive Champagne Reception where we will be pouring some Sparkling wine along with tasty treats from Andina, Alberta St. Oyster Bar and Masu East.
This special ticket also gets you a reserved seat and entry into the
early session of the main event, so you can avoid the crowds and go
straight to the best tables. Champagne Reception starts at 5pm. To
learn more or to purchase tickets, check out portlandtaste.org.
(NOTE: Cork will be closing early on Monday, April 28 so we can work at the event)
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FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHT
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NEW RIOJA ARRIVALS FROM REMONDO PALACIOS
Friday, April 4 · 4pm - 8pm · $12 tasting fee
Alvaro
Palacios has become one of Spain's superstar winemakers. After
working at Petrus and around the Napa Valley, he returned to spain and
immediately achieved great success with his L'Ermita estate in Priorat,
where Les Terrasses and Finca Dofi are made. Then with a brother,
he started the Desciendentes de J. Palacios estate and literally put
the region of Bierzo on the wine world's map with his Corullon and
Petalos bottlings. In 2000, his father passed away and Alvaro
took over all operations at his Rioja estate, Remondo Palacios.
Last year we only saw a tiny amount of the stunning white wine named
Placet from this winery. But this year, I recently tasted all
three reds and they are all winners.
For our Friday
tasting, we will have a producer-focused tasting with all 4 wines from
the R. Palacios estate. I hope you can join us. $12
tasting fee includes 5 wines and some nibbles.
Drop-in tasting, no reservations required. |
Sara's Selections
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Some wines we must put away, some we must drink now. Here's a pick this week for each:
Drink now!
2003 BORDELAS GARCIA El Si Del Moli Priorat Blanca · $15/bottle ($13.50 cork club price)
If
you haven't been to Beast, get thee a reservation and turn yourself
over to their lovely crew for an adventurous yet relaxing dining
experience. Quite recently, I brought this unique white, a blend
of Garnacha Blanca and Xarel-lo from Eastern Spain, and met up with one
of my favorite wine friends for an evening filled with flavorful
decadence. This slightly oxidized white wine smelled initially of white
flowers and honey, and as it warmed, it increased in its savoriness
with cinnamon cookie and coriander spices and tones of buttery biscuit.
As my dinner companion stated, this is "surely a food wine." And, in
point of fact, the Charcuterie plate showed these truths to be evident.
The El Si Del Moli was a fair and easy complement to the house prune
and green peppercorn pate, and with the foie gras bon-bon, the textures
of the foie and the wine came together to form a sensational butter and
silk paraffin cream delicious mouth amalgam. Très bon!
Drink later!
2001 GIACOMO BOLOGNA Bricco del'Uccellone · $68.75/bottle ($61.88 cork club price)
 I
love me a serious Barbera. And when I say serious, I mean bold, dark,
and age-worthy. At our recent high-end Italian backroom tasting, Darryl
threw this Barbera d'Asti Superiore in the line up, and at first it was
a monster, but as it opened up, dark red fruits, coffee, chocolate, tar
and spice flavors emerged. Despite the complexity of this wine at
present, it took quite a while to show itself, and will be far more
rewarding given about five more years in your cellar. The price
may seem high, but this wine is more akin to top-tier Barolo, despite
being made with Barbera.
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