Start Your Holiday Shopping with Us!
You might think
it's too early to be planning for the holidays, but think again!
(Depending on which holiday you celebrate, you have 15 or 16 weeks
left!)
OK, that's a good amount of time, but we got you
thinking, and we like that. What we really want you to think about
is how you can shop with us to find unusual, interesting gifts that are
sure to please the wine (or beer!) lovers in your life.
We can help with any type of gift, corporate or
personal, for holidays, parties, or other types of celebrations. We
have expanded our gift box line to 11 standard selections, featuring wines
as well as beers from the store, gourmet snacks and other related
accessories.
All
our gift boxes are carefully
nestled in parchment shred, tucked into beautifully designed gift boxes,
and hand tied with a sheer French-wired ribbon. See
our website for a complete list of the current gift boxes we offer.
Also, at the end of October, our Prairie Sampling
tasting will feature gift box wines, so you can taste the fine wines that
are the foundation of our gift boxes. Plan to attend Friday, October
31st or Saturday, November 1st.
In addition to the gift boxes, you can find other great
gift ideas, such as the Winerd game, various "cooking with wine"
cookbooks, glassware, wine service items, or our artisan cheeses from
around the world.
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In this issue:
A Look at Argentina
New for Naperville: Wine Fest
Current Events Schedule
Cellar Master
Special Saki Tasting
Join the Ladies for a Night Out
Store Hours
Legal Notice on Ordering Wine
"French
Duet" gift box
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Feature Article
A Look South, to Argentina
Argentina – an
“up-and-coming” area in the wine world – bears some exploring.
Although wine-making began there in the mid-16th
century, several factors have kept Argentina’s wines out of world
markets until recent years. In
the past 20 years, local wine-producers started making premium wines for
export, and the country’s potential is now being recognized.
Argentina’s
Wine History
Argentina’s
first vineyard was established by missionaries in 1557, spreading south
from Mexico. Growers planted
the Criolla grape from Spain, and it did well.
That grape remains a staple of Argentina’s red wines sold within
the country.
The climate was (and is)
well suited to grape growing. Situated
on the east side of the Andes mountains, Argentina experiences plenty of
sunshine without getting too warm. Farmers
established elaborate irrigation systems to tap into the pristine
meltwater from the Andes mountains. Some
researchers believe the irrigation systems were based on systems used by
the Incas.
Wine making in Argentina
next received a boost from waves of European immigrants.
One wave arrived in the 1820s, after Argentina was freed from
Spanish rule. Another wave
started around 1900, with the completion of a railroad from Buenos Aires
to Mendoza, the center of Argentina’s wine regions.
The European immigrants
brought vine cuttings as well as more modern wine-making techniques.
While the country of Chile was heavily influenced by the French at
this time, Argentina received more Italian influences.
Through most of the 20th
century, Argentina suffered from political and economic instability and
runaway inflation, which kept foreign investors out of the country.
Wine making progressed, but all of the wine produced was consumed
locally. In 1975,
Argentina’s internal wine consumption was 83.7 liters per capita per
year, fourth in the world behind Italy (103.9), France (103.7) and
Portugal (89.8), and well ahead of the USA's 1975 rate of 6.5 liters per
capita.
Argentina Enters
World Markets
Starting
in the 1980s, as South American countries stabilized, wine producers began
developing higher quality wines for export.
Chile led the way, and by the 1990s gained recognition as a player
on the international stage. Argentina’s
wine growers began following Chile’s example.
Domestic consumption has also shrunk, now down to 40 liters per
capita, making more wine available for export.
Argentina carries tremendous
potential that is starting to be recognized.
There is land available for expanding vineyards, and as already
mentioned, the climate favors grape growing.
The vast amounts of sunshine help create complex, deeply colored,
full-bodied wines. The
extensive irrigation systems make up for the lack of rainfall.
The reservoirs and canals trap the spring melt off the mountains,
which can then be used later in the growing season, at the growers’
discretion.
Growers are still
experimenting with different grape varieties, to determine what works best
across Argentina’s wine regions. The
original Criolla grape is still grown for local markets.
Malbec, originally from Bordeaux, France, currently makes
Argentina’s best red wines. Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot have also done well to date.
Experimentation continues with Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Barbera and
Freisa.
As for whites, Chardonnay
improves each year, helped by input from California wine growers.
Experimentation continues with Sauvignon Blanc.
Argentina Wine
Regions
Vineyards
stretch for 1100 miles, north to south, situated in the valleys and
plateaus of the lower Andes mountains.
In the northernmost region, Salta, vines are planted at 5600 ft.
This cooler climate is more suited to white grape varieties, and
the region shows much potential. The
next region south, San Juan, produces 22% of Argentina’s wines.
Mendoza, the largest region
in Argentina, produces 70% of the country’s wines, and the best wines
from Argentina. The soil is
loose, sandy alluvial with clay substructure.
The small region of La Rioja produces mostly white table wines.
The southernmost region, Rio Negro, is cooler with chalky soil and
a long sunny growing season. This
area is not well developed yet, producing only 3% of the country’s
wines, and is considered an area of great potential waiting to be
developed.
Highlights of
Argentine Wines We Carry
We’re
proud to carry wines from some of the best wine makers in Argentina, such
as Valentin Bianchi, Nicolas Catena and Susana Balbo.
The Catena family emigrated to Argentina from Italy more than 100
years ago, establishing vineyards in the Mendoza region.
Starting in the 1980s, after a trip to California, Nicolas Catena
began modernizing his winemaking equipment and facilities.
From the California growers, Nicolas learned the art of stressing
the grape vines to produce less fruit with more flavor, for better quality
wines. He is now reaping the
benefits of the improvements started 20 years ago, with higher quality
wines.
Valentin Bianchi also
emigrated from Italy to Argentina, in 1910.
After working for several years in the railroad and construction
industries, he purchased a small vineyard and winery in 1928.
From there, he gradually developed a quality winery that is run
today by his sons and extended family.
Susana Balbo, a recognized
expert at the international level, spends one month each year in a
different wine region of the world, studying with or consulting to local
winemakers and growers. She is the first Argentine winemaker to be
hired as a consultant to make wine outside Argentina.
The wines we carry are recognized winners by
experts worldwide.
For example, we carry Bianchi’s 1999 Malbec, rated 88 points by
Robert Parker and 87 points by The Wine Spectator, and the 1999 Cabernet
Sauvignon, rated 89 points by both Robert Parker and The Wine Spectator.
The Bianchi 1999 Malbec, a
medium-bodied wine, is filled with juicy plums, black and red berry fruit,
and spice flavors. The
Bianchi 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses a beautiful mix of aromas and
flavors of vanilla, blackberry and chocolate, with sweet smoke and spice
coming out on the finish. Both
of these red wines would work well with roasted meats, pasta or sausage.
Susana Balbo's 2001 Crois
Cabernet Sauvignon, a featured selection from our August Wine Club,
received 86 points from the Wine Advocate. This fabulous wine is
medium to full bodied, with luscious ripe plum, dark berry and juicy
cherry flavors. The finish is long, round and smooth.
Catena’s 2001 Chardonnay,
rated 90 points by The Wine Spectator, represents the emerging excellence
of white wines from Argentina. This
Chardonnay contains ripe flavors of fig and pear, with wonderful purity
and balance.
These and other wines from
Argentina provide great value, as most are available for well under $20 a
bottle.
You can plan to taste some
of our fine wines from Argentina, Chile and other South American countries
by attending our weekend Prairie Sampling tasting on October 10th
and 11th.
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About
Our Mailing List
The
mailing list for this newsletter was gleaned from the personal email
archives of Wine Expressions' owners and from direct requests received
from our customers.
We
hope you enjoy the newsletter and decide to remain on our distribution
list. You are welcome to pass this newsletter along to a friend, or
click unsubscribe
to be removed from our lists.
By
the way, we never share your email or address information with anyone
else.
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Store
Location
We
are located in downtown Lisle at the southwest corner of Burlington Ave.
& Main St.
Extra
parking is available behind our building.
Hours
of Operation
Tues
- Sat 11am - 7 pm
Sunday
1 - 5 pm
Closed
Mondays
Naperville's
Wine Festival,
September 26 & 27, 2003
We're
excited to be participating in Naperville's first wine festival, which
will be held at the end of September at the Naper Settlement.
This
promises to be a wonderful event, with wine tasting booths presented by
winemakers, distributors and local retailers.
We'll
send out additional information in an upcoming special event mailing.
You
can buy advance tickets online at www.inplayevents.com
Some
of our great wines
from Argentina
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Schedule
of Events
We look forward to seeing you soon at our events:
Prairie
Sampling:
Friday, Sept.
12, 4 - 6:30 pm and
Saturday, Sept. 13, 1 - 6:30 pm: Wines from Down Under
Friday, Sept. 19, 4 - 6:30 pm and
Saturday, Sept. 20, 1 - 6:30 pm: Value-Priced Cabs and Merlots
Friday, Sept.
26, 4 - 6:30 pm and
Saturday, Sept. 27, 1 - 6:30 pm: Riesling & Relatives
Friday, Oct. 3, 4
- 6:30 pm and
Saturday, Oct. 4 1 - 6:30 pm: Staff Picks
Cellar
Master: September 18
Our Cellar Master program in September will feature Bordeaux Wines.
You can learn about and experience wines from this classic French
region. Find out the different types of grapes, the rich history
from Bordeaux, and why some of the world's best wines are continually
produced here. Best of all, taste for yourself some of these stellar
wines.
Along with the educational
materials, you'll receive a full flight of nine wines paired to gourmet food
samplings from The Upper Crust bakery in Lisle.
Call now to order your tickets -
we've been selling out early! The deadline for purchasing tickets is Tuesday,
September 16.
Thursday,
September 18th
6:30 - 8 pm
Cellar Master Series - Bordeaux Wines
$25 per person
Call for Reservations: 630.435.9463
or toll-free 1.888.656.9463
Special Saki Tasting: September
23
We will be hosting a special saki tasting by a professional saki
instructor on Tuesday, September 23, from 4 - 6:30 pm at the store.
The instructor's family has been in the saki business for 55 generations! We'll
be serving saki and sushi. Call now to register! We have
limited spaces available, and this is a one-time event. Cost is $25
per person.
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