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Cheers 2 Wine News - February 2008 Issue
February 25, 2008
Cheers from Steve and Kathy Howe!


Wine Quote




"A bottle of good wine, like a good act, shines ever in retrospect."

Robert Louis Stevenson








Arrowood Vineyards & Winery
WINE OF THE MONTH

Our latest wine of the month is Arrowood Saralee's Vineyard Syrah 2001 This wine is a blend of 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier. This is a showcase wine! Enjoy aromas of plum, blackberry, licorice, and lychee nuts. Pleasant fruit flavors balance out the rich chocolate and coffee highlights. A delightful wine with plenty of depth. This wine has been rated 93 points by Robert Parker. Buy this wine.

Arrowood Vineyards & Winery is located on a hillside just outside the town of Glen Ellen in the Sonoma Valley. The wine tasting room is open daily from 10:00 AM - 4:40 PM. Call 1-800-938-5170 for more information about Arrowood.

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Be sure to check back each month for our wine of the month.




California Wine Country Weddings



The Wine Country contains some of the most romantic settings for weddings. Couples looking for a place to get married have many choices. You can get married in a gorgeous vineyard, overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean, by a peaceful pond or river, on a rustic farm for a casual ceremony, or on a lavish estate for a more elegant event.

Wine Country Weddings





Escape to California's Central Coast

This is the perfect time to plan a visit to the Central Coast of California. It's a great destination for a California wine tour. The fertile hills and valleys cooled by ocean breezes combine to make California�s Central Coast a prime grape growing region. Many fine wines are produced in this wine California wine region.

Learn more about these unique places to stay on the coast:

Seascape Resort in Aptos
Seascape Resort is a fabulous resort in the Santa Cruz Mountains Wine region just a short drive north of Monterey. These fantastic oceanview accommodations overlook Monterey Bay in Aptos and are just what someone would want for a romantic wine country getaway.

Blue Whale Inn in Cambria
The Blue Whale Inn in Cambria is an absolutely delightful wine country bed and breakfast located near the Paso Robles wineries. The ocean views, seaside walking trails, and lovely wine country accommodations will make your exploration of California's Central Coast a romantic winery getaway.

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Beach
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in the San Luis Obispo Wine Country is the perfect place to go when you want to be pampered. Every room has its own private jacuzzi with either hot mineral water or fresh water. These coastal travel accommodations will leave you wanting to go back again...soon!

El Capitan Canyon in Santa Barbara
We thoroughly enjoyed the "luxury camping" available at El Capitan Canyon in Santa Barbara These unique travel accommodations let you experience being close to nature without sacrificing the conveniences of home.

Top Wine Picks


Arrowood 2001 Saralee's Vineyard Syrah
Our Wine of the Month. Enjoy aromas of plum, blackberry, licorice, and lychee nuts. Pleasant fruit flavors balance out the rich chocolate and coffee highlights. A delightful wine with plenty of depth. This wine has been rated 93 points by Robert Parker. ($38.99)

d'Arenberg 2004 d'Arrys Original Shiraz/Grenache
This is a well balanced red wine from Australia. Enjoy aromas of blackberry, cherry, and licorice with hints of herbs and spices. This is a medium bodied fruity wine that is a great wine, especially for the price. Rated 91 by Robert Parker. ($13.99)

Tablas Creek 2003 Esprit de Beaucastel Red
This wine is a blend of 50% Mourvedre, 27% Syrah, 18% Grenache, and 5% Counoise, Enjoy scents of blackberries and flavors of spicy plum, cherries, and smoke. This is a balanced wine with a an enjoyable long finish. ($39.99)

RL Buller NV Fine Victoria Tawny - Dessert Wine
A fabulous dessert wine from Australia. Yummy! ($15.79)

Capcanes 2002 Costers de Gravet - Red Wine
The 2004 Costers del Gravet is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Garnacha, and 15% Carinena. This wine exhibits lovely aromas of spice, black currant, and cherries. It has a rich texture and a long finish. ($16.79 - A BEST BUY!)

Beringer 2005 Knights Valley Alluvium Blanc - White Wine
A wonderful blend of Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc. The 2005 Alluvium Blanc exchibits lush fruit flavors of tropical fruit, floral, and lemon-verbana aromas. ($9.99 - A BEST BUY!)

Beringer 2002 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
An exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of black berries, toasty oak, mint, white pepper and cocoa. Black fruit, cassis, caramel, vanilla, brown spices and hints of rose petals dance on the palate. A richly balance wine with a lovely long finish. A highly rated wine. ($89.)

Benziger 2005 Pinot Noir
Wonderful scents of berries, spice, and vanilla. This is a lush Pinot Noir with a rich silky texture and a long finish. ($23.99)

Petaluma 2006 Hanlin Hill Clare Valley Riesling
This Riesling is from Australia's Clare Valley, the top region for Riesling in Australia. This is a crisp wine with wonderful flavors of pear, peach, lime, and green tea. ($19.99)

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2006 Pinot Gris
This is a fruity but crisp style of Pinot Grigio from Oregon with aromas of pears and honey. The flavors of pear, mineral, melon, and spice are well balanced. ($15.99)




Wine Tasting Coupons
As a subscriber to Cheers 2 Wine News you can access our pages of free wine tasting coupons. Some of these coupons allow you to taste for free while others let 2 people sample wine for the price of 1. The password for these pages is:
cheers2wine2006






Mark Your Calendars!

March 1-2 and 8-9: 30th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend - Sonoma County
11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
More than 100 Russian River wineries will be opening their cellars for wine barrel tastings. Many wineries will offer futures on their barrel samples. Cost is $20 person each weekend. For information call (707) 433-4335.
More Details

March 8: High Roller Wine Run - Placerville
11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Visit 5 Camino area wineries, and receive a bottle of wine at each - your choice! The wineries include Fenton Herriott Vineyards, Crystal Basin Cellars, Ursa, Wofford Acres, and Findleton Estate. At the end of the day, sit down to a delicious dinner and a chance to win prizes. The cost is $84.50 per person. For more information call (530) 642-2021.
More Details:

March 23: Easter Brunch at South Coast Resort-
Temecula

11:30 AM - 3:30 PM. Bring your family to South Coast Winery Resort & Spa on Easter Sunday for a delicious Easter Celebration. Reservations required; special wine club discount available. Call (951)587-9463 Ext. 7205 for reservations.
More Detail:

March 14-16: - 16th Annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival
Over 90 Paso Robles wineries will be hosting winemaker dinners, food pairings, seminars, open houses, live auction, and special tastings. For more information call (800)549-9463.

More Details:

March 29: Cabernet Sauvignon Comparative Tasting with Hors D�oeuvres- St. Supery Winery, Napa
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Divine Cabernet Sauvignons paired with tasty hors d�oeuvres. You will enjoy four distinctly different wines that truly demonstrate the meaning of �terroir�. $35 per person � space is limited. For reservations call: (800) 942-0809 x38.
More Details

March 29-30: Pinot Paradise Weekend - Santa Cruz
More than 24 Santa Cruz Mountains wineries will be pouring their best Pinot Noirs on Saturday 11 A.M. - 5 PM. The Grand Cruz tasting will be on Sunday from 2-5 PM. Pathway to Pinot Paradise at the participating wineries costs $25 per person. The Grand Cruz TAsting is $55 per person in advance and $65 at the door. For more information call (831) 685-8463.

More Details






Cooking With Wine Recipes

"I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food."

W.C. Fields



Classic White Wine Sauce

This class sauce is versatile. You can serve it over chicken, pasta, fish, broccoli, or whatever you can think of.

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Combine the cream, wine, flour, salt, garlic, pepper and parsley in a medium saucepan. Stir all together bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened.

Options: You could add fresh shivered parmesan cheese and/or sauted mushrooms to the sauce as well.






Seafood Bisque

1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups red potatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups green onions, chopped
1 cube butter
1 cup Chardonnay
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 pound lobster, cut into pieces
1/2 pound crab, cut into pieces
1/2 pound shrimp

1. Use a large soup pot. Saute bell pepper, potatoes, celery, and green onion in butter until soft.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a soft boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes.

This will make 8-10 servings.






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