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| Behold, The Tequilasaurus! |
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 "Distilled from melancholy and from lucidity; from an intense love for good; from a need to bite into the earth and hear the poetry of the people's song."
- Author unknown, quoted in the Guia de Tequila, published by Artes de Mexico,1998.
As the first tender shoots of asparagus and ramps appear at the market we find ourselves thinking of Spring’s delicate gifts. Tulips, fresh veggies, and tequila. Yes, tequila. After a long, whiskey soaked winter, it’s time to turn to lighter, livelier spirits. Before the gin days of Summer we can all enjoy a tequila awakening.
Before you turn away, cringing and shivering with the memory of tequila binges past, let us remind you that this noble dram is not as crude nor as dangerous as some would have us believe. We are talking about one of the greatest distilled spirits of all time. A truly distinctive product with a true sense of place and a long, storied past.
Tequila is like this guy I knew in college – we’ll call him Bud. Bud was the guy you wanted at every party. He was rowdy, funny, racy and even a little bit ridiculous. Bud was the first one to arrive and the last to leave. When the energy started to ebb from the crowd, Bud was the first to jump up on a table to reenact scenes from Risky Business – in costume. But nobody thought about Bud unless there was a party. Nobody knew what Bud was like on the inside. He was fun to have around on a Saturday night, but no one ever thought to ask him about his passion for antique canning jars, or the collection of love poems he’d been working on since the fourth grade. Not one single person knew about Bud’s love for diorama building. Not one.
Cue sad music here…
The point is that even though Bud could party like a machine, he still had a sophisticated, complex, richly textured, and sometimes idiosyncratic side. Tequila is the Bud of booze. We reach for a bottle when we want to get down, but it would never occur to us to sip on a glass late on a spring afternoon while the birds sing and the cherry blossoms dance on the last warm breeze of the day.
And here’s a little secret between you and me: you don’t have to spring for one of those “ultra-premium” brands to enjoy good tequila. Like most spirits, a little age and a little oak will add dollars to the price, but they can’t turn bad booze into good booze. There are many fine tequilas out there for you to try – you just have to put down the old crow and give them a shot (better yet, give them a rocks glass and a slice of lime or some sangrita on the side). Best to stick with 100% agave, and go easy on the mixers. It’s easier to appreciate the spicy, mineral character of this unique beverage when it doesn’t come out of a slurpee machine.
So, as we approach the 5th of May and America makes its annual pilgrimage to the tequila shelf of the local liquor store, please remember that there is more to Bud – I mean, tequila, than meets the eye.
Here’s our limited, but delicious selection of tequilas for your enjoyment:
Siembra “Azul”, blanco - $35
Herradura “Silver”, blanco - $29
Sauza “Hornitos”, reposado - $33
Leyenda del Milagro “Select Barrel Reserve”, reposado - $78
Tesoro de Don Felipe, añejo - $52
And for a special treat, try our single village mezcal from Santo Doming Albarradas. Different kind of agave, different character, same spirit.
Quotation courtesy of www.ianchadwich.com.
Graphic courtesy of www.headinjurytheater.com
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| How Sweet Is Too Sweet? |
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We (as a wine loving community) need to talk about sweetness. No, not the ‘I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee’ kind of sweetness. Not even the ‘Dude, where’s my car’ kind. We need to talk about the kind of sweetness that comes from sugar, and sugar alone.
Nobody can say that we aren’t a bunch of sugar lovers. Of all the basic tastes we experience, sweet is the only one that has a tooth named after it. Some people seem to have an unlimited capacity for the stuff. It is the first taste we seek out, and its name is synonymous with everything good, pure and pleasant.
So why, I’m wondering, do we turn our noses up at the mere mention of sweet wine? How could the culture that invented the modern soft drink and the fruit juice “cocktail” harbor such a prejudice against wine with a little natural sugar in it? Sweetness, after all, is a desirable quality of grape juice, and wherever wines are made, sweet wines are can be found. In fact, many of the most popular so called dry wines available today actually contain quite a bit of sugar. Why do you think they’re so popular?
Part of the problem seems to be some confusion surrounding the word itself. Sweet wines have sugar in them. The opposite of sweet is dry. Not sour. Not salty. Not hot. And no, bitter is not the opposite of sweet. For our purposes, the presence of sugar is only opposed by the absence of sugar.
I hope that clears things up.
Any wine can be more or less sweet. We’ll just focus on sweet whites because they are more common. Many sweet wines are fruity. This is confusing for us, because we associate fruity aromas with sweetness, but many fruity wines are actually dry. The smell and the taste are two separate things. Sugar doesn’t smell like anything, really, but if you ever made the mistake of tasting fruit extracts used for flavoring baked goods, you know that all that is fruity is not necessarily sweet. The same goes for vanilla extract, by the way (discovering that one hurt more than finding out about the Easter Bunny).
If sweetness isn’t the problem, what is? Maybe it’s just a matter of degree. Too much of a good thing?
So, how sweet is too sweet? Well, that all depends on something called balance. While sweet and sour aren’t exactly opposites, they are compliments. The balance of sweet and sour flavors is what makes fruit succulent and lemonade refreshing. The same goes for wine. Sugar without acidity is cloying, sickly sweet, and not at all delicious. When everything is in balance, however, the flavors sing and harmonies emerge that are more than the sum of their parts.
Last, but not least, let us point out that a little sugar in your wine will make it food friendly in ways a dry wine could only dream of. Everything from fiery Thai food to decadent desserts will play along with a sweet wine.
So, next time you’re down at the store, consider a bottle of the dreaded sweet wine. Don’t worry, we won’t tell your friends what you’re up to.
Here are a few wines with varying degrees of sweetness to choose from:
Bolzano, St. Magdalena, Goldmuskateller 2006 - $10
Kuentz-Bas, Alsace, 2005 - $11
Weingut Bruder Dr. Becker, Scheurebe 2004 - $15
Hugelheimer Hollberg, Spältlese Gewurztraminer 2006 - $14
Weingut Matthias Muller, Riesling-Hochgewächs 2005 - $16
Llopart, Rose Brut Reserve, Cava, 2004 - $18
Albert Boxler, Sylvaner - $24
Weingut Alzinger, Loibenberg Riesling, 2004 - $36
Müller-Catoir, Spätlese Scheurebe 2004 - $41
Domaine Huet, Clos du Bourg Moelleux, Vouvray 2005 - $60(half bottle)
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| Buy Wine, Not Mortgages... |
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 We here at Smith & Vine are pleased to announce the arrival of the much anticipated 2005 Bordeaux. Though we are not in the business of selling futures or speculative hoarding, we can offer a small selection of carefully chosen labels from some of most celebrated appellations of this famous winegrowing region.
The 2005 vintage has been heralded as the greatest of the century (not surprising, considering we’ve gotten less than 10% of the way through it) – and possibly of all time. As a result, we’ve seen some of the highest prices on record, and a scramble for allocations from the top chateau that bore more than a passing resemblance to the puppy bowl. Not wont to believe such alarmist rhetoric, we went ahead and chose a few bottles we thought would provide the best value rather than the most hysterical buying frenzy.
We are confident that these wines will give you great satisfaction should you choose to drink them immediately (although we must insist you wait until you’ve left the store), as well as for many years to come. Please note that, at the bottom of the list, you’ll find two new additions to our selection of dessert wines, as well as a couple of our lower priced favorites from the year in question.
All 2005, all priced per bottle, quantities may be limited:
Chateau Sociando-Mallet – Haut-Medoc - $66
Chateau La Lagune – Haut-Medoc - $69
Chateau Phelan Segur – St. Estephe - $55
Chateau Cos d’Estournel – St. Estephe - $310
Chateau Lelande-Borie – St. Julien - $32
Chateau Beychevelle – St. Julien - $74
Chateau Talbot – St. Julien - $75
Chateau St. Jean de Lavaud – Lelande de Pomerol - $39
Chateau Bourgneuf – Pomerol - $53
Chateau Vieux Maillet – Pomerol - $60
Chateau Haut-Brion, “Bahans Haut-Brion” – Pessac-Leognan - $110
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Chateau d’Arche – Sauternes - $45
Chateau Coutet – Barsac - $80
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Chateau La Rame – Bordeaux - $13
Chateau Haut-Ballet – Caonon-Fronsac - $23
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| Rye |
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Bitter unlike your brother Bourbon
Spicy despite your sisters Scotch;
We watch you tumble down upon a cube or two
and dream of night's finish and cocktails proper.
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| Party Like It's 1932!! |
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 We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our very own bar – The JakeWalk – at 282 Smith on the corner of Sackett street.
Not just another Smith Street watering hole, The JakeWalk will feature many of wines, spirits, cheeses, meats, and friendly faces you’ve come to love at Smith & Vine and Stinky Bklyn. Plus, there will be a very cool cocktail list with a pre-prohibition twist. Yes, there will also be beer, not to mention one of the best whiskey selections in the entire city.
With dozens of cheeses, assorted salumi, fondue, and even American caviar service, we’ll have all your snacks covered. And if you’re really serious about food and drink (like we are), you can set up flights and pairings of your own or have our expert staff help you broaden your horizons.
So, if 50 wines by the glass, 120 whiskies, 40 cheeses, and cocktails that haven’t been seen this side of the East River for nearly a century sound good to you, please pay us a visit.
If you have any questions please call The JakeWalk at (347)599-0294.
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| Private Tasting Room Seminars |
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Our new tasting room is finally firing on full cylinders. The copper-colored tin ceiling; the cellar affect of wine lined walls; the ancient wrought iron chandelier; the bottles of half drank scotch on display. All of these aspects have set the atmosphere for what has become a series of highly successful seminars. Hosted by our comprehensive Doctors of Drink equipped with their Doctorates in Mixology, we present to you, the people, our people, a chance of a lifetime...join us!
Each tasting includes six wines on a preferred topic, atlas maps and tasting note sheets and a little cheese and meat sampler from our sibling store Stinky Bklyn
Here's how it works:
Series 1:
$30 per person
(Minimum of 10 people OR $300 total for less than 10 people)
Topics:
• Noble Grapes
• France
• Spain
• Italy
• Old World
• New World
• Sauvignon Blanc From 6 Different Countries
Series 2:
$45 per person
(Minimum of 10 people OR $450 for less than 10 people)
Topics:
• Piedmont
• Bordeaux
• Burgundy
• High End Cabernet Sauvignon
• Champagne
• Rioja
• Sweet Wines
Series 3:
$80 per person
(Minimum of 10 people OR $800 for less than 10 people)
Topic:
• Vintage Wines
Have a special interest? Custom design your own seminar of choice!
For corporate seminars or events in Manhattan, please inquire.
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| Imbibe; On Sale Now!! |
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 Have a certain cocktail lover that is always mixing up something good? Why not give them the greatest gift of all: a personally signed copy of the immortal David Wondrich's latest book, "Imbibe!". Easily the nation's foremost expert in cocktail mixing, drinking history and long beards. How many arms does he have? Just two but he is still amazing!!!
David Wondrich has also written, "Esquire Drinks and Killer Cocktails".
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| Billecart-Salmon Champagne |
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It’s time to celebrate. Why? Why not? Spring has seemingly come and gone leaving us, all of us, basking in the enhanced radiation of these modern days. Of course we will all drink rose and white wine; as we should. But let’s take life one step further and celebrate now with a bottle of bubbly, a flute of fine sparkling finesse, a mysterious melody of the traditional method. Of course we have a favorite, Maison Billecart-Salmon, and having acquired a bastion of their bottles we offer to you, the people, a summer selection of irrational decadence.
Founded in 1818 and based in the village of Mareuil-Sur-Ay, Billecart-Salmon has been producing fine Champagne for almost 200 years. Famous for their vintage bottlings, especially the Blanc de Blancs and everything rose; this house has consistently remained at the top of every true Champagne lover’s list. Although well-regarded and ubiquitously known, Billecart-Salmon is still hard to find and, some would say, a privilege to know. So here is what we have to offer; we wish we had more:
• Brut Reserve NV 750ml $45
• Brut Reserve NV 3L $180
• Blanc de Blancs NV 750ml $70
• Blanc de Blancs 1996 750ml $190
• Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart 1998 750ml $120
• Grand Cuvee 1996 750ml $220
Rose
• Brut Rose NV 750ml $72
• Brut Rose NV 3Liter $460
• Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rose 1998 750ml $165
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| Gift Baskets With Stinky Bklyn |
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In conjunction with our brother shop, Stinky Bklyn, we are beginning to think about the holidays already so you don't have to sweat it out later. Together we are offering gift baskets in all shapes, sizes and prices. Granted, you don't have to use the holidays as an excuse to get someone a gift basket (everyone loves a surprise basket of nuts and sherries), but it does seem more appropriate come October through January. Whether it's for one person, a family or on a larger corporate scale, we would love to provide you with baskets filled with treats ranging from wine and cheese, to meats and various specialty food products as well. Give us or Stinky (718.522.7425 www.Stinkybklyn.com) a shout and we'll figure this thing out. Let's do this!
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| Our Single Malt Collection |
In case you were unaware or simply just hadn’t noticed that big, bold, beautiful wall of golden brown Single Malt Scotch at the rear of our newfound location, we request your undivided attention to diligently browse through this outstanding collection of arguably the world’s greatest whiskies. Now offering over seventy of Scotland's greatest, our ongoing endeavor to bring you the finest wine and spirits remains our mission. Feel free to drool, gasp, or even gander at this miraculous grouping and when the next occasion to “treat yourself” happens to just... happen then, go for it. You deserve this!
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| Gift Certificates |
Gift Certificates are available from Smith & Vine in any amount. Order one today and we will have it there by the holidays. Honestly, whats a better stocking stuffer or gift? Redeemable in 36 states.
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| Happy Hour Monday Nights |
Every Monday night from 6:00 p.m. until closing we offer 10% off on your in-shop wine purchases.
(This discount does not apply to sparkling wines or spirits. This discount cannot be combined with any other discount offers.)
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| We're not just wine... |
As I am sure you know, Smith & Vine also offers a fine collection of brandies and brown liquors. We have searched the high shores of Scotland to the backyards of Kentucky in order to bring to you a rare and eclectic assortment of fine malts and whiskies.
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| Getting Married??? |
For all of you soon to be brides and grooms, Smith & Vine offers exceptional wines for this most special occasion. We would be honored to take part in this spectacular event in your lives. Please stop by today or give us a call. This is when the planning gets really fun! Lets find the perfect wine for the perfect time! And congratulations!!!
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