How to Have a Non-Slump Mid-January: Wine Specials Around Town

Ah, mid-January.

Right about now, the shine of New Year's resolutions may have started to dull.

Enthusiasm for all those life-changing projects -- conceived somewhere between 11:35 p.m. on December 31 and 12:15 a.m. January 1 -- may start to wane, just a little.

Your team (ahem) may even be out of the playoffs.

Sigh.

The good news?

Restaurants and wine shops all around town are trying hard to ride the Oct-Nov-Dec wave of (relative) prosperity well into the New Year.

They're on a roll. They're re-energized after a few good nights' sleep (finally!) earlier this month. And they're looking for you to keep walking through their front door.

Here are a few special specials we've noticed this week.

(We're sure there's more. Any especially good ones we've missed? Let us know.)

WHAT: 2005 Sori Paitin Barbaresco "Serra" Piemonte
WHERE: The Spirited Gourmet in Belmont and Winchester
WHY NOW: It's a serious Barbaresco. And it's affordable.

WHAT: Tasting of four beers from Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
WHERE: bottles, 372 Commercial Street, Boston on Thursday, January 14
WHY NOW: When's the last time you tried a beer called Babayaga?

WHAT: Dewar's Private Tasting Events
WHERE: The Loft, 319 A Street, Boston
WHY NOW: Blended Scotch whisky. Ten chances to learn about it. Get yours.

WHAT: Cognacs & Armagnacs
WHERE: Gordon's, 894 Main Street, Waltham on Tuesday, January 19
WHY NOW: It's cold outside. Cognacs and Armagnacs make it warm on the inside.

WHAT: Wines of Iberia tasting
WHERE: BLM Wine + Spirits, 1354 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston on Saturday, January 16
WHY NOW: Spanish wines + Portuguese Wines = One Tasty Peninsula


DAILY TIDBIT:

"Punt" refers to the dimple at the bottom of a wine bottle. The punt increases a bottle's strength, allowing it to withstand the high pressure of, for example, Champagne and sparkling wines.