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Here's what's happening:
Wednesday night is the invite-only launch party for the new Bar at Pops. Oversized new bar, view of the Back Bay, extensive cocktail list, all inside Pops Restaurant on Tremont Street.
Here's what we're giving away:
A spot on the exclusive invite list.
Here's what you need to do to win:
Follow us on Facebook.
Scoot over to the Discussion board.
Tell us how you find out about wine events in Boston. On Facebook? Twitter? Emails from restaurants and shops? Which ones? Word of mouth? Etc?
That's it.
Winner will be chosen randomly and will be notified on Monday morning, February 8.
Good luck. And we'll see you at the bar.
DAILY TIDBIT:
Wondering what to do with leftover wine? Pour it, if possible, into an empty and clean half-bottle, so there's less room for oxygen contact. Then put it in the fridge, because cooling slows down the aging process. Wine from opened bottles will last longer this way.
This one's a shout out to our friends up north.
Up on the North Shore, that is, as in Newburyport, Gloucester, Beverly, Rockport...
Here's a quick run-down of the wine happenings there these days, from a Pinot Noir tasting paired with a book signing of Boston Noir, to live music and a sushi pit.
Notice how many times COST: $0 appears in the list below.
Road trip, anyone?
WHAT: Tasting of Winter Wine & Spirits (plus live music and food)
WHERE: Port Wine and Spirits, 25 Storey Avenue, Newburyport
WHEN: Friday, February 5 from 5 to 8 p.m.
COST: $0
WHAT: Weekly Wine Tastings
WHERE: Henry's Wine Cellar, 588 Cabot Street, Beverly
WHEN: Every Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Every Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.
COST: $0
WHAT ELSE: Pinot Noir Tasting and Book Signing of Boston Noir
WHERE: Henry's Wine Cellar, 588 Cabot Street, Beverly
WHEN: Thursday, February 11 from 4 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0
WHAT: Weekly Wine Tastings
WHERE: Grand Trunk Old World Market, 53 Pleasant Street, Newburyport
WHEN: Every Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Every Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m.
COST: $0
WHAT: Sushi Pit and Live Music (plus craft beers and wine)
WHERE: Latitude 43, 25 Rogers Street, Gloucester
WHEN: Tavern and Restaurant open for lunch and dinner every day
LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR: Click here.
WHAT: Cooking Class and Wine Tasting with Chef Ken Duckworth
WHERE: Duckworth Beach Gourmet, 24 Washington Street, Gloucester
WHEN: February 10 and 11
MORE DETAILS: Click here.
DAILY TIDBIT:
Local bands and craft beers are two major pieces of Cape Ann's entertainment scene. Check out the Cape Ann Brewing Co. (and their Fisherman's Brew) and Dog Bar (for live music most nights of the week), both in Gloucester.
Think "Burgundy" and "burger" isn't exactly the first word that comes to mind next.
"Expensive" is more like it.
Or, if you're thinking food pairing, maybe you go to "beef bourguignon."
Wednesday nights, The Bristol Lounge in The Four Seasons on Boylston Street puts all of those associations to the test.
As in, NOT expensive. You'll pay $30 for the Bristol burger plus two half-glasses of Burgundy that are not normally available except as full bottles.
As in, NOT beef bourguignon. The cult-following Bristol burger is on the menu for $20, and it's served with truffle fries, house-made pickles and Vermont cheddar.
Throw in the floor-to-ceiling windows, view onto the Common, and cozy fireplace on a cold February night, and suddenly you're wondering why "Burgundy" and "burger" aren't put together more often.
WHAT: Burgers & Burgundy
WHERE: The Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston Street, Boston
WHEN: Wednesday nights
COST: $30
DAILY TIDBIT:
Burgundy burgers at home are also a great option. Take your regular burger ingredients -- ground sirloin, say, chopped onion, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, an egg, salt and pepper -- and mix in a quarter cup or so of red Burgundy. Prepare as usual. It's takes juiced-up to a whole new level, plus you've now got a nearly-full bottle of Burgundy just waiting to be poured alongside.
We have the date -- March 6, 2010.
We have the wine -- Malbec (mostly) from Chateau Chambert in Cahors, France.
We have the winery owner -- Philippe Lejeune, whose personal connection to Boston (before he became a winemaker in France, that is) is intimate.
What we want to know is, how can we organize this tasting so that you, our guests, will get the most out of it?
Think about it a minute.
We want you to taste the wines, of course.
We want you to hear from the winery owner.
We want you to go home with a better handle on Malbecs than you did when you arrived.
That's where we start. And that's where we end. What happens in between, is for you to tell us.
To get the ball rolling, we put together this survey.
Go on, take it. It's free. Multiple choice. No obligation, etc.
But notice the last question: Tell us how YOU want to experience the wines.
It's a fill in the blank, meaning you've got free license to be as elaborate (or as simple) as you like. Three readers who submit the best ideas will win two tickets to the tasting.
Which will be arranged, naturally, exactly as you'd like.
WHAT: Design Our Next Wine Tasting
WHERE: Take the free survey here.
WHEN: From now until Tuesday, Wednesday, February 10 at 5 p.m.
COST: $0
PRIZES: Three pairs of tickets to the tasting will be given to the top three ideas.
DAILY TIDBIT:
More used to Malbec from Argentina than Malbec from France? You aren't alone. Check out French Malbec's online resource, just to get a sense of things, then link to their YouTube channel for videos on cooking, pairings, and touring the vineyards. Easy!
This one is a no-brainer.
All you need to know is the menu, the venue, and the price.
FOOD MENU:
Lobster Roll
New England Style Fish Chowder
Apple Glazed Pork Belly with Boston Baked Beans & Brown Bread
White Chocolate Bark with Dried Cranberries & Maple Pecan Cookies
DRINK MENU:
Westport Rivers Brut Sparkling Wine
Sakonnet Vineyards Vidal Blanc
Nantucket Vineyards Merlot
Newport Vineyards White Cap 'Port'
VENUE:
Ashmont Grill
PRICE:
$30. That is not a typo.
Whether you're a fan of eat-local drink-local, or you're just a fan of great food at a great value, this one's for you.
Enough said.
WHAT: Monday Night Wine Club
WHERE: Ashmont Grill, 555 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester
WHEN: Tonight at 6:30 p.m. (Similar Wine Club events happen every Monday.)
COST: $30
RSVP: Call 617-825-4300.
DAILY TIDBIT:
Help us design our next wine tasting! You'll find more details in tomorrow's email, but here's the gist of it: we have the winemaker, we have the wine, we even have the venue. The question is, how do YOU want to experience the wines? The three best ideas will win two tickets each to the tasting. If you've got a brilliant idea right now, send it our way! Or just think about it a bit, and tell us tomorrow once you've read the RWB email with all the details. Stay tuned!
The thing about Valentine's Day is that it's ONE day a year.
Not that that's a bad thing. Who couldn't use a whole day devoted to Love with a capital L?
It's just that there should be some way to keep those rose-colored classes on at least a little longer. (Beyond 12:01 a.m. on February 15, that is.)
That's why we're suggesting Valentine's Day be treated as an experience, not just a one-and-done affair. Stretch it out. Savor the details. Make the pleasure last. If love follows suit, all the better.
At BOKX 109 American Prime, inside Hotel Indigo in Newton, they're offering a special romantic getaway spa package for the entire month of February. Click here for details.
You could also scale it back to a week-end luxury package, which includes two seats for dinner (a $150 value) plus a one-night stay for two (so you can take the elevator home after dinner) plus a welcome gift of Champagne and strawberries plus breakfast for two the next day. All for $295. Details are here.
Or you can luxuriate in just the dinner which, at four courses with four different wines from Domaine Chandon Winery for $75, is a lovely and sparkling way to celebrate your Love with a capital L.
Just remember to make it last.
WHAT: Valentine's Day Prix Fixe Menu and Packages
WHERE: BOKX 109, inside Hotel Indigo, 399 Grove Street, Newton
WHEN: Dinner between Friday, February 12 and Sunday, February 14
COST: $75 per person for prix fixe menu (excluding tax & gratuity)
RSVP: Required. Call 617.454.3399.
DAILY TIDBIT:
Wine industry analysts announced yesterday that California wine shipments dropped in 2009 for the first time in 16 years. (California produces 90% of the wine made in the United States.) Overall wine consumption in the US, however, is up 2.1%.
Hats off to chefs who go the extra mile -- or, in this case, the extra 4,108 miles -- to find the source of the food that is their passion.
That's what Justin Melnick did eleven weeks ago.
Melnick, the chef at Tomasso Trattoria in Soutborough, took a hiatus from his day job to pursue the nature and the craft of Italian food.
He did this where it absolutely needed to be done.
In the Veneto.
In Piedmont.
In Tuscany.
And other places in between that, frankly, only he knows and understands.
Sunday night is his public debut back in the kitchen at Tomasso, and you get the sense that he is jonesing to show off just a little bit. (Check out the full menu here.)
And for the finishing touch?
Each of Melnick's Italy-infused courses will be paired with wines that GO, in the way that wine and food go together in a country that does eat without drinking and doesn't drink without eating.
The prodigal son has returned home.
And he's brought the goods.
WHAT: "Welcome Back Justin" Dinner
WHERE: Tomasso Trattoria, 154 Turnpike Road, Southborough
WHEN: Sunday, January 31 at 5 p.m.
COST: $75 per person plus tax + gratuity
DAILY TIDBIT:
"Vin Santo," which translates literally to "holy wine," is a traditional style of dessert wine. The freshly-harvested grapes (like Trebbiano, or sometimes Sangiovese) are dried on straw mats in a warm and well-ventilated part of the house or winery, often under rafters or staircases. Additional complexity comes from aging the wine in non-oak barrels made from chestnut, juniper, or cherry wood or a combination of those.
Here's what's happening:
