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It’s Valen Times!

It’s Valen Times!

Posted by About Us, Around Town, Best_New_Products, Best_New_Wine, Blends, Champagne, Cranberry_Liquors, Cranberry_Liquors_Promotion, Featured, Organic, Tasting Wine, Wine on trend, Wines for Occasion No Comments

Which, if you were wondering, is sort of like morphin’ time. Happy Valentine’s Day, Cape Cod!

Cranberry Liquors is celebrating – especially today, the great month that is February. If you haven’t yet, swing by and check out our awesome selection of wine. Why should you?

From $8 Rioja to $50 Rosé, our wines from all over the world are 20 percent off.

So if you’re a bit stuck on flowers, or don’t have the time to laminate that card you were making, we have some grape ideas.

GRAPE IDEA #1

If Your Heart is in Cham-bles…

chambord+champagne

chambord+champagne

Make a pink drink that will leave Rosé looking shameful.

If you are looking for a great way to soirée this evening, my go to idea is Champagne + Chambord.

The nice thing about cassis is its ability to compliment a white or sparkly wine. Buy a small bottle of that stuff -heck, even a miniature bottle (aka a nip) and *bam*! You’ve Lagasse’d that drink and officially kicked it up a notch.

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(FYI, we gift wrap – for free! We also have the coolest blank cards you’ll find in Harwich Port for a buck. They were designed with these days in mind… just in case you don’t have the time, we’ve got you covered.)

Enough about the raspberry drink that is my favorite…

GRAPE IDEA #2

If you’ve got plans this evening or are waiting around for a dinner reservation, I highly recommend taking your date to peruse the aisles!

Even without our Winter Wine Sale one of my favorite things to watch is any couple making their way through our selection.

Think you know your valentine? Watch that person consider our selection. The way in which a nervous date spouts off everything they know about a varietal… we’ll leave you alone to lurk, but let’s just say, you can learn a lot from shopping wines.

(Did you forget reservations? This is your reminder if so!)

GRAPE IDEA #3

If you are alone this evening, welcome to the club! Come on by, where we can ameliorate your woes and remedy that thing we call loneliness. Maybe you’ll bump into that person you’ve been stalking on Facebook!

Jokes aside, we have determined, with countless repeat customers over the year, your plans for this evening can be a visit to your favorite spot. It’s an inexpensive way to enjoy something together…

You are never alone with Cranberry Liquors <3!

GRAPE IDEA #4

teetotaller_strongbad_obscure_reference

Obscure Strongbad Reference

If you are dating a teetotaler, we carry cigars and other things that fit inside an envelope (but don’t buy her scratch tickets… in case you are reading this dad…)

As I mentioned earlier, we’re here for you today and everyday, Cape Cod.

May George Thorogood wail louder than the wind as you read this: “Who Do You Loooooove?”

Oh! That reminds me! Best of Cape Cod is coming soon and we’re going to need your vote!

Happy Morphin’ Valentine’s Day Everybody.

Love,

Cranberry Liquors

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New Wines – 5 out of 5!

New Wines – 5 out of 5!

Posted by Around Town, Best_New_Products, Best_New_Wine, Blends, Cranberry_Liquors, Tasting Wine, Wine on trend, Wines for Occasion No Comments

It isn’t very often at all that we taste a new family of wines and decide to bring in all of the wines we taste. Usually, one or two stand out. One or two are, frankly, ‘duds.’

That said, we’ve selected some of our favorites to tell you more about: the Casale del Giglio family of wine.

Not so with the new (to Cranberry Liquors) wines from Casale del Giglio. Located 50 kilometers south of Rome, Casale del Giglio has been making red and white mono-varietal wines for almost 20 years.

So without further ado, Cranberry Liquors is pleased to introduce our favorite, most recent favorite: Casale del Giglio

C.Liquor’s 5 Out of 5

 

Satrico ($15.99) 

A blend of 40% Chardonnay, 40% Sauvignon and 20% Trebbiano Giallo grapes*. This elegant blend reveals a fruity, lightly aromatic yet mineral nose, confirmed on the palate by a pleasing crispness and a lengthy finish.  Satrico is a very drinkable white blend. Great with appetizers and fish dishes.

Chardonnay ($15.99)

 his white wine is produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes cultivated in densely planted rows (over 4,000 vines per hectare) and harvested in early September. A low yield per vine ensures that the grapes will be rich in sugar without losing crucial acidity. This wine reveals acacia flowers, peach and banana on the nose. Serve with grilled fish dishes or white meat casseroles. This chardonnay is authentically and varietally on point, which is a lot to say about your tried-and-true chardonnay.

Petit Manseng ($18.99)

A unique if not obscure varietal, the wine is intensely aromatic, fruity and spicy on the nose, fresh, crisp and flinty on the palate. An exquisitely structured wine which bows out on a seductive, fruit-filled finish. Like all good whites, this one pairs well with your favorite fish dinner.  If you enjoy the adventure of discovering something new, Petit Manseng is your next stop!

Petit Verdot ($18.99)

Usually a minor player in certain red blends, this 100% Petit Verdot is a deep crimson wine which displays an intense, lingering aroma of red berry fruit, cherry, myrtle and juniper. Elegant and full-bodied, with rich velvety tannins, the wine presents a spicy, white peppery finish. Very good with oven roasted meats. This Petit Verdot = a red blend built for spicing things up.

Mater Matuta ($52.99)

 A red blend of Syrah 85% and Petit Verdot 15%. A deep, dense, ruby-red wine which displays outstanding personality both on the nose and on the palate with its aroma of coffee beans, violets, ripe black cherry, coriander, nutmeg and cinnamon. Silky and seductive, but perfectly supported by fine tannins and a pleasing astringency. Mater Matuta Lazio Rosso delivers a long, lush finish.  Mater Matuta is a fine wine as a crowning touch to any gourmet dinner.

If you’re in the mood for trying something new, give this wine family a closer look. As they say at del Giglio:

The future of Italian viticulture relies not only on consolidating the image of its traditional wine producing zones but on its ability to produce top quality wines at favorable prices in areas whose potential is still relatively unexplored.

Hopefully this post finds you warm in a wonderful way on this breezy (dare we say chilly?) day.

Stop in and check these out for yourself, quick before they all fly off the shelf!

Until next time,

Cranberry Liquors – The Spirit of Harwich Port

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Toast Post! Only one this year…

Toast Post! Only one this year…

Posted by About Us, Best_New_Wine, Cranberry_Liquors, Event, Toast of Harwich No Comments

Cranberry Liquors has a date tonight.

We’ll be at the Wequassett (in Harwich) sometime after 6 …casually on time, of course.

But that’s not what this post is about! This is for our awesome customers we look forward to serving this weekend!

Yes, we love supporting the Toast of Harwich. This year we’re bringing the toast! Rather than expounding about a party that hasn’t happened yet, we’re writing to share the sparkly sale.

If you’ve never tried the Ca’Furlan Prosecco, it’s one of the highest acclaimed of its region, and probably the best selling prosecco we carry for $12.99.

Ca'furlan_prosecco

Ca’Furlan Prosecco

It’s been acclaimed as a 90 point, hors d’oeuvre and wallet friendly bottle. Read more on their winery’s page if you’d like (linked at bottom.)

Stop by C.Liquors this weekend, e.g. from 5:00 PM this evening through Sunday at 8:00 PM and get your bottle of this excellent bubbly at 10% off.

We hope to have enough for everyone, and we hope you’ll stop by this weekend and see all of our awesome new product.

Raise a glass of with Cranberry Liquors.

Spring is Springing!

See you ’round town –

C.Liquors

 

 

Ca’Furlan – wine notes and pairing suggestions

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8 Days a Week…

8 Days a Week…

Posted by Best_New_Wine, Champagne, Cranberry_Liquors, Cranberry_Liquors_Promotion, Tasting Wine, Wines for Occasion No Comments

What’s going on, Harwich Port?

Don’t know? We are happy to elaborate!

For one, Cranberry Liquors is having a wonderful sale month. When you don’t hear from us online, usually we blame this on the fact that  we’ve been busy! Our world famous Winter Wine Sale has been only greatness and success.

Best part about our wine sale? There is no “picked over” clearance section on our month long sale. In other words, we don’t stop buying the things we need …and neither do our customers.

In other words, your size is still available (not just the XS and XXL’s!) Don’t know your size? We do. It’s seven hundred and fifty milliliters. Yes, we are that good.

All kidding aside, the sale is coming to a close – and soon! The staff at Cranberry Liquors is ready to make your discount dreams come true and didn’t want you to forget about the great deal that stretches our dollar through the blustering, blistering winter months.

Pro-tip? Make it fun and include champagne or wines you typically wouldn’t, alongside one or two of your favorites!

TL;DR: The Days are getting longer finally(!) and Cranberry Liquor’s Winter Wine Sale is almost done fulfilling it’s purpose.

…E.G. getting you, me and the rest of Cape Cod through the otherwise trudge-of-a-sludge we call the month of February.

Not to mention, the ides of March are mere days away, folks.

But enough about Caesar and weather we can’t help but forage through… stop by Cranberry Liquors and get any regular sized wine at a steal – 20% until closing time, 2/28/19.

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Portugal… the Grape

Portugal… the Grape

Posted by Best_New_Wine, Blends, Featured, Tasting Wine, Uncategorized, Wine on trend No Comments

A while back, I posted a pretty lengthy read detailing the different wines from Spain, a little known powerhouse in the wine industry.

Similarly to Spanish wines, Portuguese wines have historically been overlooked as well. There are the few customers I know who swear by certain inexpensive varietals specific to Portugal.

From Madeira, to Douro, to another unpronounceable-yet-cool grape varietal, Portugal literally has hundreds of “types” of grapes… sometimes even within the same vineyard.

Also, lest we forget, the wine known as port;  the fortified wine (read – concentrated, like orange juice before you add the water to the Creamsicle content within the can) was invented because of Portugal’s excellent grapes.

Cranberry Liquors invites you to “Forget what you know about Portuguese wine” 

because you are likely missing out on some awesome bottles. Plus, this time of year can be budget -challenging on an island that is 3/4th’s of the way shut until May. (Insert clever Winter Wine Sale marketing here. 20%! All February! Get your wines, here. Drive in, call in… jk)

TLDR: If you want really, really good, “Old World” wine on a scamp budget, I would lead you by the hand to our Portuguese wines.


We’ve got wine that is friendly to both your wallet and your palette.

My reasoning? Similarly to the highly underrated wines from Spain, wines from Portugal are:

  • 1. Dominion controlled ( hence the D.O.C. on certain labels.)
  • 2. Highly undervalued
  • 3. The best and freshest wine on the market, especially if your palette is privy to Old World Wine.

1. Dominion controlled. What does it mean?

Like tequila, or anything that is awesome, certain precautions must be taken to ensure a standard of excellence.

Similarly to tequila, Portuguese wine is classified by region as well as preservation (age) status. Without quality control there is no standard of quality!

2. Highly Undervalued


Most of Spain’s grapes get exported to chi-chi countries like France. In this same way, because Portugal wines are less “cool”, much more emphasis is placed upon the wine quality… as opposed to say, the label around the bottle.

3. Wines hailing from this part of South America are as fresh as Bel-Air’s Prince.

Vino Verde – if you haven’t heard of it, get familiar! I recommend them highly to our white wine drinkers. Vino Verde is the Portuguese equivalent to a French white table wine. Dry (but not too dry) and not sweet.

But onto the red wines! Cranberry Liquor has selected 4 of our best, least expensive wines from Portugal.


Starting at the top of the alphabetical list we’ve got

 

Colossal, by Casa Santos Lima


At 10.99 a bottle, it is hard to screw this decision up…
From Wine Spectator:

“Colossal Red Reserva 2014 is made from a blend of three different grapes: Syrah, Touriga Nacional, and Alicante Bouschet. Alicante is often found as a blending grape in wines from the Rhone Valley in France.

Colossal_riserva_portugal

Click the image for more info on this wine!

 

Touriga Nacional is a typical Portuguese grape, also used in Ports, and Syrah is a modern choice to use as part of a blend in Portugal. In fact you could look at this wine as a Portuguese homage to a Rhone Valley red!”



Rated at 1 point higher than the coveted 90 points, this Colossal Riserva is not to be missed.

 

Up next is an awesome, little known C. Liquor’s find.

 

 

 

 

 

Spirit_of_harwichport_cranberry_liquors_wine_portugal

From Left to Right: Paxis, Colossal, LAB and Grilos

 

Prefer a fruitier wine? I get it, I love my perfume because it smells like blackberries and raspberries. I definitely fall into this category.

As a result, I would steer you to the Paxis red blend. This wine is another 90+ points wine (actually, all four of these wines are.) This vintage (is an awesome flipping vintage) is older and may appreciate a ride in your decanter. Sediment aside, the un-corking of such a vintage is worth the wait.

 

Paxis_red-Blend_portugal

Click the image for more info on this wine!

Last two? A D.O.C. “Dao” by Grilos (a personal favorite), which is often compared to French Burgundy, except without the French Burgundy price tag.

Also, we have LAB, a highly recommended vintage and varietal with a blend of grapes native to Portugal.

 

LAB_portuguese_red

Click the image for more info on this wine!

IMPORTANT STORY-time: Once I had a customer who was determined to buy “French Pinot Noir” and I’d be damned if I let the challenge beat me. It turns out, French Burgundy is another way to say “FRENCH Pinot Noir”.

If you liken yourself to a good pinot noir, a lighter, fruiter red wine that can stand on its own, unaccompanied by an entrée you are probably going to have your mind blown by an Old World red “table wine.”

Why might I suggest this? Considering the facts that:

 

  • Old World Wines lack the “stringency” (or bitter/ makes-your-mouth-go-mlah taste) that certain domestic reds have.

  • This has a lot to do with the aging and barreling process of these wines… without calling any of our domestics out, or, to put it another way…

  • Maybe your 12 dollar red just got replaced by a more pleasing 12 dollar red “table” wine from our Portuguese underdogs, if only because the varietal of grapes is such a better buy for the money…

And if you’re wondering how I can make such an assumption about that ~ let’s assume you aren’t stuck in your ways (no shade!**) ~ perhaps consider what I said before regarding “dominion controlled” territories and the consequential regulations therein. As lame as it is for the winemakers, these regulations prevents marketing ploys from trumping good quality… at least, for now.

(**my mom may be French, but I see her drinking La Vielle Ferme!)

Maybe the best way to put it is like this:

If it seems too good to be true, it may just be from Portugal…

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juggernaut_wine_animation

Juggernaut

Posted by Best_New_Wine, Featured, Tasting Wine, Uncategorized, Wines for Occasion No Comments

Who knows about this fabulous red wine?

How about the Juggernaut?

We have some pretty fabulous customers. One of whom suggested to Joe we carry “the Juggernaut” cabernet.

juggernaut_wine_animation
[product_page id=”14978″]
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Hours Hors D’oeuvres, Happy hour/ Holiday Hints

Hours Hors D’oeuvres, Happy hour/ Holiday Hints

Posted by About Us, Around Town, Best_New_Wine, Blends, Event, Featured, Tasting Wine, Wine on trend, Wines for Occasion No Comments

It’s the holiday season…

To quote a CLiquor store owner:
“Holy smokes Batman, it’s less than a week from Thanksgiving!”

A week from today, people across America will be celebrating the most American thing since High School prom night: Thanksgiving …

Fortunately, we’ve got some excellent wine pairing suggestions, as well as other great information regarding the upcoming holiday.

That’s right folks, we are T Minus 6 Days away from school vacations,  in-laws and spending frenzies.

[This is your (THAW THAT TURKEY) warning.]

In years past, sweet whites, inexpensive reds and those all-year-friendly roses have been hugely successful, to both our customers and our own guest’s delight. We also have that which refuses to die: the beaujolais nouveau.

Wine Suggestions – Thanksgiving 2018

This year, not only do we have suggestions for your holiday meal, but I got Joe the owner to write them! Then, all I had to do was build a post and add some images to this post.

In the time it took to write the post, that post died when our website crashed. Fortunately,  Joe’s reviews were sent to me via email.

In a nutshell, what I wrote yesterday made the point that these wine suggestions aren’t picked out of a hat.

  1. We find a great wine
  2. We get a great price on said wine because we buy a lot when we find good wine.
  3. We can then offer same wine to our customers at an equally excellent price.
  4. Because we paid less, and we want you to have great wine, everyone wins.

tl;dr: In all seriousness, the selection a store makes is what makes a store great.

Without further ado, Joe’s Word…

White Wines

Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier Blend ($12.99) What started out as an experiment at Pine Ridge Vineyards has long been recognized as a successful white wine blend enjoyed by many and highly recommended at Cranberry Liquors.

 

A food-friendly wine, CB+V (their designation, not mine)pine_ridge_chenin_blanc_review pairs well with turkey and all the trimmings. It presents ripe fruity flavors which are balanced by a natural acidity thus complementing your meal, not competing with it. At $12.99, the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier presents a unique and sophisticated alternative to typical white wines served for Thanksgiving Day dinner.

 

 

 

 

Dr_loosen_red_slate_reviewDr. Loosen Riesling ($11.99) If you’re not feeling in an experimental mood, Dr. L’s Riesling is the go-to white wine for your Thanksgiving.

 

Long a traditional favorite, the fruity sweetness of Riesling goes with turkey like cranberry sauce does.

If your serving wine to folks who aren’t typical wine-drinkers at mealtime, this is the can’t-fail choice.

If you prefer a drier wine but don’t want to abandon the Riesling motif, Cranberry Liquors also has the Dry Riesling ($13.99) and Red Slate Dry ($15.99) from Dr. Loosen as well.

As mentioned before, rosé has evolved from “all day” to “all year,” and can be an excellent compliment to your bird.

 

Red Wine Pairings

_red_wine_pairing_thanksgiving

All winery information listed at the end of this post!

The Crusher Pinot Noir ($10.99) The Crusher (who doesn’t like saying “The Crusher”?) is a California vinted and bottled pinot noir that exhibits all the classic elements of a great pinot at an excellent price: Bright, strawberry rhubarb on the nose and moderate tannins to deliver a nice, long finish. The winemaker’s tasting notes even describe a taste of cranberry in its flavor profile. What better red wine to serve with turkey? 

Thanksgiving_pairing_red_wine

 

Folie a Deux Zinfandel

($17.99) For the wine drinker that likes a good cabernet with a good steak, the Folie a Deux Zin provides a robust, full-bodied red wine experience for your Thanksgiving. Jammy berry aromas give way to mocha and cedar.

Medium tannins, and a round mouthfeel make this a wine which will stand up to turkey or pork.

Just in case you are doing something a little different this Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

 

*Cue applause track*

 

 

If you can’t take Joe’s word for it, take mine. 

If you can’t take my word for it, take LeVar Burton’s.

dont_take_my_word_for_it_reading_rainbow

Reading Rainbow (or best gif ever)

If you trust no one (not even LeVar?!)
We will be tasting the wines listed below tomorrow, Saturday November 17 from 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM. (click here for that information…)

Additionally (rather, before I forget) can I interest you in my all time favorite drink? If none of the above appeals to you, drink what I’ve never heard anyone refuse to!

champagne_cute_cartoonIf you are beyond lost in our aisles (and not dancing like Levar and crew,) please ask for help!

C.Liquors celebrates all sorts of ways this time of year, and nothing it is very difficult to surprise us with your recipe or familial tradition.

Special Hours

Wednesday, November 2018

Thursday: Legally, liquor stores are required to be closed!

Friday: Back to normal, open at 9:00 AM until 10:00 PM.

 

Regarding the additional seasonal holidays, we will post them as soon as this one is over!

XOXOXO,

C.Liquors

 

For more information on the wines being tasted tomorrow: See event

Wines

Pine Ridge Chenin Blend

the Doctor Loosen Brothers – US website

The Crusher

Folie a Deux Zin

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On Cape Cod Today? When in Rome…

On Cape Cod Today? When in Rome…

Posted by Best_New_Wine, Blends, Featured, Tasting Wine, Wine on trend No Comments

It’s raining on Cape Cod.

Some may ask “What’s new?” and others may ask “What now?!”

Never fear – C. Liquors is here.

A few years ago I had a customer tell me I would love Burning Man and should consider going. I should have listened to him! Last night I was reading about the upcoming Burning Man Festival August, 2018.

Today, Burning Man is not as it was. Once known to some as the cool hippy music and art festival in the middle of the desert. it was a little-known festival famous for leaving no mark: as in, all festivities left no litter, structures or art in commemoration.

Today, not very different from Coachella or even Lollapolooza, more people know it as a social gathering for celebrities and other elite. What caught my eye in this article was not the obscene amount of money, man-power or produce (crates of eggs? In the desert?). #ew

Rather, I was curious about the alcohol being served at the tents of this celebrity chef, cooking for Silicon Valley attendees.

400 cases of Whispering Angel (as well as Dom Perignon) are on this celebrity chef’s menu.

Four hundred cases. For those of us who cannot count (watch me do this math wrong!) that is 3600 hundred bottles. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Like Burning Man, Cape Cod is often at full capacity this time of year. If you are one of the lucky people on the beautiful island we call Cape Cod today, please note these things:

  1. This weather is oh-so-typical. Finnicky gray skies, rainy forecasts and ruined outdoor plans all come part and parcel with our little pied-à-terre of lush, beautiful forests, deer ticks and cranberry bogs. You are getting the full Cape-Codder experience.
  2. Speaking of Cape Codders, you’re better off playing local favorites. Plus, Dark and Stormy’s are sort of played out.

Mostly, if you are bumming out really hard about that cancelled nautical experience on Cape Cod today, making lemonade out of those lemon wedges isn’t all that hard! The Italian girl in me is screaming “make a sauce,” and the French girl in me is screaming something fatalistic involving red wine.Orin_Swift_Machete_Wine_Cranberry_Liquors

If you haven’t already poured through our selection (see what I did there?) may I suggest the Orin Swift?

We still have Mercury Head, Papillon (which means butterfly in French) and the Palermo in stock.

We also have the Machete – a head turner and an excellent bottle.

At $47.99 for a 750ml bottle, the Machete is Orin Swift’s more affordable buy.

This Wednesday is screaming red wine to me, but we do have Whispering Angel Rose as well. At 750ml, for 21.99 and 350 (split) for $13.99.

If that is more up your alley, you are more than welcome to try to make those rose gummi bears you saw on Pinterest.

Either way, Cranberry Liquors hopes you enjoy the beautiful gray skies Cape Cod has grown to love!

  1.  As you busy yourself trying to salvage your day today, Cranberry Liquors invites you to be a local today. What might that mean?Besides making the most of a grey day on Cape Cod?

What Cape Codders Do On Rainy Summer Days – Including but not limited to:

    • Drinking red wine because you can.

    • Sitting in your car at the beach

    • Complaining about this gosh-forsaken weather

    • Enjoying the day off

    • Taking a long drive… nowhere in particular (believe it or not, the roads should be clear as the majority of the population may or may not be at the grocery store)

    • Going to the beach in spite of the rain

      papillon_wine

      Papillon by Orin Swift

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Mother’s Day – Not Just Rosés

Mother’s Day – Not Just Rosés

Posted by About Us, Best_New_Wine, Craft Beer, Drinking Beer, Featured, Seasonal Beer, Tasting Wine, Wine on trend, Wines for Occasion No Comments

Do we write a Mother’s Day post every year?

No, only the important years. And this year happens to be an important one! Why, you might ask?

Because of the way the holidays stacked up, from Easter to Cinco De Mayo, and the fact that they cancelled spring this year, we’re pretty sure everyone needs a restful, seriously excellent weekend.

Without further ado, we’ve got Mother’s Day ideas for the mom who likes her pink wine, to the mom who likes her margarita with triple sec and extra salt.

2018 Wines for Mom

Other than for you to move out of her basement, what does your mom really want?

Rosés are still it, guys.

Things to know:

Do they like:

– dry or sweet (white or pink) wine?

– Domestic or Imported (California or French / Spanish / Italian?)

Hint: Raid her cabinet (or her Pinterest board) to see what she’s been into.

These are the wines Cranberry Liquors is betting our beer money on this year.

New Rosé 2018

The Mirabeau – (not to be confused with the Miraval rosé), this award winning rosé from rosé land (Provence, France,) this is a well priced, award winning wine. You can read more here (or just read the blog and come visit us at Cranberry Liquors.)

AIX – a french wine also from AIX/ Aix en Provence. Another award winner from that dominion/region in France that seems to churn out the best pink wine there is.

Read about the AIX here – I’m looking forward to this wine in particular.

Both the AIX and the Mirabeau retail at $17.99.

aix-rose-en-provence
Contenders also include Dark Horse (a California/ domestic), the Mimi and the Apothic Rosé. We carried these wines last year, but prices have come down a bit on these.

 

Apothic Rosé: $11.99

“Apothic Rosé 2017 features vibrant flavors of strawberry with a hint of raspberry.With a great balance between sweet and sour notes, this wine fully delivers on the profile of Provençal-style Rosés. With a refreshing yet creamy finish, this wine is light in style but dark in nature.”

dark_horse_rose

 

Dark Horse: $9.99

Mimi: $15.99

Tasting notes on this popular wine

“Cinsaut – Grenache – Syrah is a blend of grape varieties commonly grown and blended in southern France. This classic combination is used most commonly to make Provence‘s famous rosé wines, which display crisp, aromatic flavors of berryfruit and spice. The blend is also used to make some red wines, particularly in the appellations of the southern Rhone Valley and in the Languedoc-Roussillon area.”

 

Do a little shopping, buy something for mom too…

Not bad for Mom’s big day…

 

And if your mom will go for a beer or a glass of pink stuff, can we highly recommend the Angry Orchard Rose? Honestly, when this cider came out I was pretty confident it wouldn’t sell (thankfully, I don’t do the ordering.)

I was wrong!  Angry Orchard made pink sparkly, light and inspired by “Amour Rouge” apples and that pink thing everyone is doing. At $9.50 a six pack, (plus bottle deposit) you’ve got six chances to make mom very, very happy.

For Moms Who Like Beer

ANGRY-ORCHARD-ROSE

 

We don’t play into stereotypes so we’ll just say this: Moms love beer. All kinds.

A personal favorite (over 5 years and still going strong!) is the Lambic Framboise Raspberry Beer. I remember the first time I had it the man who suggested it (Hi Adam!) said

“It’s just raspberry and hops. That’s it!” And it’s wicked, wicked good.

schofferhofer-grapefruit-The other beer that’s great for warmer spring days is the Schofferhofer grapefruit beer. My favorite anecdote about this beer is the time the two 7 foot tall German guys came in speaking as much English as I do Spanish, telling me “this beer is most popular in Germany.” They walked out with the two and a half cases we had in stock.

Grapefruit-y, light effervescent beer that isn’t played out like Corona? Yes please.

Plus, just like the mixed case discounts we offer, mix-a-six pack of craft singles and continue to save ten percent!

 

 

Ideas for Mom who Shops

Two Words: Gift. Card. Cranberry Liquors Gift Cards

Make an afternoon of it with your dear little mama.

Buying a C.Liquors gift card makes for three excellent solutions:

– The mom who is seemingly indifferent to “stuff” (hint: if she shops at X-mas Tree Shop, this is not your mom.)

– The mom who prefers “the experience” to the “stuff” (a la’ those commercials for a Groupon app.)

– The mom who is never happy with what you get her

– The mom you have nothing to do with.

Plus, get her a gift card and she can buy her extra super fancy liqueur and neither of you has to feel guilty! You can put $25 toward her 100 year  cognac /Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire (it happens all the time.)

Mom doesn’t drink

Hmm, wish I could help you but… kidding! Come by Cranberry Liquors, give us the scoop, and we’ll have a great suggestion for you. There are plenty of people in Harwich Port who know exactly what your mom wants (they probably know your mom if you’re from here too…)

Note: C.Liquors offers gift bags and other items to make it look like you put all the effort into making their present presentable!

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Trust C.Liquors, Buy From Spain

Trust C.Liquors, Buy From Spain

Posted by Best_New_Wine, Featured, Tasting Wine, Uncategorized, Wine on trend No Comments

Made in the USA: Buy Imported, Get Dazzled

I just read a fabulous quick hit on great wines from South America. I’m paraphrasing, but the guy writes that when people think “Imported Wine” places like Italy or France are top of mind.

Meanwhile, an equally adversarial Spain gets snubbed.

as Jerry Seinfield might have put it

“Whats the de-aaaal with that?”

You Had Me at Rio... ja?

RIOJA
Spain: You Want What They're Having

 From what I’ve researched, I have reached a conclusion: Marketing.

Spain doesn’t do nearly enough marketing. Fair enough, right? People don’t know you have a great product, so they go buy the wines they know.

Here’s where it gets a little bit crazy: Spanish wine is an insane commodity.

In fact, if you have ever enjoyed a glass of wine, you’ve probably already had Spanish wine and loved it, and had absolutely no idea that’s what you were drinking.

Apparently, Similarly to olive oil, Spain will export its fermented grape juice over to Italy and France, where Italians and Frenchies are happy to take all the credit, touting the wines as their own.

Seriously! This really happens! In 2014 Spain surpassed Italy as the largest exporter of wine in the world.

Spain’s biggest customer is France, who buys Spanish wines at about .50 cents a liter. Then France and Italy bottle the juice, selling it for a mere $1.50 a liter.

There’s a second piece of Spain’s wine conundrum: There are so many kinds of Spanish wine, and it’s a challenge for customers to decipher good from bad, let alone varietal from varietal. It’s no wonder that people resort to their same habits, their same old Kendall Jackson. To  make matters worse, the very controlling “Control Board” of Spain doesn’t allow Vineyards to say in what area the wine was made.

“It is illegal in Rioja to mention vineyard names or villages on labels, unless the village happens to be part of the physical address of the winery. Imagine if all red Burgundy were sold as Bourgogne Rouge… Rioja is almost as complicated as Burgundy once you start to understand its vineyards.”

So now, we know that:

A. Spain has excellent wine

B. Spain has excellent wine that is incredibly undervalued by virtue of several hurdles

C. Spain has A TON of wine

…how do we best determine how to buy our next Rioja, Albariño or Tempranillo? That is, other than making your purchases at Cranberry Liquors, who take much of the difficulty away from the situation by selecting your selections, how do we further determine which wine is your wine?

Rioja - Pyramid of Awesome

Rioja_Crianza_Riserva_Difference

The Nuts and Proverbial Bolts...

Here are a few wines we absolutely recommend, along with suggestions for selecting your new favorite import.

Price

Although price may seem like an obvious clue into what’s worth buying, it isn’t that cut and dry. Price does matter. It matters a lot, especially when we consider how else we can gauge the worth of what we buy.

However, if I were to compare a pinot noir from Sonoma County and a Tempranillo from Spain, their median price points wouldn’t even be close.

TL;DR: A 20 dollar Spanish wine will blow your mind, unlike some wines.

Keywords

This is sort of a contradictory clue, as I just quoted an article wherein a major winemaker in Spain expounds on having to break the law to “tell the story” behind the wine. This B.A. winemaker doesn’t care; He recognizes the importance of marketing the story the wine tells, and a big part of that story is from where that wine began.

So when you’re looking for your next inexpensive white wine to please your mother-in-law who only likes Pinot Grigio, give DoZoe a try – this Albariño has grown in popularity over the past year or so, and has received special favor from the white wine lovers. At $10.99, I can assure you you will be back to buy this one again.

If you’re looking for something a little dressier, I’d point you to the Licia without a second thought. Licia’s Albarino is undoubtedly one of the nicer Spanish whites we carry, and I only have one criticism of it! The bottle is too darn dark for customers (and employees) to determine whether the wine is red or white.

The Licia is an excellent bottle, and the story behind the wine is pretty excellent too, not that many people know it. Jose Limeres grew his own wine in 1985 after searching for a consistently good vineyard to no avail. Limeres hoped to stock his own restaurants, and after a fruitless search, he grew his own! The northwestern lush climate, the composition of the soil and the proximity to the ocean made for a perfect mix of acidity and sugar.   

TL;DR: For almost 5 dollars more than the DoZoe, the Licia Albariño will impress you.

Go From What You Know

This might be a little weird, but my mom (the little french lady I often mention) loves to pick up a bottle of wine and say things like “You see zis? See how heavy zis bottle is? I like zis. I bet zis is a great wine.”

In all honesty, it was a great bottle of wine. More to the point however, having grown up in a liquor store, I definitely recommend trusting your instincts. Intuition is more likely to help you than hurt you in this case. Plus, I have some excellent Rioja infotainment for you to graduate from beginner to novice in the spaniard region of our store (I believe we call it the “second aisle.”)

Rioja used to be called “vin joven” and some winemakers still put that on the label. Translated, vin joven means “young wine” and thanks to wine folly, we can call this type of Rioja the “base model Tempranillo.”

Then there’s the MVP – the Crianza. Ever wonder why some wines have almost the exact same label, but different prices? We can always use logic when reading “Reserve” or “Riserva”, but what about Crianza? What am I supposed to make of that information? Crianza was created to be a high-quality daily drinking wine, with a minimum aging period of 6 months. Using the Lan as an example, the Crianza is the “most accessible” Rioja. At 12.99, the Lan Crianza is “a tremendous value” and will pair well with the same things with which you’d drink a Cabernet.

TL;DR Crianza = Cabernet at value pricing

Lastly, we have Riserva and Gran Riserva.

“This is where Rioja tastes serious. At the Reserva level, winemakers often age their wines longer than the minimum and select better grapes. Many Rioja wine enthusiasts swear by Reserva level because they are a medium between super fruity Crianza and oakey-bottle-aged Gran Reserva.”

Oak barrel aging, and just plain aging, are two key ingredients to both the Riserva and the Gran Riserva.

Riserva is sworn by as the “go to” Rioja, touting the greatest bang-for-your-buck and for having the highest success rate as far as pleasing the consumer.

With the Gran Riserva you are getting:

  • High quality ingredients
  • Longer aging
  • And “Selected wines from exceptional vintages which have spent at least 2 years in oak casks and 3 years in the bottle. For white wines, the minimum aging period is 4 years, with at least one year in casks.” (thank you riojawines.com.)

Spanish+wine+map_rioja

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