Brett Black IPA

Evil Twin Femme Fatale Noir....$9.99 / 22oz
"To take up the challenge and make a 100% true Brett Black IPA can very easily become a fatal attraction for the brewmaster.  Once you get acquainted with Brett's irresistable, seductive, alluring and very charming nature, it will ensnare you and drive you mad obsessing over exactly ho you can create that perfect desirable tangy, funky, tart flavor in ya mouth.

Irish Whiskey Tasting April 18

Irish Whiskey Class and Tasting

April 18 from 6pm-7:30

This tasting will be conducted by Eoin Derham, 
Brand Ambassador for Jameson

The Wine and Cheese Place

7435 Forsyth Blvd, Clayton MO, 63105

$15 / person

This is a sit down event and reservations are required.

Call 314.727.8788 or click here to sign up online

• Paddy's Irish Whiskey
• Powers Irish Whiskey
• Powers 12 yr Irish Whiskey
• Jameson Irish Whiskey
• Jameson 12 yr Irish Whiskey
• Jameson Gold Irish Whiskey
• Redbreast 12yr Irish Whiskey
• Redbreast Cask Irish Whiskey

Eoin Derham, Brand Ambassador 

Wine Education

Wine Tasting at all FOUR locations

Taste the Cva A Portela Mencia at all four of our locations this Saturday, April 6 from 11am-4pm. (each store will also have other wines out to taste)

A little more education: We are going to try to feature either a grape or a wine region each week at our stores. We will give you some background information on the grape or region and feature a wine that highlights what we are featuring. We will taste that wine on Saturday at all four of our locations. We will post it here in our blog and send it out in our emails - click here to sign up for our emails

I have started a new label "Education" that you can hit to read all the education articles (see the right column under the heading "labels".

Grape: Mencia

image from Wikipedia

Mencia: Once thought to be a clone of Cabernet Franc, the Mencia grape is grown mostly in the Northwestern portion of Spain. While historically Mencia, planted to Post-Phylloxera vines on fertile soil, has produced large crops but diluted flavors, a new generation of winemakers has embraced the potential for Mencia to produce world class wines. Noted for it’s floral bouquet and bright fresh flavors Mencia is a rising star among Spanish varietals.


In stock at all 4 locations
2011 Cva A Portela Mencia...$14.99
From vineyards planted in pure granite soils, the 2011 A Portela is an amazing, unoaked, naturally made 100% Mencia. Opulently styled with copious notes of blueberry liqueur, crushed rocks, spring flowers and a hint of camphor, it exhibits fabulous intensity, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, superb ripeness and an ethereal lightness in spite of its intensity and richness. This stunning effort from Jose Luis Murcia should be drunk over the next 5-10 years.

Rated 93/100 The Wine Advocate

This week's recipe

White Anchovy and Arugula Crostini:
Our Spanish White Anchovies are one of my all time favorite ingredients for dressing up a simple dish and making it elegant. These Crostini are a staple at my house when hosting our “Foodie” friends for dinner, simple tasty and just exotic enough. The bitterness of the Arugula and the salty sweetness of the anchovies pair beautifully together, serve with your favorite Sparkling Wine for the perfect start to any evening.

• 1/3 Pound Spanish White Anchovy Filets   ***
• 1 Bunch Arugula (washed well and torn into smaller pieces)  
• Aged Balsamic Vinegar   ***
• 1 Tribecca French Baguette Sliced into ½ inch thick    ***
• Fleur du Cel for finsishing    ***
• Fresh Cracked black pepper   
• Extra Virgin Olive oil   ***
• 4oz Fresh Chevre   *** (optional to spread on baguette before topping with Arugula Salad)

*** In stock at The Wine and Cheese Place Forsyth

As with all Crostini start with the Tribecca baguette, slice evenly,   drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, bake at 350 degrees until just starting to brown.

For the Arugula, simply wash well, tear into small pieces and mix in a bowl with 2Tbs Balsamic Vinegar and 4Tbs Olive oil, along with fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

To finish (if using chevre coat each piece of baguette with chevre) top each slice of toasted bread with a pinch of Arugula and simply lay 2 Anchovy filets on top, finish with a sprinkle of Fleur du Sel and serve.

Pair with Pierre Boniface Brut de Savoie, or 2010 Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Woodford Reserve 2013 Kentucky Derby

Woodford Reserve 2013 Kentucky Derby....$39.99

In stock now! -- click here to reserve

Tignanello

In stock now and online

2009 Antinori Tignanello....$73.99 
The 2009 Tignanello is quite beautiful. Cedar, graphite, sweet herbs, licorice and leather add complexity to a core of highly expressive red fruits. The 2009 impresses for its energy, drive and focus. Today, the 2009 comes across as slightly understated relative to many recent vintages, especially 2007 and 2008. There is a silkiness and polish that is reminiscent of the 2004. Tignanello is 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc from vineyards in San Casciano Val di Pesa, one of the most evocative hillsides in all of Italy. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.
Rated 94/100 The Wine Advocate

Ommegang Game of Thrones

Just got more in stock at Forsyth!

Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne Blonde Ale...$7.49 / 25oz

IRON THRONE

Brewery Ommegang and HBO are partnering on a series of beers in support of the critically-acclaimed drama Game of Thrones. Launching in tandem with the season three debut, Iron Throne is the inaugural beer in the series.

Iron Throne is a blonde ale at 6.5% ABV and brewed with a robust amount of pils, honey malt, aroma malts and red wheat. Gentle hopping includes Styrian Golding and Hallertau Spalter Select, appropriately noble hops. Spiced with grains of paradise and lemon peel. Hue is a slightly hazy golden amber. Head is full and fluffy. Finish is crisp, backed by a touch of spice and hops. Aroma is a bit grassy with a hint of lemon fruitiness from the lemon peel. Taste is lightly malty, rounded out by honey malt sweetness.

Allocated beers

Just some thoughts on the allocated beers....

KBS has got a lot of people upset about missing it.  Remember, we only have a small amount and probably on the conservative side at least 50 times as many people trying to get it.   A lot of people said they had it in their "cart" but they could not check out, which just means it was sold out.  The first order came in at 10:13 and the last one came in at 10:14, so it took less than a minute.    We did NOT pre-sell any or reserve any before it got here.

We do our best to mix it up and change the releases a bit.  We mostly lean towards the online reservations as this seems to be the fairest way to let everyone no matter which location they shop get a chance.

We have done some raffles, first come to the store, putting a bottle out on the shelf 1 per day, and other options.  Was planning on releasing some to Facebook followers and some to Twitter followers.   Maybe a beer via our email list.  Or do a combo of all three.  

Our goal is to be as fair as possible.  Trust me, we want everybody to get some if we could.

Many regulars will attest that they will usually find some goodies on the shelf as sometimes I will hold back a few bottles to randomly place on the shelf to reward people that are just in the store and shopping for their "normal beer".   I like this method to reward "regulars" as we have no way of tracking customer purchases.

There are a lot of great beers out there now and hopefully each person will get a chance to get some of them.

We are very sorry if you did not get this release, but the reality is that most people were not able to get it.  There is just not enough to go around.

As always, we appreciate your business, your ideas and your comments.

Paul
The Wine and Cheese Place.

Rock Hill Beer News

So here is another chance for some goodies...

Rock Hill has some beer that was not picked up and he is putting it out for sale - no reservations, just come and get it....

He has...

• 7 bottles of Perennial Chocolate Mint Stout
• 9 bottles of Stone Enjoy By IPA

KBS gone

Again first come first served and no reservations

The Wine and Cheese Place Rock Hill

9755 Manchester Road

Rock Hill, MO 63119

Stantshack Beef Jerky

In stock now at Forsyth...
a few new flavors just arrived...

• Slantshack Jerk McGurk,s
• Slantshack Vermont Maple Garlic
• Slantshack Spicy Redrub

Introducing Slantshak Beef Jerky

2012 was an exciting year for new products at The Wine and Cheese Place. We brought a fantastic new wine importer, United Estates, to the St Louis market, we launched our barrel aged beer program, not to mention the wildly popular Sweet Sophie Barrel Aged Maple Syrup, and introduced Duraham’s Tracklements Smoked Salmon from Ann Arbor Michigan. It’s a new year and we are excited to introduce a new product SlantShak Beef Jerky. 

“SlantShack Jerky was founded under a slightly slanted roof in New York City, where nine friends set out to create the jerky of their dreams. Today, we work with family farms throughout the Northeast to source sustainably raised grass-fed beef, and partner with Vermont Highland Cattle Company to handcraft jerky with a focus on quality, freshness, and flavor.” - Slantshak Beef Jerky
SlantShack’s 100% Grass-Fed Beef
SlantShack Jerky is proud to offer beef jerky made from 100% Grass-Fed Cattle lovingly raised by Vermont Highland Cattle Company and other local Vermont and New York farmers.

Great beef is the result of a complex combination of factors including breed, feed, care and age. What makes Vermont Highland Cattle Company beef special is the attention paid to all the details that help achieve great taste. Highland cattle, originally from Northern Scotland, are one of the oldest beef breeds. They have evolved to produce naturally lean, tender beef without hormones or growth stimulants.

Vermont Highland Cattle Company’s cows enjoy 100% pasture grass, and never receive growth-promoting antibiotics or hormones. They treat their cattle with dignity and respect, and ranch managers do whatever is necessary to reduce the amount of stress in the animals’ day-to-day lives.

Benefits of Grass-Fed Beef:
More Nutritious: While most beef cows consume an unnatural diet of grain for a portion of their lives, grass-fed cows eat only grass, as cows evolved to do. The seeds and nutrients they feed on result in healthy and delicious meat. Some research suggests grass-fed beef has as much as 10 times more beta-carotene, three times more Vitamin E and three-times more omega-3 fatty acids as a result.
More Humane: Scientists haven't quantified the benefits of clean water, fresh air and freedom to roam, but it all adds up to a happier, healthier herd.
More Tasty: Meat takes on distinct flavors based on terrain, weather, soil, and water. This is the way beef is supposed to taste.
Less Wasteful: It takes a lot of land to raise beef naturally. By rotating the animals through various pastures through the seasons, ranchers preserve native biodiversity, improve soil fertility, and eliminate the waste-management issues associated with confined animal feedlots (a major source of water pollution at conventional farms).

Coming soon...more Schlafly cans...

Watch for these at 

The Wine and Cheese Place 

in the next couple of weeks!

Cuvee Freddy is back!

In stock now at Forsyth and online

Alvinne Cuvee Freddy...$4.99 / 11.2oz

Flemish Sour Ale Aged for one year on Oak Barrels

Batch #1 Barrel Aged Gin

More in stock now and online

Batch #1

Journeyman Barrel Aged Bilberry Black Hearts Gin....$29.99 / 375ml

The first batch of our Barrel Aged Bilberry Black Hearts Gin. This gin will have complex flavors from the white oak barrel that are similar to aged whiskeys. 

Barrel Aged Version of their regular Bilberry Black Hearts Gin

Back Label: According to Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Return of the Native, the bilberries were called, “black-hearts.” Everyone has a bit of a dark heart, but there’s always a sweet return at the smell and taste of familiar things.

Distiller Comments: Indigenous to Britain and northern Europe, the Bilberry highlights our juniper and eight other botanical’s found in our gin. A cousin to the huckleberry and blueberry the bilberry is smaller and of fuller taste and is extremely hard to grow, thus seldom cultivated. The fruit is mostly collected from wild plants growing on public lands. It is an everyman’s right to collect bilberries irrespective of land ownership. The bilberry is dark in color and usually appears black, thus the berry was commonly refereed to as a black heart in 19th century south-western England. I hope that this truly unique berry and its flavors of tart fig, pepper, and black licorice rest well on your pallet.

Product Information: At 90 proof our gin botanical’s are macerated in a 100% Organic wheat base spirit and then distilled. The definition of small batch each gin run produces less then 10 gallons of distillate. Our gin is clean, bright, and fruity with subtle hints of black licorice.