- Gypsy Melody
- Rosé Bousquette
- Perlage Pinot Grigio
- August Offer
- 12 Tips for Buying Wine
- Wine Trivia Challenge
- Recipe of the Month
- Health & Fitness

July-August 2007

GYPSY MELODY:
The Fun Summer Wine!

Sing along to a Gypsy tune!

The brothers Julien make some serious wines: the whole range of Mas de Janiny wines attests to their savoir-faire in the winemaking area! Another side of them is their love for music and specifically Gypsy music. They play and sing with their local band and have created the "Temps des Gitans" to go together with the festive atmosphere found in the bars and taverns of Southern France where they get together with like-minded souls for a jam session. This is a fun, light-hearted wine, meant to be drunk young, fresh and fast! It won't give you a headache and will certainly put you in the right mood to appreciate the Gypsy side of life! Made from 100% Carignane grape, a traditional variety of the South.

A great deal of a wine offered for a quick drink at an easy price: $12. Jump on it now and enjoy your Summer with it!
Gypsy Melody

ROSÉ BOUSQUETTE:
For real Rosé lovers!

The latest craze in France!

There is no market more unpredictable than the one for Rosé! These days it has the favor of young and not-so-young people alike, who seek an interesting drink during days that tend to become hotter and hotter! Lighter and fruitier than most reds, with more extraction of matter than a regular white, a well made rosé in the traditional Southern French style brings together attractive qualities. Quite dry and refreshing with sometimes a little "spritz", a rosé can be had with a large variety of foods and the relatively low alcohol makes it appealing to women seeking taste and lightness on the stomach.

Château Bousquette has been making rosé for generations. I made it myself during 8 vintages! If you have visited France during the Summer (or wished you had!) this is the perfect way to bring back (or invent) memories of eating a salade provençale on the central square's restaurant of a little village of the South on a hot day under the shadow of the big (platane) trees!

The latest vintage is just in! A rare find, the 2006 will probably not last very long as we could only secure 30 cases of it. Don't wait!
Château Bousquette Rosé 2006

PERLAGE PINOT GRIGIO:
From Veneto with Love!

Borgo Faveri has changed its name!

But don´t worry, the wine is as good as ever! The winery needed to make a label change and opted for its own name so you will find it now under the name Perlage, the maker of our brilliant Prosecco. With a different look the bottle also sports a new closure, the famous Stelvin, a screwcap system that makes it easy to open and close the bottle at will. The taste is as satisfying as last year, judging by the warm welcome this wine receives everywhere. Simply put you won't find anywhere else that kind of quality offered at such a price for an organic Pinot Grigio!


Perlage Pinot Grigio 2006

OFFER OF THE MONTH!

A refreshing Offer!

Get one bottle of each of these newly released wines for $49 only! And that includes SHIPPING! (Ground in the continental US)

REFRESH 3!

Even better: get 3 bottles of each of these wines and we will fill the case up with 3 bottles of our Viognier 2004 FOR FREE! Get this full case delivered at home for only $149!

REFRESH 12!

My deepest thanks for all these years of good service.
I am thrilled to have you both to find organic and no-sulfites wines. I have spread the word in San Diego! Thank you again for your excellence, fine picks in wines. My husband and I enjoy getting our shipment every month!
-- Jen, CA

Veronique's Wine Club

Join the Club today and we'll deliver 3 bottles of fine wine made from organic grapes to you each month! Talk about convenience and fun! We'll expand your wine repertoire by selecting three bottles of wine and shipping them directly to your home. Be it for a few months or longer, this is a great way to discover wines you might never have thought of trying by yourself!
Only $47/mo (+ S&H).

Club members get a presentation of the wines selected, privileged access to some rare products and a continuous 20% discount on every full case order they place from the General Catalog. Customers are delighted by our personal attention! (Thank you for the praise!)

Each month, you'll try some of the best wines we carry. And, as a welcome gift with your subscription, you will receive an extra bottle of wine, FREE! Currently a Château Bousquette Prestige 2003!

A great gift idea, you can order it for a few months and cancel at any time without a fuss. Try it, you'll like it!

Click here for more information.

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.
-- Douglas Pagels

12 Tips for Buying Wine

1. WHERE does it come from? First the country, then the appellation. While traditional countries like France and Italy have hundreds of names defining the area where the wine was grown, knowing at least the main regions of production will give you an idea of what you will get. Big names reassure (Bourgogne, Bordeaux) but up-and-coming regions have more diversity to offer (Languedoc)
2. WHEN was the wine made? Most labels state the vintage or year the grapes were harvested and made into wine. Nowadays most wines (white and roses obviously but a lot of reds too) are meant to be experienced fresh and young (from a few months to a few years) as drinkers tend to look for the fruit. Conversely, as you become sophisticated you will want to wait a few years to appreciate more mature and complex wines. And at the top end you will find real differences between vintages that justify the prices (that is, if you can afford them!).
3. WHAT went into it? What grapes were used to make the wine? A single varietal on the label indicates that at least 75% of the wine was made from it. Most appellation wines are a blend of 3 to 9 different types of grapes, usually mentioned on the back label or assumed to be known by the buyer (Bordeaux wines are typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot for instance).
4. HOW was the wine made? This is of paramount importance and we will assume here that you restrict your search to wines made organically (avoid no sulfites wines usually not satisfying), biodynamically or at the very least with ecological practices. Organic certification is a must since anyone can pretend anything if nobody watches over them. NOP (FDA standards) is an unfortunate and costly duplication of standards but we at The Organic WIne Company make sure that all our wines are certified in their country of origin. Check for our name on the back label as a guarantee of quality.
5. Try something new to keep your palate interested and your tastebuds working -- buy an assorted case to sample smaller producers and take advantage of the 10 percent case discount.
6. Wine Club Membership: our monthly selection takes the guessing out of your hands and bring you a surprise at your door every few weeks. Fun!
7. Ask for help -- we are only an easy phone call away 1-888-326-9463 (or ECOWINE for your memory).
8. Comparison shop -- feel free to compare with other sites and you will quickly return to us for choice, counsel, service on top of the price and speed of delivery..
9. Check for the GUARANTEE! Who provides 100% satisfaction, replacement of bad bottles, full refund and dedicated service? The Organic Wine Company, that's who!
10. Wine tastings -- attend these events and learn more about your tastes. Create one by gathering a few friends, it's a great way to discover new wines and have fun while sharing your experience and knowledge.
11. Take notes -- it can be difficult to remember which wines you like -- and which ones you don't. And that helps develop your memory over time.
12. If buying from a store, do not buy refrigerated wines -- cold refrigeration over a long period of time can have a negative impact on the wine. Avoid also bottles that have been standing in the light for too long, accumulating dust.

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Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves
-- Dale Carnegie

Wine Trivia Challenge

Question 1.) What State was home to the first commercial U.S. winery?
a) Washington
b) California
c) Missouri
d) Oregon

Question 2.) Of these four, which would be the driest champagne?
a) Brut
b) Extra Dry
c) Sec
d) Doux

Question 3.) In what country is intoxication actually a legal excuse for having an accident while driving?
a) Uruguay
b) Venezuela
c) Peru
d) Brazil

Question 4.) What children's fairy tale mentions a bottle of wine?
a) Hansel and Gretel
b) Little Red Riding Hood
c) The three Little Pigs
d) Rumpelstiltsken

Question 5.) Which best describes wines made from red zinfandel grapes?
a) Smoky and Mellow
b) Light and Fruity
c) Spicy and Robust
d) Sweet

TOP | ANSWERS

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.
-- Jim Davis

Polynesian Chicken Salad with Baby Spinach

With summer comes lots of fresh vegetables. This salad is easy to make and is sure to impress.

• Ingredients -- Serves 2
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 1 large red pepper -- thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup canned mandarin orange segments -- drained
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette with poppyseed dressing
• 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast -- grilled and sliced
• 2 tbs. cashews
• 2 tbs. flake coconut -- toasted.

Directions: To toast coconut, spread flakes in a shallow baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully as coconut burns easily.

Toss the spinach and romaine with the peppers and oranges in a bowl. Add dressing and mix lightly. Spoon onto serving platter or two plates. Top with chicken and sprinkle with cashews and coconut. Enjoy!

• Wine Pairing
• A French Shiraz, such as our 2005 Domaine de Clairac.

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Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.
-- Carrie Latet

3 Tips to Help You Keep on Walking

Walking rates as one of the most popular workouts. It's easy, convenient and a great way to keep off extra weight, but all too often there are obstacles that prevent you from enjoying this activity -- or so you think.

• Obstacle 1: I work all day and can't fit a walk into my busy schedule -- It only takes about 30 minutes a day to keep you in good cardiovascular health. It's OK to break those 30 minutes into chunks of 10 or 15 throughout the day. Try taking a 10-minute loop around the block before you shower or walking the dog a little longer. If you think you are too tired after a day of work, have a light snack and a glass of water before you lace up. You will be surprised what a "pick-me-up" a good, brisk walk can be.
• Obstacle 2: The only way that I can walk is to drag my kids along and they walk too slow to get a good workout -- First, get a stroller for the little ones. If your kids are over stroller age aim for a longer walk. Also, try making it a competition. It's easy to get your kids to pick up the pace when you "time them" to see how fast they can get to the next street light or driveway. You may even find yourself having to speed up to catch up with them! If your neighborhood does not have sidewalks or is unsafe, walk at a school track, a nearby park or around the mall.
• Obstacle 3: I lost weight when I started walking, but now I barely break a sweat -- This is called a plateau; your body has become more efficient and is no longer challenged by your routine. Time to shake things up. Find a new route with more hills or try walking longer and faster. If time constraints are an issue, add some squats or high intensity moves like jumping jacks or stair-climbing into your walks.

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Wine Trivia Answers
#1. c.) Missouri
#2. a.) Brut
#3. a.) Uruguay
#4. b.) Little Red Riding Hood
#5. c.) Spicy and Robust