- September Special
- Varietals Basic Course
- Wine Trivia Challenge
- Recipe of the Month
- Health & Fitness

September 2007

Organic Wine Company Website
A New Look and Feel!

You like our new look!

Thank you for all the positive feedback that we received on our new website presentation. We hope that you will make it one of your Favorites! We encourage to communicate with us regarding any question, request for wines or snafu that you may have encountered. Recently our Give Away campaign was more succesful than we anticipated (one wonders why!) and we experienced some delays. If you do not receive a call or an email back from us within 48 hours, please reach again for us as your message probably did not come through!

"Oh, no! Not another $60 worth of free wine with my order!"

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.

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Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your
mouth shut.
-- Ernest Hemingway

A Short Course in Varietals, Chapter 2 101

Last month we discussed Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio. Following are four more well-known varietals.

1. Muscat -- The breadth and number of varieties of muscat suggest that it is very old, perhaps the oldest domesticated grape variety. Muscat grapes are the basis for many brandy, sherry and many fortified wines and they produce spicy, floral wines. Muscats can range from very dry and fresh to sweet and syrupy. This varietal is often served with puddings and chocolate desserts. Muscat is widely grown in Portugal and Spain, where the grape and the wines produced from it are known as Moscatel or Muscatel. In Italy, Moscato is an interesting light sparkling wine with only 5% alcohol, a real delight! Check our own from Mario Torelli.
2. Champagne/Sparkling Wine -- Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of wine to effect carbonation. It is named after the Champagne region of France. While the term is used by some makers of sparkling wine in other parts of the world, this is an illegal practice. Champagnes and sparkling wines range in style from very dry (natural), dry (brut) and slightly sweet (extra dry) to sweet (sec and demi-sec). Many sparkling wines are also identified as Blanc de Blancs (wines made from white grapes) or Blanc de Noirs (wines produced from red grapes). The main grapes used are Pinot Noir and Meunier as well as Chardonnay. In the region of Limoux, where the technique actually originates, Mauzac is the main varietal used as in our own Blanquette Delmas.
3. Gewurztraminer -- Gewurztraminer is a white wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates, like the region of Alsace in France. It is known for its spicy characteristics. The name literally means "spicy traminer," and derives from the grape being a highly aromatic variant of its parent, simply called "traminer." Gewurztraminer produces distinctive wines rich in spicy aromas and full flavors, ranging from dry to sweet. Smells and flavors of litchi nuts, gingerbread, vanilla, grapefruit, and honeysuckle come out of this varietal. It is often a popular choice for Asian cuisines, curry and pork-based sausages. Eugene Meyer produces the one we carry biodynamically!
4. Riesling -- Rieslings are white wines known for their floral perfume and are considered one of the grape varieties that best express the terroir of the place where it is grown. It is particularly well suited for slate and sandy clay soil. Depending on where they're made, they can be crisp and bone-dry, full-bodied and spicy or luscious and sweet. The flavor is often of peaches, apricots, honey, and apples and pairs well with duck, pork, and roast vegetables. Riesling is a very versatile wine to have with food because of its balance of sugar and notable acidity. It can pair with white fish, or with pork, and it is one of the few wines that can stand up to Thai and Chinese cuisine. Riesling's naturally high acidity and range of flavors make it suitable for extended aging. The townhall of Bremen, Germany, stores various German wines, including Riesling-based wines, in barrels back to the 1653 vintage. Available at OWC on special order only.

Next issue: Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Wine is sunlight, held together by water.
-- Galileo

Wine Trivia Challenge

Question 1.) How many acres are planted to grapes worldwide?
a.) 10 million
b.) 15 million
c.) 20 million
d.) 25 million

Question 2.) What was the primary fruit crop in Napa Valley during the 1940s?
a.) Prunes
b.) Grapes
c.) Oranges
d.) Apples

Question 3.) How many varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide?
a.) 4,000
b.) 6,500
c.) 8,000
d.) 10,000

Question 4.) A bottle of opened wine stored in the refrigerator lasts six to 16 times longer than if stored at room temperature?
a.) True
b.) False

Question 5.) What percentage of restaurant wine sales do red wines represent?
a.) 35
b.) 45
c.) 55
d.) 75

TOP | ANSWERS

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.
-- John Gunther

Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas

This is a quick and easy pasta dish that will make you look like a gourmet cook!

Ingredients -- Serves 6

• 3/4 (16 ounce) package uncooked linguini pasta
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon chili oil (adjust to your taste)
• 1-1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3/4 pound sugar snap pea pods
• 1-1/2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons reserved pasta water
• 2-1/4 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2-1/4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil. Add linguini pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.
2. Heat the olive oil and chili oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Mix in the shrimp, pea pods and garlic. Cook and stir 2 minutes, until shrimp are almost opaque. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Pour the wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Rosé would do well) into the wok and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by 1/3. Return shrimp, peas, and garlic to the wok, and stir in the reserved pasta water. Continue to cook and stir until shrimp are opaque. Remove wok from heat and mix in the butter, lemon juice and basil. Toss with the cooked pasta to serve.

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Nothing is more fatal to Health, than an over Care
of it.
-- Benjamin Franklin

Strength Training Offers Many Benefits

A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina found that when they compared the amount of growth hormone released as a result of a 30-minute-aerobic-exercise session or strength training, significantly more was released with the strength-training workout.

So, if you are looking for a way to fight aging naturally -- and increase fat burning while you're at it -- you may want to consider strength training as part of your exercise program. The best strength-training exercises to use are multiple-muscle and total-body exercises, such as step-ups, lunges and squats. You can perform these with or without dumbbells.

Start with three sets of eight repetitions, two to three times per week. As you get in better shape, add a pushing exercise, such as push-ups or dumbbell chest presses. This simple routine will give you a fast, total-body workout that builds muscle, burns fat and boosts growth hormone.

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Wine Trivia Answers
#1. c.) 20 million; #2. a.) Prunes; #3. d.) 10,000; #4. a.) True; #5. c.) 55