We are proud to announce that our Wine Tasting Events are returning this Friday to El Cajon. This Friday we will introduce you to some great Tuscan wines!

Tuscan Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, March 31st, 2017 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $25

BANSHEE WINE TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• IL FAUNA TOSCANA 2012 - $29.99  Glass: $10  A polished, flavorful red with black currant, raspberry and spice flavors. Blend: 48% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Verdot. 93 Points WS
• LA VITE LUCENTE 2013 TUSCANA – $27.99  Glass: $10   Full and bright, silky and soft-textured, with lots of fruit and tannins. Blend: Merlot and Sangiovese 92 Points James Suckling
• FONTODI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2001- $44.99  Glass: $15   Medium to full-bodied, with good tannins and a bright fruity finish. 91 Points WS
• CASANOVA DI NERI 2011 - $64.99 . Glass: $15   Brunello Di Montalcino. 100% Sangiovese. Plump and juicy with a load of dark fruit. 92 Points Robert Parker
• CASANOVA DI NERI TENTA NUOVA - $104.99 . Glass: $20   Beautiful and polished with tones of spice, leather, tobacco and balsam herb. 95 Points Robert Parker

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 6 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

Banshee Wines mission is to craft distinctive wines that over-deliver in every possible way.  They developed strong relationships with high-end vineyard owners in Sonoma and work in lock step with them to produce wines of depth, purity and balance.  They’ve managed to recruit an A+ winemaking team, including Ross Cobb (Hirsch, Flowers, Williams Selyem), Katy Wilson (LaRue, Flowers), & Tim Milos (Stags Leap, Opus One).

Rick Rogers will be on hand to guide us through these stellar wines.

Banshee Wine Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, January 20th, 2017 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

BANSHEE WINE TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• BANSHEE SAUVIGNON BLANC - $19.99   Fresh pear and green apple with a hint of lemon meringue on the finish.
• BANSHEE CHARDONNAY – $22.99   A compelling blend of pure apple, orchard blossoms and vanilla sticks.
• BANSHEE PINOT NOIR- $24.99   The silky palate is layered with notes of cherry, hibiscus and mandarin peel.
• BANSHEE MORDECAI RED - $24.99   Our homage to Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums.
• RICKSHAW CABERNET - $17.99   Sumptuous flavors of cassis, plum, fresh blackberry, espresso and cocoa are all characteristics of this Cabernet.

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 3 bottles from tonight’s tasting.
Save 15% off any 12 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

Situated in the Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley, Frog’s Leap produces wine under the leadership of John Williams. Taking inspiration from his first Napa Valley winemaking post in the cellars of Stag’s Leap, John began making wine commercially in 1981 and named the new operation “Frog’s Leap.”

We hope to see you out this Friday!

Frog’s Leap Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, January 13th, 2017 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

FROG’S LEAP TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• FROG’S LEAP SAUVIGNON BLANC - $21.99    “What a lovely wine! The 2015 Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc is so delicate, finely tuned and well balanced.” 91 Points WW
• FROG’S LEAP CHARDONNAY – $32.99     “The story of Frog’s Leap Chardonnay is all about the fruit and nothing else matters. The 2014 Frog’s Leap Chardonnay presents a picture of purity and expression.” 92 Points WW
• FROG’S LEAP MERLOT- $35.99   ”The depth of the ripe plum aromas is astounding, the weight on the palate perfect and the flavors go on and on.”
• FROG’S LEAP CABERNET - $54.99    ”Shows a medium ruby color and exhibits beautiful aromas and flavors of wild strawberries, dried brown stalks, pleasant dust and rich earth.” 93 Points WW
• FROG’S LEAP ZINFANDEL - $29.99   ”The tannins come together in a refreshing, gentle structure that lifts the fruit flavors, presenting them as perfectly ripe forest berries. This is a beautiful Napa Valley red that happens to speak with an accent of Zin.” 94 Points W&S

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 3 bottles from tonight’s tasting.
Save 15% off any 12 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

Come sharpen your senses, and test your skills!  But, we’re not taking the Sommelier Exam, so plan on having fun.  We’ll rate each wine from favorite to least favorite, then compile the winners.

I love this approach. No one really needs to know anything about wine to have fun with it, the results are inevitably surprising, and it’s all very casual and fun.

We obviously can’t list the wines to be poured, but trust that the quality will be what you’ve come to expect from Harvest Ranch.

We hope to see you out this Friday!

Blind Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, December 16th, 2016 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

BLIND TASTING EVENT:

SHOW UP AND SEE THE GREAT LINEUP!

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 3 bottles from tonight’s tasting.
Save 15% off any 12 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

This week’s tasting is named for Karl “The Mailman” Malone, named by his teammates for the fact that he always delivered.  These “Mailman” wines don’t fail to deliver either ~ great quality at a great price.

We hope to see you out this Friday!

The Mailman Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, December 9th, 2016 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

THE MAILMAN TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• CHALK HILL CHARDONNAY - $19.99   Expressive fruit aromas of yellow apple and lemon curd, with classic oak expression notes of toasted hazelnut, vanilla custard and crème brulee.
• LES JAMELLES PINOT NOIR – $10.99    Complex, rich, long and fat. It displays aromas of crushed black fruits (blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries) and jam.  Frequent Best Buy Awards.
• IL FAUNO TUSCAN BLEND- $29.99   One of the more complex and elegant in many vintages, the 2012 Il Fauno presents floral aromas of fresh cut roses, and beautifully ripe strawberries.  Blend: 48% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet, 3% Petit Verdot. #19 Top 100
• DUCKHORN DECOY CABERNET - $14.99    On the palate, the lush fruit is balanced by smooth, rich tannins and lovely layers of spice, cocoa and hints of sweet and toasty French oak.
• PALERMO CABERNET - $42.99   Rich aromas of seasoned oak meld effortlessly with ripe boysenberry and candied cassis. The entry of the wine is soft and delicate, but quickly evolves into a serious mid-palate replete with opulent and concentrated flavors of dark fruits. Black currant and kirsch provide background to lively raspberry and cherry notes that create a near endless finish. 94 Point RP

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 3 bottles from tonight’s tasting.
Save 15% off any 12 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

With the holiday season fully upon us, we all need something festive to drink.  Whether we’re toting it with us to a cocktail party, or entertaining friends, it’s invaluable to have a couple of “just right” bottles standing by.

Because not everyone is into whites or rosé, the surest way to keep glasses full and guests smiling “when you’re pleasing a big group of people,”  is going with basic staples like Cabernet and Champagne.

We hope to see you out this Friday!

Holiday Party Wines Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, December 2nd, 2016 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

HOLIDAY PARTY WINES TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• VEUVE CLICQUOT CHAMPAGNE - $49.99   ”Bright and lightly toasty, this elegant Champagne layers flavors of cassis, crushed hazelnut and lemon meringue pie on the creamy palate. 92 Points WW
• VEEDERCREST CABERNET - $29.99    Flavors are focused and bursting with red and blue fruits, a hint of cocoa and silky smooth tannins.  A great Napa Cab producer, who was selected to participate in the Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976.
• LAIRD JILLIAN’S BLEND - $29.99   A soft and velvety palate of anise, dark cocoa powder and roasted sage lead into a dense finish with luscious tannins. 81 Points RP
• PRESS CABERNET MT VEEDER - $42.99    “I really like the juiciness of this wine, which has a dark ruby/purple color, lots of black cherry, mulberry, mocha, fruit and a nice tactile, fleshy impression with good purity, uplift and density in the long velvety finish.” Winner L.A Cab Challenge
• CADE CABERNET HOWELL MTN, - $99.99    “The wine is full-bodied, there is nary a hard edge to be found in this opulent, velvety texture, pure, rich, stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. It finishes impressively, and the wine is capable of lasting 15-20 years, although it’s certainly accessible now. “ 94 Points RP 

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 3 bottles from tonight’s tasting.
Save 15% off any 12 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

Every year on the third Thursday of November, at the stroke of Midnight, the young red wine Beaujolais nouveau is released onto the market in a frenzy of promotion, buying and drinking. Just 6-8 weeks old, the wine is intended for immediate consumption, and is celebrated as a marker of the new vintage.  The uncorking of the bottles in France is marked by parties, fireworks and other festivities. In the 1960s and 70s, the wine began to become popular outside of France, with canny marketing gurus turning the race to export the newly bottled wine into an event itself (Le Figaro, the French newspaper, has called the rush ”the greatest marketing stroke since the end of World War Two”.) Means of transport have allegedly included elephant, Concorde, and a hot-air balloon.

We hope to see you out this Friday!

Thanksgiving Beaujolais Nouveau Day Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, November 18, 2016 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

THANKSGIVING BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• GEORGES DUBOEUF BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU - $12.99     The most well-known producer of Beaujolais Nouveau is Georges Duboeuf, who is credited as one of the marketing geniuses behind the wine.
• J.J. PRUM KABINETT - $39.99    Refined and juicy on the palate, this wine has a perfect balance of a fruity sweetness and a finely racy acidity. 92 Points RP
• FOUR GRACES PINOT NOIR OREGON - $29.99    Flavors are focused and bursting with red and blue fruits, a hint of cocoa and silky smooth tannins.
• DUCKHORN MERLOT - $59.99   ”Duckhorn takes the soft lushness of merlot and brings along some crisp tailoring. It’s a clean wine with stamina, coasting on soft cherry flavor, darkening to blueberry length. A simple pleasure.” 90 Points WE
• CHAPPELLET CABERNET FRANC - $74.99    Thick and rich in black sugarplum, this memorable Pritchard Hill-grown red is lovely and bold, velvety in texture with a softness to the firm, integrated tannin. 94 Points WE – Editor’s Choice
• CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVE 2007 - $78.99    “Full-bodied, racy and linear. So polished. It’s like a red ruby. 86% tempranillo and 14% mazuelo in the blend.  Amazing!” 98 Points JS/95 Points RP

Special Event Bottle Pricing:

Save 10% off any 3 bottles from tonight’s tasting.
Save 15% off any 12 bottles from tonight’s tasting.

NOTE: If you purchase a case of wine (12 bottles) we will refund your $25.00 tasting fee on top of the 15% discount.

Charcuterie Pricing: (Cold Meat/Cheese Trays)

Small Plate $9.99
Large Plate $14.99

See you Friday night!

Sineann (shuh-NAY-uhn) is a small Oregon producer of highly intense wines made from the finest grapes from the finest vineyards in the region.  “The bottom line is, we strive to make great wine – the only kind of wine that makes it onto our dinner table. We believe that food and drink, lovingly prepared, make for happier and healthier people.” ~ Peter Rosback  Owner/ Winemaker

We hope to see you out this Friday!

Sineann Winery Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, November 11, 2016 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

SINEANN WINERY TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• SAUVIGNON BLANC MARLBOROUGH - $19.99     Exhibits tropical fruits and bracing acidity. The Wairau fruit from Auntsfield tends to be riper and richer. 92 Points CT
• PINOT NOIR OREGON - $29.99    The wine is very dark, aromatic and has great natural acidity. At this stage of development, most of its character is in a long, long finish – a good sign for the future of the wine! 91 Points WE
• PINOT NOIR YATES CONWIL VYD - $42.99    This superb site—adjacent to the famed Resonance vineyard—delivers impressive concentration and purity of fruit. Deep flavors of raspberry, red plum and sweet cherry are balanced with refreshing acidity. Although flavors are young and primary at this point, this clearly has the depth and complexity to be cellared through 2025. 94 Points WE
• ABONDANTE - $19.99      This wine blends varieties that includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. It offers fruit-forward aromas of raspberries and plum accented by herbs and flowers. Ripe and full-bodied flavors carry through the smoky finish. 90 Points WE
• CABERNET BABY POUX VYD - $42.99    Dark and abundantly fruity, rich and concentrated with their own special character: an approachable quality few Cabs possess. 93 Points WE

John Azevedo with the Henry Wine Group will join us this week to share a few nuggets from his world class collection of Italian wines. Taking into account a recent merger, the Henry Wine Group has now become the premier distributor of Italian wines in our market.  If you love Italian, or if you’d like to broaden your knowledge, don’t miss this opportunity to visit with John!

Special Note: Our friends at Boars Head will be in store sampling some of their great deli meats and cheeses during the event!

Italian Wine Tasting Event

Tasting Dates:

Friday, November 1st, 2016 – 5pm to 7pm

Tasting Cost: $20

ITALIAN WINE TASTING EVENT:

Here are the wines we have selected to share with you.

• BROGLIA GAVI - $19.99     “Round and fruity, this is lush and juicy overall, showing fresh peach, apple, almond and chamomile flavors. A hint of grapefruit bitterness lifts the finish.” 90 Points WS
• PRODUTTORI BARBARESCO - $39.99    “A graceful and detailed red, marked by ripe cherry, strawberry, floral and tar flavors, with the fruit intensity persisting on the finish, showing excellent length. Most importantly, it is a terrific value at a time when well-priced Barbaresco is increasingly hard to find. In 2012, the Produttori did not bottle their Riservas. When that happens, the straight Barbaresco is often an overachiever. That is certainly the case here. A Stunning value.” 90 Points WS & WA
• DAMILANO BAROLO - $39.99    Succulent red cherries, sweet spices, tobacco, mint and leather are all pushed forward, boasting a great depth of flavors and fruit purity, while firm, velvety tannins give it an almost creamy mouthfeel. 92 Points RP
• VINO NOBILE di MONTEPULCIANO - $17.99      Vivid ruby red color and good concentration. Intense fragrant aroma with evident fruity notes among which are wild black cherry, violet and vanilla. Full balanced flavor with noticeable but discreet tannin. 92 Points JS
• SALVIONI BRUNELLO - $169.99    “The wine achieves the signature style and elegance that is so unique to Salvioni.  It is the wine’s silkiness and inner perfume that stand out, with scents of sweet red cherry, plum, hard candy, and white flowers that add to the wine’s considerable allure.  The tannins are enormously silky and polished. Hats off to Salvioni.” 96 Points WA