A few weeks ago we were the Boston-area host for a national Pinot Noir Tweet Up that many of you attended.  We tasted different Pinot Noirs from around the country and decided which area produced the best wines. It was a fun and informative night, and I think we all left with a greater appreciation of the Pinot Noir grape.

It seems, however, that someone else should have been at the table that night – Rogue Spirits Pink Spruce Gin. Made in Oregon, this pink gin (yes, you read that right, it’s pink) is aged in Pinot Noir barrels that impart a delicate blush to the gin. I was reading some reviews of Pink Spruce and one person called it “curious.” I’d have to agree, but I also found it delicious, though to call it gin almost seems misleading.

We’ve had a bottle of Pink Spruce open at the store for a few weeks and I have been completely and utterly opposed to it. What a marketing ploy, thought I, I refuse to be suckered in to drinking a pink gin because I am a girl (although I was secretly sort of into it). But then TJ started getting excited about it and the next thing I knew, there I was drinking a pink gin and tonic on Sunday night.

It’s a little fruity but mostly it is just so mellow. I feel mellow even recalling the taste. Just soft and a touch sweet, with all round flavor in my mouth…almost like the wine barrel aging had mellowed out some of the more astringent alcohol overtones that are often present in gin (which I don’t mind, although it sometimes does remind me of the night in college that some girlfriends and I did shots of Popov Gin until we blacked out. Now that was fun…). It doesn’t really taste like gin, per se, but if you can get over that I think you’ll find it has a unique and worthy flavor all on its own. And, yes, I’ll admit it – the bottle and the gin itself are just so damn cute!

Next up, Pink Spruce martinis for TJ’s birthday on Friday. I’ll let you know how they taste!

I am in love, and its name is Zucchini Salsa Verde.

A disclosure, I love salsa verde but I find tomatillos to be completely confusing.  Is it a tomato, is it corn, is it just a big green orb? I really have never quite known how to cook with them. So thank you Bon Appetit for telling me to ditch the tomatillos and just use a big fresh from the garden zucchini.

I was a bit skeptical when I threw the raw zucchini into the blender, but things started looking up when I added a heaping handful of fresh cilantro from Siena Farms. Top all that off with some fresh lime, lime zest, a little white onion and too much jalapeno (I added way more than was called for) and voila…heaven in a blender.  We ate it over halibut, but starting tomorrow I will be putting this on everything I eat for the rest of the summer.

Of course TJ paired it with the perfect wine – 2005 Dom. Jean Collet Chablis 1er Cru “Vaillons.” I’ll give you the tasting notes in a second… (we are in the office, he is without a glass…so he is swinging right from the bottle.  Hey, that’s how we do it here at the Douglas household!).  TJ – “It’s a 3W on The Urban Grape progressive scale, with a creamy, yet light, mouthfeel, and hints of orange citrus and a strong mineral backbone.”  Me – “It’s tasty.”  Me – “I think it’s a little sweet.”  TJ – “Um…no, not really.”

Last night I made Bon Appetit’s Tagliatelle with Fresh Corn Pesto, also a big hit (the baby ate it up too, but Noah declared that even the bacon could not convince him to try it). Although the Vineyard has been a wonderful respite, it’s been so nice to be in my kitchen cooking up a storm and having our whole family together under one roof.

On the cusp of our very first “Spectacular Budget Wines” tasting event, it seems only fitting to veer wildly off track and focus on a section of the store that we have really yet to talk about – The Eurocave.

Tucked on the back wall near the POS station, behind a locked glass door, is a somewhat dark little corner of The Urban Grape. That little corner houses well over 100 impossible to find, guaranteed delicious wines that live in temperature and humidity controlled bliss, just waiting to find their way into your wine cellars.

TJ has been collecting these wines for years, which is a good thing for all of us, because these vintages are not easily found any more. There are lots of first-growth ’00 Bordeaux from some of the most respected producers – Ch. Lafite Rothschild, Ch. Haut Brion, Ch. Pavie, Cos D’Estournel and many others.

Not to be outdone by the French, our Italian section is pretty sweet too, with famed (Cru) Barolo producers such as Scavino, Sandrone and Conterno and other Italian powerhouses like Gaja, Masi, Soldera and Dal forno Romano.

The best part is the bottom shelf, which is stocked cheek to jowl with 2001 Chateau D’Yquem – the delicious French Sauternes which routinely receives 100 points from Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. This vintage is no exception.

TJ has lots more hard-to-find wine that is stored off-site (also temperature and humidity controlled), so if you are looking for that extra special bottle, come peruse the Eurocave or ask him what other treasures he has for you!

And if you’re not quite ready for these big boys, that’s okay too.  Join us Thursday night from 6-8p as The Economical Eater and The Urban Grape taste you on Spectacular Budget Wines and answer your questions about how to live the foodie lifestyle cheaply!

For four and a half weeks we have been basking in the glow of amazing reviews, happy customers, an energetic staff, and wine sales that seemingly go off without a hitch.  I suppose we all knew that had to end some time, right?  This week we have dealt with the loss of our internet and phone systems for two days (which turned us into a cash only establishment), our first attempted break in, and our first disappointed customer. 

This afternoon we let a customer down…way down.  She came to the store on a recommendation and arrived in the middle of a customer rush that coincided with visits from disbtributors and delivery men.  No one saw her, no one welcomed her and she left without so much as a word from an owner or staff member.  She called later to tell us about her experience and for that we are so thankful.  In the rush of unexpected (but fervently hoped for) accolades that we have been receiving, it’s easy to think that we are just effortlessly doing everything right.

The Urban Grape is better than no greeting or no “we’ll be right with you.”  We are going back to the drawing board, re-training for customer rushes and rededicating ourselves to providing the best customer service in Boston. Because one unhappy customer is one too many in our book.

Now, if you want to be around many blissfully happy customers, stop by the store tomorrow night between 8-10pm for as we participate in the national #PinotNoir tweet up.  We’ll be tasting five fantastic Pinot Noirs and voting (along with the rest of the wine drinking Twitter community) for our favorite Pinot making regions.  Tomorrow TJ will also be featured on the Voice America radio program Cocktails for Everyone from 5:30 – 6:00 pm.  Catherine Stanton Schiff is the host of the program and the first half of the show she’ll be speaking with the brains behind The Russell House Tavern, another Boston hot spot.

And yes, I did just say that The Urban Grape is a Boston hot spot.  Because it is.  We plan on staying that way too, one customer at a time. 

It seems my dad was so impressed with my mom’s guest blog that he decided to get in on the action.  Which has got me thinking about how many people come into the store and have a “Hello, Lover” moment with a bottle on the wine wall.  If you have had such a moment and you would like to write a guest blog, by all means please send me your thoughts!  I’d love to make this a regular feature on the site.  Need further motivation?   Until our customers start sending in some guest blogs, we’re going to have to keep hearing from our families.  My dad has already written a second!

The reference to Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo in the July Urban Grape newsletter reminded me of the first time I ever tasted this great white which coincidentally happened to occur at the same sitting where I had the then best bottle of wine I had ever tasted.

We were on a tour of the area south of Naples, Italy, and had the good fortune to book a great boutique hotel on the island of Capri called, “Scalinatella.” Everything about the hotel was perfect but lunch every day on the patio next to the pool really stole the show. Lunch was a typical Italian all afternoon affair which started with a recommendation for the Greco. It is a flavorful and unsophisticated white unlike the better known Tuscans and northern Italians and was perfect for my wife who judges everything against her favorite Napa Chards. The four of us went through that bottle before the next one could get uncorked. And then…the bottle I had been waiting to try for a long time: 1996 Sassicaia. I had heard about it, imagined it, but never tried it despite rave reviews from friends whose judgements I revere. Normally Super Tuscans should be decanted and given at least an hour to open up but the hand made pasta dishes were being set in front of us and waiting was not an option. Fortunately we opened the second bottle at the same time and we had the advantage of experiencing the benefits of aeration before it too was gone. That was a dozen years ago and I still remember the rapture of drinking that big red in that great setting.

Last year we actually went to Sassicaia’s new tasting room in Bolgehri and were fortunate to taste all 3 of Tenuta San Guido’s offerings: Sassicaia, Guidalberto and Le Difese. I had been so enamored with the brand after my first experience that I immediately bought a case of Guidalberto upon return home. Unfortunately, the first bottle was disappointing in its youth so I put the rest away in the cellar and never gave it another thought until recently TJ was curious and we opened up what was now a wonderfully mature and full bodied hearty red. It had turned into something wonderful in the interim, so having learned that lesson I’m not going near the case of Le Difese I got until 2015. 

Yesterday was an exciting day at The Urban Grape.  Not only did we show 15 spectacular sparkling wines to new and returning customers, but we had our best sales day ever AND we all got a lesson in Sabrage.  So today we have our first ever video blog! Many thanks to Dale Cruse for teaching Aimee all about sabrage.  She came to taste some bubbles and left a hero to us all – she nailed it on the very first try!

On Sunday the 11th we are hosting our first private event – a meet and greet of sorts with 50 of Yelp Boston’s best reviewers.  We arranged this event with Leighann Farrelly of Yelp, and I think it’s fair to say that we are all really excited.  Each of our guests will get a tour of the store, sample five wines that we have paired with delicious nibbles from Aquitaine Chestnut Hill, and get a chance to win a free Urban Sampler each month for the next six months.  How, you ask, will they win this fabulous prize?  By helping us to pick the tagline for The Urban Grape!  Each guest has been asked to submit a tagline suggestion and the winner will be picked that night.  I’ve seen a few of the suggested taglines and they are sooo good.  I can’t wait to share them with TJ and pick our winner.

Many people have asked us about hosting private events at The Urban Grape.  We have a few different options, all of which are  unique and fun.  The first option is to host an event at the store on a Sunday night.  While we close at 6, our license is good until 11.  That means you can take over our store, invite some friends and do a private tasting and shopping night.  TJ and our staff can lead a seminar on anything from Wine 101, to the wines of a certain region or varietal, to any topic that interests you and your group.  You can also do a progressive tasting that helps you understand how the wines in our shop are displayed – from light to medium to full body – and helps you pick the right bottle for your palette.  I am cooking up a Pilates and Pinot night for the fall with Eden Kessler, a well respected personal trainer in the area.  So keep your eyes open for more details – we will be moving the tasting tables and doing some pilates right on the floor!

Another event option is to take over one of our tasting nights.  Amanda Maynard (The Wineing Woman) and Michelle Collins (The Economical Eater) are taking over our Thursday night tastings on July 15th and 22nd, respectively.  Amanda is hosting a national Pinot Noir tweet up event  – #pintonoir.  We are pouring some fantastic (and pricey!) Pinots on the 15th and our guests will be tweeting about which are their favorites and which Pinot Noir growing region they prefer with people from around the country.  It’s going to be a fascinating evening, both for the tasting itself and the virtual aspect of the experience.  Social Media at its finest, I think.   Michelle has invited her followers to sample tasty inexpensive wines that pair well with food.  A very different concept, but equally as exciting, and very timely in this economy.  We can’t wait to host both events.  These events are open to all and we encourage everyone to join us.  July 15th’s event is from 8-10 pm and July 22nd’s is from 6-8:30. 

The last way to enjoy The Urban Grape is to have us to your home (or company) for a private tasting.  We are very excited to be doing our first in-home tasting on July 17!  We will be leading 14 guests through a tour of Italian wines.  TJ has done many events like this for private dinners and tastings at restaurants like Morton’s and Stella.  He’s looking forward to getting back into it again through the store.

I’ve been missing the store and am headed back to the city for the weekend to see many old and new friends at the Champagne Grand Tasting on Saturday July 10.  I’ll be sticking around for the Yelp event as well.  A kid-free weekend after a fun and busy two weeks on Martha’s Vineyard with them.  We were asked today if we were thinking of opening a sister store on the Vineyard!  It WOULD be fun…but may ruin our summers.  We’ll have to see what comes down the line for us.

See you at one of our upcoming events.  And we look forward to hosting one of YOUR events soon!

We’ve just put TJ back on a plane to Boston where he will land in time to drive to the store and close it up for the night. He had a great visit with us – a lot of swimming, lots of time with the boys, a re-creation of the steak we had at The Capital Grille during our recent dinner there, and even a night out – two people and a table overlooking Edgartown harbor equals a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of Brunello! Fun night.

I even found some time today to get a little work done. The new enomatic tasting wines are all listed on the website, as are the wines in our “Tour de France” Urban Sampler. It’s four bottles of wine that would normally retail for over $60, but is on sale for only $50!

I’ve also managed to completely confuse everyone, including myself about the date of our Champagne Grand Tasting. Apparently, I have listed it in different places as Friday, July 10, Saturday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11. Way to be clear, Hadley. For the record the Champagne Grand Tasting is SATURDAY JULY 10 from 1:00 – 3:30. We will be pouring 15 different bubbly wines from some of the best Champagne houses in France – Roederer, Gosset, Nicholas Feuillatte, Deutz – as well as Cava, Prosecco and Sparkling Wine. We will also have tastings on Thursday and Friday night this week, 5-7pm.  As for my general confusion, I blame this incredible heat.

As for this heat, I have a question. Does it get too hot to drink? It definitely gets too hot to eat, and today was one of those days (hot dogs for lunch not withstanding). When TJ poured himself a glass of cold Chardonnay to have with dinner my stomach turned. No thank you. All I want to do is stand in front of the air conditioner all night! So I think I do get too hot and too thirsty for wine. But not for a gin and tonic. 

How about you – do you still drink wine when the temperature climbs over 100?

That’s it for me. The AC is on in my room but the Wi-Fi is not. So I’m closing up shop to head back to where it’s cool!

Here we are at the end of our third week open for business and I honestly can’t believe how far we’ve come in these short weeks. New customers, repeat customers, customers who stumbled upon us, customers who have seeked us out, customers that buy one $12 bottle of wine, customers who buy cases of wine at a time. We’ve had them all, and all are welcome.

In ithe middle of this all, I packed my family up in the car and sent them to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer. Not hard duty for them to spend the summer on the beach, and not hard duty for me to focus on the store and make it really shine, but hard, hard duty to be away from them all for the better part of two months.

Watching your wife, three year old and baby drive down the road is the type of thing that can really make you question what in the world you’ve gotten yourself into. It’s these moments when you have to steel yourself and remember that the risk we’ve taken by starting our own store is for those two boys in the back seat. Knowing that they will grow up learning to take calculated risks and not fear living their lives does make it somewhat easier. So if you come into the store at 5:30 on any given night and I am out back on the phone asking about swim lessons or talking baby talk, now you know why! 

But enough of all that. My point is that this weekend I feel I’ve come full circle. I was always very happy as a wine distributor. I worked for a great company with wonderful people. I had a fantastic route with some of the best restaurants and stores, and sold them some of the best wines available. Once or twice a week I would head to one of my retail stores and hand sell wine at the store’s wine tasting events…and I loved it. It was the personal interaction of talking to people about the wines they were tasting, finding them that perfect bottle of wine (whether or not it was what I was pouring!), and then seeing them a few weeks later and hearing what they thought of the bottle we chose – that’s made me want to open The Urban Grape.

This past Thursday we started our weekly wine tasting program. As I put the “wine tasting tonight” sign out on the sidewalk, I realized that I was doing this for MY family, for MY employees, for MY customers – for MYself! It was an incredible feeling. It made me thankful for all of my on-the-job training, and made me realize that taking the plunge was the right thing to do. I have a passion for selling wine, and I can truly say that I am now doing exactly what I love – all day, every day!

But I do have a family too. So if you are in the store this Monday or Tuesday please forgive me for not being there to hand sell you your wine. My inspiring staff is there to help you, and they bring their own knowledge of and experience with wine to the store. I will see you on Wednesday after I’ve had a chance to hug my kids, build a sand castle, read a bedtime story and turn out the light.

Until Wednesday… 

Well, what can I say? For a few days there I utterly abandoned the blog, but it wasn’t by choice. While TJ tends to the store I have retreated to the lovely, yet Internet-challenged, island of Martha’s Vineyard. It is here that I will dote on our children and warm my toes in the sand by day and toil on all things Urban Grape by night. Or so I thought. You see, adding to my challenge of dial-up internet is a completely defective iPad, and a Mobile Me system that has gone utterly beserk. Oh, and I forgot to bring the IP address to log into the back office of the website. I have everything somewhat under control, although not really. At the very least I was able to rescue our beer guy Noah’s first beer blog which was stuck in “the cloud” of Mobile Me for four days. Why is it a “cloud?’ I don’t know, but that cloud almost ended up on the bottom of the ocean… With no further ado, Noah’s blog.

When the unpleasantly shrill voice of my GPS informed me that I had arrived at my destination, I turned into a narrow driveway that took me through an alley to a sketchy parking square surrounded by big, old brick buildings and rusty metal fencing. I parked the car, stepped out, and asked myself, so whereʼs the brewery? I walked around cluelessly for a minute surveying the area for a sign or some sort of instruction, when a big metal door swung open. This particular door belonged to an enormous industrial building that seemed on its last legs. A man walked out gripping tightly to a growler. Excuse me! I called out, is this the Paper City Brewery? He nodded. So I pulled open the heavy door and stepped into the building. Inside was an old, dilapidated staircase. Nothing else. And so, I scaled the stairs to the second floor, then the third, the fourth, and finally the fifth—the top floor—there alas, out of breath, I reached the beer haven.

The fifth floor was an enormous open space crowded with old pub tables, wooden stools, benches and a long, oak bar covered in nostalgic photographs. In the back of the room hulked big, metal beer towers and brewery equipment. But there was no one there. I tiptoed around cautiously. Then from a small office a voice called out: sorry, we’re closed. I explained to the young lady how I’d journeyed two hours to be there and asked if she’d at least show me around real quick. Without reluctance she called out a name and before I knew it the head brewer—a surprisingly young guy—emerged from behind the brewing equipment. After the lady debriefed him on my situation, he presented me with a high five and then escorted me on a private tour of the brewery. For the next two hours we explored, sampled his private, aged chipotle brew from an oak cask, talked about the Paper City Brewery operation, and went down the line of the beers on tap at the bar. 

Did I mention they didn’t charge me a single penny for any of this?

When the royal treatment finally—and unfortunately—came to an end, my new friends bid me a warm farewell, but not before bestowing upon me a four-pack of my choice—any beer I chose might I add.

So this long—and perhaps seemingly pointless—prelude brings me to my main topic of this blog: Paper City Brewery’s Summer Brew.  I drank a sixer of this stuff on the beach in Saco, Maine a few weeks ago. It was good. And it was nothing like I was expecting. The past few summer ales I’d had were bland and boring and almost interchangeable. But Paper City’s Summer Brew really stood out. At first sip I got a bit of semi-sweetness. But that sweetness quickly receded, giving way to a mildly hoppy citrus that masked the alcohol nicely. It ended with a dry, refreshing, florally finish that was really quite unique and well balanced.

I enjoyed the brew’s company well, and paid homage to my Paper City friends by finishing the six-pack right there in the sand.

So hobble on down to The Urban Grape, and instead of scurrying over to the Sam Adams Summer Ale, pick up a sixer of Paper City’s Summer Brew and go drink it in the sand. Or even better, if you live near Holyoke, stop by the brewery and see if you can squeeze your way into the royal treatment. I can’t make any promises though.