We spent a wonderful weekend on Martha’s Vineyard over President’s Day with lots of family  in tow (a few notable exceptions, though!). I’ve been meaning to share these pictures ever since and think they pretty much speak for themselves. Enjoy!

As you know, one of our favorite things to do is to partner with local businesses and develop unique food and wine experiences. We couldn’t say no to Chef Jim Solomon when he called to ask if we would partner with him on a Stag’s Leap wine dinner he’s holding next Tuesday night, February 28th. Especially when he filled us in on the back story of these wines. 

For many years, Jim has been receiving special allocations of very rare wines from the Stag’s Leap District in Napa. He’s been squirreling these wines away in his temperature controlled cellar, just waiting for them to mature to the peak of perfection. These are wines that you really can’t get at retail, especially in these vintages! He has finally decided to break them open and wants us to join him while he does it (you can imagine TJ’s excitement to get his hands on some of these wines!). He’s created an amazing menu that exemplifies why we’ve all come to love The Fireplace – classic, New England fare with Jim’s own flair mixed in. 

Take a look at the menu and then call right over to the Fireplace (617.975.1900) to reserve your spot – there are only a few reservations left! The cost of the evening is $110, which as wine dinners go is a complete steal. 

Warm Beet, Dried Apricot and Shaved Fennel over Boston Lettuce with Toasted Almonds and Lake’s Edge Vermont Goat Cheese paired with 2007 Silverado Chardonnay

Filet Mignon Steak Bites with Wild Mushroom Saute and Truffled Madeira Cream Sauce paired with 1999 Stag’s Leap Winery Estate Grown Reserve Cabernet

Pan Seared Scallops with Lobster Hash and Pomegranate-Sparkling Wine Glaze paired with 1999 Hartwell’s Estate Mystique Cabernet

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Port Cherry Sauce, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Hearth Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts paired with 1999 Clos du Val Palisade Vineyards Cabernet

Indian Pudding with Vanilla Whipped Cream paired with a special surprise treat! 

Let’s get back to the REAL issue at hand, shall we? 

We look forward to helping you pick the perfect bottle for tonight or any night! 

(And, more importantly, only 3 tickets left for our home mixology night with Jackson Cannon on 3/4!)

In an attempt to quell our concern over Star Market’s application for a beer and wine package store license, lots of people have sent emails or posted on Facebook that we should not worry because the Star Market customer isn’t our customer. Of course we understand what people are trying to say, but the reality is….that’s just not true. Let me explain why. 

The Urban Grape has only been open for 21 months, but there has been a liquor store in one incarnation or another in that same space for at least 40 years. The storefront has always serviced the grocery store next to it. So in terms of habits and precedent, the customers have always been shared. It was the depth of the relationship between that store front and the grocery store that attracted us to the space. We felt protected taking that space because Star Market was only allowed three liquor licenses and they had allotted them in three different locations. But the law changed in January, and the game changed too (if you never read my blog about how the change in the licensing law would affect small businesses, you can read it here). 

So I’ve established that the Star Market customer is our customer. And here is why we’d like to keep it that way. 

Wine doesn’t need to be expensive to be good. But lots of cheap wine is really, truly awful. TJ feels the breaking point for that differentiation is at about $7-8 per bottle. That’s why The Urban Grape’s wine starts at that price point. Does it go up in price from there? Absolutely, and some of it goes way up. But 40% of the store is always in the $15 range. That’s 350 facings that are around $15. TJ works so hard to find smaller, up and coming producers that are making interesting wine that has incredible value for the quality. 

The customers that come over from Star Market are usually shopping in this price range. And we love working with them. These are people who previously might only have bought their wine in grocery stores, but who are now moving away from Barefoot and Yellowtail and finding a whole world of wine that doesn’t cost them any more, but is infinitely better tasting. Their palates are expanding, they are learning about new varietals, trying wine from new countries. They sample wine in our wine tasting machines and over time, an amazing thing happens – they catch the wine bug. On special occasions they come in and are so excited to splurge on a wine that costs $25, and you know what? That’s amazing. These are the customers off of which successful relationships are built that can sustain a small business in good times and bad. 

We don’t value our customers based on how much a year they spend on wine at The Urban Grape, we value them because they are embracing the wine experience. You put wine in that Star Market, and an endless potential stream of new customers that haven’t made their way over to UG probably never will.  

To me, saying that the “Star Market customer” doesn’t value good wine is like saying that people that buy their dinners from a White Hen Pantry don’t value good food. Is it really about their value system, or is it about access? When it comes to the Chestnut Hill Star Market here’s what everyone that shops there deserves – good wine, fair prices, access, and convenience. That need has been being met ably for 40 years, and The Urban Grape continues to meet those needs every day – but now with a little bit of flair and a whole lot of passion. 

If you haven’t yet written a letter against Star Market’s application, please consider doing so today. The information on who to send an email to is included in this blog. 

The outpouring of support for The Urban Grape from the communities of Newton and Brookline has been really outstanding over the past two days. We cannot thank you enough. Many of you are asking for clear, actionable steps on how to make your voice heard against Star Market’s beer and wine package store application. After spending half the day on the phone I think I have a lot of the answers. Here’s who wants to hear from you:

-The Newton Liquor License Commission
- The Ward 7 Board of Aldermen
- The City of Newton Government, specifically, the Mayor’s Office 

Here is who you should also consider speaking with:

- The Board of Aldermen in your own Ward
- Your Neighborhood Associations. This is why we have neighborhood associations! They are vital to this process, and up to this point have been kept largely in the dark about Star Market’s plans. Concerned calls and emails are particularly vital in the neighborhoods surrounding the Chestnut Hill Shopping Plaza.
- The media. This is the easiest way to spread the word about these issues. Consider writing an Op-Ed, or reach out to the Newton Tab, Newton Patch, or the Boston Globe West. The more you care about the story, the more they will care about the story.
- Your neighbors! Spread the word. Newton and Brookline are communities first and foremost. Good old word of mouth is still king around here! 

Here is how to contact the Newton Liquor Licensing Board:

- Compose an email with your thoughts and concerns. It does not need to be a long email, but it should express YOUR concerns. Examples expressed to me from community members include concern about an over-abundance of package stores already in existence at the Route 9/Hammond St intersection. Many feel that the community is already being well-served by the existing package stores and that there is no need for another (after all, there has been a package store in our location for over 45 years, and no one has ever expressed the need for more before now!). Many of you are worried about under-age access to alcohol and the equivalent rise in drunk driving rates. On the business side, you’ve expressed fears about the commoditization of Newton as it gets harder for small businesses to compete. You may just really love The Urban Grape (less important in the eyes of the liquor licensing board, but we love you too), and/or Winestone, and/or GPS Liquors. Whatever YOUR reason is, state it clearly and succinctly in an email. 

- Address that email to the Newton Liquor Licensing Board and send it to John MacGillivray at jmacgillivray@newtonma.gov. 

- Please cc the following people:
   The Mayor’s Office: swarren@newtonma.gov, pjohnson@newtonma.gov, mcostello@newtonma.gov (Setti Warren, Patrick Johnson, Megan Costello)
   Ward 7 Board of Aldermen: lbaker@newtonma.gov, mlaredo@newtonma.gov, rfuller@newtonma.gov (Lisle Baker, Marc Laredo, Ruthanne Fuller)

That’s a lot of cc’s, but they are all important!

 There is one last step: Attend the Liquor Licensing Board Meeting at the Newton Town Hall, Room 209 on Tuesday, February 21st at 7:30 PM. Letters and phone calls and petitions are the first step. But the clearest way to make yourself and your concerns heard is to attend the hearing. Despite the technology at our fingertips, local government is about showing up and being counted. Anyone may attend.

Let’s do this together! Stay tuned to the blog all week for updates and next steps. And thank you!

Dear Friends of UG,

Today, I had planned to share some pictures of the amazing Singles Night we had at The Urban Grape last night. Forty men and women came together, enjoyed a wine tasting paired with food from the amazing BabyTrain Caterers, mingled, laughed and had a serious amount of fun. 

Instead of being able to share all of this today, however, I have to stand here, heart on my sleeve, and beg for your help. 

A few weeks ago, an employee of Star Market came to UG and told us that she could be fired for telling us, but she thought we should know that they had been told of Star Market’s intentions to apply for a liquor license this summer. We did some digging, and this was the agreed upon story – Star Market would be applying for their liquor license this summer. Having time, we slowly began to prepare.

Fast forward two weeks to this weekend when it came to our attention that Star Market had started a petition campaign in support of their application. Fast forward to today when we found out that under the radar of these false stories, Star Market had already submitted their application months ago. Their application comes up for review next Tuesday, February 21st at 7:30 PM. 

Now here we are. The Douglases versus SuperValu (Star Market is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Minnesota-based supermarket chain). David versus Goliath? No, more like Rocky vs Drago in my book. 

We are a small business, but I think you’ll agree with us that we’ve had a big impact on the surrounding community. We’ve been there for your every day bottles and your special occasion bottles. We’ve donated tens of thousands of dollars to your churches, schools, temples and non-profits. We’ve had ridiculous amounts of fun with you at our free tastings, our Sunday night tastings, and while just standing around our tasting machines. We talk wine and build community. That’s been our mission from day one, and we’ve been achieving it.

Now, we really need your help. Without our customers and neighbors standing behind us and standing against Star Market, we don’t have a chance. But if you do stand up with us and express your belief that your access to beer and wine is being met by The Urban Grape, then maybe we can beat this application and stay a part of your community. Because a part of your community is just where we want to stay.

Ways to help:

1) Come sign our petition at the store.
2) If you are a Newton resident or business owner, please send an email against Star Market’s application to the attention of Martina T. Jackson. It needs to include your home contact information. Please send these emails to jmacgillivray@newtonma.gov. John has ensured me that he will print them out and give them to Ms. Jackson the night of the hearing. 
3) Come to the licensing meeting and BE HEARD!  It will be held next Tuesday, February 21st at 7:30 PM at Newton City Hall in Room 209. TJ and I will be there and would appreciate any support you can give us. 

Let’s do this TEAM UG!! Rocky vs Drago. In case you need a memory jog, here’s how it ended…

TJ and I had a really enlightening wine experience here on Monday – the kind of experience that makes you fall back in love with wine and remember why it is that you loved it in the first place. 

We often get winemakers visiting the store and on Monday we welcomed Elisabeth Saladin of Domaine Saladin in the Rhone Valley and Bob Foley of Robert Foley Vineyards in Napa. On paper, these two wines and winemakers could not have been more different, except underneath it all they are farmers first and foremost. 

Elisabeth’s family has been making wine near Avignon for 21 generations. They have documents from 1422 that refer to the winemaking taking place by her family on their vineyards. In a move not often seen in France, the winemaking responsibilities have been passed to the family’s daughters – Elisabeth and her sister Marie-Laurence. They have maintained the vineyard’s tradition while bringing a worldy flair to the sales and marketing. 

This vineyard always was, and always will be, 100% natural. It’s the truest sense of biodynamic winemaking without all of the hocus pocus. It’s a relatively small vineyard, so they are able to maintain it by hand. At this point, the vines really take care of themselves, with a little help from the intense winds in the area that keep the fruit free of pests and other issues. The wines are left to ferment and are gently hand-punched and bottled. They are unfiltered, not oaked, and have nothing added to them except for a minimum of sulfites to ensure that they can make it to the states in their beautiful state. 

We brought in two of her grenache based wines – the Loi and the Paul (named after her father and uncle, respectively). These wines are not expensive, both are in the $25 range. They are fresh and vibrant and taste brilliantly of the grape juice itself, as opposed to the alcohol. They are perfect food wines. Not too heavy, but complex and engaging. Inherently yummy without being jammy or over-ripe. We drink so much American wine and truly do love it. But these little French beauties were such a welcomed change of pace. You’ll find them on our wall with a “staff favorite” star under them immediately. I am counting down the seconds until we can try her Tralala rosé. “Tralala” is slang for a natural French beauty. You just know this rosé is going to be killer. 

Later in the day, Bob Foley and his wife Kelly stopped by to taste us on their Robert Foley Vineyards wine. Bob’s family may not have been making wines for 21 generations, but in California he is about as pedigreed as they come. He started at Heitz, moved to Marcum, put a feather in his cap at Pride and then started his own label. These are the highlights, but he’s had his fingers in many of the finest vintages in Napa. His wines are quintessentially Californian, but show beautiful restraint. As he put it, “I don’t want to pick a splinter out of my tongue when I drink a wine.” Yes, his wines are oaked but not overly so. Yes, they have fruit and alcohol, but not aggressively so. They have fabulous balance and show steady craftsmanship. We tasted lots of different varieties – Charbono, Merlot, Claret, and Pinot Blanc to name a few. So, so different from the little French gems, but gems in their own right. TJ was able to try the wines paired with food last night at the Boston Wine Festival and assures me that they are the ultimate food wine. He’s been raving about them all morning.

What struck us about both Elisabeth and Bob is that at the end of the day, they are farmers first. Blending the wine is the fun part. Growing balanced fruit is their real obsession. They accomplish this task in very different ways, and with different outcomes, but with the same passion. We are very lucky to have the Saladin and Foley wines here. The Foley wines are almost exclusively restaurant wines and are not sold at many retail shops. The Saladin wines were probably hoping for a wider Massachusetts distribution, but when you bring wine that good to The Urban Grape, we’re going to snap it all up! I hope you’ll make a point of trying a bottle of one or both next time you are at the store. 

*In today’s guest blog from a UG staffer, Chelsea gets psyched for the Superbowl with a Syrah vs Zinfandel heavyweight showdown!

This weekend we get to watch Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning in a match up that will be just as nail biting as it is entertaining.

While Brady has the better and longer resume, Manning’s confidence and ability to produce in the pocket will prove to be tough competition.

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy SB Sunday then to relax (or sedate the nerves) by sipping on some powerhouse wines that have the weight and flavor density to make any person feel like a “QB God”. Like the Manning/Brady rivalry, Syrah and Zinfandel are two delicious full-bodied wines that are vying for the title of wine heavyweight and will be hoping to touchdown in your living room this Sunday!

Syrah (old world) or Shiraz (new world), is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world produces wines with a wide range of flavors, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown. Planted mostly in France and Australia, aroma characters can range from violets to dark berries, chocolate, espresso and black pepper. With prolonged age in the bottle these notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory notes such as leather and truffle. Perfect with spicy chili, burgers, & brats! 

UG’s Stop Syrah/Shiraz Picks

2007 Margerum “Uber” Syrah (Santa Barbara)   10R   $50

Fruit from seven different vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley are blended to create this supple and spicy Rhône-style wine. A balance of both sweet and savory flavors, notes of raspberry, pepper, and olive lead to a long finish!

2010 Henry’s Drive “Morse Code” Shiraz (Padthaway)   9R   $12

Crimson-purple in color with warm dark fruit, eucalyptus and a touch of forest floor. High acid and plenty of juicy fruit with soft tannins lead to a supple texture!

2008 D’Arenberg “Laughing Magpie” Shiraz (McLaren Vale)   8R   $27

The nose features savory characters of cooked meats, spices and black pepper. The fruit is more expressive on the palate with underlying spice and just a hint of savory oak.

The grape Zinfandel is the genetical equivalent to the Primitivo varietal traditionally grown in Puglia (the “heel” of Italy). Zinfandel found its way to the United States in the mid-19th century and is the only red varietal that comes close to Cabernet in total acreage and volume of fruit crushed in California. Zin typically produces a robust red wine with a high sugar content that can be fermented into levels of alcohol exceeding 15%. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas, whereas jammy blackberry, anise and pepper are more common in Zins made in warmer areas and in the earlier-ripening Primitivo. Zinfandel is a chameleon and has delivered wines ranging from zesty, berry-fruity reds to spicy tannic beasts. Great with Pork BBQ, Buffalo wings, and pizza!

UG’s Top Zinfandel Picks

2008 Mettler Family Vineyards “Epicenter” Old Vine Zin (Lodi)   10R   $22

Dating back to the 1770s, the Mettler family is one of Lodi’s oldest farming families in the Lodi Appellation. This Old Vine Zinfandel shows good structure with aromas of wild berry, tobacco and coffee flavors, giving way to mild tannins and great balance!

2009 Seghesio Zinfandel (Sonoma)   10R   $27

Seghesio farms over 400 acres of estate Zinfandel in the worlds best growing regions for the grape — Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys. The lusty 2009 Zinfandel offers elegant berry fruit, lots of peppery spice, full-bodied flavors and impressive richness.

2009 Angel Vine Primitivo (Columbia Valley)   5R   $22

Seghesio farms over 400 acres of estate Zinfandel in the worlds best growing regions for the grape — Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys. The lusty 2009 Zinfandel offers elegant berry fruit, lots of peppery spice, full-bodied flavors and impressive richness.

The real Superglass questions is: Which one will you choose to be your good luck fuel this game day?

UG is hiring for two different positions in the next month – floor staff and office administrator. This could be your chance to come join The Urban Grape family! I’m not going to lie…it’s a pretty fun place to work and we do drink a lot of wine! Please send a resume and cover letter to info@theurbangrape.com. 

FLOOR STAFF

The Urban Grape is seeking up to two full time, hourly employees with full shift availability (days, nights, weekends and holidays). The idea candidate is engaging and enthusiastic with a love of wine, beer, spirits, conversation and sales. However, The Urban Grape seeks to take the intimidation out of wine; therefore, we have a strict “no wine snobs” policy.

Candidates for hire must:
- be 23 years or older
- be able to comfortably lift 50 pounds
- be available to work all shifts, including holidays
- pass a criminal record and DUI check
- have a valid driver’s license

Candidates who do not fulfill these basic requirements will not be interviewed.

Candidates who do fulfill these requirements should be:
- willing to expand their knowledge of wine, spirits, beer and sake
- willing to share their knowledge of wine and spirits in an engaging and open manner
- comfortable creating a welcoming environment for customers in the store
- self-motivated individuals who are excited to be employees in a new business venture
- excited to reach for growth opportunities within the company.

Applicants with a restaurant or hospitality background are strongly encouraged to apply – come join our team!

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

The Urban Grape seeks a part-time office administrator to work weekdays, 11-2 (or comparable schedule). 

Duties will include:
- Managing the special order book
- Answering the phone and working with customers on their requests and special orders
- Receiving orders
- Inputting invoices, placing inventory orders, following up with distributors 
- Organization of the storage room and inventory
- Assisting in marketing initiatives such as marketing emails, event logistics, etc. 
- Occasional local deliveries

This is a job with a lot of growth potential. Come in and show us what you’ve got and we’ll add responsibilities and hours!

Please send in your resumes and cover letters if you are interested in working at UG. And please spread the word!

For Christmas, TJ gave me the perfect gift – a photography class one night a week at the New England School of Photography, so I can get a better grip on how to take effective pictures, especially at the store. I must admit I love sneaking out of the house at 5:15 and being an adult who is learning things again, but I’ve always wondered what the boys do on Tuesday nights while I’m gone. I knew they probably got into mischief, but I had no idea….

Behold, the blind milk tasting.