**Tonight I sat down to write a blog post about Giorgio Rivetti of La Spinetta, who is doing a tasting at UGSE on February 14th from 5-8pm. I went back to read an old blog post I’d written several years ago, when Giorgio first visited us, and realized I’d already said everything that needed to be said [by me, at least!) about this fantastic man and winemaker. I’m reposting the original blog for those who might have missed it before.  

Almost ten years ago I introduced TJ to my parents over dinner at their home. My mom, a world class cook, served take-out pizza and my dad, a world class wine drinker, served beer. I always laugh now that he and TJ met over beer, because they quickly discovered a mutual passion – wine. In fact, if both my dad and TJ are missing, the chances are good that they are together in the wine cellar – picking a bottle for dinner, checking on the condition of bottles they’ve laid down, or standing in the cold talking about the general state of the wine world. It’s their thing.

One of the first wines they drank together – a wine that they have shared many times since – was La Spinetta “Vigneto Valeirano” Barbaresco. They are both wild for all the La Spinetta wines, and the love affair has spread throughout my entire family. On my last trip to visit my brothers in Texas, I wasn’t surprised to see the rhino being opened. We cherish all things La Spinetta.

La Spinetta means “The Top of the Hill.” The hill that is being referenced is in Piedmont, an area that was definitely not known for making palatable wines in the 1970′s. But along came Giorgio Rivetti, a man who describes himself as a modern traditionalist. After Giorgio graduated from the Scuola Enologica di Alba, one of Italy’s oldest wine institutes, he came back to his family’s vineyards and installed practices that horrified his fellow townspeople and winemakers. He began aggressively thinning his vines and fermenting his grapes outdoors where they were exposed to the cold. Even worse, he understood that to be successful his wines had to adapt to international taste standards. The result is a host of awards and a general belief that La Spinetta is one of the best wineries in Italy.

TJ is passionate for these wines for many reasons. First and foremost, having visited Piedmont many times, he feels that the La Spinetta wines stay true to the area. The essence of the region has not been manipulated out of the wines, but is instead heralded. He also appreciates that all of the wines are approachable at a young age, but worthy of any cellar. Drink them now, save them for later – it doesn’t matter, they are delicious at any stage. Now, as a seller of wine, he loves the quality of the wine for the value. Yes, you can spend over $100 on a bottle of La Spinetta, but you can also spend under $20. The Rivetti family has made sure that their wine is accessible to everyone.

You can only imagine how excited we are to welcome Giorgio Rivetti to The Urban Grape for a tasting of seven of his wines. To have a winemaker in our store that has been such a part of our family’s wine experience is thrilling, to say the least. We know we will be headed home with many signed bottles!

**On February 14th, Giorgio will be tasting sparkling wines from Contratto, the champagne-method Italian bubbles that have been famous since the late 1800′s. The vineyard is now owned by La Spinetta. He’ll also be pouring a vast array of his La Spinetta wines such as his long-adored Vermentino, world-famous Barbarescos, tasty and affordable Barbera, and Oro, a dessert wine that is truly palate-changing! 

At UGCH, Molly from Winebow will be pouring a lovely collection of wines for Valentine’s Day while Rebecca from Yes Chocolates samples her locally made sweets. One stop shopping for those last minute gifts! We look forward to seeing you on the 14th to celebrate Valentine’s Day with us!

You may have heard, a blizzard is a’brewin’. 

Our hours for today are as follows: 

UGCH – open 9:30 to 2:30

UGSE – open 9:30 to 5ish (we’ll close when the foot traffic dies down)

So that leaves a little time to pick up some items to ride out the blizzard. Of particular interest should be our new Urban Grape Cocktail Sampler, which features all the fixings you’ll need to make a UG Hot Toddy. I can think of nothing better to warm you up after hours of shoveling. 

The new cocktail sampler is a collaboration between Royal Rose syrups, Josh Childs and UG.

Royal Rose Syrups are hand-made simple syrups made in small batches and featuring 100% organic and fair-trade sugar. The have a fantastic line-up of flavors and we’re so excited to start carrying them at UG.

Josh Childs, as you know, is the fab bartender behind Trina’s and Silvertone. He came up with this delectable Hot Toddy recipe, and the timing is just right! 

The cocktail sampler is just $40 and includes: 

• Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon
• Royal Rose Cardamom Clove Simple Syrup
• Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters
• 2 Lemons
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• Citrus Juicer
• UG Hot Toddy Recipe Card

Yes, all that for just $40! It’s kind of the steal of the century.

So, quick as can be, slide on over to one of the UG’s before they close and pick up everything you REALLY need to survive the weekend!

It’s no secret that five years ago, shortly after TJ and I moved into our new house, he commandeered my food pantry and turned it into a wine “cellar.” This involved installing wine shelving, cutting a hole from the pantry into the powder room, installing a compressor, and generally ruining my life for at least a week. 

But how could I say no? With a collection of wine that was slowly but surely growing, it made sense to get it out from behind the couch (where it was also generally ruining my life) and into a temperature and humidity controlled environment. He even keeps some bottles in there for me, and I’ve mostly learned over the years what is raid-able and what is not. 

This is the wine cellar of our dreams. 

This is the wine cellar of our reality. Still, it does its job very well!

TJ’s passion for building wine cellars was always part of the larger business plan for UG. Over the past few months, he’s been doing a ton of consulting with clients on how to stock their cellars (whether or not he also tells them to cut a hole from the pantry to the powder room, I can neither confirm nor deny). The consulting part is actually free. The person or people looking to build a cellar come in and taste through some wines that TJ recommends for stocking – everything from every day wine, to wine that will lay down for decades to come. He’s a big believer that every good wine cellar needs Tuesday night pizza wine.

As you can see, TJ makes it fun with not only wines to taste, but also cheese and crackers, a personalized portfolio recommendation and lots of awesome TJ-talk. This is not a bad way to spend an evening. 

If you’re thinking of starting a cellar or restocking your existing cellar, please give us a call and schedule something with TJ. And remember, sometimes a cellar is a cellar, and sometimes a cellar is pantry. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. 

Today was a great day for UG. We have officially departmentalized! I have typically done all of the marketing and events work myself, but ever since we opened UGSE the event requests have been through the roof. It’s gotten so busy that I needed someone to see the details through to the end for the events, and Chelsea was the exact person for the job. Chels has been rocking out on coordinating our tastings, so this was a very natural extension of her position. And it means we have a real live marketing department! 

We also recently promoted Trevor to the store manager of Chestnut Hill. Chelsea and Trevor have been with UG since 2011, and they’ve worked so hard to create roles for themselves at the store. It’s thrilling to see them thrive and make our company better. 

Don’t worry, Chelsea and Trevor will still be on the floor to assist you with your purchases, although maybe a little less than before. The good news is we have some great new employees coming on – UG, the next generation! 

It’s always nice to celebrate good news, and luckily TJ scheduled a Armand de Brignac tasting for this morning – right after we gave Chelsea the news of her promotion! Colloquially known as “Ace of Spades,” this Champagne is a new-ish label of the famed Cattier family. Their Champagnes are considered some of the best on the market. Unfortunately, except for this line, they are almost impossible to find in MA. 

Ace of Spades has gained unprecedented notoriety thanks in no small part to Jay Z. After Cristal made some disparaging remarks about rappers drinking their Champagne, Jay boycotted the bubbles and went on the hunt for something new. With it’s decadent packaging and formidable price tag, Ace of Spades was the obvious choice. There is some debate on whether or not Jay gets paid to drink Ace of Spades, but in this day and age, would we expect anything less? 

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been rolling my eyes about Ace of Spades for a couple of years now – I thought it was all packaging and no substance. I was so wrong. It has incredible finesse and quality. We tried the Rosé today and it was so fresh, light and flavorful. The Blanc de Blancs we tried was actually slightly corked (thanks to the ole cork dog TJ Douglas for pointing that out)….and I still thought it was the one of best Blanc de Blancs I’ve had – the bouquet was intense. I can’t even imagine what it actually tastes like, if it could taste that good corked. 

I’m not going to lie, you kinda gotta be a baller to drink Ace of Spades. The Brut (which TJ tried last week and loved), the rosé, and the Blanc de Blancs cost between $200 and $350ish (we’re still waiting on the exact pricing). Starting next week we’ll have 750s and Magnums. But if you save your pennies and buy a bottle, we can assure you that this wine is not all show. You’ll be happy with your choice. 

Just ask Jay Z. 

Last night at dinner, Noah was bemoaning the fact that it’s been two years since he’s sledded at Sparrow Park in the South End. We just haven’t had enough snow to make it worth our while to even TRY and sled, and the kids are downright depressed about it. Trying to perk him up I said, “Don’t worry, we still have two whole months left of winter!” After which, I felt depressed. 

When winter seems to be lingering, I think of the fact that we’ve started pre-ordering our 2012 rosés. This vintage is looking and tasting fantastic, and we’re excited about the new brands that have come into the market. We’re moving around the world and focusing on rosés from varied regions, and with varied varietals as the base. Provencal rosés are still king, but lots of other regions are making a run for the title. As winter starts to linger, the new vintages can’t get here soon enough. 

In order to stock the new vintage, we’ve got to make a little room on the shelves! To that end, we’re barn burning the 2011 vintage. These wines will still be good for the next year or two. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with them, and buying the back vintage of rosé is a great way to save a little money. I know it seems crazy to open a rosé on a snowy day, but we had some the other night with a salmon dish, and honestly it was so refreshing and delish. Sometimes on a cold night, a crisp and light wine does a great job at warming you up. 

From this point forward, the 2011 rosés are 15% off per bottle. We’re also Spotlighting a four pack of wines that is 25% off. These four rosés come in a reusable UG four-bottle tote and are marked down from $50 to $37.50. The four-pack includes: 

2011 Legitimo (100% Tempranillo) from Carinena, Spain
2011 Cuilleron “Sybel” (100% Syrah) from Rhone, France
2011 Domaine de Gournier (Merlot, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Sangiovese) from Languedoc, France
2011 Argiolas Serra Lori (Cannonau, Monica, Carignano, Bovale Sardo) from Sardegna, Italy

These are all food-friendly and easy-drinking rosés. They are sure to  make any rosé lover happy!

If you want to purchase a four-pack, please stop into either store, or email orders@theurbangrape.com.

Cheers to the belief that spring WILL arrive!

**Chelsea Bell is just back from a trip to Utah and wrote a great blog about her trip to the High West Distillery!

Bell Family trips are always eventful to say the least. I was excited to learn my family and I were going back to Salt Lake City, a place where I have a lot of good memories filled with powder and the cultural experience that is “the land of Mormon.” When we arrived in S.L.C midday it was too late to buy a ski ticket, so we decided to take the scenic drive out to Park City to grab lunch. Park City is synonymous with the “celebtastic” Sundance Film Festival, and is also the locale of the High West Distillery, “the world’s first and only ski-in gastro-distillery.” Located in a historic house built in 1914, the distillery is one of the only Victorian style houses in Park City. Owner David Perkins moved to Park City to pursue his two passions; the great outdoors and making whiskey. He opened High West in 2007, making it Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870! 

Upon arrival, I immediately ordered the whiskey flight with my meal of a B.L.T.A (avocado), which came with homemade chips and a cup of roasted tomato soup! The distillery menu was impressive with dishes for all different tastes and one of the few menus to emphasize local food that I had seen in Utah. 

The first whiskey of the flight was the High West Silver Oat, which is a white whiskey made from oat and a bit of barley. High West compares this whiskey to blanco tequila, or vodka and focuses on it as a mixing whiskey. I must admit I have always been snobby when it comes to un-aged whiskey, but after giving the High West Silver a sip I was impressed by the creaminess and complexity which was great for sipping! Here is a recipe that the distillery recommends!

High West Negroni

1.75oz High West Silver Oat Whiskey

0.5oz Tempus Fugit

Gran Classico Bitters

0.5oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

Assemble in a mixing glass, pack with ice, stir for 20 seconds, strain into chilled coupe and spray oil from a wide zest of orange onto surface of drink and drop in.

Second was the Double Rye, a UG staple! It’s super spicy and really appeases what rye drinkers crave! Blending a 2 yr old 95% rye and a 16yr old 53% rye/ 37% corn, this rye has great winter mulling spice complexities. Double Rye is the perfect alternative to bourbon in a manhattan if you want to spice things up!

Son of Bourye uses jackalopes on their labels, a mythical cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope. Legend suggests the best way to catch a jackalope is to lure it with whiskey. Son of Bourye, blends straight Bourbon and rye whiskies, and is said to “attract even the most finicky of jackalopes”. This combines the perfect sensations of sweet and spicy (A combo of candy corns and cinnamon red hots!-Yum!) 

Lastly, the newest addition to the UG High West whiskey family is the “Campfire”, a blend of straight rye, bourbon and blended malt scotch whiskey. This is the first blend of its kind and explodes with uniqueness and complexities. Light smoke, sweet fruit, toffee and baking spices make this whiskey a culmination of the ultimate whiskey experience!

After an amazing experience at the distillery, I was ready to hit the hay and wake up and start skiing! My favorite mountain that we went to was Alta, which is located in Little Cottonwood Canyon famously known for getting some of the largest snowfall in the U.S.. Alta is a skiers only mountain, which boasts awesome bowls and great trails for all levels and a resident porcupine which patrols the mountain! 

After Alta, the fam and I hit up Red Rock Brewery a local brewpub, which serves a decent selection of beers for all tastes.

(Sidenote-A strange fact about Utah is the Mormon religion really dictates alcohol consumption and since Mormons do not drink they try to push their morals upon the general population. For example, all beers on draft have to be 3.2% which is tricky since most craft beer on the market are not naturally that low in alcohol. I could rant about this forever, but Utah liquor stores are state run and they do not have refrigeration for their alcohol and are notoriously difficult to find. They do everything in their power to make it difficult for people to get a buzz on.)

At Red Rock I was able to snag the last bottle of their annual Secale, which was a small batch brew they created which was a Doppelbock that was aged in Rye Whiskey barrels from High West for six months! A great ending to an awesome flight!

Yesterday, I wrote about how TJ and I both arrived at the decision – independently, and then agreed to by the other – to take a period of time to focus on strengthening The Urban Grape instead of growing The Urban Grape. For me, it was a realization that came to me on the yoga mat, and that was reinforced by the spiritual and physical strengthening that happens during Shavasana. 

Having only done yoga once in his life (and being nearly crippled by it in the process), TJ couldn’t relate to my analogy. He’s a wine guy – what he knows is that no matter how good the juice is, it still needs a little time in the bottle to age. 

The other night he sought me out (on the couch…dressed in layers…and under two blankets…), and I could tell he’d had a revelation.

Turns out, it came in the form of an article Danny Meyer, the founder and CEO of the Union Square Hospitality Group, wrote for Inc Magazine, entitled “Go Slow.”

You can’t be in the hospitality business and not respect what Danny Meyer has built. Gramercy Tavern is our favorite restaurant in New York and we had one of the best lunches of our life sitting by the windows in the bar (right where that guy in the blue shirt is!), with Noah sleeping soundly in his stroller at six months old. I will never forget the first time I ate at Eleven Madison (no longer part of his restaurant group, but a shining example of the hospitality that so epitomizes his restaurants), and took TJ there years ago, where we had an exceptional dinner with wine service that was unparalleled. Now, Shake Shake in Madison Park is a favorite of the kids, and we’re all pretty excited that one is opening here in Chestnut Hill, just a few doors down from The Urban Grape. 

To us, it seems like Danny Meyer is all about expansion and growth. We never knew that it took him 10 years to expand from one restaurant – Union Square Café – into his extensive and vastly populating restaurant group. Here are some of the gems from his article on the gift of going slow: 

“It’s easy to think running a business has to be a sprint. If I’ve learned anything at all, it’s that…there’s time. During those first 10 years [of running Union Square Café], I learned the value of allowing a business to develop its soul. Soul happens almost as slowly as it takes for a baseball glove to break in; you have to play catch for a long time. Time helped Union Square Café achieve something very few businesses do, which is essentially, the sense that it mattered in people’s lives. The shelf life of innovation is about two seconds today. Even if you have the best idea, it’s going to get copied. The thing that cannot be copied is how I made you feel.”

Soul.

Your business should matter in people’s lives.

You can’t copy how I made you feel.

These three ideas are what we will be focusing on over the next twelve months, if not longer. We’re going to break in the baseball glove, everyone. And it’s gonna be good. 

I’ve come back to practicing yoga, and wish I had the time to do it every day. As I’ve gotten older and busier, I’ve come to appreciate yoga much more than I did in my twenties. When I was younger, I wanted only Power Yoga – the harder the better. I wanted to sweat and strain and be exhausted by the end. Now, I want to flow. I want to lose myself in the rhythm, forget the world around me, and remember to breathe. 

My awakening to this type of yoga – more restorative, less punishing – happened at what is quickly becoming my happy place, The Yoga Barn on Martha’s Vineyard. 

This is the Yoga Barn from the air. 

This is the Yoga Barn from the inside. There is a part of me that believes it is heaven on earth. 

It was at The Yoga Barn that I really discovered Shavasana, also known as the Corpse Pose.

Shavasana comes at the end of your practice, and is when you lay grounded to your mat, relaxing your body while keeping your mind engaged, but clear of thoughts. It’s not that Power Yoga classes don’t do Shavasana, they do. It’s just that I was always sweaty and revved up and the three minutes of required Shavasana seemed like a chore. Introspection, recovery and breath? No thanks, I have friends to meet for drinks. But at the Yoga Barn, Shavasana started making sense. I realized that what they say is true – Shavasana is the most important pose in yoga. It’s the time when your body rests and repairs while your mind cuts through the clutter and finds focus again. I’ve started to live for Shavasana. 

The idea of Shavasana has spread into other areas of our life. The past six years have been one intense life experience after another – TJ and I birthed and have been raising two children and two young businesses in six years. Intense. It was only a few days into 2013 when we said – this is the year we pause. It’s our year of Shavasana. 

So what does this mean for UG as you know it? I’m going to get into that a little more in tomorrow’s blog, but in general it means we are going to rest, repair and rejuvenate. We’re going to ground ourselves more deeply into the business – much as I’ve been doing on my yoga mat – and make everything about it better, more focused, and more deeply felt. 

Shavasana – the most important pose in yoga. A Year of Shavasana – the most important year for a young business? We’ll have to see, but we’re almost more excited about 2013 than we’ve been for the thrill of opening the two stores. You’ll have to keep reading here to see how it goes! 

Mark your calendars, boys and boys! February 10th, from 7-9 pm,  is the first annual Meet and Meat at The Urban Grape South End. That’s right, we’re doing a gay men’s singles night at UGSE, stocked to the brim with wine, beer, and spirits to try, as well as platters of meat products from our pals at The Salty Pig. What kinds of meat products you ask? Oh, you know, Bresaola, Finochionna, and Culatello with delicious cheeses like Manchego and Grana Padano! 

Our host with the most will be none other than Boston Mo, Beantown’s own man about town who rocks a pair of critter pants like no one else can. He’s built a following for recommending the hottest happenings in town, and clearly Meet and Meat is on that list. 

Let’s review: 

Will you meet lots of fantastic gay men from Boston? Yes. 

Will you eat every kind of meat product possible? Well, we’ll have to see how the night goes for you. 

Will we play Cher? Yes. 

One more thig – while you meet and meat, you’ll also have a chance to learn about the Point Foundation. Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society. We’ll be raffling off an in-store wine tasting experience for twenty at UGSE that evening to benefit Point and the amazing work they do. February 10th could be your lucky night! 

We’ve been working closely with Chef Erwin Ramos at Olé Restaurant and have come up with an exceptional menu for Sunday night’s Escape to Mexico event. Honestly, when he mentioned that we should pair mole with sparkling wine for an unexpected twist, I was blown away. I can’t wait to try the pairing.

Additionally, master drink slinger Misty Kalkofen will be on hand to talk about Del Maguay mezcal and she’s bringing a specialty cocktail as well, so we’ve really hit the jackpot on this whole event. 

We have just a few tickets left, so if you want to join the fun, please click here to buy your tickets ASAP! The event is from 7-9 PM at UGSE.

And now, the menu!

Mole Tostaditas with Sheared Pork Shoulder paired with Gruet Sparkling Wine

Ceviche Verde with Banana Chips paired with a Del Maguay Mezcal Cocktail

Guacamole a la Playa and Shrimp a la Veracruzana paired with Corzo Anejo Tequila

Chorizo y Papa (Mashed Truffle Potatoes) paired with Cucapa Obscura Brown Ale

Tapioca Con Coco paired with Tanteo Cocoa-Infused Tequila

See you Sunday!