You might find a little traffic jam in the center aisle near the front of the store this weekend, and then again the week of February 14. That’s because that’s where most of our champagne and sparkling wine is found. But don’t let that stop you from making your way to the cellar in the back, which is where the two exceptional vintage champagnes featured below can be found! Last year we pointed out that “Too Much Champagne” Is An Oxymoron, highlighting how “quantity has a quality all its own”, and just how affordable a good sparkling wine can be. We also talked about hosting and toasting and the origin of the old line Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends, observing that we have over 150 sparklers on hand to help make any celebration a success. It’s probably more like 200 this year! And amongst all those sparkling wines and champagnes, this year we have some excellent prices on the two late 90′s champagnes below. These two are both in the middle of their peak, and will probably drink well until 2015-2020. So break out some remarkable bubbly without breaking the budget. And this New Year, be the best host or guest you can be, be happy, and most of all, be safe! Happy 2012!

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Have you ever heard of the Christmas 5 Pack? According to Urban Dictionary, this is the term that describes those times when you buy that new seasonal beer that you’ve never tried for your friend as a Christmas gift, and by the time you actually get to your friend’s house, he ends up with – you guessed it -  the Christmas 5 pack. If you’ve ever experienced a Michigan winter, you know that the same conditions that inspired the hearty and flamboyant winter brews in northern Europe are just around the corner by the time December arrives, which is why we’re highlighting a few of the couple dozen winter and Christmas beers we have on hand. We went into more depth last year, but the fact is that the average craft beer lover these days is well studied enough that we won’t be telling them anything they don’t already know, so we won’t bore you. Suffice to say that ever since the Santa’s Butt Scandal of a few years ago, beer makers have all the freedom they want to have fun with their winter brews, and they exercise it. As well as the established names in winter and Christmas beers, we usually have any smaller production holiday craft beer that’s available in Michigan. Call us if you’re looking for something special, many of these craft brewery specialties are sold out almost the day they come in, so we don’t torture our valued customers by listing them! (more…)

Just look for the colorful little wreaths

[UPDATED: We will continue to feature these wines through December] Some of you may have been clever this year, and planned an exacting menu for Thanksgiving dinner, with carefully selected courses, and no mystery dishes brought by guests. This information is not for you. We’re sure you’ll have no trouble finding what you need amongst our nearly 3,000 wines on hand. But the rest of us are left with the age old challenge of deciding which wine is perfect to accompany smoked ham, deep-fried turkey, canned onions on green bean casserole, those horrifying fluffy fruit-and-cool-whip based conconctions your aunt Millie brings (deviously named something like “ambrosia”), and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Gone are any hopes of an intimate and loving relationship between the food and the wine. No, a better analogy would be a public orgy, or maybe a even riot. Yes, on Thanksgiving, you almost have to think of your wine choice more as riot gear. You need a wine that’s simpler, bolder, lighter, sweeter, more acidic, and a whole range of other words that don’t belong together. In other words, a good basic strategy is to have at least three wines on the table. The good news is that this doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Some of the better choices to do battle with the Thanksgiving spread are coincidentally often less expensive varietals. For reds, a Beaujolais or other Gamay, a hearty Spanish or Italian, or a Pinot Noir will fare well. And grandma will love the pretty label on the easy-to-quaff Beaujolais Nouveau that you might ordinarily turn your nose up at. For whites, a Riesling, a Torrontes, or white blend will be fine, and don’t forget the utility of a nice Rose or mid-priced sparkler for cutting through the dense palate of a holiday dinner. So even with this knowledge and freedom, picking three wines out of the thousands in our store could still be a bit of a challenge. So we’ve picked some FOR you. In the center of the store is a section devoted entirely to about 30 holiday wine choices, with a selection focused mostly on Banfi, Trivento, Georges Duboeuf, and a few other familiar names. We also picked out about thirty more throughout the store, and marked them with the curious Turkey you see on the left. Below is a sampling of what’s amongst the section in the middle of the store. So have fun with it! Pick a nice bottle to make yourself happy, and then freestyle a bit! (more…)

Please vote by November 5, 2011

We hope you vote for us in AnnArbor.com’s weekly contest, which this week is for Best Retail Wine Selection in Ann Arbor. Mostly because facts are facts, and to the best of our knowledge, the only wine retailer in Ann Arbor that ever had a wine selection comparable to ours was the legendary – but sadly no longer with us – Village corner. We take a great deal of pride in managing to present around 3,000 wines in our meager 2500 square feet, while still managing to provide the biggest selection of craft and import beers in the area, as well as over a thousand fine spirits. And everything else you expect in a party store. We’re also realists; we know that a couple of other local retailers have more full-time wine specialists on hand, but go easy on us. We’d love to do the same, but where would we put them? So please, help AnnArbor.com keep the facts straight, and vote for us in this week’s contest. You’ll feel better knowing that truth was served.

We don't carry this product but for some reason, about once a month someone comes in and asked for it.

The problem with Vodka marketing is that the truth of the matter is, when the objective of a fine spirit is to achieve the ultimate clarity in palate, and the Vodka itself is crystal clear by nature, it becomes virtually impossible for most people to be able to distinguish one top-shelf Vodka from another. One of the only ways to make a Vodka stand apart at that point is to put flavor back INTO the Vodka, which probably explains the craze of the last decade to flavor Vodka with just about everything imaginable. Give it time, and we’ll probably see “Cool Ranch” and “Zesty Nacho” Vodka hit the market. About the only other way to differentiate a Vodka in this competitive field is the packaging and the story. Somehow, Vodka lends itself very well to spookiness, which makes the Vodkas below perfect for a Halloween celebration. They’re all three of exceptional quality, and they all make for both great conversation starters, AND a decorative element of your party. David, the manager, points out that if you bought a bunch of the little 50ML Crystal head bottles, they would make an AWESOME string of lights that you could use for years to come. And we don’t want to exlude those who aren’t fond of Vodka; the Monster Bokrijks Belgian is a great ale in a collectible, monster-themed earthenware bottle. We also may have some of this year’s pumpkin beer left, or some of the spicy autumn beverages we suggested last Halloween.

BLAVOD Pure Black Vodka	The producer says “Black will always be the color that defines style and sophistication and it has a place in the world of spirits as well”, but black is also the color of the sinister and spooky, making Blavod a perfect choice for a Halloween party. Especially with inventive use of garnishes, its black color and distinctive bottle are sure to stimulate conversation, even if everyone at the party has the social skills of a zombie. The colour of Blavod is caused by adding catechu, an herb found in southern Asia and central and east Africa. Rich in tannin, catechu has no effect on vodka’s flavour.
Crystal Head Vodka	Not only is this an exceptional vodka, it comes in an exceptional package that makes it an awesome gift idea any time of year. And how many vodkas can double as a decorative centerpiece at your Halloween party? Crystal Head is made with water from a deep aquifer in Newfoundland, Canada and a proprietary blend of specifically selected grains to give it a creamy and slightly sweet taste on the finish. No added Glycerin, Citrus oil, or Sugar.
Ghost Vodka	To answer that question above, I guess at least THREE exceptional vodkas can double as a centerpiece for your Halloween celebration. Ghost Vodka – from our own Motor City – is resurrecting the spirit of handcraft vodka in America. Distilled from Michigan red wheat, corn, and barley, Only the most tantalizing ‘middle cut’ of each batch goes into every bottle. With its unparalleled taste, and exceptional finish, ghost vodka will make you a believer.
Sterkens Monster Bokrijks Belgian Ale	From the producer: The second round of the Alchemic Ale series comes in a beautiful 750mL brown earthenware swing-top crock – with screenprinted art by underground comics legend and art-world anti-hero Mat Brinkman . Filled with Bokrijks Belgian Ale, the showpiece of Meer, Belgium’s Brouwerij Sterkens, it has notes of fruit and spice. This medium bodied Belgian countryside maltwine also has a bitter bite as a result of secondary fermentation in the bottle – a perfect tonic to accompany a session of monster-gazing!