Easter Wine Pairings: What to Serve with What You're Serving!

For the Mom who Deserves Her Own Time Out

Get Mom What She Really Wants... Wine! Whether she likes something sweet with bold flavors or dry and delicate floral notes, we have what you're looking for.

Try Barefoot Refresh Perfectly Pink, Relax Riesling and Mommy's Time Out Pinot Grigio

Wines We Love for Valentine's Day

Wines We Love for Valentine's Day

Cupcake Red Velvet Wine

Aromas of chocolate, deep dark blackberries and luscious red fruits that follow 

through to the palate. Finish with a hint of coconut and creamy mocha 

that shows unmistakable intensity and length.

Villa Jolanda Love You Spumante

Light notes of white stone fruit partner perfectly with the dense spumante

texture of this sparkler. The bottle alone is inspiring

"I Love You" is inscribed in 6 languages.

O3 Rosé

Elegantly intense wine displays a predominance of red wild fruits, pear

and plum with spice notes on the nose with the palate

being clean and well balanced.

Kosher Wine Tasting - Wine Country Bergenfield

Mother's Day Wines

Anna Codorniu Sparkling Rose

Delicate cherry color with strawberry tones. Fine and persistent bubbles. Aromas of red fruit, strawberries, cherries and woodland fruits with hints of green apple. Elegant and light on the palate. Well balanced between acidity and sweetness with a refreshing finish.

Piccini Memoro Rosato D'Italia

Light, fresh and bright, displaying aromas of raspberry, red currant and delicate wild mint notes. Good palate weight, with ripe flavors of strawberry, raspberry and red cherry. Well balanced with a clean finish.

6th Annual Wine and Food Festival of New Jersey at Crystal Springs Resort

It's that time of the year again!

Join us for the 6th Annual Wine and Food Festival of New Jersey.

Check out all the different events and Hurry and Buy your tickets, they are selling fast.

http://crystalgolfresort.com/DiningWine/NJWineFoodFestival.aspx

O3 Wine Tasting

O3 Wine Tasting 

Friday, February 28th, 2014

Wine Country Bergenfield 3:30 -  6:30 PM

Wine Country Newton 3:00 - 7:00 PM
Wine Country Bound Brook 3:30 - 6:30 PM
Wine Country Hackettstown 3:30 - 6:30 PM

Saturday, March 1st, 2014

Wine Country Clifton 3:30 -  6:30 PM

Wine Country Lyndhurst 3:30 - 6:30 PM

Taste. True Myth Chardonnay

True Myth Chardonnay

This wine comes from The Paragon Vineyard - one of the best vineyards for white wine in Edna Valley. This wine shows brilliant acidity and flavors of mango, citron, lime and orange. A touch of oak brings rich notes of buttered toast and vanilla. This great value wine will dazzle you.

91 pts -Wine Enthusiast

New Year's Eve Sparkling Wine Suggestions

However you choose to celebrate the New Year, we have the sparkling wine

you're looking forward!

We want to wish everyone a happy and safe New Year!

Thank you for making 2013 such a fantastic year and we are excited for upcoming year.

Let's make 2014 another year worth celebrating!

Cocktail Country: Tis the Season Sangria

‘Tis the Season Sangria

• 1 bottle (750mL) red wine

(We Recommend: Beaujolais Nouveau or Life is Good Celebration Red)

• 2 c. apple cider

• 3/4 c. brandy

• Juice of 1 lime

• 2 apples, chopped into 1 inch cubes

• Seeds of 1 large pomegranate

• 1 orange, sliced

Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher, stirring with a wooden spoon.  

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow the flavors to blend.  

Serve cold, and don’t forget to eat the fruit!  Will last in the fridge for 3-4 days

Ruinart Brut Rosé Champagne Tasting

Ruinart Brut Rosé Champagne Tasting

December 14th, 2013

2:00 - 4:00PM

December 21st, 2013

2:00 - 4:00PM

Perfect to ring in the New Year! 

Life is Good Celebration Red Wine Tasting

Life is Good Celebration Red Wine Tasting

December 10th 12:00PM -  9:00PM
Bergenfield and South Plainfield Stores Only

Holiday Wine Suggestion: Life is Good Celebration Red

Life is Good Celebration Red

Blend: Zinfandel (32%) Petite Sirah (25%) Cabernet Sauvignon (11%) Malbec (13%)

Syrah (10%) Petit Verdot (9%)

The resultant blend makes this delightful, smooth and spicy red wine, lush with cherry and plum fruit, finishing with sweet oaky notes and a rich, full mouthfeel.

Enjoy this wine now with roasted meats, grilled vegetables, pasta, and pizza  - Or any occasion that calls for a full flavored, medium-bodied, extremely drinkable red wine.

Thanksgiving French Bordeaux Selections

One of our favorite parts of Thanksgiving is finding the perfect wines to pair with dinner. We want to share the joy with you by giving you a selection of some our favorites and top picks.

Here is collection of our top choices in French Bordeaux that will add a lasting impact to

your holiday dinner. Known for their bold flavors and complexity, 

Bordeaux is a classic and an excellent wine choice!

Thanksgiving Wine Suggestions!

Here are some of our top our wine varietal suggestions for Thankgiving

Visit us in store for more excellent selections!

Top White Wine Pick: Riesling

Riesling wines are a top pick for pairing with Thanksgiving dinner. Riesling’s innate flavors of apple, apricot, honey and its clarifying acidity give it a significant pairing edge with the likes of sweet potatoes, turkey meat or herb-filled stuffing. 

We Recommend: J.J Muller Riesling $9.99 

This Riesling has flavors of crisp apples, limes and passion fruit with a hint of honey

Top Red Wine Pick: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a traditional favorite for Thanksgiving. Pinot Noir’s subtle earthy undertones and soft cherry inspired flavors tend to show well with the traditional flavors of turkey and stuffing.

We Recommend: Block Nine Pinot Noir $13.99

Aged nine months in French oak. An authentic tasting Pinot, it is soft, round and spicy with lots of sweet cherry, plum-like fruit as well as medium body, good lushness, a plump, round generous mouthfeel, impressive purity and notes of underbrush as well as oak.

Halloween Wine Sale & Spirit Tasting

Halloween Wine Sale!

All Week 25% off Wine 750 ml. No Limit!

Sale Items Excluded. Expires November 1st, 2013

South Plainfield and Bergenfield Store Only

Cabin Fever Maple Whiskey and Black Dirt Apple Jack

Halloween Tasting October 31st, 2013

5:00 - 8:00 PM

"Halloween: It's not just for kids anymore!"

South Plainfield and Bergenfield Locations Only

Richard’s Kosher Wine Commandments

With the new addition of Kosher Wine Expert, Richard Fishman to the staff of Wine Country Bergenfield. We wanted to share:

Richard’s Kosher Wine Commandments

Thou shall let me help you to select the perfect wines for your special occasions
Thou shall decide what you like and drink what you like
Thou shall appreciate both the vineyards and the wine makers skill when judging
and comparing wine qualities
Thou shall purchase wines on sale as often as possible
Thou shall break out of your wine rotation once in a while and try new arrivals
Thou shall drink good wines with simple foods in order to appreciate and concentrate
on the wine qualities
Thou shall drink wine out of a wine glass
Thou shall place both red and white wines in the refrigerator to enjoy over several days
Thou shall not purchase a wine only for its label or judge a wine by its label.
Thou shall always swirl and smell a wine before tasting a wine
Thou shall linger over the finish of a wine to determine a wines quality
Thou shall get in the habit of writing down the names of wines you like
Thou shall expand your budget once in a while to be rewarded with delicious wines

Sips and Tips Tasting (Bergenfield, South Plainfield and Hackettstown Stores)

As vacation season 2013 draws to a close and we all try to grab a last taste of the Summer, we've lined up 4 selections that would make for a great season send-off via your deck...pick up a couple of each of these and invite the neighbors...you'll be the wine all-star of the neighborhood!

J Lohr Vineyards and Wines

As one of the pioneering winemakers of California's Central Coast, Jerry Lohr in 1972 unveiled his first vineyard in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County, an area reknowned for having the state's longest growing season because of it's cooler heat index, providing the perfect conditions for the development of world-class Pinot Noir and Riesling.

J Lohr Bay Mist White Riesling

With an inviting honeysuckle aromatic, this clean and bright selection would make for an excellent apertif as its rich fruit fills the tongue with flavor.  That honeysuckle smoothly transitions into a touch of lycee fruit, with a tangerine essence and the pulpiness of blood orange citrus.  Consider this an ideal choice for Thai Chicken, Teriyaki-Grilled Vegetable Skewers, or the season-ending toast to another great Summer!

J Lohr Falcon's Perch Pinot Noir

Named for the Falcon that inhabits the lone Pine Tree in the vineyard, this delicious selection is a classic example of the potential Monterey has for producing versatile and richly-flavored Pinot Noir that can relate to delicate or full-flavor wine consumer.  The exuberance of the pulpy cherry fruit is enhanced by blending 24% Valdigue, or Napa
Gamay grape, a very fruit forward variety, while the richness and depth are due in large part to the Pommard and Dijon clones of Pinot Noir used in the vineyard, two French varieties of Pinot Noir well-known for their fuller body and flavor.

This Pinot is rich enough for grilled tender meats, but would pair best with grilled Alaskan King Salmon.

Carmen Winery of Chile

Founded in 1850, Carmen was Chile's first wine producer, maintaining a continuous production history of 160 years and sold in 50 countries around the world.  A landmark in its prodigious history was the 1994 rediscovery of Carmenere in Carmen's Merlot vineyards.  That discovery changed the course of Chile's wine industry, giving it a wine which is distinctly its own.

Carmen Gran Reserva Chardonnay

This is a Chardonnay lover's dream...slightly oaked nose with a nice dose of inviting vanilla, butterscotch, and figgy spice.  The flavor delivers a big texture of dried fruit flavors and ripe pineapple, with the juicy tropical acidity to balance the touch of creaminess on the finish.  Pair this with a big Summer grill food like Swordfish Steaks.  It will stand up to the best of Napa Carneros' Chardonnays at twice to three times the price!

Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere

Considered to be a Cabernet-family variety, Carmenere was traditionally part of the blends of the best Bordeaux wines.  Today, it is almost exclusive to Chile, having been mistaken for a Merlot clone for a long time...until it was isolated in 1994 at Carmen Winery, it is believed that this variety is what made Chilean Merlot so unique.  This wine is the perfect grill match for the Aussie or Napa Cab lover...Full body, brambly, wild, diverse fruit flavors, hints of clove and bell pepper, and a touch of earthiness that lends beautiful character.  While it certainly matches to big grill meats, it also generates such great aromatics and flavors that it can be savored on its own...think cool late summer evening, with the first nip of Fall in the air!

Summertime Rosé

For those of you that visited our stores this weekend, you may have tasted Artazu Garnacha Rose. What a truly little gem of a wine. A beautiful pink hued wine that is crisp, refreshing and dry and oh so balanced...You wouldn't believe how many people tossed it back like a shot of liquor. This one was not sipped and analyzed, just enjoyed. Most everyone asked for more. Remember, we offer wine tasting samples in store... not an open bar. We are only permitted by ABC law to offer samplings. Sorry.

But for those who missed it, we have plenty in stock till the end of summer. It's a great wine to have on hand.

I happened to take a bottle to my friend's pool party/ BBQ yesterday. There were a bunch of craft beer guys with absolutely no interest in even looking at my pink colored wine. But, their wives paid close attention to the Artazu Garnacha Rose as it was chilling down in a plastic sand pail with ice.

Once opened, it went in a split. I explained the qualities of fine rosé, we talked about the inviting bouquet of rose petals and the hints of strawberries and red raspberries. The wine was so well balanced and totally refreshing. The women were so into it. The guys didn't care but the ladies now know and understand how a good rosé works.

Mention this blast and get 25% off. It's a great deal.

-Scott

Sips and Tips: Delicious Summer Selections

Try Something New!

Artazu “Artazuri”  Garnacha Rose - $9.99Summertime is truly the perfect time for Rose, a pink-colored wine that results from a partial amount of red-grape skin contact at the time of fermentation, allowing just a splash of color into the resulting wine.  In America, most of us expect to taste a sweet wine like White Zinfandel when we see “pink” in a glass, but Rose is traditionally dry, and in many cases, too dry.  The key is balance!  Artazuri is produced in Navarra, the North Central Spanish region that is one of the world's most notable places for Rose and for the grape Garnacha, or as most of us call it, Grenache.  This gorgeous rose sports an inviting bouquet of rose petals and strawberries, red fresh-picked red raspbberries and more strawberries in the flavor, and a pleasing “roundness” in the overall mouth feel, Serve this with a bit of chill, and it will compliment any of the huge diversity of outdoor foods.  One of our managers loves it on its own, but also suggests creating a Sangria cocktail by the glass: rim your glass with some course sugar, pour in the Artazuri Rose, drop in a slice of orange and a couple of red raspberries, then add a splash of triple sec...now THAT sounds good!

Hangtime Arroyo Seco Central Coast Chardonnay - $12.99This is such a great area for a uniquely fresh expression of this vastly popular grape.  The name Hangtime refers to the time that the fruit stays on the vine before harvest...the longer grapes can stay on the vine without getting too ripe, the more flavor and complexity they can achieve.  The Arroyo Seco, located near the cool Santa Lucia Mountains, boasts on of California's longest growing seasons.  This Chardonnay is just EASY, with delicious tropical fruit essence in the upfront aroma and more of the same, as promised, in the flavor.  There is the slightest hint of spice from a small bit of oak contact during fermentation, but this wine would be perfect both for the Chardonnay lover and for the Chardonnay fan who is tired of too much woodiness in the many overly-oaked versions.  With its delicateness of body and refreshing character, we think you'll have the Pinot Grigio crowd swooning for this one!

Franco Amoroso Barbera d'Alba - $11.99Alba is in the area of Italy known as Piedmont, in the far Northwest, bordering on 3 sides with the Alps, influencing the climate with very cool temperatures.  The most famous wine of this area is Barolo, which has typically out-competed Barbera for attention.  Lately, Barbera is gaining great notice for offering a delightful bright fruit, a soft tannin and the lively acidity to balance flavorful food dishes, not to mention a price point that  is typically a quarter-the-price of good, “aged-enough-to-enjoy” Barolo.  If you ask thePiedmont winemakers, they'll  tell you that this is the wine they have on their table every night, while they wait for their prized Barolo and Barbaresco to mature.  This savory red has a slightly earthy and rustic bouquet, with some juicy pomegranate and cranberry notes in the flavor, finished off with a bit of cinnamon spice.  Pair this with a smoked game bird, like wild pheasant...if you have a hankering for a light Summer stew, this is a perfect match!

Franco Amoroso Moscato d'Asti - $11.99Moscato, the same grape they use to make Asti Spumante, but this style has much less bubble to it.  True Moscato d'Asti has 5 to 8 percent alcohol, a delicate sweet flavor of white peaches and lycee fruit and the type of bubble that you feel more on your tongue than you see in the glass.  A full spumante, whether dry or sweet, achieves its bubble from a longer fermentation that is enclosed, trapping the carbonation in the wine.  The frizzante-styled wines undergo a shorter closed fermentation, locking in a smaller amount of carbonation, producing a lighter concentration of alcohol, and also leaving some residual sugar that did 't get eaten up by the yeast.  What does that add up to?  The perfect wine to “Beat the Heat”...easy to quaff, delicate sweetness, and enough tartness on the after taste to balance that whipped cream on those fresh strawberries you just served in a bowl!