Cork's New Year's Newsletter

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. I hope you all had a great Christmas holiday. It was crazy as usual here at Cork’s and we truly appreciate your patronage. For your end of year shopping convenience we will be open 9 to 7 PM on New Year’s Eve. We will also be open New Year’s Day from 12 to 6 and Sunday the 2nd from 12-6….rumor has it the new “Evil Empire” in town is closed both days…

We have a ton of Sparkling Wines, Cava, Prosecco, and Champagnes for your New Year’s celebrations. We are featuring the new package of Cristalino as my value sparkler for the season. The label is new but the Cava is the same delicious brut style, for the ridiculous price of $8.99! Mumm Napa, which we will taste tonight is “Champagne” style quality, sale priced at $17.99. For Prosecco I recommend the brand new Mionetto in a cool 1.5 liter package at just $22.99. And for true French Champagne we have Gosset Brut Excellence. This outstanding Champagne normally goes for 50 bucks, but we got a great deal on it including a real riddling rack from the winery and we are featuring it at $36.99.

We don’t have a beer tasting scheduled for this week as it a short week and we are doing the wine tasting tonight (Thursday) from 4:30 to 7 PM. Ellen from the Connoisseur division of United Liquors will be here to sample you on some great New Year’s wines. She will start with the aforementioned Mumm Napa Sparkling Wines. Cuvee M, Brut Rose, and the # 43 wine in the Wine Spectator top 100, Brut Prestige. These are from the famous Mumm Champagne producer in France but done in Napa Valley, California. You can not find true methode champenoise Sparkling Wines of this quality for $17.99! We’ve added a couple of reds to finish off the lineup as well. Sterling Vintner’s Collection Meritage is a true Bordeaux blend of all 5 varietals and Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico. We don’t do wine tastings every week in January and February, so be sure to check out this special New Year’s wine tasting.

2010 has been an eventful year for me and I for one am ready to turn the calendar and hope for a better 2011. My prediction of Championships for the Patriots (looks good)… Bruins (in the mix)…The Redsox (now that we’re on par with the Evil Empire in spending) have to be a World Series favorite…and the Celtics looked to be front runners for Banner # 18 before KG went down last night. Let’s hope it’s not too serious and we get Rondo back and win all 4 titles in 2011! Have a Happy New Year everybody!

Robert

Cork's Christmas Newsletter

We’ll make this brief as we have stuff to put on the shelves and I’m sure you all have last minute shopping and things you have to do. We will be open till 10 PM tonight (Thursday) and from 9 AM till 6 PM tomorrow Christmas Eve. We will be closed Saturday Christmas Day and open normal hours 12 to 6 on Sunday. From what I’m hearing there is going to be a pretty big snow storm heading this way Sunday AM so you might want to load up between now and Friday.

Miguel from L. Knife is here tonight for our weekly beer tasting. We were going to do holiday beers, but most of them are gone so we have a new improvised lineup. He will be bringing the Butternuts Variety 12 pack cans for you to try. That consists of Porkslap Pale Ale Ale, Heinneweisse Hefeweizen (now that just sounds weird), Moo Thunder Stout, and Snapper Head IPA. He will also be pouring the Troegs Dead Reckoning and will be mixing the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout and the Wells Banana Bread Ale…now that sounds yummie!!!

There will be no wine tasting on Friday Christmas Eve as it’s just a lil bit too crazy for that. We do still have some great last minute gift ideas and stocking stuffers left. Not to mention some outstanding “High End” wines for that hard to buy for person on your list. Just a reminder that we have easy in and out access here at Cork’s, and plenty of parking for you during the holiday season. So be sure to stop by and let us fill your liquor needs for the holidays.

Merry Christmas to all of you from the entire Cork’s staff.

Robert

Holiday hours

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Well we’re heading into the homestretch of the Holiday Season. Let me give you a quick reminder of our holiday hours going forward. Wednesday and Thursday December 22nd and 23rd, we will open from 9 AM till 10 PM. Friday Christmas Eve, we are open from 9 AM till 6 PM. We will be closed Christmas Day and will open 12 to 6 on Sunday, Boxing Day. What is Boxing Day anyway? Are we supposed to watch a boxing match? Clean up all the boxes left over from Christmas? Box up the fake tree and ornaments? Take the box your ugly tie came in that Aunt Mildred got you back to Macy’s and exchange it? Whatever it is, we will be open our normal Sunday hours that day.

Let’s talk about tastings. Our Beer Manager, Marc, will be doing this Thursday night’s beer tasting from 4:30 to 7 PM. He will be doing some hardy winter beers to warm you up on these frrrrrrreezing nights. Here is the lineup: Samuel Smith Winter Welcome, Stone Brewery Double Bastard, 21st Amendment Fireside Chat, Rogue Chocolate Stout, and the darkest, thickest, heaviest beer I ever drank - Oscar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout. If these don’t warm you up, nothing will.

Joe from Ruby Wines will be here Friday night from 4:30 to 7 PM. This will be our last wine tasting before Christmas, and Joe has some fantastic wines to show you. He will start with Gosset Excellence Brut Champagne. This is my “go to” Champagne for the holiday season. We were able to get a great price and an old-fashioned riddling rack right from the actual winery in Champagne, France. The regular price for this outstanding Champagne is $49.99 but we have it at $36.99 right through New Year’s. The next 2 are Great value wines (2 for $14) from Principato. These are the same wines you get at Olive Garden in those tear shaped bottles. He will have the Pinot Grigio/ Chardonnay Blend and the Cabernet/Merlot. J. Lohr Wildflower Valdigue will be next followed by Clos Du Val Napa Valley Merlot. We got another good buy on all the Clos Du Val wines, so in addition to the usual 10 % off any of the wines we taste, you can take 10 % off any of the Clos Du Val varietals! He will finish with the newest addition to the Layer Cake family California Cabernet.

My Cousin Vinnie will be here Saturday afternoon (dressed as an elf I hear) to complete the weekend tasting extravaganza with Goose Island Beers from 2:30 to 5 PM. He will have the 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Honker’s Ale, India Pale Ale, and Mild Winter all in 6 packs. I’m sure he will have a couple of the large format 22 OZ. specialty beers for you to try as well. We still have a bunch of Liquor gift sets still available. We also have nip and beer baskets that are great for “Secret Santa” gifts as well. Don’t forget we will match any of our competitor’s sale prices in town. So don’t be fighting all the traffic and trying to find a parking spot. We are still the most convenient store to get in and out of with plenty of parking. See you all this weekend!

Robert

Braveheart Rescue tasting and lots more!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Wow...what a week on the local sports scene. Huge win for the Pats last week as they are now in the drivers seat for their Super Bowl run. And the Sox pull off a blockbuster trade and add the best offensive free agent on the market. Personally I like the trade for Gonzalez but I think the Crawford signing is greedy and further illustrates why the sport needs a salary cap. Having said that we root for laundry…Go Sox! Even the Celtics and Bruins are playing at championship levels. Could 2011 be the year that all 4 teams in 1 town win the title?

Well we have an equally busy week on the tasting front here at Cork’s. Let’s start with a charity tasting we are doing tonight at the Holiday Inn Mansfield from 6 to 9 PM to benefit Braveheart Rescue. We will be pouring the Mutt Lynch “Dog Wines” as well as a couple others. There will be food…prizes...and raffle items. Admission is $10 at the door with all proceeds going to Braveheart Rescue. Check out a complete list of what we will be tasting here http://www.corksfinewine.com/braveheartrescuetasting.htm

While I’m out pouring wine, Marc will have dual beer tastings tonight. Table # 1 will be Craig from Quality with Winter Seasonal Beers. He will have Magic Hat Black as Night Winter Lager, Goose Island Mild Winter Ale, Redhook Winterhook Ale, Buffalo Bills Blueberry Oatmeal Stout, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, and Widmer Barrel Aged Brrrrrbon Ale in the 22 oz bottle (the perfect beer for this frrrrrrreezing weather). Table # 2 will be Keith from Dogfish Head. He will be sampling their 60 and 90 minute IPA’s, Indian Brown Ale, Raison D’Etre, Worldwide Stout, and Palo Santo Marron. Both tastings are from 4:30 to 7 PM and you will receive 10 % off any of the beers you try tonight!

Friday night’s wine tasting is with John from Trio Wines. His lineup starts off Girasole Vineyards Chardonnay. Like the Pinot Noir we recently brought in from them, this wine is Organic and Vegan. Next up are 2 value wines from Washington Hills…Gewurztraminer and Cabernet. These are very nice wines and are just 2 for $16. Bianchi Pinot Noir will be next followed by a new Zinfandel called OZV. Next up is 1 of my new favorite wines in the store. Vertice Carmenere Syrah is a big bold wine from Chile that has been getting some great press of late, including 92 points by Robert Parker. John will finish the night with Hot Buttered Sangria. He will take the Ed Hardy Sangria and add some butterscotch schnapps, a few cinnamon sticks, and warm up this crazy concoction. Sounds like a yummie recipe to warm you up on these frigid nights we’ve been having.

Last but not least we have a supermodel here to taste you once again on Double Cross Vodka this Saturday afternoon from 1 to 3 PM. We still have a bunch of gift sets remaining of most of your favorite spirits. There is no up charge on these items, they just in a nice box with free stuff inside! We also have some nice beer gift items and some beer and nip holiday baskets we’ve made up. And check out our new handmade porcelain wine, beer and liquor ornaments for the tree. They're gift boxed and can be personalized with your nearest Sharpie!

So as you’re out doing your holiday shopping be sure to stop by and check them out. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you all soon.

Robert

Thanks for being loyal customers! We really appreciate your business!

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you to all of you loyal Cork’s customer who came in over the very busy holiday week. We appreciate your loyalty and business. We pride ourselves for having a clean, bright, well merchandised store with fair and competitive prices. We have a well trained, knowledgeable staff here to answer your questions and service your needs. We also have a full tasting lineup right through the holiday season. Don’t forget that we will match any advertised price from any of our competitors in town. Throw in the most convenient location, tons of parking, and easy in and out access makes Cork’s your store for the holidays and everyday.

Our Thursday night beer tasting from 4:30 to 7 PM is with our old friend from Sam Adams. He will be featuring the 6 beers that make up the new Winter Classics 12-pk. Boston Lager, White Ale, Old Fezziwig Ale, Winter Lager, Chocolate Bock, and Holiday Porter make up this festive variety pack. I’m hoping he can find a bottle of the new Infinium Ale which is a collaboration from Sam and Weihenstephan Brewery from Germany. If not, be on the lookout for this specialty beer for the upcoming holiday season.

Friday night’s wine tasting is yet another debut. We have David from Winebow Boston here from 4:30 to 7 PM. He has a great lineup starting with Gruet Brut Sparkling Wine from New Mexico. Next up is Kreuznacher Kronenberg Kabinett Riesling a delicious, drier style Riesling from Germany. Conundrum is a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Viognier, and Chardonnay. This premium white blend is one of the best white wines out there and we will have a special price on it the night of the tasting. Off to Italy for Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, followed by Fuego Garnacha from Spain. He will end this worldwide tasting with a 10 yr Tawny Porto from Smith Woodhouse.

Let’s rattle off a few sports takes since I haven’t ranted about them in a couple weeks. Why didn’t the Sox match that offer by the Tigers for Victor Martinez? If everybody remains healthy I really like the Celtics chances for bringing home banner # 18 this year. The Bruins show flashes of being a cup contender, but need to be more consistent. And the Pats face yet another huge challenge with the Jets in one of the biggest regular season games in years this Monday night at Gillette. Be sure to stop in and load up for this epic battle. Have a great weekend.

Robert

Happy Thanksgiving to all from the entire Cork's Family!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from the entire Cork’s family!

Just a few quick reminders before the busy Turkey Day celebration. We will be open 1 hour early tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9 AM…and close 1 hour later at 10 PM for all your last minute wine, beer, and spirit needs. We will be closed Thursday Thanksgiving Day. Friday the day after is black Friday…but to be honest is 1 of the slowest days of the year for liquor stores. Everybody has all their stuff already from the holiday, and just the diehards whose in-laws drank all their booze…or YOU need to drink more to put up with them come in. So Friday we will be open from 10 AM to 9 PM.

We do have the Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveaux here for that nice light red wine to pair with your bird. We’re fully stocked with all wines for your holiday dinner, as well as seasonal beers and all your favorite liquors. We have the most convenient in and out parking lot in town so parking and traffic are never an issue here at Cork’s. Go Pats and Happy Thanksgiving… see you all tomorrow!

Robert

Some "Favorite Things" at Corks

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. We have some late breaking news on a couple of our Cork’s employees. For those of you who don’t know my sister Marianne, she is a cashier on Saturdays here at Cork’s as well as our web mistress. My cousin Valerie is also a cashier here on some Saturdays as well. Val nominated my sister Marianne as a “Hero” to be on, or in the audience of the Oprah Winfrey show that films in Chicago. Well they both got tickets for Tuesdays taping along with other heroes and those that nominated them.

Although Marianne is not fond of the hero label, she has done some amazing stuff for kids. She wrote a program a few years back after one of her students committed suicide called Strategies for Success. It’s sort of based on Tony Robbins' ideas, but for kids at the High School level. She taught this for many years at Mt. Hope High in Bristol, and for the last few years she has been trying to get this into every HS in the country. She also has taught it to RI College Freshman and is testing the material out this year at the middle school level. Her program is amazing and has turned the lives around for many of her students.

With all the recent talk of bullying that has been in the media lately this makes her program even more helpful as it has answers to bullying and so many other situations that our kids face these days. Here is a link to her site if you know of any schools in your area that could use it http://strategiesofsuccess.com/aboutus.htm. My cousin Valerie (AKA Ted’s dog sitter) nominated her. She too is an amazing woman and does so many things for her family and friends as well.

So anyway, they were in the audience on Tuesday for Oprah’s Favorite Things show! It will air this Friday at 4 PM for most in this area. I’m not sure what she has won and she is sworn to secrecy, but being Oprah’s last year I’m sure it’s amazing. I’m very proud of my big sister…and my cousin Val…they both deserve this…and if either of you have any extra stuff you don’t need, you know where to find me!

OK…back to Cork’s stuff and our busy week of tastings. We have Jack from Geary’s Brewing Co. out of Portland, ME here this Thursday from 4:30 to 7 PM. He will be sampling the Geary’s Pale Ale, Hampshire Special Ale, Imperial IPA, and London Porter. These are great local …well close enough…beers and super people. If you’re ever up in Portland I recommend swinging by and checking them out. As with all our beer tasting you will get 10 % off any of the beers you taste that evening.

We have a double barreled wine tasting for you on Friday night from 4:30 to 7 PM. We have Isaac from Classic Wine Imports making his Cork’s debut, and Mark from Power Marketing making his annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to the store. Isaac will start things of with a pop by pouring Heidsieck Blue Top Champagne. Next up is Johannisberg V Riesling Kabinett from the Rheingau region of Germany. Off to Argentina for Norton Torrontes and Pascal Toso Malbec. We come back stateside for AVV Temptation Zin and Sebastiani Cabernet. He will end with the perfect Thanksgiving wine Tomasello Cranberry Wine.

Mark will have 2 German Rieslings from St. Urbans-Hof, the QBA and the Bockstein Ockfen Kabinett that just got a 90 plus rating and is supposed to be in the Wine Spectator top 100. Next up is Bianchi Chardonnay from Santa Barbera and Bianchi Zinfandel from Paso Robles. Next up Mark has 2 of the perfect red wines for the Thanksgiving turkey, Pinot Noir. The 1st one we brought in last year around Thanksgiving and it has been a huge success. It’s just called Pinot and is estate grown Pinot Noir from the Central Coast region. The next one is brand new to us, Girasole Vineyards Pinot Noir is not only certified organic, but it is also Vegan. All these wines are great holiday wines so be sure to stop by and check out our double tasting.

Robert

A saluate to our Veterans and a big thank you!!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Let’s start by thanking all our veterans both past and present for all they do to keep our great country free. We would like to offer a 10 % discount to any active duty member or retired veteran not just today, but any day here at Cork’s. While we are on it, we would also like to start a senior citizens day here at Cork’s. Any senior over 65 who shops at Cork’s on Mondays will receive 10% off your entire purchase. Don’t forget we will match any competitors advertised price in town as well. Just bring in the ad and show the cashier and we will be happy to match the price.

OK…let’s talk about tastings. We have beer, wine, and liquor tastings lined up right till the end of the year. Check the website (corksfinewine.com) for the complete list. Tonight (Thursday) from 4:30 to 7 we have our new beer manager Marc making his Cork’s tasting debut. He will be sampling some of the new beers he’s recently brought in and some of his favorites. His lineup includes Williams Bros Scottish Session Ale…Lagunitas Censored Ale…Troegs Hopback Amber Ale…Dogfish Head India Brown Ale…and Anchor Steam Porter. Marc is an award wining home brewer and he brought a couple of beers in last week. The 1st one I thought was good but he said it was a bit old and a little on the downside. The 2nd one was an IPA and to be honest I’d put it up against any IPA in the store. It was that good! Hopefully he can bring a few you in for you folks to sample as well.

Come join us Friday night from 4:30 to 7 for a little Menage a Trois…Get your mind out of the gutter… we’re talking about those delicious 3 varietal blends from Folie A Deux Winery. The white is a blend of Chardonnay, Moscato, and Chenin Blanc. The pink is a mix of Merlot, Syrah, and Gewurztraminer. And the red marries Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. So when they came out with a straight Chardonnay last year I balked and said what the heck. It’s a cutsie name and all, but it’s all about 3 varietals blended together to get the “Trois”. Well what they did with the Chard is source the grapes from 3 different areas, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Mendocino. Bottom line is that these are very good blends, at a very affordable price of $11.99. And if you come to Cork’s and purchase a Menage a Trois wine Friday night you will receive 10% off.

We have a ton of holiday gift sets on display that just came in for the holidays. The good thing about these gift items is there is no surcharge for the “stuff” that comes with it. The glasses, shakers, nips, buckets and other assorted goodies are all free! If you see something you like, I do suggest snatching it up as most of these sets are limited and we cannot get any more. Our elves have also been busy making some very affordable “grab/yankee swap” gifts for the holidays as well. The nip basket has 4 nips (including a Dewar’s 12 yr Scotch) a Christmas candy and comes in an adorable holiday themed bucket for the ridiculously low price of $9.99! We also have a limited supply of Christmas beer buckets as well. These have 1 of the crazy “Santa’s Butt” type beers, a pint glass, and a beer t-shirt in a bigger holiday bucket for $14.99. We will be making wine ones and some holiday baskets in the next couple of weeks.

Just one last thing before I go. We have always had a limited supply of wine accessories, glass ware, and non-liquor gift items at Cork’s. There are so many more things we’d like to have but limited space, and the fact they want you to order huge quantities to get a good price has hampered us in that area. The good news is we have a new online affiliate that has page after page of these items that you can order online and have delivered right to your door. Items like our Cork’s cork cage and tons of everyday and holiday items. You have to check out the website and see what cool items I’m talking about. Here is the link http://www.epicstyle.com/corksfinewine .

Since most of the locals lost last week we’ll skip the sports references this week. Have a great weekend everybody.

Robert

Lots of tastings coming up....

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. I hope you all had fun at our 6th Annual Grand Holiday Wine Tasting last week. I thought the food from Cibo Matto Cafe was great, and that pork tenderloin paired perfectly with so many of the wines. I was a little disappointed that we only had Jeff the referee in a Halloween costume, but at least he kept the obnoxious whistle blowing to a minimum. We did take some pictures of the event and will get them up on the website (corksfinewine.com). The next big event is our Super Brew VI which will be on Saturday January 29th from 2:30 to 5 PM.

We do have beer and wine tastings lined up for every Thursday and Friday from now right up till the end of the year. Tonight (Thursday) from 4:30 to 7 we have Mike from Blue Hills Brewery here to sample you on some local beers brewed from just a few towns over in Canton. I didn’t get a lineup from him but I’m guessing he’s going to do all the 22 OZ. bottles that we carry here at Cork’s. That would be the Wampatuck Wheat, Red Baron Ale, IPA, Imperial Red IPA, and Black Hops. There is a Dunkelweizen Wampatuck Winter Wheat that is due out. Hopefully he can snag a sample of that as well. Don’t forget we have several of their beers in fresh 64 OZ. growlers too.

We have a special guest here for this Friday nights wine tasting from 4:30 to 7 PM. Mark Gendron is the owner and winemaker of J K Estates out in Lodi, California. But his roots are right here in Massachusetts. He is from North Attleboro and still has family living here in Mansfield. He will start with his J K Estates Chardonnay. This un-oaked Chard has Apple and pear flavors on the nose with a hint of vanilla on the mid palate. La Riata is next and is my favorite of the night. Is a red blend of Italian varietals. They are not listed on the label, and for the life of me I can’t find out online what they are. I guess we’ll just have to ask the winemaker. Either way this wine has hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and will make a great holiday wine. The other red blend is called Crossfire and is a mix of Cabernet, Syrah, and Merlot. Last but not least is a delicious Zinfandel called Stray Dog. What I like best about these wines is that they drink like $15 to $20 bottles but they are line priced at only $10.99. After the 10 % discount, you get these wines at less than 10 bucks!

Things are looking good for the local teams lately. The Pats have the best record in football…The Bruins are off to their best start in years and Tim Thomas has been amazing…the Celts are cruising with Rondo setting all kind of assist records. Let’s hope the Sox can come to terms with Big Papi… and is the World Series over yet? Boy that sure was a snoozer this year. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you soon.

Robert

Cork's 6th Annual Grand Fall Wine Tasting...TOMORROW!!

Welcome to Cork’s 6th Annual Grand Holiday Wine Tasting newsletter. We are less than 24 hours away from our biggest wine tasting of the entire year. It is this Thursday October 28th from 5 to 7:30 PM. We have 85 wines and 11 liquors for you to sample.

The event will be catered by Cibo Matto Caffe, and I hear Peter is cooking up some fabulous dishes to pair with the wines. We encourage you to wear a Halloween costume, and those that do will receive a free gift on the way out. We will also pick the grand prize winner who will win any wine bottle from the tasting, and one of our cool new “Corks” cork cage.

I’m going to keep this newsletter brief as we need to get the store ready for tomorrows tasting. But before I go must mention that very impressive Celtic win over the hated Heat yesterday! See you all tomorrow.

Robert

Stop by and welcome our new beer manager Marc!!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. While we’re in the welcoming mode I’d like to introduce Marc, our new beer manager. He joined the Cork’s team this week and will be running all things beer here at the store. He is an accomplished home brewer and a member of the South Shore Brew Club. He has some great ideas and is already cleaning up the microbrew section. He already has some of his personal favorites coming in this week. Please feel free to ask him any questions you might have, or to try and track down that special hard to find beer. He will be setting up the Thursday night beer tastings and even doing a few himself so you can introduce yourself to him. He will also be working with the vendors on getting the cooler reset in the very near future. So welcome aboard, Marc. We looked forward to the new and improved beer department here at Cork’s.

Staying in the beer department we had our 1st ever “Customer Beer Tasting” with Donnie last week. He had a huge crowd and did an amazing job. We will be willing to do one of these type tastings a month, so talk to Marc or myself for details. This week we have Zach from Newport Storm here for our Thursday night beer tasting from 4:30 to 7 PM. He will be pouring the Hurricane Amber Ale (now available in 12 packs as well as 6’ers), Rhode Island Blueberry, Regenscauer Oktoberfest, Cyclone Series Ophelia which is a peach Ale, and the “09 Storm of the Season cork finished 750 ml which is a Belgian Influenced Dessert IPA….mmmmmm sounds yummy!

We don’t have a wine tasting scheduled for this week as we get ready for next week’s huge 6th Annual Grand Fall Wine Tasting. I have the lineup almost done and I think it’s one of the best lineups ever. I will post more info on the website, and try to get the tasting sheet available for you by this weekend. As we hinted at last week we have partnered with a great local restaurant to cater the event. Peter and his crew over at Cibo Matto Caffe (http://www.cibomattocaffe.com/) will be here to provide some gourmet pizzas, a carving station, and other delicious hors d’oeuvres for you to sample between your wines. There will be plenty of cheese and crackers and other munchies for you as well. Don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume as everyone who comes dressed up will receive a gift on the way out. And we will have a wine basket for the winner of the best costume contest. Be sure to take a look at our full page ad on the back of the Mansfield Buzz for details on the big event as well.

Huge win for the Pats last week over what many were saying was the best team in football. Let’s keep the momentum going this week out in San Diego. The B’s are off to a great 4-1 start and the Celtics open the NBA season against Lebron and the Heat in a few days. Now if the Rangers can just knock the Yankees out at home, all be right in my sports world!

It’s come to my attention that there is a new little package store that just opened up in town. Not sure where it is, but we’d like to let you know that we will be happy to match any advertised price from any of our competitors in town. Just bring in the ad and our cashiers will be happy to match it. I hope you all have a great weekend and we will see you all soon.

Robert

Our first Customer Beer Tasting!! Come join us today!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. I hope you all are enjoying the crisp fall weather we’ve been having. These are perfect cool nights to enjoy an Autumn beer and your favorite red wine. Now if we only had the Sox to watch and root for in the playoffs. I guess the next best thing is to root against the Yankees…go Rangers! The Bruins are back stateside after a split in Prague…and let’s hope the Mossless Pats can avenge their early round playoff loss to the Ravens last year.


As most of you know we do “customer” wine tastings occasionally on Friday nights in the back of the store. What we had never done was a “customer” beer tasting at Cork’s. So when one of my best craft beer customers asked me yesterday what I thought of the idea, I said it was an awesome idea and how about doing one tomorrow? He said sure, why not, and tonight from 4:30 to 7 we have Donnie here to sample you on some of his favorite beers.

His outstanding lineup will start with Ommegang Witte a Belgian style wheat beer from Cooperstown, NY. Pretty Things Saint Botolph’s Town Rustic Dark Ale will be next followed by my favorite IPA, Red Racer India Pale Ale (and yes… it’s in a can!). He will finish with two from Stone Brewing out of San Diego. Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, and the just released, and hopefully coming through our door any minute, Vertical Epic 10.10.10. This is a Belgian Strong Ale in the series that comes out just once a year. We only have 3 cases allotted to us so I suggest you stop in and pick this up before it’s all gone. Our friend DJ Donnie will be spinning some of his favorite “Morphine” tunes to set the mood for this eclectic tasting. So please come support our very 1st Customer Beer Tasting tonight at Cork’s from 4:30 to 7 PM.

Keeping the tasting theme going we have Tom (he ain’t heavy he’s my brother…AKA Tommy Bolini) from Carolina Wines here this Friday from 4 to 7 PM for our Friday night wine tasting. He will start the night with Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine. I would put this delicious Methode Champenoise sparkler up against any from the Champagne region of France, and it retails for under 20 bucks. The meat of our tasting is going to be four wines from Castle Rock. What I didn’t know about Castle Rock, until yesterday, is that they do not own any vineyards or any wineries. They source from all over and make outstanding wines at very affordable prices. Tom will have the Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (they make 12 Pinots!), Merlot and Cabernet. These wines drink like $15 to $20 bottles and are line priced at $12.99. He will finish the night with Noval Black Porto. This is a fabulous Port to warm you up on these cool fall nights. Just a reminder, we take an additional 10 % off any beers or wines at our weekly tastings so be sure to stop in and stock up.

Don’t forget our 6th Annual Grand fall Wine tasting is two weeks from tonight on Thursday October 28th from 5 to 7:30 PM. We are trying to hook up with an excellent local restaurant to cater the event for us. I will let you know next week if we succeeded, or will be serving our usual tasting pizza. This Holiday wine tasting is a couple days before Halloween and we encourage you all to wear a costume. Everybody who does will receive a “cheesy” gift and will be eligible for our grand prize in our “Best Costume Contest”. I hope you all have a great weekend and we’ll see you soon.

Robert

Fall beers....Oktoberfest and more!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Day 2 of the Randy Moss trade and I’m much less angry about it today. Apparently he was not the good teammate and soldier we were led to believe he was. At some point you become a cancer, and like Manny, it is addition by subtraction and you must go. Good thing we have the Celtics and the “Big Shamrock” opening the exhibition season last night, and the Bruins start their Stanley Cup run in Prague this weekend. I’m not sure but I think there might be baseball playoff games going on as well. And I think the rain is finally gone and we should have a beautiful fall holiday weekend.

The Oktoberfest tasting at the Comcast was once a gain a huge success. They had 2 tents this year, 1 with the main course food and us pouring delicious pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest brews. And a 2nd tent with desserts and radio Disney blaring for the kiddies. I saw a few of our regulars there and hopefully we made a few new friends. With the exception of Sam Adams Oktoberfest (which we took a stand on and ordered a ton of) we are running out of fall beers. So if you see your favorite pumpkin or Oktoberfest beer ,I’d grab it quick. We are still closing the last remains of summer beers at 10 % off any you can find. We don’t have a beer tasting scheduled for this week, but we have Newport Storm and Dogfish Head coming and I will get on these reps to get more booked.

We do have our friend Johny Pesky from Trio Wines here this Friday night from 4:30 to 7 to taste you on some new wines from his portfolio. He will start with 2 white wines from Ed Hardy, Pinot Grigio and brand new to the lineup Moscato. Moscato is the hottest white varietal out there and John says this 1 has a slight sparkle similar to Moscato D’Asti. The Black Dog Chardonnay and Cabernet from the North Coast region of California will be next. This is the same “The Black Dog” from Martha’s Vineyard that I must admit besides seeing a random sweatshirt I know absolutely nothing about…but the wines are really yummmie! Tolossa Pinot Noir from Edna Valley will be next, followed by the Father In Law Shiraz from South Australia. This looks like 1 of those hokey label wines but it isn’t. It’s from Charles Melton and I bought the 2004 at a closeout price. It normally sells for close to 20 bucks but we have it for $10.99 or 2 for 20.

So as you’re out apple picking, leaf peeping, or picking out your Halloween pumpkin be sure to stop at Cork’s and pick up your favorite fall beverage. We will be open normal hours (10 AM to 9 PM) on Monday Columbus Day. Have a great weekend and we will see you soon.

Robert

Summer beers 10% off...fall beers going quickly!!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. I guess the summer weather isn’t over just yet as we get this tropical rainstorm today and tomorrow. If you’re one of those who want to hang onto summer as long as possible (and wear shorts like the Cork’s staff) we will take 10 % off any summer beers hanging around. We have a rack in the front of the beer section and we will put those neon round stickers on them so you and the cashiers will know to take 10 % off. While we are talking about seasonal beers, if you find or see an Oktoberfest or other Autumn beer you like…grab it!...most are already billing out of stock and will be gone in early October.

Speaking of October…1 without the Sox in the playoffs…grrrrrrr…don’t forget the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest tasting is next Tuesday from 5 to 7 PM. It is under the tents at the Comcast Center and the lineup of restaurants looks amazing. Tickets are just $12 in advance and $15 at the door. We will be pouring Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Southern Tier Pumking, and a couple of other Oktoberfest/Fall beers. Here is a link to some of the restaurants that will be there sampling their signature dishes. http://www.tri-townchamber.org/discounts.html This event is always a blast, and all the proceeds go to the local food banks.

We don’t have any tastings lined up for this week here at Cork’s. We do have John from Trio Wines and the return of the Tommy Bolini show on the schedule for this month. I need to get on my cousin Vinnie and Miguel to get some beer tastings on the docket as well. We do have Newport Storm out of RI and a new rep from Dogfish Head on the schedule, but we will be filling up the rest of the weeks and try to run them every Thursday night right through Christmas. Don’t forget to save the date for our 6th Annual Grand Fall Wine Tasting. It is Thursday night October 28th from 5 to 7:30 PM.

Robert

Join us for our fall tastings...

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. We have picked out a date for our 6th Annual Grand Fall Wine Tasting. It will be Thursday night October 28th from 5 to 7:30 PM. We’ll bring in a bunch of new and interesting wines for the Fall and upcoming Holiday Season. Since it is just a couple of days before Halloween we encourage you to wear a costume for the event. We’ll even give out a gift to all in costume, and award a grand prize for the best costume.

Speaking of tastings we will do an in-house beer tasting tonight (Thursday) from 4:30 to 7. It will either be me, Danni, or Kat and we will celebrate the arrival of the Fall Season with some Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers. We will be sampling Harpoon Oktoberfest, Brooklyn Oktoberfest, Lakefront Pumpkin Lager, and Southern Tier Pumking. Since they are rationing the amounts of Shipyard Pumpkin we can get, my 6 pk Pumpkin Beer of choice is from Lakefront Brewing out of Milwaukee. It is on record as the best brewery tour I have been on to date, as 1 of the owners was a comedian/drunkard and we all got 5 “chips” for beers to drink before…during…and after the tour! Southern Tier Pumking could possibly ruin all other Pumpkin Beers after the 1st sip. It is full bodied, spicy, and has the taste of pumpkin pie with a graham cracker crust….mmmmmmm…yummmie.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve done a wine tasting so I’m going to pick out a few new wines and do 1 myself this Friday from 4:30 to 7 PM. Let’s kick it off with the brand new Woodbridge Sparkling Wine. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. It tastes like Prosecco and is only $10.99. Next up is Layer Cake Virgin Chardonnay, an un-oaked Chard. Next up is Tierruca Pinot Noir from Chile. This is a delicious Pinot and a steal at 2 for $14. We have to unleash the '09 Bogle Phantom next. This is a deep, dark, brooding blend of Petite Sirah, Old Vive Zinfandel, and Old Vine Mourvedre. And since the nights are getting a tad nippy, let’s finish the night and warm you up, with Sao Pedro 10year old Tawny Porto.

Just a quick reminder on a few events that we have coming up. Kat & Courtney have a fundraiser next Wednesday September 29th starting at 6:30 at Trinity Restaurant in Norton. It is in memory of Sarah Pellon and Paula Querzoli-Smith and all the money raised goes to 2 graduating seniors from Bishop Feehan. You can check out the facebook link for more details. http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=107510369308957&ref=mf

We also have the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce Oktobefest on Tuesday, October 5th from 5 to 7 PM at the Comcast Center. Lineup and more details (and scary pic of the Cork’s crew) can be found here. http://www.tri-townchamber.org/discounts.html I hope you all enjoy the 1st official fall weekend and we’ll see you soon.

Robert

Thanks for attending our 6th Annual Kick-Off Beer Tasting!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Thank you all who came to our 6th Annual Kick-Off Beer Tasting last Saturday. I think it went well and there was a good mix of new beers…fall beers…and liquors to satisfy everybody’s tastes. I think the weather was just perfect and with the Pats kicking butt in the home opener (and the Jets losing Monday night) it was a perfect weekend. Now if we can sneak out a win against the Jets at the new Meadowlands this Sunday we will be in the early drivers seat for the division. Even the Sox are playing well now that the pressure of a playoff race is over and the kids are getting a long look. Even the Bruins rookies had their 1st game yesterday and Celtics training camp is right around the corner!

We are going to take this week off from beer and wine tastings as we reload the schedule for the fall season. I do have openings in October and November if anyone is interested in doing a customer wine tasting. I know there are a few of you who have expressed interest in the last few months. I’m still trying to pin down a date for our 6th Annual Grand Fall Wine Tasting. I should have a date by next week’s newsletter. I would like to remind everybody that we will once again be sampling Fall Beers at the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest. It is Tuesday, October 5th at the Comcast Center this year. There is always a ton of great food from all the local restaurants. Tickets are just $12 in advance with the proceeds going to the local food banks.

We are looking for a Beer Mgr. here at Cork’s. This could be a full or part-time position depending on the candidate. The job requires a couple of nights a week, and availability for some weekend shifts. Responsibilities will include ordering beers, merchandising, stocking, pricing, setting up tastings and everything else in the beer department. You will also help in other areas of the store including wine, liquor, cashiering, cleaning, redemption and any other duties needed. I would like someone with some craft beer knowledge, common sense, and a good work ethic. Salary will depend on experience and is negotiable. Please stop in and fill out an application and ask to speak with Kat, Megan, or Robert. Have a great weekend.

Robert

Kickoff Beer Tasting this Saturday 2:30 to 5:00

Welcome to Cork’s 6th Annual Kick-Off Beer tasting newsletter. We are just 2 days away from our biggest beer tasting of the year. This Saturday, September 11th from 2:30 to 5 PM is the date and time. I’m just finishing up the lineup and it looks to be heavy on local beers, fall seasonals and Oktoberfest beers! Here is a snapshot of what we will be tasting…Sam Adams…Ommegang…Wachusett…Rogue…Troegs…Clown Shoes…Goose Island…Magic Hat…Redhook…Sierra Nevada…Beck’s…Geary’s…Shipyard…Blue Moon…Long Trail…Leinenkugel…Wolaver’s…Southern Tier…Cisco…Ipswich…Radeberger...and Woodchuck Ciders. We also have Hammer & Sickle Vodka, Cabin Fever Maple Liqueur, and Rogue Rum to warm you up for the football season.

We will have our famous Pizza Tyme tasting pizza and plenty of snacks to munch on between beers. Who knows…maybe we can get 1 of the dozen or so Patriot players who shop here to make a guest appearance at the tasting. Last time I checked Derrick Burgess had some free time on his hands! I’m sure there will be plenty of coasters, t-shirts, key chains and other stuff to give away when you purchase a beer you like. This will work like our wine tastings…you will be given a list of the beers with your # in the corner…when you find a beer you like just tell the rep your # and we will start a box for you upfront. At the end of the tasting just tell the cashier your # and we will gather all your beer for you. The weather is supposed to be a picture perfect fall football day in the low 70’s. So don your favorite Pats gear and make sure you don’t miss this huge tasting.

We will not have any beer tasting this Thursday or wine tasting on Friday as we prepare the store for Saturdays big event. I’d like to wish a happy Rosh Hashanah to all our Jewish friends. We do have the delicious Manischewitz and Baron Herzog wines that are Kosher for your celebrations. OK…I need to get back to work and put the finishing touches on the beer lineup and get the store ready for Saturday. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you at the Kick-Off Beer Tasting!

Robert

Great pre-holiday, pre-hurricane Earl tastings....

We have a bunch of stuff going on as Hurricane Earl churns up the east coast. We have a tasting with Vinnie from Quality Beverage on Thursday night and a Beringer wine tasting on Friday night. Both are sponsors of the Deutsche Bank Golf Tournament this weekend and we have tickets and tons of other stuff to give away. We are also just 9 days away from 1 of our biggest beer tastings of the year. Our 6th Annual Kick-Off Beer tasting is next Saturday, September 11th from 2:30 to 5 PM. We are still setting the lineup but it will be a bunch of new beers, seasonal Oktoberfests, and lots of your favorites. We will have our famous tasting pizza and lots of munchies and stuff to give away as well.

My cousin Vinnie will be here Thursday from 4:30 to 7 for this weeks beer tasting. He will be sampling the Bud Light Wheat and Bud Light Lime. He will also have the Sierra Nevada Tumbler, their new Fall Brown Beer, and Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary in the large bottle format. Lastly he will have the Goose Island Demolition in the 22 oz. bottle. He will be raffling off 2 tickets to this weeks Deutsche Bank Golf Tournament. Everybody who tastes the beer is eligible and we will draw the winner at the end of the tasting.

Friday night’s wine tasting from 4 to 7 PM is with The Deutsche Bank official wine sponsor, Beringer. They have a tent set of at the TPC and will be pouring their outstanding wines there. They have given us a ton of stuff to give away and raffle at the tasting. We have 2 sets of 2 tickets to raffle off, 1 of the sets being in the 15th green Sky Chalet where you can have lunch and enjoy some of the wines. We also have a bunch of golf shirts, vest, hats, visors, wristbands, and golf chairs. There is enough stuff for pretty much everybody who comes to the tasting to win something. I think what we will do is make a slip for all the items and after you taste the wines you reach in the hat to pull out what you have won.

As far as the wines we will be sampling we have 3 from Beringer Founder’s Estate. Pinot Grigio, Riesling, and Pinot Noir make up these very affordable ($10.99) wines. They will also have 3 wines from the excellent Napa Valley Series. They will be pouring Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Knights Valley Cabernet. As with all our wine tastings you may take 10 % off any of the wines from the entire Beringer family of wines. We do have other varietals in both the Founder’s and Napa series that are eligible for the discount as well.

We will be open from 10 to 6 on Labor Day for all your last minute holiday needs. So whether your enjoying the last unofficial weekend of the summer at the beach…having a Hurricane Earl Party...at the golf course… watching the Pats last pre-season game...or the Sox play out the string… be sure to stop in and stock up on your favorite wine, beers, and spirits. Have a great Labor day weekend everybody.

Robert

P.S…..Be sure to check out our huge Goslings Rum display…they 2 are a sponsor at the TPC and a great place to enjoy a Dark and Stormy!!

Lots of end of summer tastings going on....

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Finally it looks like the rain is behind us and we have a nice stretch of summer weather ahead of us. We have a lot going on here at Cork’s as we have a beer tasting tonight, a customer wine tasting Friday night, and a liquor tasting Saturday night. We’ve got the Pats home tonight in the only pre-season game worth watching. And the Sox look to hang in the race with a weekend trip to Tampa Bay. We also have 2 tastings next week with tickets, hats, and t-shirts to get you ready for the Deutsche Bank golf tournament.

Tonight’s tasting (Thursday) from 4:30 to 7 PM features a brand new beer to the Mass market called Lake Placid. It is made by Saranac up in Utica, NY and I just got back from visiting them last week. Our friend Jean Marc (who used to work for Newport Storm) will be making his Saranac debut tonight. He will have Lake Placid Honey Rye, India Pale Ale, and Ubu Ale. The Ubu Ale is an English Strong Ale and on tap was 1 of the best beers I’ve ever tasted! He will also have a couple Saranac brews as well as we feature the Summer Variety pack.

Friday night from 4:30 to 7 we have one of my good wine customers Mike and his wife Kat (no…not that Kat) here for a customer wine tasting. Mike is always traveling around the world with his job, and he often brings us wines to sample from his treks. He has picked out a great lineup starting with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine. Off to Portugal for Arintho Vinho Blanco, a very refreshing, inexpensive summer white wine. Back to the US, and to Washington State to sample Chateau Ste Michelle Gewurztraminer. Traveling down the west coast we arrive at one of the best Central Coast wineries to try the delicious Cambria Pinot Noir. We go back across the Atlantic to France for La Chasse Cotes Du Rhone. The whirlwind tasting ends in Chile with Valdivieso Single Vineyard Reserva Cabernet Franc. I think he said his wife was going to whip up some yummy dishes to pair with the wines so be sure to stop by and check it out.

Last but not least we have a tasting of Double Cross Luxury Vodka on Saturday night from 5 to 7 PM. This premium vodka comes from Slovakia and has been getting some great press. It comes in a cool rectangular bottle and we will take 10 % off the night of the tasting.

Before we go I have a favor to ask all of you. Most of you know my sister Marianne who works Saturday mornings and does the Cork’s website. She also does a ton of other stuff including writing a program for high school kids that she taught for many years. She has entered into a contest with Pepsi to help stop bullying in our schools. She has a curriculum she wrote, and even has a play with Kaleidoscope Theater that they perform at schools. She needs your help to win the contest to support these great causes. You can vote online, and text once a day for the month of August. Here is a link to the page to vote…. www.refresheverything.com/helpstopbullyinginamerica…
And if you can add it to your facebook page, and spread the word to your friends and family that would be great. This is an amazing program that should be in every school in the country. Please help her out if you can.

Thanks,
Robert

PS…don’t forget to say happy 50th Birthday to Megan when you come in!!

Wine and beer travels with Robert

Things are ramping up here at Cork’s as we plan our 6th Annual Kick-Off Beer Tasting which is on Saturday September 11th from 2:30 to 5 PM. We have a bunch of Oktoberfest beers in house already, and more arriving daily. We have 2 Tom Petty concerts - tonight and Saturday night….the Pats with pre-season game # 2 tonight in Atlanta….and the Sox still hanging around the playoff hunt despite all their injuries.

We don’t have any tastings lined up for this week as I just got back from my mini-vacation in the Finger Lakes and Cooperstown areas of New York. I did visit some great wineries out there and would highly recommend a visit out there. Let me preface this by saying the reds are on the light side and the whites can be sweet, but that is what you get in cool climate areas like the Finger Lakes. Bully Hill is a real fun winery to visit and they have over 50 wines to try from bone dry to sickening sweet. The owner, Walter Taylor, was an artist and quite eccentric. They even have an art gallery of his work and an excellent restaurant that I highly recommend if you visit. Dr. Konstantin Frank is regarded as the leader in the area for world class wines from delicious Champagnes to an amazing late harvest, botrytis style ice wine, and everything in between. This, too, is a must if you visit the area. If you’re around on Friday night I could be easily convinced to pop open a Dr. Frank Riesling and a Bully Hill wine for you to sample.

Of course, I had to hit some breweries in the area as well. So on our way to the baseball hall of fame, we had a tour at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown. This Belgian style brewery has amazing beers and a nice rustic barn/farm style brewery. We had a sub-par tour (hey...they can’t all be gems) and a nice tasting before and after the tour. As a special treat, if you’ve made it this far in the newsletter, after I told you we had no tastings this week, I have a special treat for you. I have 2 growlers of Ommegang (Witte and Hennepin) that come in these really cool steins with handles and flip top canning jar closures. We bought the empty growlers as souvenirs and they were nice enough to fill them for us. So if you come between …lets say 4 and 6 I’d be happy to share a bit with you.

We closed the adventure with a visit to Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY. This brewery is from the 1800’s and smack dab in the middle of a sketchy, rundown neighborhood. Once inside the brewery you will be amazed at how beautiful it is inside, and how huge it is as well. In addition to Saranac, they do Lake Placid beers that we will sample next week, Brooklyn beers, and a ton of other contract brewing. They do concerts out in the parking lot and the people there were amazing and very accommodating. If you’re ever in the upstate NY area I strongly recommend you check these guys out.


Robert

Thanks for attending our 4th Customer Appreciation Day!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. I hope you all had a good time at our 4th Annual Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday. The weather was picture perfect and I think we had a good mix of beer, wine, and liquors to taste. The raffle went off pretty well, although we couldn’t trick my sister into saying any naughty names like Erin usually does. The only thing I think we will change next year is to do the raffle right in the middle at 2:30. The day started off pretty slow as I think most of you wanted to be here for the raffle at 3. If we move it up a ½ hour you can either come for the cookout and tasting before the raffle or after. If anybody has any other ideas, comments, criticisms, or compliments please feel free to let us know.

We don’t have a beer tasting lined up for this week, but my cousin Vinny will be here next week to sample you on some of his craft beers. We do have a double tasting lined up for this Friday. The time will be a ½ hour later from 5 to 8 PM. We will have a representative (I’m tired of writing supermodels only to be disappointed by the “dudes” the tasting companies send me) from Rum Jumbie here to sample you on their deliciously fruity rums. They will have the Pineapple, Mango, Vanilla, Coconut, and even the crazy Orange Liquor in the Mr. Buderworth bottle with the straw hat for you to try. As an added bonus we have our own Cork’s supermodel Kat here to taste you on the House Jam Wines. She will have the Chillen White and the Smooth Red. These are fun, refreshing summer wines and only 2 for $16. She’s even going to mix up Rum Jumbie with the Chillen White and make a delicious White Sangria for you as well.

We have some interesting stuff lined up for you this fall. We are currently reviewing a couple of different plan-o-grams and will be re-doing the entire beer cooler. We will be taking the 30-packs and large 24 pk bottle cases out of the cooler and have them stacked in the WALK-IN cooler for you. This will allow us to keep even more of the craft beers cold and increase our total number of beers in the cooler. We will be starting a liquor-mixology night every month with former bartenders Mark and Dani. Starting in September we will have our Johnson & Wales trained cook Leah, doing a cooking demonstration as I pair wines to go with these delicious dishes. So there is a whole bunch of stuff we have planned for the Fall Season and beyond here at Cork’s. One last reminder…if you are a fan of any of the “Summer” beers we’ve had this season you have a limited time to come scoop them up, because Oktoberfest and Autumn beers will be hitting next week!.....mmmmm….my favorite beer season!

Robert

Customer Appreciation Celebration on Saturday!!

Welcome to Cork’s 4th Annual Customer Appreciation Day newsletter. We are just 2 days away from the big event on Saturday July 31st from 1 to 4 PM. We have the lineup all set and you can check it out here on our website … http://www.corksfinewine.com/4thcustomerapprectiontastings.htm. We even have a list of the items being raffled off that you can check out here http://www.corksfinewine.com/raffleitems.htm

There will also be tons of free stuff to give away including a beer glass for every customer on the way out like we did last year. We are also going to have a hotdog eating contest between Tommy Bolini (in a teeny bikini no less!) versus the strange, random 1 toothed (and it was green!) guy that sat out front last year and downed 13 burgers/dogs and never once stepped foot in the store to sample anything. In fact we don’t think he’s ever been in the store.

So bring the kids as we will have juice boxes and water for them as the older folks sample the beer, wine, and liquor. The raffle will start right at 3 o’clock so you can have time to have another dog after the drawing. We will take 10 % off any purchases, not just the items being sampled that day, during the entire event. There will be plenty of food and drink for everybody, but remember this is a tasting. Please mix in some water and drink responsibly. We will have the usual tasting setup where you give the sampler your # and we will start a box for you up front.

We will not have a beer tasting tonight (Thursday) but we will have a wine tasting Friday night from 4:30 to 7 to get you ready for the big day on Saturday. We have 1 of my fellow countrymen, Nelson from Aidil Wines making his debut to sample you on some delicious Portuguese wines. He will start with Muralhas Vinho Verde followed by Cabriz White Blend from the Dao region. These are both delicious summer whites and are great alternatives to that boring Pinot Grigio. Muralhas de Moncao Rose is a great barbecue wine when it’s just too hot to drink reds. If you insist on some reds to go with your burgers and steaks, Alandra Tinto is a great value wine at 2 for $14. To finish off the evening he has the highly rated Cabriz Reserva. This is a blend of 3 native Portuguese varietals, and drinks like a $30 bottle of wine and is just $15.99.

The weather is supposed to be picture perfect, 80 degrees and no humidity for Saturday’s event. We do a lot of tastings here at Cork’s but I think this one is the most fun. So bring the kids, the neighbors, and an appetite and be sure to be here. Just a quick reminder as the Patriots open training camp today - our 6th Annual Kick-Off Beer tasting is Saturday September 11th so be sure to mark that day on your calendars as well. See you all on Saturday!

Robert

One week to Customer Appreciation Day!1

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. It sure has been a warm muggy summer, finally we have a little relief from the humidity today. But my beer suppliers aren’t complaining, it has been a huge summer for beer and malternative beverage sales. To keep the momentum going we have Jeff or Jeb or somebody from Mayflower Brewing here tonight for our Thursday beer tasting. He will be here from 4:30 to 7 PM and will have their whole lineup. Pale Ale, Golden Ale, IPA, Porter, and Summer Rye Ale are what he will be pouring tonight. They are from right here in Plymouth, MA so it doesn’t get any more local than that!

We will not have a wine tasting tonight as last weeks tasting ran till almost 9 PM, so we will count that one for two weeks worth. We do have Nelson from Aidil Wines here next week to sample you on some delicious Portuguese wines. We also have 2 customer wine tastings scheduled for August. The dynamic duo of Kat and Dani will be here Friday the 13th of August. And Mike will be here with his better half on the 27th.

And don’t forget our 4th Annual Customer Appreciation Day is next Saturday, July 31st from 1 to 4 PM. The lineup is almost set, and there is some really cool new stuff we will be trying. We are getting lotsa of swag and other goodies to give away. And hopefully we’ll still have some good stuff to raffle off as a few of them seem to be disappearing! But have no fear we will have plenty of stuff for our raffle. Thankfully the Pats open up training camp next week. Maybe if we don’t pay attention to the Sox, like we did when the Bruins and Celtics made their playoff runs they will get healthier and start winning some ball games.

Robert

Beat the summer doldrums here at Cork's!!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Not too much going on as we are in the middle of the dog days of summer. We have a couple of concerts coming up this weekend with Tim McGraw on Saturday, and American Idol Live on Sunday. How the heck did Lee Dweeb beat Bowersox anyway?!? OK…I admit to watching Idol on occasion… mainly for the train wrecks in the beginning, but there have been some very good singers to come from the show. Yikes…I’m scaring myself, let me reel myself in and get a few sports takes in. Let’s hope the Sox can get healthy and make a 2nd half playoff run…the Pat’s open summer camp right around the corner…the C’s re-sign Ray Allen and try to fill out a roster to compete “The King” and his Miami gang. Phew…now I feel better.

OK…back to Cork’s stuff. We don’t have a beer tasting scheduled for this week, as we will kind of go every other week during the summer months. We do have Mayflower Brewing scheduled next Thursday for 4:30 to 7 PM. We’ve also finalized the date for our 6th (wow 6th ... really?) Kick-Off Beer Tasting. It will be on Saturday, September 11th from 2:30 to 5 PM. This is the day before the Pat’s next Super Bowl season kicks off.

I haven’t done a wine tasting myself in quite awhile, so let’s do a summer wine tasting Friday night from 4:30 - 7 PM. We will start with a delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Monkey Bay. Next up is a cool Chardonnay from Washington State called Independent Producers. Prado Rey Rose is a delicious blush wine, perfect for these sweltering summer days. Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier will be next. This interesting blend is a collaboration of a famous French wine maker and a Napa vintner, doing a red and white blend from Victoria Australia…go figure. We go to Argentina next for Zuccardi Malbec. This a great barbecue wine and I will knock 3 bucks off it the night of the tasting and sell it for only $9.99. We will finish with a delicious Brachetto from the Piemonte region of Italy.

Don’t forget our 4th Annual Customer Appreciation Day which is about 2 weeks away on Saturday, July 31st from 1 to 4 PM. We are putting the lineup together and it will be full of fun and interesting beverages for you to sample. We have a bunch of cool stuff to raffle off, including a Sam Adams mini-fridge, a Sam picnic table and umbrella, Corona and Michelob Ultra mountain bikes, and even a Budweiser Canoe. We will have burgers, dogs, munchies, and a ton of stuff to give away to thank you for being loyal Cork’s customers. Stay cool and have a great weekend.

Robert

Hot enough for ya! Cool down at Cork's!!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Hot enough for ya?!? This has sure been a crazy hot stretch with no end in sight. I hope you all have central AC or an air conditioner or 2 to get through this. I do know we’ve sold a ton of beer and malternative beverages to help cool you down. Be sure to check out our Summer Beer display in the front of the store, and also our huge “Variety” 12 pack display as well.

Speaking of Variety 12 packs, we have a new rep from Geary’s here tonight (Thursday from 4:30 to 7) to sample us on his delicious beers you can find in their “Classic Variety Pack”. He will have Geary’s Pale Ale, Hampshire Ale, London Porter, and Summer Ale. We’re also trying to procure some 4-packs of Imperial IPA, and if they come in, we will try them too. These guys are out of Portland, ME and make a nice weekend road trip if you’re heading up that way.

We’re going to mix it up a little bit and have a high-end spirits tasting on Friday night from 4:30 to 7 PM. Dan from Heavenly Spirits will be here to sample you on some outstanding Spirits. He will have Marie Duffau Napoleon Armagnac, Seguinot VSOP Cognac, an organically grown Cognac called Du Peyrat VSOP, Chauffe-Coeur Calvados VSOP, and even La Muse Verte Absinthe. This is a great opportunity to try some really nice high-end spirits and enjoy 10% off anything you sample that night.

If you get this e-mail early enough, go to Redsox.com and vote for Kevin Youkilis to go to the All Star game. He is in a tight race with a stiff from the Yankees. You can vote as many times as you like and it’s really quick. While we’re on the Sox, I will be taking some time off from Cork’s to pursue my life-long dream of playing shortstop for the Redsox. I figure with all their injuries I could backup Youk at 1st and probably make less errors than Scutoro at short. Looks like the C’s are all coming back to make 1 more run, and we all find out where King Lebron and his huge ego end up tonight.

Don’t forget to put Saturday July 31st from noon to 3 on your calendars for Cork’s 4th Annual Customer Appreciation Day! Enjoy the hot steamy summer weather.

Robert

Happy 4th of July from all of us at Cork's!

It looks like the weather is going to be fantastic right through the holiday weekend! We will be open on Sunday July 4th from noon to 5 PM. We will also be open regular hours on Monday July 5th from 10 to 9 for those last minute cookout needs. We have a ton of summer beers in a display up front, and we’re fully stocked on all your summer spirits and mixers as well. And let’s not forget those summer white wines, Rose’s, and even some delicious chillable reds for those barbecues.

We will not have any tastings this week as I know quite a few of you are away on vacation. But we will get back into next week with Geary’s out of Maine for a beer tasting next Thursday. We will also have a wine tasting and bonus high end spirit tasting with Heavenly Spirits on Friday July 9th. We have Mark from Horizon here for a wine tasting on the 16th and a Portuguese wine tasting on the 30th.

We also have finalized the date on our 3rd Annual Customer Appreciation Day. It will be Saturday July 31st from noon to 3 PM. We will have lots more info and details in the next couple of weeks on the website (corksfinewine.com) and in future newsletters. I hope you all have a safe and great 4th of July weekend!

Robert

Summer's brewing at Cork's!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. It’s been a busy week for us at Cork’s with Buffet and Phish in town for concerts at Great Woods. We keep the momentum going with Brooks & Dunn on Saturday and Bamboozle (whatever the heck that is) on Sunday. I think we’ve come up with a date for our 3rd Annual Customer Appreciation Day as well. I just want to run it by Megan 1st but I will post it on the website (corksfinewine.com) and have it in next week’s newsletter for sure.

We have yet another rookie making his Thursday night beer tasting debut tonight from 4:30 to 7 PM. He’s so new I don’t even know his name, but he is replacing Jean-Marc from Newport Storm and he will be sampling his delicious RI brews. He will have their Amber Ale, RI Blueberry Ale, Summer Ale, and Cyclone Series Neo for you to try. These are great guys and the ones that put on the Luau/pig roast in Newport every summer. If you haven’t been to this event I strongly recommend it. I haven’t been to 1 in years and I’m gonna try to make it this year myself.

I think we are going to take this week off from the wine tastings. As we get into the dog days of summer most of you are out and about and on vacation anyway. We will space them out a bit more and make them more of an event. But as most of you know, I am here most every Friday night and can be easily convinced to open a bottle or 2 if there is something that you want to try. Wow...made it this far without 1 sports take. How about that USA World Cup game yesterday? I admit to being a pinkhat soccer fan but that was an amazing game. I got so excited I bought a dozen Vuvuzelas to make that annoying buzzing sound. Seriously, I really did buy 12 of those crazy things and if anybody wants to buy one, I can let a few go at the amazing low price of 10 bucks! Let’s see anything else going in sports since the last newsletter…oh yea...the Celtics. I don’t think they played any games last week, so let’s hope Danny Ainge can pull off another trade and get an impact player in tonight’s draft. Have a great weekend everybody.
Robert

Celtics and Jimmy Buffet and lots of tastings!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. I need to make this pretty brief as we need to prepare for the immanent invasion of the Parrotheads for day 1 of Jimmy Buffet. And of course, start to build momentum for game 7 of the NBA Finals. I really thought the C’s would take it in game 6, but I think it will be even sweeter now to win on their court in game 7! Looks like the weather is clearing up for the show and we should have a banner day for both!

We do have 2 tastings lined up for to get you ready for tonight’s concert. Vinnie will be here from 2 to 4:30 to sample you on Jimmy Buffet’s own beer, Landshark. He will also have Margaritaville ready-to-drink cocktails to taste as well. I’m not sure if he will get out the mega-blender and crush the ice or just chill them in a glass. Either way it’s a great way to get ready for the show and the 1.75 L bottles are now only $14.99!

If that wasn’t enough, we have our English friend Tim Coleman here for the regular Thursday night beer tasting from 4:30 to 7 PM. He will be sampling the beers that make up Clipper City Heavy Seas Sunken Sampler - Loose Cannon IPA, Classic Lager, Peg Leg Imperial Stout, and Red Sky Saison Ale. They all come in a cool pirate12 pack, and with a sleeve of red cups, would make a perfect beer for the Buffet concerts.

Just in time for the U.S. Open Golf tournament in Pebble Beach, and for Father’s Day this Sunday, we will sample the Crooked Putter Wines Friday from 4:30 to 7 PM. We have the “Better Keep Your Day Job” Sauvignon Blanc…”At The Beach” Chardonnay…”Didn’t Make It To The Ladies Tee” Rose…”Drive For Show But Putt For Dough” Merlot…and “Crushed It !!! ‘ Cabernet. These wines all have crazy animated, holographic labels on them. All the juice is from California and is pretty decent. They are only 15 bucks and make the perfect gift for those Dads that golf.

We even have a Mike’s tasting lined up for Saturday’s show from 1 to 3 PM. They promised me a “supermodel” to sample the new Peach, Lime, and Raspberry Margaritas. Wow…what a weekend for concerts, tastings, and sporting events we have going on! I haven’t even mentioned the Sox and the return of “Mannyworld” this weekend. Or the riveting (YAWN)…nil-nil ties of World Cup Soccer. For those undecided whether to cheer Manny for his contributions to 2 World Series rings…or boo him for his periodic lack of hustle and ugly exit out of Boston, I have the perfect solution. Try to find a “Vavuzela” and blow as hard as you can every time he comes up!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMxEycuSn0o …What the heck is this thing anyways?...it sounds like a demented swarm of bees! Have a great weekend everybody.

Robert

Lots of tastings on the horizon....

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Let’s hope the Celtics can rebound and even up the series with the Lakers tonight. How can Ray Allen go from having 1 of the best games in the history of the finals, to 1 of the worst the very next game? All we need is 2 of the “Big 4” to step up and I think we’ll be all right. Good to see the Blackhawks win their 1st Cup in over 40 years…sorry George…not that I watched any of it after the B’s were eliminated. And here’s to the Sox winning each series as they creep up on the 1st place Rays.

OK…sports takes out of the way, let’s see what’s going on here at Cork’s. Tonight (Thursday) from 4:30 to 7 PM we have my cousin Vinnie here to sample you on some of his summer brews. He will have the Magic Hat Wacko, a crisp summer beer with a big malty aroma, a subdued hop bite, and a slightly sweet finish. Sierra Nevada’s Summerfest will be next and is a Pilsner style Lager beer, perfect for those warm summer days. Last (but you should probably taste 1st) we have the official beer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Modelo Especial. This lighter style Mexican Beer is actually the 3rd biggest imported beer in the country. We also have a Weihenstephaner 3 pack gift set that comes with a World Cup glass and 3 Hefe Weiss biers.

I did have a wine tasting lined up with a new rep from Sun Wholesale for Friday night. But I haven’t heard from her in a few weeks, so I’m not sure what the lineup will be. If she doesn’t show I’ll mix up some new wines and summer favorites and do one myself. Either way there WILL be a wine tasting this Friday night from 4:30 to 7 PM. We do have 3 tastings lined up for next week’s return of Jimmy Buffet. Including a Landshark/Margaritaville tasting, and Clipper City beer tasting the day of the 1st show. We have those crazy holographic “Crooked Wines” golf themed wines for Friday the 18th… just in time for Father’s Day. I’m going to try to line up a beer/liquor tasting for the Saturday Buffet show as well. So there is tons of stuff going on in the next few weeks here at Cork’s, so be sure to stop on in. See you soon.

Robert

Things heating up - the weather, the Celtics, the Sox and Cork's!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. How about those Celtics in the Finals once again against the hated Lakers!? It’s gonna be a tough series against Kobe the Rat, Pau the Llama, and 1 of the Kardashian’s husbands, but I think the Celts will pull it out in 6 and raise banner # 18! Even the Sox and big Papi are heating up and keeping pace with the Rays. Things are heating up here at Cork’s as well as the Great Woods season gets into full swing with Summer Jam this Saturday, Dave Mathews in for 2 shows next week, and Jimmy Buffett in for 2 the following week.

We don’t have a beer tasting lined up for this week but we do have 1 every other Thursday in June. We have my cousin Vinnie here next Thursday doing “Summer Beers” from the craft section of Bud. The following week we have Tim Coleman here to sample you on Clipper City brews. Thursday the 24th we have a new sales rep from our friends at Newport Storm down in RI to taste you on their new Summer and Cyclone series beers.

Eric from Baystate Wines will be here this Friday night from 4:30 to 7 PM to taste you on some new wines he represents. Red Newt Riesling is a delicious Riesling from the Finger Lakes region of NY and will get it started. From there we go to Italy for Monte Lareina Verdelho and Roble Tempranillo. All I remember about these wines is that the girl he was with was from Spain…smoking hot…and the way she said V-e-r-d-e-l-h-o was just amazing. I know they are like 6 hours ahead…but I’m going to see if Eric can call her and put her on speaker phone for anybody who wants to hear her say it.

Enough of that...back to the wines…Secreto Malbec is next, followed by a new varietal from Line 39, Petite Sirah. These are both excellent wines and will pair perfectly with ribs or steaks from the grill. He will end the tasting mixing up some cocktails with Puerto Vallarta Silver Tequilla. So be sure to stop by and kickstart your weekend here at Cork’s.

Robert

Memorial Day weekend tastings...stop by and stock up!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Looks like it’s going to be gorgeous weather right through the Memorial Day weekend. We have a ton of “Summer Beers” in stock including Harpoon IPA and Summer 12 pack cans that will be in later on today. So whether you’re making your 1st trek of the year to beach, grilling out in the backyard, or just kicking back watching the Celtics put away Orlando or the Sox sweep Tampa Bay, we have all your summer drink favorites here at Cork’s.

We also have both a beer tasting and wine tasting lined up for you this week. Thursday night from 4:30 to 7 we have Miguel from L. Knife (or perhaps a supermodel substitute) to taste you on the new lineup from Cisco Brewers out of Nantucket, MA. He/she will have the Sankaty Light Lager, Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, Bailey’s Blonde Ale, and Indie Pale Ale. These 12 oz. beers now all come in 6 packs instead of the 4 pks or 25 oz. format. And for your boating and poolside pleasure, the Whale’s Tale Pale Ale now comes in 12 pk cans as well. What better way to unofficially kick of the summer beer season than a local microbrew from Nantucket! You know…I once knew a girl from Nantucket who…well, lets keep this newsletter PG and free of protest from the PC police.

We also have a new couple at Cork’s (who I think are getting married soon) here to do a customer wine tasting this Friday from 4:30 to 7 PM. Rita and Tim have been regulars at our last few wine tastings and have asked to share some of their favorite wines with their friends, family and you folks, too. They have an excellent lineup picked out for you to enjoy, starting with Anne Amie Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The next 2 are great summer whites from France…Delauney TYDY Sauvignon Blanc and Michelle Picard Vouvray. For reds, they have selected 2 from Stephen Vincent…the Pinot Noir and the ever popular Crimson. They will end the tasting with a great summer barbecue wine, Greg Norman Petite Sirah. I hear they will be boiling lobstahs and grilling T-bones in the back of the store to pair with these delicious wines so be sure to stop by and get the long holiday weekend started.

We will be closed on Monday Memorial Day. This is first of 3 holidays that the state makes us shut the store down. Kind of weird. You can open on Labor Day and July 4th, but you have to close on Memorial Day. Either way, I’ll be moving and unpacking into my new condo, so if you want to help me move this weekend, be sure to let me know! I hope you all have a great weekend and we’ll see you soon.

Robert

No beer tasting this week...but check out the ones coming up

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. How about those Celtics!! Up 2-0… and looks like they are on their way to the NBA Finals once again. Too bad the B’s choked away their bid for the Cup, or we would have had 2 teams in the Eastern Finals. And the Sox…they just wallow away at .500 with a less than interesting or inspiring team in my opinion. Speaking of the Sox, we did get the ZinfandEllsbury Charity wine in. Unfortunately the Chardon-K was backordered and will not be in till next week.

After our 2 beer tastings last week, we will take this Thursday off from the beer tasting schedule. But we do have Cisco Brewers lined up for next week. My cousin Vinnie will be here sampling some fine Bud microbrews on June 10th, Clipper City on the 17th, and Newport Storm June 24th. Be sure to check out Genesee Cream Ale, Light and Ice 30 packs. We have them discount priced at $15.99 plus deposit. These old school beers are popular with people from my Dad…who is 85 and let’s phrase this nicely…frugal… to the college crowd who can score a 30 rack for well under 20 bucks!

We do have our friend Johny Pesky from Trio Wines here this Friday from 4:30 to 7 for a wine tasting. He will have Dilupo Pinot Grigio to start you off with. Next up is a new addition to the Bianchi lineup, Sauvignon Blanc. I have not been disappointed in any of the other varietals in the Bianchi family, and he will also have the Bianchi Zinfandel for you to try. Next up is a delicious red blend called Red X from X Winery.

We travel to Australia next for Shingleback Cabernet. This wine is from another outstanding producer and the Cab is new to us here at Cork’s. We will finish with the newest edition to the Ed Hardy lineup, and that is Lambrusco. At the risk of losing my credibility on these reviews, this is NOT from an outstanding producer and is probably a very mediocre wine in an artsy tattooed bottle. Having said that…there is a call for these sweet, chillable reds in the hot summer months and will probably outsell all the other wines at the tasting combined….go figure!

Robert

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. Since we have 3 tastings lined up for this week, we’ll save the sports stuff till the end of the e-mail.

Let’s start off with tonight’s beer tasting from 4:30 to 7 PM with our Greek friend Yanni from Opa-Opa. He will have a bunch of his fresh 64 OZ growlers for you to sample. I’m not sure what he’s pouring, but I know it will be from our huge selection of Opa Growlers…Pale Ale…Xtra Pale Ale…IPA…Double IPA…Red Rock Amber…Belgian White…Milk Stout…and the new Blueberry Ale. We will take 10 % off the purchase of any Opa growler, and tonight only, all Opa 6-pks are $6.99 and 12 packs $12.99. We even have a better price on the Light 12-pks at only $11.99.

Tommy (he ain’t heavy he’s my brother) Bollini makes a triumphant return to our Friday night wine tastings (4:30 to 7 PM). He will start you off with a great French sparker from Burgundy called Louis Bouillot Cremant De Bourgogne Brut Rose. This is a very affordable sparkling wine that would be great for all your graduation and summer celebratory needs. Next we go to Napa Valley for Folie a Deux Chardonnay and Merlot. These are the same folks that make the very popular Menage-a-Trois wines, but are single varietals of excellent quality. Off to Australia for 2 new wines from 1 of my favorite producers, Peter Lehman. Layers White and Layers Red are blends from some of Peter Lehman’s best properties mixed to give you …well...layers of complexity and taste. If that weren’t enough…and just the return of Tommy Bollini should be… IF we get our shipment of Redsox Wines that are supposed to arrive Friday AM, we will crack them open as well. This year’s wines are ZinfandEllsbury and Chardon-K ….hmmm any coincidence that both Ellsbury and Beckett are both hurt?

Rounding out our triple-header of tastings we have Miguel from L. Knife here on Saturday from 2:30to 5 PM for his “Tastes Like Belgium” Beer tasting. He will have 3 American Breweries (Brooklyn, Allagash, and Ommegang) doing their Belgian Style brews. He will compare and contrast them against selections from Chimay, Duvel, and Saison Dupont. Sounds like a pretty cool beer tasting to me!

Let’s hope for the Celts to put an end to Lebron and the Cavs tonight…The Bruins to wake up in time for game 7 tomorrow night, and for the Sox to continue on the decent trend they’ve been on. Either way we have whatever you need to cheer your team on or drown your sorrows if we lose!

Robert

Load up on your favorite beer, wine and liquor and enjoy our sports teams!

Welcome to Cork’s weekly newsletter. How about them Bruins!...let’s sweep and get some rest for the next round. And the Celts look to be in good shape with a split in Cleveland. Even the Sox are going for a sweep against Angels. I see lots of opportunities to load up on your favorite wine, beer, and booze and enjoy the local sports scene.

We have Vinnie or 1 of his boys here tonight for our Thursday night beer tasting. He will have the brand new Hawaiian beers from Kona Brewery. Now technically they are brewed in Portsmouth NH because the logistics of shipping them to the East Coast from Hawaii would be a nightmare. But they are done in the same style as the brewery in Kona, HI. He will have the Longboard Island Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale, and Limited Release Wailua Wheat Ale. Vinny doesn’t know it yet, but I am going to convince him sample you on the Widmer Brothers Prickly Pear Braggot 22 OZ. as well. So stop by between 4:30 and 7 and try these brand new beers here at Cork’s.

We do not have a wine tasting lined up for this Friday night. But we do have the return of the Tommy Bolini show next week, and Johnny Pesky from Trio the week after. We are going to put the big spring tasting on the back burner for now. We are looking at doing something a little different for that event and I will get you details on it soon. Have a great weekend.

Robert

California Wine Trip Tasting with Megan and Kat

This is going to be brief as we are a bit shorthanded and there's lots of stuff to do. How about them Bruins and Celtics?! Even the Sox have crawled back to .500 after a dismal start.

Sports references behind us, let's talk about tonight's (Thursday) beer tasting from 4:30 to 7:00 pm. Our good friend Miguel from L. Knife will be here to taste you on the Troegs lineup out of Pennsylvania. We've these beers for a few months now and they are doing very well. He will be sampling the Hopback Amber Ale, Dreamweaver Wheat Ale, Pale Ale, and Sunrise Pils. All of these beers are available in 6 packs as well as a cool looking Anthology 12 bottle sampler case. As with all our tastings, you get 10% off anything you try that night.

Unfortunately Bob from Boston Wine will not be able to attend this Friday night's wine tasting so Megan and Kat are going to pinch hit and do their "California Wine Trip" tasting. They were out in Napa and Sonoma a few months back and have stories to tell and wines from places they visited to sample you on.

They will start off with Mumm Napa Cuvee M Sparking Wine. I know they are big 'Sparker' fans as they also visited Korbel on their trip. Next up is Honig Sauvignon Blanc which is one of the greenest wineries in all of Napa. You're invited to join them for for Menage a Trois Chardonnay next. Unlike the others in the Menage lineup, this is all one varietal...Chardonnay. But to keep with the Trois part of the name, from 3 distinct regions in California.

The next 2 are from Alexander Valley Vineyards...one of my favorite wineries as well. They will tempt you with Temptation Zinfandel and AVV Merlot. At the end of their adventure, they spent a couple of days in San Francisco, and from what I hear, their favorite tour of all was Anchor Steam Brewery. So what the heck, let's mix in an Anchor Bock beer to finish off the night and their excellent adventure.

Robert