Our top 5 favorite sparkling wines to celebrate with

Champagnes are not just for celebrating a special event. They make a perfect wine throughout the meal and to enjoy alone. At Napa, we change our wine list daily and therefore, get exposure to a large list of styles, price range and regions. Over the year, we have poured over 40 different sparkling wines by the glass and here are our Top 5 which you might still find at your retail store.
Great Splurge: Krug, NV Brut, Champagne, France
Great Rose: Domaine Chandon, Etoile, Rose, Carneros, California
Great Value: MPX, Cava, Spain
Great Cool Find: Argyle, Brut, Oregon
Great Everyday: Taittinger, La Francaise, Champagne, France

Happy New Year to all....enjoy 2010!

I have dirt for you....

"Dirt" is soon to arrive! Our private label and very own personal blend and partnership with the famed and prestigious (they have also worked with Per Se and French Laundry) Evening Land Vineyards is almost on site! I can't wait for you to enjoy the expresion of "dirt." It shows the pure earth/terroir of Oregon and lives up to it's Burgundian winemaker.

Stay tuned...

What's flying off the shelf?

Guardian Peak: Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre (GSM) With 50 wines by the glass you don't typically see one wine dominate the sales but when you fly through a case of wine in two days then there is something worth writing about. People were looking for the weight of a Cab but something different. With 62% Syrah, 26% Mouvedre and 12% Grenache it is opulent with a hint of spice and vanilla. It shows great structure, depth and a long lingering finish. It was the crowd pleaser of the weekend for those looking for weight without too much of that tea bag finish (if you know what I mean). It also paired beautifully with our Red Wine Glazed Short Ribs Horseradish whipped potatoes and creamed Tuscan kale. A marriage made for a cold winter night.

http://www.guardianpeak.com/

Tennis anyone?

A great bottle of Barolo and some risotto and we're all set to start shaving this award-winning gigantic sized white truffle...yum

Beaujolais Noveau

BEAUJOLAIS HAS ARRIVED...

This Thursday the 19th and all weekend come celebrate Beaujolais Noveau with Eric at Napa & Co. Enjoy a flight of this just released fun and fruity Gamay paired with French cheeses, charcuterie and olives. The easiest and quickest way to learn Fench!

Oregon Project

Napa & Co is excited to announce a new second label wine project.
We first created a classic jammy Cabernet with Girard Winery of Napa Valley. It is rich, decadent, and explosive and shows the true terroir style of Napa Cab.
This time we were looking for a wine that showed and expressed a different style of terroir and spoke of the land where it comes from. We have found that in the wines of Evening Land. Their pinot noir is earthy, dirty and full of that leather and smoke you want from a great pinot. The marriage of food and wine is a serious one and we take this partnership seriously as well. We believe you'll be equally excited when you taste this Pinot next to the cuisine of Chef Arik. Expected release: late December 2009.
Evening Land Vineyards
http://www.eveninglandvineyards.com/.

Four Course Truffle dinner tonight!

Come celebrate that dirty, farm-yard, earthy funk called TRUFFLES~! tonight. Chef Arik has created an incredible 4 course menu featuring white and black truffles. $100 or $139 with wines paired from Italy, Spain and France. Call for reservations. 203-353-3319. Any time...just say you're coming for TRUFFLES!

Napa & Co Birthday Celebration this Monday!

Napa turns 3! This may not seem like a big deal but 3 in restaurant years is 30 in most other businesses! Here's an excerpt from Parents.com and I found the development to be pretty similar actually...

• Stands on one foot for multiple seconds (yes, more like 12 hours)
• Walks on tip-toes for multiple steps (some of us do)
• Climbs stairs using alternate feet (when not drinking)
• Handedness is developed (thank god!)
• Copies a circle and imitates intersecting straight lines (again, when not drinking)
• Starts to dress self (hmmm...)
• By 36 months: Says approximately 1500 words, uses run-on sentences, can identify self by name/age/gender, and the majority of language is understood by strangers (not all of us)

Come enjoy some great complimentary wine and food with us on Monday, November 2nd from 5:30 to 7pm! Learn about holiday menus, private rooms and upcoming events...no need to RSVP just come celebrate.

Cult Wine Class

These are the wines we tried tonight:
2004 Heitz Vineyard Cabernet Napa Valley, California
2005 Kathyrn Hall Cabernet Napa Valley, California
2004 Dominus Cabernet Napa Valley, California
2006 Quintessa Cabernet Rutherford, California
2005 Joseph Phelps "Insignia" Cabernet Napa Valley, California
2001 La Jota, Anniversary, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, California
1999 Ridge, Montebello, Cabernet Santa Cruz,California

And the winner is...Joseph Phelps!!

Women in Wine tomorrow night and every Friday

Women In Wine Happy Hour at the Bar
“Women in Wine” wines from female winemakers just $3 a glass. 4 to 7pm Fridays.

Check out Handley, Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, CA 2007
Bodan Roan, Cabernet Sauvignon, California 2007
Celebrate the power and passion of women!!

Zin Class tonight at Napa

Zinfandel class tonight: Fouir Vines port yummy and perfect with chocolate. August Briggs Napa 06 the winner of the night. The not so hot...Grgich Napa 05 but will try a new bottle. Next week Cult Wines of Napa...sign up at 203-353-3319

October Events @ Napa & Co

Wine Class Schedule Fall 2009

If you ever felt you like you wanted to learn more about the overwhelming category of wine then our wine class is the perfect place to learn. Whether you're amateur or collector, we taste great wines and enjoy spreading the love of wines in an unpretentious way. Classes start at 6pm unless otherwise noted. You taste a minimum of 5 wines paired with small bites of food components, which represent sweet, salt, acid and fat.
10-5: The American grape: Zin $30pp

10-12: Cult Wines: Premium Calif. $50pp

10-26: Mary's Picks $30pp

11-2: Piedmont $40pp

11-9: Sparkling & Champagne $30pp

11-16: Syrah and Shiraz $30pp

Women In Wine Happy Hour
“Women in Wine” wines from female winemakers just $3 a glass. 4 to 7pm Fridays.

I-Shop is all about Oregon: 50% off bottles of wines in October any day, any time

Wednesday, October 14th "Chef Gala for Autism" in NYC. To learn more
go to http://www.autismspeaks.org/ Napa does NYC at Cipriani Wall Street to benefit Autism Speaks.

Friday the 16th “World Food Day”
World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October – the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. The World Food Day theme for 2009 is "Achieving food security in times of crisis". Napa will donate 10% of proceeds for that evening to the Bridgeport Diocese Soup Kitchen.

Tuesday the 20th Fall Flavors
Four Course Chef’s Tasting Menu featuring the best of Ct fall produce and local CT wines. $50 food / $65 with wine

October is Breast Cancer
Awareness Month: Napa goes Pink!
Enjoy our Pink-tini which will be featured throughout the month with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Bennett Cancer wing of Stamford Hospital.

Sundays are all about BRUNCH!
Brunch is back! Whether it's a special occasion, an opportunity for friends to catch up, or a pleasant start to a lazy weekend day, Sunday Brunch is a meal for relaxation and good company. Enjoy our Brunch menu from 11:30-3:00pm Sundays!

Sundays are HALF OFF WINE
Find some great wines available at 50% their regular pricing at Sunday Brunch 11:30 until 3pm

Check out Napa’s New Catering Division
http://www.blueapronbynapa.com/
Same great Napa food in your home or at your corporate event


Want to learn about our events first? Go to http://www.napaandcompany.com/ and sign up

Washington State Wine Class tonight at 6pm

Join us tonight to try the acclaimed wines of Long Shadow and more. Washington offers a wide array of varietals from Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. With 32,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources. Come see what they are all about and sample a broad range of style and price tonight. $30 pp

And the winner is....

We kicked off our fall wine class with a tasting of Pinot Noir tonight. We tried Yealands 08 from Marlborough, Gary Farrell 06 from Russian River, Chanson "clos vougeot" 05, Foley 07 from Santa Rita, Elizabeth Rose 06 from Yountville and Rochioli 07 from Russian River. We all agreed...Rochioli! Rochioli Winery has earned the reputation as one of Sonoma County's finest wineries. This family owned winery began in 1938 and the results of their labor has been a decades-long tradition of outstanding vintages: Silky-smooth, fruit-forward Pinot Noirs; rich, opulent Chardonnays; and tangy, food-friendly Sauvignon Blancs. Always in demand, always revered and always rated among the best varietals to be sought anywhere in the world. We paired it with tyhe Duck & Foie Gras Meatballs for an amazing marriage of food and wine.

Next Monday's Class: Washington State wines. 6pm

Fig Dinner on 9/23

Figs...grilled, sauteed, sous vide, sliced fresh, marinated...no matter how you use this delightful and exotic ingredient they add a sensual burst of flavor to a dish. Experience
Chef Bensimon's 4 course dinner focused around this seasonal ingredient on Sept.
23rd. We'll be offering 4 courses for $50 and with wine $65. Last month's tomato dinner was such a hit we decided to choose another produce to allow Chef to showcase the multiple ways this ingredient can highlight a dinner. Cheers! http://www.napaandcompany.com

Fall Wine Class Schedule

Napa & Co
Wine Class Schedule Fall 2009
Do you know the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris? Is Chianti a region or a grape? Is Gewurztraminer a type of sausage? Can I drink Rose in the winter? If you ever felt you like you wanted to learn more about the overwhelming category of wine then our wine class is the perfect place to learn. Whether you’re amateur or collector, we taste great wines and enjoy spreading the love of wines in an unpretentious way. Classes start at 6pm unless otherwise noted. You taste a minimum of 5 wines paired with small bites of food components, which represent sweet, salt, acid and fat.

September 21st An Exploration of Pinot Noir $30
September 28th Washington State Wines $30

October 5th A look at the American grape: Zinfandel $30
October 12th Cult Wines: Premium California Classics $50

October 26th Mary’s Picks $30

November 2nd Piedmont $40

November 9th Sparkling & Champagne $30

November 16th Syrah and Shiraz $30

Monday Wine Classes Fall Schedule

MONDAY WINE CLASSES~

For almost three years, we have worked on spreading the love of all things wine by holding an informal wine class. Once upon a time they were Saturdays and since they moved to Mondays. They have been very popular with singles, couples, mothers and daughters and friends because it gives them a way to learn more and have an environment to ask simple or sommelier-like wine questions from storing, to cellaring, to buying to food pairing. They are held from 6 to 7pm and we taste 6 to 7 wines with a prticular topic in mind: Rioja, New Zealand, Pinot from around the World and so on. Well, now I'm asking for your input...whata regions do you want to learn more about? What topics do you want covered? Wine should be fun, never boring and never pretentious. Take a moment to let me know is it Sauvignon Blanc that's ticking your fancy today or is the spice jar of Shiraz that interests you? See you soon and I'll post the schedule at the end of the week for the fall line up.

Cheers!

Four Course Tomato Dinner at Napa & Co tomorrow night ! Featuring the best local tomatoes available

If you can get local tomatoes now, eat them, enjoy them, and savor the memory – because that very well could be it for Connecticut tomatoes this summer – especially organic ones.
Late blight is what we’re talking about here. I’m sure you’ve been hearing about it for the last few weeks. It’s the disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 19th century. It’s a water mold type fungus that also affects tomatoes and is running roughshod through northeastern tomato crops right now. Here in Connecticut the prognosis is shaky at best.
Dr. Jude Boucher is the extension educator for agricultural and commercial vegetable crops for the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension office in Tolland. As of Wednesday, he said he’s found late blight in all but New London and Middlesex counties (to be honest – he hasn’t tested Middlesex yet). He’s found it on “upwards of 20 to 25 farms.” That’s a lot. And no names – he’s not allowed to say where, other than that some farms have lost everything.
And if you ask him whether the organic tomato crop is in danger of being wiped out this year – he said: “There’s a very good possibility unfortunately. I don’t think were at that point yet. But each farm that gets it, it puts a lot more spores in the area, so the proximity of late blight sources increase.”
Translated – that means the more farms that get it, the greater the potential to spread. Late blight spreads through the air. It needs 65 -70 degree temperatures, rain and high humidity to survive and infect a plant and that’s basically what we had all of this summer.

Enjoy ‘em while you’ve got ‘em is our philiosophy. In this vein, we have a wonderful

Four Course Tomato Dinner tomorrow night for $50....

Heirloom tomato & watermelon gazpacho
Morroccan spiced striped bass, eggplant and tomato stew, preserved lemons, chick peas

Duck breast with spiced honey glaze, marinated heirloom green tomato & duck confit salad
Local Goat Cheese Cake, tomato marmalade

With wine $65...call for reservation 203-353-3319

Oysters & Albarino tonight!

Tonight enjoy...
Prix fix Chef's Tasting Menu: August 3rd-13th
Available Mon-Thurs: 3 courses $30
5:30 to 7:30. With wine: $40
This is our stimulus package! Great food, great value, great time.

5 to 7pm
OYSTERS & ALBARINO!
Not many places in CT to find fresh, "Just shucked" oysters but Napa will solve that! We'll be featuring a flight of Albarino from Spain, Portugal and California paired with 1/2 dozen oysters. Albarino has this great minerality and you can almost smell the salt water. Perfect pairing-perfect time. $15pp

August Wine & Food Events

I-Shop is all about New Zealand & Australia!
August feature is 50% off wines from New Zealand and Australia.

Prix fix Chef's Tasting Menu: August 3rd-13th
Available Mon-Thurs: 3 courses $30
5:30 to 7:30. With wine: $40
This is our stimulus package! Great food, great value, great time.

Monday, August 3rd 6pm: Rioja
Wonder through this lusty, hot region of Spain and find great values & great wines. $30pp

Monday, August 10th 6pm: Strange grapes & Strange regions
New Mexico makes wine?? Yes, Gruet and it's delicious. What about India? Yes, a cool little Chenin Blanc. Try some wines you wouldn't typically see! $30pp

Wednesday, August 12th: 5 to 7pm
OYSTERS & ALBARINO!
Not many places in CT to find fresh, "Just shucked" oysters but Napa will solve that! We'll be featuring a flight of Albarino from Spain, Portugal and California paired with 1/2 dozen oysters. Albarino has this great minerality and you can almost smell the salt water. Perfect pairing-perfect time. $15pp

Four Course Tomato-Tom-aa-to Dinner
Tuesday, August 18th
See what can be done with local tomatoes!
Four course wine and food pairing with a focus on using the local tomatoes we get from Urban Oaks in New Britain, CT. Not much better than a perfect tomato. Menu available all night. $50pp

Sundays are all about BRUNCH!
Brunch is back! Whether it's a special occasion, an opportunity for friends to catch up, or a pleasant start to a lazy weekend day, Sunday Brunch is a meal for relaxation and good company. Enjoy our Brunch menu from 11:30-3:00pm Sundays! Use your I-Shop card for 10% Brunch.

Tuesdays are DISCOUNT WINE NIGHT
Find some great wines available at up to 60% off. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy Cakebread Cabernet at $75 or Tuttobene Toscano for $15...or any number of other great finds at just a fraction above our cost.

Thursdays are BURGER & BORDEAUX !This Wagyu Burger has its own Facebook page for our fans. If you haven't had it then now is your chance to enjoy a 2 course prix-fix menu created around "Our Burger" with a great glass of 2005, Cht Machorre, Bordeaux! $30 pp

Thank you to our customers!

Your support has paid off again. The readers of Greenwich, New Canaan and Westport Magazines has just awarded us "Best Wine List" in the "Best of" issue soon to be released.

And customers of Open Table have voted us #4 for Restaurants "Fit for Foodies" in CT and #2 Best Wine List in CT by Open Table customers.

Look for our feature in Wine Enthusiast Magazine in October!

Exciting changes

In our 13 years owning restaurants, Charlie and I have seen many talented people walk through our doors. We have been proud to groom them, give them opportunities and watch them evolve. It is with pride that we announce that Bill Taibe has been offered a chance to do his own restaurant again. With change comes excitement, we are equally proud to announce the next rising star chef, Arik Bensimon. Arik is a culinary graduate from the prestigious from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park. He has the famed restaurants, Le Cirque and Picholine in NYC and La Panetiere in Rye, under his belt. His many years in the culinary scene of New York City shaped his passion and work ethic. And although, Arik shares the same “farm to table” philosophy as our former chef, we are very impressed at the sneak peaks of what’s to come out of the kitchen now. We want Napa & Co to be your everyday neighborhood restaurant not just a special occasion. We believe you will agree as you watch us evolve.
Bon Appétit
Mary & Charlie

Breakfast at Napa & Co

Wakey, wakey! Join us for breakfast every day at Napa & Co. Farm fresh eggs & bacon sandwiches, granola, yogurt, cereal, and more...simple menu to get you out and on your day. Perfect for your business meeting in downtown Stamford. Serving every breakfast every day 6:30 am until 10:00 am.

Wine Class this Monday...

Monday, July 13th 6pm: New Zealand wine regions: Let's try the Kiwi! See the difference between Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Martinborough Riesling. Let's check out the reds of Central Otago and Hawkes Bay. New Zealand is more than grassy-grapefruit...$30pp

These classes give you a great chance to try new wines, meet new people, ask wine questions you were intimidated to ask, learn about the marriage of food and wine and it's a great gift for the wine lover in your life...see you then. Call 203-353-3319 to sign up.

http://www.napaandcompany.com

Wednesday Night is BYOB at Napa

We tasted some great wines tonight. One of my great friends brought in some wines to try from his cellar...Ridge 1992 (Cab-Merlot); Heitz 1987; Chateau Montelena 1982; Robert Craig 1994; Qupe single vineyard 1995 syrah and Deloach special select single vineyard 1996. We finished with Peter Michael Chardonnay "la Carriere" 1998 vs. 2004. The 1998 had this great yeasty, toasty, nuttiness that we both love but the '04 had this class Burgundian chardonnay with creaminess and burnt apple. Yum!!!! BYOB should be all bout people bringing great wines from their cellar to enjoy with Chef Taibe's food and pass the bottle to let someone else enjoy! Tonight was that kind of night! Oh, and at the tail end of the night Mayor Malloy came in and we enjoyed a quick chat as he had just come from a fundraiser. Yes, he's a friend, but he's been a great Mayor and will be a great Governor. He's been an advocate for small business, luring large corporation, special education, green space, environmental causes, you name it...this is a man meant for public service and he has proven that in my mind. Stamford is a better place for having had him Mayor and Connecticut will be a better State when he governs it.

Retail Wine Night at Napa every Tuesday

Upgrade your palate with Retail Wine Night every Tuesday enjoy a great list of wines at a fraction above cost. Like Cakebread Cabernet at $76 instead of the $175 you would find it on most wine lists or Jordan Chardonnay at $34 http://www.napaandcompany.com

*p.s. we regret to say that we have pulled out of participating in the Alive at 5 Food Booth. Wonderful event, great opportunity, just not this year...sorry folks. We'll put the tacos on the menu at Napa for you to try.

Join us for Sunday Brunch!

For us, Sunday Brunch is an extension of that Sunday feeling. It’s a place to relax with friends, celebrate a special occasion, zone out with The New York Times or just enjoy a great glass of champagne and a wonderful breakfast. Sundays make the perfect day for people to
unwind…what to do with this time? Love it. It is unpredictable and should be treasured. Happy Sunday!

SPECIALTY COCKTAILS
St. Germaine Sangria 10.00
Elk Cove Rose of Pinot Noir, St. Germaine liqueur, fresh mint, diced apples

Grapefruit Sparkler 10.00
Fresh grapefruit segments, ginger liqueur, sparkling wine

Smokey Bloody Mary 9.50
House roasted tomatoes, organic tomato juice, smoked salt, celery, organic tomato vodka, etc.

Alsatian 13.0
Lucid Absinthe, Gewürztraminer, Blood Oranges over ice

SAMPLE MENU...

{EGG DISHES, being brunch}
Quiche 17.0 Mushroom & Gruyere -or- Cauliflower & bacon
Urban oaks baby lettuce

Grilled Ciabatta & Eggs 14.0

Artisan ham, fontina, herb butter

Kinda like Eggs Benedict 14.0

2 soft poached eggs, la quercia prosciutto, roasted ramps, hollandaise,
herbed english muffin toast

Soft Parmesan Polenta 15.0

Poached eggs, sugardale bacon, green asparagus

Napa Breki 16.0

Sunny side eggs, jarred tomatoes, sugar snap peas, field mushrooms,
sugardale smoked bacon, almond ramp pesto

Grass Fed Fillet & Eggs 26.0

Tarragon béarnaise, roasted potatoes, local lettuce

Sunny Duck Trucker Eggs 13.0

House cured lardo, tomato jam, arugula

{SALADS, SANDWICHES & SUCH}
To supplement Chicken with any salad ~ add $6
Baby Lettuce 10.0

25 yr old Balsamic, fine herbs, Sicilian e.v. olive oil

“Farmer’s salad” 13.0

Local lettuce, pickled, raw & roasted vegetables, pine nuts,
soft chicken egg, prosciutto

Steak Tartare 16.0

Classic Preparation, black truffle toast

Fage Yogurt & Granola 8.0

Preserved fruit, local honey

Roasted Plainville Turkey Sandwich 14.0
Fennel raisin toast, quince jam, aged gouda, arugula, smoked bacon

Seared Tuna Club 16.0
Honey wheat toast, avocado aioli, arugula, lightly pickled cucumbers

Napa B. L. T. 16.0
Smoked bacon, local lettuce, preserved tomatoes, aioli, olive parmesan bread

At Napa & Co, we find many uses for wine. We braise our short ribs, we make sauces, and we also make the best Sangria white or red around. Here's the recipe fo you can enjoy some at home this weekend. The St. germain is key!

Summer Sangria!
1 Bottle Sauvignon Blanc or Rose (your preference)

2 Cups St-Germain

2 Fresh Peaches

1 Fresh Orange

5 - 6 Fresh Strawberries

6 Fresh Raspberries

1 Bunch Fresh Grapes

Method: Stir ingredients in a pitcher or carafe. Allow fruit to soak in the mixture between 3 and 8 hours. Serve in an ice-filled glass, then telephone your physician and regale him with stories of your exemplary fruit consumption.

Margot Cafe & Wine bar closes

This past weekend we saw a sad loss for the restaurant/culinary scene in Stamford and truthfully, the tri-state area. Margot Cafe & Wine Bar announced on its door that they closed due to the difficult economic times.

“ I wanted to create an excellent neighborhood restaurant, where friends could meet... enjoy simple, homemade food with a glass of wine... and walk out with some change in their pockets and the desire to come back."

This was Margot's mission and she accomplished that and more. It's always difficult to see a great restaurateur (especially a woman) go and yet a sea of mediocrity exists all around us. We have restaurants that microwave their food that somehow they find an audience and yet a woman with great talent and culinary passion to see fatality by this recession. I am sorry to see her go. I worked with her just two weeks ago at a charity event for the Sexual Assault and Crisis Center. She never said a word. She handled this very emotional chapter with grace and class. We hope she resurfaces again when the riff-raff that have opened fade away and leave room for people that are serious about food. If you're involved in zoning in Stamford, please make note and realize these recent closures are not just the economy but an inevitable reaction to too many restaurants allowed in a town where the population has not grown, the retail is not growing but the restaurants are continuing to open one after another. It's a band-aid for landlords but not good for the big picture of Stamford. We need all of these residential projects completed, some storefronts rented to interesting retail and then maybe we can support the restaurants we have.

Rhone Ranger Wine Class Last Night

Last evening we enjoyed several great wines at our wine class. This week's topice was Rhone Rangers. These are wineries whose focus are the great varietals (Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussane and Petit Sirah) of the Rhone valley in France with am American twist. We sampled Nickle & Nickle, Dyer Vineyard 2005, Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004, Pax, Walker Vineyard, Russian River 2006 and Shafer, Relentless 2005 from Napa Valley. Shafer was the favorite of the evening paired with our Duck and Foie Gras Meatballs. Marriage made in heaven...

To check out Wine Events go to www.napaandcompany.com

Last nights wine class was $30 for 5 wines paired with bites of food. Cheers!

Coming to Napa & Co.

This summer the hope is to not only buy from farms in the area, but to also grow as much as we can, for ourselves...

Burger and Bordeaux night at Napa

Thursday Night is

{Burger & Bordeaux} Night

Get Our Locally Famous Napa Wagyu Burger, salad and a glass of Bordeaux
for $35 per person
≈
Endive, bacon, 24 month aged cheddar, crème fraiche
≈
Napa Wagyu Burger
Red onion jam, aged cheddar, black pepper mayo, rosemary potatoes
≈
Paired with a glass of
Lafite Rothschild, Bordeaux, France 2006

Drinking Rose this summer

Rose season is here!

At Napa, our wine choice at the end of the evening is a rather serious one. We sit down to unwind at the bar and we try and open up new wines because it gives us a chance as a group to discuss the wine and decide where the wine might fit with the menu. Is it a good value? Is it balanced? How should we describe it? At the end of the day, we try not to make it too geeky---after all it's just grape juice! This month is when we start to see a good portion of the rose released. Rose can be made from any grape that has red skin. Notice I didn't say a red grape? There's an exception to this with pinot gris/gio. Scarbolo produces a rose of pinot grigio and it's delicious. The pinot grigio grape is red in color but produces a white wine. With all Rose, the winemaker leaves the juice in contact with the skin for hours (such as Dom. Ott) or days with say a Santa Lucia pinot noir from Lucy Vineyards. This style of wine is crafted carefully and released in early summer to enjoy with salads, local beets (as seen in the picture) oysters, grilled vegetables, light blue cheeses, some sharp cheeses like manchego. The pairings depend on the level of tannin left in the wine and the amount of fruit. Rose can show itself bone dry to a slightly sweet style so it's not as easy to make a specific pairing example. What you can do is note the varietal that the wine is, such as rose of shiraz, rose of cabernet, rose of merlot and so on. This will help guide you in the right direction for pairings. Our favorite last night? A small family owned winery called, Gargiulo Vineyards. They make a meaty rose from Sangiovese in Napa called, Rosato di Sangiovese from the Money Road Ranch. 455 cases made. Gargiulo Vineyards is a 3,500 case family winery committed to handcrafting exceptional wines from two Oakville estate vineyards, Money Road Ranch and 575 OVX. Who is in their backyard? Screaming Eagle! To learn more go to http://www.gargiulovineyards.com/

To showcase these wines, all Rose on our Wine List are 50% off for the Month of May. Come experience the great food of Chef Taibe paired with a fresh, vibrant, strawberry scented Rose!

Have a nice Saturday and drink more rose!

Napa and Co. 75 Broad Street/ Stamford / CT / 06901

203-353-3319

http://www.napaandcompany.com