Good Morning Gloucester

I haven’t seen this sight in quite a while, but thanks to a heads-up from our friend Susan, I was able to see this majestic eagle looking over Stage Fort Park from Western Ave. Always a treat.

THIS SATURDAY, May 20, 2 – 4 pm

COMPLIMENTARY

FINE WINE TASTING @ SAVOUR WITH GARY BALLARD OF MS WALKER

Founded in Boston in 1933, M.S. Walker is a 5th-generation, family-owned wine and spirits importer and distributor, a spirit bottler, and a national supplier. They serve restaurants and retail shops throughout the Northeast, with direct operations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island and brokerage operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Gary Ballard of MS Walker has been with us many times and is always a favorite! He has many years of experience, first in the restaurant business and now in the wine business. He has travelled all over the world with the distribution companies he has represented, so feel free to ask questions! He is very knowledgeable and engaging.

WINES

Long Meadow Ranch Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc, Napa California

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc Alc. 13%

In the late 1800’s, the Long Meadow Ranch property thrived with vineyards, apple orchards, olive groves, hay, and a goat milk dairy, but farming fell dormant during Prohibition. The property was swallowed by the encroaching forest until the Hall family bought the property in 1989. The family cut back the abandoned olive trees and replanted the vineyards and apple orchards and instituted an organic, sustainable, integrated farming system. They make their own fertilizers on the ranch through an extensive composting operation that relies on organic material from each segment of the ranch and they use solar energy for power. The Rutherford Estate has 74 acres planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The estate is also home to fruits and vegetables, beehives, and growing flock of egg-laying chickens. Long Meadow’s Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc has rich aromas of pink grapefruit, lemon verbena, and lychee on the nose that carry through to lime zest, lemon curd, and guava on the palate. Crisp, clean, elegant, and mouthwatering.

Pairs well with oysters, fresh crab, basil pesto, goat cheese with honey. $27.99

La Spinetta Toscana Vermentino, Tuscany, Italy

Varietals: Vermentino, Alc.13%

La Spinetta was founded in the Piedmont region in the early 1960s by Giuseppe and Lidia Rivetti. After 40 years of working with indigenous grape varieties in Piedmont, making Moscato, Barbera, Barbaresco, Barber d’Alba, and Barolo, the family acquired land in Tuscany. They brought the same respect for indigenous varietals to their Tuscan vineyard, producing Sangiovese, Chianti, and Vermentino. The La Spinetta Vermentino Toscana pours a yellow straw color with green hues.

There are hints of citrus, almond, and wildflowers on the nose.

It is fresh and firm on the palate, with hints of thyme and marjoram. The finish is long and mineral.

Pairs well with appetizers, fish, seafood pasta. $19.99

Averaen 2021 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir AVA, Oregon

Varietal: Pinot Noir, Alc. 13.6%

The seeds of Averaen winery were sown at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in 2013 in the Willamette Valley. The winemakers from Banshee Wines in Sonoma were struck by the similarities between the cold, foggy Sonoma coast and the Willamette Valley, and realized making high-quality Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley would be far less expensive than in Sonoma. The first Averaen Pinot Noir was released in 2015 to high praise, and they have continued to produce fine Pinot Noir ever since. The 2019 Averaen Pinot Noir is juicy, with flavors of dark cherry, cranberry, and blackberry. Black tea, anise, blood orange, and vanilla accents add complexity. The texture is ripe and plush with a line of acid running through.

Pairs well with seared salmon or tuna, mushroom dishes, pulled pork, and barbecue. $22.99

Edmeades 2019 Mendocino County Zinfandel, Varietal: Zinfandel, Alc.15%

In 1963, Dr. Donald Edmeades, a Pasadena cardiologist, planted grapes in the tiny hamlet of Philo, in the Anderson Valley, making him the first modern-day grower to do so in that remote stretch of western Mendocino County. His son, Deron, began Edmeades Winery in 1972. It quickly gained a reputation for lusty, mountain Zinfandels that won gold medals and high scores from critics. In fact, Edmeades helped launch the fame of these intense, hillside Mendocino Zins. The 2019 Mendocino County Zinfandel begins with concentrated aromas of baking spices including cinnamon and cloves, which give way to aromas of blackberries, black currants, and dried sage. The texture is round, and the fruit expression is focused and lush. Subtle and integrated tannins accentuate the richness of the wine, while pleasant acidity keeps it fresh on the finish.

Pairs well with barbecued chicken, eggplant Parmesan, winter stew, char-broiled burgers. $19.99

Van Zellers Vinho Tinto, Douro, Portugal, Varietal: 30 indigenous grape varieties, planted in different field blends in vineyards in several areas of the Cima Corgo, in the Douro region, Alc. 14%

The Van Zeller family has been involved in the Portuguese wine trade since 1780 when they established one of the country’s most successful Port shipping companies. Fruit for this bottling is sourced from selected vineyards in the Douro Valley and the grapes are then trodden by foot in traditional lagares or stone troughs. Following vinification the young wine is then aged in oak casks for 6 months to add complexity and polish. The result is a smooth, rich style of red with ample dark berry, plum and cherry notes along with hints of winter spice, tobacco leaf and licorice from the oak ageing.

Firm tannins and a long finish make this a great match for charcuterie, roasted red meats and tomato-based pasta dishes. $29.99

Find out about new wine arrivals and other events at Savour by following Facebook and Instagram. 

And don’t forget to check out what’s new in our beer case, including two juicy NE IPAs and a clean, refreshing rice lager from East Regiment Brewing, a veteran-owned brewery in Salem, and a delicate, refreshing Helles from Rockport Brewing.

Kathleen’s Price-Value Gems:

Unique to SAVOUR our three price-value collections, with

each category ($9.99ers – $14.99ers -$19.99ers) offering hundreds of wines

at one price, personally curated by Kathleen, some have limited availability.

9.99ers…the quality is taste delivering above-price enjoyment …Value!

14.99ers…exhibiting qualities of complexity…Elevating the Experience!

19.99ers…value laden wines by innovative vintners…Expect Exceptional!

Adding to this Saturday’s wine tasting with Gary is Savour’s Everyday Tech Tastings at the North Shore’s Only Digital Wine Machine. Fun to use and enjoy!  Taste up to 20 wines with new selections regularly added…& yes, complimentary. Kathleen welcomes your questions for food pairings.

Welcome Your Donation in any amount for Pathways for Children.

Thank You! …Kathleen

 For Your Mobile Calendar

Savour Wine Tastings!

May 13 – Gordon Alexander, Owner Terroir Wines

May 20 – Gary Ballard of MS Walker

May 27 – Susan Richards and Ann Cortissoz of Savour

June 3 – Chris Hoffman of Oz Wines

June 10 – Wines of Alsace with Beth van der Benz

June 17 -TBA

June 24 – Marc Bergeron of Masciarelli Wines

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Continuing to offer a case discount 0f 10% on wines and all items purchased with the case to all customers. Wine Club members get 5% off on 6 bottles and all items purchased with the 6 bottles. Thanks again for your support!

 We continue using our 5 Molekule high performance air purification units that clear the air of 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and allergens every hour, store wide.

We are pleased to continue curbside pickup service

Savour Wine & Cheese l 76 Prospect St. l Gloucester l 978. 282 .1455

Half Tide…

I took CB (crystal ball) out to watch one of the recent hazy sunsets. I understand the haze was caused by Canadian wildfires. I am always grateful for the variations in our skies especially at sunrise and sunset. We went to Plum Cove Beach along Washington St for a view and thought you might enjoy the same.

Gloucester runs on yard meat. @wbznewsradio pic.twitter.com/V50weXoKuT

— Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) May 18, 2023

Please Join Us Tomorrow May 19th, 5-7pm Gloucester 400+ Visitor’s Center – Open House Ribbon Cutting and Short Program at 6pm We are located at 123 Main Street at the Corner of Hancock and Main.We look forward to seeing you there!

Non-residents can now reserve beach parking at Good Harbor, Wingaersheek, and Stage Fort Park on the Blinkay website or mobile app  

Today, the City of Gloucester officially launched the new non-resident beach parking reservation system – Blinkay. Non-residents can now reserve beach parking for Good Harbor Beach, Wingaersheek Beach, and Stage Fort Park through the Blinkay website or mobile app. After a successful first season requiring parking reservations in 2022, the City will build upon this success with an improved platform utilizing fixed license plate reader cameras to validate passes.   

The Blinkay mobile app can be downloaded for free in the App Store or Google Play Store. Non-residents will be required to create an account prior to selecting the vehicle type and the desired date. After entering the vehicle’s license plate information, non-residents will pay with a credit or debit card to secure their reservation.  

Reservations are required starting May 27th, 2023 and can be made up to 10 days in advance. Reservations are non-refundable; however, Blinkay’s platform allows users to add or change their passes between vehicles to provide more flexibility to visitors.  

The fixed license plate reader cameras will streamline the check-in process. Reservations will be associated with a specific license plate number – the plate reader cameras will notify parking lot attendants if a vehicle has a valid reservation or a resident beach sticker.  

“The reservation system was an overwhelming success last year,” said Mayor Greg Verga. “We have been able to dramatically decrease traffic, reduce overcrowding and eliminate the stress of driving to Gloucester only to be turned away at the gate. Implementing efficient systems can have a positive impact on so many pieces of City government, and I am proud of how successful this new system has been. I am looking forward to the coming beach season.”  

The plate reader cameras will also provide real-time beach operations information, providing parking lot capacity counts to manage parking availability.   

There are no significant changes to the resident beach sticker process, and no reservations will be required for residents. The license plate reader cameras will verify the vehicle’s resident beach sticker and the plate number will no longer be on the sticker itself.  

To learn more about the resident beach sticker application or Blinkay non-resident parking reservation system, visit the City’s website: https://gloucester-ma.gov/299/Beach-Information.  

Take note of the following change of date shared on Facebook:

Lone Gull…

Hi Joey –

I have created charms for this year’s greasy pole event and I am trying to get the word out so people can know where to find them. 

Brand new charms, just in time for the Fiesta! Two Greasy Pole charms – “the struggle is real” and “victory!” Each wax seal charm is handcrafted by local jeweler, Ann Schlecht, using fine silver (99.99% silver) and comes with a card telling the story of how the greasy pole came to Gloucester. These charms, as well as other Cape Ann Charms, can be found at Local Colors in Gloucester, on Etsy (Gilded Lily Charms) and coming very soon to Pop Gallery!