The Wellesley Wine Press

Value Wine Discovered...at a Steakhouse!

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sat, 11 May 2013 21:34:00 +0000

This post is sponsored by Ansonia Wines - a new French wine

merchant with free delivery in this Boston area. Check 'em out.

Finding value wines in a steakhouse setting is challenging. The big name wines (Cakebread, Caymus, Silver Oak, etc) are so marked up they're hard to enjoy. I usually "bail" and go for a couple wines by the glass to keep costs contained and try new things.

Last week I was headed to The Capital Grille in Burlington, Massachusetts for a work dinner so I reached out to their Master Sommelier George Miliotes for a recommendation. He replied:

@robertdwyer @churylo lol....Juan Gill Monastrell $43 or Muga Reserva Rioja 2008 $79 jump out of the list at me....or Termes @ $65
— George Miliotes (@TheWineExpert) May 2, 2013

I'd had the Termes and Muga before, and enjoyed them both, but I'd never tasted this bottling from Juan Gil before. I've enjoyed George's Monastrell picks in the past so I was excited to try the Juan Gil.

When we were seated I mentioned to our served I'd gotten a recommendation from George for a Spanish Monastrell. He immediately knew it was the Juan Gil I was after - it sounded like it's been a successful wine for them.

Like I mentioned in this post about a great $7 Garnacha, Spain is a the place to go if you like the flavor profile of domestic red wine and you're looking to save some money.

The wine was served at what I thought was the perfect temperature, probably around 60-65 F. The wine was immediately aromatically present with gorgeous fresh vibrant fruit supported by just a hint of the affects of a moderate oak regiment. The wine was versatile. It was tremendously enjoyable on its own, with a salad (their wedge of course!), and with appetizers. It paired very well with their Kona Crusted Sirloin.

I don't think I've ever gotten so much positive feedback about a wine -- all unsolicited -- in a situation like this. Both during the meal and the next day people were gushing on about how much they enjoyed the wine.

The great thing about it is it's near the bottom of the price spectrum of The Capital Grille's wine list.

It can be found for $10-$12 at retail and that makes it a great daily drinker and a tremendous value in a restaurant setting. Highly recommended.

My thanks to George for the recommendation and hospitality!

Check it out:

Find the 2010 Juan Gil Monastrell at retail on Wine-Searcher from $9.99
Read crowd sourced reviews forthe 2010 Juan Gil Monastrell on CellarTracker (current Community Average 89 points)

Further Reading

Question of the Day: What are some of the best values you've found at high end steakhouses? What's your strategy for finding value?

Trip Report: Wine Spectator Grand Tour Chicago 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:44:00 +0000

After stops in San Francisco and Las Vegas, Wine Spectator's 2013 Grand Tour came to a close in Chicago this past Friday. 200+ wineries hand picked by the maganize's editors for their pedigree of outstanding ratings were on hand, each pouring one of their signature wines.

The event includes a 3 hour walk around tasting of top-scoring wines, a light buffet that's enough to make a meal out of, and a souvenir Riedel wine glass.

The event is truly an embarrassment of riches. This was the second Grand Tour I've attended and just as with the first I found myself in stretches where I was pouring out epic $200+ wines just to clear way for the next amazing wine. As an attendee there are just too many must-try wines to tackle in a single night. The best you can do is indulge and enjoy until your palate is shot.

If you've never been to Navy Pier before it's kind of like an indoor Fisherman's Wharf or Faneiul Hall kind of place. We didn't realize the Spectator event was on the far end of the pier or we may have had the cab drop us off there. But we had time to spare so we enjoyed walking through Navy Pier, mingling with kids on their way to their high school proms. It was quite a scene - kids today!

We arrived at about 6:30 for the 7:00 pm event and a formidable line had already formed. Security did a great job controlling things throughout the night. Not that the "rowdies" at a Spectator event are hard to control, but they were quite courteous. For example, after we got our tickets from Will Call we technically should have gotten back in the entry queue to get wrist bands. But a kind security guard spared us the line and retrieved wrist bands for us. Nice!

But I started to have concerns this would be a crowded event with lines forming around the marquee wines. One thing I loved about the Boston Grand Tour in 2011 was the moderate crowd levels. You could walk around and taste most any wine with hardly a wait. Would this event be more like The Boston Wine Expo which is notorious for having long lines at each table?

While waiting in line we chatted with a nice couple from Michigan so time flew by. We were inside the Grand Ballroom before we knew it. We made a beeline for the California Pinot Noirs.

We started with the 2010 MacPhail Pratt Vineyards Pinot Noir. I'd never tried MacPhail before but have wanted to ever since Belle Glos winemaker Joe Wagner mentioned them as one of his personal favorites. The MacPhail was bursting with flavor; a very satisfying wine. 90WS/$49 retail.

Next to MacPhail was a Flowers Pinot Noir- the 2010 Flowers Sea View Ridge Block 20. I thought the de-emphasis of Flowers in the front label in favor of a more prominent mention of the vineyard was an interesting play. The wine is very elegant and delicious. 91WS/$75 retail.

Siduri was on hand pouring their 2011 Siduri Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir. I didn't try that but wish I had. I bet that was a winner.

But I did try the 2011 Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir. I've had this wine many times across the last few vintages and it has been so reliably delicious. I asked the assistant winemaker, who was pouring the wine, how they achieved that distinctive slight sweetness in their Pinot Noir in general and the Las Alturas' flavor profile specifically. He described how they let the grapes start to shrivel just a bit on the vine (a technique which Belle Glos' parent company Caymus employs on their Cabernets as well) but before the grapes lose hydration. It sounds like a recipe for over-ripeness but I have never once gotten a raisiny or pruney note in any of their Pinots. Not one has been overripe. Their wines are so plush it's hard not to like them. Spectator hasn't rated the 2011 yet but the past two vintages scored 92 points. Around $44.

Tasting the Las Alturas served as a nice calibration mechanism. But before we got too carried away we thought it would be good to get some food. We were considering going out to dinner before but I'm glad we didn't. That would have made us late and there was plenty of food to be had. Pastas, paninis, cheese, crackers and bread along with an array of desserts and coffee. A quick bite to eat and we were back in the game.

Some of the wineries were set up on a half-circle on the second level of the venue. We settled in for quite a stretch: Joseph Phelps Insignia, Cos d'Estournel, Pontet-Canet and more all lined up in a row.

I remember trying the Phelps Insignia at the event in Boston. It was amazing. I remember thinking to myself that if I ever saw a deal on it I'd go for it as a splurge. At $200 it's a tough price point to get behind - but a great wine to taste at an event like this. Strangely though, the 2009 Insignia was a tannic beast and not nearly as enjoyable as I recall the 2006. Not that it won't settle down but I wasn't immediately drawn to this vintage. 91WS/$200.

The 2008 Cos d'Estournel I tried immediately after was eye opening. One tip I picked up from the gentleman pouring Chateau Palmer at the Boston event was that when you're buying Bordeaux for enjoyment, buy in the "off" vintages. In Bordeaux, 2005, 2009 and 2010 are the recent ones with substantial hype. The 2008 Cos d'Estournel was charming on the nose and elegantly satisfying on the palate. 90WS/$135.

Me (left) with Wine Spectator Senior Editor James Molesworth

Just as I'm having a debate in my mind about the Bordeaux value proposition, I see Wine Spectator Senior Editor James Molesworth. He covers Bordeaux, The Rhone Valley and more for the magazine so he's the perfect guy to help me relate to what I just tasted.

I explain my theory about buying Bordeaux for consumption in off vintages, how fantastic I thought the '08 Cos d'Estournel was (his official tasting notes for the wine call it "quite juicy" which may explain why I liked it), and how '09 and '10 Bordeaux is so expensive that I haven't considered buying much of it.

He sympathized, I think, and we had a nice chat. I asked him what the next "big" vintage is going to be in France - trying to get a jump on this year's Scoop the Spectator contest! He said 2011 and 2012 were rather unheralded compared to 2009 and 2010. Finally a rest from the vintages of the century in Bordeaux. I found James to be a kind, engaging, and patient man. It was great to meet him. Follow him on Twitter: @jmolesworth1

Fresh off the conversation about Bordeaux vintages was a taste of a great one: The 2010 Pontet-Canet. 97WS/$210 - it was an elegant, refined wine. I tried the 2008 Pontet-Canet at the Boston event and the 2008 was quite a bit more fruit forward and ready to go. The 2010 needs time.

I'm always torn at events like these whether to spend time tasting new vintages of marquee wines -or- explore more off the beaten path wines. As much as I'd like to take the opportunity to learn, I'm a sucker for certain wines and it's hard to pass up a chance to taste wines like Caymus Special Selection. The 2010 was just rated 96 points by Wine Spectator and retails for $130. The wine is amazing.

Whereas the 2009 was so comically fruity it was almost a non-wine, the 2010 recovers nicely and sticks a near perfect landing. Plush fruit amply backed by supporting mocha notes make it extremely enjoyable. It's not at all off the beaten path but for sheer enjoyment this was probably my wine of the night.

A couple of Aussie Shiraz showed nicely: The 2011 Mollydooker Carnival of Love and the 2010 Glaetzer Bishop. The Bishop vineyard is, according to the gentleman pouring it, situated right next to the more famous/expensive Amon Ra vineyard so if you like the Amon Ra the Bishop might be a nice value play.

I stopped by to see if I could say "hi" to Dan Kosta who was pouring my beloved Kosta Browne Pinot Noir that evening. Molesworth was over tasting the wine. They weren't otherwise acting nearly as seriously as they appear in this photo...

Wine Spectator Senior Editor James Molesworth (left)
with Dan Kosta from Kosta Browne (right)

Just when I thought I'd miss him, I spotted Wine Spectator Executive Editor Thomas Matthews. In addition to running the magazine, he reviews Spanish wines so I picked his brain about that category a bit. I asked him about the 2011 Boston Grand Tour event, whether it was poorly attended and whether they'll ever bring the Grand Tour back here. He said that yes, attendance at Boston wasn't spectacular, but I got the sense they're willing to try new venues every few years. Matthews is a true gentleman and it was a pleasure meeting him.

Me (left) with
Wine Spectator Executive Editor Thomas Matthews (right)

One more wine: The 2010 Alto Moncayo Garnacha. Just like the Betts & Scholl Grenache wowed me at the Boston event, I thought this Grenache-based wine was fantastic. The 2010 hasn't been rated by Spectator yet but the 2009 got 93 points and retails for $45. You can find the 2010 in the $30s and I think it's a tremendous value at that price. The only problem is you can find great Grenache under $15. Heck, under $7! But I think the Alto Moncayo is worth a shot if you've enjoyed more affordable Grenache. The 2010 is gorgeous.

Conclusion and Recommendations

I was thinking of how to explain the quality of the lineup at this event in a way that anyone would understand it - even if they're not into wine.

Take an experiential hobby and lay out all of the benchmark experiences in a row and try them one after another back to back. It's like taking the best paintings from Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso and lining them up in one place for you to experience. Like having Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert present their best dishes to you. Like driving an M5, an S6 and E63 AMG back to back. Like playing Augusta and Pebble Beach in the same weekend.

I recall an interesting piece from W Blake Gray about how there are 2 types of premium wine consumers in the US: The Prestige consumer and the Intrigue consumer. Labels and brands are important to the Prestige consumer. I consider myself a Prestige consumer.

The reason I'm a Prestige consumer is because I'm interested in experiencing benchmark wines to give myself a relatable frame of reference for comparing other wines I try.

If you're looking to efficiently and enjoyably build up a frame of reference for some of the world's great wines, these Spectator events are the best I've found. If you're a wine enthusiast it's hard to imagine not feeling like a kid in a candy store. And if you just like the taste of wine there's a ton of really good stuff to enjoy.

The next opportunity to take in an event like this is October 24-26, 2013 in New York.That events features 2 evenings of walk around tastings like the ones on the Grand Tour plus sit down seminars moderated by Spectator editors including a tasting of the year's Top Ten wines each presented by the winemakers. You can attend just the grand tastings, either evening. Who's in?

Although it would be great to have one of these in Boston (or wherever your hometown might be) I thoroughly enjoyed doing it as an overnight trip. Usually when we go for a night out, the kids are raring to go first thing in the morning and we're dog tired. Not the case when you wake up in a hotel bed! Keep that in mind next time one of these roll around and getting there involves a bit of a trip.

Disclosure: Complimentary admission on a media pass.

Question of the Day: Have you been to any Wine Spectator events? If so, what did you think?

Event Report: Francis Ford Coppola Winery at Ruth's Chris Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:57:00 +0000

The Francis Ford Coppola Winery hosted a media dinner at Ruth's Chris in Boston last week. The purpose of the event was to increase familiarity with the Coppola offerings in the Boston area. I'd never been to this particular Ruth's Chris location, so it was a great chance to "kill two birds with one stone" while trying the Coppola wines in a fine dining setting.

The Coppola lineup features no less than 10 brands, and that doesn't even include the Napa-based Rubicon/Inglenook winery they also own. Here's the run-down of brands within the Coppola portfolio with the wines we'd tasted in bold:

Sofia
Diamond Collection
Votre Sante
Director's Cut
FC Reserve
Archimedes
Eleanor
Director's
Rosso & Bianco
Su Yuen

This Ruth's Chris location is situated within the old Boston City Hall. I'm pretty sure I'd heard the story of where the peculiar "Ruth's Chris" name came from, but I appreciated being reminded that it came about when Ruth Fertel purchased the Chris Steak House in New Orleans in 1965. That popular location burnt down so Fertel chose to open a new location nearby. Because she was only licensed to use the name "Chris Steak House" at the original location, she named the new restaurant Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Today there are more than 120 Ruth's Chris Steak Houses, making it one of the largest fine dining entities in the United States.

I've been to a handful of their other locations so when we walked through the door I immediately recognized the enticing aromas of their signature steaks served on piping hot plates sizzling with butter. The event was held in a subterranean portion of the restaurant which overall looked to be very nicely built out, successfully blending Boston charm with comfortable modern elbow room standards.

On to the wines...

2011 Sofia Blanc de Blancs

The evening started out with the 2011 Sofia Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine served with hand-passed hors d'oeuvres of Seared Ahi on Crisp Cucumber and Tomato Bruschetta Crostini.

The Sofia line-up consists of a Riesling, a Rosé, and this Blanc de Blancs which is 86% Pinot Blanc, 12% Muscat, and 2% Riesling. It weighs in at 11.5% alcohol and retails for $19.

The wine is made in a slightly off-dry style and I thought it offered appealing fruit characteristics of perfectly ripe pears and apples with the effervescence providing a nice lift without getting in the way of enjoyment.

Like many of the wines we'd try, the Sofia Blanc de Blancs is distinctively packaged, in this case within a pink cellophane wrapper.

2011 Diamond Chardonnay

This was the first of two wines we'd taste from their Diamond collection. A trend at California wine dinners seems to be describing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as Burgundian. Folks asked what that meant and winemaker Corey Beck said it meant a focus on lower alcohol, higher acidity, and moderate oak influence.

Though the alcohol was moderate (13.5%) wine didn't seem particularly Burgundian to me, but if you like your Chardonnay with a creamy texture and a crème brûlée finish this one's got it.

The Chardonnay was paired with a Chilled Shellfish salad with tiger shrimp, lumped crab meat, spring greens, and white balsamic vinaigrette.

The Diamond Chardonnay carries a $16 retail price. You'll find it on sale for $11 or $12 a bottle at retailers.

2011 Votre Santé Pinot Noir

This was my favorite wine of the night. I've been talking a lot about getting back to basics and seeking out affordable, enjoyable weeknight wines and this is one I consider meeting that description.

It was a soft, plush wine with sufficient California Pinot markings (strawberries, supporting herbal notes, etc) that it felt like legit Pinot. It also featured just a touch of baking spice warmth yet bright fruit kept it feeling fresh.

It paired very enjoyably with a Wild Mushroom Risotto featuring cremini mushrooms, fresh thyme, and Romano cheese. Fantastic comfort pairing.

The best part? The Pinot retails for just $14, meaning you'll be able to find it at retail for just over $10 (search for it using Wine-Searcher) or for $8 by the glass in restaurants. I hear they sell tons of it at The Cottage in Wellesley and I believe it's poured at Ruth's Chris as well.

2011 Diamond Claret

This is the Coppola wine you've probably seen most frequently in wine shops, including Costco if I'm not mistaken. The bottle is wrapped in gold netting to signify it's one of their signature wines.

The winery website is quite good - it includes a video showing how to open one of these bottles while retaining the netting. They're big on presentation: "It's all entertainment," says Francis Ford Coppola.

The Claret is mostly Cabernet-driven wine (79%) but labeled as a Claret to denote the inclusion of other Bordeaux varieties.

The wine retails for $21, though discounters seem to drive it down in the $12 range.

That's a favorable price point to be paired with an 8 oz Filet & Lobster Tail Rockefeller (stuffed with creamy spinach and Romano cheese)!

If you've never been to a Ruth's Chris, their signature move is delivering steaks to your table on very hot plates sizzling with butter. I wondered how they'd pull that off in this setting with 20+ people being simultaneously served in the room.

Winemaker Corey Beck quickly sensed it was time to stop talking when the sounds and smells of the sizzling steaks entered the room! The restaurant did a fantastic job presenting the entrees concurrently.

2010 Director's Cut Cabernet

Dessert - a fantastic flourless chocolate cake with fresh berries - was paired with the Director's Cut Cab which was a nice step up from the Claret. The Director's Cut was denser than the Claret which I appreciated.

Beck described the mindset of Director's Cut being analogous to a filmmaker deciding what he wants to keep in the final picture. In producing Director's Cut, Beck gets to decide which lots and barrels work best together when creating the final blend.

It's produced from grapes from Sonoma's Alexander Valley and is a nice value at $29 retail, and available for less if you look around.

Conclusions and Recommendations

It was very enjoyable tasting these wines in the context of the food at Ruth's Chris. The Voltre Santé Pinot Noir is one in particular I'll gladly buy it next time I see it available at retail. The Director's Cut Cab was a nice wine, and I hear they make a Director's Cut Pinot Noir I'd also be interested in buying.

The Coppola empire of endeavors is impressive. Filmmaking, wine, resorts... The list is long. Many celebrities get into winemaking as a side hobby that loses money. But in the case of Coppola's wine brands they actually kick off money that's in turn used to create independent films. Fascinating guy. I think I'll have to go back and re-watch The Godfather.

For more information, visit:

http://franciscoppolawinery.com -and-
http://ruthschris.com for more information.

Back to Basics: A Really Good $7 Red Wine

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:40:00 +0000

I haven't been buying as much wine the last few months as I have in the past. Perhaps you're like me in that you've got more than enough wine on hand yet have a hard time finding bottles under $20 you're interested in (let alone enthusiastic) about opening?

Part of the problem is I've done more buying online lately - usually in response to email offers from retailers and wineries. When buying online, I often go for wines in the $30-$50 range that retail for much more, and where shipping costs are easier to absorb.

But the result is I've got more than enough "pricier" wines and not enough daily drinkers I'd like to open. And as a result I'm popping $30+ bottles without really enjoying them as much as I should mostly because I'm not paying close enough attention to them.

So as much as I don't want to spend more money, nor add more bottles to my stash, there comes a point when it makes sense to get out there and buy some affordable and hopefully interesting wines locally.

Yesterday I swung by the Costco in Dedham, MA to pick up a few things and decided to check out the wine assortment. I know Costco isn't exactly the place to be for eclectic wine buys but hey I was there so why not check out the wine selection, right?

At this Costco the wine is sold in an attached but separate store run by KH&H Liquors. The assortment and prices are similar to what you'd find at most Massachusetts Costcos, like Waltham for example where the wine is sold by Costco "for real".

A Tweet on a bottle of wine.
Don't think I've seen that before!

I picked up 5 different bottles of wine, one of which was the 2011 Borsao Garnacha for $6.99.

As you can see from the photo, the wine had a sticker on it featuring a tweet from wine critic Robert Parker:

-buy Bodegas Borsao 2010s and 2011s-all from Campo de Borja-all under $10,which is F*@$%^@ unreal for such quality-red,white, and rose #wine
— Robert M Parker, Jr (@RobertMParkerJr) August 26, 2012

I seem to recall Parker doing a special feature on the wines from importer Jorge Ordonez's portfolio last year. Much of what we hear about Robert Parker these days involves tumultuous times at The Wine Advocate so I hardly recall the last time I bought a wine based on one of his recommendations.

But I've had good experiences with other wines from Ordonez, and Borsao specifically has stood out. This one was quite a bit under $10 but the Borsao Tres Picos is closer to $15 usually. They pour Tres Picos by the glass at The Capital Grille and it's a great buy as well. And I've enjoyed the Borsao Crianza Seleccion too (though it's usually closer to $20).

I popped the 2011 Borsao Garnacha last night. I thought it was really good. It's medium to full bodied, and heavier than most other Grenache-based wines I've tried. It's aromatically pleasant and full of flavor. It improved noticeably after breathing for an hour. It was 80% as good as most of the spendier bottles I've been opening through lately. I'd rate it 88 points. For $6.99 it's a great buy.

It reminded me of a quote from a book a wine friend gave me a few years ago entitled What to Drink with What You Eat-it's from Master Sommelier Alpana Singh (@alpanasingh on Twitter):

If you like California Cabernet Sauvignon, try Spanish wines. In Spain, they use American oak barrels. You get a lot of fruit, coconut, and dill. If I have someone ask me at the restaurant for a good Cabernet for around seventy dollars, with our mark-up, we can't do it. However, I can certainly offer them something similar in flavor and texture from Spain.

So there you have it. Definitely check out Spanish wines if, like me, you gravitate towards the flavor profile of Californian wines but would look to explore different regions with a similar style and you're seeking value. For me, they're a better play than Australia, Argentina, or Chile.

2011 Borsao Garnacha on CellarTracker (86.4 avg)

2011 Borsao Garnacha on Wine-Searcher (as low as $5.99/bottle)
2011 Borsao Garnacha at Wine.com ($8.99 in MA)

Question of the Day: What region are you exploring for value right now?

Massachusetts Only: Epic California Pinot Noir Deal!

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:08:00 +0000

The great thing about having a stash of wine is that you only have to swing at the perfect pitches. In comparing notes with many of my pals who go in on wine deals with me, a lot of us are in a similar boat: We've got a lot of wine on hand but we're lacking in $15-$25 wines we're excited about opening.

For those of us interested in luscious, outstanding California Pinot Noirs there's only so much Meiomi one can buy. We need variety. And that's where deals like this one comes in.

Julio's Liquors in Westborough, MA (full review) is offering the 2008 Saintsbury Brown Ranch Estate Pinot Noir for $20. The release price of the wine is $60.

Though rated "only" 87 points by Wine Spectator, the current CellarTracker average is 91.1 points. Judging from the notes this is a full bodied, fruit forward Pinot Noir. I've enjoyed a number of Saintsbury appellation-level Pinot Noirs over the years, most recently the 2009 Carneros bottling. But I've not been interested in paying $60 for their single vineyard bottlings.

CellarTracker community average price paid is $51.60 and the best current price nationwide according to Wine-Searcher is $42.99 with most retailers selling this in the $50s. So this wine is indeed supporting the $50+ price point and this is a great opportunity to catch it at a great price.

As of this morning there were 27 bottles available (31 before I ordered 4). I'm not sure what they charge for shipping but Westborough is pretty centrally located for in-store pick-up so that's the way most of us will go I think.

Here's a deep link to purchase the wine:
http://store.the-angelshare.com/online/proddetail.php?prod=TP-SaintBR&cat=14

~~I'll update this post if I hear they're gone. Act fast!~~
Update: This offer sold out by noon.

Follow me on Twitter @RobertDwyer or "Like" The WWP on Facebook for faster notifications.

Like hearing about deals like this? I'd love it if you subscribed to The Wellesley Wine Press for future updates.

First Look: Shake Shack Chestnut Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Shake Shack -- a trendy burger, fries, and shake eatery that originated as a New York City hot dog cart spin off from an upscale restaurant group -- opened in Chestnut Hill, MA this week. It's the 24th Shake Shack and this one is part of the new/revitalized The Street Chestnut Hill shopping center on Route 9 Westbound.

We arrived at 10:50 am and although they don't open until 11:00 there was already a line twenty people deep, many of whom were eager to document their experience by taking pictures with their smartphones. The real pros (Yelp Elite types, not pictured here) wielded Nikon cameras with large lenses. There was a palpable "America loves the new" feeling in the air.

So many spins on the hamburger have come to market and/or swept the nation lately. In-N-Out, Five Guys, Tasty Burger, Five Napkin Burger...what makes each of these places unique? I knew very little of the Shake Shack story coming in so I was interested to see how they'd play it.

For how seemingly casual Shake Shack is on the surface (most simply described, it's a counter service restaurant that serves burgers) there were subtle upscale touches all over the place. And a noticeable focus on smart branding throughout. You're not just buying a burger and fries - you're buying an experience.

An example of this is is their thoughtful wine list. When was the last time you saw a wine list like this at a counter service restaurant?

They've partnered with Frog's Leap on exclusive bottlings of Sauvignon Blanc (Shack White, $7.50 for a 6 oz glass, $26/bottle) and Cabernet Franc (Shack Red, $8.50 a glass, $29/bottle). How nice would it be to come here with another couple and share a reasonably priced bottle of wine with your meal?

For beer they've partnered with Brooklyn Brewery on a ShackMeister Ale for $5/pint on tap. I was tempted to try a beer but this is a wine blog after all...

The long line moved quickly. They passed out menus while we were waiting so we'd made our selections by the time we got to the counter. Our order was taken efficiently with a smile and we were given a buzzer which would alert us when to return to the counter to pick up our food. Even though the place was already slammed our food was ready in about 10 minutes.

To get a feel for what they do we ordered a bunch of things to share (much to the chagrin of our 5 year old who wasn't thrilled at all about sharing his Black and White Shake).

We started with a Shack Burger. A "100% all-natural" quarter pound Angus beef cheeseburger with tomato, lettuce, and ShackSauce for $4.75. Nice tight presentation and quite good. Not overly large. It seemed less weighty than a Five Guys "little" cheeseburger so if you've got an appetite go for the double ($7.30) -or- two singles -or- save room for a satisfying shake. More on those in a moment...

The crinkle cut fries ($2.70) were solid but nothing spectacular. We got some regular and some cheese fries. I think I'd go for the cheese fries again but I can't say the fries are an area of strength.

I paired it with a ShakeShack Red - the Frog's Leap Cabernet Franc. Just as I had taken a couple sips and was thinking to myself "hmm, this wine isn't that good" an employee stopped by to ask specifically how I liked the wine. You know how when sometimes a server asks how your food is and it doesn't seem like they really want to know? This was different. I got the sense he really wanted to know what I thought of the wine.

I told him I didn't much care for it. I appreciated that it was served at a nice temperature (slightly cooler than the room) and that it was poured in a branded Shake Shack GoVino "glass" (I'm a fan of GoVino - check them out on Amazon here). But it just didn't offer much fruit and kind of smelled "flat". Not corked, just not quite lively or fresh.

Turns out, he was the GM of the restaurant Dan Tavan. He asked if he could bring me a Beckman Vineyards Grenache/Syrah instead and I took him up on the offer. The Beckman was a nice upgrade - I'd recommended it if you stop in or see it around.

Dan also brought over a couple of their white wines to taste. A crisp and delicious Sauvignon Blanc from Frog's Leap (the ShakeShack White) and an unoaked Chardonnay from Joel Gott. Both were very good (and paired nicely with the french fries!).

Pro Tip: Distinguish yourself by ordering wine at 11 am and you too can get VIP service like this. ;)

If you or your kids like hot dogs, they offer a nice basic one for just $3 - "split and griddled crisp". I also tried a "Shack-cago" Dog. An outstanding rendition at just $4.00. Cucumbers, celery salt and more. If you've never had a Chicago-style hot dog you've got to give it a try. And if you have I think you'd like this one.

Since the word "Shake" is in the name of the place I thought it would be wise to try some of the treats. Fresh spun Frozen Custard is served in Shakes, Concretes, and Cups & Cones.We went for a Black & White Shake which was very good. Not too too thick, not too thin and very "ice creamy". I might go for a Chocolate Shake next time - for a little more rich chocolate flavor.

The Revere's Tracks Concrete was spectacular. A Concrete is dense frozen custard blended at high speed with mix-ins. The Revere's Tracks offers unmistakable peanut butter sauce and chocolate sprinkles. But what seals the deal is the inclusion of some cheesecake blondie. Out of this world good. Highest recommendation.

I hear the Lobstah Shell Concrete includes pastries from a famous North End bakery. We'll have to that a try next time.

The bill came to $43.19 for four of us - and that included an $8.00 glass of wine.

Here's the menu for the Chestnut Hill location

Conclusion and Recommendations

I was impressed with our first visit to Shake Shack. The branding is polished and thoughtful - everything has a snazzy logo on it. Some might see it as superfluous but I'm a sucker for good branding. If they think carefully about where the wood used to make their tables comes from (for example) it gives the impression they're thoughtful about everything they do. And I thought that thoughtfulness came across in the food and in the experience.

The cheeseburger was solid and I thought the Chicago Dog was outstanding. The Revere's Tracks Concrete was amazing. I felt the prices were moderate and quite fair for the overall experience they're offering.

Though it was crowded immediately upon opening I was comfortable when seated. No getting bumped into even though every seat was taken. Staff helped clear tables during the meal and stopped by to ask if we'd like anything else.

The only question I'm left with is whether we'll make the effort to navigate the crowds here again any time soon. From what I've heard, if this location is like other Shake Shacks, it'll be a long time before the crowds die down. I'd recommend arriving early.

WWP Rating:
92+/100 points: Outstanding

Check 'em out:
Shake Shack
http://shakeshack.com
@ShakeShack

Question of the Day: Have you ever been to a Shake Shack? What do you think of them? What are some of your favorite things on the menu?

Drew Bledsoe visits State House: Now what?

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:26:00 +0000

Photo by James Trosh

As you probably read, saw or otherwise heard this week, former New England Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe visited the State House to meet with lawmakers and the media. Bledsoe was advancing the notion that out of state wineries should be able to ship wine to Massachusetts residents.

If you're new to the story here's a brief history of the battle surrounding the direct shipment of wine in Massachusetts.

Bledsoe's celebrity from his time with the Patriots combined with his ownership of Washington based Doubleback Wines makes him the perfect person to bring more visibility to this long standing issue. I thought the strategy behind his appearance was brilliant.

The story most repeated from his visit was a tale of Tom Brady trying to order a case of Doubleback and not being able to ship it to Massachusetts. Brady instead "shipped to a friend/relative in another state" - a maneuver many of us are all too familiar with. As the story (surely embellished) goes Brady's father in California drank the entire case of $89/bottle Cabernet before Brady had a chance to try it.

Even if that tale isn't entirely true it's one that uses familiar names to illustrate how, basically, annoying current shipping laws are.

One thing worth noting is that Bledsoe's wine is distributed in Massachusetts. I see a lot of people asking where they can buy it. The best way to find where it's currently available in Massachusetts (or any wine in any state for that matter) is to use Wine-Searcher. Here's a link showing where Doubleback is currently available in Massachusetts.

A natural question that might fall out of this is why direct shipment is important if wines are already available here? Well, for one thing, there are thousands of small production wines that aren't distributed here that enthusiasts would like access to. When this happens, enthusiasts ship wines to neighboring states which is a hassle and generates tax revenue for neighboring states. More on that scenario here.

But even when a specific winery is distributed in Massachusetts we'd still like the option of buying directly from the winery. This is most typically to gain access to wines in high demand with limited availability. Or specific bottlings produced in small quantities. Or because we're just interested in establishing a direct relationship with the winery. If you're on the mailing list and a regular customer you're more likely to be given special treatment when visiting a winery or informed of events in your area.

In total, restrictive direct shipment laws make it inconvenient for wineries and wine enthusiasts to do long-term business together. It's just not right. Some might even say they're unconstitutional.

What's Next?

I spoke with Jeremy Benson from Free the Grapes yesterday. After Bledsoe's visit I sensed a "Now what?" vibe in the air. The media seemed excited to get pictures of Bledsoe, and legislators seemed thrilled to get their pictures taken with him. But where do we go from here?

Benson acknowledged that in Massachusetts politics "nothing happens quickly". A tangible mid-term benefit of the Bledsoe visit is that when a wine shipping bill comes up for hearing the media will hopefully be more apt to report on the story and supportive legislators will be more apt to make this issue a priority. It's one of those "important but non-urgent" things that seems to elude action for too long.

There are 4 virtually identical bills in the House currently, all entitled "An Act regulating the direct shipment of wine":

H243 is notable (to me) because my representative Alice Peisch is listed as a petitioner. I believe this is the first time I've seen her support one of these bills in this manner. After discussing this issue with her over the years in person, on the phone and via email I'm pleased to see her officially on board!

H294 seems to have the most momentum behind it at this point. It's sponsored by Theodore Speliotis who previously chaired the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure - the committee these bills are heard within and historically (and unfortunately) "stuck" within.

How Can We Help?

Visit the Free the Grapes Massachusetts 2013 landing page. They do a great job keeping us up to date on this issue and make it easy to help spread the word and write our representatives.

Free the Grapes is going to be at Wine Riot Boston April 5th and 6th. Stop by and visit with them to learn more and find out how to help.

Thanks for subscribing to The Wellesley Wine Press for future updates!

Road 31: Outstanding Napa Valley Pinot Noir

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 01:24:00 +0000

Although Napa Valley has a reputation for being the most prestigious locale for wine production in the United States, it's not known for being a great location for Pinot Noir. It's too hot. It's better suited for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay (which is able to do relatively well seemingly everywhere).

Sonoma is more famous for Pinot Noir. The Carneros AVA straddles both Sonoma and Napa, is cooler than the rest of Napa, and can produce some fantastic Pinot Noir. So there are definitely examples of great pockets of Pinot Noir production within Napa Valley.

A few years back, I stopped in to visit Wine Spectator's offices in Napa. I met with Senior Editor James Laube who tastes, reviews, and writes about wines of California. I asked him which California Pinot Noir regions he felt were on the rise. The first he mentioned was Carneros.

The 2010 Road 31 Wine Co. Napa Valley Pinot Noir is, I think, a tremendous example of what he was talking about. Of what cooler climate Napa Valley Pinot Noir can be.

Reading through the letters (release notes and seasonal updates) on Road 31's website you feel like winecrafter Kent Fortner is as down to earth and fun to know as you can imagine a winemaker being. I really like what I've discovered so far.

Here are my notes on the 2010...

2010 Road 31 Wine Co. Napa Valley Pinot Noir
13.9% Alcohol
$40

Delightfully aromatic yet light in color and quick on its feet. It opens with an appealing combination of red raspberries and strawberries backed by stemmy aspects that provide an appealing herbal complexity without imparting bitterness. I'm surely biased by the label and backstory, but there's something handcrafted and authentic that comes through when tasting this wine. Fantastic stuff.

92/100 WWP: Oustanding

Winery Website
2010 Pinot Noir Fact Sheet
CellarTracker (92.2 as of this writing)

You know what wine this reminds me of? A wine I discovered last year around the same time my friend K.C. shared this bottle with me. Vaughn Duffy. Between these two I've got a pair of fantastic new California Pinot Noir producers I'd like to have on hand going forward.

Question of the Day: Any newer producers you've discovered lately?

Wine Spectator's Grand Tour 2013 Dates and Locations

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:23:00 +0000

Wine Spectator's Grand Tour is a self-paced walk around wine tasting featuring 200 fantastic producers, each pouring one of their signature wines. Many of the wineries send the winemaker and/or owner. The tasting includes a light buffet and a souvenir Riedel wine glass and costs $200.

Dates and locations for 2013:

San Francisco - Wednesday April 24th (Marriott Marquis)
Las Vegas - Saturday April 27th (The Mirage)
Chicago - Friday May 3rd (Navy Pier)

I attended the event in 2011 when it came to Boston and it was the best wine tasting I've ever been to. What I liked about this event:

So many of the wines being poured are hard to find at retail. Like Kosta Browne for example.
Many of the wines are being poured by the winemaker or owner. Like Pontet-Canet for example.
The event wasn't overly crowded, at least the 2011 event in Boston. You could walk up and get a taste of $200++/bottles of wines like Chateau Margaux or Mouton-Rothschild no problem.

Note that these Grand Tour events are not to be confused with Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience which features sit-down seminars where Wine Spectator Editors moderate tastings of the year's Top 10 wines and such. That event is in October 2013 and costs quite a bit more when attending the seminars. The New York Wine Experience does have a "tasting only" option that costs about the same as the Grand Tour. Just wanted to mention this so you're aware of the different options coming up this year.

Glancing at this year's list of participating wineries here are (just a few) that I'm looking forward to tasting:

Joseph Phelps
Pontet-Canet
Cos d'Estournel
Round Pond
Bibi Graetz - Testamatta
Caymus
Kosta Browne
Lynch-Bages
MacPhail
Merus

We visited Chicago this past summer and had a great time. Here are some reviews to help get you thinking about where to stay, dine, and visit:

Bonus: The Cubs are in town with day games at Wrigley Field Friday and Saturday!

Looking at flights out of Boston they're quite affordable and at convenient times for an overnight. Short flights, fantastic restaurants, awesome hotels, and a world class wine tasting. I hope we can make it. Who's with me?

Further Reading:

Any chance you might be able to make it? If so let me know - I'm hoping to make it and I'd love to say hello. You can reach me at wellesleywinepress@gmail.com or @RobertDwyer on Twitter.

Del Frisco's Boston: World of Wine Dinner Series

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:14:00 +0000

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House in Boston is hosting a series of paired wine dinners from prominent wine regions around the world. California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Northern Italy are slated to be featured in their World of Wine Dinner Series.

First up: California on Friday, March 22nd, 2013.

To give you a feel for the quality of wines poured at the events here's what's on tap for the California dinner:

Cheese plates on table

Passed Sparkling

Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc

Green chile braised pheasant enchilada, blood orange, queso fresco

Rombauer Cabernet

Applewood smoked pork belly confit, Caramelized Granny Smith grits, cardamom-sage jus.

Nickel & Nickel CC Ranch Cabernet

Australian lamb Ribeye, local goat cheese bread pudding, wild berry lamb Demi, watercress.

Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet

Prosciutto wrapped filet mignon, foie gras, russet-sweet potato gratin

Dessert, Dolce by Far Niente

Lemon cupcake with lavender meringue.

The dates for follow-on events are as follows:

June 7th – Bordeaux
August 16th – Burgundy
October 25th – Northern Italy

The World of Wine Dinner Series will launch on Friday, March 22nd from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dinners cost $100 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required.

For more information, please call 617-345-3941 or visit www.delfriscos.com

Further Reading: First Look - Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse Boston

Ansonia Wines: The Garagiste of the East?

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:42:00 +0000

Remember that story in the NY Times a while back about Jon Rimmerman? He's the man behind Garagiste, the Seattle wine retailer who sells tens of millions of dollars worth of wine each year via text-only emails to a distribution list of more than 100,000 people.

When you hear his story it's easy to imagine yourself living the glamorous life of an importer and merchant of fine wines, meandering around France and Italy developing relationships with growers and producers. Your friends back home ask you to bring them some of your latest discoveries and the gesture turns into a thriving business.

Mark and Tom Wilcox are a father-and-son team at Ansonia Wines doing just that. Mark, a long-time wine enthusiast and attorney, spent a year living in Burgundy with his family. At the end of the stint he brought back an assortment of wines he'd discovered to share with friends. After a few months, his friends asked him where they could buy more of the wines. The wines weren't available in the US so Mark expanded the idea of connecting his friends with vineyards and winemakers in Europe into a business, and that's largely what Ansonia is today.

But Ansonia works with fewer wineries than Rimmerman. Instead of a different wine each day, they focus on a winemaker’s full lineup, helping customers pick which wines to drink early, which to hold on to, and when to drink those that they hold.

They built their reputation in the DC area where licensees are able to purchase directly from importers and wineries. Here in Massachusetts things are quite a bit more restrictive (retailers and restaurants must buy all their wine from state licensed wholesalers) but Tom (the son in the partnership) has acquired a retailer license and through a relationship with a Massachusetts wholesaler Tom is able to offer their wines directly to consumers here.

He also offers free delivery in the Boston area.

I sat down with Tom to learn more about the business and taste wines from the Ansonia portfolio this week. It was an interesting visit both from the perspective of hearing first hand what it takes to run this kind of business and in terms of learning about an opportunity we have as Massachusetts residents to buy their wines. As you may know, Massachusetts has restrictive wine shipping laws.

I learned it's a good thing Mark (the father) is an attorney because they've had to navigate their way through legal restrictions associated with operating such a business. In Massachusetts current laws limit the ability of one entity to concurrently be an importer, wholesaler and retailer. So it takes work to establish a connection between a European winery and an Massachusetts consumer.

We tasted through four of their wines:

A clean mouth watering Alsatian Riesling
A creamy white Bourgogne
A fruity yet rustic Belland La Fussiere Maranges 1er Cru
A juicy Foulaquier Grenache from the Languedoc

Most of the producers in their portfolio (around 45 in total) are from France.

The common theme across the wines is a focus on small, old world producers offering quality, a pure expression of terroir, and value. The average price of their wines is in the low $20s per bottle. Burgundies tend to sell for more, less prestigious appellations less.

As we were talking, I couldn't help but think of how it's got to be hard to develop a business like this. It's one thing to discover a few great wines on vacation. It happens all the time, right? But it's another thing altogether to develop a track record of discovering the undiscovered. The fact that they work with a producer's portfolio of wines rather than a "once and done" push of a single bottling helps make the business more sustainable I'd think.

Most of their business comes from personal referral. Friends telling friends about enjoying their wines and ordering more. If you're in the Boston area reach out to Tom via email if you'd be interested in finding a way to taste some of their wines. They're looking to make friends with wine tasting and social groups in the area.

They write about three different wines each week, giving tasting notes and suggesting recipes. You can sign up to receive these posts by email.

If you don't live in the Boston or DC area they can ship their wines to states that allow wine shipments.

They happen to be headed back to France for a tasting trip this week. Follow along on their Tumblr and peruse their current and past selections to get a feel for what kind of wines and stories they offer:

http://ansoniawines.com

Subscribe to their email list for notification of new offers.
Follow @AnsoniaWines and ping them on Twitter if you're interested in learning more about their wines.

So where does the name Ansonia come from? Ansonia is a small village in rural Northern Pennsylvania where their family has had a cabin on the side of a stream for several generations. They've paid tribute to that special location in the name of their wine business. I like it!

I wish Tom the best as his endeavor to create connections between Massachusetts enthusiasts and those who produce the wines. It's my pleasure to have Ansonia Wines as a new sponsor of this site.

Deal Alert: 50% Off Wine Spectator Subscription

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:08:00 +0000

Deal site Travelzoo is offering a 1-year subscription to Wine Spectator for $25 which is half off the regular price. Deals like this can typically be used to add on to an existing subscription so if you'd like to keep your subscription going this is a pretty good deal:

http://www.travelzoo.com/local-deals/nationwide/Other/41405

Thanks to reader C.S. for the tip!

An alternative that's been available for a while is to subscribe to the magazine with airline miles. A 1-year subscription for 900 United miles is an outstanding redemption rate. Other carriers offer similar deals as well.

Looking to earn some miles and points towards nearly free travel without doing hard time on a legacy carrier? Credit card signup bonuses are the way to go. More on my latest ~~obsession~~ area of interest here: Lessons learned on the way to 270,000 points and miles

Cakebread Cellars Dinner at Legal Harborside

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:16:00 +0000

This is a good one! Legal Harborside is hosting a Cakebread wine dinner and Dennis Cakebread will be on hand to share the Cakebread story and describe the wines.

Long time WWP readers will recall that Cakebread is the wine that got me into wine. For more information on what makes the Cakebread brand special check out this in depth trip report. Cakebread is a great place to visit. I'd recommend springing for something more than a quick tasting to get a feel for what they do.

WHERE: Legal Harborside at Liberty Wharf
270 Northern Avenue, Boston

WHEN: Monday, March 11th at 7:00pm

COST: $125 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)

HOW: Reservations can be made by contacting 617.530.9470 or visiting www.legalseafoods.com.

WHAT: On March 11th, Legal Harborside will team up with Cakebread Cellars’ Director of Sales, Dennis Cakebread, to host a wine dinner at Legal Harborside. This four-plus-course culinary adventure will highlight the best tastes from sea and vine. Cakebread Cellars has vineyard properties located throughout Napa Valley surrounding the production facility in Rutherford where it all began in 1972. Today, the winery owns 13 sites totaling 982 acres.

The menu will be presented as follows on Legal Harborside’s scenic second level overlooking Boston Harbor:

HORS D’OEUVRES

vol-au-vent, lobster, tarragon, mascarpone

geoduck clam, yuzu marinated melon, virginia ham

pickled sardines, dill crème fraîche, caraway and rye toast

merguez sausage, fennel vinaigrette and apple hash

Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2010

FIRST COURSE

tuna carpaccio*

bosc pear, wakame, serrano chiles, wasabi aioli and cucumber

Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, 2011

SECOND COURSE

grilled shrimp

rosemary, smoked and braised chickpeas, chorizo and roast garlic dust

Cakebread Cellars “Reserve” Chardonnay, Carneros, 2010

THIRD COURSE

cast iron skillet-seared duck breast

red rice, golden rutabaga, preserved walnuts and junipers

Cakebread Cellars “Benchland Select” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2009

CHEESE

mountain cheese and dried fruit

Cakebread Cellars Zinfandel, Lake County, 2010

Tasting Report: Red Wine and Coca-Cola

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 02:39:00 +0000

A while back Esquire wrote about a unique combination of ingredients I hadn't heard of before: Red wine and Coca-Cola.

Looking around a bit we find this concoction has been quite popular in Spain ("Kalimotxo"), South America ("Calimocho") and elsewhere ("Rioja Libre").

A situation where the drink is quite popular is where you half-empty a 2 liter bottle of Coke then fill it up with low grade red wine then take it to the beach and pour it over ice in plastic cups. Crafty!

Since we're on vacation I've noticed some of the domestic reds I picked up at Costco weren't faring well under a re-inserted cork after a day or two so I thought this would be a good chance to try out the combination of red wine and Coke.

In my humble opinion: It's quite good!

I took a rocks glass and filled it about 2/3 full of ice. Then I filled the glass about 2/3 up with red wine. I chose a Petite Sirah that was pretty good the first couple nights but not likely to fare well after a couple days on the counter. I then topped it off with Coca-Cola. As you can see from the picture it becomes purple with a bit of foam on top.

It's a different experience drinking this "cocktail" than drinking red wine from a wine glass. The first thing I noticed is that the aromatics were muted. It smelled more or less like grape soda and cola. If you're just trying to get into red wine and it's not working out for you this might be just the ticket to acclimate you!

On the palate is where I thought the combination worked well. The satisfying earthy characteristics of the Petite Sirah were unmistakeable, and the cola notes I generally enjoy in wine were tasty. The drink finishes with a refreshing lift provided by the effervescence of the cola.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

I thought this was a nice way to utilize an already opened bottle of wine that wasn't faring well after a day or two out on the counter. The beverage is refreshing and versatile. I can see this being quite nice in a number of settings.

Question of the Day: Have you ever tried red wine and Coke? If so, what did you think? If not, would you be up for giving it a shot?

Sending Money to Wine Friends with Amazon Payments

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:05:00 +0000

When taking advantage of wine deals it's often advantageous to join forces with others to reduce shipping costs and/or share winery allocations.

In doing so we create a situation where we need to settle up financially. Months often go by before the actual wine arrives and exchanges hands but in the meantime you need to float the costs. This is usually manageable but it's preferable to settle up financially sooner rather than later.

Mailing a check is a nuisance. Who wants to take the time to write a check out, find an envelope and a stamp and get it out the door? Bill pay might work but seems a little clunky too.

I've used PayPal for this a few times, but they make it hard to understand when fees will be charged and you can't use a credit card without paying a service charge.

Enter Amazon Payments

I've been doing some experimentation with credit card signup bonuses lately (270,000 miles and points baby!) and one of the borderline shady techniques folks use to generate spend on cards is to send money to a relative or trusted friend using Amazon Payments. Transactions are limited to $1,000 per sender per month but it can be a quick and easy way to meet a $1,000 minimum spend to get a signup bonus.

That's not the intended use model.

The intended use model is to make it easy to send money to friends.

How it Works

Almost everyone has an Amazon.com account at this point, right? If not, sign up for one.

Step 1: Visit the Amazon Payments website

Go to: http://payments.amazon.com

Step 2: Create an account

At the top right of the page click "Create Account".
Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials.
Complete the form and submit.
Wait until you receive an email confirming your email address.
Confirm your email address to complete the application process.

Step 3: Wait for account to be verified

If you try to send or receive money right away you'll may get a message like this:

"As a result of changes to federal regulation, Amazon Payments is required to verify your identity. This functionality is temporarily disabled, pending verification of your information."

You need to wait for your account to be verified. A little while later you should receive an email saying "Your Amazon Payments account has been verified". This can take a minute or a few hours. You should now be able to send and receive money. You probably already have credit cards associated with your Amazon account but if you don't you can add them while you're waiting.

Step 4: Turn on "Accept requests for payment"

This step is important and non-obvious. By default, accounts don't allow requests for money. So when your friend sends you a payment request it'll say something like:

"The person you are requesting payment from is not accepting payment requests at this time. Please contact them first."

-or-

"Important Message:
The person you are requesting payment from is not able to make payments at this time."

To remedy this situation visit your Amazon Payments account page, click "Edit My Account Settings" and then "Change my security settings". If "Accept requests for payment" is off, click Edit and turn it on. Your friend should now be able to send you a request for money.

Step 5: Link a checking account

If you plan to receive payments you can link a checking account so you can transfer the money friends send you to your checking account. You can leave the money in your account and pay for goods on Amazon or transfer money to friends. But you'd be better off getting cashback/points/miles from a credit card than parking the money there.

It takes 5-7 days to link a checking account and you have to do the "verify small deposits" thing to get it going.

That should be it. If everything goes according to plan you should be able to send and receive money to/from friends.

Conclusion and Recommendations

It took a bit of back and forth with my pal SG to get this going the first time. But once it's set up I think this has the potential to be a fantastic way of settling up wine purchases between friends. No more floating money until the hand off occurs. No fees. Both buyers get points/miles/cashback on their credit cards. It's great.

Let's just hope Amazon doesn't shut this off. They're taking the hit on the credit card fee as it stands now, and if I had to guess why it would be to beef up their subscriber base to compete with PayPal.

Making friends in the area who have a similar interest in wine has been one of the best things about writing this blog the past few years. If you'd like to connect you can always drop me an email (wellesleywinepress@gmail.com) or reach me on Twitter: @RobertDwyer

I'd love it if you subscribed to The Wellesley Wine Press for future updates.

Saving at Wine.com by Double Dipping

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:33:00 +0000

Wine.com is our nation's largest online wine retailer. They're the only national retailer I'm aware of that's gone through the trouble of obtaining a Massaschusetts retailer license so they can legally ship wine to residents here. They've gone to similar lengths in other states and as a result have the widest reach of any online wine retailer.

But their prices are high.

And they're not exactly the most favored of wine retailers thanks to antics like a sting operation targeted at other wine retailers who ship illegally.

So as consumers we interact with them in a "special" way. We'll buy from them if there's a good deal to be had, but we don't exactly "like" them.

One of the central problems, from a consumer's perspective, is how expensive shipping is. This is true for wine in general but Wine.com seems to be pricier than most. So this post will serve as a description of a way to get their fully loaded prices down out of the stratosphere with their Steward Ship program combined with a little trickery called The Double Dip.

Here's how to do it, step by step.

Step 1: Sign up for their Steward Ship program

Steward Ship is their equivalent to Amazon Prime. It provides shipping for 1 year for a fixed price. It "retails" for $49 but they've been known to offer it for half price from time to time. Go here for more information if you don't have it already, but if you can wait until it's on sale:
Steward Ship shipping for a Year

Step 2: Buy a Gift Card through an Online Portal

This is step one of the double-dip. You'll can get "x" % cashback by buying a Wine.com gift card through an online Portal. I chose uPromise because when I was performing this experiment they explicitly stated they offer 5% back on gift card purchases:

Bonus: When I ordered the gift card I was emailed a code for $10 off my next order of $75 or more.

There are tons of different cashback portals out there. Some of my favorites lately are Ebates and Fat Wallet, not to mention shopping portals associated with credit cards.

There are even sites which try to dynamically compare cashback amounts across the various portals. Try CashbackHolic.com and CashbackMonitor.com.

Step 3: Redeem that Gift Card through an Online Portal

Once my gift card arrived (Wine.com chose to mail a physical gift card out) I went back to Wine.com to redeem it through a different online portal. I chose SavingsWatch this time because it offered the largest percentage at the time - 7.5%.

I loaded up my shopping card with $75 worth of wine, applied the $10 off $75 coupon I received when buying the gift card, used my Steward Ship benefit that's tied to my account for the year, and applied the $25 gift card. The remaining balance went on my credit card. I was able to find a few wines at good prices I was genuinely enthusiastic about purchasing.

Pro tip: Try sorting on Wine.com by savings - one time I found a wine being sold for less than $2 on sale. Not that I was enthusiastic about trying that wine but it was pretty amazing they'd conceivably ship it out for less than $2 fully loaded.

A few days later the transaction appeared in my SavingsWatch.com acount.

Notice in the image below how each of the 4 bottles I ordered were credited for cashback. The $10 coupon was charged back against that, but the free shipping didn't come into play (nicely) and most importantly the amount I paid for with the gift card didn't negate the cashback. A successful double dip!

Discussion:

Ironically, two things went wrong while performing this experience I didn't expect.

First, uPromise still hasn't credited me 5% of the $25 gift card purchase although their terms explicitly say gift cards qualify. I called them about the missing transaction and they said it can take up to 40 days to process. I'm not so much concerned about the $1.25 of course, but it's annoying chasing these things down. Some portals are better than others. uPromise has frequently failed to credit me for transactions.

Second, my order actually still hasn't arrived. Wine.com has reliably fulfilled orders for me in the past, and this one has been mostly FedEx's fault, but after missing a couple of delivery attempts and requesting it be routed to a nearby FedEx location the order seemed to go into no man's land. It illuminates one of many ways this is not the most efficient way to get a few bottles of wine delivered.

Results:

In all, this technique should save the following on this sample $75 order:

5% back on the original gift card purchase (I did just $25 as a test but you could do more)
13.3% off (thanks to the the $10 off $75)
7.5% back when redeeming the gift card through an online portal (the double dip)

uPromise hasn't paid the 5% back yet, but I think they will if I submit a missing transaction after 40 days have elapsed. Plus the wines I chose were on sale and priced pretty well. The Sanford Pinot Noir sells in the $30s at most online retailers in the country.

Here's the potential net of it:

$75 - 5% - 13.3% - 7.5%
$75 - $3.75 - $9.95 - $5.62 = $55.68
That's a total savings of 25.76%

That's like paying $19.23 fully loaded for that $25.99 bottle of Sanford that sells for $35 and up in most stores. Plus no tax on wine in Massachusetts.

And that doesn't include the cashback/points/miles/signup bonuses you might be getting on your favorite credit card. If you consider that you might call this a triple dip.

The Steward Ship benefit has cost me $25 or $35 per year over the last few years. I typically use it 6-12 times a year. What's nice about it is that you can ship out a single bottle if you like. For example, when the 2010 Cosme Gigondas got 95 points from Spectator I ordered a single bottle and it showed up a couple days later.

Subscribe to The Wellesley Wine Press and I'll mention next time I see Steward Ship on sale. Sometimes Steward Ship also includes a Wine Spectator subscription extension.

Conclusion:

The actual amounts you could potentially save using this technique will vary over time, and it's a rather complicated transaction. But I thought it was an interesting exercise that might provide a way to help get more value out of their Steward Ship program.

Related Reading: Wading into the credit card signup bonus game

Question of the Day: Any other tips and tricks for getting the best deals from Wine.com?

Needham Awards Five Liquor Licenses

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 02:09:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago we ran a poll to see which of 10 applicants we'd prefer be granted liquors licenses on newly-wet Needham. The town had up to 6 licenses to dole out, but no obligation to let them loose all at once.

The results of that poll were:

1) Bin Ends
2) Volante Farms
3) Vinodivino
4) Gordon's
5) Craft Liquors
6) Blanchards

There was a public hearing this past Saturday and five licensees have been selected:

http://needham.patch.com/articles/five-liquor-stores-coming-soon-to-needham

The five retailers selected were:

1) Needham Wine & Spirits

This will be the fourth store under the same umbrella which includes Upper Falls, Post Road, and Auburndale. Nice stuff presented in a bare bones layout with rotating regions categorical discounts. You'll see Sea Smoke and similar baller wines offered here occasionally.

2) Volante Farms

Similar to Wilson Farms in Lexington and recently ambitiously expanded. Looking forward to seeing a wine shop, garden center, and grocery rolled into one!

3) Needham Center Wine & Spirits

I hear the owner here is the same as Ball Square in Somerville.

4) Vinodivino

Boutique retailer with locations in Newton and Brookline. Heavy slant towards wines highly rated by prominent publications. Nice aesthetics and well run. Full review.

5) Bin Ends

Everyone loves Bin Ends for their affordable exciting wines. This will be their second location, their first being in Braintree. My favorite part? Their bargain bin. Can't wait to see them closer to Wellesley.

Noticeably excluded? Gordon's and Blanchards.

And I would love to see Craft Liquors given a node thanks to their swanky renderings. Who knows maybe we'll see their first location appear in Wellesley?

Congratulations to the new licensees! I'm looking forward to seeing what they offer to wine enthusiasts in the area.

What do you think of the selections?

2013 Boston Wine Expo Promotional Code

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 21:25:00 +0000

The 2013 Boston Wine Expo is coming up February 16-17 2013.

If you'd like $10 off tickets to the Sunday Grand Tasting use promotional code WELLSWINE. Here's how to use this code step-by-step:

Step 1: Visit http://bwetickets.eventbrite.com

Step 2: Scroll down and "Enter promotional code":

Step 3: Enter WELLSWINE (note the spelling) and Apply:

You should then see Sunday Grand Tasting tickets discounted $10 (from $85 to $75):

Hope this helps!

Related Reading:

Wellesley Considers Allowing Retail Wine Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:37:00 +0000

According to this article in The Boston Globe, our fair Wellesley may consider allowing retail alcohol sales for the first time.

A petition put forth by the folks who own Fells Market suggests they'd like to see beer and wine sales allowed at grocery stores, including Whole Foods and Roche Bros. I absolutely love Fells Market and think it would be great if they were allowed to sell beer and wine.

I visited Fells Market this past weekend to grab a few sandwiches and chatted with Peter Katsikaris briefly - his family owns the store. If you haven't been to Fells and live in the area it's definitely worth a stop. It's classic old school Wellesley. When we were looking for houses in the neighborhood realtors would mention it as one of the reasons to buy a house nearby. At the time it seemed a little ridiculous to base a house purchase on a nearby grocery store but there's something special about the place I enjoy every time I visit.

So I'm fully supportive of beer and wine sales at Fells. And at Whole Foods and Roche Bros too. The timing of this proposal coincides nicely with new policies at the state level which allow retailers to hold more licenses in total than they were previously allowed. The article doesn't get into whether standalone liquor stores are included in the petition but I'd be in favor of those too - if they're done right.

Like I mentioned in this opinion piece on The Swellesley Report back in early 2012 a high quality boutique wine shop could totally be an asset to the town.

As an example of what I have in mind when I say that, have a look at renderings I recently received from Edward Spivak. He's one of the retailers going for a license in neighboring Needham. Here's what he has in mind for his proposed Craft Liquors. Gorgeous, right?

Rendering of proposed new store in Needham: Craft Liquors
(click to enlarge)

I'd love to see a couple retailers like this in Wellesley.

What do you think?

Deal Alert! $50 off and Free Shipping from Sojourn Cellars

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Sojourn Cellars is offering $50 off and free shipping on 4 or more bottles. Order 12 bottles and you'll get 10% off through this link on Wine Berserkers:

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=78676

Friends, this is a fantastic deal. I'd recommend a couple bottles of the Sonoma Coast Pinot and the Sangiacomo and Gap's Crown bottlings. Sojourn is a fabulous California Pinot Noir producer and they make some very nice Cabernet too. Here are my tasting notes on recent Sojourn releases.

Some people are having trouble getting the offer to work for them if they're already on Sojourn's mailing list. I don't think the intent is to shut out existing members so if needed register a new account with a different email address.

Evidently today is Berserkers Day IV where wineries and retailers offer all kinds of great deals. Check it out!

http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=40

Gary Farrell Wine Dinner at Blue Ginger

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:34:00 +0000

Gary Farrell Winery partnered with Chef Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger in Wellesley for a paired wine dinner this week. Wellesley's own Wasik's Cheese Shop was on hand to present cheeses for a total of six courses. Chef Tsai conceived, prepared and introduced each course to a group of forty food and wine enthusiasts and was joined by Gary Farrell General Manager Nancy Bailey and Winemaker Theresa Heredia.

Gary Farrell Winery is a Sonoma producer best known for their well balanced Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Gary Farrell began producing wine in the area in the late 1970s. Along with folks like Joe Rochioli, Tom Dehlinger, Davis Bynum, Robert Stemmler and others, Farrell established what Russian River Pinot Noir and Chardonnay would become today. In 1982 he produced his first wine under the Gary Farrell label and gradually built its prominence.

Gary Farrell Winery sources their grapes from well regarded vineyards like Rochioli, Keefer Ranch, Westside Farms, Bien Nacido, and Ramal. They source many of these grapes through long standing "handshake" arrangements with the growers and though they don't have their own vineyards as of yet they do have a winery and tasting room in the Russian River Valley that are open to the public. Appointments recommended.

Gary Farrell himself sold the winery in 2004. After a string of ownership changes from 2004 to 2011 the winery is now owned by The Vincraft Group - a name you might recognize for its ownership of Kosta Browne (visit/trip report here).

Winemaker Theresa Heredia joined Gary Farrell in 2012. You may have tasted her wines before since she was the winemaker at Freestone (Joseph Phelps' Pinot Noir project) from its first vintage through 2011.

So the wines we'd be tasting this evening were made by Gary Farrell winemaker Susan Reed who was Farrell's assistant prior to selling the winery in 2004 through 2011. Gary Farrell himself went off and started Alysian Wines.

So a bit of a changing of the guard has occurred at Gary Farrell Winery. But after tasting through these wines, along with being familiar with the Freestone style, along with talking with Theresa about her vision for Gary Farrell Winery - I think the winery is in very good hands and headed in an even better direction. If I could sum it up in one word I think it would be: Balance

Here are my thoughts on the evening...
(click/tap images to enlarge)

Maine Crab Balls with Grapefruit Pearls

'Waldorf' Salad

2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc

This was Gary Farrell Winery's first Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc. I thought it was lively and rich yet clean and delicious. I'm always a sucker for a California Sauvignon Blanc as a starter. Maybe it has something to do with memories of visiting California wineries and having it be the first wine you taste before you get to the stuff you came for.

It paired wonderfully with the crunch of the crab balls and the 'Waldorf' salad was delicious, especially after hearing Chef Tsai's story about being visiting the Waldorf Astoria in New York the week before and "doing the tourist thing" and visiting their restaurant to enjoy the original.

Lobster Bisque Flan

Toasted Sesame Quinoa Salad

2009 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Chef Tsai started off this course with a story about how you make Lobster Bisque using a Burr mixer, mentioning this article in the New York Times about how dangerous they can be. I was confused what a Burr mixer was initially. He'd later clarify on Twitter that a Burr mixer is a larger/industrial form of an immersion blender...which I'd gotten for my wife this year for Christmas at her request! Better be careful there Honey!

The Chardonnay was outstanding. Moderate oak influence, green apples, some slight tropical influence but not at all buttery or oaky. Very unique. It deftly avoided a lot of the pitfalls often found in California Chardonnay. Great value too if you can find it south of $30 at retail (it carries a $35 release price).

Five Spice Duck Breast with Sweet Potato 'Souffle'

Pomegranate and Brussels Sprout Salad

2010 Gary Farrell Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir

This was a spectacular course and the Hallberg Pinot Noir was my wine of the night.

Chef Tsai, as he often does, described how easy Brussels sprouts are to make and how much his kids enjoy eating them. The dish came together wonderfully.

The Hallberg Pinot Noir was so good I had to stop and post a tasting note on CellarTracker using the Cor.kz iPhone app. Really gorgeous stuff. Black cherries. Inviting fruit. Rich yet graceful. Seek this one out, and more from the Hallberg vineyard as well. Very nice. 93/100 WWP: Outstanding

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Beet Gratin

White Peppercorn-Dijon Mustard Beurre Noisette

2010 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir

Another winning course. A play off a traditional steak frites dish Tsai recalled from his time in Paris, the sous-vide beef was melt in your mouth delicious. Remember that Top Chef season a while back where practically everything they made was prepared sous-vide? I think I now know why so many used that technique. Wow.

The Gary Farrell Rochioli Pinot Noir was positioned as the star wine of the night. Given Rochioli's California Pinot Noir royalty status, this wine jumped off the page of the event invitation (I attended as a media guest of the winery). But the Rochioli was leaner than the Hallberg. More orange oil/peel whereas the Hallberg was black cherries. Nice structure and acidity to stand up to the beef but given that I like Pinot Noir on the riper side the Hallberg was more purely enjoyable.

Wasik's Cheese Selections

2010 Gary Farrell Bradford Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel

Mr. Wasik was on hand himself to present the cheeses. Fantastic stuff. Folks in Wellesley line up out the door especially around the holidays to buy cheese from Wasik's and there's a Whole Foods with a substantial assortment of cheese down the street. Their stuff is that good.

Warm Ginger Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

2010 Gary Farrell Bradford Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel

Salted Caramel! Love that stuff. The Zinfandel was incorporated into the ice cream and was tasty on its own as well. A delicious end to a magnificent wine dinner.

Conclusions & Recommendations

It was a pleasure to taste through Gary Farrell Winery's latest offerings. From what I tasted they strike a very nice balance that's sure to intrigue and please. Their appellation wines can be found at retail (try a Wine-Searcher search in your area) but the single vineyard bottlings require a little more effort to find. Best bet would be to join their wine club.

Blue Ginger does a great job with their wine dinners and Chef Tsai's engaging presence was unforgettable. The intimate forty person private room combined with outstanding service make these events ones to seek out. Look for upcoming events at Blue Ginger and keep an eye out for his new restaurant (and one his second): Blue Dragon in Boston.

I'd love it if you subscribed to The Wellesley Wine Press for future updates.

Poll: Which of these wine shops would you like to see in Needham?

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:38:00 +0000

Last year Needham, MA voted to allow retail wine sales for the first time. According to this article in the Boston Globe, on February 2nd, 2013 public hearings will be held to determine which of 10 applications will be granted licenses. Up to 6 will be approved.

Looking through the list we see a number of familiar names with stores in other locations in the Boston area. Here is the list of locations and applicants:

1257 Highland Avenue, Needham Wine & Spirits, Michael O'Connell

679 Highland Avenue, Blanchards Wines & Spirits, Christine Elder

855 Highland Avenue, Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors, David Gordon

These 3 are long standing Massachusetts retailers with multiple locations

922 Highland Avenue, Vinodivino, Raphael Keller-Go
65 Crawford Street, Bin Ends, John Hafferty

These 2 are newer retailers with 1 or 2 existing locations

292 Forest Street, Volante Farms, Inc., Dave Volante

Part of a recently expanded farmers market/grocery store

33 Highland Avenue, Highland Ave Wine & Spirits, Marc Idelson

922-932 Great Plain Avenue, Craft Liquors, Edward Spivak
1013 Great Plain Avenue, Needham Center Wine & Spirits, Christopher Lianos
50 Central Avenue, Panella's Market & Deli, Jeffrey Panella

I'm not familiar with these - anybody else?

I'd be interested in hearing which of these you think would be the best choices for residents in Needham and surrounding towns. Vote for multiple retailers you'd like.

And leave a comment if you're familiar with these and can shed some light on what kind of store they're likely to operate.

If the poll fails to embed go here to vote and/or see results

Thanks for your thoughts!

2013 New York Wine Expo Promotional Code

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:23:00 +0000

The 6th annual New York Wine Expo is coming to the Javits Convention Center March 1st-March 3rd 2013.

In addition to a variety of seminars there are 2 Grand Tastings open to the public. Friday from 6:00-10:00 pm ($85 + a $5 fee) and Saturday 1:00-5:00 pm ($95 + a $5 fee).

To save $15 per ticket:

Visit the http://newyorkwineexpotickets.eventbrite.com
Click "Enter Promotional Code"
Enter "WellesWine" (careful with the spelling) and click "Apply"
You should see ticket prices for the Friday and Saturday tastings reduce by $15

For more information about the event visit http://www.wine-expos.com/wine/ny/

I've never been to the event but it sounds like it follows a very similar format to the Boston Wine Expo. Some of you have asked about discount codes for the Boston event - I'm checking!

If you're in the wine trade there's a Sunday tasting that might be of interest.

Question of the Day: Have you ever been to the New York Wine Expo? If so, what did you think? Any tips you'd share for enjoying the event?

Hot Deal: Wine Aerator and Electric Bottle Opener for $18.95 (compare at $79)

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:16:00 +0000

UPDATE: Deal is dead. Follow me on Twitter (@RobertDwyer) or become a fan of the WWP on Facebook for faster notification.

This one isn't going to last long, but in exchange for clicking through a quick slideshow about the Ford Fusion you can get a $30 credit to LivingSocial. You can then use that credit to buy anything at LivingSocial including an offer they have for a wine aerator and

Step 1 - Follow these instructions:
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1252327/

Step 2 - Redeem for anything on LivingSocial including this wine aerator/electric bottle opener combo for $39:
http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/2-boston/deals/578088-wine-aerator-and-electric-bottle-opener

The aerator itself sells for $39 on Amazon and assuming the bottle opener has some value this is like $79.99 worth of wine accessories for $9 + $9.95 shipping. I received one of these aerators as a sample not too long ago. It's solid. It's unique feature is that you can dial in how aggressively you want to aerate.

Note that if you don't use the entire amount of the voucher that it's lost so optimal is something right around $30.

I'll update this post if I hear the deal is dead. Good luck!

Deal Alert: $65 Five Course Meal w/Wine at the Mandarin Oriental Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Dwyer) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:32:00 +0000

Gilt City is offering a five course meal paired with one glass of wine at the Mandarin Oriental Boston's Asana restaurant for $65. The going rate for their 5 course tasting menu is $85 and this offer includes a glass of wine (that I'd estimate at being worth around $10 minimum) so this is a value of around $30 per person. A good way to try out a swanky restaurant at a swanky hotel if you're interested.

But the deal comes with an interesting kicker that can make this deal quite compelling if you're into spa visits. It includes a $50 gift certificate good towards a treatment at the Mandarin Oriental Spa. Beware that most treatments run north of $200. But if you're interested in getting to know this hotel and its amenities, and can navigate the restrictions that accompany this deal it can be a good one.

But wait, there's more! You can whittle the price of the Gilt City voucher down a little more with a couple tricks.

First, buy the deal through a cashback portal like FatWallet which is currently offering 4% cashback on Gilt City purchases.

Second, if you're not a Gilt City subscriber you can get $15 off your first purchase by being referred by a friend. Like me! I'll also go $15 off my next Gilt City purchase if you sign up so thanks in advance for using my referral link if you so choose. ;)

Alright, got it? $65 - $15 = $50 plus 4% cashback from FatWallet. That's $48 for the meal with a glass of wine and the spa gift certificate as an added bonus.

Just make sure you check out the restrictions on the offer page to make sure you can take full advantage of this offer.

Here is a link to the offer on Gilt City
Offer expires 1/21/2013.

Related Reading: