Show Your Valentine the Love at Carpe Vino
For you hopeless romantics out there, taking your beloved to Carpe Vino on Valentine’s Day is a great way to demonstrate the depth of your emotion and caring. It’s also a slick way to rack up easy points and score yourself a great meal. . .a classic win-win opportunity if ever there was one!
That’s the good news. The bad news is this special prix-fixe event is selling out quickly. We’re already half subscribed before even announcing the menu (click here for details). So delay on this opportunity, and on February 14th you could find yourself in the drive-thru lane at In-N-Out.
Our Valentine’s Day menu is five courses, with main anchors of Seared Dayboat Scallops and Roasted Angus Filet Mignon. There are no options, but vegetarians will be accommodated. Cost is $85 per person, plus tax and tip. Make reservation by calling 530-823-0320 only; OpenTable has been disabled for February 14.
Note to the Ladies: dessert is Chocolate Espresso Torte with blood orange ice cream and caramelized cocoa nibs!
The local Fox affiliate heard Carpe Vino was just the place for romantics, so Chef Eric Alexander has been invited to preview V-Day menu items. Check him out on Fox 40’s News at 9 a.m. with Paul Robins the morning of Valentine’s Day.
200+ Jam the Friendly Confines for “Wine Thing”
More than 200 people packed Carpe Vino last Saturday for our 14th rendition of Wine Thing, our mega tasting and sale. This Wine Club Member-only event was absolutely amazing, with roughly 75 wines open for tasting and discounts ranging up to 24%. Another compelling reason to join the Carpe Vino Wine Club (now pushing 800 members).
Even if you were not able to attend, you should be aware of four wines that stood out for me. All awesome for different reasons, they should be top sellers once we get all of the purchases sorted out. I can’t promise how much more we’ll be able to source, but take my word for it, these are outstanding finds:
Best Value of the Day: 2009 Bodegas Borsao Berola Red Wine (Spain), a blend of 70% granacha (grenache), 20% syrah and 10% cabernet sauvignon, this wine retails for just $15 per bottle, yet wine critic Robert Parker awarded it 90 points. In his review, he said: “This has been one of my go-to wineries for many years, given their relationship between quality and price. Once you taste these wines, you will probably ask the same question many people have—why do I need to spend more?”
Just 1,400 cases were made and, and Parker described it like this: “Abundant notes of black currants, black cherries, licorice, flowers, vanillin and spice box are found in the aromas and flavors of this medium to full-bodied, silky, well endowed wine. Unbelievable!” That’s high praise from a world class critic who has seen and tasted it all.
–Two Killer Bordeaux-style Blends: 2008 Trione Vineyard & Winery Red Wine (Alexander Valley). A compilation of 53% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 11% petit verdot, 10% cabernet franc, and 4% Malbec, this wine won Silver at 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Retail is $48 per bottle, but we’re looking into positioning this as a Gary’s Wine Deal of the Week, so stay tuned for more information and, hopefully, a screaming deal.
Also, the 2009 Inspire “Boyanci” Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), a very limited Mia Klein entry that is 76% cabernet sauvignon, 12% cabernet franc, 6% petit verdot, 3% Malbec and 3% syrah. Just 384 six packs were produced ($59.99 retail).
–My Favorite Cab: 2010 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon(Napa Valley), a marvelous example of how a Mt. Veeder cab should taste ($29.99 retail).
All of these wines are still available for sale, though the Mount Veeder is in very limited supply. So, if you’d like to order, it is on a first-come, first-served basis. I loved them, and I think you will, too!