Bordeaux in a Box and a Languedoc Cabernet

Tonight, Thursday, June 10, from 6-9pm, taste two delicious Bordeaux wines straight from the box (one white and one rosé) and also an excellent cabernet sauvignon from South West France.

Wine in a Box: the equivalent of four regular wine bottles fits into a vacuum-sealed bag inside a nice wooden box (the wood is grown in Bordeaux) with a spout – perfect for parties or to keep in your fridge for your daily fix.

Château Les Maines (Box) Bordeaux Rosé is a blend of Cabernet Franc (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%). A bright pink hue, this rosé is an easy-drinker with flavors of strawberries and herbs. It’s the perfect drink for a summer night gathering. Or keep a box on hand for yourself – it preserves practically forever with its air-tight seal.

Château Les Maines (Box) Bordeaux Blanc "Cuvée Soleil d'Or" is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Aromas of pineapple and apricot lead you to a rich, medium-bodied wine with a generous finish.

Domaine La Croix Belle Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Languedoc is fire truck red with intense aromas of black fruits and spices. Well-structured and balanced, it is ready for drinking now but can also be kept for several years.

Craving Bibich Debit

Bibich Debit 2008 from Northern Dalmatia in Croatia never looked so tempting ...
Order your own bottle at: http://www.murrayhillwines.com/searchresults.aspx?mode=2

Argentine Sun

Argentina’s desert-like climate produces tiny grapes packed with intense flavor. Taste three wines: a Chardonnay-Viognier blend, a Malbec-Syrah blend, and a Cabernet Sauvignon tonight from 6 to 9pm at MHW.

XumeK Zonda Chardonnay-Viognier 2009

XumeK means “Sun” in the language of the Huarpe people, which is a fitting name for this consistently hot region. The rich and soft Chardonnay and Viognier grapes grow in the Zonda Valley at the foot of the Andes Mountians in Southern San Juan, Argentina. The valley gets its name from a constant dry wind referred to as the Zonda. This wine is very different and intriguing—an excellent mellow and round blend with florals and soft fruits.

XumeK Reserve Malbec-Syrah 2006

This Malbec-Syrah blend reaps black cherry, dark pepper, chocolate, sweet oak and game. When people request an excellent Argentine Malbec, we always point them in this direction, because the syrah adds just the right touch of deep berry flavor and bold tannins. Steve Tanzer, publisher of Wine Cellar, rated this XumeK at 88 points. Pesticide-free and low in sulfites, it is aged for 12 months in medium-toast French oak barrels, then 12 months in the bottle.

Umbral Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Grown in Mendoza on 33-year-old vines in rich, sandy soil, this vibrantly violet Umbral Cabernet Sauvignon smells like a spice box with dark fruits like black currant and blackberry. In 1973, inspired by Napa Valley, Sigifredo Alonso became the first winemaker in Argentina to plant single varietal vineyards (a total of 130 hectares). Last year, his wines were finally released to the public to the excitement of wine critics and drinkers worldwide.

We Are OCD

Sip on some complex wines from Marlborough at tonight’s free wine tasting from 6 to 9pm. Otto’s Constant Dream Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir pack a medley of flavors from fruits to herbs and minerals, making for an interesting and deliciously fun experience. Read on, and join us tonight …

Otto’s Constant Dream Sauvignon Blanc 2009

New Zealand sauvignon blancs are known for bright tropical fruits. OCD Sauvignon Blanc delivers that and so much more. The nose smells a little grassy and fresh. The palate offers that expected and delightful taste of passion fruit. Surprisingly you can taste a bit of blackcurrant fruits as well, and then OCD tops it off with a definite hint of sage and a lemon zest. This wine is awesome with pan seared fish. When we cook fish at home, we like to pick the best quality fish at our neighborhood Wild Edibles on 3rd Ave. just a half block away from Murray Hill Wines.

Otto’s Constant Dream Pinot Noir 2008

Sautee some chorizo in a pan to eat with this raspberry-cherry-plum-flavored pinot noir with toasty oak. Vegetarians will love it with sautéed mushrooms. The wine’s other interesting flavors like thyme and rosemary come out even more with the right food pairings.

Take home these Marlborough wines tonight and share them with family and friends!

Lambrusco: Sparkling Red Wine

What: Lambrusco tasting
Where: Murray Hill Wines, 516 3rd Ave., b/w 34th and 35th St.
When: Friday, May 27, 6-9pm

For red wine lovers seeking something lighter or more effervescent for summer, Murray Hill Wines is here to bring you three of the best sparkling Italian red wines you’ll ever taste. Straight from Emilia-Romagna, our wine importer’s homeland and where he sources his lambrusco, we will taste you on Roberto Balugani Lambrusco di Castalvetro, Il Maglio Lambrusco, and Vezzeli Lambrusco di Sorbara.

Lambrusco greatly varies in taste and body. Some lambrusco offer dark berry fruit flavors, similar to a full-bodied cabernet with added carbonation. Others are reminiscent of coca-cola, bubblegum or strawberry. Others provide a deep oak-y or smoky component. Decide for yourself what memories our three lambrusco wines bubble up for you.

From Germany to France and Spain in one tasting

Tonight, Thursday, May 27 from 6 to 9, we’ll taste a German Riesling, Bordeaux blend and Spanish Macabeo—all three unique and impressive.

Winninger Bruckstuck Riesling 2007
In this semi-sweet Riesling, stony fruit and minerals overpower the palate followed by a touch of ripe melon. This German Rieslings offers the best of both worlds: mineral with hints of sweet fruit.

Pago de San Gabriel Pradomayor de Zubiola Navarra 2007
This Bordeaux blend—from Navarra, specifically—mixes flavors of raspberry, cherry and spices from the oak. Gentle in body, it builds to a slightly spicy, long, sappy finish.

Lo Brujo Macabeo 2009
The most commonly planted white grape in northern Spain, Macabeo grows in the middle of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range by the river Jalón. Crisp and playful, it offers a tropical fruit and citrus medley.

Croatian Craze

Join us tonight from 5:30 to 8:30 at Murray Hill Wines to taste three Croatian wines and native varietals.

Zdjelarevic Grasevina 2008

This Graševina--a type of Riesling planted more than any other white grape throughout Croatia--comes from Slavonia in the Croatian mainland. Perfected by master vintner Davor Zdjelarević, the golden wine exhibits flavors of apricot, peach, honey and apple.

Toreta Posip 2007

The great-grandson of the founder of the Toreta winery, Frano Banicević, age 25, has relaunched the family-run winery, which began at the turn of the 20th Century and stopped producing wine during Communism. He ages his Posip in Slavonian oak to create a sweet nose of honey, appale and pear with an unusually full body and a lemon finish.

Bibich Riserva 2007

From North Dalmatia, this blend of native grapes Babich, Plavina, Lasin--all related to Zinfandel--is aged one year in American oak. While light and smooth, the flavor is intense with strong dark fruits and berries, spices and black pepper.

živili!