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Valentine’s Day Champagne Guide

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Whether you are spending the day with your significant other or just having a night in with some friends, a champagne toast is a V-Day must! Here are some of our favorite champagnes so you can plan out some drinks and snacks to enjoy on this holiday. 

  • Veuve Clicquot
    • The infamous yellow label champagne bottle is adored for its grape, apple, and honey flavors that combine to make a bottle of delicious tasting champagne! If you’re looking for a more upscale Valentine’s Day Veuve Clicquot pairs well with white fish or meat as well as comté cheese. 

  • Korbel 
    • Korbel is crisp and refreshing, with hints of citrus and pear to taste. It would be best paired with oysters, smoked salmon, or salty foods if you are looking to make a bunch of appetizers to enjoy on Valentine’s Day.

  • Gruet Brut 
    • Gruet is packed with notes of apple and citrus flavors. This pairs well with a fruit-based dessert that brings out the sweetness of the sparkling champagne. This would be the perfect champagne to enjoy with your Valentine’s Day dessert!

  • Gruet Rosé
    • Gruet Rosé is filled with flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. This rosé champagne would pair well with pork, shellfish, or mild and soft cheese. 

  • Dom Perignon 
    • This champagne is smooth and creamy, balanced with the aromas of fruits. This high-end champagne would be paired well with salmon, lobster, or decadent cheese platters. This champagne and food pairing would make for a luxurious Valentine’s Day. 

  • Juvé & Camps 
    • With very subtle notes of white fruit and mountain flowers, this champagne pairs well with pasta and cured meats. Juvé & Camps would be the perfect drink to enjoy with your Valentine’s Day dinner. 

Whether you know the champagne you are looking for or are hoping to try something new, come into Mystic Wine Shoppe for all of your wine or champagne needs before Valentine’s Day!

 

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Pumpkin Beers We’re Loving This Fall!

The weather is cooling down, and Fall is right around the corner… yup, it’s officially pumpkin season!  We’re celebrating all season long with some amazing pumpkin beers. So stop in and grab some great pumpkin brews – you won’t be disappointed.

Here is a sample of the pumpkin beers we are carrying this season!

From Heavy Seas Brewery, The Great Pumpkin Beer is the perfect way to kick off fall! A pumpkin ale brewed with pumpkin and spices aged in Bourbon barrels; The Great’er Pumpkin is bound to put you in the fall mood!

From the Southern Tier Brewing Company, Pumking will recreate your favorite Thanksgiving dessert, Pumpkin Pie, in this beer. You will have to try this Imperial Pumpkin Ale and see how it compares to a true pumpkin pie!

Even more exciting than the Pumking beer from Southern Brewing Company is their Pumking Nitro Cans! The King of Pumpkin Beers is now in cans and on nitro! Pumking’s magical spell will electrify your senses as you hear, see, smell and taste Pumking Nitro.

The pumpkin beer options don’t stop! From Dogfish Head Brewery, this pumpkin ale is full-bodied with smooth hints of pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice! The perfect combination to create a pumpkin beer to enjoy when the weather starts to cool!

 

To celebrate the fall season, Shipyard Brewing Company has brought back their Pumpkinhead beer! With a blend of spices, including cinnamon and nutmeg, this beer is a must-try!

 Cisco Brewers, a Massachusetts favorite, has created their Pumple Drumkin beer this fall season! Brewed with pumpkin and spice, it is a great option to get you in the fall mood.

Last but not least, we have Wormtown Brewery’s Fresh Patch Pumpkin Ale in stock for the season. With pumpkin, spice, and a fun Halloween can, you will feel ready to take on the cold weather ahead while drinking this beer!

As you can see, we’re is stocked on all of the pumpkin beers you could want! So come stop by and pick some up for you and some friends to try and let us know what your favorite is!

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Holiday Food & Wine Pairings

Not sure what to pair with those tasty holiday dishes this year? We can help with these pairing suggestions for veggies, red meat, and turkey!

Veggies:

  • Trimbach Riesling (Alsace) Its delicate bouquet, the fine balance between its dry personality, its distinguished fruitiness and its natural vitality contribute to its exceptional richness. $21.99
  • St. Michael-Eppan Sauvignon Blanc (Italy) Gooseberry nose with grapefruit hints. Medium structure but nicely fresh and juicy, Off-dry, $16.99
  • Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino (Sardegna Italy) Costamolino is produced with the Mediterranean table in mind. Vermentino’s herbal flavor can also highlight vegetables such as fava beans or fennel. $14.99

Red Meat:

  • Torbreck Shiraz: A dark cherry, the central core of fruit gives way to an intense textural mid-palate full of blueberry, cocoa, spice, and dark chocolate. $19.99
  • Chateau Lanessan Haut-Medoc (France) Winery notes. Multilayered, elegant nose. Lovely Structure on the palate with fleshy tannins and a long finish. $24.99
  • Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa) Supple tannins, and vibrant black cherry, candied blackberry, and spices. A hint of coffee and dark chocolate create a lingering and delightful finish. $23.99

Turkey:

  • Boen Pinot Noir (California) The first sip of this tri-appellation Pinot Noir envelopes the mouth with a velvety richness. Flavors of bright cherry, dried herbs, and hints of vanilla, is supple and sumptuous, to the finish. $19.99
  • Argyle Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley Oregon) Red and dark fruit with savory spice and delicate floral notes. A lively, fresh middle palate along with classic Argyle silky texture and persistent length. $22.99
  • Frederic Esmonin Les Genevrieres Pinot Noir (France) Sumptuous aromas of red berries and cherry are supported by light notes of wildflower. On the palate, there are flavors of red fruit, spice, and floral accents. The tannins and acidity provide a delightful structure. $15.99
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Thanksgiving & Wine

With November right around the corner, you may be starting to think of your menu for Thanksgiving Day. The thing about turkey is, it pairs well with most wines, so do not stress! We’re here to help you find the perfect wine(s) that will go with your Thanksgiving menu.

Not sure what to get? Read through some of the wine characteristics that all pair well with a typical Thanksgiving dinner!

  • Pinot Noir:  Most pinots are dry, light- to medium-bodied with flavors that include cherry, forest floor, and notes of vanilla. It’s light yet has personality, making it perfect for any thanksgiving day meal!
  • Chardonnay: You can’t go wrong with pairing Chardonnay with your Thanksgiving dinner. Although the grape’s expressions vary worldwide, the wine’s crisp acidity, mineral undertones, and fruit-forward nature bring out the best that turkey has to offer.
  • Sauvignon Blanc: Known for its refreshing crispness, due to its high levels of acidity and low amounts of sugar, Sauvignon Blanc is a pairing for turkey.
  • Rosé: It’s light, refreshing, and fun, making it a great wine to serve as guests are arriving.
  • Zinfandel: It’s delicious fruity undertones go very well with the rich flavors of a Thanksgiving meal.
  • Chenin Blanc: A later harvest Chenin blanc is an excellent choice for a dessert wine (especially for pies!) Or try it with milder meats and flavors during your Thanksgiving meal.

Here are a few wines we are loving for Thanksgiving 2020!

Thanks for reading!

Your friends at Mystic Wine Shoppe

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5th Annual Scotch Tasting Recap

We just wrapped up our 5th Annual Whiskey Tasting featuring Single-malt Whiskies and we’re still smiling from the event. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and made this a night to remember.

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Stu was pouring and educating guests on each single-malt.

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Guests tried five scotches and were treated to delicious food from Diana who knows a thing or two about what food pairs well with scotch! These were SO tasty!

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These are the five single-malts we tasted –

• Dalwhinnie 15 Year: Smooth, aromatic, heather and honey sweetness. Great chilled.

• Lagavulin 16 Year: Aged in oak casks for at least sixteen years, this much sought-after single malt has the massive peat-smoke that’s typical of southern Islay – but also offering a dryness that turns it into a truly interesting dram

• Talisker Storm: An intense and vibrant whiskey. Well balanced waves of smoke and sweetness. Savor Talisker Storm’s peppery sweet and salty flavors neat, or draw them out with a little water.

• Oban 14 Year: Flavors of orange peel, smoke, sea salt, and honey distinguish this full-bodied highland malt

• Cragganmore 12 Year: The taste is quite light compared to the scent, mixing honey with a basket of nutty flavors. The finish starts off a little peppery, and rolls out into pleasant, smoky warmth. It’s a pleasant, and only slightly complex sipper, just the sort of thing for a go-to single malt for everyday drinking or to use as a starter or next step Scotch.

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Thank you again to everyone who stopped by! We had a blast!

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Creamy RumChata Hot Cocoa

This may be one of our favorite Cocktails of The Month yet! Just think about a warm, chocolatey, and toasty hot cocoa and you’ve got this month’s recipe. We made this one easy for you because we know you’re busy with wrapping presents and trimming the tree 🙂 Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

  • RumChata to taste
    • RumChata is the perfect blend of Rum, Cream, Cinnamon, and Vanilla.
  • 1 Cup Hot Cocoa | we used a packet of hot cocoa mix and added in a teaspoon of cacao powder to add a nutritional benefit, cause why not
  • Toppings: Marshmallows, chocolate bits, and whipped cream (you could also try crushed up andes mints)

Make it: Add the Rum Chata to your hot cup of hot cocoa and top with marshmallows and chocolate bits!!! ENJOY!

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What are your favorite holiday cocktails? We found some other great holiday recipes using RumChata HERE.

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We wish you a happy and safe holiday season

~ Taylor & the Mystic Wine Shoppe Team

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Sparkling Cranberry Cider Cocktail

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we thought this warming cranberry cocktail was appropriate. With just a few tasty ingredients (you know we like a nice and easy cocktail) this one is simple to make while also packing in some serious flavor. So, what’s our secret? Champlain Orchards Cranberry Hard Cider adds flavor, bubbles, and pairs perfectly with Doc Brown’s Really Bad Dark Rum.  Check it out –

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Ingredients:

Make This Cocktail:

  • Mix the cider, rum, and mixer together over ice
  • Garnish with an apple slice (or cranberries would be fancy too)

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What do you think? A new seasonal favorite? We think so!

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Head over to Mystic for all your Thanksgiving Day needs. Along with having high-end wines we also have fantastic boxed wines and 3 for $20 wines!

Thanks for reading, Taylor

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St. Patty’s Day Cocktail

Of course, brews and whiskey are bound to be on your menu for St. Patrick’s Day this Sunday. We wanted to shake it up a bit. We held a poll on Instagram, and you voted we listened! We created a yummy, festive Irish Whiskey beverage! Behold our O’Cream cocktail! We can’t wait for you to try it.IMG_9294

The ingredients and creation is simple!

  • on ice
  • 3 ounces of The Irishman Irish Cream
  • 2 ounces Prizefight Irish Whiskey

This delicious cocktail will impress your guests and honor your Irish heritage (I mean… everyone’s Irish on St. Patty’s day, right?). Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe to pick up the ingredients and other Irish choices!

 

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