Thanks

First of all I want to thank the few or the many who nominated us for "Best of North Shore", wine shop in the "North Shore" magazine. Although we did not get best from the magazine we got enough votes to be one of the "Readers Choice" best and the only one in Salem. Thanks. Next year the magazine will see it's error.
Just booked the "Lyceum" restaurant for our first annual "Salem Wine Expo" on Thurs., Sept. 25th. We hope to get winemakers, importers and maybe an owner or two, to be there. Regardless we will be pouring upwards of 100 wines from all around the world and all with SWI's guarantee of quality. Grazing food as well as some light entertainment will be there so we should have a great time. Please tell your friends and make it a night to remember in your wine life. We have decided to charge (ugh) for this event but only after much consideration concerning the need for "great" wines to be available. A modest $20 pre pay or $25 at the door. Further info will be forthcoming as more details. Thanks

Rain, Rain go away

Seems like it's been raining for a week straight and I believe everyone is getting quite fed up with it. What to do? Well, you know what I'm going to recommend---Take home a different wine tonight and feel the excitement mount. Wash away those rainy day blues and experiment with a totally unknown entity. Expand you horizons. Well, I guess that's enough, but seriously, or semi-seriously wine experimenting is fun for the adventuresome and for people like myself who believe that it's better to be disappointed than bored. Buy a Brachetto from Piedmontese and after chilling a bit open and discover. Discover what? A sweet, sparkling, low alcohol red wine that is delightful alone or after dinner with chocolate or other sweet things. Will you appreciate a "sweet, sparkling red? If are open to new tastes, then yes, I believe you will. If you refuse to try sweet then try a Montefalco Rosso from Umbria that contains a bit of the Sagrantino grape and is dry and rich at the same time. Want something in between then step up to the incredible Zind Humbrecht, Herrenweg Gewurtztraminer from the 02' vintage. No one squeezes more flavor from a grape than ZH and you can darn near taste the sun even if you cannot see it.
Some ideas for a rainy day.