We are gonna help you out just this time...

We get it that you are not much into making toasts at the witching hour, but there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn't be prepared. If you stop in after 3pm today we will be tasting various "bubblies" and you should be able to find something to your liking to take home for later.

And to further smooth the way, here are some toasts for the "speechless". Pick what's appropriate. Raise a glass. Happy New Year.

Here's to the days of good will,
cold weather, and warm hearts.

A health to you,
a wealth to you,
And the best that life can give to you.

We've Holidays and happy days, and memory days galore
And when we've toasted every one, I offer just one more
So let us lift our glasses high, and drink a silent toast
To the day, deep buried in each heart
that each one loves the most

You, like many of us, might have a little "making up for some earlier-in-the-year errors" sometime this evening .  So in the interest of romance here are the words to the appropriate song and your favorite band playing further on down. To the light of the computer screen, sing along, hold hands, knock yourselves out.

Auld Lang Syne
by Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne



What's a nudge between friends?

We certainly don't want to be nudges but New Year's Eve is 2 nights from now...2 shopping days .... and we will taste some sparkling wines Saturday, New Year's Eve from 3-6. 132 Front St. Greenport.  Got it.
'nuf said.

If you stay home that evening about 10pm or so the NY Philharmonic and the Vienna Symphony will be doing their special New Year's Eve concert and they are fun to watch.  One of our friends was actually in Vienna and went to one of those some 20 plus years ago. It was fun so he said. He recounted the following:

Across from the concert hall and over a bit was a real Vienna champagne bar where one went after such concerts. They served chocolates and champagne - by all accounts a dandy combination.  Our friend went to the bar to order and had some musician friends from the event with him. He asked information as in " how much" (wie viele ist es) but his German was nicht gut and the bartender said "viel??" and our friend thought he said vier (as in the number 4 not how much) so our friend gestured to his 2 guests and repeated "vier?" which in the din of the place came out "vier jaja!" or 4 and 3 of us so 12 glasses appeared. Dazed and confused our friend paid the 120$ bar tab and and everyone drowned in cheap champagne.  The only solace was that Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven and Mahler had drunk champagne there on New Year's Eve - records meticulously kept - so that was kinda neat.

Venus

We happily spend long hours at this time of year and it seems we come to work with Venus setting and leave with Venus Rising - the proverbial morning and evening "star". 

It is just past mid-day and our bright little friend is nowhere to be seen and additionally it is far to early to play "did you know that..." but remember that old ditty "star light star bright first star I see tonight..."? It is the evening star "Venus" which, by some celestial magic turns into the morning star in the east.  It is regular and something of a comfort. Think about it. The moon all but disappears regularly - fading in and out - but this gentle orb shows up on time and shows us west at night and east in the morning as if following and then dragging up the sun.

Poe wrote a poem (yes that Edgar) wrote a poem called "Evening Star" as part of the published set we know as Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827).  Folks have been writing about Venus or discussing it and have noticed it from antiquity (Hesperus in Greek mythology), biblically (How Brightly Shines the Morning Star), and spiritually (wow! lookatthat!) and an occasional musician captures it perfectly like this:

Its Christmas by the Fire...

Simple Gifts

We gift wrap.

You still have a day and 3/4ths.

We smile and talk to you and don't need an elf standing outside our door to make you feel welcome.

Share a moment with us.

Give a gift that inspires the appreciative "ahhhhh!!".

Evening on the First Day of Winter

We like our view down Front Street.  About closing time the Village goes through a transition between bustle and repose..things slow down...and night just settles in.

We have a lot of store visitors right about now - someone on the way to a friend's home for dinner and needs to bring a bottle of wine while others just have picked out what they are going to eat and a glass with dinner or appetizers changes things from ordinary to a little more special.  We have a nice shop so we can learn about that as our customers generally like to chat a bit and it is more that we sell to friends than just "wonder who that was".  We learn about that when we do the gift wrapping and look forward to listening.  People are friendly and like to talk a bit.  It is very nice.

Everyone's taste is a bit different and we try and remember about each person in that way. Also nice. We have so many friends. So many.

We are so blessed.

Upright or on its side???

We are of course referring to storing sparkling wines and not the condition of the consumer.  In our never ending quest to keep you informed of things...(we are kidding here!)....one of our readers asked about champagne and keeping the bottles on their side or sitting them upright. Does it matter? Do you care?  We personally think that storage shouldn't be a problem if consumed with diligence.  Sparkling wine is like a an old friend who should never grow old.

This applies to sparkling wine generally so here goes -

1. If you have a plastic "cork" then it doesn't matter at all.
2. If you have a cork/cork - you know the type - then there is a debate that says if you rest the bottle on its side the contents come in contact with the cork and that may change the wine but not in a good way like other types...the fine line between keeping the cork moist and therefore airtight v. just plain old cork contamination.
3. The CO2 helps keep the seal (pressure) and if stored upright, it shouldn't matter a whole heck of a lot.

BORED YET???? Well, you had to get me started....

Yardsticks

On this Sunday morning, just turned that day now, and before we trot off to sleep, with visions of sugar plums dancing, the stockings washed and folded, we in our "kerchief" and cap,  and no clatter yet out on the front lawn...this time... a week out...

With all the plastic commercialism that bombards us and that we decry, there are things true and beautiful in this time. That sincere smile of greeting, kids laughing and eyes twinkling, a held door or coat or chair, a helping hand and just that casual nod of greeting.  Nice things.

We all need to (and we won't preach another word - promise) have a yardstick or two in our lives against which we measure how we are acting. If we select something of near transcendental beauty or peacefulness, calmness or even a spoonful of melancholic introspection; against that yardstick we can see how other things measure up.  If we don't have that one standard, well, it's a yardstick with no inches.

So in this little period before the reindeer land on the rooftop, it won't hurt to reassess our yardsticks - to see if our "nice" measures up, if we go to the right length to be considerate, if we inch our way to a more  courteous way of thinking - simply if we have a grip on those things that are the best and we appreciate most and then hold ourselves to that end.

Night.

An addicting game for a "no snow" Saturday

Winter is flirting with the edges of our village and if you know where we are (132 Front Street across from Mitchell Park  hint hint - Tasting today at 3pm...last one before Christmas Eve) sorry, couldn't resist the colors! - we thought it would be fun, along with the Whyligyges in the window to trot out this VERY addicting game. Let us know if you get to level 9.

Bet ya' can't play just one (link here)
We think this to be a great opportunity to pass a few minutes while your mind races toward mittens and boots and the days long gone by. 

Hustle Bustle Time

We are the first to admit that we haven't ever met a gift we didn't like and, for the sake of argument, is there any such thing as a bad gift? Inappropriate perhaps but even then unless it is a sack full of snakes, the intention was probably good even if misdirected.

Sometimes we are so caught up the fray of "the season" that we get a little out of whack. We wonder about what the less fortunate think about a shiny new car with a red bow when indeed a soup kitchen with richer broth would equally suffice.  Our point is put in extreme terms but in truth there are extremes and it is good to keep that in mind.
We enjoy it a lot when folks come in our store and spend a little time and thought on a bottle of wine or spirits to be given as a gift.  We imagine a visit, dinner perhaps or just a "thinking about you" drop by, taking something to the business friend next door or across the hall; a hail "well let's open this up" and share a dram response, all jolly and smiles, a hearty and well meant handshake or kiss on the cheek in thanks that isn't at all for the gift but for the thought.

When we are doing that also remember that the soup kitchens are in tough spots, the food pantry has some holes on its shelves, and generally one man's rags are another man's riches.

Great Sunday - The Market, Parade, and Us

Some pretty big doings today at the Market as you can see by the poster to the right. Shelley has been up doing her thing from right about now (6am).

It is a bit too early to crack open some bottles of sparkling wine but we assure you that they are well chilled and ready for you.

Most of all, this will be fun. The food is always great, the crowd is a real "Market" crowd and Deb, from Greenport Wines and Spirits will be in full smiles which, along with Shelley, is enough to light up a room.

Come, knosh, watch the parade at 1pm,
taste and say hello.

If you can't go to the choir, then we bring one to you

On this Pearl Harbor Day, 60 years ago about now, it isn't a bad thing to think of things more gentle than war.  Good day and good spirits. Don't forget the past but keep it with you as you smile, think good thoughts, and move forward.

Just some happy music for you today

Michael Pratorius wrote this nearly 500 years ago..well not this arrangement of it..but the theme...and this performance is "sparkling" like our wine tasting this week and the event at The Market on Saturday at 10am.

Have a nice day.

Big doin's at The Market

Sunday Bruch...come eat, sample, watch the parade...knosh with friends.

We will be there, decking the halls so to speak. What a great morning it will be.

Bright Lights and Whirligigs

Sometime during our wine tasting this afternoon (3-6pm 132 Front St. Greenport hint hint), it will be dark enough outside and we can turn on our little whirligigs in the window.

We are using our term "whirligig" a little loosely but to be somewhat correct they aren't just those things that spin on Antiques Roadshow after spending a century on a barn - they are anything that spins.

Whyrlegyge, chyldys game...is the oldest reference we can find and that's from the middle 15th century. One of the words, gyge, is old English and probably French in origin, and it means to spin.  The gigue or jig, the dance itself, comes from this word and spinning about.  Too much? OK.

Anyway, about halfway through the tasting our little Whyrlegyges will start their work. You can bask in the soft lights and the motion and all this new found knowledge....and if you don't remember Fantasia from your Childhood, you might like the lights in this. Magic. Pure magic.

A little waltz music

We think that a waltz is something to imagine as much as "do".  Men in their formal evening wear, women in long gowns, champagne, couples swirling about...it is like a fairy tale that we never grow tired of even if we can't waltz worth a lick. A lot of us grew up to the Nutcracker Suite at this time of year and the Waltz of the Flowers was like a bit of that magic.  Some of us owned great big picture books that had snow scenes and glowing windows, horses and sleighs and all kinds of folks on skates on frozen ponds and creeks.  To memories!



Just a nip of winter

We are all decorated out for the holidays - lots of lights and flashy things in our window, the Village tree across the street, the carousel and its lights at dusk...well it is mighty festive.

In case you haven't ventured out, there is a hint of what is in store for us in the next few months.  Some of our thoughts turned to sleigh rides and snow, perhaps a twirl around the ice rink when it opens.

We were talking to a friend this morning who recounts sleigh rides in northern Michigan and the horse, all tinkly with the bells, making a great deal of noise when things started up and then, momentum gained and the riders snuggled in under the blankets, snow falling slightly faster than the sun setting - and it becomes all "winter quiet".  We liked that phrase, "winter quiet".

We liked it very much.

Bubbly Season

For good or for bad, better or for worse, lean times, hard times, good times, perhaps all times - there is something about popping the cork so to speak and pouring a toast.

The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve seems to be ripe for this. Uncle Ned, wobbly to his feet and raising a glass in praise of the Turducken or mom and dad watching the presents being ripped apart and treating themselves to a mimosa so artfully hidden in the OJ.

Whatever it is, the bubbly associates itself with this time of year and before you go out and get some for a friend's gift or for lugging home to chill until New Year's, we recommend you taste some and learn some about it - why it isn't champagne for instance - and why we have, on Long Island, some of the best sparkling wines going.

Or you can just drop in and say hello and flash a smile and get it returned.

We promise not to play Lawrence Welk and his Champagne Music Makers but then again we just might.

And you thought we were just a regular wine and spirits store - Julia Child move over

We would like to report that this is easy.  Actually, after you have gone through the drill one time, it is. 
We heartily recommend that you open the liquor cabinet about an hour before you start. Makes this a whole lot easier.

For you readers who want to do this over the holidays coming up, well, I can't tell you every cook's secret but:

1.  use a big turkey and just debone the ribs etc....leave the legs and thighs where they are..otherwise you get a football rather than a bird.

2. just buy chicken breasts and thighs - SKINLESS...no one will every ever know.

3.  If you can get duck breasts, well they are unbelievable in this...but to do the entire duck thing, you have to render the fat in the skin otherwise you get rubber skins, and that is too much fat by 10x's.

4.  Because all the fat is out of this to start with, any dressing you put in...and you should layer it, needs to be on the moist side.

OK so far?  Bone the turkey.  Put it on its skin side down. don't worry...it will be a mess so just get plenty of room. FLASH: "pre-lay" the butcher's twine underneath as you will but binding this together at the end and it gets heavy....

Last...butterfly the breasts...that thins them out and makes for more even cooking.

Steps:

1. turkey skin down...season it liberally...then spread a fairly thin layer o dressing over all the breast meat.
2. butterfly the chicken and duck breasts so they are thinner...or you can just buy chicken that is already presliced breasts into scallopini like cuts.  layer this out.
3. cover with a thin layer of dressing
4. roll the whole thing up and use the butcher's twine to  kinda make it work.  you can use some skewers to get it to look like  a turkey if you want....for heaven's sake...don't get crazy.
5. We recommend, like all turkey, the low and slow method.  breast side down for 3 hours at 250. Breast side up for 9 more hours at 250 (it will flip easy and not fall apart). total 12 hours at low heat.
6. The inner temp should be in the 160 range as this will cook like crazy on its own after it is out. It stays steaming hot for an hour plus.  Just measure the temp in the dark meat of the turkey...when that is done it is all done.

Also it helps if you have a dog and a cat, 2-4 grand kids under age 4, no counter room, and a few other distractions .... that makes this a piece of cake.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

The turkey will be perfect...the kids set the table without being asked...steam will still be coming from perfectly cooked and piping hot veggies.....mashed potatos will be like silk.....even the cranberry jello mold will have set perfectly....everyone really wanted the greenbean and mushroom soup dish and you have that can of those fried onions from last year.....the men announce that there will be no football on TV until turkey sandwiches tonight....ahhhhh

Tell yourself its not a dream.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Give a little more than you get....

We are about to head into Turkey Day full force and in that headlong rush toward Black Friday and all that let's just think about what is important come a week from today.

It is important that you were kind to someone.  It is important that you set a good example for your kids or your parents or your friends.  It is important that you gave someone the opportunity to tell you that you did a nice thing. It is important that you give more than you get.

We aren't giving away a bottle of wine to accompany your meal but we will smile and say thank you and wish you a happy day. Drop in. Share a story. Say hello.

Jon Stewart Thanksgiving Funny, Peconic Bay Riesleing, Turducken

At Saturday's tasting (3-6p 132 Main St. in Greenport) we are talking turkey; wines that match up well with Turkey that is.

• Peconic Bay from Long Island
• Kung Foo Girl from Washington State
• Leitz Out from Germany
• Willm from Alsace France

We changed the colors a bit (don't adjust your TV dial) because each is very much different.  A personal fav is the Riesling from Peconic Bay Vineyards in Cutchogue.  It is really, really good. Join us would you please.

We caught The Daily Show recently and heard a pretty good Thanksgiving joke - it isn't verbatim but close:

"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land."  Thinking back on things local, we without doubt had a few people here  350+ years ago who had family at that first Thanksgiving and unfortunately when they came here they took land too. That brings up a Johnny Carson joke from years ago.  "Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often".  That gives you two funnies to tell next week.

Speaking of funny, Turducken is all the rage now (turkey, duck, chicken all in one - please don't mess with the syllables).  Someone we know is trying it. We will let you know.  See you Saturday.

We just couldn't resist

There have been any number of contests that go along the lines of  "You supply the caption".

We thought of a few, "That's no knife mate. This is what I call a knife" being way up there (for all you Croc Dundee fans) or "Who let the dog out" for you the few Baha fans remaining.

So now you get a chance. Bring your entries in on Saturday at the tasting (3-6p 132 Main in Greenport) and we will find a wine that goes great with a slim and slightly paranoid turkey.

Turkeys are on the prowl....

That day of days when Uncle Whoosie eats too much dark meat and falls asleep at the table...its next week and for us, not a week too soon.

We like Thanksgiving because it is a good occasion to bring a bottle of wine as a pre-meal thank you gift or to find something to grace your table at home. So we are going to start a little series here of good wines to go with Turkey.

Riesling is one choice that comes to mind. It is light and a nice combination of soft and sometimes tart. It cuts through the turkey and won't help contribute to Uncle Whoosis' premature sleep. Riesling is generally served at a cool 11 °C.  We have some in our store. In fact we have a very nice selection and they won't break the bank.
Try one this week and think about how it will go next week.  Uncle Whoosis will love it.

Odd names, Thanksgiving coming up, some fun music and of course a reminder

Saturday is Tasting Day at Greenport Wines and Spirits - 3-6pm - 132 Front Street in Greenport.  Usually we have a winery or distributor pouring for us but this day it is Owner's Choice and Deb piled through the back room and found some nifty bottles to sample from. Some odd names will make their appearance:

Snap Dragon Red

Starry Night Zinfandel

Dr Loosen

Dr L Riesling

With Thanksgiving coming up it is time to think about something nice to pair with the ubiquitous turkey dinner and that takes some thought.  For the most part there are a lot of good choices but perhaps this year take it a step further - an unusually named wine (that is of course drinkable) is a conversation starter; certainly something that might bring a smile and a Snap Dragon Red next to the cranberry and marshmallow jello might just do the trick.

We also think that searching out the appropriateate music for the pre-dinner knoshing hour is again something to think about.  Instead of the usual Greatful Dead, KISS, Montevani and Lawrence Welk, take a step out and venture in Gershwin or Cole Porter.  We will be giving some ideas from time to time but the idea is the same;
decorate your table with something unusually wine-wise and that really pairs well with the meal and then put on some music that enhances conversation and calmness rather than just flipping on WLNG (not that there is anything wrong with WLNG for Heaven's Sake).  Just venture out some.

Speaking of George Gershwin, we know him for his incredible show tunes and songs as well as a host of snappy orchestra/piano pieces. There is a lot of other things that are just plain clever and fun.  The first here "Walking the Dog" was a segment theme song on WQXR the late great radio station of the NYTimes. It is just fun to listen to. 

Hey - Thanks!

It was terrific to see so many of our friends last night at our wine and cheese gathering. Middle week, a kinda bleak night, and there you were and we are so appreciative.

It means a lot to us.

Thank you

Let us interrupt your hectic day

Of course we want you to drop by this evening for wine and cheese and other goodies from 5-8pm - consider yourself invited.

Also we want to remind you that there is more to life than rush-rush and getting one more thing done.
Take a couple minutes - breath in, breath out - let your mind wander around a bit.  Of course you can do what you were doing but let this play out in the background.

Just a gentle nudge reminder/invitation

Not only a wine tasting with some of Deb's favorites, Greenport Wine and Spirits will also have munchies and above all the bon homme that makes the shop what it is.

It has been quite a year and we are thankful to our friends and customers, customers and friends, and both for making it such a pleasure to open our doors each day.

Come visit us. Browse some. Find something you like and just say hello. We will be so happy to see you.

Thursday, November 10 from 5-8pm.

132 Front St., Greenport

Here's one for ya'

 http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/5915761B8DC?z=0&m=BC25042DF3.3A0312F

I'll give you a minute tops.

Wine "Spectator"

We are having our weekly Saturday tasting in just a few hours (Sat., 11/5 from 3-6p) at our shop at 132 Front St. in Greenport and of course our Wine and Cheese event next week.  It occured to us that one thing that doesn't come in an aging barrel of wine, or for that matter, in a bottle and glass, is the interaction with another person when enjoying a taste or a tasting.

If you can't get by to see us, here is a little video (below).  We just note that it might be a little bit more fun if you could taste it and talk about it...but that's just us.

A really great wine tasting today

Patricia Hope from Lauber Imports will sample a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from Chile, a Chianti Classico, a Prosecco, and a Champagne, not sure what else.  She is quite knowledgeable.  3-6pm.  No charge.
Lauber Imports is part of Southern Wine and Spirits now. It is a distributor with a 30 year history and Patricia is a terrific person who is as nice and natural as can be. She also knows her stuff. Really knows it and is one of those gracious hosts who helps rather than does the school teacher thing....not that there is anything wrong with school teachers....OMG what did I say.

Anyway, come in and join us from 3-6p today (Nov. 5) at 132 Front Street in Greenport and don't forget our wine and cheese event next week.

Something really nice for an early Friday morning...

...or anytime for that matter.

Just thinking about our Saturday wine tasting. Patricia Hope from Lauber Imports will sample a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from Chile, a Chianti Classico, a Prosecco, and a Chanpagne, not sure what else.  She is one of those good person experts - helpful and friendly so it will be fun and light-hearted. I'll send out an announcement in a bit. 

In the mean time, grab a couple minutes. Sip some coffee. Have a knosh - but quietly of course. The household is never so peaceful as these moments before dawn.  Pet your cat. Think noble and gentle thoughts.  Start the day with calmness and serenity. Work can wait a minute or two...it really can.

Visuals

Greenport Wine and Spirits had a collection of visitors yesterday afternoon ranging from from casual shoppers to a distributor making a presentation of a new line of wines. The new line had unusual and very imaginative labels and that became the discussion although the wine sampling was on whole very well received by those in the store.

A friend who is in advertising opined that some of the more imaginative and "jump off the shelf" product labels were most certainly found in the wine industry and we all agreed.  We were just noting that wine labels are, compared to a box of cereal, fairly small and must be visually identified for the most part.  Deb, the owner, opined that so many people come in and look for a familiar label rather than thinking about pairings with food courses as in "what would go well with my dinner tonight".  Nothing wrong with that of course and the "I like what I like" is without argument.  But we fairly agreed that for a new wine first to get shelf space and second to be noticed let alone remembered was a nifty feat of advertising and branding prowess.

Next time you are in the store, wander around some and see what catches your eye before thinking about how it would taste alone or with your meal.  Just a thought we were a'thinkin'.

This is NO TIME to be modest!

We are pretty happy about this.
Greenport Wines and Spirits has been "on the map" for those who enjoy going into a shop with a staff that knows the business cold yet isn't even 1% snobby about it - just sincere. Deb has done a great job of stocking shelves with a variety that hits every taste and budget - no small deal - and helps you without a sales pitch...just helps.  Again no small deal.

Dan's Papers have scouts out everywhere and found us.  They liked what they found enough to give us the Best of the Best and for that we have our friends, customers and clients to thank.

Now that we have gone and bragged some (forgive us), come out in the potential rain and wind and celebrate with us.  Lenz Winery is here today from 3-6. Front Street (132) has parking spaces at last look.  We have room. It is cozy and warm. 

Makes us wanna dance.

Two big events this weekend - All Hallow's Eve and Lenz Winery

First things first.  You will note that we actually named our store (or part of the name) in honor of Halloween (or All Hallow's Eve).  To get in the spirit (bad pun intended) one must get ready for Gate Night before All Hallow's Eve, which is Sunday before Monday's festivities. That means the dreaded trip to the pumpkin patch up the road to the west (we are lobbying for a pumpkin source here in the Village).  To give you something to talk about at the water cooler before then, you can call a jack-o-lantern by its real name, Ignus fatuus.  It seems the inhabitants of the Isles were keen on carving up gourds and poking light holes in the outer skin as kind of scary things to put out in the moors.  To go futher into nonsense, Ignus Fatuus, is really a reference to swamp gas or a phosphorescent light that hovers or flits over swampy ground at night.  Enough.

To fortify you for the nights that follow, our good friends at Lenz Winery will be at our shop from 3-6pm on the eve of Gate Night of this year's All Hallow's Eve (pssst that means Saturday the 29th) and we get to sample and taste their latest. 

Come light our Ignus Fatuus, delight in a pre-Hallow bit of trivia, avoid the crowds to the pumpkin patch...

Think of it as a candy bag for adults.