Labor Day Specials 

Here are some great picks from Pond Point to make your Labor Day Extra Special !

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All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

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Wine is STILL where it's at !!!!

As Summer winds down, the days can still be warm but if a cold beer is not quite for you ? 

Then have some Wine !!!
Beer has a place under the summer sun. A ubiquitous Mexican cerveza es buena poolside, but rather trite by now, don't you think? The fact of the matter is that wine and summer food (and weather) are best mates. The trick is to find the ideal wines to pair with your backyard meals. Think crisp, light, fruity, clean, and effervescent. 

Here are Pond Points top recommendations for your Labor Day.


Keepin' it pink

Rose wines have a reputation for being effeminate. This is peculiar because of late, the rather masculine nation of Italy has been a leader in quality rosato production. Try the Roses from Italy,  California or France. Caneletto (Italy) has an exceptional Rose, or a California Rose made from Syrah - Vina Robles - this  bottle is not your typical Rose, you can buy several to enjoy for the entire summer. France has been producing Rose's for hundreds of years - stop by & have us choose one for you. The ruby luster of the wine hints at berry flavor and sure enough, one can identify ripe strawberry from the aroma to the finish. This is a delicious wine with burgers done over charcoal.  With raspberry aromas and smooth finish, these phenomenal roses are favorites of the season. A great poultry and cheese wine.

The great white hope

Enough with rose wines for now. On to another ideal choice for a warm summer night: Sauvignon Blanc. With an almost endless amount of choice in this category, it can be tough to nail down the right bottle for that dinner party or picnic. Start with the Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. This crisp, fruity wine evokes melon and citrus, and works well with white fish, salads, and fruit platters. Emollo Sauvignon Blanc offers a high concentration of tart Granny Smith apple on the palate with a cool, grassy finish. Citrus overtones are more prevalent. This wine will age well, or enjoy now, preferably with asparagus, artichokes or Lebanese dips.

Loire Valley wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, like Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre, have few rivals for good summer wines. These Wines drink well now and hold even more promise for a couple of years to come.  Regardless, both make superb additions to any fresh and light summer meal. Citrus acidity and mineral aromas complement orchard fruit flavors.

Shellfish figures prominently on my summer menus and Sancerre is a superb partner. Ideal with raw oysters (the mineral quality of both work well in tandem), scallops and shrimp ceviche. Flavors like Japanese pear, green pepper and honey make it a winner.

It's looking zinfandel

While salads, seafood and fish make for great summer foods, we all know that red meat on the grill is king. Hoist a glass of Red Zinfandel with that juicy burger or steak guaranteed tasty result. Once again, Bonny Doon delivers with the Cardinal Zin. With a clever label and cool screw cap, this wine is about quality rather than novelty. The ingenious use of old vines helps this Zin attain robust tannins and a ripe berry fruit finish. 
Vina Robles Zinfandel is a consistent bet for those who want a spicy yet less powerful Zin. It works with burgers but I think carpaccio with shards of good Reggiano is the answer. This is another example of the quality you can get for under 20 bucks. A Zin that wins rave reviews on a consistent basis is the Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel With fine potential through 2009, you can enjoy it this summer with savory red meat dishes. Dark berry fruit, herbs and spices dominate the finish and help complement thick beef or ostrich steaks and lamb with sage or rosemary. 


Mr. mojo riesling

Great Rieslings are phenomenal any time of year but shine when summer rolls around. German Rieslings, in general, allow you to count on most producers to deliver great Wines. Try the Urbans-Hof, which features sweet orchard fruit flavors and a fresh citrus finish. Enjoy it alone before the meal or with a spicy vegetable curry with yogurt and cucumber salad. The Kreush Riesling is made with 100% estate-grown Riesling grapes and the result is a great summer wine. Acidity and round citrus flavors concentrate to form an ideal complement for poultry dishes with a Thai or Vietnamese influence.

Goovy Man

For something that screams Summer, try a Gruner Veltliner - a perfect Salad Wine, crisp clean and refreshing, this Summer time treat will not dissapoint. Try the Hoepler Gruner or their Pinot Blanc - apple strudel mouthfeel with a clean, crisp finish.


and for dessert...

In the bubbly department comes Mumm Napa, from the North Coast of California. This rich effervescent wine is a smooth cohort for creamy desserts and fresh fruit, or even spicy Asian cuisine for the audacious. 
Last but not least is a choice dessert wine. The Quady Essensia Orange Muscat is dessert in a bottle. Ripe orange blossom flavors make this wine an ideal accompaniment to dark chocolate. 
Salute and drink well this summer!

from askmen

Top 10 Top Ten Brews to say goodbye to Summer with 

Summer's leaving but before you turn to the  heavy porters and stouts,  here's a list of refreshing brews that are still packed with enough flavor to hold the attention of the most discerning of beer snobs. 

The order of this list is based on the "beeriness" of the beers. It starts with Pilsner, one of the most popular beer style and the one that most often leaps to mind at the word beer. The list proceeds through increasingly less typical brews until it ends with fruit beers.

1) Magic Hat Hocus Pocus                                                                                                                                          Pours a lemon with a splash of orange color. White head decent lacing lots of active carbonation obvious through the hazy-clear body. There is a slight Ringwood yeast aroma that tends toward a Diacytel, butteryness along a hint of lemon. Overall a very clean taste. There is a bit of grain and water beside the yeast but the wheat flavor is pretty limited. It has a very refreshing clean finish with a small yeast aftertaste. Crisp and very light with decent carbonation. The combination of a clean flavor and crisp mouthfeel with light aftertaste lends well to an easy drinking, summer beer.

2) Samuel Smith
If Pilsners are generally too thin for you and you want something for your mouth to do while you're drinking a beer, this is the brew for you. It is sweeter than Pils with a light hops presence. It has a mouthfeel a bit like an Oatmeal Stout and a lingering sweetness. It is the perfect lager to sip out on the deck at the end of a long hot day.

3) Apple - Éphémère                                                                                                                                                    It is the third of series of fruit based "Blanche" beers. Brewed from 100% first quality natural ingredients with a perfect blend of spring barley, wheat, apple wort, spices and natural aromas.  Apple - Éphémère is a beer on lees with a light yellow to jade color and is part of an exotic collection of refined beers that may be drunk as an aperitif or with dessert. 

4) Warsteiner Premium Verum
For many, Pilsner is the only acceptable summer brew. Warsteiner is an excellent example of a German Pils. It's loaded with Saaz hops and has a wonderful lager snap to it that makes it a great beer for hot summer days.

5) Flying Dog Variety 12 Pack
This pale ale is a favorite for many fans of the style. It is dry hopped with Cascade hops giving this English style an American twist.

6) Magic Hat Circus Boy
This beer is a testament to the ingenuity of Beer  brewers. It's amazing that such flavors can be coaxed out of water, barley, hops and yeast. The secret is souring. The grains are allowed to sour producing a lip smacking tang unique to this wonderfully refreshing and highly effervescent beer.

7) Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Adams Summer Ale is another wheat beer. Wheat beers are popular for summer brews because it is in many ways a blank pallet. Wheat contributes very little flavor and a soft mouthfeel making it a great medium for the fruit and spice flavors popular with summertime beers. 
In this case, SA uses lemon zest and something called "grains of paradise" described as a peppery African spice. Despite all of this the beer retains a nice malty character and is perfectly enjoyable.

8) DogFish Head Aprihop
In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that this is one of my wife's favorite beers. That being said, I can also say that I am under no coercion to include it in this list. 
This Apricot Weizen is another wheat beer. The subtle flavor of apricots blends nicely with this ale. It also has a remarkable mouthfeel from the fruit. This is a good brew to pair with a spicy barbecue or, if you make your own BBQ sauce, trying throwing in a bit of this beer for an interesting twist.

9) Hoegaarden
This is a classic Belgian witbier style. It is a flavorful beer with coriander and orange peel contributing some interesting elements. It contains unmalted wheat giving it a cloudy white appearance and smooth mouthfeel.

10) Corona
What would Summer be without Corona ? Light crisp & Clean throe a lime in & throw your cares away. Try it with light summer salads or a cold picnic.

Hot Libations to keep the warm Nights rolling

Have you tried the NEW Cuervo Flavors ????

May 18th, 2006 - It’s a day officially marking the start of summer and a time to let loose, have fun and ensure it’s a summer truly like no other.

Hundreds of revelers - clad in summer gear - painted from head to toe in bright green, orange and blue, brightened the streets of New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco spreading the message of National Flavors Day and toasting this momentous occasion with the brand new Cuervo Flavored Tequilas from Jose Cuervo, the number one selling tequila in the world.

Just like the spirit of National Flavors Day, the possibilities are endless with the launch of three exciting new flavors of Cuervo Flavored Tequilas - Citrico, Oranjo, and Tropiña.

Distilled and bottled in Mexico, each flavor is a proprietary blend of premium silver-styled tequilas combined with natural fruit flavors. Cuervo Citrico is made with natural flavors of lime and other citrus fruits. Cuervo Oranjo contains natural flavors of orange and other citrus fruits. Cuervo Tropiña is a blend of pineapple and other tropical fruit flavors.

Sip it, drink it as a shot or throw it in a blender. Cuervo Flavored Tequilas are the perfect solution for those looking to add a different twist on a favorite drink or a new twist to their summer.

Choose your flavor, choose your glass, and start summer today!
Vive National Flavors Day! Vive summer! Vive Cuervo! Vive Responsibility!

Margaritas more your Style ? Pickup a bottle of Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita !

Blended with all the authentic Cuervo ingredients, Cuervo mix, Cuervo gold tequila and Grand Marnier to create the finest premixed margarita available.

"Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita is a great tasting product ideally suited for indulging friends and family with a top-shelf margarita," said Emmanuel Cargill, executive vice president, Marnier Lapostolle. 

The combination of the world's number one Tequila, Cuervo Gold, with the distinctiveness of Grand Marnier liqueur, America's number one imported orange liqueur, gives you a convenient margarita experience without sacrificing quality and style."

Mail to: info@pondpointwines.com