[wine] Brian's Bordeaux Bash at Erte

Greetings, A quick correction. The 510/La Belle Vie deal is far from done. 510 will most likely remain open until a new tenant is found. LBVie says they are looking at "several Mpls locations." This week, we're trying to pull Brian back into the group. So we're doing Bordeaux wines at Erte, 6:30 on Thursday. Sparkling/white/ringer/dessert wines always welcome. Erte Restaurant. 329 13 Ave NE, Mpls 55413 612-623-4211 Who: (mostly guesses) Wine Pro Bob Wine Pro Lori Betsy Russ Nicolai Karin Jim Brian Big S sale starts soon/tomorrow (3/1 [vip] - 3/19). Thomas Liq sale starts today. Aurora in Chaska starts today (?). Cheers Jim Harvest report form the Wine Enthusiast. France It.s been a return to normal, a classic year. French growers have breathed a sigh of relief that this vintage did not mirror the excesses of 2003. In Burgundy, "it was crazy," says Michel Laroche in Chablis. "We were harvesting one month later this year than in 2003." As to quality, "the reds from the C�te de Nuits will be astonishing," says Fr�d�ric Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin, "while the whites from Chassagne-Montrachet are excellent." In Bordeaux, the huge quantity of fruit caused problems. Some vineyards were never harvested because there was no room in the cellars. Producers who severely cut the quantities in August have made reds with deep color, tannins, acidity and structure. Overall, the Merlot has been the success, with great wines out of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. Cabernets were caught in the weather change in early October. The Rh�ne.s harvest was smaller than usual. The successes have been with the whites in the north (Condrieu and Hermitage Blanc) and with concentrated reds in Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape. Champagne and Alsace both had a great harvest. For Champagne, "it was one of those rare years when abundance and ripe grapes came together for an exceptional harvest," says Jean-Baptiste L�caillon of Champagne Roederer. In Alsace, the harvest brought out the aromatic characters of its grapes, especially Gew�ztraminer, Sylvaner and Pinot Gris. For the Loire, the year has been more mixed. In the Muscadet region, rain nearly ruined the harvest. Chenin Blanc in Vouvray and Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre have fared better, and 2004 is an average to good year. Few sweet wines will be produced. .Roger Voss -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *