France 44 Wine & Spirits

Summer Sale!

Erica — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:18:10 +0000

Our summer sale is in full force and goes all the way through August 28th! Many items perfect for your summer barbeques and parties are on sale: beer, wine, and spirits. Another bonus for those of you that are club members is double points. Come stock up!

Chateau La Commanderie De Queyret – White Bordeaux 2009

tom — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:08:55 +0000

Named for a Commandery of Knights based here in the 13th Century, this highly respected estate sits on 106 hectares of clay/limestone soils, 20 of which is planted in Sauvignon Blanc- used in this wine. A delightfully pungent aroma and taste of sweet pea, lemon/lime, and grapefruit greets you, along with a dusty grey stone minerality and bracing acidity. It will enhance any seafood dish like trout, oysters, or shrimp, as well as salads, poultry, tex/mex dinners, and especially Asian stir-fry with snow pea pods. The 2009 vintage is being raved about by experts as one of the top vintages EVER in Bordeaux. So, it’s an exciting pleasure to get to sample whites from this vintage now, like this one, before the reds are released. Something to look forward to!

$14.99 /sale price- $16.99 / regular

Tom Bates

DOMAINE HOUCHART ROSE 2009 – COTES DE PROVENCE, FRANCE

tom — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:08:31 +0000

It’s summer and that means it’s time to break out the roses – like this one from the locals of Aix-en-Provence. With newly renovated wine making facilities, the 5th generation Houchart family estate has made a dandy. Sourced from 5 different grape varieties(Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre), it’s salmon pink in color and loaded with dark red fruits. Lively, fresh and DRY, this one has good structure, concentration and intensity enough to satisfy you red wine drinkers out there. Serve between 50-55 degrees with any grilled meats, ham, salmon, pizza or Asian dishes. Look for the gorgeous wallpaper type label.

Price: Reg. $15.99 / Sale $13.99

Tom Bates

Mirror Pond Pale Ale – Deschutes Brewery – Bend, Oregon

tom — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:10:28 +0000

Looking for a new pale ale to try instead of Bass, Sierra Nevada, or even our award wining Summit? Check this out! Very British in style, it instantly brought back fond memories of English Real Ales found in all the pubs there. After pouring, you notice a deep coppery amber color, and then the distinct floral ester aroma of the Cascade hops. You’ll get caramel, citrus, lemon, and grapfruit flavors with a fresh yeasty bread doughy character that leads you to a light toasty and satisfying finish. But don’t take my word for it, Alstrom Bros from the Beer Advocate gives this brew an A-. I would give it an A+. Cheers!

Price: $9.99 /6pk or $3.99 /22oz bottle

Tom Bates

Donnafugata “Anthilia” 2008 – A White Blend from Sicily

tom — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:42:02 +0000

The Donnafugata estate has been consistently producing some of the best wines in Sicily for 150 years. “Anthilia” is a white blend of four indigenous grapes – Ansonica and Catarratto(both comprising 80% of the total), plus two other rarities. It’s very fragrant with floral notes, crisp, with rich fruit of lemon/lime, white peach and yellow plum. Only 12.5% alcohol, this is an excellent and refreshing summer alternative to the popular Pinot Grigio. A complete and complex Italian white wine, it is best served at about 50 degrees with light pasta dishes, chicken, fish, and all types of salads. It was a big hit at a recent patio party!
$15.99

Tom Bates

Heavy Table and Matt Fisher on IPAs

Erica — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:33:19 +0000

Hot summer afternoons are the perfect times to enjoy a refreshing IPA. Our own Matt Fisher talks with heavy table about the history of the brew and its wonderful attributes and the interesting varieties seen today. Check out what he has to say!

Best of City Pages:Wine Shop & Cheese Shop!

Erica — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:19:32 +0000

We have received the very prestigious awards of Minneapolis’s Best Cheese Shop and Best Wine Shop! Check out the articles as well as the many other wonderful people, places, and businesses in the Twin Cities that have received Best Of awards.

Cheese Shop: http://www.citypages.com/bestof/2010/award/best-cheese-shop-1378800/

Wine Shop: http://www.citypages.com/bestof/2010/award/best-wine-shop-1378810/

Meet the Cheesemaker Today at 11am!

benjamin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:46:22 +0000

The France 44 cheese shop in Minneapolis welcomes Andy Hatch, cheesemaker from Uplands Dairy in Wisconsin to our shop Saturday March 27 from 11am until 2pm. This is your chance to meet one of the premier artisan cheesemakers in the midwest. Pleasant Ridge Reserve will be on sale all day long.

France 44 IN THE NEWS AGAIN!

Rick — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:24:58 +0000

Our resident Cheesemongers, Benjamin and Song, are featured in the food blog SimpleGoodandTasty.com, in a discussion of local food versus imported delights from the other side of the planet. So, is it OK for the devoted locovore to indulge in a Carles Roquefort or a Pata Negra Spanish ham? Check out the blog and join the conversation!

France 44 IN THE NEWS – SCOTCH

Rick — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:12:58 +0000

Our resident beer guy, Matt Fisher, also likes him a wee bit of nippy sweetie from time to time. Thankfully, his earnest tippling has prepared him well to opine about delicious Scotches. Also convenient is the local foodie-blog’s interest in Scotch. So that stars aligned (and some sponsorship agreements later), we have this in-depth article on two great Scotches stocked on our neat and clean wooden shelves. Why not check it out?