Thursday April 26th. Cheers Wine & Spirits welcomes two very special guests. Kieran Folliard, and his Two Gingers Irish Whiskey will visit both Cheers locations.
Kieran will be at Cheers Chanahssen from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Cheers Bloomington from 6:30-8:00 p.m. We’ll have plenty of two Gingers on hand for you to sample, and if you purchase a bottle (or four) Kieran will autograph them. So please mark your calendars and plan to stop by Cheers on the 26th and meet two Irish legends!
Born in 1955 in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo in the West of Ireland, Kieran started out in the hospitality industry carrying the bags for the passengers in his father’s Hackney (taxi cab) business. After 17 years spent in corporate marketing including time in Ireland, Saudi Arabia and the U.S, he realized that he loved being in pubs. So, like any good self-respecting Irish guy, he decided to open one.18 years later, the pub business had grown to include The Local, The Liffey, Cooper, and Kieran’s Irish Pub. He attributes their growth to the strong team of individuals, a number of whom became partners in the business as of 2010. Now the very same management team and previous business partner have 100% ownership, as he had another idea to chip away at… and federal regulations prohibit doing both at once.
In March of 2011, 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey was launched. The trademarked drink The Big Ginger® would become the portal to the new passion. 
Achieving the title for selling the most Irish whiskey in the world at a single establishment, Kieran’s leadership would spotlight this drink further and hone his dream in on the new whiskey. After a well-received introduction, the product has drawn inquiries, which lead to a strategic decision to pursue a wider distribution of the whiskey brand.
This whiskey has become Kieran’s full time passion, recently renting a small office in Northeast Minneapolis and hiring a small staff of 4. He wrangles federal regulations and visits the relationships he’d developed over the years in the community and in the pub and restaurant business with momentous efforts to create demand in time for the product’s arrival to liquor stores, and pubs/restaurants in Minnesota.
Imported directly from Cooley Distillery, the last independent distillery in Ireland, the first 1,000 cases of the new whiskey arriveed in the united States in November 2011 Cheers Wine & Spirits added it too their inventory immediately and It's has been a hot seller ever since!
Save the dates! Please join us at...
Cheers Wine & Spirits Annual Spring Wine Tasting Events!
Here are the details:
Thursday March 22nd 2012
Chanhassen
530 West 79th Street Chanhassen
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday March 29th 2012
Bloomington
9340 Ensign Avenue South, Bloomington
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Both tasting events will feature wine from around the world, thoughtfully selected by Cheers with emphasis on spring and summer sippers. Representatives will be on hand to share their knowledge and expertise. As always, Cheers helpful and friendly staff will be happy to assist you with your selections!
Cheers entire wine inventory will be discounted 15% BOTH EVENINGS at BOTH LOCATIONS!
Cheers tasting events are always will be full of fun and surprises; there will be prize drawings throughout the evening, munchies, and more! This year’s tastings are going to be special you won’t want to miss either of them!
Be sure to visit
www.cheersmn.com and sign up so that you are in on additional offers and surprises for these tastings!
Hope to see you there!
Make an evening of it!
In Bloomington: Make an evening of it by dining with our neighbor and friends at Bella Cucina Ristorante Italiano!
http://www.mnbellacucina.com/
In Chanhassen: Make an evening of it by dining with our friends and Neighbors at Axels
http://www.axelsrestaurants.com/locations/mn/chanhassen
We have our winners! Last Thursday Cheers Bloomington held their annual wine tasting event. As always it was well attended everyone had a great time as they got some quality time with a selection of wine focused on holiday entertaining. This year we did something a little different, we asked our guests at the tasting to vote for their favorite wines of the evening, one red and one white that they considered to be the “best in show”. We tallied the votes and we have a landslide. The winner of the red category with a resounding 80% of the vote is:
Marietta’s Angeli Cuvee
Appellation: Alexander Valley
Winemaker: Chris Bilbro
Released: June 2010
Angeli Cuvee is a proprietary blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignane that we’ve been making since the first vintages that we had fruit from our Alexander Valley ranch and home. The wine is named for the family who previously owned our ranch for 104 years.
Increased quantities of Petite Sirah have boosted the density and kept the aromas and flavors tightly wound on the 2006 release. Below the surface, the potential is evident which will evolve to show layers of blackberry, dark chocolate, and rich spice. This wine flirts with the edges of ripeness and full-bodied flavors yielding a bursting mouth feel of rich, ripe blackberries with a dollop of toasty oak while retaining great structure and balance.
Grape Source: Alexander Valley, (Sonoma County)
Color: Dark Ruby
Oak aging: 18 months, primarily French oak
Aging potential: up to 15 years
The winning white wine was...
Cloudy Bay
Sauvignon Blanc
The Marlborough region is blessed with a unique terroir where a cool, maritime South Pacific climate produces wines of great fruit intensity.
Widely regarded as the quintessential expression of the acclaimed Marlborough wine region, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is an international benchmark wine noted for its vibrant aromatics, layers of pure fruit flavours, and fine structure.
Meticulous viticulture combined with modern technology and traditional vinification methods, consistently produces a style that has become the reference for this remote southern wine region.
Thanks for voting on best of show, please add a comment below to add to the discussion!
As promised here is a preview of the wine we will be featuring at Cheers Annual Holiday wine SAle and Tasting event. we look forward to seeing you there!
Paul Ragghanti – Grape Beginnings.
Monchhof Estate Riesling - From the Mosel River region in Germany, this refreshing wine shows juicy, bright, fruit with notes of citrus, pear and white peach.
Conundrum White Table Wine - This blend of four white grapes has aromas of apricot and honeysuckle and flavors of tropical fruit, peach, pear and melon.
Meiomi Pinot Noir - From the people who produce Caymus Cabernet, this Pinot is a blend of fruit from the Coastal Vineyards of Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties.
Domaine de Fontsainte Rouge - This wine is from the Corbieres region of Southern France and is a blend of Carignan, Grenache Noir and Syrah.
Domaine deTerrebrune Bandol - A robust, full-bodied red wine from the Mediterranean Coast of Provence; perfect for autumn and winter food pairings.
Julie Cook -Wine Merchants
J Cuvee 20:
This J non-vintage Brut features flavors of lemon peel, honeysuckle and delicate yeast aromas., these notes follow through to a mix of Fuji apple and grapefruit interlaced with toast, caramel and almond flavors on the mid-palate. The acidity adds just enough liveliness and the citrus zest leads to a lingering, warm pear and lush finish, its fresh exuberance showcases layers of depth and complexity.
55% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinot Meunier
Kenwood Chardonnay:
Combining grapes from the cool climate regions of southern Sonoma Valley and the Russian River Valley, Kenwood's Sonoma County Chardonnay nicely balances the classic fruit flavors of this varietal with subtle notes of French oak aging. Fruit aromas of pippin apples and banana combine with rich vanilla and gingerbread notes, lush and viscous mouth feel with a crisp, lingering finish.
Marietta Angeli Cuvee:
Angeli Cuvee is a proprietary blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignane. Increased quantities of Petite Sirah have boosted the density and kept the aromas and flavors tightly wound on the 2006 release. Angeli Cuvee evolves to show layers of blackberry, dark chocolate, and rich spice. This wine flirts with the edges of ripeness and full bodied flavors yielding a bursting mouthfeel of rich, ripe blackberries with a dollop of toasty oak while retaining great structure and balance.
Diseno Malbec
Argentina, and in particular the region around Mendoza, is making a name for itself as the source of some of the finest expressions of Malbec ever made. In this warm, yet dry climate the Malbec achieves near perfect ripeness endowing the wines with a velvety texture and intense flavors of blackberry, peppery spice, and balsamic herbs. The cooler, well-drained slopes of the hillsides of the region have proven to be ideally suited for Malbec, allowing for the wines to achieve a level of complexity and harmony that rivals those of Napa or Bordeaux.
Avalon California Cabernet:
A big, sweet bouquet of creme de cassis, charcoal, toast, and subtle herbs. Fleshy and medium bodied with silky tannins and excellent purity as well as depth.
Chris Brown – Paustis and Sons
Bogle Phantom 2007
The coveted Phantom, Bogle's apparition of three unique varietals, combines lush berry and fierce spice into a wine of complex character.
Wente Morning Fog
Enjoy aromas and flavors of green apple and tropical fruits, balanced by subtle oak, cinnamon and vanilla from barrel aging. With a mouth-filling body and balanced acidity, this wine delivers a medium-long, refreshing finish.
Santa Rita Medalla Real Carmenere
Deep and intense ruby red in color with a complex bouquet that combines the variety's typical fresh black fruits and spicy notes that blend elegantly with rich oak to heighten the wine's chocolate and vanilla characteristics.
Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio
Pale yellow-straw in color. Fresh, fruit-forward bouquet with notes of pear, banana, peach, anise, and honey. Rich and full-bodied, with a long finish.
Finca Flichman Malbec
Small oak barrel aging, fresh pit fruit aromas and vanilla notes carry this traditional Malbec. Amazing value, it doesn't mention it on the bottle but most of the vines that supply this label are 60+ years old.
Mark Nordstrom – The Wine Company
Baron de Seillac Blanc de Blanc; aromas of grapefruit and lemon, very fresh with flavors that are well integrated together, A Great New Value!!
Dr. L Riesling; elegant and racy style, bright crisp fruity taste, excellent with ham and spicy food
Angeline California Pinot Noir; 100% Pinot Noir, rich garnet color, bright flavors of cherry and raspberry, pair with grilled salmon
Alexander Valley Vineyard Temptation Zinfandel; great balance, plum and bright berry flavors, a spicy finish that matches with ribs and pizza -
Atteca Garnacha; dark ruby color, raspberry,vanilla and cola aromas, flavors show ripe dark fruits, long smooth finish
Allyson Tarnowski – Grand Pere Wines
Monte Faliese Falanghina - Campania, Italy
Straw yellow in color with green highlights, aromas of fresh cut flowers and green fruit come through on the nose. Its balanced flavor is reminiscent of Granny Smith apples. Enjoy with most shellfish, grilled and fried fish, or, for the traditionalists, Mozzarella di Bufala
Dogajolo Bianco -Tuscany, Italy
This wine is excellent as an aperitif or as a companion to seafood, salads, delicate preparations of veal and poultry, and it even pairs well with Asian foods. Dogajolo Bianco has an intriguing aroma that is both fruity and aromatic. On the palate the fruit and acidity perfectly complement each other and there is a velvety texture that extends through the long, soft finish. Varietals: Chardonnay, Grechetto, Sauvignon Blanc and Incrocio Manzoni
De Martino Syrah - Choapa Valley, Chile
Featured in Wine Spectator’s 200 Great Values from 15 Countries
Around the World “Deep red color, almost purple and very vivacious. On the nose , it is very expressive with aromas of ripe dark fruits, and some floral and spicy hints. In the mouth, the first thing one notices is the freshness of this wine, resulting from its natural acidity, a product of the terroir from which it originates.
Zin 91 -California, USA
On his 91st birthday, American wine pioneer Hubert Opici reminisced about his early days in California winemaking. He realized his fondest memory was of an Old Vine Zinfandel vineyard, planted in 1891, that always produced magical wines. In his mind Zinfandel, an indigenous American varietal, epitomizes the spirit of great winemaking. The wine is well-structured with a unique, resinous pepper-spice. The ripe, juice character of red raspberry marries nicely with the more supple dark plum and cherry flavors.
Féraud-Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages 2007 - Rhone, France
"Really shows the ripeness of the vintage, with a wide, almost exotic range of crushed blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry fruit, liberally layered with graphite, woodspice and tobacco notes. The long, racy finish is filled with graphite and licorice. Delicious. Drink now through 2011.
91 Points
Wine Spectator -
Mark Campo – Johnson Brothers
Ravenswood Sonoma Zin: Ripe berry fruit in the nose follows
concetrated flavors of blackberry and dark cherry. A touch of cinnamin
and vanilla in the finish.
Markham Merlot- Layers of cola, root beer, vanilla and mocha. Ripe
cherry flavors are held together with big, grippy tannins that fill
the palate.
Le Grand Noir Pinot Noir- This Pinot Noir offers pure aromas of
cherry, currant, and savory spices. The velvety tannins are nicely
balanced by ripe red fruit flavors layered with vanilla and spice.
Bridgview Blue Moon riesling- Flavors of ripe apples, apricot nectar,
and grapefruit with aromas of honeysuckle. Well balanced, lively and
crisp with refreshing acidity on the finish.
Cloudy Bay Savignon Blanc - Widely regarded as the quintessential expression of the acclaimed Marlborough wine region, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is an international benchmark wine noted for its vibrant aromatics, layers of pure fruit flavors, and fine structure.
Login
Register
this Friday March 9th from 4:00 to 7:00 at Cheers Bloomington as we kick off the St. Patrick’s Day week with a ta
ste o the Irish!.jpg)
Smithwicks beer!
