Tarts: Chocolate Ganache with Cape Gooseberries, Peach-Strawberry with Buttercream, and Fig-Port-Almond Cream, handmade by Annie Pambaguian of Carrboro's Sweet Little Something. Yum.

With guest chefs Austin Genke, Sam Genke, and Chris McKinley serving up small plates built from the flavors of their farm. Tapas, Antipasti, call it what you want: a la carte delicious foods and wines served by-the-glass or flight. Make tasty fare at 3CUPS a regular part of your Friday nights.

The Coffee... The Recinos family are in their seventh decade of farming heirloom Bourbon Rojo and Typica coffee varieties.  The plants are fed by pure natural springs and protected from the Guatemalan sun by dense, indigenous forest.  The result is sweet, balanced, and clean, with notes of nut, fruit, and caramel.

The Farm... Tucked into a valley between two mountains, the farmhouse sits on a parcel of fairly flat land, near a beautiful stream and rolling pastures. Behind the ranch house, however, is the coffee farm, which soars nearly straight up towards the peak of the mountain. The effect is of a gigantic amphitheater, soaring above the valley floor below. This geography is great for coffee quality, since higher altitudes almost always mean better coffee.

All about Aranleon

The estate...was founded in 1927. Today they farm organically 40 hectares
of vines, focusing on indigenous regional grapes. The winery is located
in Los Marcos, a town in Valencia roughly 60 miles from the
Mediterranean Sea in southeastern Spain.

Aug 30 - Sep 4, 2010
Jenny vs. Bruno: - Pick 3 Tastes - $10

An importer face-off of the first order!

Clos du Gravillas Rendez-vous du Soleil - $8/gl - $19.99/btl

Chateau Petite Roubie Tannat - $5/gl - $9.99/btl

Dom. de Tournelle Savagnin - $9/gl - $36.99/btl

Mas Rimbert Travers de Marceau - $7/gl - $17.99/btl

Sunday Supper with Shawn Mead of Louis/Dressner Selections
Sun, Aug 29, 5-7pm

Great local food! Great natural wines from Burgundy and Beaujolais! Shawn Mead will be here to weave the stories of these wines into the evening, and to answer your big-and-small questions. She is a great host, the wines she brings to us are from some of the best natural estates in Europe. Space is limited. You'll leave happy, healthy, hopefully laden with new favorite wines. $45/$55 day of event. 

The wines:
Jean Manciat Macon-Charnay
Domaine de Roally Vire-Clesse
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie
Jean-Paul Brun lAncien
Georges Descombes Brouilly
Sylvie Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin

Boxcarr Farms of Cedar Grove will be preparing the meal from the fruits (or vegetables) of their own labor. Austin, Chris, and Emma are supplying the summer flavor for our Burgundy/Beaujolais Sunday Supper:

• panzanella... mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, red onions, croutons with herb dressing 
• corn chowder... house-cured and -smoked bacon, thyme, potatoes
• grilled chicken... swiss chard, basil, lemon spaetzle, herb jus 
• dessert... blueberries, sabayon, almond cookie

The Coffee... Sumatra is one of the classic coffee origins: deep, velvet-bodied, earthy notes with hints of dry cocoa and spice swirl in each sip. Sumatran coffees are renowned for their sweetness and lack of acidity; the perfect afternoon or late night coffee! This coffee, from the northern Sumatran region of Aceh, is shade-grown by a cooperative of small producers dedicated to shade-growing on small, family-owned farms.

The coffees from Gayo are wondrous. Deep, chocolatey, and velvety, they manage to achieve a very rare thing in coffee: they are earthy without being dirty, they have a long, sweet aftertaste that is never cloying, and their sweet, syrupy body make a strong cup of Gayo like drinking molten dark chocolate.

The Region... Aceh, as the region on the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatra is called, is a fascinating and complicated place. Aceh has been troubled by political instability for years.  You might remember Aceh as the place where the tsunami in 2005 had a devastating effect.

The Coffee... Caramel, chocolate, black cherry notes. The body of the coffee is juicy, a reliable Colombian coffee that delivers satisfaction with a sweet and clean aftertaste.

The Name... La Golondrina means the swallow. In Latin American culture, the swallow is a symbol of communication between people separated by distance and borders. The swallow crosses borders easily and carries messages of goodwill between friends, no matter how far away. Also, the swallow returns every year, just as we plan to return to Cauca every year.

The Project... Alejandro Cadena and Giancarlo Gianetti are two Colombians who dedicate themselves to finding and protecting small lots of great coffee grown in the mountainous region of Cauca. Alejandro and Giancarlo search Cauca for farmers willing to make the strong commitment to quality we need, and immediately send samples from potentially great farms to for analysis. If the coffee meets our standards, we purchase the lot from the small farmer who offered it at many times the local price. In this way, we were able to create a strong incentive for these talented farmers to supply us directly rather than sell it to the local mass-market buyers for homogenization and export.

Laura from d'Aupilhac (Languedoc)

Greg from Kuenz Bas (Alsace)

Frederic from Lascaux (Languedoc)

Anne from Joguet (Chinon)

Catherine from Champalou (Vouvray)

Phillipe from Clos la Coutale (Cahors)

Catherine le Goeuil (Cairanne)

Pascal from Gros Nore (Bandol) 

We have a cool new publication at the shop: Brooklyn-based Put a Egg on It is part food mag, part art collage, part lit mag, part crazy. We are selling their second issue (ever), $5. Click here to see a video of it or come check it out in the store!

With guest chefs Chris McKinley, Austin Genke, and Sam Genke serving up small plates built from the flavors of their farm. Tapas, Antipasti, call it what you want: a la carte delicious foods and wines served by-the-glass or flight. Make tasty fare at 3CUPS a regular part of your Friday nights.

• mixed greens with tomato, olives, feta & basil dressing
  
• chilled squash soup with chives and goat cheese crostini
  
• roasted potato with caramelized onions, pimiento cheese, fennel salad
  
• gnocchi carbonara with lonza, scallions, asiago
  
• honey cheesecake with macerated blueberries

The Man... Hans Czerny is the current generation of a winemaking family who have farmed in Wagram for 250 years. He took over from his father in 1987, and after experiments and a progression toward natural farming, fully converted the estate to organic viticulture in 2003. Today Wimmer-Czerny is certified biodynamic by Demeter. Czerny makes preserving the abundance to wildlife surrounding his farm a core goal of his farming practices. He plants wildflowers, and monitors populations of bees, beetles and other insects as a gauge of ecosystem health.

The Land... Wimmer-Czerny has 15 hectares of 20- to 40-year-old vine plantings of Grner Veltliner, Riesling, and Traminer. They farm along the Danube, approximately 50 miles to the west of Vienna. Czernys home village of Fels am Wagram is on the northern bank of the Danube, an area known for its almost pure loess soils. Hans Czernys vines on these banks are at an elevation of 350m above sea level, a position that accentuates the day/night temperature variation key to growing grapes with the potential to create wines with bright acidity and fresh, delicate aromas.

The Wine... Hans Czerny is a proponent of non-interventionist winemaking. What does that mean? All fruit is hand-harvested into small boxes to prevent damage. This estate uses only natural yeast to begin fermentation. Hans never puts additives in his wine. He allows lees contact to promote fuller texture and flavor complexity. The wines are only lightly filtered before bottling.

• ricotta/mint-stuffed squash blossom on toast with tomato sauce
• mixed lettuces with zephyr squash, tomato, green olive vinaigrette
• lemon grass and coconut milk soup with roasted butternut squash
• chive spaetzle with braised pork and greens
• blueberry tart with cream 

The estate does not grow Gruner Veltliner. Did I just blow your mind? Styria is warm, wet, hilly like northern Beaujolais or the best part of the Italian Piedmont and in its wines are linked to points south and east more than to the rest of Austria. South Styria is a distinct place, tiny, a piece that does not fit into a neat and simple stereotype of Austrian wine. Lackner-Tinnacher farm Sauvignon Blanc, Gelber Muskateller, Roter Traminer, Rielsing, Welschriesling, Weissburgunder and Grauer Burgunder. And a little Zweigelt. Fritz, Wilma and Kathy Tinnachers winery is understatedly modern, minimal and integrated well with the landscape. Lackner-Tinnachers vineyards are on high hillsides with round tops and steep grades. They are experimenting with organic farming. Wide swaths of grass are left between the vines to prevent erosion. Kathy walks like someone who grew up on a hillside: I noticed the same motion in the stride of Karl Lagler, Jr. in the fields of the Wachau, a slight side-step intended to
grab traction from rocky slopes. It is not the gait of a flatlander.

The region is tiny. Have I mentioned that enough times? I believe it is possible to see all of South Styria from the small hotel I slept in. In the morning after our fried chicken and booze marathon I felt a very physical need to go running: I easily toured the whole region, up and
down tiny roads surrounded by vines and tractors. To me South Styria is the prettiest region of Austria, the one I will return to first for an actual vacation. Bucolic.

• poached shrimp, marinated cucumber, basil, chilies, lemon vinaigrette
• grilled delicata squash, mixed lettuces, toasted pecans, goat cheese
• roasted tomato tart, toasted garlic, kale, smoked mozzarella
  
• ricotta ravioli, field peas, corn, meyer lemon beurre blanc
• chocolate cake with blueberries and cream

An abundance of good rose is necessary to survive torrid August in Chapel Hill. The best rose is quintessentially French. In our universe no restaurant more perfectly captures the spirit and flavor of France than Bonne Soiree. A perfect match. More than a dozen roses will be open for tasting, accompanied by Chef Chip Smith's classy and classic cooking. Call Bonne Soiree at 919 928 8388 to reserve your spot.

The Coffee... The Recinos family are in their seventh decade of farming heirloom Bourbon Rojo and Typica coffee varieties.  The plants are fed by pure natural springs and protected from the Guatemalan sun by dense, indigenous forest.  The result is sweet, balanced, and clean, with notes of nut, fruit, and caramel.

The Farm... Tucked into a valley between two mountains, the farmhouse sits on a parcel of fairly flat land, near a beautiful stream and rolling pastures. Behind the ranch house, however, is the coffee farm, which soars nearly straight up towards the peak of the mountain. The effect is of a gigantic amphitheater, soaring above the valley floor below. This geography is great for coffee quality, since higher altitudes almost always mean better coffee.

• butternut squash caponata with herb salad
• chilled yellow tomato soup with chive oil, mascarpone, croutons
• pimiento cheese with ice box pickles and toast
• gnocchi with lonza, kale, pesto cream
• mint lemon curd, blueberry compote, and graham crackers

The Coffee... This microlot is called Los Gemelos ("the twins") because the coffee cherries come from a small plot where all the trees are planted closely in pairs. The Recinos family are in their seventh decade of farming heirloom Bourbon Rojo and Typica coffee varieties.  The plants are fed by pure natural springs and protected from the Guatemalan sun by dense, indigenous forest.  The result is sweet, balanced, and clean, with notes of nut, fruit, and caramel.

The Farm... Tucked into a valley between two mountains, the farmhouse sits on a parcel of fairly flat land, near a beautiful stream and rolling pastures. Behind the ranch house, however, is the coffee farm, which soars nearly straight up towards the peak of the mountain. The effect is of a gigantic amphitheater, soaring above the valley floor below. This geography is great for coffee quality, since higher altitudes almost always mean better coffee.

The Coffee... Sumatra is one of the classic coffee origins: deep, velvet-bodied, earthy notes with hints of dry cocoa and spice swirl in each sip. Sumatran coffees are renowned for their sweetness and lack of acidity; the perfect afternoon or late night coffee! This coffee, from the northern Sumatran region of Aceh, is shade-grown by a cooperative of small producers dedicated to shade-growing on small, family-owned farms.

The coffees from Gayo are wondrous. Deep, chocolatey, and velvety, they manage to achieve a very rare thing in coffee: they are earthy without being dirty, they have a long, sweet aftertaste that is never cloying, and their sweet, syrupy body make a strong cup of Gayo like drinking molten dark chocolate.

The Region... Aceh, as the region on the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatra is called, is a fascinating and complicated place. Aceh has been troubled by political instability for years.  You might remember Aceh as the place where the tsunami in 2005 had a devastating effect.

TheCoffee... Produced by the traditional, artisan farmers of Harfusa thiscoffee is distinct and beautiful: layers of citrus and jasmine aromasemerge as soon as the coffee is ground, and an underlying honeyedsweetness pervades the cup and rewards the drinker with a constantlyevolving, deliciously complex coffee flavor.

The Town... Yirgacheffe town is surrounded by anumber of small communities; little groups of houses with perhaps ashop or two. These little communities are becoming known to coffeeaficionados, since the coffees vary from place to place. Koke, Idido,Hama, Biloya. All are placenames of the hills surrounding Yirgacheffe.One of these places, in the hills just to the west of Yirgacheffe town,is Harfusa.

Jay's thoughts on these particular little fishes:

Why all the fuss about the sardines? From off the coast of Galicia and Portugal. No wimpy fish at 3CUPS: The Matiz ($3.99/can, Galician) and the Da Morgada ($4.99, Portuguese) sardines are meaty, fresh, and oily. In comparison to other (lesser) sardines these fish taste cleaner, with a better texture, akin to good cooked tuna, substantial, almost steaky. Great with Galician white wines, particularly Albarino. I don't know why national sardine consumption has waned. Probably because these two products are exceptional. Lunch in a can, baby!

The Wine... Picpoul de Pinet was all I wanted to drink in my scant free time during this year's trip to the south of France. This wine sets a new high standard for Picpoul: one taste (and a glance at the price) and I knew 3CUPS needed a stack of this.

The Region... It comes from the region in the south of France called the Languedoc Roussillon. This region was once half French (Languedoc) and half Spanish (Roussillon) but today the combined land belongs to France. Picpoul de Pinet is a subregion within the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation. It is unusual because it is situated in an area which produces red wine, but Picpoul is a white wine production zone and one of the oldest on the Mediterranean dating back as far as the 17th century.

The Flavor... The wine is fresh, bright, and faintly sparkling. It comes from a soil of limestone, sand, and clay and combines with the maritime influence to create a dramatic terroir leaving it mark on these wines.

The Place... Theres no surprise when a Sidama coffee is great: This region is ground zero for incredible coffees. Sidama, in southern Ethiopia, is inhabited by a number of indigenous people, including a people called the Guji. The Guji Zone, famous for extraordinary coffee, includes the village of Michicha, where this coffee lot was milled.

The Estate... The Oratoire St. Martin in Cairanne models how I want my wine to be made. The brothers Alary farm organically, and are seeking certification for that enlightened labor. Frederic and Francois make unfiltered reds that accurately express the character of their homeland, wines based on the great grapes of the Rhone valley: Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. These grapes are grown in the rocky blue clay and limestone-laced soils of their 25-hectare estate. Large amounts of old vines exist on the property; in places the vines are over a century old. Replanting is en massale, a technique that maintains genetic variety in the Oratoire's fields. En Massale means from a crowd, and refers to the selection of cuttings for replanting from the area's existing vines, as opposed to importing clonally identical new plants to accomplish this task. All fruit is harvested by hand and sorted rigorously to remove damaged or under-ripe berries. Fermentation is in large old oak foudres, big, generally old oak barrels. Barrels you could stand up inside, and stretch your arms out without necessarily touching the sides.

The Wine... One of the real joys of tasting wine from this region is the sense of relief, well-being, even fiendish joy that accompanies savoring a wine comparable in style and quality to top-class Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas for incrementally less cash. Sure, fissures in style exist between the wines of these communes, but I feel essentially comfortable recommending the wines of Frederic's and Francois' stomping grounds to devotees of wine from the aforementioned famous appellations, with a fair amount of certainty that they will be pleased.

A Constant Companion... This vintage marks a decade of Alary wines in my life. A consistent thread through this era has been a steady rise in quality, and a personal sense of satisfaction with every passing purchase that my money was not wasted. Peppered with a sense of melancholy regarding too few bottles cellared in exceptional vintages.

The Coffee...Produced by the traditional, artisan farmers of Harfusa this coffee isdistinct and beautiful: layers of citrus and jasmine aromas emerge assoon as the coffee is ground, and an underlying honeyed sweetnesspervades the cup and rewards the drinker with a constantly evolving,deliciously complex coffee flavor.

The Town... Yirgacheffe town is surrounded bya number of small communities; little groups of houses with perhaps ashop or two. These little communities are becoming known to coffeeaficionados, since the coffees vary from place to place. Koke, Idido,Hama, Biloya. All are placenames of the hills surrounding Yirgacheffe.One of these places, in the hills just to the west of Yirgacheffe town,is Harfusa.

The Coffee... Sumatra is one of the classic coffee origins: deep, velvet-bodied, earthy notes with hints of dry cocoa and spice swirl in each sip. Sumatran coffees are renowned for their sweetness and lack of acidity; the perfect afternoon or late night coffee! This coffee, from the northern Sumatran region of Aceh, is shade-grown by a cooperative of small producers dedicated to shade-growing on small, family-owned farms.

The coffees from Gayo are wondrous. Deep, chocolatey, and velvety, they manage to achieve a very rare thing in coffee: they are earthy without being dirty, they have a long, sweet aftertaste that is never cloying, and their sweet, syrupy body make a strong cup of Gayo like drinking molten dark chocolate.

The Region... Aceh, as the region on the northernmost tip of the island of Sumatra is called, is a fascinating and complicated place. Aceh has been troubled by political instability for years.  You might remember Aceh as the place where the tsunami in 2005 had a devastating effect.

The Cooperative... The Gayo cooperative, named after the indigenous Gayo people, is an island of stability in an ocean of chaos. A diverse and democratic group, the Gayo co-op includes Acehnese, Gayo, and Javanese in its numbers, and 20 percent of the producers in the co-op are women! This cooperative, formed in 1997, produces coffees of a unique quality: organic and shade grown, with a level of consistency and quality that is relatively unknown in Sumatra.

The Rose... It is actually more of a pretty pale golden color. Somewhere between orange and pink. The arrival of Jamain's Pinot Gris rose is a highlight of my year. I imagine lawn parties, (great with mini-quiches), or leafy spring salads and scallops as ideal pairing. This is as elegant and as enjoyable as wine gets. Subtle, clean, very aromatic without being gauche. Nice underpinning of geology to Jamain's Pinot Gris Rose: a study in minerality.

The Estate... Denis Jamain's grandfather planted vines here. His 15 hectares are a significant holding in terms of Reuilly: less than 200 hectares are planted within the boundaries of this appellation. Jamain farms in accordance to the minimal-impact sustainable principles espoused by the lutte raisonee movement for monitored sustainability in agriculture. The wine tastes very much like the authentic article to me, a great example of the lively herby and slightly spicy character Pinot takes on in the cool eastern Loire.

The Region... The wine region we call the Loire comprises a number of geographically unique areas connected by an amazing river by the same name. The Loire Valley is notably diverse and beautiful. It combines a natural landscape with a fine architectural heritage of many chateaux, churches, and monasteries. There are also the historic towns and villages important during the Renaissance and relevant today as contributors to the development of modern culture in Europe. In this region of France, theres a history of interaction between humans and their environment, and it is reflected in the character of the wines.

The Farm... Tucked into a valley between two mountains, the farmhouse sits on a parcel of fairly flat land, near a beautiful stream and rolling pastures. Behind the ranch house, however, is the coffee farm, which soars nearly straight up towards the peak of the mountain. The effect is of a gigantic amphitheater, soaring above the valley floor below. This geography is great for coffee quality, since higher altitudes almost always mean better coffee.

This week's menu:

mixed lettuces with grapefruit, celery, and goat cheese

spring garlic and kale tart with hollandaise and pea shoots

bruschetta topped with rapini, radishes, fresh mozzarella, lemon dressing

croque monsieur with guanciale, hickory grove cheese, dijon, egg, and mornay sauce

chicken gnocchi with mustard greens

meringue with lemon curd and strawberries

The Wine Goblet training of the estates vines keeps yields naturally low, and flavors concentrated. All the fruit at this estate is harvested by hand. Carbonic maceration creates freshness in this red. Aging in 600-liter casks allows the wine to mellow and evolve prior to bottling. Domaine Fontsaintes 50 hectares of land have a large amount of limestone in the soil, a geologic trait that imparts positive mineral complexity to the wine.

The Land The village of Boutenac is a prime slice of the vast appellation of Corbieres. Domaine de Fontsaintes vineyards are on a southeast-facing hillside with a border of pine forest to shield them from wind. Proximity to the Mediterranean aids in ripening this exceptionally savory red. Since the beginning Domaine de Fontsainte has been dedicated to sustainable farming methods, monitored and falling within Vitealys guidelines.

The Family Yves Laboucari launched this winery in 1971. His family have grown grapes around Boutenac since the 17th Century. Relics suggest Fontsainte was cultivated by Roman farmers. Some of the vines Yves cultivates are a century old. Laboucari says to make great wine one must see the land with his ancestors' eyes, and learn the lessons offered by previous generations. Common sense in a land so shaped by viticultural history.

The Wine... Sauvignon Blanc and Menu Pineau are equal partners in Veillouxs white wine. The vines from which this fruit is harvested are between 20 and 50 years of age. The soil is a mix of clay and limestone. Floral, mineral aromas and a clean dry finish make Veilloux blanc a great choice for scallops.

The Man... Michel Quenioux biodynamically farms 60 acres of land in Cheverny, an important AOC east of the city of Tours in the Loire Valley of France. His family began farming land around his home village of Fougeres in 1800. His chateau is over 1,000 years old. Michel has created a gravity-flow wine system at the estate that uses less energy and minimizes damage to the wine during the winemaking process. His grape press is old, gentle, and slow. Quenioux belives in bottling wine unfiltered.

The Farming... Quenioux works in adherence to biodynamic principles. In keeping with Rudolf Steiners ideas on agriculture, 60 acres of land at Domaine de Veilloux are not farmed, to allow space for nature and the possibility of a more balanced ecology surrounding the vines.Sometimes viewed as an extreme or fundamentalist (or just dippy) ideology by its detractors, biodynamic viticulture has steadily been gaining adherents and admirers in the 21st Century, and is now a powerful marketing advantage to growers willing to follow its tenets. Soil health is at the core of biodynamics, but the system also ties elements of astronomy to farming, particularly attention to positions of planets and phases of the moon during key viticultural and winemaking processes. Conventional herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers are not permitted in biodynamic agriculture. Instead, farmers apply diffuse amounts of chamomile, oak, valerian, nettle, and dandelion to promote vine health.

The Coffee... Kuta fans, rejoice: PNG is here again! From Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands comes Tambul, a voluptuous, full, round, sweet coffee. Flavors of caramel and chocolate dominate, with subtle accents of cherry.

Australian Influence... Coffee was introduced by Australians to New Guinea, and they continue to be involved at many stages of the process. Many plantations were established by Australian entrepreneurs, but since New Guinean independence in the '70s many of these have been taken over by Papua New Guinean nationals. Farm size here ranges from the large plantations, like the famous Sigri plantation, to the small 1-2 acre plots managed by individuals and small tribes. The in-betweens are medium-sized farms managed by individuals or by tribes who manage their land collectively. Most often, these farms bring their cherry directly to a coffee mill, whose job it is to pulp, ferment, wash, and mill the cherry for export. Kuta is one of these mills.

The Land... Papua New Guinea is not only a natural treasure, but a cultural one as well. There are 826 languages spoken on this island, each representing an independent culture. The farmers of Papua New Guinea still live very traditional lives, and these ancient tribal cultures still thrive in the mountains and valleys of the highlands. Agriculture was invented independently here, and many farmers now include coffee among the crops they grow beside their straw homes in the mountains.

Empanadas: Fickle Creek Carnitas with Heirloom Hominy and Roasted Butternut Squash

Individual Pies: Bittersweet Chocolate and Sea Salt, Capritopia Celery Root with Bagna Cauda Breadcrumbs
Pie by the Slice: Shaker Lemon, Italian Ricotta Easter

And of course doughnut muffins!

A teaser for the Loire 3BOTTLES... Like spring, April's Loire 3BOTTLES is upon us. If you're a part of this monthly wine club, come get yours on April 5th. Either way, come by this Friday/Saturday to taste why this set is worth exploring. A bottle of Savennieres on a warm spring day is a beautiful thing....

Click here for Jay's text on La Jalousie, featuring Jay-like musings on pretty birds and springtime at a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Click here to watch a 2-minute video interview with Isaure de Pontbriand that our cafe manager Kate made when she worked for the Wine Spectator.

The Farmers... The coffee farmers of Kiryama cultivate heirloom Bourbon, Mibirizi, and Jackson coffee varieties at 1760 meters above sea level. With sweet, clean notes of pomegranate, red grape, and orange; their latest harvest is a delicious expression of Burundi's burgeoning agricultural craftsmanship.

The Flavors... The intense citrusy floral character of Burundian coffees invites comparison to Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees, but there is a particular sweet citrusy flavor unique to Burundi.

The Technique... The key to quality in Burundi is the washing station. At a Burundian washing station, farmers bring their coffee cherry where it is selected for ripeness, the fruit skin is removed, and it is fermented and washed. This fermentation and washing has a huge impact on coffee flavor, and the skill and technique of the washing station is essential to creating great coffee.

Tuscany, Italy
2008
$14.99 ($13.49 this weekend)

The Coffee... Clean and sweet sweet sweet, the tiny heirloom beans pack a wallop of strawberry, blackberry, honeysuckle, and wine flavors.

The Place... Theres no surprise when a Sidama coffee is great: This region is ground zero for incredible coffees. Sidama, in southern Ethiopia, is inhabited by a number of indigenous people, including a people called the Guji. The Guji Zone, famous for extraordinary coffee, includes the village of Michicha, where this coffee lot was milled.

Jerome Chezeaux Bourgogne Rouge 2007

Mas Jullien Coteaux du Languedoc Les Etats d'Ame 2006

These are all offered by the glass tonight because they are Grant Tennille selections, and the free music you can hear and watch tonight in-store will be Grant Tennille expressions.  Don't miss a rare performance from one of Chapel Hill's most creative musical forces.  6:30-8pm.

March 15-20, 2010
New to 3CUPS - Flight of 3 - $9
Chateau Haut Lavigne Cotes de Duras Blanc - $5/gl - $13.99/btl
Binner Les Saveurs - $7/gl - $17.99/btl
Luca Ferraris Grignolino d'Asti - $9/gl - $19.99/btl
Dom. Rimbert St. Chinian Les Travers de Marceau - $7/gl - $17.99/btl

All four of these wines have made their maiden voyage across the pond to our 3SHORES.  Come and taste!

The Best of Spain
Thu, March 25, 7pm
$30 in advance / $35 day-of

Andre Tamers brings us wine from a disparate group of talentedgrowers who are reviving deeper roots to a time when Spain's winesspoke in many regional dialects. These estates make quintessential foodwines. Their stories and flavors articulate a nascent change in thelandscape of Spanish wine. Though his wines are sold in specialty wineshops and restaurants across the U.S., Andre is a local. We are luckyto have him as a resource in our wine community. We'll serve a range ofhis wines, Andre will talk about them, we'll nibble nice cheeses,almonds, olives.

Ameztoi Rubentis
Getariako Txakolina (that's Basque Country to you)
Spain
$14.99

Theappearance of spring this week, if only momentarily, sent the wine side/ larger part of my brain charging off to Basque country. Simply stareat the hypnotic pink of this fizzy wine and you will understand on somedeep level the experience it can bring. The visual appeal of Ameztoiprovides accurate description, but by all means stop in Friday orSaturday for a sip. All will be revealed. A brighter March awaits,filled with warmth, the promise of greater diversity of food options atthe farmers market, a return to outdoor life. Ameztoi rose belongs inthis this month of your life. There are limited quantities available -fair warning.

Tambul
West Highlands
Papua New Guinea
$14.99 lb.

The Coffee... Kuta fans, rejoice: PNG is here again! FromPapua New Guinea's Western Highlands comes Tambul, a voluptuous, full,round, sweet coffee. Flavors of caramel and chocolate dominate, withsubtle accents of cherry.

Australian Influence... Coffee was introduced by Australiansto New Guinea, and they continue to be involved at many stages of theprocess. Many plantations were established by Australian entrepreneurs,but since New Guinean independence in the '70s many of these have beentaken over by Papua New Guinean nationals. Farm size here ranges fromthe large plantations, like the famous Sigri plantation, to the small1-2 acre plots managed by individuals and small tribes. The in-betweensare medium-sized farms managed by individuals or by tribes who managetheir land collectively. Most often, these farms bring their cherrydirectly to a coffee mill, whose job it is to pulp, ferment, wash, andmill the cherry for export. Kuta is one of these mills.

The Land... Papua New Guinea is not only a natural treasure,but a cultural one as well. There are 826 languages spoken on thisisland, each representing an independent culture. The farmers of PapuaNew Guinea still live very traditional lives, and these ancient tribalcultures still thrive in the mountains and valleys of the highlands.Agriculture was invented independently here, and many farmers nowinclude coffee among the crops they grow beside their straw homes inthe mountains.

March 8-13, 2010
French Varietal Wines - Flight of 3 - $9
DeMoor Bourgogne Blanc Chitry - $8/gl - $22.99/btl
Jamain Reuilly - $8/gl - $4.50/half - $22.99/btl
Faillenc Ste. Marie Escapade - $6/gl - $16.99/btl
Plageoles Duras - $7/gl - $19.99/btl

Gianfranco Alessandria Barolo
Piemonte, Italy
2004
$34.99 ($31.49 this weekend)
Thepast has returned, briefly. Recession has granted us a temporary returnto days when high-quality small-grower Barolo was occasionallyavailable to Italian wine fans for moderate prices. The 20th Century isback (at least for the weekend), but we get to keep our iPhones andsnowboarding gold medals. What, you guys didn't get one? Maybe it's inthe mail....

Nothing makes me look forward to coming into theshop as much as the promise of great, affordable Barolo waiting by thewine counter to greet me. Not as chipper as a Wal-Mart greeter, butmore likely to let you eat all the osso bucco and wild mushrooms ontoast you could possibly want in peace, without giving you a stare ofreproach and concern. Stop by Friday and Saturday to taste this amazingred. Happy days are here again....

The Man... We havetalented Piedmontese wine grower Mauro Veglio to thank for theexistence of this wine. Veglio was able to convince GianfrancoAlessandria, his cousin, to begin estate-bottling fruit from his 5.5hectares of vines. Gianfrancos father had expanded this estate,founded by his grandfather in the 1940s, but both men had sold itsfruit to other producers. Alessandria followed his fathers exampleuntil the late 1980s, when he began experimenting with bottling smallquantities of wine. His first major release was in 1991. A 1993Alessandria Barolo received Tre Bicchiere from Gambero Rosso, the prominent Italian food and wine publication. He was on the right path. The rest is history.

The Estate... Alessandria farms in Monforte, one of thehilltop villages of the Barolo D.O.C.G. This is the heart of theItalian Piedmont, a region considered by many in the wine community tomake the best red wine in all of Italy. In 1996 Gianfranco completed anexpansion and modernization of the winerys cellars, upping productionto a whopping 35,000 bottles annually.

Gayo
Indonesia
Sumatra
$15.99/lb.

The Coffee... Sumatra is one of the classic coffee origins:deep, velvet-bodied, earthy notes with hints of dry cocoa and spiceswirl in each sip. Sumatran coffees are renowned for their sweetnessand lack of acidity; the perfect afternoon or late night coffee! Thiscoffee, from the northern Sumatran region of Aceh, is shade-grown by acooperative of small producers dedicated to shade-growing on small,family-owned farms.

The coffees from Gayo are wondrous. Deep,chocolatey, and velvety, they manage to achieve a very rare thing incoffee: they are earthy without being dirty, they have a long, sweetaftertaste that is never cloying, and their sweet, syrupy body make astrong cup of Gayo like drinking molten dark chocolate.

The Region... Aceh, as the region on the northernmost tip ofthe island of Sumatra is called, is a fascinating and complicatedplace. Aceh has been troubled by political instability for years.  Youmight remember Aceh as the place where the tsunami in 2005 had adevastating effect.

The Cooperative... The Gayo cooperative, named after theindigenous Gayo people, is an island of stability in an ocean of chaos.A diverse and democratic group, the Gayo co-op includes Acehnese, Gayo,and Javanese in its numbers, and 20 percent of the producers in theco-op are women! This cooperative, formed in 1997, produces coffees ofa unique quality: organic and shade grown, with a level of consistencyand quality that is relatively unknown in Sumatra.

Bordeaux= Money. Everyone looks to get paid, but the Bordeaux trade is garishlycapitalist in a way that unsettles me. I have a vague and silly notionabout the product I sell, but it's how I feel so you all are stuck withmy naivete. I find wine evocative of people and harmony with the naturethey live in to be essentially worthwhile, and beautiful. It is hard toview Bordeaux using that romantic notion.The way that it is traded, and in many instances farmed (organic wineis a rarity in the region), the structure of Bordeaux estates, and thetype of commerce they feed leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When I buythe (scant few) bottles of Francois Raveneau Chablis that I willpurchase every vintage, I never discuss or even think about the futurevalue of this wine, because I am going to drink it. Its quality lies inbringing an evening of happiness to me and my family, or even maybefriends, assuming one day I make some. By the way, it's easy to makefriends with Francois Raveneau on your table.... With Bordeaux of asimilar price, the wine is generally discussed in terms of futuredollar value, a logical flaw which has led to the blast off from sanityof the prices of the top 150 or so Bordeaux wines. They are lost in thestratosphere of extravagant luxury, a bottle to sip in your penthouse,admiring your newly acquired Basquiat, considering the merits ofvarious small Pacific islands to purchase as a location for your nextvacation retreat. They have become hard to justify, and even morepainfully, they have become inaccessible to much of the wine lovingpublic.

But millions of bottles of good, decent Bordeaux atsound prices are made every year. Some of this wine is the result ofproud men and women unwilling to abandon the traditional type of winethat was made in the region for generations. Occasionally, more naturalfarming practices are being employed. So there is hope: Bordeaux forthe rest of us is being made, and we are dedicated to finding anddrinking it with the many foods that it complements and improves.  

This month's set includes Lex's version of the recipe for Gigot de Sept Heures, or Seven-Hour Lamb.  Yum.

Call (919 968 8993) or email me (jmurrie@3cups.net) to reserve your set.

March 1 - 6, 2010

Coastal Wines - Flight of 3 - $8
Dom. de la Pepiere Muscadet - $6/gl - $12.99/btl
Caruso Inzolia - $6/gl - $14.99/btl
Valle dell' Acate Frappato - $7/gl - $16.99/btl
Domaine de la Patience Merlot - $6/gl - $12.99/btl

We believe the retail wine price where you get the best wine foryour money is $12-$20.sure, we stock wines less expensive and manywhich cost more, but we focus on $12-$20. Wine tastes better when youunderpay for it and we pride ourselves in finding wines that taste moreexpensive than they are!

Folks who are shopping for wine often have two things in mind thecolor, red or white and about how much they want to spend. The moreconfidence customers have in the store's selection, the more they willspend.  In retail, conventional wisdom says: what sells is either thecheapest or what is considered the best and therefore is expensive. Most of our wines fall in the middle, between $10 and $25.  Here's why

1.  $5.99-$8.99 In the trade this is where most retailersfocus, where the bulk of the sales are.  This is the magical pricepoint where customers will happily, impulsively pick up a bottle andsometimes a case.  Brands like Yellow Tail, Smoking Loon, Toasted Head,and Turning Leaf are all professionally conceived brands wheremarketing firms concoct "cool" labels and branding to enhance thepopularity of these inexpensive choices.  If you do the math, and Ihave, in order to achieve $7.99 on the retail shelf the actual juice,the wine, has to cost almost nothing.  Often these wines are made usingthe popular corporate mantra of "better living through modernchemistry" to achieve the low price point.  Wine does not require aningredient panel or any disclosure about how the grapes made their wayto wine.  These wines are to wine what particleboard is to wood theyfulfill a function, but the aesthetic leaves a bit to be desired.

2.  $35.00 and up Famous,expensive, and prestigious winesare in demand, highly sought after and collected. They sell well.Not aswell as they did in 2007. These wines are famous and collected SilverOak Cabernet, Chateau Latour, and Chateau de Beaucastel, to name a few. Because they are popular, they are written up and evaluated in themonthly wine journals and cellared by wine enthusiasts.

3.  The "Sweetspot" $12-$20... These are the wines we areselling and promoting.  This is how much you have to pay in order toexperience authentic flavor, the "sweet spot" where you can buy winesthat taste complex and alive.  Some folks have called the wines we haveat 3CUPS "invisible" because they fly underneath the radar screen ofthe wine press and because of the authentic nature of the farming,cannot slip under the magical price point of ten bucks!  Our winesinclude obscure grape varieties like Counoise, Albarino, or Frappatoor hail from little-acclaimed regions such as Bizkaiko Txakolina. 

Chateau Moulin de Tricot
Haut-Medoc 2006
$27.99, $25.19 this weekend

The wine...Utterly traditional Bordeaux from a vintage that was a great success atthis estate. This wine is pure Margaux in character, a concentratedCabernet-based red that on the palate seems both full and finely tuned.Consider picking up additional bottles for ageing, as wines of thistraditional class are rare, particularly so at sane prices. I wouldrecommend it with duck confit, potato gratin, haricots verts. Alsosimple grilled meats and stews, roasts and game meats would be aperfect match.

The estate... Bruno Rey is the proprietorof Chateau Moulin de Tricot in Margaux, a family estate that has beenpassed down generation-to-generation since the 19th century. Rey is abeliever in old-style Margaux wines. His methods are honest andeffective in creating the wines of the character and longevity thatmade his homeland famous. High-density vine plantings yield naturallylow yields of flavorful fruit from his vines. He avoids chemicalherbicides, favoring more natural and traditional farming practices.The grapes are harvested entirely by hand to allow poor-qualityclusters to be left on the vine, and to avoid damage to the pristinefruit that would occur if they harvested using machines.

Shakisso Natural Sun-Dried

Ethiopia
Sidamo
$14.99/lb.

The Coffee... Shakisso is dried on wooden tables in the sun, resulting dried cherry flavors above dark chocolate and nuts.

The Legend... In the south of Ethiopia, in the region of Sidamo,sits the town of Shakisso. Surrounding Shakisso are mountains coveredwith forest, so dense that it appears almost black when viewed fromabove. This mysterious, dense tropical forest has been the source ofspeculation and wonder for thousands of years. This forest is said toconceal King Solomon's legendary gold mines, mythical animals andsatyrs, and fierce warriors. From the forest also comes coffee, growingin the wild just as it has for eons.

The wines...The wines we carry from Icardi are delicious today. They are vinifiedfor the table, tonight or a year from now, but not to be cellared. Thesame estate makes magnificent Barolos for aging, if you areinterested.... Fresh fruit aromas, clean and ripe and honest, thesewines are a bargain and a safe bet for simple enjoyment. They show offthe best flavors of the Italian Piedmont.

The family...This estate's story is a common one in the history of Europeanviticulture, happily. The Icardis were tenant farmers of these samefields. Through the work of Pierino Icardi (father of currentproprietor Claudio) the family were able to purchase the land they hadalways worked. Today Claudio and his sister Maria Grazia bottle a largerange of consistently impressive Piedmontese reds and whites.

The land...Italy's Piedmont is located in the northwest corner of the peninsularcountry, and is nearly encircled by mountains with the Alps to thenorth and west and Apennines to the south, explaining the translationof Piemonte in Italian: at the foot of the mountain. The Mediterraneansea lies to the south, separated from Piedmont by the region ofLiguria, with its narrow coastline dotted by fishing villages andvineyards producing their own respectable wines. The major wine growingarea of Piedmont is nestled in the lower-lands, in the rolling Langheand Monferrato hills.

3CUPS Tasting Group: Bordeaux

Mar 3, 7pm

Areyou up for a dose of unfounded opinion, conjecture, bizarre travelogue,lists of arcane facts, and a spirited round of swirling, sniffing,shouting and pontificating? If the answer is yes, or if you've botheredto read to this point, Jay's wine class may be for you. This eventshould be subtitled Bordeaux for the Everyman, because this largeregion of southwestern France has great dark and deliciousfood-friendly reds suitable for innumerable everyday meals.

Informal,irreverent, appropriate to wine fans of any level of expertise, thisonce-monthy series of tastings is moderated by 3CUPS wine boss JayMurrie. $30 per class, or $100 to register for four meetings of thisgroup. Tastings will be held on the first Wednesday of every month andspace is limited, so sign up soon!

Yunquera Albillo - $7/gl - $17.99/btl

D. Ventura Vina do Burato - $8/gl - $18.99/btl

Biurko Gorri Rioja Arbanta - $5/gl - $12.99/btl

El Maestro Sierra Pedro Ximenez - $7/half gl - $16.99/375mL btl

Glatzer Gruner Veltliner - $3/HALF -$5/GL - $12.99/btl
This Gruner Veltliner is pretty special. It has a little substance to it,and always leaves me feeling like I've invested my dollars wisely.

Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Gneiss - $4/HALF - $7/GL - $17.99/btl
This wine challenges any preconceptions of Muscadet as simple, acidic, watery,inconsequential. It offers asmuch to ponder (or simply enjoy) as any white from France. (Grape: Melon de Bourgogne)

D. Ventura Ribeira Sacra Vina do Burato - $4.50/HALF - $8/GL - $18.99/btl
ABeaujolais comparison is perhaps inevitable: this has the fun, charmingaspects of a good lighter-in-body wine that is minerally, complex and concentrated. (Grape: Mencia)

Breton Clos Senechal - $5/HALF - $9/GL - $24.99/btl
Clos Senechal is Cabernet Franc from 15- and 30-year-old vines, aged in barrel for five months. The product is natural, hand-made goodness.

The Man...Ramon Losada and his family farm very old vines on the banks of therivers Sil and Mio. They labor to make wine that is a correctexpression of its homeland. Losada farms organically, in search ofperfectly ripe fruit. His friend and fellow winemaker Gerardo Mendez ofthe Do Ferreiro winery advised Ramon on how to convert to naturalagriculture. In the cellar, Losadas techniques remain focused onauthenticity of flavor. Via Burato is not filtered. To filter wouldreduce flavor complexity in the finished wine. Losada also avoids coldstabilization, a procedure that precipitates solids out of wine, intheory making the wine easier to sell to consumers. This technique doesnot improve the flavor of the wine, yet it is commonly practiced bymore technology-obsessed commercial wineries. Cold stabilization is anadditional manipulation, extraneous to flavor quality, that allows forthe possibility of loss of character in a wine.

The Land...Galicia is poor. In fact, it is the least prosperous region of Spain.It is a green, beautiful area, scenic in a way that is at timesreminiscent of Ireland or Norway. Celts settled here. Rivers cut deeplyinto the landscape, the coast is jagged, wet and cold. Its people havea history of hauling a livelihood from the water. Were a long way fromLa Mancha. Above Portugal, perched on the edge of the Atlantic, Galiciadoes not fit the visual stereotype of Spain. The vineyards of RibeiraSacra (Losadas neighborhood) are inland and disconnected fromwell-known white wine producing areas on the west Galician coast.Vineyards here are so steep that dumbwaiters are often used to lowerfruit down from the vines. In spite of this daunting physical obstacle,grapevines have been cultivated in Ribeira Sacra since Romans weredoing the farming.

The Wine...Vino do Burato is harvested from 80-year-old vines on the banks of theMio. Slate soils add minerality, complexity and concentration. Thewine is 100% Mencia, a grape that produces many interesting wines inRueda and Galicia. Vino do Burato is fermented and aged entirely instainless steel, to keep vibrancy in the wine. A Beaujolais comparisonis perhaps inevitable: this has the fun, charming aspects of a goodChiroubles, or other lighter-in-body cru Beaujolais.

We've had a lot of folks asking about Karen's entry into theSoutheast Regional Barista Competition.  3CUPS looks forward to Karen'sflying the orange and brown at the Southeast Regional BaristaCompetition in Atlanta next month.  Each competitor prepares a seriesof drinks for the judges: espresso, cappuccino, and a signaturebeverage.  Reflecting 3CUPS' traditional Italian espresso menu, Karenhas developed the Caffe Angelo as her signature, using EspressoRustico, cream, and aniseed syrup to evoke the romance of Sambuca. 3CUPS got snowed out last Saturday, but fear not: Karen will be behindthe bar this Saturday morning and early afternoon, and Caffe Angelowill be on the menu that day.  Swing by to taste what all the fuss isabout.

The Coffee... Sumatra is one of the classic coffee origins:deep, velvet-bodied, earthy notes with hints of dry cocoa and spiceswirl in each sip. Sumatran coffees are renowned for their sweetnessand lack of acidity; the perfect afternoon or late night coffee! Thiscoffee, from the northern Sumatran region of Aceh, is shade-grown by acooperative of small producers dedicated to shade-growing on small,family-owned farms.

The coffees from Gayo are wondrous. Deep,chocolatey, and velvety, they manage to achieve a very rare thing incoffee: they are earthy without being dirty, they have a long, sweetaftertaste that is never cloying, and their sweet, syrupy body make astrong cup of Gayo like drinking molten dark chocolate.

The Region... Aceh, as the region on the northernmost tip ofthe island of Sumatra is called, is a fascinating and complicatedplace. Aceh has been troubled by political instability for years.  Youmight remember Aceh as the place where the tsunami in 2005 had adevastating effect.

The Cooperative... The Gayo cooperative, named after theindigenous Gayo people, is an island of stability in an ocean of chaos.A diverse and democratic group, the Gayo co-op includes Achinese, Gayo,and Javanese in its numbers, and 20 percent of the producers in theco-op are women! This cooperative, formed in 1997, produces coffees ofa unique quality: organic and shade grown, with a level of consistencyand quality that is relatively unknown in Sumatra.

January 25 - 30, 2010

Piedmont on my Mind
Valditerra Gavi -
$8/gl - $23.99/btl 
Icardi Cortese l'Aurora -
$7/gl - $16.99/btl
Luca Ferraris Ruche -
$9/gl - $24.99/btl
G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso
$6/gl - $13.99/btl
Flight: Choose 3 tastes: $10

Bera Arcese
Piemonte 2007
$13.99, $9.99 this weekend

The Wine...I like the completeness of this wine. There are many pleasant one-notewines for $10: Bera's blend of Favorita with Arneis and Cortese (hencethe clever name) has range of aroma and depth of flavor. It is asatisfyingly full white for a cool winter evening. Arcese is a whitefor pork, and /or an assortment of your favorite edible roots: roastedparsnips, orange beets, or turnips could go nicely. Or for theambitious chef, try it with a porchetta, Parmesan, parsley, and onionpanini.

Joe Dressner, a top importer of natural wines whoportfolio is well-represented at 3CUPS, says, All of the estate iscultivated in organic viticulture with an emphasis on creating anactive, healthy ecosystem. All grapes are harvested by hand and theirjuice is fermented without yeast inoculations. All the winemaking isdone by Alessandras brother, Gianluigi Bera.  Joe also recently hadan excellent and brief essay on how "[t]here is nothing more unnaturalthan trying to compress a vineyard and a year's work into a 750milliliter container" published in The Diner Journal (vol. 13) - check it out.

January 13-19, 2010

Burrr-gundy - Flight of 3 - $8
Goisot St-Bris Exogyra Virgula - $7/GL - $16.99/btl
Francois Gaunoux Bourgogne Rouge - $8/GL - $24.99/btl
Jean-Paul Brun FRV100 - $8/GL - $19.99/btl

3BOTTLES
January 2010
Italian Reds

Italy wasnt a country for a long time - so the regions are like mini-countries, each with their own specialties, identities, and loyalties. So many kinds of grapes, too... When the merchants of Bordeaux created their famous 1855 classification...Italy wasn't yet a unified country, Vino Italiano's authors Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch point out. In 1963, the Italian government drew up the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) laws, which created legally defined production zones and production formulas for what were once simple farmhouse wines. Its a long country, from north to south, so the hearty foods you find in northern Italy have more in common with those of their Austrian, Swiss, and French neighbors than their Italian brethren from Sicily and Sardinia. Foods Sicily is well known for: olives, tuna, almonds, pistachios, capers, citrus fruit, swordfish. Veneto: salted cod, beans, liver, Asiago, Grana Padano, radicchio, cherries, and peaches. The Piedmont: hazelnuts, chestnuts, truffles, agnolotti del plin (small meat-filled pasta, served with a brothlike sauce), Grana Padano and Taleggio cheeses.

If you've ever noticed the jolly photograph of Tyrolean winemaker Vincent Grosjean in our shop, you probably have surmised that Italians have the right ideas about living exuberantly - even during the longest and darkest days of the year. Join us as we taste some Italian wines new to 3CUPS and take home something tasty to hibernate with. We'll also sample new selections in charcuterie, including salumi from Giacomo's in Greensboro. Tickets are $20 in advance/ $25 at door.

Eating seasonally in winter is the theme of this informal wine dinner.We'll feature locally-grown produce from Piedmont Biofarms, ayear-round vegetable farm located just outside Pittsboro. We'll pairwines from organic family-owned and -operated small estates located inthe Italian Piedmont to delicious food prepared by farmer and chef DougJones. Tickets are $40 in advance / $45 at the door.

First class is 1/6/10, 7PM, Italian Reds

Second class is 2/3/10, 7PM, Spain: A New Look

Camillo Donati Lambrusco - $7/GL - $18.99/btl
COS Nero d'Avola - $10/GL - $29.99/btl
Chionetti Dolcetto San Luigi - $8/GL - $20.99/btl

Tuscany, Italy
Wine: Sangiovese, Colorino, and Canaiolo; EVOO: frantoio, leccino, moraiolo, pendolino
Wine: 2006; EVOO: 2008
$35.99 (35% off this weekend)

The Gift Set... The oil alone used to be that expensive. It's like going home with a bottle of awesome Chianti for free. Even better,you can taste both all weekend, before you buy. And I predict you will purchase: Montesecondo's wares so are hard to resist that I took home two bottles of the olive oil on the day it arrived. A taste, and it's clear this is no retail ruse: Montesecondo is the authentic flavor of Tuscany. Condiments like thise are lifesavers tohave around as the holidays get closer and your house starts to fill up.Whether or not you recreate the traditional Italian Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, or just use it to drizzle on your winter greens, it's special stuff. Hostess gift, too? If you bring this with you, your hosts will want you to move in permanently.

The Messana Family...in a previous life, Silvio & Catalina Messana were New Yorkers. Silvio's father started this beautiful farm in Tuscany in the 1960s, and in the '70s planted the vines that Silvio now tends. In the mid-'90s Silvio's mother fell ill, and he moved his family to Tuscany to be near her. This period also inspired Silvio to take over the vineyards his father had planted, and make greatwines that would honor their potential, and in 2000 he produced his first vintage. He, his wife Catalina, and their three sons live on this land in a lovely restored farmhouse, with the cellar and bottling room in the basement, just down a gravel drive from the small outbuilding that formerly housed farm animals but has been renovated to contain the winemaking facility.

Grosjean Freres Pinot Noir

2008

Vallee d'Aoste, Italy
$23.99 (10% off this weekend)

The Wine... From our perspective, Italy's least productive viticultural region is making some of that nation's most compelling wines. This Pinot Noir is (surprisingly, given its mountainous homeland) intensely aromatic, but also happily not heavy or dull. It is a perfect red for seasonal fare: great with your Christmas goose, or maybe just a simple snack of flavorful crusty bread, local cheese, and salami. Vincent Grosjean's wines make us happy: apparently they make him smile, too, given the jolly demeanor evidenced in his larger-than-life photo on our wall.

Disappearing Vines... Grosjean Freres is a small estate in the communes of Quart and Saint Christophe in the Vallee d'Aoste (or Valle d'Aosta, in the alternate Italian), Italy's extreme northwest. The whole region has 520 hectares of vineyards, and only 385 acres of this land is in a DOC zone. This is less than half the acreage cultivated 20 years ago. At the end of the 19th century the Valle dAosta had over 3,000 hectares of vines. Many of these terraced vineyards disappeared between the two world wars. Fewer than 2,000,000 bottles are produced in the region annually. There are single estates in Sicily making more wine in a given year.

The Grapes... Since 1975 Grosjean estate has farmed grapes using sustainable, natural methods. 90% of the wine made in their region is red. Petit Rouge is often made into a wine that tastes like a spicy Beaujolais, a perfect refreshing red for a hike around Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn, with traditional regional foods like fontina cheese or mocetta, a local prosciutto made from ibex and chamois. Other native grapes of the region include Premetta, Cornalin, Petite Arvine, Fumin, and Mayolet. These grapes grow best in the central Aosta valley, which is at a height of roughly 800 meters above sea level. The soils here are glacial moraine, a rocky, semi-fertile mixture that aids in the creation of quality wine.

The Wineries... There are 27 bottlers of wine in the Valle dAosta, a figure that includes the regions six cooperatives, two of which (Chambave and Morgex) actually make decent wine. As has been the case in mountainous Alto Adige, co-ops in Valle dAosta are not necessarily corrosive to wine quality in the way they often were (and are) farther south.

The Wine... Pretty Pinot Noir grown onlimestone-riddled slopes in a tiny wine growing region of theLoire. River fish served in a creamy herb sauce (dill, maybe?) withcrusty hunks of a good baguette would be Jay's dream meal withJamain Pinot Noir. But in a less-perfect (but still pretty good)world, this red makes a great accompaniment to Carolina Basketballviewing.

Lisa London, #705850

Congratulations, Lisa!  The next time you come into thestore, you will have $50 credited to your 3CARD.

It's just that easy.  Tell your friends... get a 3CARD, sign up for theNewsletter andwait to see who the next winner is in January.

Sunday, December 6, 12-1PM

Free

A cupping is a blind tasting of fresh roasted, fresh ground coffees. This is done to learn about the character the aroma, flavor, body and aftertaste - specific to coffees from different regions, different varietals, and different growing processes. It's also designed to help appreciate what makes a great coffee great and to develop a palate for recognizing and selecting these coffees. The process of cupping is a process of tasting, thinking and learning with a group. A rule of silent work is used, so that no participant's tastes are influenced, although there is a lot of "aspirating" going on snorting and slurping to get everything that's there. It's a chance to discover and appreciate what you like, what you don't like and a lot you probably didn't know about coffee cultivation and care. 12PM to 1PM. Free

The Wine... Is fruity, with lime, peach, pear,baking apple flavors. Spicy aromas of cinnamon and other subtleexotic spices are present, alongside floral aromas. A wine complexenough to merit many glasses of dissection and discussion. Drinkersof Vouvray, Austrian whites, and even New Zealand Sauvignon Blancswill like this.

The Brothers... The Merkelbachs tend to a tiny(1.9 hectare) amount of land in rzig, at the far northern endof the good part of the Mosel. They pull fruit from the massive,grand hillside that frames the town, an impossibly steep mass ofslate and vine that directly faces the wide, slow-moving Mosel. Ispent four days of my last vacation in rzig. What better wayto escape from the rigors of tasting wine for a living than to hideout in a tiny German village known for only one thing? That thingaint quality restaurants, which is a shame because the threestreets that make up the entirety of rzig are dotted withmore than their fair share of exceptional wineries.

The Land... I think when my child is old enoughIll go back to show her what a town should be like, how lifecould be, away from ugly modernity and impermanence. Even if Rolfand Alfred are gone and the brothers are sadly among thelast and maybe the best of a vanishing generation of small familywine estates I think rzig will be the same.

The Vineyards... I love the names of these sites.Rosenberg (rose mountain) makes clean, vivid, fresh wines thatsmell markedly of flowers. Its the most northerly of thesites the Merkelbachs utilize. It also marks the northern boundaryof quality viticulture along this river. On a cool fall evening Ienjoyed a bottle of local wine in a riverside restaurant in Wolf,Kinheims northern neighbor, but the bottle I ferried homeseemed surprisingly ordinary. So Im sticking to my story:Kinheim represents the frontier. Never underestimate how much apretty setting can charm your palate. To the southMerkelbachs great holdings continue. Erdener Treppchen (sosteep Megan turned back at this point in our hike, for fear ofvertigo) and rziger Wrzgarten (spice garden, a grandamphitheater vineyard that to me yields every flavor Rieslingshould have.) Not surprisingly, brothers Merkelbach grow onlyRiesling, and the sum of the wines they bottle from these greatsites is a scant 1,600 cases annually.

The Struggle... To end on an insufferably seriousnote, it is my belief that the creation of wine from this verticallandscape is heroic. It demonstrates how man can harness and workwithin nature to create something that is the sum of our ourabilities and hers. This special little time capsule: a year in thelife of one plot of vines, in a bottle.

Alejandro Cadena and Giancarlo Ghiretti are two Colombians who dedicate themselves to finding and protecting small lots of great coffee grown in the mountainous region of Cauca in the Andes. Alejandro and Giancarlo search Cauca for farmers willing to make the strong commitment to quality we need, and immediately send samples from potentially great farms for analysis. If the coffee meets our standards, we purchase the lot from the small farmer who offered it at many times the local price. In this way, we were able to create a strong incentive for these talented farmers to supply us directly rather than sell it to local mass-market buyers for homogenization and export.

The Coffee... Caramel, chocolate, blackcherry notes. The body of the coffee is juicy, a reliable Colombiancoffee that delivers satisfaction with a sweet and cleanaftertaste.

I am also an 11th-hour Thanksgiving wine buyer. It'sshocking how last-minute my wine purchasing can be: dallying is oneof the many advantages of working in a wine store, I guess. Aftermany years of my Thanksgiving buying displaying a heavy French bias(specifically a Burgundian and Alsatian bent), this year I'm movingeast, putting my turkey on the table next to glasses of German andAustrian wine. Juicy Nigl Zweigelt rose is perfect with turkey,cranberries or fruit pies, as our Wednesday afternoon tasting withScratch Baking will prove. Gysler, a dry Riesling from theRheinhessen, is every bit as appropriate as an Alsatian white atThanksgiving, but more sprightly (and less pricey.). And try toresist a second glass of family-sized Messmer Spatburgunder, a1-liter Pinot Noir that is aromatic like an expensive French PinotNoir, but remains delightfully affordable in comparison to qualityred Burgundy.

We all want to bring special, memorable wine to this important mealwith the people we care about: I feel these wines might add a smileor two to the proceedings, and complement the traditional holidayfoods. You can easily reinvest the money you save with thesewell-judged wine purchases on a tasty Scratch pie for dessert (butreserve in advance by sending an e-mail to Phoebe Lawless,phoebelawless@mindspring.com, click herefor the menu). Need some coffee with your dessert? Read on.

While many places would offer a ThanksgivingBlend, we offer single-origin coffees.  That allows us tofollow the chain of custody all the way to the farmer and recognizethem for the work they do, just like we do in wine.  Thiscoffee is part of the Los Luchadores project, where Aida Batlle(pictured above) helps identify exceptional small farms in ElSalvador. 

Las Delicias is owned and run by Ricardo Gonzalezand his family.  The coffee is 100% Pacamara which is anheirloom variety from El Salvador and produces a very large, sweetbean.  This Thanksiving, I'm going to offer thanks to Ricardoand his family for producing an exceptional coffee that we can allenjoy.

Tea andChocolate Social with Kit Conway
Sunday, November 22, 3PM - 5PM
$7.50 in advance, $10 at the door

Love tea?  Love chocolate?  Either way, youlllove our Tea and Chocolate Social on Sunday, November 22.Were pairing four standout chocolates with six equallynotable teas to create eight new taste sensations. Taste adifferent form of liquid pleasure each time a chocolate melts inyour mouth and then is transformed by the aroma and taste of tea.Three of the selections are American-made artisan chocolates thatare single source and created in small batches. The fourthchocolate comes from a company known for its refined Belgianchocolates. Weve paired each chocolate with two selectionsfrom our Keemun, Pai Mutan white, Darjeeling, Pouchong, Ceylon, andAssam teas to give you the best of both worlds. So bring yourfriends to our drop-in social between 3:00 and 5:00 PM on Sunday,November 22 and find your favorite coupling.

ThanksgivingWine and Pie Tasting with Scratch Baking
Wednesday, November 25, 10:00AM Until the Pie Runs Out
FREE

Here's the plan. We will be sampling the six bottles of our2nd-annual Thanksgiving wine six-pack all day long. 3CUPS will alsobe a Thanksgiving pie pick-up point for Scratch baking, and Phoebewill join us for the middle bit of the day (time TBA) to sample herThanksgiving pies. So with one easy stop at 3CUPS you can becomethe hero of Thanksgiving, the bringer of amazing locally baked piesand six perfect bottles of wine, selected to make everyone happyaround a traditional epic holiday meal. The tasting is FREE, but itwould be wise to contact Phoebe in advance to reserve your pie(s.)Email phoebelawless@mindspring.com  Click Here for the Scratch Holiday Menu 2009.

LasDelicias
El Salvador
Santa Ana
$16.99/lb.

The Coffee... Coffee plant varieties,much like wine, define the flavor.  And, just like wine, thereare rare coffee varieties unique to a particular place.  ThePacamara variety is identified with El Salvador and the bestPacamaras are still produced there.  This coffee is part ofAida Batlles Los Luchadores project, findingand selecting great El Salvadoran coffees.
 
Las Delicias is owned and run by Ricardo Gonzalez and hisfamily.  In the cup, the brute savory strength unique toPacamara is tempered by a sweet fruitiness, and leads tocharacteristics of flowers, plum, dried fruit, and a mouthwateringsavoriness.

NVSoligo Prosecco Brut $16.99

 $99.99 = 6 bottles (30+glasses!) of tasty, tasty Europeanwine.

Rebecca Forrest, #705508

Congratulations Rebecca!  The next time you come into thestore, you will have $50 credited to your 3CARD.

It's just that easy.  Tell your friends... get a 3CARD, sign up for theNewsletter andwait to see who the next winner is in December.

This is a Weekend Wine picked with this specific weekend in mind.Pretty autumn days, still sunny, days where you want to be outside,with a sweater on. Goisot makes lovely refreshing Chardonnay (andPinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, and a little Aligote) and thestyle of wine from this northern outpost of Burgundy is always bothtasty and refreshing. The Chardonnay is light and clean and a totalcrowd-pleaser (even a mixed Duke-Carolina crowd,) the kind ofChardonnay that makes even adamant Chardonnay foes thirsty for asecond glass. When the last boat-load of these wines arrived at3CUPS they evaporated pretty quickly, a collaborative effortbetween you guys and our sales team, who may have purchased theirweight in Goisot in 2009. I love getting those paychecks back inexchange for bottles...

The story of Goisot is a good one, elaborated on in the BurgundyII issue of Edward Behr's great quarterly The Art of Eating.Certified Biodynamic, family-farmed, an estate that summarizes inmany ways (including ultimate quality) what kinds of wines westrive to sell at 3CUPS.

In summary, we'll have one or more Goisot wines open Fri-Sun (thePinots are also about as pure and refreshing as a red wine can be)so you should detour to 3CUPS en route to the garden store, thefarmers' market, the football game. Pick up a savory Scratch Bakingpie and a bottle of Goisot and voila! dinner is taken careof. Good dinner, no rummaging around through pantry leftovers tocobble something together. Goisot wines are also certifiablyseafood-delicious, almost across the board. Appropriate withcrustaceans, bi-valves, steaky ocean fish, flavorful fresh-waterfish... Maybe rare tuna is what I crave most with these wines,unless a table-full of sushi is an option.

Pie Flavors: The Mar-grill-ita, A Margherita-style pizza withour own tomato sauce, roasted garlic, basil, and a blend of freshand smoked mozzarella. The "Whassuuup?", Our Farmer John tributepie featuring Eco Farm's spicy Italian sausage and shiitakemushrooms with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

4th Annual Dispute Settlement Center Wine Tasting
Tuesday, November 10, 5:30PM - 7:30PM
$35, Limited Tickets

Join us for the 4th Annual Dispute Settlement Center WineTasting at The Sienna Hotel on November 10. We'll be selecting thewine. Heavy hor d' oeuvres will be donated by localrestaurants. 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Limited Tickets for $35.

The Dispute Settlement Center is a non-profit mediation center based in Carrboro, NorthCarolina.  Their mission is "to promote and bring aboutthe peaceful settlement of disputes and to prevent the escalationof conflict through mediation, conciliation, facilitation, andtraining."

Gayo
Sumatra
Jagong
$15.99/lb.

The Coffee... Sumatra is one of theclassic coffee origins: deep, velvet bodied, earthy notes withhints of dry cocoa and spice swirl in each sip. Sumatran coffeesare renowned for their sweetness and lack of acidity; the perfectafternoon or late night coffee! This coffee from the NorthernSumatran region of Aceh, is shade-grown by a cooperative of smallproducers dedicated to shade-growing on small, family-ownedfarms.

The coffees from Gayo are wonderous. Deep, chocolatey and velvety,they manage to achieve a very rare thing in coffee: they are earthywithout being dirty, they have a long, sweet aftertaste that isnever cloying, and their sweet, syrupy body make a strong cup ofGayo like drinking molten dark chocolate.

The Wine... This wine smells of fresh (notcompoted or stewy or porty) dark berries, along with a bewitchingand rare aroma that I often describe as violets, though thatsimplification may miss the mark slightly. Brezeme is a steep,limestone-rich terroir approximately 20 miles to the south ofHermitage. These vineyards on the eastern banks of the Rhone oncerivaled in reputation this much more famous northern neighbor, butby the 20th century barely a hectare of vines remained. Texier hasbrought this special region back to prominence almostsingle-handedly. His wine from Brezeme looms above most Cotes duRhone in qualitative terms. It is an archetype of real Syrah,farmed Biodynamically (and certified by Demeter, though this is notlisted on the label) and bottled in a deliberate attempt to elevateBrezeme to the level of Cornas, Hermitage, Cote Rotie... Serve itwith lamb and you and your good friends will have a dinner toremember.

I can't choose between these twoexcellent wines, so this weekend we'll pour (and discount)both.

Years ago, 3CUPS wine team member Susannah came back from awinter trip to Paris with strong recommendations for some newFrench wines to buy. She seemed particularly animated whendiscussing the virtues of Michel Quenioux and his extraordinaryorganic wines. These wines have given us consistent enjoyment sincethis initial encounter. Many of you bought the previous vintage ofthe red, which was with us for the opening of our new Elliott roadlocation. I tasted the current vintage when I was in France inJanuary, and thought they were flavorful and lively, perfectexamples of what wines from Cheverny can be. The rouge has earthydepth to complement its red berry fruit notes, the white is a nicecombo of floral aromas, green apple fruit and stoniness. It seemsperfect for simple seafood courses, mildwhite-fleshed fish for instance.

Domaine de Veilloux

The White... The wine is a nice combo of floralaromas, green apple fruit and stoniness with a clean dryfinish make Veilloux blanc a great choice for scallopsor simple seafood courses, mild white-fleshed fish forinstance. Sauvignon Blanc and Menu Pineau are equal partnersin Veillouxs white wine. The vines from which this fruit isharvested are between 20 and 50 years of age. The soil isa mix of clay and limestone. Floral, mineral aromas anda clean dry finish make Veilloux blanc a great choice forscallops.

Domaine de Veilloux
Cheverny
Rouge
2008
$11.99
$10.79 (10% offthis weekend)

The Red... It has earthy depth to complement its redberry fruit notes. The vines for this wine are between five and 20years old. Quenioux uses 50% Gamay, 35% Pinot Noir and a blendof 15% Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc to make Domaine de Veillouxrouge. These vineyards naturally yield small amounts ofhigh-quality fruit thanks to Queniouxs meticulous farmingpractices. Soil at the estate is a mix of clay, limestone andother calcareous material, a composition that is well-suitedto Domaine de Veillouxs fragrant, lively style of wine.Serve with salmon.

AlaryLe P'tit Martin
Cotes du Rhone
2008
$15.99
$14.39 (10% offthis weekend)

The Wine... The Oratoire St. Martin in Cairannemodels how I want my wine to be made. This is a fun young red,spicy and complex enough to keep from getting boring: totallyenjoyable and juicy. Frederic and Francois Alary are the current(10th) generation of their family to tend vines in a town whosebest wines rival bottles from the very top communes in the southernRhone. They farm organically, and are seeking certification forthat enlightened labor. The Alary family make unfiltered reds thataccurately express the character of their homeland, wines based onthe great grapes of the Rhone valley: Grenache and Syrah. Thesegrapes are grown in the rocky blue clay and limestone-laced soilsof their 25-hectare estate. Replanting is en massale, atechnique that maintains genetic variety in the Oratoire'sfields. En massale means from a crowd, and refers toselecting the cuttings for replanting from the area's existingvines, as opposed to importing clonally identical new plants toaccomplish this task.  All fruit is harvested by hand andsorted rigorously to remove damaged or under-ripe berries.

$26 at the door / RSVP Requested

On October 11th, I will be running the Chicago Marathon on behalfof the American Brain Tumor Association & in memory of my goodfriend Cy Rawls, who passed away from brain cancer last October atthe young age of 33. As part of my efforts to raise money for ABTA,and as a fun tie-in with the general goal of optimal brain health,I am hosting a "Feed Your Brain" fundraiser at 3CUPS on theSaturday after the marathon. Come learn about & enjoy thebrain-boosting benefits of delicious items like red wine, greentea, coffee, dark chocolate, blueberries, raspberries, walnuts,almonds, salmon, pumpkin seeds, avocado, and more! - Tim Ross

Savory buckwheatcrepes with ham, gruyere de comte, caramelized onions; savorybuckwheat crepes with sherried mushrooms; green salad; sweet crepewith salty caramel sauce and creme fraiche-rosemary whipped cream.Yum!

Come taste what Nancy is up to in 2009 at this informalgathering that will feature delicious, carefully crafted morsels offood and wine picked to complement Ms. Kitterman's creations.

Kermit Lynch is a hero in my book. Hes beenblazing the trail for close to 40 years as a pioneer promoting hisportfolio of authentic wine the same type of wine we sellat 3CUPS. Like many others working in the food business, I made mypilgrimage to Berkeley in the late 1980s to visit the hallowedground where he practiced his trade. In a small dimly lit wine shopon San Pablo in Berkeley, I was under whelmed by the physicalspace, the signage and merchandising and I remember thinking; wow,the product is good enough that the rest doesnt reallymatter. I bought some wine from the enthusiastic staff personworking the floor and went next door and had an eggplant sandwichat Alice Waters Caf Fanny.  

Julie Reed, #704834.

EricChevalier
Chardonnay
2008
$12.99
$11.69 (10% off thisweekend)

The Wine... Eric Chevalier's Chardonnay is anamazing example of soil transmitted via plant to wine: it seems soutterly terroir-driven and of its homeland to me.  I got anose-full of minerals from this Eric's wine. Chardonnay notes arein the wine, but I thought pure mineral really drove the flavor,made me want to have it in our shop. The source of this characteris a vineyard full of sandstone, silex and quartz. An amazing valuefrom Kermit Lynch who says, " It is crisp, clean, flinty and easyto down. Some folks buy cases at a time."

3CUPSWine Series with Sheri Sauter-Morano
Class #12: Bordeaux 2
Thursday, October 15, 7PM - 8:30PM

Bordeaux is too vast to survey in one evening, so wesplit France's most commercially important vine-growing region intotwo classes. On our second night we'll taste great right-bankwines, bottles from producers from the eastern side of Bordeaux'sfamed Gironde estuary. If you haven't taken one of Sheri's wineclasses, do not miss out on this fun and educational event. Havinga local Master of Wine to lead us in this course is a sign of howgreat a food community the triangle is.

The Wine... Grosjean Freres isa small estate in the communes of Quart and Saint Christophe in theVallee d'Aoste, Italy's extreme northwest. 90% of the region'swine is red. The soils here are glacial moraine which is rocky andsemi-fertile which adds to the creation of quality wine.  Thewine is spicy and aromatic and will appeal to lovers of Pinot Noir.Come by for a taste this afternoon and discover an under-the-radarwine... from Italys most remote wine growing zone, anarea of the country better known to hikers, skiers and cheeselovers than to wine drinkers.

Shakisso
Ethiopia
Sidamo
$15.99/lb.

Finally, another African coffee on the line up.  And anEthiopian Sidamo at that!  Sweet tea-like, we welcome Shakissoback to 3CUPS.  Last year it was in the natural sundried form,this year it is meticulously handwashed.  Stop by and give ita try.

The Coffee...  Shakisso is painstakinglyhand-washed and dried by hand on wooden tables in the  sun,resulting in a remarkably fragrant coffee that is overflowing withnotes of jasmine, sweet citrus, tea, honey, and strawberry.

Badi Bradley

Occhipinti
SP68
Rosso Vittoria
2008
$22.99
$20.69 (10% off thisweekend)

The Wine...  A lively,delicious new light red from Occhipinti.  SR68 is named aftera road that passes close to the source of the fruit for this newwine. As always Arianna uses grapes indigenous and well-suited toher home town of Vittoria in Southeastern Sicily. Combining theease and elegance of her Frappato bottling with the darker richnessof Nero d'Avola, this is an ideal wine to help navigate the changeof seasons. Stop by  and taste for yourself!

Bordeaux is too vast to survey in one evening, so wesplit France's most commercially important vine-growing region intotwo classes. On our first night we'll taste great left-bank wines,bottles from producers from the western side of Bordeaux's famedGironde estuary. If you haven't taken one of Sheri's wine classes,do not miss out on this fun and educational event. Having localMaster of Wine to lead us in this course is a sign of how great afood community the triangle is.

Finca KilimanjaroMicrolot
El Salvador
Santa Ana
$20.99/lb.

This week's Friday Fresh is a special microlot of FincaKilimanjaro.  This is in very short supply, so pick it upbefore it is gone.  This coffee put Aida Batlle on the mapwhen she won the Cup of Excellence competition in El Salvador in2003.  She hasn't entered again since.  If you arehesitant to take home a pound, you should stop by the store and trya single press of this coffee, the aroma alone is majestic.

The Coffee...  Finca Kilimanjaro wasplanted with trees imported from Kenya in the 40s or 50s.  Theclimate near the top of the Santa Ana volcano, at 5000 ft, is notunlike Kenya, and the large oval coffee cherries are verydistinctive.  This coffee usually goes to Norway due toAidas relationship with a Norwegian roaster.  We werefortunate to acquire this small microlot.  The flavor isunique and classic.

The citrus, black currant,  characteristic of Kenya issweet, fruity, and juicy, which makes it mouthwatering andcomplex.  There is an underlying caramel-vanilla sweetness andlayers of deep, silky body.

Badi Bradley

Chateau LeBost
Bergerac Sec
2008
$9.99
$8.99 (10% off thisweekend)

I had a party recently. I like parties, and Iwant to treat my guests well: after all, they've trekked for manymiles to my isolated home in the wilderness. So I opened a bunch ofrelatively fancy wines and... you know, people weren't really thereto analyze wine. They wanted to sip and socialize and eat, to havea good time freed from anything approaching pretension. Thissustainably-farmed white from southwestern France should have beenat my party, probably in case quantity. It's so invigorating, sunnyand lemony and great for simply enjoying, whether at dinner withsalads and grilled seafood, or as a "house wine" for raucous socialevents. 

The Wine... Chateau Le Bost isa great white for seafood courses, or for simply drinking as arefreshing pre-dinner apertif. Fermented in stainless steel, thewine tastes fresh and lively. It grows on steep clay-limestoneslopes high above the Dordogne river. Fans of white Bordeaux willfind a lot of happiness in this bottle.

Jay Murrie

Erin andAnton Zuiker invite you to the inaugural event of The Long Table,an initiative to promote good food, good place and goodconversation.

Throughout the years, their experiences at family holiday meals,Vanuatu village kakais, restaurant farmers dinnersand impromptu tea parties have fostered in them both a strongdesire to gather with friends, enjoy a good meal and engage inlong, leisurely conversation. Its in the sharing of food andstories and place that the bonds of family and community growstrongest, they have learned.  

Hich Elbetri, chef-owner of Sandwhich, and his mother, NaimaElbetri will prepare an authentic Moroccan meal,  Jay Murriewill choose the wine, and Erin and Anton will get the conversationstarted with a story or two.

This week we say farewell to El Lechero Microlot.  We'veenjoyed the complexity and subtle sweetness of this select coffeeand look forward to what Roberto can deliver next year.

The Coffee...  Exquisitely balanced withsweet, rich notes of vanilla, citrus, chocolate, and caramel. Withimpeccable standards of quality and a passion for developingcoffees of the highest caliber, Roberto Salazar and his family havesurpassed even their own high expectations with this standoutlot.

Coffee Brewing Workshopwith Iced Coffee
Saturday September 19, Noon-1pm, Free

A coffee brewing workshop fits the title, one coffee with many waysto brew it. Learn the difference between a press pot and a vacuumpot and how they brew the same coffee to taste different. We'llshow you the procedures for each brewing method and discuss how thedetails effect the flavors. With the introduction of espresso, inthe store, we've included the moka pot, also known as Bialetti, forstove top espresso at home. Noon to 1PM, FREE.

Here are two shortparagraphs from this months 3BOTTLES:

There are 20 wine regions in Italy, and no two arealike. When you travel in France, from say the Rhone into Provence,there are many culinary and viticulture similarities. In Italy,these rifts can seem vast: wholesale changes occurring in food andwine as one passes across regional boundaries. For the curiousdrinker this is a very good thing. The wines of Italy are diverse,offering us an endless array of distinctive tastes and styles.

Lex Alexander

 

At The Center of Wine... Itmust be frustrating to be an Italian wine maker, or an Italian-bornwine historian for that matter. For millennia, at least sinceboatloads of Greeks started rowing ashore and planting grapes, yourhomeland has been the cradle of viticulture. Vines are everywherein Italy, and Italians beginning in the early years of the Romanempire pushed the cultivation of the vine outward across thecontinent. As an Italian, your wine culture should be (and probablyis) a source of great pride. It is interwoven with dozens ofregional culinary subcultures, traditions based on the tremendouslydiverse agricultural bounty of this arable land. Italy has at least3,000 indigenous grape varietals to call its own. But someone elsehas owned the limelight...

Jay Murrie

Montesecondo
Rosso
Toscano
2008
$18.99
$17.09 (10% off thisweekend)

The Wine... This wine istotally Tuscan in aroma, yet also fun, lively, fresh,easy-to-drink. It is a world away from big heavy dark reds thathave driven Tuscan red wine prices skyward in recent years.Montesecondo Rosso is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, and the restCannaiolo and Colorino. It is aged in tank to preserve freshness.It's a real wine that remains totally unpretentious.

Jay Murrie

The Coffee... Aida Batlles spectacular,incomparably delicious, 100% Bourbon variety coffee is a trueclassic and one of the greatest coffees in the world. Cultivatedwith the utmost care and craftsmanship in the perfect microclimateand rich volcanic soil of the Ilamatepec Volcanos northeastslope. In the cup, the coffee is an immaculate presentation of whata great Salvadoran Bourbon coffee is all about. A perfectlywell-crafted balance of sweetness and acidity dominate, withnuances of butterscotch, sweet pastry, and roasted nuts. A hint offruit rounds out the flavor perfectly.

This week we have a wine youwon't find at the supermarket or on the shelves of the average winestore. It is the kind of wine that tastes more expensive than itis. Our excitement involves its unique flavors, and paying less forsomething really great because the mass market doesn't recognizethe merits of an obscure wine like Picpoul de Pinet. I love theracy brightnessof this wine which comes from the Mediterranean coast, where it ishappily paired with local seafood.

Picpoul (pick-pool) is the name of the grape and one of myfavorites to say, ranking right up there with Counoise from theRhone. The wine is priced far below market value for a few reasonsbut the most pertinent one is Picpoul is a summer wine. Withlogistics involving containers and shipping, the wine missed theboat so to say. It should have been here months ago and becauseit's late the importer offered us a price intended to help it "fly"off the shelves. If you've spent as many Septembers in N.C. as Ihave, you know we have lots of hot days ahead and hey, I like thiswine even when it's not hot outside

"Wine from the Piquepoul gris, commonly known asPicpoul, is one of the best white wines in the Midi."

G. Foex, 1886,Viticulture Professor

1. Where's itfrom?  It comes from the region in the southof France called the Languedoc Rouisson. This region was once halfFrench (Languedoc) and half Spanish (Rouisson) but today thecombined land belongs to France. Picpoul de Pinet is a subregionwithin the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation. It is unusual becauseit is situated in an area which produces red wine, but Picpoul is awhite wine production zone and one of the oldest on theMediterranean dating back as far as the 17thcentury.

2. What does it tastelike?  The wine is fresh, bright, and faintlysparkling. It comes from a soil of limestone, sand, and clay andcombines with the maritime influence to create a dramatic terroirleaving it mark on these wines.

3. Whatelse?  The wines believed to soon haveappellation status are 100% Picpoul, and all come in a distinctivegreen bottle.

Lex Alexander

ChateauPetit Roubie
Picpoul de Pinet
2008
$10.99
$9.89 (10% off thisweekend)

ChateauPetit Roubie
Picpoul de Pinet
2008
$10.99
$9.89 (10% off thisweekend)

The Wine... Picpoul de Pinetwas all I wanted to drink in my scant free time during this year'strip to the south of France. This wine sets a new high standard forPicpoul: one taste (and a glance at the price) and I knew 3CUPSneeded a stack of this. A perfect thirst-quencher for Labor Day (orany day) outdoors.

Jay Murrie

3CARD Cash Drawing: September 2009...

TimRoss, #703766.

CongratulationsTim!  The next time you come into the store, you will have $50credited to your 3CARD.

It's just that easy.  Tell your friends... get a 3CARD, sign up for theNewsletter andwait with baited breath to see who the next winner is on October2nd.

"Tasting Table is a free dailyemail that delivers the best of food and drink culture toadventurous eaters everywhere. Each weekday, we send oursubscribers one delicious idea about dining, wine, cocktails,cooking or restaurant personalities. We feed you only first-handrecommendations that we have tested thoroughly ourselvesonebite at a time." www.tastingtable.com

Summer Seasonal Farm

Finca Nueva Armenia

Guatemala

Huehuetenango

$15.99/lb.

For years, we've been selling this coffee and each year it gets better. FNA was one of the first certified organic coffee farms in Guatemala and through the skills of brothers Jorge and Javier, the flavors in the cup keep improving. Join us through the summer as we enjoy this clean summer coffee.

The Coffee... This coffee is perhaps the classic Huehuetenango coffee. The warm days and cool nights of Finca Nueva Armenia create a coffee that is sweet sweet sweet, full of apple, citrus, and melon flavors. The Recinos family manages their washing immaculately, and the coffee is about as clean as can be, which is a classic characteristic of Huehuetenangos coffees.

"The best Cru Beaujolais approaches the quality ofgood Burgundy, but for a lot less cash."

 Jon Bonne, S.F.Cronicle

Beaujolais is namedafter Beaujeu, the 10th century town in the western hills of thearea.  Because it was on the trade route through the RhoneValley in the days of the ancient Romans, there have been vineyardson this land for a millennia. Unfortunately most of us know thename Beaujolais because of a marketing bonanza that happens once ayear in November to sell Beaujolais Nouveau. Todays wine isfrom the top level wine in the region called Cru Beaujolais, and isa far from Nouveau Beaujolais as Guinness is from Bud Light.

The reason we love Cru Beaujolais is because we can afford tobuy the very best wines from this appellation, something wecant say about wines from many others. And the wine ischarming and delicious.

The label does not say Beaujolais on this level wine but ratherone of the 10 special villages on the steep granite hills listedhere:

 St. Amour,  Regnie,  Julienas, Chiroubles,  Chenas,  Morgon,  Moulin-a-Vent, Brouilly,  Fluerie,  Cote de Brouilly

Lex Alexander

 

 Few wine names are better knownaround the world than Beaujolais, but no well-known wine is aslittle understood.

Eric Asimov,NYTimes

 

JeanFoillard
"Cote du Py"
Morgon
2007
$32.99
$29.69 (10% off thisweekend)

JeanFoillard
"Cote du Py"
Morgon
2007
$32.99
$29.69 (10% off thisweekend)

Remember a few weeks back when we posted a linkto Eric Asimov's Beaujolais Top 10 list? The list made us veryhappy. My one quibble would be that Jean Foillard should have been#1. There's little doubt that he hit the Grand Slam of the verygood 2007 vintage. We tend to carry the bulk of wines on Asimov'slist, so stop in and we'll mix you up a box of top-tier Beaujolais.And swing by Friday/Saturday for a taste of Beaujolais greatness.Think you don't like Gamay? Foillard is about to win you over.You'd have to be averse to happiness to dislike this red. Maybe youwalk through town scowling at babies and giving the stink eye topuppies. If so, Jean Foillard is not for you.  May I interestyou, glum sir, in our finest used bottle of Charles Shaw?

The machine is "La Marzocco" which means "thelion of Florence." There are volumes to be written about thisespresso machine - and they should be written - by someone far moreeloquent than me! - but it is no exaggeration to say that thegrowth of espresso in the United States, and the success ofStarbucks (itself perhaps a two-edged sword by now) would beunthinkable without the extraordinary efforts of a handful ofamazing people involved with the manufacturing and importation ofthis machine. A La Marzocco espresso machine, in the right hands,makes astonishing coffee, but the brilliant intellects, bottomlesswell of creativity and above all the heart and integrity of thevisionary people at the company are a model for how to have a goodlife and a good business simultaneously, whose equal I have neverencountered.

Lex Alexander

3 Reasons for Espresso

1. Our Customers Ask For It One of thefoundation points in retail is, listen to yourcustomers and everyday folks ask us for espresso.

2. Our Next Step In Coffee 3CUPS haschampioned home brewing and focused on everything needed to makegreat coffee at home.  We strongly believe in the benefits ofyour own home brewing ritual and used the shop to model exactly howto do it.  After many years we think home brewing is at apoint where we can take the next step and create a parallel instore experience with espresso.  Folks who brew at home alsowant the treat of having an espresso when they go out.  3CUPScan provide that experience with our sensibility of authenticespresso.  And we'll sell fresh roasted espresso blends forthe home baristas out there.

3. We Love It... Just because we didn't sellespresso doesn't mean we didn't like it.  We love it. We'll bemaking espresso the way we like it, in a traditional and authenticway... the Italian way.  Small drinks, prepared carefully,with no flavors or made-up names.

Theres one more reason for our party on August23. We're creating some radical changes at 3CUPS in our seatingarea, and wed love to show you whats wevedone. Everything reflects our growth as a wine business run bypeople who spend their waking hours dreaming of food. Wine is food,and is at its best with simple tastes of good food. Whatwell be offering is designed to inspire both thirst and showhow much better your dinner and evening can be if you take home abottle of wine from our hand picked selection of real wine.

 Since opening our new location in November 2008 we have offeredan eclectic mix of weekly wine flights and wines by the glass. Thenew seating will make stopping by 3CUPS on your way home from workthe perfect place to taste and learn about wine. Youll beable to try it before you buy it, so to speak.

Well, Kim Elena Bullock from Counter Culture is leaving for Popayan on August 23 to meet with Nelson and the farmers in his cooperative, Organica. I know that La Golondrina is a store favorite, so this is your opportunity to tell the farmers what you think. Send me an email to bbradley (at) 3CUPS (dot) net and I will make sure that it gets to the farmers. It may seem like a trivial thing, but a short story or even a quick message of "thanks" goes a long way in building sustainable relationships.

Misty Valley

Ethiopia

Yirgacheffe

$18.99/lb.

This is the final roast for this exceptional coffee.  As Iwrote in my reportfrom SCAA, a change in the Ethiopian laws governing coffeemeans that at least for the next crop, there will be no MistyValley. There is hope for the future, but nothing is certain. So stop by and enjoy the last roast of Misty Valley... we're goingto miss you!

The Coffee... A tribute to the ancient coffee tradition of Yirgacheffe, this richly textured coffee offers a striking note of fresh, perfectly ripe strawberries, along with gentle undertones of lemon, butter, honey, and spice.

Black Tea Tasting

Sunday, August 9

3PM - 5PM, $5

The new black is black! With all the publicity about green tea, you might think black tea is on the decline. But 90% of tea drunk in the U.S. is black. Were showcasing three fine black teas for your tasting pleasure Join tea specialist Kit Conway for a tasting of our Darjeeling, Keemun, and Yunnan teas some of the best that China and India have to offer. As we rotate through three tasting stations Kit will describe the regional, varietal, and processing factors that create the distinctive taste, aroma, and appearance of each tea. This tasting will be a joint event with Triangle Tea Tasters, a local Meetup.com tea group.

Dolok Sanggul

Sumatra

Lintong

$15.99/lb.

The Coffee... Picked and partially prepared by farmers, traded by famed Betel-chewing Coffee Women, collected and dried by millers, and then prepared for export by Dariusz Lebanowski; the coffees from Dolok Sanggul are extraordinary. When great, coffees from this lush, high-altitude corner of Sumatra represent astonishing quality in spite of a complex production process that includes long drying in the elements of the misty, Northeast Sumatran mountains.

Profoundly deep, smooth and syrupy, with signature notes of herb, gentle fruit and green peppers, the coffee from Dolok Sanggul is one of the best, most unique Sumatran coffees we have ever experienced.

Our Weekend Wine today, which well pouryou a complimentary sample of this afternoon is Chateau LaCanorgue Rouge, a Biodynamic wine from France.  Thispicture to the right is of the winemakers, Nathalie Margan and her father, whom Jay met in France earlier thisyear.

Biodynamic agriculture iscomplicated to describe in a sentence or two but I will try.

Somefolks have said it is beyond organic. I know ofplenty of large-scale Organic agriculture currently beingpracticed, but know of no large industrial attempts at Biodynamicfarming.  Organic tells you what you cant do and stillbe labeled Organic and there is a law which covers all the rules.Biodynamics is more of a philosophy of farming and is all aboutwhat you really should do to grow the best food possible.

Click here for aone page description 3 Things about Biodynamics, and come bythe shop for a full 3BOTTLES write up (about 4 pages) which giveyou an in depth discussion of Biodynamics and why we think it isimportant.

Matt Kramer is one of my favoritewine and food writers and here is his take on biodynamic wine:

The key to biodynamic winegrowing or somesimilar devotion to intensely self-sustaining agriculture andnaturalistic winemaking is  that its practitionersgive us wines that are somehow luminous in their flavors andpurity. They allow us, in a technological era of reverse osmosis,spinning cones and vacuum concentrators, to know what is, in theimmortal words of Smokey Robinson, "really, really real."

                                                          Matt Kramer,The Wine Spectator

I don't knowif you can taste Biodynamics, but I do know you can taste passion,the single most important ingredient of all greatwines.

Ben Giliberti,The Washington Post

At 3CUPS we care immensely about compelling, deliciousflavor, but we don't check our ethics at the office door. We workharder to find sustainably, traditionally and naturally farmedwines, in many instances made by small family farms that are anintegral part of the social fabric of their homelands. We all votewith our dollars to create the world in which we live, work, drink.We don't want to sound preachy, but we do care about what wesell.  We want real versions of the wine we love to thrive, tomaintain a place in the social fabric, and preservation of thisplace is commerce-driven. The picture to the right is of ChristianLeperchois and his wife from Domaine des Carabiniers, our WeekendWine, whom Jay met this year.

Today's Weekend Wine pictured belowis from the southern Rhone and sells for $9.99.  It iscertified organic, and tastes awesome.  Come by for a freetaste today from 3-6 or tomorrow from 1-4 and see what we aretalking about.

3CUPS Wine Series with Sheri Sauter-Morano, MW

Class #8: Southern Italy

Thursday, July 16, 7PM - 8:30PM

$20 in advance / $25 at the door

Away from the industrial north, farming in Italy can sometimesappear a little 19th century. We love that. The ugly opposite isalso unhappily sometimes true, as large-scale agribusiness plays arole in the landscape of Italy's southern regions. We won't tastethose wines. From Aglianico to Frappato and Falanghina, the nativelavors of the south will make this an amazing event.

Ndaroini
Kenya
Nyeri
$19.50/lb.

Our friend Joe Kwon isin the band the AvettBrothers and he travels the country playing shows.  Joe isalso a foodie and a big fan of coffee.  So when the starsalign in a harmonic convergence, sometimes Joe brings us coffees totaste from regional roasters throughout the country.  Lastweek, he brought an Ndaroini auction lot from Intelligentsia inChicago.  Wow.  Delicious.  It also reminded me thatwe have Ndaroini... and today, you can too.  Thanks, Joe!

The Coffee... This beautifully bright andintensely flavorful lot resonates with notes of tropical fruit,sweet lemon, and savory undertones above a rich body and apleasantly elegant, sweet finish.

Monday - Weaver Street Market, Sandwhich

Tuesday - Weaver Street Market, Neal's Deli

Wednesday - Weaver Street Market, Sandwhich

Thursday - Weaver Street Market, Farmer's Daughter

Friday - Weaver Street Market, Neal's Deli, Sandwhich

Saturday - Weaver Street Market, Scratch Baking

Wehave Chapel Hill Creamery and Goat Lady Dairy cheeses in our case andserve a cheese plate in the cafe.  We also offer cheese by the portionwith bread.  

Ourbreads are delivered daily by Weaver Street Market.  We have FrenchBaguettes and La Miche, a French whole wheat country loaf.  We sellthem whole to take home or by slices to enjoy in the store.

Wesell jams, chutneys, preserves, sauerkraut, etc... from Farmer'sDaughter Brand.  The Farmer's Daughter is April McGreger who you canfind at the Carrboro Farmers' Market.  April also makes the seasonallyfresh fruit preserves we serve in the cafe.  On Thursdays she loads us up with a variety of Southern baked goods. 

OnSaturdays we are a pick up point for Scratch Baking.  Phoebe Lawlesscan be found in the Durham Farmers' Market on Saturdays.  We sell herbaked empanadas,  sweet and savory pies,  and often goodies like donutsor beet tarts.

OnMonday, Wednesdays and Fridays, Sandwhich our former neighbor on WestFranklin St. delivers small lunch-size sandwhiches, perfect with a potof tea or press pot of coffee. Hich Elbetri's sandwiches change withthe seasons.

OnTuesdays and Fridays we sell hot ham biscuits from Neal's Deli.  Freshbaked biscuits made from scratch and Capocolla ham from Giacomo's inGreensboro, simple, delicious.  We also have plain biscuits which gogreat with Farmer's Daughter preserves.

Often our food vendors can be found at our Wine Socials pairing their foods with our wine selections.  Click Here to see the schedule of socials.

Workingwith fresh foods and many vendors means things change a lot, so feelfree to give us a call if you've got something specific you're lookingfor.

The themes are more irreverent than usual, Jay's favorite whites for seafood, or Jay's favorite reds (and a pink) for pizza. Recipes included, no extra charge, caveat emptor, Jay is not a professional chef, we make no claims as to his culinary competence, etc. We've been thinking about doing all-red / all-white options for ages, and sheer laziness on Jay's part has kept this plan from being realized. Until now. 3BOTTLES offers you a chance to try 3 different wines each month, which comes with 4-6 pages of text we put together so you can learn a little bit as you sip and savor.

Sainte Marie des Pins

Sauvigon Blanc

NV

$7.99

$7.19 (10% off this weekend)

Headed to the beach? Considering hosting an amalgam of your thirsty companions for a sweltering weekend get-together? This wine is a perfect in-lieu-of-lemonade July 4th companion. Buy a case and your party beverage worries are over.To our memory, this is the least expensive wine we've sold, it tastes great AND its organic. How does this work? This is a Direct Trade wine and Jay met the family in January. The magic is that the Languedoc region has historically made affordable wines, and even as the quality improves, the prices stay low. This is a great time to check out wines from the Languedoc while the best of them remain good values.

The Wine... The wine from this domaine tastes really clean, fresh, juicy. This Sauvignon is fermented and aged in tank, using no oak. All the Sainte Marie des Pins wines are certified organic. They are truly the product of mixed-use agriculture. Sixteen of Sainte Marie des Pins' 56 hectares are planted to vines. Organic is great, but avoiding monocultures and preserving green space are equally important.

July 1 to July 7, 2009

Bordeaux, $8 for 3

 1. Ch. la Grolet Cotes de Bourg, $5/gls, $11.99/btl

2. Ch. Grand Maison Cotes de Bourg, $7/gls, $17.99/btl

3. Ch. Moulin Canon Fronsac, $8/gls, $22.99/btl

What is Minerality?, $8 for 3

1. Francois Chidaine Vouvray, $8/gls, $23.99/btl

2. Dom. Oudin Chablis, $7/gls, $18.99/btl

3. Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Riesling, $6/gls, $14.99/btl

3CUPS Wine Series with Sheri Sauter-Morano, MW

Class #7: Northern Italy

Thursday, July 9, 7PM - 8:30PM

$20 in advance / $25 at the door

We could probably split Italy into 20 classes at least. But in the interests of speeding up the educational process, we'll limit ourselves to a couple of overview classes that will highlight the diversity and real quality of Italian wines currently available. There's an emerging group of growers making wines in Italy that focus on indigenous, traditional flavor and natural farming. Great stuff.

By Direct Trade (DT) I mean wines that we have a direct relationship with the producer. In this case, Jay went to France in January, met with the folks from Chateau La Grolet, worked with the importer, Bruno Arricastres, to have these wines delivered to 3CUPS. Now they are here and you can stop by the store to try them for yourselves at our free tastings on Friday (3 to 6PM) and Saturday (1 to 4PM).

The reason I will be buying lots of these wines is that I trust Jay's palate to select great tasting wines, the Direct Trade model offers me really good value, and I know I am voting for sustainable agriculture and natural wines by purchasing wine from the farmers Jay met in France.

Lex Alexander

Jay's DT Wines to Taste on Friday and Saturday...

2008 Jas d'Esclans Rose, $14.99/btl

NV Dom. Sainte-Marie des Pins Sauvignon Blanc, $7.99/btl

And this week's Weekend Wine...

Chateau La Grolet

Bordeaux Rouge

2005

$11.99

$10.79 (10% off this weekend)

This is a wine to start a cellar with. Buy a case, drink a bottle every few months, beginning in a year or two. It's the genuine article, a wine I feel really lucky to have run across. Finally, a Bordeaux that I both like and can easily afford to buy. Chateau la Grolet breathes new life into a category of wine that I've found very stale in recent years. Finding certified Biodynamic wine in a region that is about as conservative and conventional as France gets can be a challenge, finding one that tastes great and costs comparatively little is a dream come true, or at least a happy turn of events. If you do buy a case, the boxes are awesome! Unicorns, ladybugs, hippie as all get-out.

June 24 to June 30, 2009

Biodynamic Whites, $6 for 3

1. Goisot Cotes d' Auxerre Chardonnay, $6/gls, $16.99/btl

2. Cascina degli Ulivi La Merla Bianca, $6/gls, $14.99/btl

3. Binner Pinot Gris, $7/gls, $17.99/btl

Biodynamic Reds, $6 for 3

1. Dom. St. Nicolas Pinot Noir, $6/gls, $14.99/btl

2. Breton Trinch!, $7/gls, $16.99/btl

3. O. Cousin pur Breton, $7/gls, $17.99/btl

Bwayi

Burundi

Kayanza

$15.99/lb.

Burundi lies directly south of Rwanda in eastern Africa. Peter Giuliano was visiting our Rwandan partners when he was asked to visit Burundi and he obliged. He witnessed the transition from government control to market liberalization in the coffee trade, essentially putting control back in the coffee farmers' hands. Political roadblocks and logistical problems made the journey difficult, but the magnficient coffee of Bwayi, the washing station Peter first visited, has arrived.

The Coffee... This is a small, beautiful lot of Burundian coffee. It containes the classic characteristics: a brilliant, shimmering lemon acidity layered over a sweet body and a beautiful floral characteristic.

For peak flavor, you don't want to buy coffee beans that are over 1 week from the day they were roasted, because you need a week to use the coffee at home. After two weeks from roast date much of the aroma and complexity of flavor is gone. If you are interested in great tasting coffee which means fresh coffee here are 3 things to consider.

1. Roast Date vs. Fill Date... At 3CUPS, we post the roast date of each coffee we have in stock, and write that date on every bag we sell. We don't sell coffee that's more than one week from the day the beans were roasted because that wouldn't be fair to you. Many stores post the date when the bins were stocked or filled, but this gives you absolutely no idea about the critical issue of when the coffee was roasted. So what does the fill date really tell you? Nothing. It says that the bin was filled yesterday, but nothing about the actual roast date.

2. Shiny Beans are Old... As coffee beans age, their hard shell starts to break down. This allows essentials oils to seep out and leave a shiny glaze. To some it may look attractive... but don't be fooled. Shiny beans are old beans, well past the two week window. Think of them as black bananas. When old beans are ground they release little to no carbon dioxide which contributes to flavor. And you'll know the coffee is old because there will be no bloom when hot water is added. Greasy plastic bins at a grocery store are an easy indicator of coffee beans to avoid.

3. Small Selections Are Fresher... If a coffee retailer has 25, 50 or 100 different coffees for sale, consider how much coffee they have to sell in order to turn the inventory and keep it fresh. At 3CUPS we have 7 carefully chosen coffees. Our small selection offers you a wide variety of the archetypal flavors of coffee. We showcase farms from the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas, AND we keep our coffee fresh by turning our inventory at least twice a week!

We are commited and obsessed with really fresh coffee. If you have more questions, stop by the store, call, send us your questions or attend one of our coffee workshops on Saturday afternoons. We are coffee merchants and we know the story about all the coffees we sell, we have an opinion and we love to share it. Come experience coffee as good as it smells.

Carrboro Farmers' Market Social + Benefit

Tuesday, June 23, 6PM - 8PM

$15 in advance / $20 at the door

The Carrboro Farmers' Market is a pretty tight community. Most people who sell there know each other, see each other weekly... but the hours they spend in proximity are a busy, vital money-making time. We're hosting a relaxed social (with wine!) so market regulars and a handful of market customers can come, hang out and talk about food and farming away from the crowds. Space is limited, so sign up soon.

The benefit happens the following week. From Monday, June 28 to Thursday, July 2, 3CUPS will be donating 5% of sales to the Carrboro Farmers' Market. Its a way for us to support this institution that makes living in this area as special as it is. You can participate simply by stopping by the store to pick up your favorite wine, coffee or tea.

Goisot

Bourgogne Rouge

Cotes d'Auxerre

$14.99/bottle

$13.49 (10% Off This Weekend)

The Wine... I keep getting pulled back to these wines. In the decade since I first tasted them I remain incapable of dislodging Goisot from my subconscious. It would be handy if I could: selling (even the best) wines made in the Cotes de Auxerre is arduous labor. Inside the bottle, all is well, compelling even. Elemental France is present in these wines: a mineral underpinning, as clear an example of the role of limestone in wine flavor as you are likely to find. But there is currently a small market for Pinot Noir made just south of Paris, or Sauvignon Blanc (or Gris) from Burgundy, for Irancy, for whites that taste completely of Chablis but can't use that recognizable moniker on the front label. I've been selling wine long enough to know that relative anonymity is often a good thing: you won't have to take out a second mortgage to buy cases of Goisot wine.

Take advantage of this opportunity to taste the authentic flavors of the cacao bean from different regions of the world, prepared meticulously by chocolate experts.

The sale lasts as long as the supplies, so stop by before they are all gone.

June 10 to June 16, 2009

Minervois Reds, $6 for 3

1. Chateau d'Oupia Les Heretiques, $5/gls, $9.99/btl

2. Chateau d'Oupia Minervois, $6/gls, $14.99/btl

3. Dom. Massiac Minervois, $6/gls, $15.99/btl

Muscadet Whites, $7 for 3

1. Dom. des Trois Toits, Sevre et Maine, $6/gls, $15.99/btl

2. Dom. de la Frutiere, Petit M, $5/gls, $11.99/btl

3. Dom. de l'Ecu Expression de Gneiss, $7/gls, $17.99/btl

Nyakizu

Rwanda

Butare

$15.99/lb.

The Coffee... Full-bodied and syrupy smooth, this lot from the farmers in the Southwestern Rwandan highlands offers buttery, luscious notes of honey, citrus, and fig.

The Community... Nyakizu is a community in the region of Butare, in southern Rwanda not far from the Burundian border. Coffee producers here have incredibly small farms, even by Rwandan standards, sometimes growing only a few dozen trees behind their traditional thatched-roof houses.

Gruner Veltliner Social

Thursday, June 18, 6PM - 8PM

$13 in advance / $16 at the door

Ever noticed the mountains of Austrian liters that litter the 3CUPS landscape? Maybe you've gazed from the safe distance of the cafe seating at peaks of beer-capped green glass and wondered, "Why do these natural wine guys and girls sell 40s?" Because Austrian white wine is awesome in the summertime, in spite of the (stylishly) low-brow packaging. Come taste the new releases.

Organic French Summer Wine Social

Thursday, June 25, 6PM - 8PM

$12 in advance / $15 at the door

Wine can be thirst-quenching and good for you, too. 3CUPS works closely with local importer Bruno Arricastres to corral exciting French wines that deserve to be in NC, deserve to be in your fridge, wines that make us want to abandon productive labor for a long weekend of leisure on a shady patio. Organic wines often taste better, and make us feel better, too. Healthy and happy.

Our Coffee Workshops are free and happen every Saturday at noon. Click here to RSVP.

1. A Bottle of Wine... Show him you know him well by surprising him with a bottle of his favorite grape or region. Maybe a bottle of rose for the summer heat.

2. A $20 Gift Card... Let the big man choose. A pound of coffee, 4 large teapots in the store, 3 wine flights... hey, $20 CAN go a long way.

3. A New Tie... Let's be honest, he's not going to buy one for himself anyway, and he's got to have help on the fashion side. There's a reason for the stereotype.

June 2 to June 9, 2009

Summer White Varietals, $6 for 3

1. Luneau Papin, Pierre La Grange, Muscadet, $5/gls, $12.99/btl

2. Contini, Vermentino, Saredgna Tyrsos, $7/gls, $19.99/btl

3. Movia, Quatro Mani, Tocai, $5/gls, $13.99/btl

Reds For Grilling, $6 for 3

1. Goisot, Pinot Noir, $6/gls, $14.99/btl

2. Dom. Font Mars, Cabernet, $5/gls, $9.99/btl

3. Oratoire St. Martin, Reserve des Seigneurs, $7/gls, $19.99/btl

La Golondrina

Colombia

Cauca

$16.50/lb.

 The Coffee... Caramel, chocolate, black cherry notes. The body of the coffee is juicy, a reliable Colombian coffee that delivers satisfaction with a sweet and clean aftertaste.

3CUPS Wine Series with Sheri Sauter-Morano, MW

Class #6: Summer RedsThursday, June 11, 7PM - 8:30PM

$20 in advance / $25 at the door

There are many thirst-quenching reds that are entirely appropriate for summer dining. We'll taste a cross-section of our favorite, light, juicy, aromatic reds from around the globe at this event. This class is the sixth of an ongoing 3CUPS wine series that Sheri will be leading. The Master of Wine designation is impressive- only 24 Americans have ever been awarded this top credential in the wine trade. Sheri was the youngest (and the second female) American to become a Master of Wine.

Movia

Quatro Mani

$13.99/bottle

$12.59 (10% Off This Weekend)

Why? Brilliant winemaking. A single vineyard parcel of Friulano (formerly Tocai), farmed organically, made into a wine that's as refreshing as a mint julep on a hot summer's afternoon. Stare at the label: the wine tastes like the vibrant green implies. From a historic estate whose wines I'm certain you will love.

The Wine... Is an effort to present one of the world's great white grapes at an affordable price. The wine is made of (Tocai) Friulano grapes grown at a single vineyard site by Movia, Brda (and possibly Slovenia's) best winery. The Exto Gredic vineyard has a pronounced fresh herbal aroma that is left pristine and in the foreground of the Quattro Mani release.

2009 Farm to ForkPicnic

Sunday, June 14

4 to 7 PM

W.C. Breeze Family Farm

4909 Walnut Grove Church Road

Hurdle Mills, Orange County

In a uniquecollaboration, the regions most acclaimed cooks will pair with Piedmont farmersto prepare a picnic-style feast that celebrates our local foods and the peoplewho grow and make them.  The picnic will feature farm food representingthe bounty and diversity of our region, including the season's firstfield-ripened tomatoes, head-to-tail heritage pork, a shrimp boil, grass-fedbeef, a tasting tent filled with handmade craft food, including farmsteadcheese, pickles, preserves, breads and cured meat; all local sno cones,spit-roasted lamb, grilled pizzas made from Triangle-grown wheat and producegrown in the field next door, and the seasons last strawberries.

Tickets may bepurchased on-line at www.farmtoforknc.comor by calling 919-755-3804. Advanced ticket purchase required.  $50per person; free for kids 12 and under.

All proceeds will helpgrow new farms and farmers across North Carolina.

A quick aside: thank you all for the inspiring support you have provided us during this year. We knew (or at least strongly believed) there was a community around 3CUPS that would embrace our quirky take on things. (Putting quality of product first, what a crazy plan...) But you've tolerated us, given moments of your time so we could orate about arcane farming methods, indigenous yeasts, and the good people and places that make the wine that gets us excited to come to work in the morning. Seeing our dream of this place in action, because of your visits and support, is as good a feeling as I can expect to find at work.

Jay Murrie

June 3BOTTLES... Ros

 

I'm really proud of this month's wines! We're featuring organic ross I picked out on my trip to the south of France in January. I feel a strong attachment to these wines, and they represent a new beginnning for 3CUPS. For me as a wine buyer, meeting and spending time with these farmers in France is similar to what you experience when you shop at the Farmers' Market. After the excitement and mayhem in opening our Elliott Road location, this trip to France was my opportunity to think about where the new 3CUPS was, what it needed to grow, to plot what estates to add to further our mission of offering ethically sound, naturally farmed, delicious and inexpensive wines for our customers.

 

The relationships we forge with these estates in the years ahead will make us a better wine store. When I find a grower, an estate, a family that I respect and trust, it allows 3CUPS to buy directly (or as dirctly as NC law will allow) and regularly, large quantities of the estate's wine. This streamlining benefits us, it benefits the farmer, and the cost savings of this simple logistical system are passed on and benefit you, by offering you better value in the wines you take home.

 

Because we're not interested in the common way of creating cheap wine. See Dana Goodyear's May 18th, 2009 New Yorker article on Fred Franzia for a closer look at how the big boys do it, click here. (Note: a subscription is required for the full text or come by and you can read our copy.) We have to employ a more refined concept of what value really is - it has more criteria than blunt price - quality, environmental and social impact, but at the same time we know you aren't all millionaires out there, and we too get excited about buying wines that seem to punch above their weight class. Delicious at a good price is a beautiful thing. So at 3CUPS we aim to select, to hone in on a small selection of awesome products and buy a bunch of each of them to keep the per unit cost low. It's not a new idea, but by adding some flavor standards and ethical criteria to the framework I think we are creating a better version of this strategy.

Cordero di Montezemolo

Arneis2007

$17.99/bottle

$16.19 (10% Off This Weekend)

The Wine... A beautiful nose of Acacia flowers and peaches, the wine is clean and crisp with a creamy texture. It has the characteristic hint of almond flavor in the finish. Un-oaked and very small production.

May 27 to June 2, 2009

Loire Valley Reds, $7

1. Dom. St. Nicolas, Pinot Noir, $6/glass, $15.99/bottle

2. Clos Roche Blanche, Cot, $7/glass, $18.99/bottle

3. Olivier Cousin, Le Cousin Rouge, VV Grolleau, $7/glass, $19.99/bottle

Maconais Whites, $7

1. Jean Claude Thevenet, Macon Pierreclos, $7/glass, $18.99/bottle

2. Gilles Noblet, Macon-Fuisse, $7/glass, $19.99/bottle

3. Dom. Guillot Broux, Macon Villages, $7/glass, $18.99/bottle

Indian Sunday Supper

Sunday, May 31, 6PM - 8PM

$35 in advance, $40 at the door

Hich Elbetri of Sandwhich will be preparing a few amazing Indian dishes for our next 3CUPS Sunday Supper. The menu will include beet soup, spiced short ribs and mustard and cumin glazed eggplant served with delicious wine pairings, as is our Sunday Supper tradition. Wine social 6PM-6:30ish, Supper following.

Theres a storm brewing in Europe (especially in France) amongst the farmers who produce ros wines, and we wanted you to know about it. The European Union is changing the legal definition of ros to allow for a cheaper way to make pink wine. The new laws would allow a short-cut invented to produce commodity pink wines in the New World, where you simply blend a bit of red wine into mostly white wine to arrive at pink wine. The traditional winemakers are steamed about this commercial process and are fighting back.

The word "ros" refers to a style of wine and not a grape or a place. It can be made anywhere and can be made from any red wine grape, and so appears in almost every area that makes wine. The richest ros traditions come from Mediterranean Europe. Traditionally ros is made when red grapes are crushed and then have only brief contact between the skins, which contain the colored pigments and tannins, and the juice, which comes from the colorless flesh of the grape. It is the degree of contact between the skins and the juice that determines the final color of the wine.

Gilles Masson, a director of the Ros Research Centre in France, on the new blending technique:

"You don't get the specific aroma of ros which we get from dark grapes and a special production method. You don't get that harmony, that balance on the palate of acidity and alcohol. It is just a colored wine."

On May 26, Provence vintners will hold a news conference in Brussels with colleagues from Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In the meantime, an internet petition has attracted 28,000 names.

Domaine d'Aupilhac

Coteaux du Languedoc

"Lou Maset"

$15.99

$14.39 (10% off this weekend)

The Wine... Is quite a gem from the value-laden Languedoc. It is imported by Kermit Lynch a pioneer in finding, importing, and being a champion of farm made wines from Europe. Here is what he had to say about "Lou Maset" from Sylvain Fadat's estate:

Since its arrival three weeks ago, this has been a favorite around the house, and it is fun (at least to me) to answer the question, Why? 1. Its pleasures are so accessible. 2. The flavors are quite Mediterranean, and at home we do a lot of Mediterranean-style cooking. 3. It is medium-bodied, yet still seems rich and meaty.

Stop by on Friday or Saturday for a free taste of this versitile and delicious red, and perhaps you'll be inspired to match it with a home-cooked dinner from your backyard grill. Remember to give the wine a slight and refreshing chill for maximum enjoyment, which is especially important in these wilting summer months.

May 20 - May 26, 2009

Languedoc, France, $7 for 3

1. Mas Granier, Les Marnes, Coteaux du Languedoc Blanc $7/glass, $15.99/bottle.

2. Dom des Deux Anes, Premier Pas, Corbieres $6/glass, $13.99/bottle

3. Dom Massiac, Minervois, $7/glass, $15.99/bottle.

Spanish Grapes, East to West, $6 for 3

1. Albet I Noya, Xarel-lo, Penedes $6/glass, $13.99/bottle

2. Ostatu, Verdejo, Rioja $6/glass, $13.99/bottle

3. D. Ventura, Pea do Lobo, Mencia, Galicia $7/glass, $18.99/bottle

Tegu

Kenya

Nyeri

$19.50/lb.

There are some coffees out there that they leave you with an "ah-ha" moment. Coffees that are so expressive that they leave a mark that cannot be erased. The 2004 crop of Tegu was an "ah-ha" coffee for me. I can still, to this day, recall how juicy it was with orange flavors. I've been waiting years, literally, for this coffee to return.  This is the last week for the 2008 Tegu.  It's changed as the crop has aged, less cream, more juice, just the way I like it.

The Coffee... A remarkably clean, bright lot sourced directly from our gifted partners at the Tegu coffee mill, this lot from Kenya offers up sweet, fruitful notes of berry, citrus, and sweet butter above savory undertones and a perfect, creamy body.

Thursday, May 28, 6PM - 8PM, $12 in advance / $15 at the door

In Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains conditions are perfect for farming English, French, and American apple varietals. Using three small orchards and a carefully selected mix of aromatic, distinctive heirloom apples, Diane Flynt makes three awesome ciders. We'll feature them alongside delicious cheeses from Goat Lady Dairy. Stop by to taste and learn about a great (and historically important) local beverage and its many culinary applications.

Introducing the Quick Box... 96oz. of hand-brewed coffee ready to take to your office or party. One Quick Box holds 12 cups of coffee and costs just $13.99. Stop by in the morning and show your officemates the authentic flavors they've been missing. Pick one up in the evening on the way to a party with your friends. Either way, the Quick Box is a convenient way to take part of the 3CUPS experience on the road with you. Recycle what you can and don't worry about a deposit. Enjoy!!!

The first is Tcho. Tcho is a rather new chocolate company in San Francisco. They source and make the chocolate themselves with great flavors and great packaging. They are unique in the way they identify their products, by flavor. We've got 2 bars in the store, Chocolatey and Fruity, each $5.99. The beautiful box makes a great gift.

The second is Taza. Taza started in 2005 in Sommerville, MA. They work directly with farmers to source the organic chocolate they use for their stone ground disks and bars. Stone ground? It's a method from Oaxaca, Mexico that (using stones) produces a rustic, granular texture. We've got 3 chocolates in the store, a 70% bar, $6.50, and disks with Guajillo chilies and smoked almonds, $4.50 each. The disks can be used for drinking chocolate, or simply eaten. Yum!

2007 Catherine and Pierre Breton

Trinch!

$16.99

$15.29 (10% off this weekend)

The Wine... Trinch! is a lovely, youthful, fruity Cabernet Franc, great for serving slightly chilled with salmon. Trinch! (In French, this is the sound of two classes clinking) A recent wine blog nominated Trinch! for great house wine of the year saying, I dare you to find a domestic that tastes this good for the money explosively fruity and clean with acidity that dares your saliva glands to keep up this wine is food friendly perfection.

Trinch is a wine for immediate enjoyment, chilled not cold. It is delicate and refreshing with an uncanny ability to go well with a wide range of food, but with salmon it is a perfect match. The nose is a touch funky, but very enticinga little bit of undergrowth with some serious black cherry thrown in. On the palate theres more dark berry, some spice, and a touch of herbs. The tannins are very present and create a pleasant backbone that provides quite a bit of structure, sharpening the focus of the berries. Interestingly, Trinch! is only 11.5%, which makes it a prime candidate for an easy-going, good-time wine.

Joe Dressner, Importer

May 13 to May 19

Austria, $7 for 3

Hofer, Gruner Veltliner

Hiedler, Gruner Veltliner

Paul Lehrner, Blaufrankisch blend, "Claus"

French Ros,

$7 for 3

Commanderie de Peyrassol, Provence

Domaine La Manarine, Cotes du Rhone

James Petit, Bourgueil

Austria is our choice this month for a number of reasons, maybe the most compelling being Austrian wines represent a perfect choice for the foods we enjoy in the spring.The success of Austrian wines in America over the last 5 years is due in large part to visibility on important restaurant wine lists. Their popularity has grown to the point where if you show up toting a bottle of Gruner Vetliner to share among friends, they no longer look at you like youve arrived from another planet. Learning about the wines of Austria seems timely to our group at 3CUPS, and the wines were tasting from the 2007 vintage are too good not to dote on.

Our May 3BOTTLES Austria set has hit the streets. $50, and we think laden with greatness. Come by to pick yours up today. Or click here to sign up to receive 3BOTTLES on a regular monthly basis.

Francois Chidaine

Brut

$20.99

$18.89 (10% through the weekend)

It's a big weekend. You're going to be out and about with family and friends. Why not drop by for a quick bubbly pick-me up? Recharge the batteries with a sip or two of sparkling Chenin Blanc from one of the Loire's top-notch small estates. We'll be offering free tastes and $6 glasses Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

The Wine... Manuela and Francois Chidaine farm Chenin Blanc in both the Montlouis and Vouvray AOCs. These two winegrowing zones face each other from opposite sides of the Loire River. Vouvray to the north takes more critical acclaim, but Montlouis vines, in the right hands, produce wines with as much depth and vibrancy. This sparkling wine is made from the Chidaines' younger vines, harvested

Northern Italy

Flight of 3 whites or 3 reds for $7

Northen Italian Whites

Cascina Degli Ulivi Gavi

Coffele Soave

Corte Sant'Alda Soave

Northern Italian Reds

Nidermayr Santa Maddalena

Abbona Dolcetto

Ferrando Canavese Rosso

Valle del Santuario

Peru

San Ignacio

Winter Feature Farm

$14.99/lb.

This weekend we bring back our Winter Feature Farm, Valle del Santuario in San Ignacio, Peru. Its actually a cooperative of small farms in a very remote part of Peru. It takes many hours to arrive, for a detailed trip report see our Seasonal Feature Farm board in the store for Kim Elena Bullock's latest trip to San Ignacio. Let's just say that it is so remote that the valley in which the farms are located has no name. But that doesn't stop the farmers of Valle del Santuario from pouring their heart and soul into growing this delicious organic coffee. We've been carrying the decaf version of this coffee for a while, and now its time to showcase the new crop direct from Peru.

The Coffee... The coffees of Valle del Santuario are extraordinarily crafted Peruvian coffees. The high altitude creates coffees of incredible clarity and flavor, and the heirloom Typica variety grown in this region produces sweet, complex, cherry-almond scented, and chocolate-like coffees. These farmers have done extraordinary work, and the resulting coffee is extraordinary, too.

Thursday, May 14, 7-8:30pm

$20 in advance/$25 at the door

Much maligned for several decades, rose is rebounding in popularity due in large part to the quality dry wine being made along France's Mediterranean coast. But it is not all about Bandol: other regions of France, Italy and even Spain are bottling complex and refreshing rose. This class is the fourth in an ongoing 3CUPS wine series that Sheri will be leading. The Master of Wine designation is impressive- only 24 Americans have ever been awarded this top credential in the wine trade. Sheri was the youngest (and the second female) American to become a Master of Wine.

Eric Asimov

Our Weekend Wine is a staff favorite and a wine we feel really demonstrates NY Times wine columnist Eric Asimovs quote. Muscadet (moose-cah-Day) comes from an area called Nantes in the west close to where the Loire Rivers bumps into the Atlantic Ocean. Ive called Muscadet, the Rodney Dangerfield of wine because it gets so little respect. And granted there is lots of uninspiring mass produced Muscadet on the market today, which is often the case when a wine becomes very popular.

Thats where Jay Murrie of 3CUPS steps in to save the day. In the hands of artisan vintners like Domaine Pepieres Marc Olivier, Domaine de l Ecus Guy Bossard, and Luneau-Papins Pierre Luneau, Muscadet is not only a great wine but is sold at ridiculously low prices. These are the Muscadet offerings Jay has selected and that we have in the store. Stop in and taste a wine we all love and buy ourselves this time of year... and learn about terms like Sur Lie and why this wine been described as the perfect wine with seafood like oysters. It is also capable of extensive aging in the cellar.

But if you don't feel like more information on a Friday, just stop by for a free taste!

This wine tasting was worth the long day of travel. And we rewarded ourselves with quick meals squeezed in around the work. Brioche French Toast to provide ballast beforehand, tender polpi and meatballs to celebrate discovery of good new things after. Here's a list of the wine highlights from my notes, either here or arriving at 3CUPS in upcoming weeks.

2007 Luneau-Papin Pierre de la Grange (3CUPS price $12.99) Fine texture. Mineral. Dry. This wine is a steal. It's getting warm outside...

2007 Luneau Papin Clos des Allees (3CUPS price $14.99) This wine is from the plot in front of the winery according to Pierre Luneau-Papin's son. The soil type here is schist. The wine is rounder than the Pierre de la Grange. This wine tends to be a favorite of mine.

2002 Luneau Papin Semper Excelsior Clos des Noelles (we may never sell this because it would retail over $20 but wow) Amazing fruit aromas. Honey. Peach. If you believe Muscadet is fruitless, here's empirical proof to the contrary.

2008 Occhipinti SP68 Rosso Vittoria (here in a few months, roughly $20) SP68 is the name of a highway near Arianna's home town of Vittoria. This wine was fragrant and basically terrific. Probably the discovery of the tasting for me.

2007 Rosso Sicilia Frappato (3CUPS price $32.99) Smells like lemons and wild red berries. Light. perfect.2007 Alessandra Bera Barbera la Verrane (probably low-$20s retail if we buy it) Smells great. Dark berries and violets. Pleasant faint prickle of acidity. A red for food! A winner.

NV Franck Peillot Montagnieu Brut NV (3CUPS price $18.99) So good. Fresh like spring flowers. Delicious. A favorite white for the day. It's a blend of Altesse, Chardonnay and Mondeuse, in case you are interested.

2007 Eric Texier Brezeme Cotes du Rhone rouge (we have the 06 right now, will be $20) This red steals the show. Classic Northern Rhone aromas. Delicate. Violets. Spices. Light on the palate, fresh, good.

2007 Eric Texier Vaison la Romaine Cotes du Rhone Villages (will be low $20s when we buy it) Way better than Cotes-du Rhone wines are. Smells awesome. Farmed biodynamically. Medium-weight and dry, with purity of flavor that makes this wine a must-have item for us.

2007 Eric Texier Rasteau Cotes du Rhone Villages (similar price when it arrives to the previous item) Smells like berry gummy candy. Fun.

2005 Eric Texier Cote Rotie Vieilles Vignes (way pricey if we buy it, $70+?) Smells like red Burgundy, maybe Chambolle? Made from Petite Sereine, the older (truer / better) Syrah.

2006 Montesecondo Chianti Classico ($24, maybe less in weeks to come) Silvio Messana is taking all the wires out of his vineyards, opting instead for the Albarello method of vine training. He said this helps him think of the vines as individuals, not a homogenous mass. He says it may be a little more work, but it will add to his enjoyment of vineyard labor as it is moving a step closer to how he wants things to be at Montesecondo. Organic now, moving toward biodynamic.

2007 Campi di Fonterenza Sangiovese ($25+ when it arrives) Smells great - red berries. Refreshing, with some tannin on the finish. This wine is done 100% in stainless steel. Sisters Margherita and Francesca Padovani do everything at this six-acre organic estate.

2007 Luca Rogna Dolcetto d'Alba ($16-ish when it arrives, which will be soon) This is a tasty treat. Purchase. Drink. Don't fret.

Luneau-Papin

Clos des Allees

2007

$14.99

$13.50 This Weekend, 10% Off

The Wine... So far my mania for this amazing wine has been contained: but tasting the wine again yesterday with Pierre Luneau-Papin and his son got me all riled up. I think this is the best value white in our store. Clean, refreshing, but not thin, and for a bone-dry white, not exceptionally high in acidity. Luneau-Papin had oysters at their table, maybe so should you. Read more about Luneau-Pain and others.

Kuta

Papua New Guinea

Waghi Valley

$11.99/lb.

The Coffee... The most unique characteristic of this coffee is its deep, syrupy, incredibly profound body. This characteristic typifies island coffee from the South Pacific, and its one of the things people love about Sumatran, Javan, and Sulawesi coffees. Its incredibly rare, however, for a coffee with such a deep body to be so clean-tasting as Kuta and also have the subtle cherry-fruit character to accompany the chocolate. Its this pairing of syrupy body and clean cherry-chocolate flavor that makes coffees from this little part of this giant valley so beloved by coffee drinkers.

Wednesday, May 6

6:00 - 8:00 PM

$15 in advance, $18 at the door

Ever spent a moment or two staring at the giant posters in our wine section? Maybe your tea was steeping and you wandered over, only to end up in the shadow of the giant head of Vincent Grosjean. Why are we giving this Italian gentleman treatment typically reserved for Bob Marley and dancing florescent Grateful Dead bears? Because he makes one of our 12 favorite wines. He deserves some notoriety. Vincent Grosjean is the Che Guevara of the 3CUPS college dormroom. Come taste the awesomeness at the center of the 3CUPS wine universe. A line-up of our favorites, simple as that. So much so that we made them big and glossy in the middle of the shop.

Class #3: Spanish and Italian Whites

Thursday, May 7

7:00 - 8:30 PM

$20 in advance, $25 at the door

Because it's Spring! At last. Wine drinkers associate Italy and Spain with world-class red wines, understandably often overlooking the thirst-quenching and food versatile white wines made from the vineyards of Galicia, Alto Adige, Rueda, the Veneto...the list goes on. This class is the third of an ongoing 3CUPS wine series that Sheri will be leading. The Master of Wine designation is impressive- only 24 Americans have ever been awarded this top credential in the wine trade. Sheri was the youngest (and the second female) American to become a Master of Wine.

Michel Cluizel is one of the world's finest chocolate makers.  He's got shops in France and one in New York City.  But you can also find his chocolates in our store in Chapel Hill.  His single origin chocolates are well-crafted and very smooth.

For Mother's Day we are having a special, 25% OFF, on the Michel Cluizel 1er Cru Sampler, 4 5g pieces of each of the 7 origins, a total of 28 excellent chocolates. 

What a great way to spend Mother's Day, sharing a wonderful taste experience with the ones you love. 

We only have a limited supply of these samplers, so stop by the store and pick one up.

3 Southeastern Food Trips

1. New Orleans: Wine and Food Galore... I was recently in New Orleans, on a vacation, which for me is a time of focused and purposeful eating. New Orleans was a challenge- I'd never been, and the food culture of that city is solid and even a little daunting. I had ideas of what I would find there, and Cajun and Creole flavors had already made an imprint, but my expectations were built up by stories of legendary proportion, and the earnest excitement of people telling me where and what to eat and drink. Sazeracs were sampled, as was the Ramos Gin Fizz, Pimm's Cup and lots of Abita beer, and a number of nice wines as well... To read more of Elaine's trip report, click here.

To read more of Elaine's trip report click here. 

2. Galax, VA: Lost on the Mountain... Or originally, just lost in Greensboro. If you're using the (reputedly never-fail) directions to Foggy Ridge Cidery from the back of their brochure, take the via Winston-Salem route. Getting lost in the Blue Ridge mountains of southern Virginia may have added as much time to the trip as our downtown Greensboro drive-around, but that diversion was significantly less annoying. I recommend traveling with talented baked goods producers - I find it adds greatly to the enjoyment of long hours on the highway. For this trip the passenger seat was manned by April McGreger, Farmer's Daughter Brand, who made the whole day go by like it lasted for an hour. She told stories about her Mississippi (similar to my Mississippi) and talked about traditional American music, she brought along a large box of pickled green tomatoes and fried apple pies.

To read more of Jay's trip report click here.

3. Report from the SCAA in Atlanta, GA... This past weekend, Matt and I went down to Atlanta, GA to attend the Specialty Coffee Assocation of America annual conference. This is THE annual event (this year actually called "The Event") in the coffee world with representatives from Asia, Africa and many places in Latin America. It is the place to meet coffee producers, network with the coffee industry, taste the top coffees in the world and learn the latest news.

To read more of Badi's trip report, click here.