Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Wine Source of Hampden

I have heard many good things about the Wine Source in Hampden (didn't Summer tell me about it?) and I finally went there today after work. I can see the allure! A few good things:

  • Not only does it have wine, beer and liquor, but it also has an assortment of cheeses, fancy deli meats (Mmmm. Prosciutto.), and - get this - an olive oil tasting area. Today they had four olive oils set out for tasting, an Italian, a Spanish, a Greek and a Californian. May my napoletani and siciliani ancestors forgive me, but I liked the Spanish one the best.
  • They have wine tastings! There is one tomorrow (I hope to catch the tail end of it), AND they have beer tastings as well! Both have cheese from what I understand (Mmmm. Cheese.)
  • I bought three beers tonight - a standard "Balto-Marzhon" from Clipper City (love that beer), a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale, and (my favorite), a Double Chocolate Stout from Wells's and Young Brewery in Bristol, UK.
Oh SHIT! Project Runway is starting now!!! Gotta run...

6 comments:

Alex said...

Crap. I was about to suggest Young's (as they make a stellar Double Chocolate Stout) until I clicked the link and saw that's what you bought. I didn't know which brewery made it. Their Oatmeal Stout is pretty good too, but not as good as the Chocolate.

roopa said...

Beware of the free Friday wine tastings at the Wine Source - I have been to three of them so far (with three friends), and every time, all of us hated most of the wines. Proceed with caution...

I love the Balto-Marzhon!

I need to find myself a good pumpkin ale...I am obsessed with it. I love Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale but it's hard to find down here.

I wasn't thrilled with PR last night. I hope it gets better.

John said...

Alex: Beat you to it I guess :D AND, I was able to give you some useful info! I'm no chocolate fiend, but "Stout" and "Chocolate"? Seemed like a no-brainer.

Roopa: Good thing I'm going tonight instead! Yeah, PR wasn't as exciting as the first three seasons, because they had such a ridiculously EASY task (no dresses made out of trash/wood/food/crepe paper/other people's clothing/cardboard/plants/potato skins/stuff you found in your apartment. That would have been more enjoyable. But hopefully the next one will be a bit weirder than "Make what you want out of the most expensive fabric that we gift to you!"

CindyWags said...

Young's Double Chocolate Stout is my favorite too! First tried it at the Brickskeller in DC.... I was in heaven.

Although I don't get to the Wine Source enough, I was there in September during a Cider Tasting. 'Twas AWESOME.

And, about PR, it was the perfect opportunity to show what the designers were made of... if not as fun as watching them scrounge scraps together. I can't believe some people actually botched it up. And the grass stain lady? Not sure if I'll be buying anything from HER line... Pre-stained! Yes!

Maurice Bradbury said...

And it's the only place in the state (that I know of) that'll sell you Badoit water by the case.
mmm pumpkin ale...

Summer said...

Wasn't me, but still thanks for the mention! There's a little wine place over in Canton that does tastings and has cheese too. Chesapeake Wine I htink? It's next to Austin Grill. I'm more of a "by the case at TJ's" kind of girl unless I'm looking for something really specific. I haven't met many wines I didn't like, especially if decanted first. It's amazing how much a good swirl in a decanter can help a cheap wine.