This Week at Swirl Wine Bar + Market

Happenings
What A Week!!
We're back into full, non-stop event mode this week, giving me a lot to focus on after our last minute loss to the 49ers on Saturday.  So if you are looking to celebrate a great season, forget your troubles, drown your sorrows or just have a great time drinking some really special wine and eating a lot of great food, join us!

Nick Selby is kicking things off with our first Tuesday Tasting of 2012 as we sample 6 great French wines from the Peter Weygandt portfolio.  Then onto Wednesday Nite Flites as we release our new wine bar menu and you can try a flite of any three wines on the list. Thursday is Real Wine Live, an amazing night as we've worked with our friends at Lirette Selections and Green Goddess to give you an opportunity to meet and taste with 5 natural winemakers from Italy and France while you sample Chef Chris DeBarr's culinary creations.  We are so excited to have Chef Richard Papier back for our Friday Free For All!  He served up delicious tapas to a packed house on Friday night and we can't wait to see what he comes up with for this week as we sample wines of the Pacific Northwest with Mike from Avenue.

So read on for the details and we hope you find something that interests you.  And check out swirl and savor for recipes, what we're drinking now, travel notes and more...

Tuesday Tasting Event, The Wines of Peter Weygandt, January 17, 6-8pm
Many of you have asked that we bring back our Tuesday night tastings, and we are!  Our Tuesday events are a special evening focusing on specific regions with an educational component in addition to drinking lots of really good wine. Nick Selby from Uncorked Wines will visit us this evening with a selection of French wines from the Peter Weygandt portfolio, including my wine of the moment, the fabulous 2009 Jean-Louis Tribouley Champ les Petayre.  The tasting is $10 and reservations are recommended as space is limited.  Check out our Facebook page on Tuesday to see what we'll be serving!  Call 504.304.0635 to reserve your spot, we're booking up quickly...

Wednesday Nite Flites, January 18, 6-8pm
We'll be kicking off our new wine bar menu tonight and you can pick your own flite of any three wines on the list!  Flites are $12-$15 for 3-2oz. pours of really great juice!  No reservations required, just pull up a seat at the bar and get your boarding pass. Check out our Facebook page on Wednesday to see the new menu!

Real Wine Live, An Unforgettable Event with 5 "Authentic" Winemakers, Thursday January 19th, 6pm and 7:30pm
What if you could be in a room with some of the most revered natural winemakers in the world, having intimate conversations with them as you drink the wines they have so painstakingly produced while you taste food from one of New Orleans' most progressive chefs?  We are pairing up with Lirette Selections and Chef Chris DeBarr of Green Goddess to bring you an unforgettable evening with producers represented by Louis/Dressner Selections. There will be 2 sessions offered at Green Goddess on Thursday, January 19th beginning at 6pm and costs $75 (tax & tip included) for a sampling of 15+ wines paired with a selection of foods by Chef DeBarr and a donation to a Joe Dressner charity.   This event is limited 25 people per session and prepayment is required through reservations at Green Goddess.  Call Scot Dagenhart of Green Goddess for more information and to reserve your spot, 504-444-7482. Check out my blog post Real Wine Live for winemaker list.

Friday Free For All, January 20, 6-8pm
Mike from Avenue Wines will be joining us this evening for a tasting of 4 wines from Washington and Oregon.  And we are so excited to have Chef Richard Papier back on Friday nights!  He served up delicious tapas to a packed house last Friday and we can't wait to see what he comes up with for this week. Check out our Facebook page on Friday to see what wines we'll be serving and Chef Richard's tapas menu!

Wednesday Nite Flites, January 25, 6-8pm
Flites are $12-$15 for 3-2oz. pours of really great juice!  No reservations required, just pull up a seat at the bar and get your boarding pass. Check out our Facebook page on Wednesday to see what we'll be serving!

Friday Free For All with Antonio Molesini, January 27, 6-8pm
Antonio will be in the house this evening with his Italian charm, quirky humor and 4 wines from Piemonte producer Fontanafredda. As a special treat I've convinced him that we should serve the 2005 Fontana Fredda Barolo.  Barolo on a Free Friday?  Don't miss it!  And Chef Richard will be serving up some delicious Italian themed small plates to pair with the wines.  Check out our Facebook page on Friday to see what wines we'll be serving and Chef Richard's tapas menu!

Tuesday Tasting Event, January 31, 6-8pm
I know I said I was only going to hold our Tuesday events once a month, but when the opportunity was presented to hold a tasting with Baptiste Cuvelier, producer of our favorite Chilean wine ever, the 2009 Cuvelier Cuvee del Maule, I just couldn't turn it down.  We'll select wines from both his Chilean and Argentinian winery, lineup and details TBA, but mark the date!

Mediterranean Wine & Cheese with St. James, Wednesday February 1, 6:30pm
Join us for our monthly cheese and wine pairing nights with Casey Foote from St. James Cheese. And tonight we'll have a special guest as Nick Selby from Uncorked joins us for a taste of the Mediterranean where we will feature wine and cheese Greece, Sicily, Spain, Southern France and more!  These seated tastings are always a sell out, so if you are interested make your reservations quickly.  $25, call 504.304.0635 for reservations, prepayment is required to hold your spot.  This tasting is at Swirl.

Antonio's Italy, May 26-June 2
Sorry, this trip is full! Copies of our itinerary and pricing can be viewed here:  Antonio's Italy


Swirl and Savor
Our wine and food blog...here are a few from the past 2 weeks, but there are lots more at swirlandsavor.

Recent Posts
Lemon and Garlic Roasted Potatoes
"Ah potatoes how we love these deliciously versitile tubulars! Roasted, boiled, pan fried, deep fried or grilled they are a great side for meats or chicken and are so simple to prepare. Growing up, my mother used to boil them and just add in parsley, lots of butter, salt and pepper..."

Wine of the Moment, 2009 Tribouley Champ les Petayre
"Nick Selby came in the other day with a knowing smile on his face, the sly smile he wears when he knows he has a wine bag full of palate pleasing goodies.  He had just cause as the four wines, one from Austria and 3 from France, were all winners with each one ending up in the shop this past week.  Three of the wines were from Peter Weygandt, a living legend in the world of French wine imports..."

Real Wine Live An Unforgettable Event with 5 "Authentic" Winemakers
In the words of the late Joe Dressner "...the only way to understand the personality of a wine is to get to know the personality who made the wine."  And that's what we wanted to do; create an event where you can be in a room with some of the most revered natural winemakers in the world, having intimate conversations with them as you drink the wines they have so painstakingly produced while you taste food from one of New Orleans' most progressive chefs.

Cheers to You and a Happy New Year!
"As we prepare the shop and ourselves for the upcoming week of restocking, selecting bubbles for your New Year's celebrations and the dreaded counting of year end inventory, I just wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for your support over the past year."


Top Selling Bubblies of 2011
"If you've ever perused the bubbly table in the shop you know that we offer a wide selection of price points from many different countries.  I've compiled a list of this years top sellers to help you make selections for your upcoming celebrations." 

Global Mexican Cuisine at Canal St. Bistro
"...we've been twice before for breakfast and lunch, but this was our first go at dinner since Chef Guillermo Peters began serving on weekend nights.  Both of our previous experiences were excellent; great, fresh, creative food at good prices in a pretty comfy spot on Canal Street not far from our house..."

Antonio's Italy, A Wine and Culinary Vacation in Tuscany
"Join Swirl Wine Bar & Market in May 2012 as Antonio Molesini, Italian Wine Specialist and native of Tuscany, takes us on a very special wine and cultural tour of his homeland.  We’ll be living like locals, spending a week in a historic villa in Cortona and visiting Antonio’s favorite wineries, restaurants, hill towns and wine bars."


KT's Winter Warmer Chili
...comforting smoky, spicy smells drifted from the kitchen along with the rapidly clicking sound of a chopping knife in action.  Kerry was making chili.  I know if she is cooking the recipe is likely to include lots of peppers and a good amount of spicy heat, but there was another smell, a rich, almost caramel like sweetness in the air...


Hope to See You Soon!
Beth, Kerry, Michelle, Matt, Michael and Sangi

Swirl Wines
3143 Ponce de Leon Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
Tel: 504.304.0635 | E-mail: beth@swirlinthecity.com

COPYRIGHT 2010. Swirl Wines. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.