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NEW FOR 2013
CLEANSES:
Do it Correctly -
1 & 3
Day Cleanses Available
HOT BREAKFAST
TAKE-OUT LUNCH & DINNER
SALAD BAR
COOKING CLASSES
ORGANIC/LOCAL PRODUCTS
All Made From the Freshest Organic Ingredients
MONDAY-FRIDAY 8-6 • SATURDAY 9-5
(908) 696-8878
Brenda Curnin,
Owner
Bernardsville Centre
(
Breezy is located next to Kings)
www.BREEZYORGANIC.COM
Eating Healthy is Easy
•
Serious Smoothies
•
Juice Bar
•
Housemade Baked Goods
•
Artisan Soft Serve
•
Breakfast/Lunch
•
Snacks/Drinks
•
Organic Teas & Coffee
•
Supplements & Organic Products
SILK ROAD
PRIVATE PARTIES AVAILABLE up to 100 People
Hours:
Tues - Sat:
11
am - 10pm
Sun:
12
pm - 9:30pm
Closed Mondays
908-561-8288
phone
–
Established Since 2004 –
41
Mountain Boulevard
Village Square Mall, Warren, NJ 07059
www.SilkRoadRestaurant.org
LUNCH
SPECIALS
Tues - Fri
11
am - 2:30pm
(
Dine In)
11
am - 3pm
(
Take Out)
$
9.99
Authentic Afghan and Mediterranean Cuisine
We Serve Halal Food
Come in and Experience
Unique Afghan Hospitality!
WE SERVE HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD MADE WITH
ONLY THE FRESHEST INGREDIENTS.
We specialize in Chops, Steaks, Kabobs, Veggies,
Palaws (rice dishes), Seafood, Dumplings and Desserts!
Zagat Rated
Reservations for
Valentine’s
Day Highly
Recommended
Just about anyone can plunk down a hundred
dollars and get a pretty good bottle of wine.
However, if you know where to look there are
countless great wines to be had without break-
ing the bank.
The tough part is knowing how to navigate
the oceans of inexpensive and moderately
priced wines on the market.
A couple of
strategies come into play. The first is to get good
advice from a merchant (or sommelier) you trust.
They will have done much of the legwork, tast-
ing and selecting a range of wines in various
price ranges and styles that they feel offer good
value. They should listen to your questions, ask
about your personal preferences and make rec-
ommendations with respect to your budget and
taste.
While you’ll save time and money with a solid
consultant, here are a few more strategies you
can employ in the search for good value wines,
with or without expert help:
“
Off” Vintages.
While often panned by the
press, they can offer excellent value because of
decreased demand. Branding a vintage’s quality
is not a precise science, but rather a generaliza-
tion of the overall weather and its potential
effect on a region’s wine in that year. Great
growers are often able to make exceptionally
good wines in more difficult years. Careful vine-
yard management can maintain the health of the
fruit, reducing yields can improve quality, and
severe selection in the vineyard during harvest
and in the cellars can create wines that are well
above the perceived quality of the vintage. Wine-
making techniques can be tailored to suit specif-
ic vintages' characteristics. Modifying maceration
times, using more gentle extraction of tannin,
reducing percentages of new oak barrels and
shortening maturation times can be used to
make wines that are balanced and delicious.
While they may not have the power, concentra-
tion and age worthiness of a “great” year, they
still have many of the characteristics of a vine-
yard or region, while being much less expensive
and ready to drink at an earlier age.
Second Labels
are part of the process many
great estates use to maintain the quality and rep-
utation of their “Grand Vin.” Only grapes from
the best parcels, oldest vines or best lots in the
cellar typically are used for the top wine, with the
balance often used for a second label. Second
labels are often less than half the price of the
Grand Vins. Produced from the same vineyards
and made by the same winemaker as the first
wine, they share much of the same style and
character - all in an earlier drinking package. Bor-
deaux is a great place to look for value in second
labels since many of the top wines have become
very expensive. Gravette de Certan ($75) is a
great example of a second label that delivers
much of the character of Vieux Chateau Certan
(
$300).
Following the winemaker
is another strategy
for finding less expensive wines that are similar
to pricier wines you like. Rolando Herrera, who
became head of winemaking worldwide for Paul
Hobbs is a great example. After leaving Hobbs,
Rolando started his own winery, Mi Sueno,
which makes lovely wines selling for a lot less
than the wines he made for Hobbs, but they
have a lot of the same style he learned from his
mentor. Paul Hobbs himself has become involved
in many different projects, both in California
(
CrossBarn by Paul Hobbs with wines in the $30-
40
range, far lower than his top wines under the
Paul Hobbs label), and in Argentina.
Off the beaten path
is where some of the best
value can be found. Wines from less well-known
regions and grapes are often superb wines at very
modest prices. Chao Rio from western Portugal is
one example. Made from the periquita grape, this
beautiful Rhone like red punches well above its
weight at only $15 per bottle. San Giovanni
Grapello is another phenomenal find. It’s grown
on the south shore of Lake Garda in Northeast
Italy & is as smooth, silky, versatile and crowd
pleasing as red wine gets, all for under $20.
Rising Stars are everywhere, even in staid, old
Bordeaux.
Chateau La Fleur de Bouard, in Lalande
de Pomerol, is owned by the same family who
owns Chateau Angelus in Saint Emilion . They put
the same amount of time and energy into this
more modest property, resulting in one of the best
wines of the region and one that overachieves
both in quality and value (about $40). All over the
world new winemakers and wineries are being dis-
covered. Don’t be afraid to take the advice of a
merchant or an article you read - today’s
unknowns may be tomorrow's cult classics!
Value abounds in the wine world.
If you love
Brunello, try Rosso di Montalcino. Love Barolo?
Try a Langhe Rosso. Love great Burgundy from
the world renowned villages of Puligny, Chas-
sagne or Meursault? Find a great Bourgogne
Blanc from Sylvain Bzikot for less than half the
price. There are tons of great inexpensive wines,
but not all are good values. Take some time, do
some research, get some good advice and soon
you'll be handicapping wine like the pros!
DRINK WELL, SPEND LESS
By: Christopher Cree MW, 56° Wine