The good life

While we wilt and droop in the city heat, Otis frolics on the beach. No bigger care in the world than sticks and surf! Fortunately for the rest of us, there are chilled wines, breezes
off the Hudson River and outdoor concerts.

Here's what's up at Bottlerocket:

> Summer of love. Bottlerocket invites you to find a mate...
> One small step. We'll pay you to help save the planet.
> A lucky fellow. He answered our survey and won!
> Mark your calendar. Eclectic Salon events for fall.

Our first singles event

"SWF seeks earthy, medium bodied, lean..." Wine???
GET SOME is Bottlerocket's new, informal singles event.
Every Thursday evening in August, drop by for a casual wine and cheese tasting, 6 to 8 pm. Free. Meet fellow New Yorkers who share your love of wine. Who knows, you may share more than that...

Shopping bag rebate: we'll give you 5¢ every time you bring your own bag to carry out your Bottlerocket purchase. Cut down on waste! Reduce and reuse! Look at these amazing bag facts.

We have a winner! The grand prize for our $100 gift certificate goes to customer Laurent Cherrier, picked at random from survey respondents. Congratulations!

	So much wine, so little time

Hundreds of you replied to our survey and we're grateful for the awesome level of detail you provided. We heard you: get more Spanish wines, host more food-related events, hold classes at varying times, plan for crowds at our popular in-store events, open more stores... Thanks for telling us like it is!

Latest & Greatest

Brazilian wonder

It's fitting that on this quintessential summer day we're featuring Bottlerocket team member Vander Gonçalves' favorite wines. Not only does he have a wonderful warm and sunny personality, but he comes from groovy, hot Brazil.

Insider health tip! Vander's mother always encouraged him to drink a glass of wine a day to ensure good health. She's a hearty 84 years old now. Vander is the youngest of her 19 children. Saúde!

Nino Franco. Rustico NV. Italy > Veneto. Bubbly. $14

Famed critic Robert Parker heaped glowing praise on this Italian wine a few years back, calling it "the perfect crisp sparkler." Rustico offers explosive flavor and tons of fun. It's the original Prosecco, first served at the ultra-famous Harry's Bar in Venice. They mixed it with white peach juice to create the Bellini cocktail. This wine screams party!!

The winemakers

Ramsay. Northcoast 2005. USA > California. Red. $16

Young and fresh, this Pinot Noir is consistently delicious and reasonably priced. Ramsay is winemaker Kent Rasmussen's second label, with grapes coming from California's North Coast. Rasmussen is well known as a pioneer, tending his first vines in 1979 in the inhospitable soil of the Carneros area. With an international reputation for outstanding Pinot Noir wines, Carneros is now considered one of the best growing regions in the world. The vineyard operations are all solar. Very cool.

Punta Pays. Viognier 2006.
Argentina > Mendoza >> Maipú. White. $9

Mendoza is not only known for producing great Malbecs, but also tasty whites like this one from Punta Pays. Their Viognier is rich, with distinctive tropical aromas and mouth-coating fruit. It's also an outstanding value, to boot! Try it with spicy take-out foods.

Studying the product

Weingut Heinz Nikolai.
Riesling Feinherb 2005.
Germany > Rheingau. White. $15

This small, family-run winery produces only 350 cases of their outstanding Riesling crushed from 15 year-old vines. They age this steel tank fermented wine on its lees for 3 months to add depth and complexity. (Feinherb = Halbtrocken = Half-dry). The touch of sweet makes it another favorite for spicy foods.

Leblon. Cachaça.
Brazil > Minas Gerais. Spirit. $27

Named for the hip beach community in Rio de Janeiro, Leblon, Cachaça was created in 2005 as Brazil's 1st super-premium spirit. Distilled in a copper pot stills, aged in Limousin oak and triple filtered, Leblon is 'comemoração!' Use it to make a caipirinha, a sexy cocktail perfect in hot weather: Take 2 tsp. of sugar and muddle with 8 lime wedges in a thick-bottomed glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes and add 2 1/2 oz. of cachaça. Stir well. Sip and repeat.

Call for delivery: 212-929-2323.

Is there a wine you wish we carried? Let us know and we'll see what we can do.

Happenings

Mexico's Zoé play Brooklyn

Check out these links for free events
in NYC this summer:

Free concerts in Central Park

River To River Festival

Free concerts in Brooklyn's Prospect Park

Don't forget to bring our favorite concert wine: Three Thieves Bandit Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon in juice boxes. Highly portable and delicious.

Wednesday, September 26, 6 – 8 pm
Eclectic Salon: Tim Weiner

	Sifting through the ashes

Come meet Pulitzer Prize winning NY Times reporter Tim Weiner as we celebrate his just-released book Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Weiner is a brilliant storyteller (and fellow wine lover, by the way). Mother Jones magazine calls his new book "an epic, eye-opening history of an agency out of control. Weiner presents 60 years of bungled covert operations, blatant criminality, lying to the public, and breathtaking incompetence." Reading, book signing and wine tasting.
Free. Reservations not required.

We Do

•	Delivery – Just give us a call and we'll take care of the rest: 212-929-2323.
•	Special Orders – Give us one day and we'll give you price and availability for a case of almost anything. Email: specialorders@bottlerocketwine.com
•	Gifts selected, wrapped, packaged and shipped.
•	"Find the Love" – Samplers to expose you to new tastes.
•	"The High End" – We serve collectors, too. Call for info.
•	Private in-store events: customized tastings, food & wine pairing parties.
•	Tasting events at your home or office.
•	Consultations and Gift Registry for weddings, parties, events.

Forward This

Spread the news that Bottlerocket is open. If you think we provide a good experience for wine lovers, please forward this to your friends, and tell them about our 10% discount on any purchase for all first-time customers who join our customer list. And thank you for your support!

Remember, we're a work in progress. We would value any suggestions you may have to help us create the best wine buying experience on the planet. Send us an email: myidea@bottlerocketwine.com. Thank you!