Armeno Holiday Wine Tasting Event 12/19/2009

This Saturday, December 19, 2009, Armeno Coffee Roasters will hold its last wine tasting event of the decade. (Gasp!)

Yes, the end of the decade is racing towards us, as are many Christmas and New Years Celebrations. To help make the holidays a little more merry, we’ve selected  some perfect wines to compliment your festivities. As always, the wine tasting event is free, and all wines are 15% off this Saturday only.

(Also, if you follow us on Twitter @armenocoffee or Facebook, you may have seen that I have been posting live as I taste some of the wines at each event. Use the hash tag #armenowine if you choose to join in.)

Here is a summary of the featured wines this Saturday:

Nicholas Feuillatte NV Brut

Blended from 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 40% Pinot Meunier. This is a light fresh and crisp Champagne that  Robert Parker consistently refers to as one of the Best Values from Champagne.

2008 La Craie Vouvray

From the largest AOC of France’s Loire Valley this 100% Chenin Blanc is named for the soil from which it is grown. “La Craie” or chalk is a primary component of the soil in Vouvray, and imparts a clean, fresh and mineral character to the wine.

Antinori  Bianco Toscano

A fruity white, with fresh lemon and melon character. Medium-bodied, with a tight, fruity finish.

2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Fragrant and complex, with a refreshing burst of lime, guava, grapefruit and grass flavors. Wet stone, passion fruit and oyster shell accents add interest, with bright acidity highlighting the vivid finish. 91 points “a Top 100 Wine”

2006 Murphy Goode “Island Block” Chardonnay

A rich and broad yet balanced wine achieved through oak aging and malolactic fermentation. This wine spent ten months in 100% French oak barrels to add complexity and aromas of spice. Seventy percent also underwent malolactic fermentation which contributes notes of butter and gives it the creamy texture Island Block is known for.  Gold Medal – 2008 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Cono Sur Pinot Noir

Fresh, elegant and aromatically intense, this wine is everything a good Pinot Noir should be. Dressed in a beautiful, bright ruby red colour, it comes from the Colchagua Valley. Fruit notes of cherry, ripe strawberry and raspberry combine with hints of chocolate and coffee. In mouth it’s silky, full, structured, and persistent, with fruity notes and soft tannins.

2007 Qupe “Central Coast” Syrah

This wine is 98% Syrah and 2% Grenache from both Santa Barbara County (67%) and San Luis Obispo County (33%).The wine is essentially a blend of cool-climate Santa Barbara grapes and warm-climate Paso Robles grapes. The cool-climate fruit gives spice, acidity and balanced alcohol while the warm-climate fruit give softness, roundness, ripeness and more up-front fruit flavors and aromas. Food and Wine Magazine rated this the Best Syrah under $20 for the 4^th consecutive year.

2007 Melini “Issasi” Chianti Classico

Bright ruby-red. The bouquet is fragrant with violets and iris scents and hints of vanilla. The taste is dry, fine and full, pleasantly fruity with an elegant aftertaste of raspberries and almonds. Parker 87 pts.

2006 Vietti  “Perbacco” Nebbiolo

“In a word: Awesome!!  Vietti’s Perbacco is made from Barolo-designated parcels that don’t meet the qualitative standard for the estate’s multi-cru Barolo Castiglione. Perbacco is for all practical purposes a Barolo, but because it its bottled two months earlier than regulations permit, the wine is sold as Langhe Nebbiolo.”  Parker Rated 90 pts

2006 Stags Leap Wine Cellars “Artemis” Cabernet Sauvignon

Focused and complex, the wine opens with aromas and flavors of black fruit—blackberry, currant, and plum—that slowly give way to layers of nutmeg, rosemary, grilled game, and warm pie crust. This firmly structured and full-bodied wine gains depth and richness through the finish. The wine is aged for 18 months in oak, and has a touch of Merlot blended in for smoothness.

See you there!

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Featured Armeno Roast of the Week: Mocha Java Blend

Mocha-Java is the world’s oldest recorded coffee blend, primarily because Mocha coffees from Yemen and Java from Indonesia were the world’s first commercially available coffees. It is said that the favorite coffee of Thomas Jefferson, who is quoted as calling coffee, “the favorite drink of the civilized world,”was the Mocha-Java blend. Armeno Coffee Roasters blends Yemen Mocha Mattari and Indonesian Java Jampit Estate in a 40:60 ratio to make our version of this popular blend.

Mocha

Originally, coffee from Yemen was shipped through the Red Sea port of Mocha from which the coffee derived its name. Armeno Coffee Roasters uses a Mocha from the Bany Mattar region of Yemen, the Yemen Mocha Mattari (also available from Armeno Coffee Roasters on its own), which is grown on mountain terraces. The cherries are hand-picked and dried with the fruit still attached to the bean. The beans are then dry processed. We roast the Yemen Mocha Mattari to a medium full city roast. Mattari has a unique flavor that is heavy in body with good acidity and a wonderful chocolate finish.

Freshly Roasted Java Jampit Estate from Armeno Coffee Roasters

Java

The Mocha is artfully balanced with our Java Jampit Estate coffee (also available separately from Armeno Coffee Roasters). Java Jampit Estate is grown on the Indonesian island of Java just west of Bali where the Dutch cultivated arabica trees early in coffee’s history. We also roast the Java to a medium full city roast to produce a sweet, aromatic and full bodied cup of coffee.

Armeno Mocha Java Blend

Armeno’s Mocha Java Blend

The principal behind the Armeno Coffee Roasters Mocha Java Blend is to combine coffees – whose flavors are very different – to produce the perfect cup of coffee. The fruity acidity of the Mocha energizes the sweetness of the Java, while the more full-bodied Java helps balance the unique flavor of the Mocha. The result is a wonderful full bodied blend with a natural chocolaty flavor and a smooth creamy finish.  It is a favorite of our coffee roaster, John Parks, and is usually what he brews at home.

Armeno’s Mocha Java Blend is great in any brew method and makes a particularly wonderful mild espresso. How do you brew your Mocha Java Blend? Let us know. Better yet, post a fan photo of you and your friends or family enjoying Armeno Mocha Java blend on our Facebook Page.

Enjoy!

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Featured Armeno Roast of the Week: Guatemala Antigua

Guatemala Antigua is Guatemala’s finest coffee, grown in the central highlands west of the old capital, Antigua, from which it takes its name. According to the Guatemalan National Coffee Association, the coffee region of Antigua is an enclosed valley formed by three volcanoes: Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. Its terrain is flat and gently sloping, unlike the other volcanic coffee regions, which are more rugged. Most of the coffee trees are planted on the valley floor, already at 5,000 feet; and, some farmers also cultivate the slopes of the volcanoes up to 5,600 feet. The high pumice content in Antigua’s soil (from the active Fuego volcano) keeps the relative humidity steady at 65 percent year round, unlike the other coffee regions, where humidity varies significantly between dry and rainy seasons.

Like all of Guatemala’s specialty coffee, Antigua Coffee is cultivated under shade. In Antigua, shade is especially dense to protect the coffee trees from the region’s occasional frost during the chilly nights from December to February. The dense shade, combined with the region’s shallow water table, produces a distinct microclimate within the coffee fields.

Armeno's Guatemala Antigua Coffee

At Armeno Coffee Roasters, we roast Guatemala Antigua coffee to a full city to bring out its sweet fruit notes and round balance. I spent some time this morning with Armeno Coffee Roaster, John Parks, as he roasted a batch of Guatemala Antigua. The pictures show the progression. The beans, green at first, and mostly uniform in size and shape were loaded into the roaster. We watched as they slowly roasted to a yellow, darkened to brown, reached first crack, and finished at a full city roast.

Stages of the roasting process for Armeno's Guatemala Antigua

Guatemala Antigua is a perfect breakfast cup in a drip maker.  If you prefer a fuller bodied coffee, the French press brings out more depth in this particular coffee.

Tell us your story.  How do you enjoy Armeno’s Guatemala Antigua Coffee?  Become a fan and upload photos of you and your friends or family enjoying Armeno Coffee to our Facebook page.

Enjoy!

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Armeno Holiday Wine Tasting Event 12/12/2009

Armeno Coffee Roasters‘ Holiday Wine Tasting Event series continues this Saturday, December 12, from 1 – 4pm. Each wine tasting features a completely different selection of wines. There is no charge to attend the wine tasting, and all Armeno wines are 15% off this Saturday. This is a great opportunity to stock up for your holiday events, or to purchase gifts for friends and family.

As I’ve discussed wines with the various hosts at each of the wine tasting events this holiday season, one theme that has come across loud and clear is the value available in the market today as vineyards compete for your attention and prices drop. The additional Armeno Coffee Roasters discount available this Saturday makes it an event you can’t afford to miss!

A quick review of this Saturday’s featured wines reveals and intriguing list of holiday selections from around the world….

2007 Quinta de la Rosa Douro Tinto – Alto Douro, Portugal

Elegant and subtle aromas and flavors that show great complexity with every component of the blend well integrated and well defined. The La Rosa 05 is a wine with strong character and excellent structure. Its equilibrium is a dominant factor which will allow the wine to age well and give enormous pleasure. La Rosa Douro Tinto is ready for drinking but can also be aged. Serve at cellar temperature with any meat dish or cheese.

2006 Fitch Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon – Alexander Valley, California

Mike and Nicole Duffy of Optima (Fitch Mountain is their second label) are responsible for this gem. This is loaded with tons of black currant and black cherry fruit flavors blending into a fine veil of rich yet soft tannins. A little green pepper upfront but comes around in the midpalate with solid blackberry and currant. It finishes long, spicy and memorable. A great value/price! Drink now or set aside for 3-5 years.

2003 Cave de Cairanne Cuvee Antique – Rhone Valley, France

50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre – Color purple with black tints typical of an intense concentration. The nose, spicy at first evolves to blackberries and prunes with notes of pepper. The palate is complex and elegant, first with liquorice and blackberries evolving to a long peppery finish. Serving temperature  17° – 18° C.

2006 Chono Carmenere – Maipo, Chile

Wild flowers and violets at the nose, boysenberry the dominant fruit, gaining complexity with layers of spice and licorice on the palate. The fruity sensations evolve lush and ripe on the palate and are packed in sweet tannins that speak of the extraordinary sun on the foothills of the Andes.

88 POINTS – Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar Mar/Apr 09: Deep red. Youthfully backward aromas of cherry and dark berry skin, with a slow-building tobacco quality. Juicy cherry-vanilla and blueberry flavors are braced by zesty acidity and betray no rough edges. Finishes with seductive sweetness and a repeating vanilla note. This would be great with a strongly seasoned, grilled hunk of red meat.

2005 Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – Abruzzo, Italy

The style of the wine is distinctly Italian, but with great roundness and generous fruit appeal. Bold fruit is coupled with subtle nuance and the natural fragrances of San Martino—wildflowers, wild herbs, the dusty soil laden with old sea bottom and granitic glacial scree, saffron, truffle, the myriad of trees and bushes that surround all of Masciarelli’s finest vineyards. Genuine Italian vinous art pure and true.

Tre Bicchieri – Gambero Rosso 2009

BEST RED WINE – 2009 Lithuanian Wine Championship

89 POINTS – Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Jul/Aug 09: Full, dark ruby. Wonderfully floral nose shows rare purity and precision to the aromas of pomegranate, watermelon and red cherry. Light and nicely balanced on entry, with a seamless quality to the high-acid red fruit flavors. Finishes subtly smoky and long, but misses out on an outstanding rating due to building tannins that are a bit strong for the amount of underlying fruit.

88 POINTS – Wine Spectator 6/15/09: Shows clean, ripe forest fruits, with hints of flowers and vanilla. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a fruity finish. There’s good fruit, but this is a little hollow midpalate. Drink now.

2008 Marco Scolaris Pinot Grigio

It has a straw-yellow color with a slight ash-grey hue. The bouquet is elegant and persistent. Very fine notes of fresh, maybe exotic fruits and acacia flowers can be distinguished together with a particular bread crust scent. To the palate, it has a solid, particular and personal structure, with a dainty taste and an excellent persistence.

2005 Meeker Lobster Cove Chardonnay

98% Chardonnay, 1% Muscat, 1% Gewurztraminer – “Refreshing,” “crisp,” and “fruity” are the perfect words for this non-typical California Chardonnay. Loads of tropical fruit aromas and flavors. No oak. Only 14% malolactic. Did we mention no oak? Great with seafood or any light summer dish, or for sipping beside your own island lagoon . . . that is, of course, presuming that you have your own island lagoon, in which case we’ll bring the wine. “SEAFOOD’S FAVORITE CHARDONNAY!”

NV Monmousseau Brut Etoile

Light golden color. Small long-lasting bubbles. A full and frothy initial expression, with almond, fig and pear flavors, a soft refreshing finish. Serve between 6 and 8°C (42-44°F). Ideal as an aperitif wine, it suits perfectly to make a Kir Royal or Mimosa as well.

Enjoy!

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Armeno Coffee Roasters Helps You Spread Holiday Cheer

Armeno Coffee Roasters, New England’s premier specialty coffee roaster, offers many ways to spread the holiday cheer this holiday season. Holiday Cheer Blend, that is…. If you are looking for gift ideas for that coffee lover on your list, here are the top 5 holiday gift solutions featuring the Armeno Holiday Cheer Blend coffee, a special blend described in a previous blog entry that is available only through January.

5. Cup of Cheer Gift Basket

Armeno Cup of Cheer Gift Basket

This festive gift basket features 1/2 pound of freshly roasted Armeno Holiday Cheer Blend coffee, an Armeno Diner Mug with our “Taste the bean, not the burn!” tag line, and 1/2 pound of exquisite chocolate covered Costa Rican coffee beans (a personal favorite). Customize your order by selecting the perfect grind or whole bean coffee. A decaf option and gift wrapping is also available. Carefully packaged and artfully arranged, your Cup of Cheer Gift Basket can be picked up at Armeno Coffee Roasters, or we can ship it for you. It’s a perfect – and perfectly affordable – way to spread the Holiday Cheer.

4. Coffee for Two

Armeno Coffee for Two Gift Basket

Similar to the Cup of Cheer Gift Basket, the Coffee for Two Gift Basket features 1/2 pound of freshly roasted Armeno Holiday Cheer Blend coffee. But instead of the chocolate covered beans, we include two of the Armeno Diner Mugs. Select the perfect coffee grind and you are read to spread the Holiday Cheer.

3. Coffees Around the World

Coffees Around the World

It is said that as Santa completes his journey, he stops along the way, sampling the world’s best coffees as he travels. The Coffees Around the World sampler recreates this annual adventure. During the holiday season, Armeno packs 1/2 pound of Holiday Cheer Blend, along with 1/2 pound of freshly roasted coffee from each of the world’s three coffee growing regions: The Americas, Africa, and Indonesia/Asia.

2. New England Breakfast Gift Basket

New England Breakfast Gift Basket

Cold New England mornings are better with a hearty New England Breakfast. This gift basket includes 1 pound of Armeno Holiday Cheer Blend coffee, pancake mix, maple syrup and muffin mix. With everything necessary to chase away the morning chill, this gift basket is sure to warm the heart of any family that receives it.

1. Holiday Spirit Gift Basket

Armeno Holiday Spirit Gift Basket

For a more exotic gift, consider a little Holiday Spirit. This decadent gift basket pairs 1 pound of freshly roasted Holiday Cheer Blend coffee with 1/2 pound of chocolate covered coffee beans and two selections from the Armeno wine cellar – one red and one white – selected by our own Armeno holiday elves. We can’t ship the Holiday Spirit Gift Basket, so it will require a special trip, but we’re sure you will agree it’s worth the extra effort!

Holiday Cheer Blend

Holiday Cheer Blend

If you need stocking stuffers, host and hostess gifts, or you just want to spread a little Holiday Cheer without fanfare, order Holiday Cheer Blend in 1/2 pound or 1 pound bags, ground to your specifications and available for pick-up or delivery. For those of you who like to keep it simple, this is the perfect way to spread some Holiday Cheer.

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Armeno Holiday Wine Tasting December 5

Holiday Celebrations are a wonderful time to explore the rich flavors and bouquets of new wines; and holiday menus offer perfect opportunities to pair wines with exquisite foods. Armeno Coffee Roasters is offering three opportunities in December to sample a rich variety of wines that will compliment every type of celebration and menu. We will hold Holiday Wine Tasting Events on each of three successive Saturdays, December 5, 12 and 19, from 1-4pm. Each Holiday Wine Tasting Event will feature a different selection of wines from our wine cellar.

All Armeno wines are 15% off during the wine tasting events!

Join us for all three at our historic 18th century grist mill location at 75 Otis Street in Northborough, Massachusetts. The two wine tastings we held in November were very well-attended, and we all had a great time. (And you can pick up a pound of our special Holiday Cheer Blend coffee while you are here!)

Featured selections on December 5, 2009 will include:

Kiona Vineyards Vivacious Vicky White Blend

Red Mountain, WA

Vivacious Vicky is named after the wine maker’s wife, who has put up with long hours, busy harvests, lost weekends, strangers for dinner and fruit flies for 20 years and counting. Vicky struts lively notes of apple, a touch of sweetness, that leads to an off dry but invigorating finish!!

Vicky is a friendly blend of equal parts Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, and Semillon.

Greenvale Vineyards Skipping Stone White

Portsmouth, RI

Locally farmed and produced right in Portsmouth, RI overlooking the Sakonnet River!

Skipping Stone is a blend of 90% Cayuga and 10% Vidal Blanc. Very pale yellow tones in the glass, this blend is aromatic with a bright, crisp, floral nose — delicious and refreshing on the palate. Slightly sweet with a beautiful balance of fruit and acidity.

Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc

Santa Ynez Valley, CA

2006 was an unusually late vintage and overall cool growing season in the Santa Ynez Valley. The longer hang time allowed for deliciously ripe flavors at lower alcohols, but no doubt played havoc with winemakers’ harvest nerves! Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc was happily hand-made with attention focused on every last detail. The fruit was picked in the cool early morning hours, hand-sorted in the vineyard and whole-cluster pressed to ensure preservation of textural delicacy in the finished wine. Fermented first in stainless steel; while 1/3 is retained in stainless another 1/3 is racked to new, small oak casks, and then both components are married by the final 1/3 which is finished in neutral French oak barrels. The new oak barrels are tight-grain from Damy cooperage, selected for their very subtle contribution to aromatics and supple textural contributions to the palate. Non-malolactic. In the glass: vibrant fruit-driven aromatics – layers of peaches and pears, pineapple and grapefruit. Hints of cardamom, vanilla bean and clean acidity. The gentle oak nuances act to carry the fruit to a long textural finish!

Vina Viniterra Omnium Extra Brut Sparkling Chardonnay/Semillon

Mendoza, Argentina

Omnium was harvested in 2008 from the vineyards at Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, at 1020 meters above sea level. This area is characterized by warm days and cold nights, bringing fruit to complete maturity and excellent flavor concentration. Omnium’s vinification: musts are fermented with low sugar content to obtain low alcohol wines, and to have a margin for the second fermentation. Once Omnium’s base wine is obtained, it is put in special tanks where added yeast allows for the second fermentation. The “Chaussepied” method is used to permit small casks of wine to be controlled and managed.

Tobin James Chateau le Cacheflo Red Blend

Paso Robles, CA

Velvety blend of Syrah, Sangiovese and Barbera aged 14 months in small American and French barrels. Aromas of ripe dark fruit with hints of spice. On the palate: immediate bright cherry and raspberry flavors. Mid-palate rich, dark fruit with a slightly smoky note. Medium-bodied, incredibly smooth and crowd-pleasing.

Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles

Paso Robles, CA

The vineyards in Paso Robles are in the ideal climate and soil conditions for Rhone varietal wines. Allure de Robles is an estate grown wine that is produced in Cotes du Rhone style. This wine is primarily a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.   The clones of the grapes are predominantly from Tablas Creek Winery and Vineyard Nursery, meaning they are cuttings from both the Château Beaucastle in the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape region of France and French Entav budwood.   Allure de Robles is medium bodied with strawberry and cherry overtones from the Grenache, body from the Syrah and earthiness from the Mourvèdre.

Homefire Zinfandel

Dry Creek Valley Zin at its finest. This vineyard produces stunning, brambly, briary wild berry notes and Zinfandel of opulent, robust, claret concentration and intensity. Wonderfully bright raspberry and cherry fruit, followed by a velvety smooth dark plum and a hint of chocolate. The finish is a long lasting spicy crescendo!  Limited: only 475 cases produced.

Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine
Volume 32 Issue 11
88 POINTS

“At the very head of the good value pack, this very well made Zinfandel hits all of the right varietal marks with sweet berries to spare. It is full-bodied and supple with slight bit of back palate tannins, and masks its scant heat with plenty of fruit and stays in balance from start to finish. It is easy to taste now, but should age well for a few years, and it checks in at a noteworthy price. GOOD VALUE Very limited availability. Medium Red. Balanced, good depth, medium tannin. Beef and lamb. Drinkable now. Further bottle aging can improve this wine.”

Changala Sublime Red Blend

Paso Robles, CA

This vintage of Sublime is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Syrah. Sublime is an unfiltered wine with bold layers of smooth coffee bean, supple dark fruits and just a hint of toasted oak. Another stellar value from Paso Robles, CA!

Teatown Right Bank Blend

Napa Valley, CA

Aromas of candied fruit reminiscent of cherry cola, light oak notes, well-integrated touches of cedar, cigar box and tar. On the palate the candied fruit character follows through to cassis flavors with some spiciness, menthol – mint, herbs and underbrush. Elegant and supple with Bordeaux style fruit and structure this wine has the finesse and body to stand up to all manner of hearty and robust meals and will work particularly well with meats whether braised, roasted or grilled.

Women of the Vine Country Roads Cabernet Sauvignon

Paso Robles, CA

Deborah Brenner unites women winemakers from around the world under one brand, Women of the Vine Cellars. Women of the Vine Cellars is the first art gallery of artisan women winemakers designed to showcase their individual styles, while highlighting the nuances of each region. All wines offered are handcrafted and limited in production.

There are currently 7 award winning women winemakers from Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles making wine for Women of the Vine Cellars. Women of the Vine Cellars tells stories of women who are mothers, daughters, wives, entrepreneurs, sisters, and CEO’s, who happen to be amazing winemakers.

Country Roads Cabernet Sauvignon

Crafted by Alison Crowe. After graduation from UC Davis Alison held winemaking positions at Byington Winery and at Bonnny Doon Vineyard. She is now an independent consulting winemaker based in the Napa Valley, overseeing about 14 different vineyards. Alison is the author of “The Winemaker Answer Book” and the “Wine Wizard” for Winemaker magazine.

This is a marriage of a deep Paso Cab, with a touch of rich Monterey Cab, all rounded out with a little Malbec to create a wonderfully complex and complete Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherry, hints of blueberry and black pepper encased in subtle smokiness. Balanced finish layered with fruit and supportive oak nuances.

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Featured Armeno Roast of the Week: Fair Trade Yirgacheffe

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Armeno Coffee fans!

To launch this season of good will, we feature one of our favorite certified Fair Trade coffees, the Armeno Fair Trade Yirgacheffe.

First, a few words about Fair Trade. You see the term so often, but do you really understand what it means? Fair Trade was developed to empower farming families across Latin America, Africa, and Asia to lift themselves out of poverty.  The Fair Trade certification indicates that the product you are purchasing has met rigorous standards for:

• Fair price
• Fair labor conditions
• Direct trade
• Democratic and transparent organizations
• Community development
• Environmental sustainability

Fair Trade Certification is currently available in the U.S. for coffee, tea and herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, and vanilla.

TransFair USA, a non-profit organization, is the only independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S. Click here to learn more and visit their web site.

Fair Trade Yirgacheffe

Yirgacheffe is a truly wild coffee from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia.  It is often picked by very small landholders or in the wild and then sold through a gathering co-op. This irregular coffee is processed and dried at numerous huts and homes and may be the farmer’s only cash crop. Often it possesses a lemony-citrus aftertaste with medium body.

Armeno Coffee Roasters’ Fair Trade Yirgacheffe is a primitive coffee from the birthplace of coffee!

Fair Trade Yirgacheffe is also included in our Fair Trade Sampler Pack, pictured below, which features Fair Trade coffees from around the world and makes a great Holiday Gift  that shares your love of great coffee and support of Fair Trade principles.

Armeno Coffee Roasters Fair Trade Sampler Pack

Enjoy!

Armeno Coffee Roasters

 

Featured Armeno Roast of the Week: Papua New Guinea

Great news!  After a brief shortage, Papua New Guinea Estate Kimel Plantation coffee beans are back in stock and ready for roasting.

The Kimel Plantation is located in a cloud forest in the Western Highlands in the Wahgi Valley.  The Western Highlands area is the largest coffee producing province in Papua New Guinea, but as many of you coffee connoisseurs know, there has been a widespread shortage of coffee from this region. Happily, the roasters here at Armeno Coffee Roasters are now welcoming back one of their favorite coffee beans.

Papua New Guinea coffee: in the bag, the beans, roasted to perfection!

The Papua New Guinea coffee is full-bodied without the earthiness of some Indonesian coffees. The bean is blue-green in hue and of very uniform size.  At Armeno, we roast Papua New Guinea to a medium full city which is a light chestnut brown color and lighter than we roast other Indonesian coffees because the coffee  is so clean and well balanced.

The cup is balanced in both body and character with low acidity and rich chocolate overtones.  The smooth body shows off caramel sweetness along with creamy lemony flavors.

Armeno Coffee roaster and co-owner John Parks says that Papua New Guinea was one of the first specialty coffees he was exposed to, and recalls that he used to buy it by the five pound bag from a roaster in Washington, DC when he lived there.  He prefers a French Press or drip coffee maker for this coffee, and it remains one of his favorites.  If it’s one of yours as well, you’ll be glad to know we are fully stocked and ready to roast.

Tell us your story.  How do you enjoy Armeno’s Papua New Guinea coffee?  Become a fan and upload photos of you and your friends or family enjoying Armeno Coffee to our Facebook page.

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Enjoy!

 

Armeno Wine Tasting Event Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009

One of the difficulties with selecting the perfect wine for a Thanksgiving celebration is the varied character of the menus.  Not everyone serves turkey, and even if you do, the flavors and themes of the menu can vary widely, from the traditional stuffed and basted bird and sides to menus with distinct Southwest, Mediterranean, Italian, French, or even Eastern flair.

This Saturday’s Thanksgiving Wine Tasting Event at Armeno Coffee Roasters, 75 Otis Street in Northborough, Massachusetts, offers a sampling of wines sure to compliment your festivities, regardless of the menu.  And with prices starting around $10 per bottle, there are suitable selection for every budget.

Last weekend, we tasted and learned about wines from Oregon to California, France, Italy and even Hungary.  This Saturday, November 21, from 1 – 4pm, Armeno will feature a completely different selection of wines.  So if you enjoyed last week’s event, join us again to sample even more wines.  If you missed last week’s event, don’t miss this one.  (And don’t forget to pick up a pound of our freshly roasted Holiday Cheer Blend Coffee for a satisfying and aromatic compliment to your dessert course.)

And, like last week, all our wines are 15% off during the event.

This weekend, our features wines include:

• Mionetto Organic Prosecco
  If you prefer a sparkling beverage, this Prosecco from the Piedmont region of Italy, may be the choice for you.  Certified organic, and delivered in a 100% recyclable bottle, foil, necker and packaging, the wine comes with a story all its own.  The SFoodie blog has a fantastic description of the wine and the winery.
• 2007 Matanzas Creek Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc
  The Matanzas Creek signature style of ‘non grassy’ Sauvignon Blanc is achieved by blending Sauvignon Musque (a clonal cousin of Sauvignon Blanc) which balances the wine’s natural acidity, strengthens the mid-palate and provides a longer finish. They also ferment and age 21% of the wine in very fine grain French Oak barrels to preserve the fresh aromatic qualities of these varietals.
• 2007 Villa Antinori Toscana Bianco IGT
  This wine is a blend of 70% Trebbiano and Malvasia, 30% Chardonnay toscano, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio. Villa Antinori Bianco was first released in the 1931 vintage by Niccolò Antinori; since then the label has practically remained the same. In the 1980s a small percentage of Chardonnay was added, for greater structure. It is pale straw-yellow in color with intense aromas of white flowers on the nose and a fresh, soft and nicely lingering palate.
• 2008 Cono Sur Viognier from Chile
  Dressed in the beautiful medium golden color characteristic of this variety. Sweet notes of apricots, citrics and peaches anticipate final hints of azahar flower notes. Fresh and lively in mouth, this Viognier is concentrated, tasty, full and savory. A wine of great character, density and structure, with a good acidity level and great persistence. For an interesting description of the wine and the region, visit Rhone Around the World blog.
• 2007 Chateau Saint Michelle Indian Wells Riesling
  A ripe, tropical style of Riesling, which comes from warmer sites in Washington’s Columbia Valley. This wine shows Riesling’s ripe and racy side with a great combination of warmer rich tropical fruit-driven aromas with a hint of minerality. The wine is rich and unctuous, while maintaining a fresh, elegant style that is typical of Washington State Riesling.
• 2008 Cono Sur Pinot Noir
  Fresh, elegant and aromatically intense, this wine is everything a good Pinot Noir should be. Dressed in a beautiful, bright ruby red colour, it comes from the Colchagua Valley. Fruit notes of cherry, ripe strawberry, cherry and raspberry combine with hints of chocolate and coffee. In mouth it’s silky, full, structured, and persistent, with fruity notes and soft tannins.
• 2006 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
  The most complex and complete of the 2006 Freemans, this is fragrant, with wilted rose petal, blackberry and wild berry and hints of loamy earth. Both supple and firm on the finish. Drink now through 2014. 1,680 cases made.
• 2007 Casello Monaci Salice Salentino Liante
  A ripe, darkly concentrated blend of negroamaro (80%) and malvasia nera (20%). Possesses an intriguing array of dark red fruit, sweet herbs and licorice in a round, expansive style. Pretty notes of tobacco linger on the long finish.
• 2006 Chateau Saint Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon
  The purple-colored 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Indian Wells (with 10% Syrah included) was sourced from the Wahluke Slope and Indian Wells Vineyard and aged for 18-20 months in predominantly new French and American oak. The nose reveals smoke, spice box, violets, black cherry, and black currant. This leads to a dense, sweet, layered Cabernet with enough fine-grained tannin to evolve for another 2-3 years. It will offer prime drinking from 2011 to 2018.
• 2007 Murphy-Goode Liar’s Dice Zinfandel
  The 2007 vintage is a combination of both Dry Creek and Alexander Valley fruit. The Dry Creek grapes contribute black raspberry and currants. The Alexander Valley fruit imparts rich, fruit flavors of black cherry and blackberry jam. Soft tannins perfectly balance the sweetness of the fruit. They blend 4% Carignan to add balance and structure to this well rounded Zinfandel.

Armeno Coffee Roasters

Enjoy!

 

Armeno Wine Tasting Event Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009

With the holiday season upon us, there are endless opportunities to fret about the perfect wine for dinner parties, host and hostess gifts, and presents for family, friends and co-workers.    Just as important are opportunities to sample the wide variety of interesting wines that will be shared at holiday events.  Armeno Coffee Roasters will help with both – hosting a series of 5 Saturday afternoon wine tasting events to help you select and sample a wide variety of our favorite finds from around the world.  Each wine tasting event will feature a different selection of wines.

Plus, all our wines are 15% off on the day of the tasting!

We invite you to share a portion of your Saturday afternoon with us, amidst the rich history of our 18^th century grist mill at 75 Otis Street in Northborough, and experience the aromas and flavors we have selected to share with you.

This Saturday, November 14, from 1 – 4pm, Armeno Coffee Roasters will sample the following:

• 2005 Oremus, Late Harvest, Tokaji
  Oremus is responsible for some of the sleekest and most elegant and modern new-wave Tokajis to come from this historic Hungarian region. This is a glorious confection of finely oaked, rich marmaladey intensity with undertones of dried apricot, honey and raisin, all beautifully balanced by the typical acidity of the furmint grape, which is very much the hallmark of the style.
• 2007 Penalolen Sauvignon Blanc
  Penalolen’s Sauvignon Blanc comes from Chile’s prestigious cool climate appellation, the Limari Valley. With this wine, Penalolen demonstrates how impressive Sauvignon Blanc can be when grown in the right place and guided by a talented winemaker. The use of pure, ripe fruit gives this wine a powerfully rich and complex flavor free from oak or residual sugar. The aromas of mandarin orange and fresh cut flowers, combined with good acidity, make this Sauvignon Blanc a classic partner for food.
• 2008 Valdinera Favorita, Langhe
  Located in the heart of Piedmont near the city of Alba, the Valdinera estate has been farmed by the Careglio family for four generations.  At present, it consists of about 41 acres of which 22 are vineyards. Currently, “Beppe” Careglio grows Barbera, Favorita, Nebbiolo and Arneis.  Long the “favorite” white of Italy’s northwest Piedmont region, Favorita is said to have originated in Spain. Centuries ago, traders brought it to the nearby coastal areas of Liguria, Tuscany and Sardinia which all call it Vermentino today.  Crisp and refreshing, this virtually sings of peaches, honeysuckle and — most of all– grapefruit.
• 2008 Junehog White Blend, Oregon
  The Junehog was a legendary Columbia River salmon that disappeared from the face of the earth soon after the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam in 1941.  As a tribute, Ransom has handcrafted a provocatively delicious aromatic, food-friendly white wine.  Portions of the profits from this wine will be donated to wild salmon recovery efforts and education.  The wine features aromas of melon, spice, citrus and limestone.  The palate is rich with concentrated fruit from musk melon to meyer lemon and guava.  The vintage offered excellent acidity and balance which presents itself in a long and persistent finish that ends on slate and bears lime.
• 2006 Clos Mogador Priorat
  Located in Gratallops, in the heart of the Priorat hills, Rene Barbier, one of the founders of the Priorat revolution, creates his intensely concentrated wine from a blendclos mogador label of 40% Garnacha (from 80 year old vines), 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 5% Pinot Noir, Mourvedre and Merlot. This distinctive blend balances the power and massive structure typical of Priorat with an elegance and finesse that belies its aging potential. While the Clos Mogador will continue to improve for 10 years or more, it is delicious now. Vintage after vintage, this wine has consistently achieved the region’s highest expression (and scores). Super-concentrated, sweetly-fruited, and complex, this is a tour de force of a wine.
• 2005 Noceto Michelotti Montecanta Barbera
  Smooth, dry and full bodied this wine has been passionately created from the finest hand harvested Barbera grapes.  It has an intense and deep ruby violet red colour. The bouquet is aromatic with black cherries, plums and vanilla oak. On the palate it is fresh, fruity and enjoyable with raspberries and plums, balanced acidity, ripe tannins and an elegant long finish.
• 2007 Noceto Michelotti Strada del Sole Monferrato Rosso
  From Monferrato, this wine is a blend of four varietals.  The nose is crushed plum and black cherry with touches of rose and violet.  On the palate the Barbera highlights the black fruits, and the Nebbiolo provides some tannin and floral complexity, while the Pinot adds and uplifting tang and the Merlot adds hints of plum.
• 2007 Jigsaw Pinot Noir, Oregon
  A tasty Oregon Pinot Noir.  Bright ripe red fruits of cherries, strawberries and that “oh so Oregon” nose of earth, mushrooms and smoke.
• 2006 Z-52 Zinfandel, Lodi
  Located in the Central Valley region of California, Lodi is home to some of the oldest Zinfandel plantings in the state.  The region’s sandy clay loam soils, warm days and cool evening breezes contribute to soft, approachable Zinfandels with rich, lush fruit character.  Z-52 Lodi Zinfandel features rich, lush fruit with aromas of raspberry and dried plum and trademark black pepper spice notes.
• 2007 Campellares Rioja
  International Wine Review, Issue 13, August ‘08 reviewed this wine: “This is an uncomplicated, easy drinking 100% Tempranillo that offers pleasant plum and black fruit aromas on the nose and ripe fruit flavors on the palate. Well put together with round tannins on the finish.”

Enjoy!