Raleigh Wine News 3/6/10 Edition

by raleigh, March 6, 2010 | Permalink

G’day mates! Seems we’re all getting a little infected with a down under inflection and that can only mean one thing - our Australian Wine Promotion is in full stride! Come and check out the great deals on delicious Aussie wines including:

d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz/Grenache: Spicy, juicy, ripe, and full-flavored are just a few ways to describe this wine. A terrific blend in the fashion of France’s Southern Rhone, this wine is a great value at $14.99 (save $4).

Angove Nine Vines Shiraz/Viognier: Mixing the two grapes that contribute to the success found in France’s Hermitage and Cote Rotie regions, this wine displays spicy, peppery red fruits by way of Shiraz and apricot notes from the Viognier. A consistent Whole Foods Raleigh favorite for only $11.99 (save $2).

Shoofly Buzz Cut White: A wildly aromatic blend fusing Riesling, Viognier, Verdelho, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. This is ideal for porch sipping as the weather takes a turn towards the warm. $9.99 (save $3).

St Hallet Gamekeeper’s Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon: A big and fruity wine the likes of which the Barossa Valley is well-known for. Jammy plum and black current notes make this is great pizza wine and, at just $11.99, you can afford a few extra toppings! (save: $2).

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Riesling: Australia has been quickly gaining a reputation as a producer of fine Rieslings and this is a great example why. Riesling’s natural acidity and hints of sweetness make it a great pairing with spicy Asian dishes. $12.99.

Spring Seed four O’Clock Chardonnay: Tired of overblown, oaky Chardonnays? Spring Seed Wine Co. have made the solution. A lean, focused Chardonnay, this is a great warm weather bottle. Enjoy this little bouquet of nectarine, pink grapefruit, and lime for only $14.99 (save $3).

Cooralook Pinot Noir: An Australian Pinot Noir? Who would have thought? Proving that the Land of Oz can create more than just big, jammy reds, this Pinot has delicate flavors of cherry, dark chocolate, and cranberry finishing off with juicy acidity. And, at $14.99, it’s pretty darn cheap for a Pinot! (save $2).

Big Woop Red Wine: We’ve been big fans of the Woop Woop label for some time now so we’re very excited about this big red - and, by big, we mean a whole liter! Yes, this is a big wine for a big thirst. Bold and spicy, this is the wine to take to your next BBQ - and you can be sure that there will be plenty to share with friends. Again, that’s a whole liter for just $14.99 (save $2).

Penley Estate Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon: An impeccable balance of fruit and gently smoky oak, ripeness, and elegance. This is serious Cab for serious wine drinkers. $17.99 (save $4).

Hope Estate Verdelho: Made from 100% estate grown grapes, this peachy, unoaked white is brimming with aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom. A very pretty wine for Spring - great for brunch and pool parties alike. $12.99 (save $2).

Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris: This white engages with lime leaf, honeydew, and tart apple aromas that end coolly with cashew notes and a bone dry finish. No, this isn’t from France or Oregon - this is Australian Pinot Gris at its finest. $16.99 (save $5).

Our demo team will be smpling these wines on a (nearly) daily basis so stop in find out more about these amazing wines from down under!

Elizabeth Eats! 3.6.10

by raleigh, March 6, 2010 | Permalink

Dessert!

Oh, delicious favorite thing-on-a-plate. I am a dessert hound. I will eat just about anything sweet, fruity, chocolate-covered, maple-glazed, caramel-drizzled, pastry-wrapped, or cream-filled. It’s a weakness, but a happy one. So when I cut out white flour, refined sweeteners, most oils, eggs, and dairy — let’s just say my options went from a zillion to nearly zilch. Creativity (and some great cookbooks) to the rescue!

Some delicious ideas:

Shredded coconut (unsulphured), dates, pecans, and cocoa powder (and a tiny smidge of salt). Food process until jammy, refrigerate, and eat with a spoon. Tastes exactly like German Chocolate Cake!

Frozen banana, dates, vanilla extract, and ice. Blend until smooth — ice creamy and sweet!

Half grapefruit drizzled with honey - pop in the freezer for a few hours, then enjoy the sorbet-like sections.

Ripe persimmons, peeleed and blended with a touch of maple syrup - orange custardy goodness.

Enjoy — and please send me YOUR favorite healthy dessert delights!

Happy eating,

Elizabeth

Raleigh Wine News 2/27/2010 Edition

by raleigh, February 27, 2010 | Permalink

Whew… what a busy week! The world of wine never slows down, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s always something new and interesting on the horizon and this week is no exception. There are new wines and new promotions sure to engage even the most cynical of wine geeks.

Australian Wine Promotion

As mentioned last week, we’re bringing in lots of quality juice from Australia. A few of the wines have trickled in including:

Big Woop Australian Red: We have long had great success with Woop Woop Shiraz (yes, it’s named for an actual place) and now we are happy to offer their delicious little blend - in a big bottle! A whole liter of the juicy stuff (that’s like getting a third of a bottle for free!) for a mere $14.99 (save $2).

St. Hallet Gamekeepers Shiraz: From Barossa, which is renowned for producing some of the world’s best Shiraz, this is a full-bodied wine with a smooth, gentle texture. Hard to beat at $11.99 (save $2).

Penley Estate “the Pheonix” Cabernet Sauvignon: While certainly known for big, jammy wines, Australia has long been creating some truly stellar Cabs. This fantastic example exudes elegant Cabernet fruit with hints of cigar box and cedar spice. Enjoy at your next special occasion or find a place for it in your cellar - it’ll age nicely for years to come. All this for $17.99 (save: $4).

The remaining wines from Australia will be available in on March 3rd.

Top shelf Treasure of the Week

Owen Roe Sinister Hand 2008: I initially spotted this bottle at a funky little wine shop in New York and, just from look at the label (a drawing of a metallic glove with blood dripping from the inside), I just knew I had to try it out. Thankfully, it didn’t taste like metal-laced blood. Quite the contrary, it was delicious! So we were beyond elated when our friends at Grapevine Distributors picked up the Owen Roe label for North Carolina. I’ve tried most of their wines and can honestly say that there’s not a bad one in the bunch. The Sinister Hand is no exception. The classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre is given the Owen Roe treatment and the results bear out another winner. Smooth in texture, big in fruit, and yet there’s enough restraint to make it a great food pairing. A great wine and a winery worth keeping an eye on. A steal at $25.99

That does it for this week. Check back next week and every week for more news from the world of Whole Foods wine!

Elizabeth Eats! 2.23.10

by raleigh, February 23, 2010 | Permalink

Hi folks,

A quick post today… (not about desserts as promised, but just as sweet). It’s my last week on the Engine 2 Diet (www.engine2diet.com) and I thought I’d round up the top five things I learned this month. Drumroll, please…

1.) Eating copious amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables is key to fantastic energy, clear skin, calmer nerves, better sleep, and weight loss. Period. 

2.) Recipe variety and a sense of humor in the kitchen are key to remaining on track with healthy eating.

3.) Food tastes better when it’s fresh and uncomplicated — the less you do to it, the more delicious it is (i.e. you truly don’t need oil or butter to make a mean stir-fry or curry).

4.) Planning your meals and cooking for yourself is the best gift you can give your wallet and your waistline.

5.) There is a wide world of whole grains out there. Experiment and be delighted.

And one more, for the (vegan) icing on the (whole grain) cake:

This is the only body you get, and it deserves nothing less than the highest-quality ingredients and lovingly-prepared, wholesome food.

Thanks for sharing the E2 journey with me. Next week we’ll take a peek at desserts. Really. 

Happy eating!

-Elizabeth

Raleigh Wine News 2/20/10 Edition

by raleigh, February 20, 2010 | Permalink

Finally, some warm-ish weather! If you’ve been subsisting on big, burly reds this change in temperature might signify a chance to throw some whites into your routine (not that we have anything against big reds, mind you). Whatever your choice, we have lots of wine to meet your needs.

Upcoming Deal of the Week

At Whole Foods we take Organic Wines seriously so we are happy to partner with wineries who feel the same. For years, the Bonterra line has represented some of the highest quality Organic wines coming out of California. This coming weekend - February 26th, 27th, and 28th - we will be offering Bonterra’s new Red and White blends for the amazingly low price of $7.69 a bottle! They normally go for $10.99 a piece so be sure and stop in and stock up!

Top Shelf Treasure of the Week

We were blown away when we tasted Three Saints Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. A luscious, juicy, bold Cab from the warm climes of the Santa Ynez Valley. The Three Saints is a second label to the Dierberg Family, who know a little something about making wonderful wines. And we are beyond happy to offer this stellar selection for just $22.99 (save $5)

Upcoming Promotion of the Week

If you’ve spent time in the Whole Foods wine department, you know that we like to educate as well as sell wine. One of the ways we can do this is by offering great promotions from specific winegrowing regions. Coming in early March, keep your eyes peeled for our promotion focusing on the wines from Australia. We’ll have offerings from a number of great producers including d’Arenberg, Innocent Bystander, Hope, Angove, Shoofly, and St Hallet. We will be covering the major varietals such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling in addition to some grapes that are just getting a foothold in the country (Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir). We hope this will give our customers a chance to explore the many facets of down under winemaking.

Elizabeth Eats! 2.17.10

by raleigh, February 17, 2010 | Permalink

Howdy folks,

First off, thanks to my mom for the blog comments. Of course, I’d love to hear from the readers out there who aren’t my mom, too.

Let’s talk about lemons: they make everything better, and I mean it. I start each day with half a lemon squeezed into room-temp water (try it!) and it does wonders for appetite and digestion first thing. The French call it a citron presse, and it really does balance things out for your stomach. While lemons may seem hyper-acidic, they actually help alkalize your body (like all fruits and vegetables), which can help with inflammation and general nutritive health. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist, but that lemon water tip is one of the best I’ve come across in various books, and the detox benefits are well worth giving it a shot. And according to Ani Phyo (raw food chef-goddess), you can save those spent lemon halves and clean your tub out with ‘em. Great eco tip!

Day 17 of the Engine Two Diet and I feel better than ever. Check out www.engine2diet.com for info about this plant-based, low-fat, high-fiber wonder of a diet. Easy changes, huge portions, tremendous energy, and steady results! I’ve lost over five pounds, but more importantly, I’ve cut the greasy processed stuff and started moving more. I find myself craving greens and beans, and have nailed down the best oatmeal in town (the secret: steel cut, and lots of banana slices). I’ve made friends with quinoa and rye berries (toss with sunflower seeds, curry powder, raisins, and green onion!), and am working my way slowly up to green cabbage — got any good recipes?

Tune in next week when we hit my favorite topic: dessert.

Happy eating,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Eats! 2/10/10

by raleigh, February 10, 2010 | Permalink

Well, over a week has passed since my last post, and while I had hoped to post more often, it seems I’m pretty busy … eating. Seriously (happily!). That’s all I do on the Engine 2 “diet.” I probably eat six times a day, more if I can squeeze it. Sure, I love to eat, but this isn’t your typical craving-something-salty-with-reruns eating. I’m having a great time planning meals for the day, the week — it’s like NUTRITION ARCHITECTURE. A typical day in my eating life looks like this:

Breakfast: fruit smoothie with banana, pear, kiwi, spinach, frozen berries, lemon juice, water, ice.

Two/three hours later: bowl of oatmeal/cooked wheatberries with raisins, cinnamon, stevia

Lunch: giant salad with romaine, shredded kale, sugar snap peas, bell pepper, cucumber, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, Braggs & apple cider vinegar dressing (don’t forget the nutritional yeast!). Soup or side of dinner leftovers.

Two/three hours later: Wasa flatbread with a smidge of almond butter, dried figs.

Dinner: quinoa or rice, beans, any kind of cooked vegetable I can get my hands on, all tossed together in a hot wok and served steaming with a squirt of hot sauce. Mounded plate of spicy goodness! Served with side of fresh green salad.

And if I’m hungry later… air popped popcorn sprinkled with paprika (don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it).

Look crazy to you? I’ve never been happier in the kitchen. Since it’s low-fat, high-nutrition, all that food I eat is ready to be used throughout the day for quick carb-lovin’ energy. I’ve even lost a few pounds. There’s a whole exercise component to the diet that I’ve pretty much turned a blind eye to (sorry, Rip). But I’m drinking lots of water and have cut my caffeine intake to nearly nothing.

Tune in next week where we’ll talk about favorite substitutes, low-fat cooking, and the amazing power of lemons. (Yes, lemons.)

Happy munching,

Elizabeth

Raleigh Wine News 2/6/10 Edition

by raleigh, February 6, 2010 | Permalink

Looks like we narrowly missed another bout with snow (fingers crossed!). If you’re like me, your wine stash can’t take many more days of being shut in before it’s depleted. Time to stock up and, with Valentines day just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about that special bottle that will make the evening complete. Stop by the department and we’ll be happy to pick out a terrific wine for whatever your budget. In the meantime, let’s get caught up on allof the happenings in the Raleigh wine department.

Organic Highlight of the Week

We have always had a great relationship with the Bonterra label and they have consistently put out great wines made with organically-grown grapes. So we are beyond pleased to be the first to offer their new Red and White blends, two wines that offer great quality at a great value. The Bonterra Red Table Wine gives off a mouthful of red berries, plum, spice, and hints of toasty oak and vanilla. The Bonterra White Table Wine comes in a bright, fruit-forward style with flavors of white fruits and a crisp finish. Both are exceptional at only $10.99 per bottle.

Value Wine of the Week

When we were offered a special deal on Castano Monastrell, we simply couldn’t pass it up. Fans of this little monster will be overjoyed to know that it has once again returned at the stellar price of just $5.99. As you might know, Monastrell is what the Spanish call Mourvedre so, if you like a deep, earthy, heady red wine, look no further. This has serious body and a flavor that belies its price tag. A great deal that only comes around a few times a year, be sure and stock up before it’s gone!

Chocolate and Wine Pairing Class

Join us for for an evening of chocolate and wine. At 7 pm on Tuesday Feb. 9th members of the Whole Foods Specialty Department will be teaching a class in the Whole Foods Lifestyle Center showing how you can pair a variety of chocolates with various wines. Call the customer service desk for price and availability.

That’s all of the news for this week, but check back regularly to find out what’s happening with Whole Foods and wine.

Elizabeth Eats! 2.2.10

by raleigh, February 2, 2010 | Permalink

Hi folks,

Elizabeth here, with my new (for now!) blog about my favorite pastime. Today is my SECOND DAY on the Engine 2 Diet. I’ll be doing the E2 for the whole month of February (28 days, 28 day kick-off plan - convenient, no?). Rip Esselstyn, a former Ironman champ-turned-Austin, TX firefighter developed the plan for his high-cholesterol buddies at Station 2. The test-run results were astounding (truly - read the book!) and the plan is simple: focus on a plant-based, whole foods / unrefined diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and drop the meat, dairy, eggs, and oil. Oh yes, and keep a food diary.

So far it’s been an adventure in colorful eating, full bellies, and some creative substitutes. Example: breakfast this morning was a huge fruit salad with pear, kiwi, orange, and banana, sprinkled with Chines 5-spice powder. Delicious. Of course, two hours later I was pretty hungry, so I dove into a green salad (again, huge) with spinach, romaine, yellow bell pepper, sugar snap peas, and cukes, topped with a pretty funky homemade dressing — apple cider vinegar, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (run to the store and try this is you never have!), a couple walnuts, and some Italian dried hebs, all whirled around in the blender. So far so good! Dinner last night was a 10″ whole wheat pizza crust topped with light tomato sauce and roasted veggies and olives. Snacks are dried fruit, whole grain toast with almond butter, veggie sticks dipped in hummus (skip the heavy tahini load and make your own, or check out Esselstyn’s recipes in his book — highly recommended!), lettuce-bean-rice-tomato-roll-ups (okay, more like a meal…) - possibilities are pretty endless if you think outside the soy dog.

By now it should be pretty clear that I love food and eating! I’m excited about this E2 plan - my energy has already increased. Planning your meals is pretty important here, but the rewards — more energy, delicious variety, lots of great vitamins and minerals — are worth it. For more information, check out http://www.theengine2diet.com/.

Tune in next time for more veggie adventures, and please share recipes and ideas!

See you in the produce department,

Elizabeth

Raleigh Wine News 1/30/10 Edition

by raleigh, January 30, 2010 | Permalink

From the frozen confines of Whole Foods Market (seriously, it’s cold in here!) comes another edition of the Raleigh Wine Blog! If you’ve been keeping up with us lately, you would have noticed that we missed a week, but we’re back and full of news for all of you wine lovers.

New Items

We’ve brought in a slew of new and interesting wines in the last two weeks. Here’s a peek at some of our favorites:

Durigutti Mendoza Malbec 2007 - a well-structured version with lots of blackberry, dark chocolate, and espresso flavors. Malbec has tons of momentum right now and wines like this are the reason why. ($16.99, on sale for $15.99 starting 2/3)

Acrobat Pinot Gris 2008 - from the makers of King Estate - and you know they know a little something about making a good Pinot Gris - comes this tasty sipper. Delicate and juicy with just enough acidity to give it zing, this is a great little value. In fact, Wine Spectator calls it a Best Value and awarded it 89 points. (currently on sale for $12.99)

Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir 2007 - I tried this out at Ponzi’s tasting room at thought it better than their higher end Willamette designation. A great Pinot in the signature Oregon style from one of the more esteemed producers. ($26.99)

Orphelin Red Blend 2005 - An interesting blend from Chateau Ste Michelle. This is one of those kitchen sink blends that somehow pulls it off by starting with the main Southern Rhone grapes (Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Grenache) and then throws in a handful of others for color and texture. The Syrah really shines with some really juicy flavors. ($15.99, on sale for $11.99 starting 2/3)

St Francis Sonoma Red - Another blend, this time with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel. An easy drinker with cherry, bittersweet chocolate, and spice falvors. ($19.99, on sale for $12.99 starting 2/3)

Abbot’s Table Red Blend 2008 - Owen Roe Winery is really making a name for itself and this is their signature table wine. Immensely popular in the Northwest, this is just making its way to our fair state. Velvety, lush, generous, and rich are just a few words that could be used to describe this, but I prefer the succinctness of “deliciosus!” ($28.99)

Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah 2007 - I’m a fiend for a good Syrah so I picked up a bottle of this at the winery. Now my wife is insisting that I buy up Whole Foods’ allocation, but I’m going to leave a few bottles for the loyal customers. This is by far one of the best Syrahs I’ve had in a long, long time. Already sold out at the winery so don’t miss your chance to pick up a bottle (or five). 92 points in Wine Spectator! ($29.99)

Top shelf Treasure of the Week

Chehalem 3 Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007 - Do you like quality Oregon Pinots? Do you like it when they are $9 off the asking price? Then you will love the Chehalem 3 Vineyards Pinot Noir! A velvety, smooth Pinot from an up and coming producer. Firm berry and cherry flavors flesh out a minerally underpining with good grip and bright acidity. (on sale for $26.99 - normally $35.99)

That’s all for this week. Try and stay out of the cold, but, if you have to venture out, warm yourself up with a glass of wine!