Summer of Riesling

This summer we are proud to be a part of a great movement called 'The Summer of Riesling.'  We will be featuring Rieslings from all over the world during the summer months.  Each will have a different texture, style, flavor, and ripeness.  Paul Grieco, of Hearth and Terroir restaurants in New York City, started this a number of years ago to get more people to sample and fall in love with what he dubs 'The Mother of All Grapes.' 

 

And we agree with him!

 

Riesling is one of the most versatile and enjoyable wines that anyone can buy.  It will last longer than the most touted Cabernet Sauvignon and have more complexity than the greatest of Chardonnays.  Riesling pairs perfectly with Asian style fare, salads, fruits of all kinds, and is so perfect by itself. 

 

A gentleman by the name of Terry Theise has a portfolio of some of the greatest Rieslings in the world.  We have purchased many wines from this portfolio to offer to you not only on our wine list, but as the wines we will be featuring by the glass this summer.  His 'Manifesto' is one of the reasons why I personally fell in love with Riesling, and is copied below...

 

Theise Manifesto

Beauty is more important than impact. //

Harmony is more important than intensity. //

The whole of any wine must always be more than the sum of its parts. //

Distinctiveness is more important than conventional prettiness. //

Soul is more important than anything, and soul is expressed as a trinity of family, soil and artisanality. //

Lots of wines, many of them good wines, let you taste the noise. But only the best let you taste the silence.//

 

Though it can be profound, there is a lot of truth in those words.  So in the next few weeks, come down to Harry's and enjoy some of the greatest Riesling available today!

 

To learn more about this amazing grape and the program we have just become a part of, check out the following websites:

 

www.drinkriesling.com

www.summerofriesling.com

www.skurnikwines.com and follow the Terry Theise link.

 

 

 

Winery Profile: Peay Vineyards

Peay is definitely in our Top 3 favorite wineries list.  For the past 6 years, we have done our absolute best to make sure that their wine is made available to all of our customers.  From beautiful and lush Chardonnay, the most memorable Pinot Noir, and Syrah's that give you goosebumps, their wines are some the best California has to offer. 

 

Vanessa Wong is the winemaker and got dirt under her fingernails in such esteemed places as Peter Michael Winery, Domaine Jean Gros, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, and Hirsch!  Nick Peay, husband to Vanessa, is a UC-Davis grad and was a winemaker for numerous years in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Nick is the vineyard manager working with a small crew of only 8 employees.  Andy Peay graduated from Dartmouth College and also UC-Berkeley with his MBA, and now runs the business and is the sales manager.  He has joined us at the restaurant a few different times.

 

We are currently offering the 2010 Peay Vineyards 'Scallop Shelf' Pinot Noir as well as the 2009 Peay Vineyards Estate Chardonnay. 

 

Visit www.peayvineyards.com for more tasting notes, purchase information, and history.

Congratulations Kansas State Graduates!

First of all, we would like to congratulate all of this year's graduates of Kansas State University! 

 

We would like to send out an extra special Congratulations! to the employees of Harry's who just graduated as well!

 

 

John Martin - Information and Technology Program from Manhattan Area Technical College.  John was also the only Honors recipient in his major.

 

Brandi Kelly - Bachelor's of Science in Interior Design from Kansas State University.

 

Nicole Cart - General Business Management and Operations and Supply Chain Management from Kansas State University.

 

Natalie Caldarera - Business Management and Marketing from Kansas State University.

 

Lindsey Johnson - Hotel and Restaurant Management with a minor in Business from Kansas State University.

 

 

Congratulations to all of our recent graduates!  We wish you the best of luck and success!

This Weekend's Wine Feature

Têtes à Claques

Sparkling Rosé
Loire Valley, France

Tête à Claques, in a literal sense, means ‘a head to slap.’ 

This is a fun wine made of 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Chenin Blanc, and 10% Chardonnay.  It is made in the ancestral method, meaning that the bubbles form naturally in the bottle because they bottle the wine before the fermentation is finished.

Invigorated with fresh strawberry and raspberry flavor, this wine has a touch of sweetness, and a lot of flavor.  The Cabernet Franc lingers with just a pinch of spice. 

Pair this wine with prosciutto, grilled fish with balsamic sauce, and barbeque.

All grapes used for this wine are biodynamically farmed and are fully organic.

This might be the last time you get to try this wine in Kansas, as it is no longer being imported!

Revelry Chardonnay

Revelry Chardonnay
Columbia Valley, Washington
2008

Jared Burns, owner and winemaker, was just in our restaurant this past Wednesday.  We were able to try some of his new stuff and also were given the ability to purchase an older vintage of his Chardonnay.  Jared’s wines are fast becoming the stars of the Washington wine industry.  His whole mantra is giving us amazing wines at amazing values, and he definitely succeeds. 

Tasting Notes:

Transparent pale gold. A light scent of pears appeals, with a back note of very subtle vanilla. Pears and white fruit on the palate, seems a bit soft on the first sip, but zippy acidity quickly segues in to provide a sturdy structure. Flavors remain consistent into a long, snappy lemon-zest finish.

Food Pairing:

The wine's light, fresh fruit and snappy acidity go with fish and seafood, especially snapper, corvina, and barramundi.

White Zinfandel

White Zinfandel

Monday, April 22nd marked a historic day (of sorts) for Harry’s.

It was the first day in almost 23 years that we didn’t offer White Zinfandel as a part of our wine list.  See the attached picture of the last three bottles of White Zin left in-house at Harry’s.  When I started at Harry’s in 2006 the restaurant was plowing through upwards to two cases of the sweet pink per week.  His whole mantra is giving us amazing wines at amazing values, and he definitely succeeds. 

Fast forward to today and we were averaging one case every 6 weeks.  What changed?  I am not sure I can answer that questions in total; however, I have my opinions.  I took some time to research white zinfandel and here is what I found: 

• Sutter Home released the first White Zinfandel in 1975- Bob Trinchero    was the wine maker.
• The wine happened my mistake. Around 1000 gallons of Red Zinfandel    experienced a stuck ferminatation and refused to ferment to dryness.
• According to FSR Magazine- 17 million cases of the wine was produced in    2010.
• Red Lobster was the first main stream restaurant to place Sutter Home    White Zinfandel on it’s wine menu 1985, Olive Garden soon followed    suit.  

I guess at the end of the day, White Zin has its place in the wine world. Each one of us has a history with the “sugar water” whether we care to admit it or not.  White Zinfandel has been responsible for ushering in a new generation of wine drinkers when wine was not popular.  Maybe someday White Zinfandel will show again on our list, but for now those three bottles have been stored away

Bourbon Bash '13

Bourbon Bash ‘13

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday for Bourbon Bash!  (Hopefully the first of many)  By taking a look at what we have leftover, Breckenridge was a hit as was Masterson’s Rye. 

If anyone has pictures-please send them to us!  Evan.grier@harrysmanhattan.com or ian.hulon@harrysmanhattan.com

Jared Burns- Revelry

Revelry
Columbia Valley, Washington

Jared Burns(picture above), owner and winemaker, was just in our restaurant this past Wednesday.  He started Revelry when he was 24 years old and 2006 was his first bottling.  Revelry was the 192 registered winery in Washington with annual production at about 15,000 cases.  He told us when visiting that there are now over 750 wineries in Washington.  Ian and I were able to try some of his new stuff and also have the ability to purchase an older vintage of his Chardonnay  We will also have some limited availability of his new Syrah (151 cases total and 4 cases made it to Kansas) and Red Mountain Cabernet (220 cases and 4 cases in Kansas) in a couple of weeks that WON’T be listed on the wine list.  Let us know if you are interested in a bottle- we selfishly have it hidden away!

Jared’s wines are fast becoming the stars of the Washington wine industry.  His whole mantra is giving us amazing wines at amazing values, and he definitely succeeds.  We currently have Revelry Merlot available by-the-glass and their Chardonnay will be on feature early next week. 

www.revelryvintners.com

Catherine & Pierre Breton

Catherine & Pierre Breton
'Trinch'
Cabernet Franc
Loire Valley, France
2011

This family has been around for a very long time.   Many people in the Loire Valley call Cabernet Franc the ‘Breton’ grape, namely for this family who have been growing it for centuries.  This is from their younger (30+years!!!!) vines.  Some of the oldest vines in Napa Valley are barely 30 years old…

Trinch is a German word that we would replace with the word Cheers! It was used as a signifier by the poet Rabelais – as a sort of pointer for the divinity in humanity, in the gathering of people and the drinking of wine.

Tasting Notes:

Aroma – Mint, Eucalyptus, soft cherry, tobacco

Flavor – a slight earthiness, violets, beautiful lingering minerality

Pair this wine with…

Flat Iron

Meatloaf

Beef Tips

People who enjoy…

Lighter Cab Sauv’s

Malbec

Earthy French wine