Creative Minds Summit is coming

Corrieri's Formaggeria

1110 Caruthers Avenue
Nashville Tennessee 37204
USA 615-385-9272

Price: No admission fee
6:00pm

The Creative Minds Summit is a place where idea driven, creative entrepreneurs can meet, socialize and get to know each other while enjoying the flavor of a local business. Come join us and see who you might meet and work with in the future. Be sure to bring some business cards and a creative spirit.

Please RSVP to let us know if you will be attending. We need to know how much space is needed. Thanks and see you all there.

Nashville's best specialty food shop - Corrieri's

Corrieri's is a great place to stop in for a variety of cheeses from across the USA and Europe. The staff is very knowledgable and happy to share all they know with you and they'll also let you sample the cheeses so you know what you like and dislike. Have you ever tried a variety of blue cheeses to see how they compare? Well, you can at Corrieri's and they often have cheeses that are delicious AND have fun names, like the Drunken Cow or the Drunken Goat

Read the entire article at http://www.webbspunideas.com/news.html

Good Life Aficionado - Mambu, Corrieri's and wines

Good Life Aficionado - part one; Mambu

Good Life Aficionado - part two; strawberry wine

Good Life Aficionado - part three; Vinea

Free pinot noir wine tasting today at Corrieri's

From 2pm until 5pm at Corrieri's Formaggeria (1100 Caruthers Avenue, behind Vinea) to sample pinot noirs from California, New Zealand, Argentina, and Oregon.
And now a little about the wines.

Cycles Gladiator (California) - $13.99
A versatile wine: Try it paired with grilled fish with risotto, or enjoy with Chinese takeout such as egg rolls with plum sauce or Kung Pao Chicken.

Alfredo Rocca Mendoza (Argentina) - $13.99
An understated pinot noir with a bright garnet color. Wonderful aromas of black cherry, vanilla and roasted aromas that will stimulate your appetite! A nice complexity without overwhelming senses of oak.

Heron (California) - $15.99
Dark, rich and smooth, this pinot noir has it all. Made in California from French-sourced grapes, the wine shows dark red fruit with red and black licorice hints, plus some vanilla from barrel aging.

Lobster Key Marlborough (New Zealand) - $20.99
Dry with medium body, bright acidity and soft tannins, this Kiwi red offers flavors of cherries, black raspberries, vanilla, spice and smoky oak. Enjoy it with roast pork, lamb, grilled salmon and cheese.

Spindrift Willamette (Oregon) - $21.99
There's plenty of ripe fruit here, and it is not a light-weight at all. Balanced by fresh, lively acidity, with very little wood and soft tannins. This wine very drinkable now and it will continue to cellar for years to come.

Saturday, January 17 at Corrieri's Formaggeria
2 - 5pm
1100 Caruthers Avenue (behind Vinea)

Free wine tasting at Corrieri's Formaggeria- June 7 @ 2-5pm

The wine tasting will be located at
Corrieri's Formaggeria
1110 Caruthers Avenue, behind Vinea
Vinea's Website

Free Wine Tasting today at Vinea

Today from 2-5 at Corrieri's Formaggeria (1110 Caruthers Avenue, behind Vinea) to enjoy excellent wines from Sicily.

MandraRossa produces estate-bottled wines near the historic town of Menfi, in Sicily's southwestern corner.

These wines continue the ancient tradition of winemaking on Sicily, and showcase the great quality of wines produced from a variety of grapes.

Taste a range of MandraRossa wines, all perfect for summer grilling. And they're all great values at $10.99 each.

- Chardonnay -
Full-bodied, textured and dry with balanced acidity. This wine offers a structured palate with peach, apple and lemon characteristics and a fresh acidity.

Enjoy with chicken, pork, salmon and mild cheeses.

- Pinot Grigio-Grecanico -
An excellent full-bodied white wine. Fresh fruit flavors, reminiscent of melon,
papaya, grapefruit and lime, lead to a crisp, dry, uplifting finish.

Serve with shellfish, fish steaks, pan-fried chicken and veal. Also a masterful pairing with robust, slightly spicy pasta dishes in the Sicilian style, as well as artichoke and asparagus dishes. An excellent and original match with Asian and Asian-inspired cuisine.

- Fiano -
Medium bodied and dry with elegant balance. The fruit and citrus aromas on the nose evolve on the palate in an array of fruit flavors.

This wine is a perfect wine for grilling season! Enjoy with chicken, fish and grilled vegetables.

- Nero d'Avola -
This native grape produces "the Godfather of Sicilian red wines." Smooth, with black cherry and licorice.

Try this with rich pasta dishes, grilled red meats, and spicy cheeses.

- Shiraz -
This wine offers jammy fruit and nice tannins with a smooth finish.

Break out your favorite Sicilian recipe for this one! Great with pizza, grilled tuna steaks, and pastas with red sauce.

Wine Tasting at Vinea; Saturday March 22 from 2-5pm

Free Wine Tasting at Corrieri's- Saturday March 15

We're focusing this week on excellent Italian wines from Sicily and Tuscany. Each of these wines captures the history and rich winemaking tradition of these areas, and is an excellent value.

Taste them with us at Corrieri's Formaggeria (12th Avenue South on Caruthers Avenue behind Vinea) from 2 - 5 this Saturday. See you then!

Planeta, La Segreta Bianco - $15.99
Primarily a blend of Grecanico and Chardonnay, with a bit of Viogner and Fiano. This wine is lively and versatile, ideal as an aperitif or at parties.

Planeta, La Segreta Rosso - $17.99
50% Nero d'Avola, blended with Merlot,
Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
Fruity, vibrant, and spicy. The spirit of Sicily!

Fonterutoli, Poggio alla Badiola IGT - $15.99
A blend of 75% Sangiovese - the grape of Tuscany - and 25% Merlot, with intense fruit aromas
and a long, smooth finish.

Zisola, Sicilia IGT - $19.99
Made from 100% Nero d'Avola, Sicily's indigenous grape, this wine features rich blackberry and dark cherry flavors with subtle spiciness.

Fonterutoli, "Siepi" Toscana IGT - $99.99
50% Merlot, 50% Sangiovese from a single vineyard. Aging for over a year in new oak before blending produces a lush, velvety texture.
- Available for pre-order -

Planeta, Syrah - $37.99
100% Syrah from southeastern Sicily.
A spicy nose - look for pepper, cloves and rosemary
- leads to rich fruit in the mouth.
- Available for pre-order -

Tasting Baumbach Wines this weekend

Vinea has something special this week, particularly for those of us in Nashville. They will showcase wines from California's Baumbach Winery, a small winery in the Sierra Foothills.

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This family-run winery, in a unique part of California outside of the usual wine hotspots, produces excellent wines using traditional old world methods.

The 300-500 cases that Baumbach produces each year are available only in Nashville and Northern California. Meet Rebecca Baumbach Saturday at Corrieri's Formaggeria (12th Avenue South on Caruthers Avenue behind Vinea) from 2 - 5 and sample these excellent wines.

Produced away from California's well-known wine centers of Sonoma and Napa, these wines reflect the terroir of the mountain foothills where the grapes are cultivated.

These reds are a mix of new takes on familiar varietals, and lesser-known varietals that prove their worth.

Zinfandel - $19.99
Zinfandel was likely brought to California by Italian immigrants, and Baumbach Zinfandel is produced from the harvest of only 100 vines.
Great color, a plum nose, and a light vanilla finish.

Charbono - $19.99
Similar to the better-known Dolcetto of Italy's Piemonte region.
Charbono enjoys cult-like devotion in California - taste it to see why!

Aglianico - $21.99
Grown on fewer than 50 acres in California, Aglianico is a dark, bold red.
Blackberry with leather undertones.

Barbera - $22.99
An excellent medium-bodied wi

ne with hints of toasted almond and vanilla.

Vinea
2410 12th Avenue South

Nashville, Tn 37204

615-269-6880

Vinea's website

German and Austrian Wine Tasting at Vinea; March 1 from 2-5pm

Rieslings from Germany

The two Rieslings from Germany are from the same producer, and each offers a different take on dryness that will change your perception of these wines as overly-sweet.

Selbach Riesling Kabinett - $16.99
Dry, and loaded with lots of fruit.

Selbach Dry Riesling - $15.99
Okay, this one is really dry! Nice minerality.

And from Austria

Not to be outdone, Austria is home to some excellent producers. Our featured Austrian's offer a Riesling and a Gruner Veltliner.

Gobelsburg Riesling 'Gobelsburger' - $19.99
Our importer wonders whether "there is a better Riesling at this price on earth?" So do we!

Hirsch Gruner Veltliner 'Veltliner #1' - $17.99
We'll end with a different varietal, grown in a similar region. Rich and ripe - not unlike a Riesling, but different enough to make your choice difficult!

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Vinea Wine Shop

Located at 2410 12th Avenue South between MAFIAoZA'S & Corrieri's Formaggeria

HOURS:

Monday - Saturday, 9AM - 11PM

A Quick Taste of the Beer Tasting

Excuse the talking about the cheese but do be envious if you weren't there because the beer was really good and they offered some good variety. It was a very fun but relaxed atmosphere with people sampling, talking, mingling and just enjoying the social scene.
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Below is a list of the beers tasted.

Popperings Hommel - $9.99/750 ml
A light, sweet, fruity beer from Belgium.

Petrus Blonde - $15.99/4 pk
Another light ale from Belgium. Compare it to the Hommel and let us know what you think.

Petrus Dubbel Bruin - $15.99/4 pk
A dark ale with a subtle caramel flavor.

Petrus Gouden Tripel - $10.99/750 ml
Smooth, rich and golden. Perfect as an aperitif - or with desserts.

Ettaler Curator Doppelbock - $4.99/500 ml
A dark, complex German beer with figs, cherry, raisin and toffee flavors.

Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout - $6.99/650 ml
Loads of chocolate, just as you'd expect. Not to be missed!

Free Beer Tasting at Vinea this Saturday, February 23

If you've tried strong, hoppy microbrews or mass-produced beers and didn't like the taste, we hope you'll come see us this Saturday.

We're sampling beers from Belgium, Germany, and Colorado that pair well with great food, and dispel many of the traditional notions you may have about beer.

These are full and rich, with flavors and aromas that make them a nice choice instead of wine.

We'll be pouring Saturday from 2-5 next door at Corrieri's Formaggeria. See you Saturday.

Popperings Hommel - $9.99/750 ml
A light, sweet, fruity beer from Belgium.

Petrus Blonde - $15.99/4 pk
Another light ale from Belgium. Compare it to the Hommel and let us know what you think.

Petrus Dubbel Bruin - $15.99/4 pk
A dark ale with a subtle caramel flavor.

Petrus Gouden Tripel - $10.99/750 ml
Smooth, rich and golden. Perfect as an aperitif - or with desserts.

Ettaler Curator Doppelbock - $4.99/500 ml
A dark, complex German beer with figs, cherry, raisin and toffee flavors.

Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout - $6.99/650 ml
Loads of chocolate, just as you'd expect. Not to be missed!

Free Wine Tasting at Corrieri's Formaggeria- February 16 from 2-5pm

Wine Tasting at Vinea on Saturday, February 16

Join the folks at Vinea this Saturday, February 16, for a Chilean treat.

From 2pm-5pm at Corrieri's Formaggeria they will be showcasing - and sharing tastes of - select wines from Santa Rita, one of Chile's most respected producers, and one of the first to plant European grape varieties in Chile.


Santa Rita Reserva
Youthful, fruity wines, perfect for any occasion.
Join us to sample the following varietals.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Enjoy with beef, pork, pasta, and cheeses.
Merlot
Concentrated and balanced - a perfect pairing with casseroles, pasta, and paella.
$13.99


Santa Rita 120
A tribute to 120 soldiers who fought during Chile's 19th century fight for independence from Spanish rule, these wines are an excellent value.
Enjoy tastings of the following varietals.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Smooth, great with winter comfort food.
Merlot
Perfect with burgers, pastas, and pizzas.
Sauvignon Blanc
Great as an aperitif or with seafood.
Carménère Excellent with lamb, chicken, or stews.
$8.99


Banfi Rosa Regale
An Italian sparkling wine that's perfect for Valentine's Day.
Lightly bubbly, with soft hints of raspberry, strawberry, and rose petals.
$14.49 (375ml)
$26.99 (750ml)


Gruet Blanc de Blancs
We still have a few bottles of this elegant, crisp sparkling wine from New Mexico.
When they're gone, they're gone.
Don't miss out!
$25.99

Wine and Art at Vinea

Hey there lovers of wine and ceramics...

On Saturday we have more than wine to show off. Corrieri's Formaggeria is also having an art show featuring Nashville's premiere potter and old friend, David Rhine.

In celebration of David joining us on Saturday, we will be opening several 90 +/-point boutique Australian wines from master importer Dan Phillps of the Grateful Palate. Believe me, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to just drop by and sip great wines!

The tasting will begin at Corrieri's at 2 pm and end at 5 pm. The tasting is FREE. All you need bring is a love of world class wine and a couple of great friends.

Drink Great Wine,
MJ the Sommelier


David Rhine

David developed and perfected a coil/throwing method of construction to create large outdoor and indoor planters. These distinctive andsturdy vessels are made to evoke prestige and integrity for centuries to come.Made with durable high-fired stoneware, they are completely frost proof and will never fade or crack.The planters are embellished with handmade stamps, creating designs and patterns inspired by various forms of nature. The complexity of each unique piece results in a quality which exceeds the usual industrial, mass produced planters. Slight nuances of form, surface design, texture, and glazes make every piece a one of a kind work of art.

David Rhine, an exceptionally talented potter from Nashville, received a bachelors degree in education from Middle Tennessee State University. Hewent on to a residency program at the Appalachian Center For Crafts in Smithville where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts.


Treusner Shiraz $32.99 a Bottle

The 2006 Joshua is an unwooded cuvee composed of 65% Grenache, 25% Mataro, and 10% Shiraz. Dark ruby-colored, it offers expressive, fruity aromas of violets, black cherry, and black raspberry. Supple-textured, layered, and sweetly fruited, the wine has no hard edges straight through to its pure finish. Drink it over the next 6 years.

91 Points R.P.


Troll Creek Shiraz

Usually $87.99 but on Saturday $49.99
The 2005 Shiraz was sourced from 40- to 60-year-old vines. The wine spent 30 months in French and American oak, 30% new. Opaque purple-colored, it exhibits aromas of toasty oak, spice box, saddle leather, licorice, blueberry, and chocolate. Sleek and racy on the palate in spite of its ample size, the flavors reveal succulent blue fruit and chocolate, and a long, savory finish. Give it 3-5 years in the cellar and drink it through 2024.

95 Points R.P.


Loan Semillion $19.99 a Bottle

The dry-grown 2005 Semillon was tank-fermented and spent 8 months in seasoned French oak. Medium straw-colored, it offers an expressive perfume of mineral, melon, spring flowers, and candle wax. This leads to a medium-bodied, ripe, well-balanced Semillon with good depth and length. Enjoy it with shellfish over the next 2-3 years. Loan was the second farm planted in the history of the Barossa. Today the Loan property is the only certified organic vineyard in the Barossa.

89 Points R.P.

Free Wine or Cheese from Webbspun Ideas

The person who gets the answer right will get a $15 gift certificate to Vinea wine shop or Corrieri's cheese shop.

I plan to announce the winner on Sunday afternoon.

Lunch at Corrieri's

Our sandwiches:

10K Lira-
A real Italian sub. Loads of prosciutto cotto, salame toscano, mortadella, coppa and sopressata. For cheese we add provolone and mozzarella. For flavoring we add spinach and peppadew peppers. All served in a big hunk of foccacia drizzled with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and italian seasonings.

El Mucca-
Italian roast beef, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, tapenade, red onions, roma tomatoes and spinach. Great on the sweltering days of summer.


It was a nice day with perfect weather, great food and company. The food, as always, was sheer bliss and brought on talk of food and how, when done properly, it is just a mind-boggling event.

I look forward to visiting this amazing establishment...again and again.

Be sure to visit Corrieri's Formaggeria for good food.

Cheese and Wine Pairings from Brett Corrieri

CHEESE AND WINE COMBINATIONS


Cheese: Blue Daisy
This is sheep’s’ milk cheese, very young, fresh, elegant flavor.

Wine: Aneri Prosecco di Valdobbiadene NV Brut
An outstanding Prosecco! This is more intriguing than most. Minerally, earthy, and elegant, but with all the ripe fruitiness you’d expect from Veneto, Italy’s premium sparkling wine.

Combination:
The earthiness from the single vineyard Prosecco (mineral, chalk) goes superbly with “ewwyness” of sheep’s cheese. (Mark begins “eww-ing”) Both the wine and the cheese have a delicate flavor and texture. We all agree: it rocks.

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Cheese: Humbolt Fog
This cheese is Humboldt County California’s second largest agricultural product. This one is a sheep’s milk cheese with a small window of time to eat it. (You know it’s perfect when the inside half looks like ricotta and the outside is runny.) The boys warned that it was “quite pungent.” The rind is completely edible.

Wine: Bertani Soave Classico 2002
This is darker and richer than typical Soave. The wine has aromas of golden delicious apple and a slightly mineral neutrality, which we all agree should be a good backdrop to the cheese. (Mark likes to say the grape name, “Gargenega…gargenega…”)

Combination:
This is a good combo. The wine lets the cheese shine, doesn’t compete.

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Cheese: Parmigiano–Reggiano Dop 2003
In cheese circles, this popular cow’s milk cheese from Emilia-Romagna, Italy, is called “il formaggio miglioe nel mondo”—the world’s greatest cheese. Brett chose to include it in the tasting “to show how versatile it is and how the taste changes.” He advises to never buy pre-shredded Parmesan: “pre-shredded versions taste like wax.” This cheese is delivered to Corrieri’s in huge, 88-lb. rolls that have already been aged for at least 24 months. Corrieri’s ages the rolls another 6 months.

Wine: Cavit Pinot Noir 2005
This is a good, solid Pinot for penny pinchers. Bright cherry and strawberry fruit with nice mushroomy/earthy undertones.

Combination:
This is definitely an instance where great cheese makes decent wine taste better. Nutty savory character in cheese (umami?) brings out the caramel hue in the wine.

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Cheese: Gorgonzola
This smells like a fish aquarium. Spicy, tingly, sharp mouth feel. Brett says there are two types of Gorgonzola: Gorgonzola Dolce (made in fall when the sheep have eaten silage, or hay, on the farm) and Gorgonzola Picante or Mountain Gorgonzola (made in the spring when the sheep are herded back to the farm and graze on wild grasses and herbs.) We tasted the latter, which has a spicy, wild flavor. (Mark says this is a great cheese for someone with a foot fetish!)

Wine: Barbera Monteforatto 2002
It’s unanimous, this wine is cool. Great aromatics. We smell violets, roses, and raspberries. It’s more perfumy than you might expect from a wine at this price point. Great zesty acidity, too, which should be a good match with the zinginess of the cheese.

Combination:
This is an awesome combination. The textures work well together (both are simultaneously velvety and zippy.) Also both are highly perfumed…YES!


Read more from this article in the Nashville Wine Press.

Taste of Europe...the review

We started off outside on the back deck. We enjoyed the evening by looking out over the Threadventures property. It was so nice and we took folks back to see the horses. Conversations were alive as we talked about travels, books and all sorts of things with sometimes everyone involved in one conversation while other times talking just one on one. Some of the conversations were about literature and movies and talked about Pooh, J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan, C.S. Lewis, Willie Wonka, Charley and the Chocolate Factory but we talked about a little bit of everything under the sun.

The wine began to flow while still outside and than we all went inside to listen to Brandon explain the world of cheese to us and then we all tasted and compared tastes, textures and all the fun complexities of cheese.

We soon moved onto the world of wine and enjoyed some wonderful choices from Italy, Spain and France. They all were wonderful wines with great tastes and they were so pleasing in the way they all danced their own little dances with our taste buds. Mark did a great job of making sure we understood and enjoyed the history, the pleasure and more about the wines.

We also had a fantastic Belgian beer called Chimay. It was excellent in taste, texture and had a wonderful finish.

Chad and Carrie Schott from Drumzrguruven attended and Chad begin to played the didgeridoo for us. Afterwards he discussed how he makes his musical instruments, where he goes to sell them (i.e. festivals, art shows, etc), where he finds bamboo and much more.

We had some really nice door prizes to give away before the night was over. Some of the door prizes were:
$85 gift certificate for Mambu,
two $20 gift certificates for Ellendales,
gourd drum from Drumzrguruven
60-minute massage for Seraphim Salon and Spa.

I now look forward to the next which will be coming up soon.

Stay tuned...

Taste of Europe-review

Tomorrow at Webbspun Ideas