Make Mine A Mercat!

When it gets this hot outside nothing is more refreshing than an icy cold bottle of bubbles. Mercat Cava fits the bill perfectly, plus it's easy on the wallet.

Mercat is inspired by Barcelona's Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, the quintessentially Catalan market destination where locals and tourists alike gather to eat, shop and gossip.

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As many of you know, we absolutely LOVE bubbles and we drink them on a regular basis, year-round. We feel bubbles shouldn't just be for celebrations. Life is a celebration and each day is truly precious, so why not start your meals with sparkling wine? We do. Quite often!

And, while we ADORE Champagne, like most people we tend to reserve it for special occasions because of its relatively hefty price. Cava is a great every day alternative to add sparkle to your day!

Well, at least THIS Cava. We always provide you with straight talk about wine which is based on many years of professional accreditation, so we have to be honest. Wine Insiders know a lot of Cava is boring plonk made by big faceless cooperatives. We can't think of a single wine professional who drinks it at home. Really.

Until now. We were shown this wine by one of our all-time favorite wine geeks. When we tasted Mercat, it opened our eyes to the quality which can be achieved when the wine is hand-crafted with utmost attention and care.

In fact, Mercat Cava is rather unusual in that it's finished with a very low dosage (which means a very small mixture of sugar and wine is added during fermentation, as opposed to a normal or large amount).

In every day language, this means the chalky soils on which the old indigenous vines are grown are allowed to really shine through on the palate.

In wine speak, this translates into a wine geek's dream. A most unusual Cava!

THE SCOOP (AKA, WINE INFO TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS)

In 1872, Josep Raventos began experimenting with Spanish wines made in the same manner as in Champagne, France - and hence, Cava was born. But unlike Champagne, the DO Cava designation is defined by a specific practice of winemaking, rather than by the region where the wine is made. In fact, there are over six regions with the DO Cava status, although practically speaking over 90% of production is from the Penedes region.

IN THE GLASS

Mercat Cava bursts with aromas of rich pear, green apple, and hints of cream. On the palate it has notes of papaya and pear rounded out with hints of hazelnuts. Like all good sparklers, it finishes with crisp acidity and freshness.

THE PRESS

"A blend of 40% Macabeu, 40% Xarello and 20% Parellada grown on clay soils with 5grams/l residual sugar. It has an intriguing bouquet that is slightly reduced at first, but left aside for a few moments opens up to reveal touches of white asparagus and dried herbs. The palate is nicely balanced with subtle citrus notes complemented by dried apricot and a touch of quince. It leads to a precise finish that could do with more length, but it is still an interesting Cava, one that is full of personality.” (Wine Advocate)

Wine Advocate: 89 points

“Musky aromas of pear skin and orange, with subtle herbacity and a touch of toasted grain. Broad and fleshy but dry, with good cut to its orchard fruit and citrus rind flavors. Could use a bit more refinement but displays very nice depth and intensity. Shows an attractive spiciness on the refreshingly bitter finish, with the orange note echoing.” (Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar)

International Wine Cellar: 88 points

THE PRICE

Ready for this? Mercat Cava is $12.99/bottle or $124.70/12 pack case ($10.39/bottle) or just $10.39/bottle in a mixed case of wine.

Now that's a sparkler to keep on hand for company!

P.S.

Please join us for two very special wine tastings this weekend!

John Grange of Hand-Picked Selections will be pouring wines from New Zealand and France from 4-7 pm on Friday. We went to France on a wine tasting marathon with John a few years ago, and this guy knows his stuff. In fact, John just may be one of the nicest wine professionals in the business. Come visit with John today and taste his wines. Delicious!

On Saturday our good friend Brett Marcy from Frederick Wildman & Sons Importers will be tasting wines from 3-6 pm. Brett represents some of the hottest wines around. Saturday's selection includes wines from Argentina, Italy and France. We recently went to New York City with Brett for an Italian wine tasting and we found some serious gems. This is Brett's one VIP wine tasting for us this summer.

Don't miss it!

* Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certified *

Town Center Wine & Spirits
Cape Cod's Most Trusted Wine Merchant

Location 4550 State Highway North Eastham, MA 02651 (Next to the Royal Thai Restaurant in the Town Center Plaza) Tel: 508 255 3660 Fax: 508 255 6736

Summer Hours Mon -Thurs 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri - Sat 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.   We are open year round. Only closed on Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas