Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Central Park concert of Train. The evening was beautiful and Pat Monahan’s voice was as powerful, captivating and full of emotion as ever. The band performed nearly 15 songs and sounded amazing. A must-attend concert for anyone.
One of the reasons I attended the event was to partake in an exclusive private wine tasting hosted backstage by the band members of their wine brand, Save Me, San Francisco Wines.
Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company is a collaboration between Underdog Wine & Spirits and the Grammy Award-winning band. Underdog Wine & Spirits works with domestic and international producers to craft wines like Cupcake, Fish Eye, flipflop, Big House and Octavin.
- Veronique Deblois, Pat Monahan and Guest
The band has three aptly-named wines: Drops of Jupiter, Calling All Angels and California-37 (the name of Train’s new album).
Here are tasting notes according to Underdog Wine & Spirits:
- Drops of Jupiter Petite Sirah ($9.99): Fruit-forward, insanely loveable Petite Sirah-based Red Wine. The minute you uncork the bottle, the boysenberry fruit leaps from your glass. With soft, supple tannins, this wine is great with food or without. Serve it at cellar temperature to allow the flavors to evolve in the glass.
- Calling All Angels Chardonnay ($9.99): Fruit-forward, medium-bodied Chardonnay. This wine has a fantastic citrus scent and a hint of pineapple that works great with the slight vanilla bean notes. The soft tannins and long finish make this great with both a dinner or a drink with friends. Serve straight from the cellar so flavors come alive in your glass.
- California-37 Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.99): Big, bold and enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is driven by rich, ripe cherry flavors with a cedar and tobacco nose. Packed with soft, round tannins and a nice long finish that lingers with spicy, vanilla notes. Serve it at cellar temperature to allow the flavors to evolve in the glass.
The band donates a portion of all Save Me, San Francisco wine sales to Family House in San Francisco, helping provide a safe, secure temporary home to families of seriously ill children who are undergoing treatment far from their own homes (for more information on Family House, visit http://www.familyhouseinc.org). To kick off the effort, in April, the band surprised Family House CEO Alexandra Morgan with a check for $50,000.
The wines are readily available and at affordable prices that allow wine fans to enjoy them any time.
Here are some of our favorite New Jersey wine shops carrying the Save Me, San Francisco Wines:
- Gary’s Wine – Bernardsville, Madison and Wayne
- ShopRite Liquors – Rockaway, Lincoln Park
- Bottle King – Hillsborough
- Buy Rite Liquor – Milltown, Pompton Plains
Make a point of trying these approachable wines.
Veronique Deblois, Food & Wine Chickie: Veronique is a food and wine writer based in Morris County, NJ. As the author of the popular blog, Food & Wine Chickie Insider, Veronique shares recipes, wine and restaurant reviews and insight into the travel industry of which she’s a 15-year veteran. Follow Veronique on Twitter or like her Facebook page.
