Basic guide to blush wines

To help you pick a wine you'll enjoy, we came up with a basic guide to wine types. This time, let's look at the blush or pink wines, plus a few lighter reds.

We profile each type of wine we carry, and we help you make sense of what it will taste like, what it goes well with and whether you might enjoy it. Each wine is described in these ways:

• Level of sweetness. From really sweet to very dry.
• Amount of body. Wines range from light body that is very easy to drink, through full body with lots of flavor, to very full body with intense flavors that can be a challenge!
• Taste. Each variety has a one-word (ok, sometimes a two-word) summary. We chose words like floral, fresh, crisp, rich, luscious, fruity, smooth, and spicy to describe the wide range of flavors in wines. I even found little clip art pictures to help you imagine the flavors before you buy. (Ever try to find a picture that describes a taste? It ain't easy!) 

Many blush wines
have a taste of fruit,
but they vary in sweetness.

White Zinfandel:

• Blush or pink in color
• Semi-sweet or lightly sweet
• Light body, easy to drink
• Tastes "Fruity" like fresh fruits
• Drink with pastas and any light dishes
• Serve chilled

Sweet Blushes like Franzia Blush and Pink Niagara

• Blush or pink in color
• Semi-sweet (a little sweet)
• Light body, easy to drink
• Tastes "fruity" like fresh fruits
• Drink with any light dishes
• Serve chilled

Dry Blushes like White Merlot, Eye of Toad dry Pinot Noir blush, and Blushing Bastard

• Blush or pink in color
• Semi-dry (not sweet)
• Light body, easy to drink
• Tastes "Fruity, Crisp" like citrus
• Drink with any light dishes
• Serve chilled

Chillable Red: 

• Light red or dark blush in color
• Semi-sweet (very lightly sweet)
• Medium body, flavorful
• Tastes "Fruity" like fresh fruit
• Drink with pastas, ham, turkey
• Serve chilled

Red Rose and Burgundy
feel smooth to taste

Red Rose: 

• Darker blush, light red in color
• Semi-dry (not quite sweet)
• Light body, easy to drink
• Tastes "Smooth" like it feels soft in your mouth, and has a soft fruit flavor
• Drink with chicken, beef, steak, fish
• Serve lightly chilled

Burgundy: 

• Dark blush, nearly red in color 
• Dry (not sweet)
• Medium body, flavorful
• Tastes "Smooth" like it feels soft in your mouth
• Drink with hearty dishes, beef, steak
• Serve room temperature

Chianti has a cooking spice taste
and goes well with spicy foods.

Chianti:

• Dark blush, nearly red in color
• Dry (not sweet)
• Medium body, flavorful
• Tastes "Spicy" like cooking spices
• Drink with Italian foods and spicy dishes
• Serve at room temperature

Sangria:

• Dark blush, or Light Red in color
• Sweet (really sweet!)
• Light body, easy to drink
• Tastes "Very Fruity" with fruit flavoring the wine
• Drink with Mexican foods, spicy dishes
• Serve chilled or over ice. Great with fresh fruit added to it! 

Concord wines are almost as sweet
as candies. 

Sweet Reds like Concord

• Red (but so sweet, we put it in with blushes) 
• Sweet (really sweet!)
• Light body, easy to drink
• Tastes "Luscious" like juicy candy
• Drink with any light dishes
• Serve chilled

Pay with your phone at the liquor store

We've got a new payment system. It's easier, a little greener for the environment and kinda cool.

If you pay by credit card, you'll notice we swipe your card using the iPad, instead of a traditional credit card terminal.

And instead of handing you a paper receipt, you can get your receipt by text message or email.

And if you have an iPhone or Android phone, you can download the app and then pay with just your phone! You can learn about it Square Card Case.

Finally, a word about security. Your info is all encrypted all the way from the scanner to the processor. None of your info is stored on our system, and there is no paper copy to fall into the wrong hands. The payment processor, Square, is fully compliant with all the industry standards for security.

We love it, and we hope you will, too.

Thanksgiving week hours

Wondering when Allen's will be open during Thanksgiving week? We'll be here as much as the law allows! 

• Monday: 10am to 9pm
• Tuesday: 10am to 9pm
• Wednesday: 10am to 9pm
• Thursday: closed
• Friday: 10am to 9pm
• Saturday: 10am to 9pm
• Sunday: closed

Don't forget! Saturday is Shop Small Saturday, and hey, the liquor store counts! :) 

Basic guide to red wines

To help you pick a wine you'll enjoy, we came up with a basic guide to wine types. We'll start with the red wines.

We profile each type of wine we carry, and we help you make sense of what it will taste like, what it goes well with and whether you might enjoy it. Each wine is described in these ways:

• Level of sweetness. From really sweet to very dry.
• Amount of body. Wines range from light body that is very easy to drink, through full body with lots of flavor, to very full body with intense flavors that can be a challenge!
• Taste. Each variety has a one-word (ok, sometimes a two-word) summary. We chose words like floral, fresh, crisp, rich, luscious, fruity, smooth, and spicy to describe the wide range of flavors in wines. I even found little clip art pictures to help you imagine the flavors before you buy. (Ever try to find a picture that describes a taste? It ain't easy!) 

Pinot Noir is fruity,
but not sweet

We'll start with the softest, easiest to drink reds, and go up from there.

Pinot Noir and Beaujolais:

• Dry (not sweet)
• Medium body, flavorful
• Tastes "Fruity" like fresh fruit
• Drink with turkey, fish, ham, roast beef
• Serve lightly chilled

Merlot feels smooth to taste

Merlot:

• Dry (not sweet)
• Full body, very flavorful
• Tastes "Smooth, Soft Fruit" like it feels soft in your mouth
• Drink with roasts and beef dishes
• Serve at room temperature

Cabernet Sauvignon:

Cabernet feels kind of square
 in your mouth

• Dry (not sweet at all)
• Full body, very flavorful
• Tastes "Herbal, Square" (not smooth!) 
• Drink with roasts and beef dishes
• Serve at room temperature

Shiraz:

• Very dry (not at all sweet)
• Full body, intensely flavorful
• Tastes "Big, Intense" with a powerful flavor
• Drink with spicy dishes, peppery foods, spiced or marinated steak
• Serve at room temperature 

Shiraz and Zinfandel
feel BIG and INTENSE
in your mouth.

Zinfandel:

• Very dry (not at all sweet)
• Full body, intensely flavorful
• Tastes "Big, Intense" with a powerful flavor
• Drink with spicy dishes, peppery foods, spiced or marinated steak
• Serve at room temperature 

Red Wine Blends like Shiraz/Cabernet, and Cab/Merlot:

The big red blends
feel softer than the
Shiraz or Zinfandel alone.

• Dry (not sweet)
• Full body, very flavorful
• Tastes "Softer" like it feels soft in your mouth, compared to Shiraz or Zinfandel
• Drink with pizza, rich foods, peppery dishes, steak
• Serve at room temperature

Next time, we'll talk about the burgundies, chillable red, red rose and other red wines.