Stop by the store and ask one of our friendly sales associates about this month's specials.

Up near the front of our store is a special display where we feature Staff Favorites. These wines are specially selected for their taste, character, and great price. Anytime you need to grab a bottle in a hurry, or if you want to try something new without the risk of picking a bad "mystery" bottle, just look to our Staff Favorites for a winner.

At West Meade we boast Nashville's most knowledgeable wine staff. We know wine, but we also know how to listen to our customers and help them select the perfect bottle. Here are a few of our favorites based on customer requests we have heard in the past...

Isn't it romantic? When you want to indulge your sweetheart with breakfast in bed, there is nothing more decadent than Eggs Benedict.

For the Hollandaise Sauce:
4 egg yolks
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the rest:
4 eggs
2 split English muffins, toasted
2 slices Canadian bacon

Poach the eggs. Crack the egg first into a separate container, and then boil water with a tablespoon or two of vinegar added. Gently stir the water in a wide circle and add the whole egg. The slightly acidulated water will set the eggs quickly, while the whirlpool of water will keep the egg in a ball. Poach at a simmer for four to five minutes for set whites and soft yolks.

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of eggs and butter; warm enough to melt the butter, but cold enough to keep from scrambling the eggs. Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon water. Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture a little at a time while whisking yolks constantly. If the hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all of the butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm until ready to serve.

English muffins are the standard bread at the base of eggs Benedict. Their chewy texture contrasts nicely with the eggs, and helps absorb the sauce, but any toasted bread is excellent. A slice of Canadian bacon comes next. But again, substitutions such as ham, bacon, or prosciutto can all be used. For a vegetarian option, spinach is common (eggs Florentine), or asparagus, lightly fried firm tofu, or avocado.

Pairing recommendations: Ice cold vodka [Cîroc Premium Vodka, 750 ml, $34.99] and fresh-squeezed orange juice

Visit our website and find more great recipes. Click here.

Each month West Meade Wine & Liquor Mart sponsors a free wine tasting at The Art Gallery at the Belle Meade Plantation. February's featured artists are Tommy Thompson and Michelle Rideout, both known for capturing the main streets of small town America. There will be hors d'ouvres and a great selection of new wines.

We will also sponsor a very special tasting at 360 Bar Bistro. This event will feature incredible wines of the Bonaccorsi Wine Company (Santa Barbara County) that strive for complexity and concentration, but with delicacy. Seating is limited, so call 360 Bar Bistro to RSVP: (615) 353-5604. There will be a $15 charge at the door.

The origins of "Small Batch" Bourbon can be traced back to the earliest days of Bourbon's long and colorful history. Bourbon whiskey ranks at the very top of only a handful of products that can legitimately claim to be truly 100% genuine American. Like American Jazz, it is an original art form unique only in America - an American classic if you will.

Back in the early days of colonial America, before America was yet united as a nation, many of the early pioneers grew corn as their main crop in order to validate the land claims ("corn writs") that had been granted to them. To prevent spoilage of their grain crops, many of these early settlers milled their corn and distilled it into spirits. The area known as the "Kentucky Territory" soon boasted some two thousand farmer-distillers producing limited quantities, or "small batches," of corn liquor.

In contrast to those "Small Batch" Bourbons originated by the early pioneers, the "Small Batch" Bourbons made today are specifically hand-crafted and tailored to the most discriminating tastes and palates of sophisticated sippers. Connoisseurs of fine Bourbon recognize this and appreciate savoring these Bourbons for their individual originality; each unique and distinctive in its own way.

There is one small batch producer that stands out; Willett Small Batch Bourbon.

After the American Civil War, John David Willett opened a distillery in Bardstown, Ky. His son, Lambert Willett, grew up in the shadow of his father, beginning his career in the whiskey business at the age of 15. He learned the art of distilling from some of the most respected men in the business at the time. At the end of Prohibition, Lambert became the new superintendent of the Max Selliger & Co. Distillery, and his son A.L. "Thompson" Willett joined him as assistant superintendent. In 1935 Thompson Willett left the Max Selliger & Co. Distillery to build the Willett Distilling Company.

The Willett Distilling Company began construction in the spring of 1935 on a farm located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky, They produced their first "small batch" of 300 barrels on March 17th, 1936. The newly barreled whiskey was stored in one of the eight warehouses that today have a total capacity of 48,623 barrels.

Each Willett "Small Batch" Bourbon represents the best combination of mature, fully aged Bourbon. Here are a few of the fine Willett products we offer:

There is always something exciting happening at West Meade Wine & Liquor Mart!

We have just added a new feature to our website called "In the Spotlight." There you will find an in-depth look at products we sell. Right now we are shining the Spotlight on our great selection of Bourbons. Whether you are a connoisseur or a casual sipper, you will find just the right small-batch, single-barrel, or straight Bourbon at West Meade.

Visit our Home Page at www.WestMeadeWines.com and click on the Spotlight button, or click here now.

There are many articles about wine and spirits on our web site, www.WestMeadeWines.com. You can find them all by clicking here. You can also view our very popular Party Planning Guide.

Don't just read our Newsletter. Stop by the store - 5402 Harding Road at the split of Hwy 100 & Hwy 70. Click here for a Google Map.

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