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| Imported Reds | Domestic Whites | Ports & Sherry | By the Glass |
Below is a sampling of our constantly changing wine list, which we are always in the process of updating and improving. The wines offered reflect our commitment to drinking as much as possible, and trying to identify and remember those wines which represent solid quality at exceptional value.
Although we always maintain many old favorites on the list, we are continuously striving to find wines that have not yet been discovered by the mainstream and have therefore retained a sound value. We hope that you will enjoy these wines as much as we all do.
Most wines available by the bottle or glass. Please inquire with your server.
Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio 2002 (Italy)
A fresh, medium-bodied, medium-complexity wine from the Alto Adige. A hint of spice, a whisper of tropical fruits and melon, and a finish of toasted grain make this a nice, balanced wine that complements most any dish.
Luna Di Luna Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio 2000 (Italy)
People love this one because it's light and pachy/fruity with refreshing acidity, good purity and a crisp, tart finish. Well-made and straightforward, it's also the one to have when you're having more than one.
Laboure Roi Pouilly Fuisse 2001 (France)
Ambitious winemaking is behind this terrific and ever-popular Burgandy. Loads of toasted oak play first fiddle to the apple, pear, lemon and honey notes, but they still come in loud and clear in this low-acid vintage. We love it with stronger fish, pork and most glazed dishes.
Red Bank Chardonnay 2001 (Austrailia)
This popular Chardonnay from down under is light and lively with plenty of zing! It is marked by spice, passion fruit and apple flavors which linger refreshingly on a bright and open finish. Like the land it comes from, there's plenty of substance without pretension.
Brokered Chablis 2001 Mountains (France)
An amazing Chablis that is thick and rich and ripe. Honey, pear and even wet earth and mineral characters feel great in the mouth and the subtle, silky finish is nothing less than ravishing. This is certainly NOT the Chablis your mother used to drink and it can put a glow on the evening that even the lanterns can't touch. Keep it out of the ice bucket and you'll get an even deeper, richer taste.
Joseph Drouhin Macon Villages 2001 (France)
This wine is supple and ripe, with enticing aromas of lemon custard, hazelnut and almond. It's very fresh in the mouth and the lemon flavor is given definition by a distinct stony quality that produces intensity of flavor with plenty of underlying backbone. Ripe acid keep the finish brisk and quite dry. A good wine a at a great price.
Selaks Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (New Zealand)
Crisp and fragrant, this kiwi white delivers a riot of floral and tropical fruit flavors, favoring passion fruit, lime and spicy rose petal notes. A great wine with fish. A great wine without fish. A great wine.
Dr. Loosen Riesling 2002 (Germany)
Rieslings are coming back into vogue with a vengeance, and this one may well beat all others in its range. It is crisp, fresh, clean and balanced with seductive aromas of peach, pear and citrus flavors that flow deliciously to a crisp, tasty finish that won't disappoint - so do as the doctor orders and loosen up with this refreshing wine.
Barone Ricasoli Orvieto Classico 2001 (Italy)
Anyone who has climbed up to the spectacular town of Orvieto and quaffed its famous wine on a sun-drenched umbrian afternoon will accept no substitute to this classic wine. Medium-dry with the straw color of umbrian stone, Orvieto's are revered for their elegant bouguet, smooth and refeshing acidity and a soft lustrous finish. Prego!
Cape Indaba Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (South Africa)
This recent "discovery" is proof positive that someone certainly knows what they're doing in the vineyards of South Africa. This delicious savignon has tropical fruit overtones with subtle traces of green pepper. The ripe fruit aromas will dance on the palate, leaving a fresh and long lasting finish. Enjoy it before the rest of the world finds out and drives up with price.
Mill Creek Dry Creek Valley Merlot 2002
A rich and intensely flavored Sonoma with super ripe, jammy aromas of strawberry and dark chocolate. A wine that will wrap itself around any spicy food you put with it. One of our tried and true favorites.
King Estate Pinot Noir 1999 (Oregon)
From on of our favorite vineyards, this wine with a soft and gentle style has a slight bite of tannin on the finish, but that doesn't diminish the supple feel and nice layer of light cherry and cinnamon flavors that's make it both charming and fun.
Ravenswood Vintner's Blend Zinfandel 2001 (Sonoma)
If a wine can be voluptuous, give you a good night of fun, and still only cost twenty bucks, you probably ought to go for it. This popular Zin is concentrated, yet smooth-as-silk, giving a burst of intense raspberry fruit that opens onto a focused, lingering plateau that captures both the essence of the grape and the style of the vintage. Don't be fooled by the price - this is a wine you will still respect in the morning.
Jordan Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
This is a elegant and highly polished wine with a medium body that happily supports flavors of ripe cherry, currant, herb and spice. A finish of polished tannins gives it a lasting luster. You will never be disappointed. This in the one we drink when someone at the table is feeling particularly special.
Quintana North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
This is one tough baby, ripe and smoky, with fleshy flavors of plum, blackberry and mocha that start off with a wail and scream on through to a vibrant finish. Gotta love it.
Canoe Ridge Merlot 1999 (Washington)
A dark, red-violet hue immediately sets this hard-to-find Merlot apart, with its juicy and ripe black cherry aromas and toasty oak accents. The black cherry is concentrated up front, with a moderately full body and an elegantly fine-grained tannic finish. A great choice with all meats and game. Good with the ribs for the seasoned palate.
Carmenet Dynamite Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 (Sonoma)
A rich, youthful, somewhat oaky Cabernet with intense upfront fruitiness that's a subtle mix of blackberry, blueberry, cherry. Then it eases into a well-worn, toasted oak character. A long, somewhat tannic finish follows you through your food. A great wine from a fun vineyard.
Hedges Columbia Valley Red 2001 (Washington)
This universal red blend of Cabernet and Merlot sports a ruby color and exhibits a sultry nose slightly reminiscent of strawberry jam. On the palate it is almost Burgandian in nature, revealing Bing cherries in its plump, flavorful core of fruit. A lot of wine at the price - it'll carry its weight with the best of them.
Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel 2000
Spicy notes of jam and berries define the ripe, well-rounded taste of this exceptional Sonoma Zinfandel. It starts off with an exciting intensity that opens up as you go. This is a cockle-warming wine that finishes with an intriguing hint of salt.
Raymond 1999 Napa Reserve Merlot (Napa)
An aristoncratic wine from a fabulous vineyard, this reserve merlot smells fine and rich, with upfront black-currant aromas followed by more subtle tones of violet, chocolate, and spice. Like the essence of blackberry syrup, it's tannins are soft, luxurious and complex. Once again, Raymond has shown its ability to produce some of the best wines made in America.
Ravenswood Icon Sonoma County 2000 (Sonoma)
Called "ravenswood's spicy little secret" this syrah-based wine is a luscious, complex and powerful wine, with notes of bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, and spice. 16 months in French oak gives it a whiff of smoke on the finish. Very nice slighly chilled as well. A great choice.
Gaillard St. Emilion 2000 (France)
Seductive and silky, this medium- to full-bodied Bordeaux has a wonderfully deep nose of crushed berries, violets and mushrooms that carries the distinctive tastes of a traditional style. The deep luster of highly polished tannins make for long finish.
Oxford Landing Merlot 2001 (Austrailia)
Another great offering from Australia's oldest family vineyard, this Merlot is round, ripe and slightly woody; a medium full-bodied wine with toasty, cedary, berrylike aromas and flavors. It has an appealing, no-nonsense style along with a substance you can count on.
Domaine Brusset Cotes du Rhone 2001 (France)
1999 was perhaps the second best year for Rhone Valley wines in the past century, and this Wine Spectator ?Best Buy? shows it. It is extremely well made, with attractive aromas and flavors of cherry, earth, peppers and spice. It has a good tannic grip and dry finish that holds up beautifully to highly flavored and spicy foods. This will remind you of some of the best wines that you used to take on your picnics in France.
Pauillac Lafite Reserve 1999 (France)
Once in a very great while you come across a phenomenal wine that has been overlooked and this is one of the best we've found. Some of its relatives sell for several hundred dollars, and for our money this one could too. It is wonderfully smooth and silky, yet maintains a robust body, opens up like an old book and is as elegantly sophisticated as the venerated name it bears.
Jacobs Creek Shiraz Cabernet 2001 (Australia)
A fine blend from a great Aussie vineyard. Though they are blended about evenly, the Cabernet comes on stronger than the Shiraz in this medium-rich, dry and smooth wine, but the flavors are complex, with traces of raspberry, herbs, cocoa and some cherry. The medium-long finish is heartwarming and the wine overall is difficult to top at the price.
Chateau Faugeres St. Emilion 2001 (France)
Chateau Faugeres has consistently carried the distinctive taste of a revered traditional style and, despite a challengine vintage, has managed another superb year. This dense, ruby-purple colored wine offers aromas of black fruits, smoke, licorice, minerals and ripe flowers. It is rich and full, with low acidity and a soft, friendly style. You won't be disappointed.
Cape Indaba Merlot 2002 (South Africa)
This ruby-colored merlot exhibits all of the winemaking talents we've come to expect from the South Africans. With a nose filled with red cherries and Asian spices, this light to medium bodied wine mingles the taste of sweet red fruit with an intriguing hint of hoisen sauce. It is a very forward wine with a wonderfully appealing flavor - and a great value!
Grafigna Malbec 2001 (Argentina)
This Wine Spectator "BEST BUY", with its fleshy chocolate-covered plum flavors and nice smoky, spicy finish is a truly delicious wine at an easily digested rpice. Goes quietly with everything but its a wine you'll find yourself ordering again and again.
Piper's Brook 9th Island Pinot Noir 2002 (Tasmania)
This terrific Pinot has been getting spectacular press lately, and its very well deserved. The second sip reveals a medium body laced with the aromas and taste of currants, sweet cherry, plum, and subtle spice, opening to a balanced palate and a nice lingering finish. This extremely food-versatile wine is a great companion to most any dish. An unbeatable treat at the price.
Hochar Pere & Bils Red 1999 (Lebanon)
Our favorite Lebanese wine, Chateau Musar, has simply grown too expensive to relax with, so this recent discovery, which some may consider even better, was a very welcome treat. Like Musar, the intriguing complexity of flavors make this truly a wine lovers wine, with a discernibly different experience when paired with different foods - a new revelation with every bottle. Not to be missed.
Dunavar Egri Bikaver (Bull's Blood) 2000 (Hungary)
Let your gypsy side roam free with this robust, dry, full-bodied wine from Hungary's fabled Eger region. The Egri Bikaver is one of the worlds oldest wines and from Attila to the Hapsburgs has been quaffed with abandon for centuries on end. Primarily composed of the same great grapes used in the classic Bordeaux - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - and Cabernet Franc - it is the secret Hungarian ingredient - Kekfrancos - that gives it that speical kick. Let it breathe and ignore the first few sips - then sit back and dream of Budapest.
King Estate Pinot Gris 2000 (Oregon)
Make the sun shine with this one - it's bright and refreshing with spicy melon, citrus and almond flavors. A good acidity on a nicely lingering finish makes this an especially great choice with fish but is a superb companion to any lakeside meal.
Chalk Hill Chardonnay 2000 (Sonoma)
The great Sonoma is one of our most popular choices, with ripe flavors of pear, grapefruit, guava and nectarine that are tempered by crisp, flinty, spicy notes. Rich and complex in the mouth and elegant on the finish. It's a little pricier again this year - and harder to get - but it remains one of the very best American wines.
Carmenet Reserve Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion 2000
We particularly like this one with Asian-inspired dishes and anything with coconut milk – it's an elegantly flavored wine, with fresh apple, grapefruit, honey and lemon grass aromas and flavors, and mild toasted oak overtones. Look forward to a finish long enough to follow you home.
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay 2001
This is a fresh and lively Chardonnay that's largely ruit-driven with just a trace of oak. It's got great balance and plenty of clean, ripe citrus and tropical fruit flavor. It's a very popular choice at the Mingo because it's terrific with Asian and Latin-influenced food. But if you're tired of this one and are looking for something new, try Raymond's Napa Reserve for a delightful change of pace.
Bedell Reserve Chardonnay 2000 (New York)
An excellent Chardonnay from Long Island's Bedell vineyards - it is medium full-bodied, ripe in a pineapple-y way with some complexity (baked bread and vanilla come to mind) and very good balance. Like Bedell's higher-end Merlot listed further down, we think this is a great nearly-local wine at a truly local price.
Raymond Napa Reserve Chardonnay 2000
This is a brilliant Chardonnay with spicy pear, citrus and melon notes. It is extremely well-balanced with a clean, fruity aftertaste that is truly delightful. At the price, this is some of the best Napa Chardonnay produced. We like to put our feet up with this one when the full moon rises.
Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Not as pungent as many Sauvignon Blancs, this wine carries milder hints of lime and fresh grasses that adroitly counterbalance a discernible but not overt oak flavor. With silky undertones of milkweed and chamomile and a clean, light finish, this is a refreshing choice that is particularly at home with delicate fish, shellfish and salads. It's also one we like to pack in a hamper for a day on the lake or a hike to the falls.
Jordan Chardonnay 2000
This ripe and extremely elegant wine is rich with spicy pear, citrus and melon notes. It is well-balanced with a clean, upbeat and slightly fruit-driven aftertaste that will make you happy you chose it. Some of the best Chardonnay that Jordan has ever produced, it's one of our runaway favorites.
Hedges Fume/Chardonnay 2002 (Washington State)
This evenly balanced blend produces an elegant, stylish wine with clean, crisp green-apple flavors, a strong scent of lime and a hint of pear. A downright gorgeous "mouthfeel" and creamy, intense fruit combine with bright acids and a polished, rich finish to make this Wine Spectator "Best Buy" an outstanding wine at a remarkable price.
Daniel Gehrs Chenin Blanc 2001 (Monterey)
Dedicated Chenin Blanc drinkers have long placed this solidly constructed wine head and shoulders above all others in its class. With fresh apple and citrus flavors and an engaging dryness, it is a rich and complex wine, making it a perfect match for grilled foods. Chenin Blancs are often overlooked, but this is a wine that deserves attention.
Below is a sample of the variety of beers that we offer at The Blue Mingo. Apart from your favorites, we hope that you will especially enjoy the exceptional beers that are brewed right here in the Cooperstown Area. Ommegang, Hennepin and Rare Vos are all brewed and bottled at Brewery Ommegang in the style of Belgian Farmhouse beers and have gained an enormous following and reputation across the country and around the world.
The Cooperstown Brewing Company, located in nearby Milford, brews our best-selling Old Slugger and Bench Warmer beers. Both breweries are open for public tours and tastings.
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6098 State Highway 80 Cooperstown NY 13326 (607) 547-7496
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