Inside The Hills Market

Friday Night Wine Bar - Fridays, May - October | 5.30 - 9 p.m. | Ala Carte

Our Veranda transforms into a wine bar on Friday nights this spring and summer, as we feature a new variety of wines each week. The wines are ala carte and available by the taste, glass or bottle. No reservations are required for these tastings. Stop by, meet some new people and try some new wines.

Rosé Tasting - May 6 | 4 - 8 p.m.

Join Wine Director Constance Begue as she features six of the best Rosés that Wine Trends has to offer this year. This tasting at the Wine Bar on The Veranda does not require reservations. $10 per person.

Wine & Cheese Tastings Are Back

Hills For The Holidays - Helpful Hints for Holiday Spirits

Need some help figuring out just how to select a wine or beer as a gift? Here are some tips from Wine Director Constance Begue.

• Try to think back to the last time you dined or were at a party with the recipient; did they relish that Cabernet Sauvignon, or was a sweet Riesling more their style? Or did they admire the craft beer above all?

• If you can narrow their preference down to red or white but aren’t sure of which variety of grape, go with a blend. This is an easy way to have success with many palates as the blends often contain several grape varieties and typically result in a smooth, easy drinking wine.

Hills For The Holidays - A Gift-Giving Haven

For the locavore. For the food-lover. For those with distinguishing palates. For those with good taste. Below are a few ideas for your holiday gift-giving needs.

Gift Cards

Not only do we carry our own Gift Cards, but we now offer Gift Cards for a large variety of national retailers. From Nordstrom to iTunes, chances are you, you'll find what you need right here!

Custom Gift Baskets

More details here.

Hills For The Holidays - Thanksgiving Wine Guide

Thanksgiving Wine Guide

Thanksgiving Wine Sampling: Tuesday, November 25, 4 - 8 p.m. Taste our favorite Thanksgiving wines at this casual tasting. No reservations required. $.50 per pour.

Wine & Cheese Tastings

These monthly tastings hosted by Wine Director Constance Begue and Cheese Guru Kent Rand come packed with flavor and fun. Each tasting includes tastings of 6 wines or beers, 6 cheeses and 6 appetizers to match. $35 per person for each tasting. Make your reservation today! 614.846.3220

June 26, 2008 - Wines & Cheeses from Greece 6.30 p.m.

July 24, 2008 - Wines & Cheeses from Italy 6.30 p.m.

August 21, 2008 - Wines & Cheeses from Australia 6.30 p.m.

September 25, 2008 - Wines & Cheeses from France 6.30 p.m.

October 23, 2008 - Octoberfest: Beers & Cheeses 6.30 p.m.

A Few Picks from Constance

Ms. Constance Begue is quite busy over in the wine department preparing for Valentine's Day. Our Ladies' Night In: Wine Tasting and Pedicure on February 15th is filling up quickly, but that's not all she's up to. We have dozens of wines that are begging to be part of a heated love affair on Valentine's Day, and Constance wanted to highlight a few. Her notes are below. Enjoy!

Ménage à Trois White Blend 2006, California $11.99

Open up your mind to this delectable threesome of Chardonnay, Moscato and Chenin Blanc and yield to the lush fruit aromas and flavors.

‘O’ Seduction 2005, Napa Valley $35.99

Let yourselves get swept away by this rich blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The intense flavor and supple mouthfeel is indeed seductive!

‘Fleur’ Pinot Noir 2006, Carneros $15.99

Your Valentine is sure to love the beautiful flowers on the label as well as the floral aroma in this wine followed by unctuous ripe fruit flavors and sensual velvety texture.

Fiddlehead ‘Sweetie’ Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2005 375mL, Santa Ynez $27.99

Show your sweetie how much you care with this opulent dessert wine. Surrender to the lushness balanced by a flirty zip of acidity and make this a Valentines to remember!

Prices subject to change without notice.

Wine Bar Selections for July 20

Wine Director Constance Begue gives us a sneak preview of the wines being poured at the Wine Bar tomorrow night from 5.30 to 9 p.m. We'll be pouring half glasses and full glasses.

Lunetta Prosecco Brut , Italy ($9.99) Half Glass: $2.00 Full Glass: $3.50

Lunetta (Italian for “little moon”) Prosecco is produced in the town of Trento in Northern Italy; a region known for its prosecco. Prosecco is both the name of the grape and the lively sparkling wine that it produces. The bright citrus is rounded out with a lush mouthfeel making this bubbly a great find!

Renwood Viognier 2005, California ($11.99) Half Glass: $2.00 Full Glass: $3.50

What is viognier and how is it pronounced??!! This fragrant up and comer is a great alternative when you’ve had all of the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc you can stand. Viognier was actually in danger of extinction with only 35 acres planted in the late 1960s. Viognier is a white grape traditionally grown in the Rhône Valley in France and is known for floral aromas and a honeyed pear and apricot palate. PS- it is pronounced ‘vee-own-yay’

Kunde Estates Chardonnay 2005, California ($14.99) Half Glass: $2.00 Full Glass: $3.50

This estate grown and bottled Chardonnay displays a ripe pear and peach aroma with a buttery and toasty mouthfeel. High acidity pairs nicely with lighter dishes while the richness allows it to be matched with heavier meals.

Montecillo Crianza 2003, Spain ($10.99) Half Glass: $2.00 Full Glass: $3.50

This red wine from the Rioja region of Spain has great black fruits and olives in the bouquet and the palate. The designation ‘crianza’ (translated to breeding or upbringing) refers to how long the wine was aged; in this case a minimum of 3 years aging with at least 1 in oak. The majority of red wines produced in the Rioja region are from the tempranillo grape which is known to make full bodied, rustic wines that go great with food.

Artesa Elements 2003, California ($19.99) Half Glass: $2.00 Full Glass: $4.50

This plush red wine is a blend of several varieties, the exact amounts of which are not disclosed to the public. Is it just me or does that make it all that more intriguing?! They do admit to mainly Bordeaux varietals (cabernet and merlot) along with some Rhône varietals (ie- Syrah, Grenache)- whatever the potion this is one delicious wine!

Penfolds Club Tawny Port, Australia ($11.99) Half Glass: $2.00 Full Glass: $3.50

Tawny Port is fortified wine (wine that has distilled grape spirits added) aged in wood barrels that allow for exposure to air and evaporation which creates the slightly brown (or tawny) color. The rich texture and underlying fruit flavors makes a perfect pairing with dessert!

Constance Begue, Wine Director

Meet Wine Director Constance Begue. Constance, who grew up here in Worthington, is fluent both in French and the language of the grape. Her experience as a winemaker’s assistant at Domaine Emile Zoarick in Burgundy, France, as well as her expansive history in customer service, truly make Constance a gift to our Wine Department.

Her interests go beyond the grapevine, as well. Her passions include travel, baking, cooking and of course, wine. Constance likes to cook with the season and finds excellent value wines to pair with seasonal favorites. (There’s a good reason our wine department is right next to the produce selection.)

Her heart belongs to the soft and subtle reds of Burgundy, spicy Syrahs, and is opening up to the big Cabernets of the West Coast. However, when summer approaches, she finds herself longing for just about any refreshing sparkling wine.

Please introduce yourself to Constance, and she will make note of your personal preferences, bring in special orders and help you find exactly what you need. You can e-mail her today.