Deadbolt California blend not just a winter red

Time for me to get back to my wines. I owe a few shout outs to folks who have been kind enough to send me samples. As always I will give full disclosure about samples but my policy is to not write about wines I did not enjoy. I prefer to communicate that privately to the sender. My mother did teach me that if you don’t have anything nice to say it’s better to say nothing at all.

While I did try this wine last winter I do believe it will have a place at summer cookouts. My first experience with Deadbolt wine was in February during the big snow dump. On the night of February 9^th we were hunkered down, propane camp stove, candles, batteries, shovels, and all manner of storm prep supplies gathered with us awaiting the big storm that would ultimately dump nearly three feet of snow by morning. We sat in the kitchen playing games, waiting for the lights to go out and I thought that night was appropriate to open my bottle of Deadbolt. Pernod Ricard USA released this proprietary red blend in October 2012. Deadbolt is one of those big, bold, jammy, fruity full-bodied red wines from California, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah and Syrah. It is deep, dark purplish red in the glass with cherry, plum, mocha flavors. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth. At 13% abv you definitely get all that bold fruit without the typical California heat. I put this wine in the same category as Apothic Red. The packaging is funky and bold. A second taste this spring has me thinking that this wine will do well with burgers on the grill and chilly summer nights by the fire pit. It retails for around $16/btl but I was able to find it on sale in the Massachusetts market for $10.99. For the summer this wine could also stand up to a little chill or as a base for sangria. Cheers!

Boston Wine Expo 2013

Tomorrow and Sunday, February 15-16, 2013 celebrates the return of one of Boston’s premier winter events, the Boston Wine Expo. This extravaganza of wine, food, and the good life will have over 200 wineries from more than 15 countries pouring over 1,800 wines. The expo itself is a two-day event that takes place at the World Trade Center, across from the Seaport Hotel, and has grown into one of the largest and most respected wine events in the country.

In addition to the Grand Tasting, the more exclusive Grand Cru Tasting (showing reds that retail for $75 and up and whites over $45 per bottle), the food pairings from some of Boston’s trendiest restaurants, the hugely popular seminars (many of which sell out early, so register ASAP if you are interested!), this year sees the return of the Vintner Dinner Series which started on February 11th and continues through February 25th. Select wineries will be pairing their best wines at various restaurants around the city in a far more intimate setting than the Expo itself. Between the seminars and the Vintner Dinner Series this event is one of the best opportunities all year to increase your wine knowledge with the help of some of the biggest names in the industry. For schedule and ticketing information visit the website: www.WineExpoBoston.com .

Since 1991 the founders of the Boston Wine Expo, the Boston Guild of Oenophilists, have hosted this marvelous event for wine enthusiasts of every level. Oenophile is a fancy term for wine lover or connoisseur.  Each year the BGO makes substantial donations to various charities in the Greater Boston area, so far exceeding $1.3 million. This year will benefit the Tufts Medical Center’s Summer Camp Scholarship for children with disabilities.

New to the Expo this year attendees will be able to download the new smartphone app from DRYNC Direct which will allow you to rate your favorite wines, and for the first time, order wines to be shipped to your home with FREE shipping included (for wines ordered during the Expo)! This is a huge additional benefit to attending the Expo. Each year attendees taste many wines that later they do not remember or cannot find in the local market. With the DRYNC Direct app you will be able to scan a bottle and if you enjoyed the wine you’ll be able to order it then and there. After the Expo these wines will still be available to order at only $9.99 shipping, or free shipping for six or more bottles. Massachusetts residents who have tried to order wines from the places they have travelled know only too well the roadblocks to ordering wines not sold locally (Free the Grapes!)

In the center of the Grand Tasting this year there will be a Social Media Lounge (use Twitter hashtag #BWE2013). It escapes no one I’m sure that in today’s world our live, in-the-moment events are streamed as they happen over social media. Stop by and see which wines are getting the most buzz and which are the duds. At the Expo last year a local radio station was broadcasting live and using Twitter to offer prizes. I won two upgrades to the Grand Cru lounge and got to experience how the other half, well, one percent live.

I’m personally looking forward to tasting some new wines, some favorites, and some from winemakers I’ve gotten to know over the years. I’ll be on the lookout for Klinker Brick from Lodi, a fave from last year, vintage Ports from Cockburn and Graham’s, Happy Bitch Rosé, a friend from the Hudson Valley in New York, the entire Finger Lakes Wine Country pavilion, Anne Amie from Oregon, several Torrontés from Argentina, and anyone pouring bubbles!

If you are a first-timer, going on Saturday or Sunday (or if you are lucky enough to have a two-day ticket), plan to get there for the start of the day. As the day progresses you’ll find there are those who are there to get their money’s worth and tasting everything in sight, indiscriminately. You can tell who these people are by the level of their inebriation. You won’t be able to try everything so try to do some research on the website or within the DRYNC Direct app to make a plan. Jot down the booth numbers of the wineries you are interested in or save them in the app. When you enter the Expo you will receive your commemorative tasting glass, a full color guide with a map and room for notes (if you’re old school), and a bottle of water. Remember to drink the water. Spitting is allowed and encouraged. Many small tastes add up quickly to a lot of alcohol consumption. Taste responsibly. If you taste a wine you like ask if it available for purchase in Massachusetts. If they say no ask why not. These wineries pay a lot of money for the opportunity to pour their wine at the Expo. They are always looking for new markets. Give them feedback.

Masachusetts Farm Wineries Day at Wayland Winter Farmers’ Market

I know I haven’t been posting lately and I’ve regretted that (stress at work, recent surgery, etc. – I can come up with all manner of excuses – I’m good at that). I did just recently have a significant surgery and have been cabin feverish during my convalescence. I chose for my first outing a Winter Farmer’s Market. This past Saturday I attended the Massachusetts Farm Wineries Day at the Wayland Winter Farmers’ Market. I saved up my daily quota of stamina, some of which was already spent by the 40 minute car ride but I’m a trooper and toughed it out. I’m a huge supporter (read: sucker) for the shop local movement and when you combine foodie products and produce with WINE, well, enough said.

What could be more decadent on a cold winter’s day with sub-zero wind chills than a farmers’ market in the tropical environment of Russell’s Garden Center’s greenhouses. Agricultural Tourism thrives all year-long in Massachusetts! MASS Grown and the Massachusetts Dept of Agricultural Resources has a wealth of information on the vibrant winter farmers’ market program.

The first thing we saw was the huge oven fire of VESTA Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza. Suzanne and I both said at once, “We’ve got to get some of that.” Little did we know that we would be saying that again and again.

The farmers’ market in Wayland will take place every Saturday from 10-2 at Russell’s until March 9^th. In and amongst their displays of flowers, and houseplants vendor tables are set up for you to wind your way around. A huge number of vendors were there (see list and websites at the end of this post) – far more than I expected for a winter market. This particular day nine of the Massachusetts Farm Wineries were offering tastings, which was the entire draw for me to spend my day’s energy on. I was utterly (no dairy pun intended, though there were several artisanal cheese producers there) blown away by the beautiful produce and agricultural products being offered. I nibbled on one of the fattest, sweetest carrot slices I ever tasted.

Back to the wine. If you know me you know I always come back to the wine. We first spotted Running Brook Vineyards and tasted several whites, including their 2010 Reserve Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc which we already knew we liked.

We brought a limited amount of cash and of course our idea of being conservative is telling each other that we don’t have to buy from the first vendor we see, so we moved on. Next we visited Kip Kumler’s Turtle Creek Winery from Lincoln, MA. I am familiar with Kip’s winemaking and was happy to taste examples I had not yet had the opportunity to try. We had both attended a Finger Lakes Riesling event in 2011 during the Summer of Riesling so I had an idea of his palate. His 2011 Riesling grapes were sourced from Hobbit Hollow, on the west side of Lake Canandaigua, in the Finger Lakes. Deliciously off-dry with a well-rounded mouthfeel and enough acidity not be bracing but to contribute to the wine’s overall balance.

Rounding a corner we stopped by Extra Virgin Foods where they were sampling and selling artisanal Greek olive oils and olives. I was not sure what the Massachusetts agriculture connection was but I chose to taste their boldest flavored oil and their barrel aged sun-dried tomato olives. We liked the oil but bought the olives.

Our next stop I’m embarrassed to say was new for me – embarrassed because for years I have passed them, sometimes daily for years along the highway and never stopped in. I do plan to now. Alfalfa Farm Winery was making their first appearance in Wayland and they were very pleased with the turnout and sales. We had the opportunity to taste their Chardonnay (soft oak), Cranberry (great cranberry expression without being too tart – a great picnic wine in my book), and their Red Table Wine. I spoke with Trudi Perry and plan a proper visit and future post.

Well placed after these tastings we came upon Bagel Alley bagels and Nobscot Artisan Cheese. Great placement, whoever set up the market tables. I am from New York City originally so it goes without saying that I am a bagel snob (and a pizza snob, and a Chinese food snob…oh well, we need not go into that here. Let’s just say I am food snobby.). The bagels had names like Health and Energy Bar and were packed with great grains and fruits. We picked some favorites such as egg, pumpernickel, and cinnamon raisin along with the ones with interesting names. Then we spun around and visited Nobscot Artisan Cheese where Sue Rübel, a former 30 year educator has teamed up with Doug Stephan at Eastleigh Farm in Framingham to make raw milk cheeses with his “Jersey girls”. There was Herbes de Provence, Chive, Lavender and Honey, and others. We bought the Sun-dried Tomato, Garlic and Basil for our bagels for breakfast the next morning.

By this time I was losing my energy and knew I would not be able to last through all nine wineries. We stopped by Coastal Vineyards where Dave Neilson said he was enjoying the farmers’ markets and has been selling at several this winter. We tasted his Estate Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Ocean Breeze, and White Wave. We bought the Chardonnay (deep golden color, whole cluster fermented, with citrus, apple and pear notes) and White Wave (an off-dry sipper). Coastal Vineyards is a member of the Coastal Wine Trail, located in Southeastern Massachusetts, blessed as some of the most favorable land for grape-growing in the state, and less than a hour’s drive from Boston. Click here to learn more.

While browsing the beautiful produce here and there we saw Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery (Charlton Orchards) which I had tasted at the Big E this past year. Known for their fruit wines we tasted and bought their Pear wine which was delightfully balanced and none too sweet. I could see this wine pair well with many different foods.

 

I was getting ready to call it a day and Suzanne gathered up all of our packages to bring back to the car (her fatal mistake) since we had just about spent all of our cash. Then I spotted off in another of the several greenhouses my particular favorite, Westport Rivers. Of course my plan was to say hello to Bill Russell but he wasn’t there and Suzanne had not come back to collect me yet so I checked to see what they were sampling that I had not yet tasted. Having enjoyed several pretty special memories with some of Westport’s sparklers I knew that Bill had been taking leaps into previously unexplored directions. A few years ago he made a sticky fortified Chardonnay called Grace, made with their own estate grown eau de vie. Not a dessert wine, Grace is best served before the meal as an aperitif. Since then they have created Grace Pinot Noir and Prodigiosa (which, sadly, was not available for tasting that day), a luxury Vermouth which purports to be infused with its own New England character. Note to self – plan trip to Westport Rivers to see what I am missing. Bill has successfully created his own version of the Three Graces. Since I was left to my own devices, and they did take credit cards, I made the most expensive purchase of the day and bought the Grace Pinot Noir. This wine truly lives up to Westport Rivers tasting notes: Wonderful aromas of crème brulee, caramel, dates, figs and warm toast. We blended our estate grown Pinot Noir “clear brandy” with ripe Pinot Noir juice and aged it in French oak. Then I hightailed it out of there to meet up with Suzanne who was just approaching the entrance. She saw the bag in my hand and asked me what I bought and when I told her she said, “For that little bottle!” ($25/350ml). I said it was her fault for leaving me alone. I got the look. I’m sure you know the one I mean. It was a great day. After all of this tasting and excitement I was ready for a good nap.

On Sunday I made a dinner to go with the Coastal Vineyards Chardonnay. It was breaded chicken breast with broccolini and a buttery lemon creme sauce (a Julia Child worthy amount of butter went into this sauce). If you’d like to know the sauce recipe request by leaving a comment. Don’t forget to scroll down to see the links to all of the vendors attending Wayland’s Winter Farmers’ Market. It is a treat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alfalfa Farm Winery

Andover Farm Greens

Baaaystate Blanket

Baer’s Beans

Bagel Alley

BOLA Granola

Caledonia Farm/ Burnshirt Valley Farm

Charlton Orchards Farm

Coastal Vineyards

The Danish Pastry House

Doves & Figs 

E & T Farms

Evergreen Farm

Extra Virgin Foods

Fior D’Italia Pasta & Cheese

FishWives Specialty Foods

Foxhill Farm

Giovanna Gelato

Globe Fish

Good Karma Farm

Goodies Cookies

Great Harvest Bread

Greenwood Hill Farm

Grillo’s Pickles

The Herb Lyceum

In Stitches/Threaded Needle 

Iron Horse Farm

Karma Coffee Roasters

Keldaby Farm/Moonshine Design

Nobscot Artisan Cheese

North Brook Farm Alpacas

Obadiah McIntyre Farm Winery (Charlton Orchards)

Pam’s Black Bean Salsa

Rag Hill Farm

Red Fire Farm

River Valley Farm Wools & Wovens

Samira’s Homemade

Soluna Garden Farm

Subito Farm

Sweet Lydia’s 

Terrosa Farm

Turtle Creek Winery

The Warren Farm & Sugarhouse

Vermont Gourmet Candy Dish

VESTA Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza

West River Creamery

Windy Hamlet Farm

Windy Hill Farm

WindSong Farms

Winterberry Farm

Winter Moon Roots

My WBC Thank You Post

I’m trying to nail down exactly what I want to write about the recent Wine Bloggers Conference I attended in Portland, OR in August. I don’t want to simply recount the activities that had us going (and tasting wine) from 9 AM through the wee hours (more than a few of us). That wouldn’t be very interesting if you weren’t there. Truth be told, there were some incredible experiences to be had. You can read about many on the WBC Blog Post Directory.

Some of us went on excursions before the conference to wine regions in Oregon beyond the Willamette Valley. We were instructed on the correct pronunciation with the helpful phrase “Willamette Dammit”. I learned something new. Some of us were invited in small groups to spend the day at one winery. We met interesting people and virtual friends became real. We met legends in the wine biz like Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon and Rex Pickett, author of Sideways and the sequel, Vertical. We were entertained by Rex’s comfortable use of colorful language. We enjoyed instructional seminars and gathered to discuss our role as writers in the grand scheme. We were feted to a sumptuous and meticulously paired five course wine dinner by King Estate Winery. We attended some special sponsored, some private, and some off the hook parties after the day’s official agenda was over. Some of these parties offered the best tastings, like the Jordan Magnum party where one could taste side by side magnums and 750ml bottles of the same vintage to compare, and the Dundee Hills party where I hung with the locals and enjoyed roasted hazelnuts and truffle popcorn that was a little addictive.

Last year I attended as a scholarship recipient and I felt awed by the people I met in Virginia. This year I was a conference veteran and a scholarship donor. I felt no less awed in Oregon. People write amazing, well-researched, detailed posts on the varietal, the technical, the regional, and every other angle from which to approach wine. If you have any interest at all in wine you should start to follow some of these writers. I think my blog has evolved into the experiential. It is what is most important to me about wine. In my real life (as opposed to my virtual life) back in the world (as opposed to the total immersion of a Wine Bloggers Conference) my friends don’t understand my social media life. I think some of them consider my wine friends like avatars in a video game, and therefore not real. It’s a funny exercise staring at someone’s chest with whom you are engaged in conversation and trying to figure out their real name when you only know them by their Twitter handle. A warm smile comes across as recognition finally dawns. You leave a conference like this with real and not just virtual friends. For me it is the greatest gift the conference bestows.

Oh wait, I said I didn’t want to just recount my four days immersed in wine bloggery. I want to tell about some of the unique experiences I had while I was there. I’m practicing living in the moment, and consequently I may miss a detail while my fellow bloggers and wine geeks are juggling their smart phones, tablets, and laptops in an attempt to capture and document every moment as it happens. It’s hard not to do this by the way. I told myself that it would be better to contact someone after the conference for any details I could not recall (and that happens after all that “tasting”). It keeps me in touch with the people I met and allows me to fully experience what goes on around me. I promise that my next post will begin to tell of these experiences. For now I do want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the following:

Zephyr Adventures– for putting together a conference worthy of a much higher price tag but so grateful they don’t charge it (and please don’t’ get any ideas that you should!).

Stoller Family Estate – for inviting me to spend the day at their winery, when I was unable to join the pre-conference excursions – for providing me with the opportunity to spend the day with some fine people, drink some great wines (Pinot Camp school bus ride aside Sebastien), and for the gift of a bottle of their excellent 2008 vintage Pinot Noir .

R. Stuart & Co. Winery – for inviting me to spend the day after the conference at their winery – for their exquisite hospitality, and for the incredible learning experience it provided (more on this to follow).

King Estate Winery – for caring so much about what some citizen bloggers would think of their wines, their foods, their sustainable practices, their stewardship of the land, and how much they cared about locally sourced foods.

Willamette Valley Vineyards – for being wonderful hosts to busloads of wine geeks with cameras and all manner of electronic recording devices, and for teaching me how to correctly pronounce Willamette, dammit!

Oregon Wine Board  - for being great conference hosts and providing so many opportunities to get to know their fine wines and people.

To all of the sponsors who keep the cost of this conference affordable for those of us who write for pleasure over money – THANK YOU ALL!

Grand Sponsors

Oregon Wine Board

King Estate Winery

Winebow

Erath Winery

Don Sebastiani & Sons

Premier Sponsors

14 Hands

Cork Forest Conservation Alliance

Nomacorc

Franciacorta

Chianti Classico

Jacob’s Creek

Rias Baixas

Napa Valley Vintners

WinesTilSoldOut.com

WineJobs.com

Pocket Wine Journal

Virginia Wine

International Wine Night

Esporao Group

Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc

Cognac/EU

New Wines of Greece

Alsace Wines

Rias Baixas

Casa Vinicola Zonin USA

Discover Beaujolais

Wine Country Ontario

Brancott Estates

Virginia Wine

Event Sponsors

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco

Stoel Rives LLP

Washington Wine

invino

Partners

Palate Press

Touring and Tasting

Women for Winesense

WBC Scholarship

Mutineer Magazine

TastingRoom.com Brings the Tasting Room to Your Room

As a devoted wineaux I am always on the lookout for a new source from which to acquire interesting wines. As is the case with most of my wineaux friends, I belong to wine clubs, shop any wine shop wherever I travel, browse any number of online retail sites that are allowed to ship to my state (or the other convenient state I live three miles from the border of), receive samples from social media-savvy winemakers, and view several of the new flash wine sale sites that entice me with various twitter and email (in case I didn’t see their tweet) notifications throughout the day.

I recently had the opportunity to sample TastingRoom.com. They are one of many new online retailers trying to distinguish themselves from the rest with a variety of innovative options. Their concept allows you to sample or taste wine in a way that suits you – either by the taste, the glass, or full bottle. Their try-before-you-buy idea is similar to a winery tasting room flight. You can choose a sampler that provides six generous 50ml pours of wines grouped together by varietal, region, or theme. Through partnerships with the wineries they are able to re-package from source bottles (most often 750ml bottles) into smaller bottles, reproducing the original label and bottle information. The re-packaging is accomplished through the use of their own patented T.A.S.T.E. technology and done in a zero oxygen environment to ensure the quality of the wine in the smaller format bottles. Having been re-packaged into smaller format bottles they even have the bottling date on the label and suggest that they be consumed within six months of receipt. These bottles are never intended to be held.

I received one of their Super Flights called Food-Friendly Reds. I was extremely impressed with TastingRoom.com’s  attention to  every detail. The sampler was shipped mid-August and came in an insulated box with a large ice pack that was still mostly frozen when I opened the box.

The packaging was not just some small bottle shipper. It was gift-boxed, elegant, high quality, and strong, as if I had just purchased it at a high-end boutique. It came with instructions and tips, and a food pairing card with full recipes.

 

The instructions tell you that the wines are arranged in order from light to full-bodied and should be tasted from left to right.

Also enclosed in the Super Flight is a TastingRoom.com Super Flight card redeemable for two full-sized bottles of any of the wines from the sampler.

A very cool variation on try-before-you-buy. This particular Super Flight retails for $59.99. Below are the wines I received in the Food-Friendly Reds. The selection was heavily weighted towards California. I would have liked to see a more diversity on the choices but they are in fact food-friendly reds and pair well with summer BBQ fare, and  Labor Day is just around the corner.

Sticky Beak 2009 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, CA

Il Cuore 2009 Barbera Mendocino County, CA

Amalaya 2009 Red blend Valle Calchaquí, Argentina

Clayhouse 2009 Old Vine Petit Syrah Red Cedar Vineyards Paso Robles, CA

Vina Robles 2008 Huerhuero Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles, CA

Jax 2009 Y3 Taureau Red Blend Napa Valley, CA

I went through the entire tasting over the course of an evening where we enjoyed steak tips on the grill, simply prepared with only salt and pepper. I will probably choose Vina Robles Cab and the Amalaya Red Blend from Argentina for my two full-size selections. I will definitely buy from TastingRoom.com in the future.

TastingRoom.com’s  other options include samplers by varietal, region, or theme without the opportunity to select two full-size bottles, starting at only $19.99. Their Wine Your Way option allows you to buy Wines by the Glass, in 100ml bottles.

TastingRoom.com also has a Taste Explorer club. No option requires you to lock into any future commitment or purchase. If you give them feedback about what you liked or didn’t like about any wine and rate them you can earn even more discounts on future purchases. I was very pleased with everything  I received, and how it was presented. The messaging enclosed spoke to me as an intelligent person interested in learning about the wine, where it came from, and what it paired well with, but not in a way that was over a novice’s head, or dumbed down for experienced enthusiasts. As a writer who does not often write reviews I can assure you that I would not have written about this if I had not been pleased with my experience, regardless of how the product came to me.

It Takes a Goddess to Make a Happy B*tch

Just about a year ago I was preparing for my first Wine Bloggers Conference . I was a scholarship recipient and it was only polite to personally thank the donors who made the scholarship fund possible. Debbie Gioquindo is a huge supporter of the Wine Bloggers Scholarship Fund. That’s how I met (we do still say met, even though it was through social media, right?) the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess. A big title to be sure but I have learned that she manages to wear the crown well. We had somewhat similar career backgrounds in public relations and media and I started to follow her blog. She earned her Certified Specialist in Wine from the Society of Wine Educators. She truly is the goddess of all things wine related to the Hudson Valley in New York ( a place just south of the Finger Lakes). Debbie is also a Wine Location Specialist in both Port and Champagne. Through her own social media activity she answered a tweet from Keryl Pesce, author of “Happy Bitch”. Happy Bitch and its brand is about getting on with things after life throws one of its curve balls. Keryl was asking the twittersphere if Happy Bitch should create a wine. Debbie said she should do it in the Hudson Valley and the two met and formed a partnership to produce Happy Bitch wine. I followed Debbie’s posts about the process of selecting the blend and bringing the choices to various events to have the public help decide on the final blend and before long Happy Bitch wine was born. They chose a flirty, frosted, crown capped bottle for their chardonnay/pinot noir rosé.

After vicariously enjoying Debbie’s posts documenting the process of creating a new wine I wanted to get my hands on a bottle and try it for myself but wine shipping laws being what they are this was no easy feat. In fact it practically took divine intervention. I live in Massachusetts and Debbie lives somewhere near Poughkeepsie, NY. Her company is just starting out and her distribution is limited and does not extend into Massachusetts (Free the Grapes!). Debbie just happens to have a child planning to attend a New England school and we figured out that during one of their excursions to the area we could meet to hand off the wine. Several missed opportunities went by and in the meanwhile I had planned a girls’ night tasting featuring this wine and had to satisfy my friends with “other” less spectacularly named (and tasting) wine. Eventually, while planning to drive up to visit a friend she extended her drive an extra hour to meet me at work and deliver the wine. Can you believe the above and beyond here! A four hour drive to get her wine into the hands of a thirsty wineaux! That’s dedication to purpose.

I have to admit, I approached the whole thing from the point of view of supporting a fellow wine geek and didn’t expect too much from the wine. How often does anyone hit it big with a first outing? Fizzy enough to tingle your tongue. Frizzante as the Italians say, and flirty, with a beautiful, somewhat deeper than salmon hue. I thought this wine was going to taste on the sweet side but it is a well balanced and more serious wine that the label might suggest. There is soft melon and strawberry on the palate and a lovely fruity finish. Very drinkable. I enjoyed it with mixed cheeses and appetizers but definitely pairs best with good company. A little hidden surprise is that on every bottle, above the label there is a peel away banner with a positive affirmation from Keryl’s book.

Debbie missed last year’s Wine Bloggers Conference due to a family illness but this year she moderated a workshop that allowed bloggers to sit down one-on-one to discuss their blog with an experienced (and prolific) blogger and receive feedback. I heard nothing but excellent feedback about this workshop. I was happy to spend some quality time with Debbie at the conference. It certainly beat meeting her in the parking lot of my office for a handoff. There are many more Happy Bitches in the world thanks to Debbie and Keryl.

Sangria – A Party in every Glass!

The Origins of Sangria

On a hot summer day, out on the patio or deck, or barbequing with friends who doesn’t love a refreshing glass of Sangria? Ever wonder how sangria came to be such a crowd pleaser? Sangria has its origins on the Iberian Peninsula, when around 300 B.C. the conquering Romans brought grapes vines with them to make wine in all of the lands they expected to occupy for millennia. They liked to bring the comforts of home with them wherever they went. Sangria is generally believed to have sprung from the southern region of Andulasia in Spain. The Romans brought red grape vines as they believed it made superior wine. It was the custom for the soldiers to refresh themselves with local wine soaked in the  citrus fruits that Andalusia was famous for. The word sangria comes from the Spanish word sangre which means blood and refers to the wine’s red color. Another source claims the Sanskrit sakkari, or sugared wine as the root of sangria.

So the Spanish had been keeping this drink as their own little secret for centuries. The only real requirements for sangria are red wine and fruit, served well-chilled. Some recipes call for brandy, or sugar, or seltzer to be added in as well. When white wine is used it is called sangria blanca, or clerico in Argentina. When peaches and nectarines are used in the southern part of Spain it is called zurra. There are many recipes for the drink and several are included below. In 1964 the Spanish finally let the secret out and introduced sangria to the United States at the World’s Fair in New York, where they served it in their pavilion at the Taberna Marisqueria. It was an instant hit.

All sangria recipes call for the steeping of fruit in the wine for several hours, preferably overnight to let the flavors of the fruit and wine marry together before serving well-chilled, and over ice. This beverage does not require the finest red wine. In fact it is the perfect use for the old-fashioned gallon jug of Carlo Rossi sangria or E&J Gallo especially if you are making a big batch to serve a lot of people. For a sangria with more depth try a Spanish Tempranillo, or a bold full-bodied Zinfandel. Any red wine can be used. Just be sure to keep the oak influence to a minimum. It doesn’t play well with the fruit. For a white sangria use a white Rioja or Pinot Grigio, or chardonnay (careful of the oak).  A Riesling or Gewurztraminer adds a little extra sweetness. Make sure to make the sangria in a large wide-mouthed pitcher or punch bowl so that you can scoop some of the fruit into each glass. Voilà, instant party!

 

1964 World’s Fair Sangria Recipe

1 bottle of red Spanish wine

2 tbsp. sugar

1 lemon, cut into slices

½ orange, cut into slices

1 oz. Spanish brandy

1 oz. Cointreau

2 cups ice cubes

1 cup cold club soda

Several hours – over the night before pour wine into large pitcher. Add sugar and mix well. Stir in lemon and orange slices, brandy, and Cointreau. Chill until ready to serve then add ice cubes and club soda. Mix only to chill well.

Basic Red Wine Sangria
The basic sangria recipe is in fact very basic:

1 bottle red wine

1 shot (or two) of brandy or other liquor

juice of 1 lime or lemon

assorted chopped fruit

The fruit you choose will depend on your tastes, but the idea is to use things that will soak up the alcohol and give their own juices to the mixture. Strawberries, grapes, peaches, oranges, kiwi, mango and melon are all good choices.

Mix all the ingredients together and chill. If you can leave this overnight, that would be great, but even a few hours to chill the whole thing down and get the flavors mixed together will be helpful.
To serve, pour some of the sangria and put some pieces of fruit in the glass. Avoid using wines that have too much oak influence.

 

Sangria Blanca

2 bottles of dry white wine

½ cup tequila

2 cups cold club soda

3 oranges, cut into slices

3 limes, cut into slices

3 lemons, cut into slices

1 ½ cups sugar

Put sliced fruit into a punch bowl. Pour in the sugar and tequila. Let the mixture stand overnight, or at least for several hours. Add ice, pour in the two bottles of wine, add club soda and mix.

 

Red, White, and Blue Sangria

 

Recipe from Kim Haasarud’s “101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks,” (Wiley, 2008)
Start to finish: 15 minutes (plus at least 4 hours chilling)
Servings: About 7 

1 bottle dry white wine
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup citrus- or berry-flavored vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup simple syrup*
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup hulled and sliced strawberries
3/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
Combine all ingredients in a large glass punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve over ice.

 

 *To make simple syrup (the sweetener used in many sangria recipes), combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan, then heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely before using.

 

 

For those watching their sugar intact:

Low Sugar Sangria – with Agave Nectar

1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz)

1 Lemon cut into wedges

1 Lime cut into wedges

1 Orange cut into wedges

3/4 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

2/3 cups Agave nectar

2 cups sparkling water or club soda

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) then add agave nectar. Chill overnight. Add sparkling water or club soda, raspberries and ice just before serving. If you’d like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. However, remember that the best Sangrias are chilled around 24 hours prior to serving. – allowing the flavors to really marinate.

White Sangria – Zurra

1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurztraminer, Rioja, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)

1/2 cup Peach Schnapps

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer your Sangria)

2 sliced peaches (frozen peach slices work well)

1 sliced orange

1/2 mango peeled and sliced

1/2 liter of ginger ale

Pour wine and Schnapps in the pitcher and add sliced peach, orange, and mango. Next add sugar and stir gently. Chill mixture for at least one hour. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. If you’d like to serve your Sangria right away, use chilled white wine and ginger ale and serve over lots of ice.

Addition ideas: sliced strawberries, a handful of fresh raspberries, kiwi slices, a shot or two of triple sec, a cup of citrus soda pop.

For the strawberry lover:

Strawberry Sangria

1 Bottle of Rosé wine (to keep to the Spanish origins of sangrias you may opt for a Rosé from Spain, a Rosado)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups strawberry lemonade

1 cup sliced strawberries (may use frozen strawberries in a pinch)

2 cups ginger ale

Pour wine in the pitcher and add sliced strawberries. Next add sugar, strawberry lemonade and stir gently. Add ginger ale and ice just before serving.

 

 

 

Wines for the Summer Wind

The summer wind came blowin’ in
From across the sea
It lingered there to touch your hair
And walk with me

 Let’s break outside the bottle this summer and try whites that are not the Queen Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chenin Blanc, and Riesling we are most accustomed to pairing with summer and sunshine. Look for these food-friendly whites next time you need something crisp and refreshing to share with friends. Your friends will thank you for introducing them to something new.

Spanish Albariño, or Alvarinho in Portugal, is a great summer medium-bodied white with a citrus scent, especially grapefruit, and a minerality from the soil in which it is grown. Look for great examples from the Rias Baixas and Galicia regions in Spain, and Vinho Verde in Portugal. This thick skinned grape grows in tight clusters and can often be found in Spain trellised on pergolas called parron. In Portugal it is often found in an even older style allowing the vines to grow up the poplar trees that grow along the edges of the vineyards. Enjoy with cerviche, grilled fish, paella, and salads. Many good examples can be found for under $15 including Martin Codax Rias Baixas Albarino.

Gewürztraminer, go ahead and say it (gu-VERTS-tra-MEE-ner) is one of the great aromatic grapes. In fact it has a reputation of being a very in-your-face scent. I for one consider it a grape that delivers a lot of pleasure before the wine ever passes your lips. It’s most characteristic aromas include lychee, rose petal, and tropical fruits. It has minerality to convey it’s terroir and makes a great summer stand alone patio sipper or pairs well with Asian-influenced dishes, curry, ginger (get the spice theme here?), and from it’s Austrian birthplace, sausages. You can go traditional with a Gewurzt from Austria but there are some fine examples being made in the Finger Lakes region of New York, especially, from Glenora Wine Cellars, Wagner Vineyards, Red Newt Cellars, and Casa Larga. All are priced under $20.

Orvieto  is a dry Italian white from the Umbria region. This wine has historically been the wine choice of popes. Floral aromas combine with pear, honey and almonds to balance with its acidity and the minerality of the chalky limestone soil of the Umbrian tufa. Harder to find than most of my other suggestions but worth the hunt. Ruffino makes an Orvieto for around $10. Pairs well with antipasto, calamari, light fish dishes, or prosciutto with melon.

Pinot Blanc is at home in Alsace and also in the Pacific Northwest. Often left behind as a choice after so many other dominant white grapes it does bear paying attention to as it is an extremely food-friendly wine. It is subtle rather than assertive in its spice and minerality with green apple, melon, and pear fruit flavors. Try with roasted chicken, flounder, or pan-seared scallops, and other simply prepared dishes. This wines works with a meal that you don’t feel like working too hard to make stand out. Sometimes simple companionship is all you need. If you want something similar but slightly bolder then go with a Pinot Gris!

Torrontés is Argentina’s singular white grape and an excellent representative of the aromatic grapes. Growing in popularity and availability this wine has a flavor profile of tropical stone fruits, honey, and spice. Pair with shellfish, grilled chicken, summer salads, and seafood. Many good choices under $15, including Doña Paula, Trivento, Crios by Susana Balbo, Hermanos, and Catena.

Vermentino is a soft (by soft I mean not powerful, but by no means flabby), dry expression of tropical citrus fruits and floral aromas, making it a good alternative to Pinot Grigio if you’re looking for an Italian white. Best wines come from Tuscany and Sardinia but some is now being grown in California. Try California’s Uvaggio Vermentino for about $15

Viognier is perhaps the Queen of the aromatics. Oz Clarke called this a wine to swoon over. Famous in the northern Rhone valley of Condrieu  in recent decades Viognier has enjoyed a new celebrity in the new world. This full-bodied white is brimming with floral scents of jasmine, honeysuckle, and primrose, and the stone fruits of apricot and peach, just to name a few, this wine barely requires one to tilt a nose towards the glass to begin to glean its delights. This is a fine sipping wine that can start a convivial conversation all on its own. No food necessary to enjoy this one. In the United States many east coast growers choose this grape. In fact the state of Virginia favors this grape as its signature white. With food try buttery sauced dishes, or cream sauces. This wine has the substance to stand up to heavier or richer foods. It is not often found in the value category but many can be had in the low $20’s.

My fickled friend,
The summer wind
The summer wind warm summer wind
Mmm the summer wind

“The grape for the millions” – The Concord Grape

The Concord grape, Vitus labruscana, the grape of choice most associated with grape juice, jelly or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is named for Concord, MA, where it was born in 1854 under the careful cultivation of Ephraim Wales Bull.

Ephraim Wales Bull was a Boston goldbeater by trade. He learned how to make gold-leaf, which was most in demand during his time for gilding, especially in book publishing. Bull harbored a passion for gardening, especially growing wild native grapes and other native fruits, which he managed to do in his small backyard garden in Boston. When advised by his physician to move out of the city for health reasons he chose a 17 acre farm in the town of Concord, MA. During the mid-1800’s Concord enjoyed a reputation as a center for literature, philosophy, and free-thinking. It was home to literary giants Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and for a few years, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ephraim Wales Bull bought the property next to Hawthorne, now called the Wayside Tavern, which was next to Amos Bronson Alcott, a proponent of the Transcendentalist movement, and father of Louisa May who grew up to write Little Women in the famed garret. So Bull moved into an interesting neighborhood.

Bull’s property had sandy soils and a southern facing slope, a condition generally considered as very favorable growing conditions for grapes. He cultivated and cross-pollinated over 22,000 native Vitus labrusca vines over 37 years, looking for a grape able to withstand the harsh New England winters and short growing season with a pleasant aroma and full flavored taste. Native varieties nearby included the Catawba, Isabella (very popular in Bull’s day), and Sweetwater. Bull, attempting to grow from seed, buried whole grapes in the ground two inches deep. By 1849 he had nursed them for six years before finding the fruit to be just what he was looking for, on what may have been an accidental seedling growing on his property. In 1854 he entered his seedlings in the Boston Horticultural Society’s Annual Exhibition and won first place.

It is at this juncture in Bull’s life that he makes his fatal business error. In such a passion to get his perfect table grape out there he began selling cuttings for $1,000 per cutting, especially targeting nurserymen. He was so passionate about having his new grape proliferate that he didn’t see the consequences. Nurserymen only had to purchase from Bull that first time. Once they had Bull’s remarkable plant cuttings they could propagate them on their own and sell from their own stock. Ephraim Wales Bull invented a very successful product that just kept showing off new benefits as the years went by, but none that translated into financial reward for Bull. He went on to invent other fruits, but ultimately died in a home for aged men, slightly bitter about his life and lack of financial success. Mr. Bull did not prosper during his life. His tombstone reads, “He sowed–others reaped.” He did not achieve wealth but he was given full credit and admiration by his peers and is recognized by the industry he spawned. Horace Greeley called the Concord the “grapes for the millions.” His papers are kept by the Concord Free Public Library.

The Concord grape has long been considered to be the perfect grape for jams and jellies. Bull’s farmstead, known today as Grapevine Cottage, still stands and the parent vine of all Concord grapes still grows there. In 1869, not long after the Concord grape’s fame had spread, a New Jersey dentist named Thomas Welch first made a non-fermented grape juice by pasteurization for non-alcoholic sacramental wine using, Concord grapes. The grape juice industry was born. Jams and jellies came later and got a big boost when Welch’s entire inventory of “grapelade” was purchased for rations for World War II soldiers by the US government. Grapelade never quiet had the ring of marmalade and thus never caught on. Thomas Welch built a company that created an industry and relocated his headquarters to Concord, MA, not too far from the original source. Today over 450,000 tons of Concord grapes are harvested each year, grown from the Finger Lakes in New York, around the Great Lakes, to Mississippi, and some in Washington state.

My wine geek friends know that most fine wine is made from the Vitis vinifera grape, and was not native to North America. Almost 500 years before Columbus supposedly discovered the New World Leif Erickson was blown off course and spent a winter along the coast of North America (many believe he was somewhere near Cape Cod, though there are many theories). So abundant were the native grapes that he called the land Vinland and returned home the next spring with a cargo of grapes. By colonial times there were people trying to turn out quality wine with native grapes. Many of the native grapes in the northeast are of the labrusca species. Labrusca, also known as the northern fox grape (for its foxy, musky aromas), make excellent table and juice grapes, but generally not fine wine. The Concord grape is often called labrusca but is more correctly labruscana because the cultivar was likely a cross between a pure labrusca and some other native species, perhaps Catawba among Bull’s seedlings.  To learn more about native American grape varieties read Indigenous American Grape Varieties, A Primer by David Mark Brown

Massachusetts Farm Wineries Pouring in Farmers Markets for Second Season

Massachusetts Farm Wineries Pouring in Farmers Markets for Second Season.