Late Harvest Sweet Chardonnay

Hello my fellow wine lovers!  Over the weekend I stopped into the Liquor Barn in Lexington to pick up my favorite beer cheese, and I decided to walk around to see what they had new in their store.  I was not looking for anything particular; especially since I feel I should be supporting the place I work as a wine hostess.  Though I like to try things we don't carry in hopes that if it is good we will likely try and find away to carry it.  Needless to say I was looking at the white wines since we are starting to get into the warmer weather and I like my wine a little lighter in the summer.  I found something that caught my eye, it was this very spring looking bottle and I was surprised to see it said Late Harvest and Chardonnay.  I have seen many different brands of Chardonnay and have tasted many different ones over the years; however, I had never seen a Late Harvest Chardonnay.

This Chardonnay is made by Bodega Norton in Mendoza - Argentina and is called Sweet Chardonnay Late Harvest Series 2012. While reading the Label and saw that it was from the Mendoza region of Argentina I was kind of excited to try another wine from that region.  The last wine that I had tried from that region was the Bodega Elena 2010 Chardonnay, and it was a very good Chardonnay very rich and creamy with a nice finish. Since the label of the Bodega Norton Sweet Chardonnay had caught my eye and I noticed it was only a $10.00 bottle I just had to have it and try it.  Now it was time to research my wine to give my faithful readers some background to the wine.

Mendoza Argentina is at the foothills of the Andes mountain range.  The climate of the area is very nice in that it is mostly warm with lots of hours of sunlight.  It has a more Mediterranean characteristic making it a great place for the Chardonnay grape to flourish. The winemaker Jorge Riccitelli was awarded as "WineMaker of the year 2012" by the prestigious wine magazine Wine Enthusiast.

The sweet Chardonnay is not as sweet as I thought it was going to be.  This is very different than your normal Chardonnay.  It does not have that creamy, buttery flavor that most Chardonnay's have.  The Norton Sweet Chardonnay has citrusy and floral nose, with a natural sweetness that is well balanced.  On the palate you can taste notes of green apple, peach and I believe some pear.  The wine finishes with crisp soft floral flavor.  This wine reminds me of a Savuignon Blanc or a nice white blend.  You can pair this wine with a light salad, which is perfect for the hot summer, chicken, fresh fruit or for a special Sunday brunch.  It is best to serve this wine chilled

Look for this wine in your local wine shop!  For all you in Lexington, KY I know you can find this wine at the Liquor Barn.

It is Derby Week!

This week in Kentucky we are celebrating the 139th annual running of the Kentucky Derby!  There are so many events going on this week including the Derby wine tasting event.  This year I will not be able to make it; however, I thought I would post to my readers some of the events that are going on.   So don your hats and place your bets, and help celebrate the 139th meeting of the Kentucky Derby.

First I would like to post what is going on in my new home city.  Here in Frankfort, KY we are celebrating with a street festival on Saturday and on Friday night you will be able to find some of the happenings going around downtown. I can tell you that Capital Cellars will be having their 7th annual Kentucky Derby wine

tasting with themed wines from around the world, plus a bluegrass band "Hot Chocolate and the MarshMellows.  Capital Cellars also make the best mint juleps this side of the Kentucky River  with the most extensive Bourbon Bar in Frankfort. So on Friday night they are making mint juleps where you pick the bourbon.  Saturday is breakfast and $5.00 Mint Juleps, Mimosas, and Bloody Mary's.  

If you are going to be in Louisville checkout the Maker's Mark Lounge where they are partying all week for the Derby with their Derby Line up.  Wednesday they are having a Derby inspired  Woodford Reserve cocktail competition.  They are also having $5.00 drink specials featuring Woodford Reserve, Grey Goose, and Bacardi cocktails all night.  Maker's Mark Lounge is also hosting a Bet on Brunch from Thursday - Saturday, plus a hopping after party on Sunday. Checkout their website for more information.  For more of what is happening in Louisville checkout the flyer for Metrofest 2013.  

If you cannot make it to Capital Cellars, Maker's Mark Lounge or to Louisville and want a Mint Julep.  Here is a Mint Julep recipe and pod cast to go with it.  Remember this is a difficult drink to make and I have tried last year for our 1st Kentucky Derby and I was not as successful.  You will have to tell me if you are more successful. 

Mint Julep

1 oz of simple syrup

2 sprigs of mint

2 1/2 oz of Bourbon 

Gently bruise one sprig of mint in the bottom of a julep glass with simple syrup.  Add half of the bourbon and fill with crushed ice.  Swirl with a bar spoon until the outside of the glass frost.  Add more ice and the remaining bourbon. Stir again to frost the glass and garnish with a sprig of mint. 

* Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby.  However, feel free to use which ever bourbon you think is worthy of your drink.  

Wine Tasting Club Week 6

Welcome Wine Enthusiast!

This weeks wine is another white since we are moving into the warmer weather!  I do promise to have another red up soon though.

This weeks wine selection is a Sauvignon Blanc from the United States.

Wine Selection
Two Vines  Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Crest
Country of Origin:  United States Washington State
Alcohol: 13%
Color White (light straw color)
Cost:$ 8.99 - $13.00

Two Vines Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Crest

The Two Vines Sauvignon Blanc * Columbia Crest 2011 scored an 87/100 for Wine Spectator.  This wine is bright in flavor and zesty with a juicy finish.  

You can find this wine in the following location:

New York:

Rochester, NY:  Marketview Liquor 1100 Jefferson Rd, Rochester NY

New York City:  Great Wines and Liquors 929 Lexington Ave. New York, New York

Washington D.C.

Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits 5544 Connecticut Ave, Washington D.C.

Colorado

Applejacks Wine and Spirits 3320 Youngfield St. Denver, CO

Washington

Mad Wine 2700 4th Ave S, Seattle, WA

Belgium

Mig's World Wines 43 Chaussée de Charleroi, Brussels

Germany

Terra-Vinum  112 Lokstedter Weg, Hamburg

Happy Tasting!

Wine Tasting Club Week 5

Welcome to another week of Wine, and it is Wednesday!

Normally I like to try and alternate between red wine and white wine each week.  However, since it is almost 80 degrees here in Frankfort, KY, I felt that it might be a little warm outside for a red.  So this week is another white wine.  This wine was featured in my Sip into Spring wine  tasting weekend at Capital Cellars, and received great reviews.  Now I want to put it to the test in my virtual wine tasting club.

This weeks wine is a Gewurztraminer from Germany.

Wine Selection
Valckenberg Gewurztraminer
Country of Origin: Germany
Alcohol: 11%
Color: White ( light yellow)
Cost: $10.00 - $20.00

Valckenberg Gewurztraminer

The Valckenberg Gewurtraminer scored an 88/100 through cellar trackers.  This wine is a full body wine that is off dry in flavor. The wine has a pleasant aroma of flower blossoms and flavors of melon and peaches.  This is a nice wine for Spring or Summer.  I look forward to your reviews.

You can find this wine in the following locations:

New York 

Marketview Liquor: 1100 Jefferson Rd.  Rochester

Sip Fine Wine: 67 5th Ave. (St. Marks and Prospect Place) Brooklyn

Mister Wrights: 1593 3rd Ave ( Between 89th and 90th streets) NY, NY

Washington, D.C.

Pearson's Wine and Spirits: 2436 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington D.C.

Kentucky

Capital Cellars: 227 West Broadway, Frankfort KY

Germany

Clever Wein: 16 Heestweg, Hamburg 22143

Happy Tasting and I look forward to seeing you on the discussion board!

Wine Tasting Club Week 4

Welcome fellow wine lovers to week 4 of the wine tasting club.  Don't worry if you have missed some of the other weeks, you can always taste them and respond whenever the time is right for you.  Do not be afraid to say you don't care for one of the choice.  What I may like maybe something you may not like, and that is normal.  Trust you instincts you already know what you like so share your views with us.

So without further ado here is this weeks wine selection.  We will be tasting Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling.

Wine Selection
Chateau Ste, Michelle  Riesling 2011
Country of Origin: USA  Washington State
Alcohol: 11%
Residual Sugar: 2.23g
Color: White
Cost: $7.00 - $14.00

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling

This bottle scored 91/100 through Wine Enthusiast. 

You can find this wine in the following locations

New York:

Best Buy Liquor - 1613 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn 

My Brooklyn Wine - 211 -213 5th Ave. Brooklyn

67 Wine - 179 Columbus Ave, New York, NY

Marketview Liquor - 1100 Jefferson Rd. Rochester NY

Washington, D.C.

Calvert Woodly - 4339 Connecticut Ave. Washington, D.C. 20008

Georgia 

Total Wine & More - Perimeter Square Center 124 Perimeter Center West, Atlanta 

North Carolina 

Total Wine & More - 3615 Witherspoon Blvd. Durham, NC

Colorado

Applejack Wine and Spirits - 3320 Youngfield St.  Wheat Ridge, Denver 

Kentucky

Capital Cellars - 227 West Broadway, Frankfort KY

Liquor Barn - 1837 Plaudit Place, Lexington KY

Germany

Baden - Wurttemberg Fine and Rear Wine Retailer - 2 Oberndorfer Strasse, Rottweil 78628 

England

AG Wines - 9b Denbingh Rd. London W13 8QA

Happy Tasting and I will see you on the discussion board! 

Wine Tasting Club Week 3

Welcome!

Sorry we have missed last weeks wine tasting and we have missed this Wednesdays post deadline.  The stomach bug has gone through my house, and now people are starting to feel better, including this wine enthusiast.

So without further ado, here is this weeks wine selection.  We will be tasting  a Pinot Nori from France.

Here is our wine selection

Pinot Evil - Pinot Noir
Country of Origin: France
Alcohol: 12%
Color: Red
Cost: $6 - $12 for the 750 mil  $14.99 - $24.99 for the 3L

Pinot Evil - Pinot Noir

You can find this wine in the following locations:

NYC

Long's Wine and Liquor on Fifth Ave  between 79th and 80th street in Bay Ridge

Rochester, NY

Marketview Liquor 1100 Jefferson Rd, Rochester

Canandaigua, NY

Ryan's 73 Eastern Blvd (Parkway Plaza) Canandaigua

Virginia 

Total Wine and More 6240 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA

Kentucky
Capital Cellars  227 Broadway, Frankfort KY
Meijer Lexington

Happy Tasting!

How Sassy Are You?

Hello fellow wine lovers!  Boy do I have a wine for you!  I was shopping in Lexington (KY) at the Liquor Barn and while I was there; there was this bottle of wine that caught my eye. At $8.99 a bottle I could not resist not to buy a bottle. There is nothing like an exciting title to get some attention.  That is exactly what those two words did for me.  So for my first bottle I chose the Moscato, I was feeling like a sweet wine today.  

Sassy Bitch wine is developed by Tami Fricks, Macon, GA.  The native Georgian started her company after talking with friends on how confusing wine buying can be for the average consumer.  Tami thought that if she could bring a wine to the market that had a catchy label, but tasted great she might have something.  So Tami and her friends thought about a cute name, and settled on Sassy Bitch because, she has some of the sassiest friends.  Tami traveled throughout the world and settled on a vineyard in Chile.  Sassy Bitch wines started out with four wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.  Since then they have added two more wines, the Sauvignon Blanc, and Moscato.  While all wines are produced in Chile; the Moscato is produced in California.  The Sassy Bitch NV Moscato received 86 points in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and was also rated as a best buy and online exclusive.  This wine is considered by some market researchers as a wine that is directed towards a younger wine drinker, and possible people who are celebrating bachelorette parties, divorce parties, mothers' day gifts or other special gifts.  It has been said by some wine writers or market researchers that wine drinkers don't take these whimsical labels and wines to seriously and feel that the wine may even taste unsuitable, but I have found this wine to be delightful for the price.

The Sassy Bitch Moscato wine must be served ice cold. This wine is light and airy; However, not too sweet. The wine has soft, gentle floral notes and a fresh fruity aromas.  This is a great stand a lone wine, if I were to pair this wine with something it would be a fruit tray.  I did try to pair this wine with an easy light meal and it just made the wine bitter and not as good.  This wine really is a stand a lone wine and would go nicely with a light dessert.  Desserts like fruit, shortbread cookies, and some white chocolate. I would not rate this as my all time favorite wine. However, it is not a bad choice for the price, and it will make a great summer wine (just serve it ice cold).

If you are looking for a cocktail to try using the Sassy Bitch wines here is a video to help you!

Enjoy and bring out your inner Sassy!

Wine Tasting Club Week 2

Welcome!

Are you ready for week 2 and the new selection?  I know I am!  For this week we will be trying a Chardonnay from the great state of Washington.  

Here is our wine selection:

Chateau Ste. Michelle
Country of Origin:  USA  Washington State  Columbia Valley
Alcohol: 14%
Color: White

Chateau Ste. Michelle

This bottle scored 93 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.  I would try pairing this with roasted chicken.  

You can find this wine in the following areas. 

NYC: 

Sherry - Lehmann Wine and Spirits 505 Park Ave NY, NY

67 Wine  179 Columbus Ave NY, NY

K & D Wine and Spirits 1366 Madison Ave NY, NY
Best Buy Neptune Ave, Brooklyn NY  (possibly  hard to really tell from their website)

Rochester, NY 

Marketview Liquor 1100 Jefferson Rd, Rochester NY

Washington D.C. 

Calvert Woodley 4339 Connecticut Ave NW Washington D.C.

Kentucky:

Frankfort:  Capital City Cellars 227 West Broadway

Lexington:  Liquor Barn

                  Meijer 

This Bottle rages in price from $8.99 to $14.99

Happy Tasting and I will see you all on the discussion board! 

Wine Tasting Club Week 1

Welcome!

I am so excited you could take part in the wine tasting club.  I have decided to post the wine selection a little early.

Our first wine selection is the:

Castillo de Monseran 2010, Garnacha.
Country of origin: Spain (Northern Spain)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Color: Red

Castillo de Monseran 2010

 This bottle of wine has scored 85 points in Wine Enthusiast magazine.  I would try pairing this wine with a dark chocolate.

 You can find this wine in the following areas:

NYC:  Long's Wine and Liquor on Fifth Ave between 79th and 80th street in Bay Ridge

Rochester NY:  Marketview Liquor 1100 Jefferson Road, Rochester

Washington D.C. Whole Foods and Cost Plus World Market

San Francisco: K&L 638 4th Street, San Francisco

Hollywood: K&L 1400 Vine St. Hollywood

Frankfort, KY :Capital City Cellars:  227 West Broadway

Lexington, KY : Liquor Barn

This bottle ranges in price from $5.95 to 14.00


Happy Tasting and I will see you all on the discussion board!

Valentine's Day Pink Chocolate Chip Cookies

Normally I write about wine on this blog.  However, since it is Valentine's day tomorrow I thought I would share this recipe to my faithful followers.  This cookie would go nice with a Cabernet Sauvignon, a French wine  Banyuls, or Grenache Noir.

1 cup unsalted butter soften
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Mix well... then add
2 large eggs (beat in one at a time)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well... then add
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you use salted butter, you can leave the salt out)

Mix well... Then add your food coloring.  I used Wilton food coloring (color Rose ~ 1/2 teaspoon or until you get the desired color you would like).

Add your chocolate chips and bake at 375 for 8 minutes

Enjoy

Another Great Red Wine from Deer Run Winery

If you liked Runway Red, you are going to like Max Black.  Deer Run Winery has done it again with this great red wine.  Max Black is in honor of the winemakers’ Scottish terrier, Max and is appealing to the sweeter wine enthusiast. 

Max Black gets it deep dark red color that almost appears black from a vintage grape that is not used very much anymore, the Vincent grape.  The Vincent was developed in Ontario, Canada at the Vineland Research station in 1967, and was developed to grow well in a cold climate. This allows the Vincent grape to be one of the last varieties to be harvested in the fall. Extra care must be taken while growing this grape, and according to research there are only three wineries in the United States that makes wine using the Vincent grape.  Deer Run Winery is one of the wineries in the United States making wine using the Vincent grape.  The Vincent is very useful for blending.  When I tasted Max Black wine I thought it tasted similar to the Concord grape, because Max Black has a very grapey taste. When I checked out what grapes are in this wine, to my disbelief the Concord was not listed, but the Niagara grape was. My next thought was that maybe the Vincent and the Niagara grape blended together could create the Concord taste; however, I had to know more. I was in such disbelief that I had to contact one of the owners to explain this to me.  Scott Kuyon, one of the owners of Deer Run Winery and vineyard manager explained this strange phenomenon.  The Niagara and Concord grapes are in the same family (Vitis labrusca).  The Niagara grape can be successfully grown in any grape district in New York.  The Niagara is a white grape and is used for freshness; however, it is not as cold hardy as the Concord.  Both the Concord and Niagara grape have the same flavor profile and characteristics.

I found Max Black to be a sweet, fruity, red wine that is smooth; with a nice fresh lingering taste.  Max Black has a 5.0% residual sugar making it a slightly sweeter red then Runway Red, which has 3.0% residual sugar.  Even though I found Max Black to be a sweet wine, it went well with pot roast, pizza, and 70% dark chocolate.

Since its release Max Black has been one of the tasting room’s most popular choices along with Runway Red, and Pebble Beach.  So if you enjoy good quality wine that has a consistent taste year after year… visit Deer Run Winery where the wine sampling is free, and Joan Kuyon (owner), a retired teacher, makes sure the retail shop is filled with delicious local cheese, mustards, and jams.  You could even sit out on the lawn and enjoy a bottle of wine that has been carefully crafted by George Kuyon (owner), a retired Kodak employee, who not only loves wine but loves to create different blends for others to enjoy.     

Comer con gusto,  Jouir, Genieten, Godere, Enjoy!

Max Black $8.49/bottle (What a deal!)

 Try this recipe to go with your next bottle of Max Black

Prosciutto-Wrapped Grapes

Ingredients

·         4 1/2 ounces very thinly-sliced prosciutto, cut into 36 relatively equal strips (about 1 1/2 inches wide by 3-inches long, if possible)

·         36 black seedless grapes

·         36 decorative toothpicks

Directions

Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each grape. Arrange them on a large plate or platter and place a toothpick in the center of each grape. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings. Each (6 grape) serving has: 66 calories, 6 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, <1 g saturated fat, 17 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 570 mg sodium