Read today’s article in the Baltimore Sun about direct wine shipping or lack of in Maryland  “Conway Rules Out End to Wine-shipment Ban”

There are wineries in England, a few in Wales and a vineyard has been planted in Scotland next to the Ardeonaig Hotel and Restaurant. According to the Daily Record, Chef Pete Gottgens planted Riesling vines four years ago. If the weather this summer cooperates he will make a Riesling wine. The article was complimentary until the end where a wine critic was quoted. Basically the critic bashed the idea and admitted that they might be able to make wine but it won’t be “at connoisseur level.”

Some wine writers write for wine connoisseurs. Many other authors do not. The number of wine connoisseurs is a small audience compared to wine enthusiasts. I believe that it is important to empower readers with the knowledge to decide for themselves what they like and why they like it.

I applaud the planting of a vineyard in Scotland and making a Riesling wine. It will be interesting to taste the place. The terroir in Scotland is different than other wine growing regions and affords travelers an opportunity to experience wines made from grapes growing in that soil with their climate. If I have a chance to taste this Riesling I would certainly keep an open mind and appreciate the taste of the place.

Read more about wineries in England and Wales on the Wine Trail Traveler site.

In Maryland we are buried under two to three feet of snow. I have a lot of shoveling to do to reach the street that isn’t plowed yet. Since it will take a couple of days, I won’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Cooking with a slow cooker is perfect. Chili is a great item to cook in a slow cooker. It is also perfect to deal with this “Snowpocalypse” and Super Bowl. The Wine Trail Traveler site has more than 150 recipes that use wine as an ingredient. We have a couple different chili recipes. You can substitute the wines.

Barrington Cellars Cincinnati Chili calls for Baco Noir but you can substitute a dry red.

Barrington Cellars DeChaunac Chili uses DeChaunac. You can also substitute a dry red or sem-dry red.

Check out other recipes on the Wine Trail Traveler site. Recipes are listed by food category as well by wine variety.

Here’s a warm dessert for a cold snowy day, Pears in Red Wine. This recipe has been handed down in the family. Besides the obvious ingredients of pears and red wine, the recipe calls for sugar, water, a cinnamon stick and a lemon.

Cheers!

We have been told to hunker down and wait. I expect our street won’t see a plow until tomorrow if then. With ten more inches of snow to fall we probably won’t shovel the 300 foot driveway until tomorrow at the earliest. So the time affords an opportunity to cook with wine. The very first thing I made was mulled wine. Of course the recipe call for some ingredients that I don’t have. Trying to walk to a grocery store, one mile away, in about two feet of snow encourages creativity and substitution. I used a Cabernet Sauvignon that I made from a wine kit, my first attempt at winemaking. The sugar in the mulled wine covers up the taste I don’t like in the wine, geraniums. I’ve had this mulled wine before when my son made it. It is delicious. Give it a try and don’t worry about substitutions.

What can you do when you’re snowed in? Enjoy making food and beverages with wine as an ingredient.

Yesterday with the snow quickly falling here in Maryland, I decided to follow a time honored family tradition. Whenever there was a big snowstorm, my mother would mix up a batch of donuts. If it happened on a weekend, my father would stand by the stove and fry the donuts in heavy cast iron pot. After the donuts were fried, the donut holes were fried. Then after cooling, the donuts were carefully put in a plastic bag with powdered sugar and shook resulting in delicious sugar coated donuts.

Yesterday, I opted to use a recipe that baked the donuts rather than frying in oil. Okay, so I was trying to be a little more health conscious… although a light coating of butter was brushed on the donuts and I sprinkled a sugar/cinnamon mixture on top.

These donuts are not the typical ones from Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispy Kreme that I adore. However, homemade donuts can be great and they are fun to make.

The only thing I wish I had done was to add a little grape seed flour from AprèsVin. With all the snow we are accumulating this weekend, it looks like there will be plenty of time to try adding grape seed flour to another batch of donuts. I wonder which type of grape seed flour I should use???

Cheers! Kathy

The 14 1/2″ wine bottle is completely buried. I didn’t post a picture, just look at a blank sheet of white paper. However the picture below is a photo of the top cordon of a grape vine. This is the most snow that has blanketed the vines.

The snow has covered about half of the 14 1/2″ wine bottle. It is now falling at a rate of about one inch an hour. It’s days like today that I wish I was visiting wineries in New Zealand.

The snow continues and is now sticking to everything including people. Soon, I’ll have to start removing it so I can get to the wood pile that helps to keep the house around 70º. As daylight fades you notice an artscape that can only be painted by nature. The grapevines have a one-inch blanket on them for the night.

The snow’s intensity for the last three hours has increased. It is now sticking to trees, shrubs, wine bottles and wine glasses. Compare the two photos. The few pieces of grass are now covered and the bottom one inch of the label is covered.  Luckily, here in Howard County the snow is not sticking to roads and driveways, however decks are covered. The noon forecast up the amounts expected to accumulate by its end tomorrow. We can now expect between 20 and 30 inches of snow.