Buddy’s Select, a Texas Blend

July 3rd, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in The Taste of Wine | No Comments »

Last night I enjoyed a glass of Buddy’s Select produced by Lost Creek Vineyard. Buddy’s Select is a blend of 34 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 percent Merlot and 33 percent Shiraz with an alcohol level of 13.6 percent. The result is a wine with a deep opaque purple color. The aroma and taste was of dark fruit like black raspberries and jammy. The wine was full bodied with mild tannins on the finish.

The label on the wine is a photo of Buddy. Buddy was an orphaned dog and David Brinkman, owner and winemaker at Lost Creek Vineyard, adopted Buddy.

We paired Buddy’s Select with a grilled hamburger, mixed green salad and baked potato. It was a very nice pairing.

Lost Creek Vineyard

Lost Creek Vineyard located in Sunrise Beach, Texas is a destination site with an elegant restaurant, sushi bar and amphitheatre. Read the review on Wine Trail Traveler and discover the devastating flood the winery suffered in 2007 and how the winery has made a tremendous comeback.

Would You Buy Wine from an Internet Site?

July 2nd, 2009 by Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | No Comments »

Decanter.com reported yesterday that Vinexpo CEO, Robert Beynat stated, “the Internet is not the right medium for the sale of wines and spirits.” I do much of my shopping on the Internet so I found this comment interesting. It brought back memories of something stupid I once said about a Commodore 64. I said that my Commodore 64 would be the only computer that I would ever need. At the time I was quite impressed. It had a color monitor and took cartridges. What more could someone want from a computer?

That was back in the days that Telnet was just beginning and I wasn’t much of a visionary. Twelve computers later I’ve learned that the future is just around the corner and when it comes to computers a generation is measured in months not years. The Internet has also evolved and buying wine is just as practical as traveling to the local wine shop (assuming the state where you live allows consumers to buy wine and have it shipped to one’s home).

Perhaps Beynat’s comment also lacks vision. Wineries need to decide if they want to use the Internet as a medium for wine sales. This thought also reminds me of a statement from the past. A principal that I worked for once said that we had a choice. We could be in front of change and lead, or be behind change and get pulled along.

What do you think? Would you buy wine from an Internet site?

Celebrate the Fourth of July in Virginia

July 1st, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Wine Festivals/Events | No Comments »

Virginia wineries have an abundance of activities for July 4^th. Be sure to check out your favorite wineries and see what they have to offer visitors this weekend. Or looking for something new? Visit one of the many new wineries that have recently opened.

If you want wine, beer and music consider attending the Floyd Fandango Beer and Wine Festival. Located near Floyd, Virginia the site is off the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Blue Cow Pavilion. This event covers two days – July 4 and July 5.

Enjoy strolling between 12 breweries and 14 Virginia wineries as you listen to music from a variety of  9 different music events.

Cheers! Kathy

Take a Short 3-day Vacation to Willamette Valley for July 4th

June 30th, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Wine Festivals/Events | No Comments »

Willamette Valley wineries are celebrating July 4^th with Red White and True Oregon wines. A large number of wineries will have special events or activities for visitors from July 3 to July 5. Experience games, picnics or BBQs depending on the wineries you choose to visit.

We had the opportunity to visit several wineries in Willamette Valley and discovered quality wines and friendly tasting rooms. Some of the wineries we visited included Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Duck Pond Cellars, Erath Winery, The Four Graces, Kramer Vineyards, Montinore Estate, Ponzi Vineyards and Sokol Blosser Winery. To find out more about these wineries go to Wine Trail Traveler Oregon articles. There are many other wineries in Willamette Valley that you may want to experience. Remember to ask about the special Riedel stemware made specifically for Oregon Pinot Noir wines.

Not only will you benefit from visiting these participating wineries but so will the Ecotrust’s Farm to School Initiative. On the website page announcing this celebration of July 4^th a comment proclaims patriotism. “Be patriotic – support locally crafted wines AND healthy food & kids in local schools.”

Enjoy your vacation in Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Cheers! Kathy

Grilled Pizza and Petite Syrah

June 29th, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Wine and Food | 2 Comments »

Last night we had our first of the summer season pizza on the grill. It’s easy to make, light and it has that fresh garden flavor that is missing from frozen pizza or pizza made with canned pizza sauce. Last night our pizza was topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil straight from the garden and diced fresh tomatoes.

While there are a number of red wines that would pair well with this seasonal pizza, we chose to have a Petite Syrah produced by Keyways Vineyard & Winery in Temecula Valley, California. This wine, Spellbound, offered a very fruit forward aroma of dark berries especially blackberries. The taste was smooth and the finish offered intense fruit flavor.

This wine is part of the Famina Vita series. The series was developed to celebrate women’s lives and support women. Other wines in the series include First Crush (Rosé of Syrah), Contentment (Rhone blend) and Sweet Surrender (late harvest Sauvignon Blanc.) The artistic labels are based on artwork by artist Jessel Miller. To see the original artwork, visit the Keyways tasting room.

To find out more about Keyways, read the article on Wine Trail Traveler.

Cheers, Kathy

Beer Festivals for June 2009

June 26th, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Wine Festivals/Events | No Comments »

“It takes a lot of beer to make a good wine.” This frequently heard comment is from several winemakers who believe that a good beer can be as satisfying as a good wine. Even if you don’t care for a beer, try a beer tasting.

This weekend there are a couple of beer festivals in Colorado. Now I know that Colorado wineries produce some wonderful wines so perhaps Colorado breweries offer some great beers. Check out these two Colorado festivals: Rails and Ales Brewfest, June 27, 2009, Alamosa, CO and Colorado Brewfest, June 27-28, 2009, Oldtown Fort Collins, Colorado.

While in Wisconsin earlier this month, we toured and tasted beer at Sprecher Milwaukee’s Original Microbrewery. Normally I do not care for beer but at Sprecher there were a couple of beers that I actually enjoyed tasting. Terry enjoyed several other beer tastings after our tour.

No matter where you live consider participating in a beer tasting. Beers do vary in aromas and flavors as wines do. Enjoy the experience.

Have a great weekend!
Cheers! Kathy

Finger Lakes Wineries Article

June 25th, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Destinations/Agri-Tourism/Lodging | No Comments »

You may want to consider visiting wineries in the Finger Lakes area of New York State. It’s almost the end of June. Have you made your summer vacation plans yet? The region has a lot to offer. A couple of days ago Terry wrote an article about wineries in this popular vacation area of New York. The article has been reviewed by numerous online visitors. In case you are interested in visiting the Finger Lakes region of New York State, you may want to read this article online.

More information and photos  about New York wineries is available on the Wine Trail Traveler website.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Cheers! Kathy

Winery Newsletters

June 24th, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | No Comments »

I enjoy receiving newsletters from wineries. Some are better than others but they all let readers know what’s happening at a particular time of the year at their winery. Some go above and beyond by also including recipes, wine information and dramatic photos.

One of my favorite winery newsletters is from Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan, Texas. Their newsletter is informative and uplifting as are the owners, Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, who we met on our trip to Texas earlier this year.

Their most recent online newsletter arrived yesterday. It includes information on how to taste wine, events including what’s happening for July 4th and harvest contests. Visitors to the website can sign up on the Messina Hof’s home page.

To learn more about Messina Hof, check out the article on Wine Trail Traveler.

Cheers, Kathy

Vinopolis Celebrates Tenth Anniversary

June 23rd, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | No Comments »

This month Vinopolis in London is celebrating its 10^th Anniversary. Several events are planned throughout the summer. If you are planning to be in London, consider a visit to Vinopolis, an experience you will always remember. Vinopolis is a museum and wine tasting center located under brick arches built in the 1800s.

Here are some of their summertime events.

June 30^th Balloon Launch of 1,000 balloons - Each balloon has two tickets for a free tour at Vinopolis. Oz Clarke will be on-hand to launch the release of the balloons.

July and August: Wine & Dine specials for £19.99 – includes a tour ticket for a Vinopolis Grapevine self guided tour

Check out the Vinopolis website for more summer events.

If you would like more information about what a visit to Vinopolis is like, go to the Wine Trail Traveler Vinopolis article.

Cheers! Kathy

Sunset Splash Wine

June 22nd, 2009 by Kathy | Posted in The Taste of Wine | No Comments »

Sunset Splash was a demi (half-size) bottle of wine we had in our cellar. We decided to open it Friday afternoon and discovered how delightful it was. The color was a pale straw color. It was perfect for a warm, summer day. Door County Sunset Splash was a semi-sweet wine with 11.5 percent alcohol. The wine was delightfully refreshing and offered a pronounced fruity aroma. The taste was of pineapple, mango and banana with a finish that lingered.

Door Peninsula Winery in Wisconsin produces the wine. Sunset Splash has won several awards in competitions including at the 2009 International Eastern Wine Competition (Silver) and the  2009 Florida State Fair International Wine and Grape Juice Competition (Silver).

If you have the opportunity, give Sunset Splash from Door Peninsula Winery a taste.

Cheers! Kathy