If you enjoy Risotto, check out this recipe for Proscuitto and Green Pea Risotto. You may already have most of the ingredients available in your kitchen. Since it only calls for a half cup of dry white wine, enjoy the rest of  the wine with dinner.

Cheers, Kathy

Proscuitto And Green Pea Risotto

Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 c water
2 c chicken broth
2 T butter
1/2  c proscuitto or ham, diced
1 c uncooked U.S. arborio or medium grain rice
1/2 c dry white wine
1 c frozen green peas, thawed
1 c thinly sliced green onions
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 T chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 t ground white pepper

Directions

1. Heat water and broth in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add proscuitto; cook until brown around edges, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add rice and stir 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add wine; stir until absorbed.
6. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in 1 cup water-broth mixture. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed.
7. Continue stirring and adding remaining water-broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another. Cook until rice is tender and mixture has a creamy consistency, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Remove from heat; stir in peas, green onions, cream, cheese, basil and pepper. Stir until mixture is creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Recipe provided by USA Rice Federation

Shortly before Easter we traveled to several Charlottesville wineries. We were there to visit the Discover Virginia Festival. As we travel to regions we attempt to visit wineries. We had already visited and written about numerous wineries in this area of Virginia, but there were some new ones to visit. We spent a few days traveling from winery to winery to capture the stories from the owners and winemakers.

One winery owner mentioned to us that he lost money at wine festivals. People are there to taste/drink the wines but few people buy the wines. I was taken by surprise; after all, most wine festivals charge an entrance fee. Much of it most likely goes to setting up and advertising. In addition, in some if not all cases a winery pays a fee to participate in the festival. Why isn’t there a monetary incentive for the wineries that are participating? Maybe I’m missing something in the equation. But come on folks, here we have an item (wine) that is costly to produce and wineries are giving it away free! Shouldn’t their participation be encouraged by providing them with a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales?

How many businesses can afford to give away their products? For some wineries, it is a matter of marketing their brand but doesn’t that become expensive advertising?

As for festival goers, if you find a wine you like, buy a bottle or two. You can always share it with friends and family at another time!

Now for a little self-promotion -Wineries can advertise on Wine Trail Traveler.com for only $75 for an entire year. Sounds like a better deal to me!

Cheers! Kathy

Celebrate spring this weekend by visiting a winery. Just stop by a winery for a glass of wine or a wine tasting. Below is a list of winery events and entertainment.
What winery do you plan on visiting this weekend?

Cheers! Kathy

Friday, April 29

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Yesterday & Today
Website Information

Pearmund Cellars, Virginia
Event: Relax and Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF)
Website Information

Saturday, April 30

Saturday TGI Sunsets: Every Saturday Till 9pm
Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Mike Woytila
Website Information

Lorimar Winery, California
Event: Diego Mondragon/Acoustical Violin
Website Information

Slow Food Vast Wine Fundraiser
at Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event details at the Fundraisers website

Time: 4pm
Tesoro Winery, California
Event: Up close magic by Magician/Comedian Rocky Osborn
Website Information

Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Artist’s Showcase
Event: Live Music/Crys Matthews
Website Information

Sunday, May 1

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Larry Smith
Website Information

Thornton Winery, California
Event: Champagne Jazz Concert/Jesse Cook
Website Information

The East Coast is becoming more recognized as a growing and vibrant winery and vineyard region. Data shows that several East Coast states have over a hundred wineries including New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. Other states with wineries in the east include New Jersey, Georgia, Delaware, Florida and New England states.

A recent development on the East Coast is the announcement of a second wine and trade show conference coming 2012. This announcement confirms that the wine industry is increasing significantly in the East. The date for the first Eastern Winery Exposition is March 7-8, 2012.

The creators of the Eastern Winery Exposition are Bob Mignarri, Show Manager and Richard Leahy, Conference Director. According to the EWE website, “The goal is to provide the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern wineries and vineyards with an easily accessible, low-cost professional meeting with a large number of winery and vineyard suppliers at the right time of year.”

The Eastern Winery Exposition will be held at the new Lancaster Convention Center and Marriott Hotel. Lancaster is a tourist area in Pennsylvania. The Convention Center is located at 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, PA.

Anyone interested in the Eastern Winery Exposition should watch for additional information on the Eastern Winery Exposition website. Keep the March 7-8, 2012 dates open if you are interested in attending the Eastern Winery Exposition.

For another East Coast conference, the Wineries Unlimited Conference and Trade Show held in Richmond, Virginia in 2011 will announce their 2012 dates soon. Check the Wineries Unlimited website frequently for the dates. Read more information about the 2011 Wineries Unlimited event on the Wine Trail Traveler website.

Cheers, Kathy

May 7 and 8 is Mother’s Day weekend. If your mother, grandmother or stepmother enjoys wine and food, consider inviting her to one of these events. Most of the wine festivals below are on May 7. Attending a festival with someone special in your life can be a memorable event for everyone involved. Take time to plan a special Mother’s Day weekend soon!

Cheers! Kathy

May 7
8^th Annual Wein & Saengerfest
New Braunfels, Texas

This event includes wine and beer tastings, live music, art, wine seminars, grape stomp, and children’s activities.

May 7
7^th Annual Shine to Wine, a Wine & Art Festival
Downtown North Wilkesboro, North Carolina

This year’s event includes the 4^th Annual Culinary Chef Challenge. Attendees will discover art, wine, food and live entertainment.

May 7
5^th Annual AT&T Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival
Norfolk, Virginia

Enjoy tasting wines from 25 Virginia wineries. Visitors can look forward to gourmet foods and specialty merchandise. Mike Proffitt will provide a live musical performance.

May 7
Rip Van Winkle Wine & Cheese Festival
Catskill, New York

Visitors to this festival will discover wineries, breweries and more vendors. In addition this day will include raffles, door prizes and raffles. All proceeds will benefit the Village of Catskill Parks.

May 7-May 8
Wine Art Music Poetry Project
TBD in New Jersey

Visitors will find musicians, poetry readings and an artist alley where artwork will be available. Food and beverages including wine will also be available. This event is a Not-for-Profit event that supports wine connoisseurs, artists, musicians and writers. In addition, donations for congenital heart failure research will be raised.

May 8-May 15
2^nd Annual Coastal Uncorked Food & Wine Festival
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

This 2^nd Annual Festival includes wine and beer dinners, special happy hour pricing, golf tournament, untapped beer tasting event, wine tasting tent and gourmet village, a Paula Deen demonstration, a brunch with cookbook authors and the Food Challenge and Tasting Finale event.

Jess Jackson, a wine visionary leader, passed away last week at the age of 81.  Many tributes have already been accorded Jess Jackson. As founder of Kendall-Jackson Winery, Jackson played a large role in the wine industry. He has also been involved with many other careers including longshoreman, police officer, attorney, thoroughbred racing and breeding. He is probably most well known as a wine leader and his success in thoroughbred racings.

In the early 1970’s Jackson purchased an orchard and planted a vineyard. He brought Chardonnay to the forefront in the 1980’s and today Chardonnay is one of the major choices for white wine consumers. Jackson believed in the importance of sustainable farming in vineyards. He was one of the leaders involved in starting Family Winemakers of California. Today the Jackson Family collection includes wines produced in the United States, France, Italy, Australia and Chile.

According to the Kendall-Jackson website, “In 2009, Jackson was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame. At that time he remarked, ‘Wine is entirely different from liquor and beer, and I’d like to see our industry free itself from the images that are used to sell those products. Wine is a part of our cultural heritage. It has always been the traditional partner with food. Wine celebrates friends, family, and love — all of the best things in life.’

Jess Jackson had a major impact on the wine industry and deserves much credit for his forward thinking in the wine industry.

Information sourced from the Kendall-Jackson website.

Cheers, Kathy

Easter Weekend is special a special time for people and friends to gather. Any time family and friends are together, is a great time to enjoy food and beverages, including wine.

If you are looking for special foods and recipes, you will want to check out recipes, that use wine as an ingredient, on the Wine Trail Traveler website. The recipes include many categories including appetizers, desserts, entrees, salads, vegetables and desserts. If you are looking a special item for breakfast view the recipe for Tipsy Fruit Pancakes. Below is a new recipe for the website Honey Roasted Pears from Pearmund Cellars in Virginia. Enjoy!

Cheers! Kathy

Honey Roasted Pears

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 pears, firm and ripe
1 T butter, unsalted
4 t honey
½ c wine, sweet (e.g., Late Harvest Vidal)
small pitcher of heavy cream

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and set to 375 degrees F.
2. Peal, halve, and core 4 firm-ripe pears of any variety.
3. Smear 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or small roasting pan.
4. Set the pear halves cut side down in the dish. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey over each pear half.
5. Roast for 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and tilt the dish so the juices pool in one corner. With a spoon, baste each pear with the juice.
6. Continue to roast until the juices cook down to a glazed consistency and the pears are very tender, taking on a light toasted color, about another 15 – 20 minutes. Lift up the cut side of a pear, it should look nicely caramelized.  Turn off the oven and leave the pears in the oven to keep warm until serving time.
7. If the juices have completely evaporated at serving time, add a tablespoon of hot water to the pan and swirl to recreate a syrupy glaze. Drizzle the glaze over each pear.
8. Serve warm with a small pitcher of heavy cream to pour over the pears.  Leftovers are good eaten at room temperature or warmed gently.

Recipe provided by Pearmund Cellars, Virginia.

During the cold of this past winter, we did get out to go to our church to read aloud and discuss a few of the books in the Bible. One thing that struck me was the many references to vineyards and wine in Revelation, Ecclesiastes and Esther. Today many celebrate Good Friday when Jesus was offered a sponge soaked with wine. If you ever wondered about wine and vineyards in the Bible, read Meghan Sullivan’s articles in the Wine Trail Traveler Quarterly. In the current edition (p. 14) Meghan discusses Sour Wine, Hyssop, and Jesus’ Crucifixion.

Previous articles can be read in previous editions of the Quarterly. They can also be found at the Wine in the Bible section of the Wine Trail Traveler publication. These articles include:

Laborers in the Vineyard God’s Generosity: Interpreting the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
The Wisdom of Wine A Study of Wine in Wisdom Literature
Wine-Related Nicknames Vine-Symbolism in Early Syriac Christianity
Remembering and Hoping Passover and the Last Supper
The Divine Winemaker The Wedding at Cana
Dionysus– Just the God of Wine?

Cheers,
Terry

BARRA of Mendocino is celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 23 at their winery and tasting room. Wine enthusiasts will want to note that the BARRA wines are certified organic. Local artisans will be featured. Included in the festival will be food and wine pairings. Food will include Martha Barra’s vegetarian stew and Shamrock Artisan Cheeses.

In addition Moon Flower Rabbit Tree and Happy Eggers will bring baby chicks and bunnies. Imagine a photo of your children with the chicks and bunnies.

Live Power Community Farm, a biodynamic farm, will also be present. Anyone looking at alternative energy sources will be interested in the Gaia Energy Systems presentation. Gaia will also “provide inspiration on ways that we can all make a difference towards conserving Mother Earth’s precious resources.” (BARRA of Mendocino’s website.)

The Barras, owners of the BARRA of Mendocino winery, are a delightful family. Last year Charlie Barra celebrated his 65^th vineyard harvest. Charlie is an encyclopedia of knowledge. A review of the BARRA of Mendocino winery is available online. Enjoy a visit to the tasting room in Redwood Valley, California.

Cheers! Kathy

Easter Sunday is almost here! Have you decided what your plans will be for the day? While many wineries will be closed, a few will be open so check the winery schedules for this weekend.

While many wineries have good websites, numerous wineries fall back on website updates so you may want to call ahead to verify if they are open or closed on Easter Sunday.

Some wineries will have special events on Easter. These include DelFosse Vineyards and Winery in Virginia and Thornton Winery in California. Located in Faber, Virginia DelFosse Vineyards and Winery offers a delightful experience. On Easter Sunday at 1pm DelFosse will have an Easter Sunday Brunch. According to their website, an elegant Easter Sunday Brunch will be prepared by Chef Genevieve. The brunch menu includes five elegantly prepared dishes, paired with five generous samplings of DelFosse wines. Reservations are required. Reserve Now Attendance is limited.

On the West Coast, Thornton Winery in Temecula, California is planning a Café Champagne’s Easter Sunday Buffet. The buffet will offer a large selection of items such as Fresh Fruit Salad, Café Champagne Salad, Vineyard Vegetable Antipasto, Mediterranean Olive and Asparagus Salad, Boneless Short Ribs, Crab, Shrimp and Green Chili Enchilada, Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Cous Cous, Gourmet Pasta Station, Roasted Salmon, Carved Honey Spiced Ham, House Made Tiramisu, Banana Bread Pudding, Mini Desserts and Petite Fours and Chef Choice Desserts. Reservations are required for this special buffet! Call 951-699-0099.

Another idea is to check for wineries open on Easter in your region and see if they allow visitors to bring picnic lunches. Be sure to purchase wine from the winery you are visiting. While planning your picnic basket keep in mind that cold foods need to stay cold and hot foods need to be kept hot.

Cheers! Kathy