Home brewers and winemakers can shop for supplies at Maryland Homebrew in Columbia, Maryland. On Sunday the store closed its doors and moved to a new location during a visit by Hurricane Irene. The new location is just six doors away from the former location. Owner, Tom Brenton, was delighted about the new location. The square footage of space increased from 2500 square feet to 6750 square feet. That is more than two and a half times the size of the original location that served Central Maryland home brewers and winemakers for 16 years.

In this new location there are separate rooms for winemaking and beer making supplies. A room off the winemaking supplies room will serve as a winemaking demonstration room. There are many rooms in the new location. A library is planned for customers to sit and read wine and beer books or surf the Internet for recipes. The beer supply area is quite large and there is a separate room for the grains.

Wine and beer supplies won’t be the only thing to look forward to. Within the next couple weeks Maryland Homebrew will stock cheese making supplies. Customers can purchase rennet, cheese cultures, cheese presses and hard wax. Not only will there be cheese making supplies, the store will also stock supplies for making vinegar. Both red wine mother and white wine mother will be in stock. Those winemakers that do not like the way a wine turned out can try their skill at turning their wine into a wine vinegar.

Doors opened to customers during the regular business hours today. The staff did an incredible job moving from the old location to the new location during hurricane conditions over the weekend. Although there is more to set up over the next few weeks, Maryland Homebrew is worth a visit today.

Cheers,
Terry

Wine supply area in Maryland Homebrew’s new location

It seems September 1 is becoming red wine day with the 2nd Annual #CabernetDay and the First Annual International #TempranilloDay vying for recognition on the same day. Wine enthusiasts can choose between tweeting and blogging about Cabernet or Tempranillo. It’s unfortunate the same day has been chosen to celebrate two different wine varieties.

If you would like to participate with both wines, consider enjoying one variety today, take notes and write about it tomorrow. Enjoy the other variety tomorrow. Tweet and blog about the experience tomorrow. In fact it was noted that some people have already been tweeting using the hashtags #TempranilloDay and #CabernetDay.

When tweeting about the wines, use the hashtags #TempranilloDay and #CabernetDay.

Either way if you have a little Cabernet wine left use it to make one of these recipes.

Dark Chocolate Fudge with Savoy-Lee Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients

1 (12oz) bag of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips
1 (10oz) bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
1 (14oz) can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ c of shredded coconut
½ c of Savoy-Lee 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
1 c chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Place medium size pot on very low heat.
2. Add milk, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
3. Stir CONSTANTLY with wooden spoon until all chips are melted.
4. Add wine. Stir thoroughly.
5. Add coconut.
6. Stir thoroughly.
7. Add nuts.
8. Stir thoroughly.
9. Pour mixture into oblong casserole dish which has been lightly greased with olive oil.
10. Cover with foil and let set overnight.
11. Next day – cut, serve and enjoy. Great gift idea!

Recipe provided by Savoy-Lee Winery & Vineyard, Virginia.

Vintage Ridge Cabernet Franc with Gorgonzola Meatballs

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef, lean
1 egg, beaten
1 to 2 small cooking/boiling onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ to ½ c crumbled bleu-OR-gorgonzola cheese
½ c Italian breadcrumbs
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
½ c dry red wine
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
½ t crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
A handful of chopped flat parsley
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Package of spaghetti or egg noodles

Directions

1. Combine meat, egg, onion, garlic, cheese, breadcrumbs, & a few dashes of black pepper.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat & drizzle w/olive oil.
3. Roll small balls & drop into hot pan. Give pan a good shake & cover. Cook about 8 minutes, shaking frequently (to avoid burning).
4. Add wine and let reduce 1-2 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes & red pepper flakes, then oregano & parsley.
6. Simmer until pasta is ready. Serve over a plate of noodles or toss with entire pasta bowl.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Provided by Lindsey Charles at Vintage Ridge Vineyard & Winery, Virginia.

Thursday, September 1 is Tempranillo Day. Tempranillo is a red Spanish wine. Tempranillo is found in the Rioja region of Spain, Argentina and California. Consider setting aside a cup of your Rioja wine and using it as a marinade in the following recipe. Alternatively, pair the Tempranillo with your dinner!

Cheers! Kathy

Grilled Skirt Steak

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb skirt steak
1 c red Rioja, preferably a Reserva or Gran Reserva
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
2 T butter
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Using a fork, make a series of holes on both sides of the steak to help the marinade penetrate more effectively. In a sealable bag or non-reactive bowl, combine steak and wine; allow to marinate for a least 1 hour, the longer the better.
2. Remove meat from marinade; season liberally with salt. Reserve marinade for later use.
3. Brush heated grill with olive oil; cook steak until medium-rare, about 4 minutes on one side, then 3 minutes on the other. Remove steak from grill; rub with garlic; let rest 5 minutes.
4. While meat is resting, transfer wine marinade to small saucepan over high heat; cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Wisk in butter, salt and pepper. Spoon over sliced meat and serve.

Yield: Serves 4-6

Suggested Pairing: Tempranillo

Recipe provided by Vibrant Rioja in “At Home with Rioja”

Late August to late October is the high tourist months for many North American wineries and vineyards that have tasting rooms. It is at this time of the year that wine enthusiasts can observe the most activity in the vineyards and wineries. Although grapes have already been harvested in some wine regions, others still hang on the vines offering photographic views. Many wineries are in the process of making wine during this time offering visitors a chance to see the process.

Wine Trail Traveler has several resources to help travelers with their winery and vineyard visits. The Travel section of the website has over 60 trip itineraries to wine regions. Use these itineraries as is or use them as a tool to help you research what places to visit. There are articles written for those traveling to tasting rooms. Tasting Room Expectations gives you a sense of what to expect when you arrive at a tasting room. Tasting Room Etiquette is about how one should conduct oneself in a tasting room. It offers some do’s and don’ts. There are many different paths to wine knowledge. Those beginning on their wine journey should ask questions. For Fear of Ignorance addresses the need to ask questions.

Some wine travelers expect to see vineyards next to winery tasting rooms. It is important to keep in mind that winegrowing and winemaking are two different businesses. When tasting a wine, ask where the grapes were sourced. The wine could be made with grapes on the property, down the road or up to thousands of miles away. Start preparing now for winery visits during the next couple months.

Cheers,
Terry

Enjoy this Labor Day weekend by visiting a wine festival. If you are looking for a smaller wine event checkout your neighborhood winery. With more than 6,000 wineries established in the US, there is likely to be a winery somewhat nearby. Check the festivals below and discover one that interests you. Website links are provided so that you can get full information.

Cheers, Kathy

7th Annual Taste of Hudson Labor Day Weekend
Hudson, Ohio
September 4-5, 2011
Website: http://www.tasteofhudson.com/index-1.html
This event for adults included the North End Wine & Beer Garden.

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend
September 2-4, 2011
Website: http://www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com/
This three-day event includes winemaker lunches, winemaker dinner parties, a wine auction, and wineries bbqs.

2011 Nauvoo Grape Festival
September 2-4, 2011
Nauvoo State Park, Nauvoo, IL
Website Information: http://www.nauvoograpefestival.com/
Enjoy Rheinberger Museum tours of wine cellar and grape samples from Illinois’ oldest vineyard, tours of Weld House Museum, entertainment, pancake breakfast, volleyball, grape stomp 5-K run/walk, archery exhibit, a wine tasting by Baxter’s Vineyards and Nauvoo Grape Festival Pageant – The Wedding of the Wine and Cheese, arts and crafts show, and flea market.

41st Annual Millbrae Art & Wine Festival
September 3-4, 2011
Millbrae, California
Website Information: http://www.teamproevent.com/events/millbrae.html
Enjoy arts include paintings, pottery, jewelry, toys, leather, and glass works. Food available includes baklava, barbecue ribs, garlic chicken sandwiches, fried oysters, as well as wines and microbrews.

The TASTE – Food & Wine
September 2-5, 2011
Three locations – Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Downtown, California
Website: http://events.latimes.com/taste/
Events at Beverly Hills include Secrets from the Kitchen & Cellar, Fashion Bites Brunch,  Desserts After Dark and Picnic in the Hills. In Hollywood enjoy Art of Mixing, Taco Tequila Tryst, and Street Eats. Finally in Downtown enjoy Food Noir.

For me, the most I learned about wine was from making it. Kathy and I made wine at home from kits, juice and grapes. We made a barrel of a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot co-fermented and aged 9 months in American oak at Tin Lizzie Wineworks. We made a barrel of 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 plus months in new French oak at Vint Hill Craft Winery in Virginia. The process of making wine is an excellent learning tool.

Our next venture is to learn about cheese and wine vinegar. After learning much about wine from making it, it stands to reason that we can learn about cheese and wine vinegar from making it. We were told at Chaples Creamery in Easton, Maryland to start by making Mozzarella cheese. Numerous directions can be found on the Internet. Most of the lists of ingredients includes rennet. Finding rennet is easier said than done though.

Columbia, Maryland has several different grocery stores. The likes of Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway and Food Lion carry a good supply of common everyday items. Rennet is not an everyday common item. When in Columbia and you can’t find what you’re looking for go to the only Trader Joe’s in town. The staff is very helpful at our Trader Joe’s. They didn’t have rennet, however, they did suggest that we try an organic food store on Rt 175 called Mom’s Organic Market. Since the electricity was off at our house due to Hurricane Irene, we extended our planned outing. Mom’s is not a small grocery store. They are medium sized and have a large assortment of things organic. The customer service desk is past the fresh fruits and vegetables. We asked about rennet, and they had it. Finally on a winning streak, I thought to ask about red wine mother to make wine vinegar. Certainly a store called Mom’s should have mother. No luck there though, the store had vinegar with mother in it but not red wine mother. Off to the Internet for that item. With rennet in hand, we  will soon try making Mozzarella.

Cheers,
Terry

Last week we visited wineries on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and two wineries in Delaware. Reports of the hurricane (Irene) and tropical storm potential was a concern at some of the wineries. At one winery on Thursday they were about to pick their white grapes which had ripened early; the winemaker was in no hurry to pick the reds. We had tasted a couple of the grapes and the seeds were brown but the winemaker had recently tested the brix level and knew they were not ready.

All week we wondered what was happening to the wineries along the coast. According to some experts, it takes a week of dry weather for grapes to lose the water they absorb from rain. Of course that depends on the soil and drainage capability in the vineyard.

While I was growing up on a small farm, some might call a gentleman’s farm, I remember the agony of adults wondering if the cut alfalfa would be dry enough before a rain. For a long time, my mother would remember the summer, my oldest brother died and how she prayed to him and God that the already baled hay would be in the barn before the rain. Those prayers were answered.

Farming and grape growing have a lot in common. Both are subject to Mother nature’s innate ability to change on a whim. Too much rain, too much sun, too much wind and a variety of things which mankind cannot control can all affect the final crop, whether it be corn, hay or grapes.

Winemakers might say that the biggest difference between the the farmer growing grapes and hay or corn, is the affect that pruning and harvesting can do to the quality of the end product – wine. However, cheese makers can also make the claim that what the cows, goats or sheep eat can affect the cheese produced from the milk.

Consumers should understand the difficulties farmers and wine growers face in growing great products. Mother Nature always has a hand to play.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Cheers! Kathy

The main ingredients for this recipe include peach wine, pears, cream cheese and ricotta cheese. The next time you have the supplies try this recipe! The recipe was provided by DelMonaco Winery & Vineyards a delightful Tennessee winery with a beautiful one of a kind event room. View an article about a visit to DelMonaco Winery.

Sweet Whisper Peach Marinated Pear Tart

Ingredients

3-4 Anjou Pears
1- 1 1/2  c Sweet Whisper Peach Wine
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese – softened
1 pkg refrigerated pie crust (2 pie crusts in each pkg)
1/2 t pure vanilla
1 c powdered sugar
Toasted Pecan Halves-for garnish

Directions 

1. Peel and dice pears then marinate in Sweet Whisper Peach wine for 6 hours
2. Pinch off small sections of pie crust to each ungreased mini-muffin cup
3. Blend ricotta chesse, cream cheese, vanilla, and 1/2 c of sifted powdered sugar until creamy
4. Put filling into pie crusts and top with marinated pears
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes
6. Garnish with pecans and extra powdered sugar

So Californians have had their share of fun with the East Coast’s 5.8 earthquake. Comments such as, “We use a 5.8 earthquake to stir the milk in our coffee” were common. However, let me point out that many California earthquakes at and above 5.8 are not followed by a hurricane. So California, give the East Coast a break.

Getting to the importance of wine, what’s a good wine to pair with a hurricane? RayLen Vineyards and Winery in Mocksville, North Carolina has their best selling Cat 5. With the infrared image of the last Category 5 hurricane to hit North Carolina for its label, Cat 5 is called, by the local community, “Hurricane Juice.”

We tried the 2006 Cat 5 a few years ago. The color was a dark opaque purple. The blend was of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Syrah. The aroma offered blackberry notes and the taste was smooth with black fruit. The finish was crisp with soft tannins. There was a long fruit aftertaste.

So East Coast, forget the quake and deal with the deluge. Stock up with your version of Hurricane Juice, flashlights, batteries, water and non-perishable food supplies!

Cheers,
Terry

We discovered some lovely wines and wineries on Maryland’s Eastern Shore this week. Over the next few days we will  write descriptions of the wineries. For this weekend consider enjoying one of the following wine events. (Check the links provided for details and any changes.)

Cheers! Kathy

Thursday, August 25

Cava Winery & Vineyard
Event: Thirsty Thursday
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Event: Jazz at Sunset
Website Information

Laurello Vineyards, Ohio
Event: Pizza for the Cure
Website Information

Friday, August 26

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Face Value
Website Information

Lorimar Winery, California
Event: Friday Night “Happy Hour”
Website Information

Pearmund Cellars,Virginia
Event: TGIF
Website Information

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Taco Night
Website Information

Saturday, August 27

Blue Ridge Vineyard, Virginia
Event: Harold Cook and the Boys
Website Information

Cava Winery & Vineyard,NewJersey
Event: Wrapping Up August Weekend
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Event: Wine Dinner
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan suggests
Food & Wine Festival at Meadowbrook
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Afternoon-Romone; Evening-Uncharted Course
Website Information

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Entertainment: Time Warp Rocks
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: On the Boardwalk
Website Information

Vezer Family Vineyard
Event: “Cab and a slab in the Vines” with a twist of the Caribbean
Website Information

Sunday, August 28

Blue Ridge Vineyard, Virginia
Event: Sounds of Summer-TBA
Website Information

Cava Winery&Vineyard,NewJersey
Event: Wrapping Up August Weekend
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan suggests
Food & Wine Festival at Meadowbrook
Website Information

DelFosse Winery, Virginia
Event: Vertical Tasting Series-Cabernet Franc
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Trevor Trio
Website Information

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: A Blessing of the Vines Ceremony
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: On the Boardwalk
Event: Winemaker Walkabout
Website Information

Monday, August 29

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Tapas Tour
Website Information