Since becoming involved with wine and travel, I’ve found myself more interested in the history, story and innovations behind other food categories. For instance there is a similarity between wine, cheese, olive oil and vinegars. Mankind has been making these foods for centuries. Also, fermentation is a common step in making many of these items. Somehow with the combination of history, producing and tasting these foods are all connected in some manner.

In January, Wine Trail Traveler will introduced a companion website about Food. Food tidbits and recipes including cheeses, olive oils, grape seed oils and vinegars will be the focus of this companion website. The companion website will feature many photos for everyone’s enjoyment. The companion website is set to debut in January 2012.

My recent research involved balsamic vinegar.  I discovered a new twist on the use of balsamic vinegar. On November 14, 2011 Heinz is releasing a ketchup product made with a hint of balsamic vinegar. Beginning in November this Heinz specialty ketchup will only be available on the Heinz Facebook page. Otherwise the product will not be available in stores until the last of December. If you’re interested in getting a head start on using the Heinz ketchup with balsamic vinegar, be sure to check out the Heinz on Facebook. For more details read, “Ketchup Moves Upmarket, With a Balsamic Tinge” by Andrew Adam Newman in the New York Times.

Balsamic vinegar has been around for centuries. It can be produced in different ways that can make a vast difference in the taste and price. Producing quality balsamic vinegar can take many years to make. As a result a small bottle of the balsamic vinegar can cost as much as $50 or more.

Add some flavor to your life and try this new Heinz product.

Cheers! Kathy

On Thursday November 10, Luxehome working with Wine Spectator is sponsoring the fifth annual CHILL. This is an international wine and culinary event featuring worldwide wines paired with cuisines from 40 chefs. Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a sophisticated food and wine event while enjoying the large selection of Luxehome items for home renovation and building in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.

The event is from 6pm to 8:30pm. However, from 5 to 6pm there will be a  VIP tasting reception to benefit the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras organization. The VIP event will include seafood tastings paired with wine from Domaine Serene Winery. For more information about Domaine Serene read this article.

The benefits of this exciting event include Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and the Lynn Sage Foundation. The Respiratory Health Association focuses on promoting healthy lungs, and fighting disease with education and research. The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras has five orchestras, a Music Pathways program that focuses on elementary school students and financial aid for private music lessons. The Lynn Save Foundation was set up for finding a cure of breast cancer.

Purchase tickets online at https://www.microspec.com/tix123/eTic.cfm?code=CHILL2011 .

Luxehome located in The Merchandise Mart of Chicago is easy to find. Consumers and designers can enjoy viewing high-end luxury items for their homes and design work. Use the opportunity to discover Luxehome, enjoy quality wines and food while helping those in need at the same time.

Cheers! Kathy

Just in time for the fall season which for many means fresh apples. Even better it’s a dessert recipe with one apple, raisins and a dessert wine. Try it some time this weekend and enjoy!

Enjoy!

Apple Raisin Risotto

Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

2 T firmly-packed brown sugar
1 T butter or margarine
1 medium unpeeled apple, cored and diced
1/4 c seedless raisins
1 c uncooked U.S. arborio or medium grain rice
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t salt
1/4 c Marsala or other dessert wine
1 c apple juice
4 c water

Directions

1. Heat sugar and 1 tablespoon butter in large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Add apple and raisins; saute quickly.
3. Add rice, salt and cinnamon; stir 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add wine; stir until absorbed.
5. Increase heat to medium high; stir in apple juice. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until juice is absorbed.
6. Continue stirring and adding water, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another, until rice is tender and mixture has a creamy consistency.
7. It will take approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe provided by the USA Rice Federation

Maryland has five wine trails with more than 50 licensed wineries. Two of the wine trails have joined for an event this weekend  The Frederick and Carroll Wine Trails Go Local. On Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30 several wineries are pairing their local wines with locally made and produced products. A visit to several wineries will provide you with the opportunity to buy anything from cheeses, meats, organic vegetables to gift baskets and of course wines. It’s not too early to begin your holiday shopping so take your list with you!

Black Ankle Vineyards, who won the Maryland Governor’s cup for their Slate wine, will have available in their tasting room, local cheeses. The cheese will be from Cherry Glen Creamery, Chapels Country Creamery and Firefly Farms.

Cygnus Wine Cellars will have a variety of local products. Ferguson Family Farm will have pasture raised meats available for sale. Organic vegetables will be available for sale from Side by Side Farm. On Sunday, photography will be available and music will be provided by Smart Music Studio.

At Elk Run Vineyards & Winery, Zia’s Cafe will prepare local pulled pork sandwiches and “grown up” macaroni and cheese from 12N to 4pm. On Sunday Izzy’s Chocolates will be in the tasting room.

Galloping Goose Vineyard located at the end of a very long driveway is worth the trip. With a purchase of a glass of wine, a complimentary “fall treat” will be provided.

Look for local products and a Halloween sale on select wines at Loew Vineyards.

Orchid Cellar Winery, a recent winery, features Polish-style meads. The tasting room will feature Millhouse Candles who specializes in 100 percent beeswax products.

Serpent Ridge Vineyard will have custom made wine gift baskets for the weekend. Hawks Hill Creamery cheeses will be available on Saturday. On Sunday look for jellies produced by Roving Radish Free Range Vegetables and locally made jewelry.

Michael Reed, artist and designer, will have renaissance designs available at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards.

Enjoy finding out more about Maryland wine and local products this weekend. Working together creates a sense of good will and harmony for the local communities.

Cheers! Kathy

Over the next few days numerous winery tasting rooms will be hosting Halloween activities, be sure to check the wineries out near you to see what they have planned. Also take a look at some of the earlier blogs that highlight individual Halloween events.

Cheers! Kathy

Thursday, October 27

Cava Winery & Vineyard, New Jersey
Event: Thirsty Thursday
Website Info

Friday, October 28

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Wine Dinner
Website Info

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Dennis Ford
Web Info

Pearmund Cellars,Virginia
Event: TGIF
Event: Set Sail for Virignia Wine Month with Washington Wine Academy Cruises
Website Info

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Movie: Rocky Horror Picture Show
Event: Set Sail for Virginia Wine Month with Washington Wine Academy Cruises
Website Info

Saturday, October 29

Cava Winery & Vineyard, New Jersey
Event: Sussex Wine Trail & Halloween Weekend
Website Info

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

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: Annual Halloween Celebration
Website Info

The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Entertainment: Damon and Dave
Event: First Annual Fall Arts and Crafts Festival
Event: A Fright Night Wine Dinner
Website Info

Sunday, October 30

Cava Winery & Vineyard, NJ
Event: Sussex Wine Trail & Halloween Weekend
Website Info

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Fireside Jazz at Sunset
Website Info

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Dave Sterner
Website Info

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: Annual Halloween Celebration
Event: Race Through Tuscany 5K Returns
Website Info

Monday, October 31

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: The Pink Boat Halloween Extravaganza (in Lansing, MI)
Website Info

Anyone who has visited many winery tasting rooms has probably heard, “Wine is made in the vineyard.”  Wait a minute! Is the speaker trying to tell you that you can just squeeze a pound for so of grapes in the vineyard and you’ll have your glass of wine! No, I don’t think so….

The problem as I perceive it is that winery staff are trying to impress upon consumers the importance of the vineyard without giving due respect to the winemaker.

Sure, you can’t make a quality wine from vineyard grapes that are not cared for correctly. The winemaker can guide the wine into a direction that is desired. At the same time the winemaker, knows how to bring out the characteristics of the grapes he has to work with. The winemaker can also minimize what he does in the winery so that the grapes reflect the grape variety, terroir, and viticulture of the grapes. If the winemaker desires and public demands he can add oak notes or sweeten the wine.

Terry has made an excellent observation, “One can take the same grapes from a vineyard with two different winemakers making the wine; the two wines will be different.”

No matter how one looks at the bottle of wine, the vineyards supply the grapes after careful tending by the vineyardist. The winegrowers will decide the amount of water (if the vineyards are irrigated,) what and when to drop fruit, leaf pulling and more. Once the decision is made to harvest the grapes and this is often a winemaker decision, the winemaker makes numerous decisions involving the crushing of the grapes, aging, oak or no oak, length of aging and much, much more.

So when you hear that  “wine is made in the vineyard” yes owners of vineyards are proud of the vineyards and the terroir their vineyards offer. Nevertheless the winemaker who changes the grapes into wine also has a significant effect on the wine.

Cheers to the winegrowers and winemakers who make quality wines!

Kathy

I find it interesting to read answers to wine questions. Local Wine Events sends out a newsletter that not only lists wine events in your region, but also has answers to questions. In today’s newsletter there was a question titled “Muscadine vs Muscato.” The writer wanted to know if the health benefits reported by literature for the muscadine grapes apply to Muscato grapes. The question was answered by an expert who totally avoided the question and lost the opportunity to educate. The expert’s answer praised the questioner’s desire to look at the research. That response was certainly very appropriate but where is the teaching?

The Italian Muscato grapes belong to the species Vitis vinifera. Also known as Muscat, these grapes are grown all around the world. Muscadine grapes are predominately grown in the south eastern region of the United States. They are a different species of grapes known as Vitis rotundifolia. The Muscadine grape family has many cultivars including Black Beauty, Carlos, Fry, Magnolia, Scuppernong and hundreds of others. There is a fair amount of medical research on the health benefits of Muscadine grapes. Check out the article by the United States Department of Agriculture. Some of the universities in North Carolina have done research about the health benefits of Muscadine grapes.

In short, Muscadine and Muscato are completely different types of grape species. There is literature that points to the health benefits of the Muscadine grapes. What about wine? While in a North Carolina winery it was mentioned that Muscadine wine has ten times the resveratrol than that found in red wine made with Vitis vinifera grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon. When I mentioned this to a friend the response was, “I’d rather have ten glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Cheers,
Terry

Check out these wine festivals and events for the first weekend of November. What a great way to start November! It’s not too early to start searching for your holiday wines!

Cheers Kathy

Big Sur Food & Wine Festival
November 3 – 5
Big Sur, California
Tickets are available online.

This is the third Big Sur Food & Wine Festival. The event will be in Caramel, California at the Highlands Inn. After the Grand Tasting, the Lifestyle Auction takes place. Auction items include winemaker dinners, overnights at Big Sur resorts, wine packages and a Matt Hotch motorcycle. This year the festival will benefit the non-profits of The Big Sur School Council, Henry Miller Library and Big Sur Health Center.

Tri-Cities Wine Festival
November 4 – 5
Kennewick, Washington
Tickets are available online.

The Three Rivers Convention is the location of the Tri-Cities Wine Festival. Events include Best of Show Wine Dinner, Seminar: Time & Terroir-A Sensory Experience, Gala Wine Tasting and Silent Auction.

18th Annual Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival
November 4-6
Carefree, Arizona

Discover 165 artists with more than 5,000 works of art at the Annual Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival. Visitors to the festival will see sculptures of diverse materials, photography, paintings, jewelry and more. Wines from around the world and food will be available. Live entertainment will enhance the experience.

Wine & Mushroom Fest
November 4 – 13
Mendocino County, California

Enjoy mushroom dinners, exhibits, guided mushroom foraging walks and workshops on wine-and-beer pairings.

Wine & Food Celebration
November 6
Springfield, Missouri
Ticket Information

Enjoy wine, beer, food with live music.

The Northwest Food & Wine Festival
November 5
Portland, Oregon
Ticket Information

This event takes place at The Doubletree by Hilton Lloyd Center. Live music accompanies more than 600 wines plus gourmet food tastes. Chefs and sommeliers will be about to answer questions. Gourmet food, wine and kitchen products will be introduced.

Visitors to Maryland’s Eastern Shore including the tourist areas of Ocean City and Assateague Island can enjoy a visit to a small group of wineries named “Four on the Shore”. We discovered Four on the Shore back in the summer while visiting the area.

Four on the Shore includes Layton’s Chance Vineyard & Winery, Costa Ventosa Winery & Vineyard, Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery, and Fenwick Wine Cellars. Travelers will want to note that Fenwick Wine Cellars is located in Delaware. These wineries are diverse and wine travelers will enjoy the different types of experiences at each winery.

On October 29 from 5pm until 10pm, visitors can enjoy celebrating Hallo”Wine” at Costa Ventosa Winery & Vineyard. Hallo”Wine” celebration includes a haunted vineyard, bonfire, hayrides, facepainting, music, smores, and wine. What more could someone ask for to celebrate Halloween?

Tickets bought in advance are $10 for children, anyone over 21 the price is $20. Tickets can be purchased at the individual wineries or online. The PJ Aldridge Foundation, established for awareness and research for a lung cancer cure, will receive part of the ticket sales.

Enjoy visiting Maryland’s Eastern Shore for its beautiful farmlands as well as its delight views of the Atlantic Ocean. Take time to learn about the wines at the Four on the Shore wineries.

Enjoy discovering the “Four on the Shore” wineries along the Eastern Shore.

Cheers, Kathy

Ohio has a whole list of wineries located along six wine trails. Whether you are looking for a winery with a restaurant, a boutique winery or a large production facility, you will enjoy learning about the Ohio wines and wine history. Several wineries have charity events during the year.

Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley is an organization made up of Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards.

On November 12, 2011, the Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley is sponsoring a Turkey Trot Progressive Wine Tasting Event. The even takes place between 12Noon and 5pm. Tickets are $5 at each winery. Those who bring in a canned food item will receive $1 off their ticket price. If you want the savings and plan to visit all five wineries have five cans of food with you.  Reservations are not required. Wines to enjoy with these Thanksgiving type appetizers will be provided. This provides a wonderful opportunity to discover wines to purchase and enjoy for the holidays.

Wineries with each appetizer include:

Debonne Vineyards: Turkey Slider
Ferrante Winery: Pumpkin Tart
Grand River Cellars: Pumpkin Soup with roasted pumpkin seeds and toast points
Laurello Vineyards: Italian Zucchini Appetizer
St. Joseph Vineyards: Stuffing with apples, cranberries, and walnuts

We’ve visited four of these Ohio wineries and believe you will enjoy the wineries and the experience.

Enjoy traveling to Ohio wineries and participating in the Turkey Trot Progressive Wine Tasting Event.

Cheers! Kathy