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Croatia’s Olive Oil Production

March 5, 2013 – 12:01 am

One of the joys of traveling is the food connection. While in Croatia later this month for IWINETC, we are looking forward to learning about the cuisine as well as the Croatian wine varieties and olive oils.

A few days ago Terry noted that we are almost out of olive oil in the kitchen. Recalling that I had read that Croatia has olive groves, I figured we would wait to buy olive oil while in Croatia. According to some online sources, Croatia has only 0.2 percent of the world’s global olive oil market.

Tourists will discover large areas of Croatia along the Adriatic Sea with many olive groves. According to the International Olive Council, the majority of the olive oil groves are less than one hectare.  In 2009 only 10 producers had more than 50 hectares. Croatia has 30,000 hectares (74,131 acres) of olive groves. More acreage is added each year. Today Croatia is home to many olive varieties. However, olive varieties are dominated by the Lastovka, Drobnica, Buža, and Oblica varieties.

According to “Croatian Olive Oil” booklet published in 2012, “Findings of olive pits in Vrnjica, near Split, prove that the olive was cultivated for five centuries prior to the Greek settlement in the area.” Ancient olive oil presses have been discovered on Brijuni island where it is also reported that a 1600-year-old olive tree is growing.

Like numerous areas of the world that have wine trails, the Istria region of Croatia has “olive oil roads.” Olive oil producers have setup tasting rooms. Look for opportunities to discover Croatian olive oil tasting sites.

While visiting Croatia be on the look out for Croatian olive oils. Reportedly, Zagreb the capital of Croatia has an Olive Oil Gallery. I am hoping to make a quick trip to investigate and hope they offer olive oil tastings.

Cheers!

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Apple Bacon Tomato Soup Recipe with Noiret

March 2, 2013 – 12:01 am

While many areas of the country continue to have cold winter weather, this recipe for Apple Bacon Tomato Soup with red wine is a great way to warm up. My family knows that I love bacon so this is going to be one of my personal “keeper” recipes.

This recipe for Apple Bacon Tomato Soup is from Flying Otter Vineyard and Winery in Adrian, Michigan. Please note that the recipe is from Sharon Anway who made the soup using Flying Otter’s Noiret.

Apple Bacon Tomato Soup

Recipe from Sharon Anway, made with our Noiret.

Ingredients

5 slices bacon
½ white onion, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef stock
1 (15.5-oz) can pinto beans (drained)
1 (14.5-oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the apples in the red wine until soft, don’t overcook.

2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon from pan, coarsely chop, and set aside.

3. In same pan, sauté white onion, garlic and celery in the bacon grease over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender.

4. Stir in beef stock, pinto beans, tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat.

5. Add the bacon, apples and red wine into the soup mixture.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until well blended.

7. Can be topped with cheese if desired.

Serve with Italian or French bread.

The owners of Flying Otter note, “It says it serves 8, but I’d say 4 is more realistic.”

Recipe provided by Flying Otter Vineyard and Winery in Adrian, Michigan

By Kathy | Posted in Wine/Food/Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Vina Croatia 2013 Masterclass Seminar: Beyond Plavic Mali: Croatia’s Other Indigenous Varietal Wines

March 1, 2013 – 7:46 am

Although much smaller, the Vina Croatia seminar reminded me of the Texas Sommelier Conference we attended in 2007 after the first Drink Local Wine Conference in 2009. While the Sommelier Conference was an all day affair, the Vina Croatia was just a little over an hour long with nine wines.

The Vina Croatia event took place in a long room with two rows of curved tables stadium style centered in front of a cooking area with stainless steel appliances. At each place setting were six wine glasses with white wines and three with red wines.

The guest speaker Cliff Rames was enthusiastic and shared his enthusiasm for Croatian wines. According to Rames, Croatia can be divided into four distinct regions that include the 1) Croatian uplands, 2) Istria and Kvarner, 3) Slavonia and Danube, and 4) Dalmatia. Rames noted that Croatia has 64 recognized indigenous grape varieties. The big three indigenous varieties are Graševina, Malvazija Istriana and Plavac Mali. Currently Croatian winemakers produce 60 million liters. He described the wineries as mostly small producers creating handcrafted boutique wines.

The first wine tasting began with Damjani? Malvazija 2011 produced with the grape variety Malvasia Istriana. The other Croatian wines fetured included:

Nada Žlahtina 2011: Grape variety: Žlahtina
Boškinac Gegi? 2011:  Grape variety: Gegi?
Kutjevo Graševina Vrhunska 2011: Grape variety: Graševina
Korta Katarina Pošip 2010:  Grape variety: Pošip
Matoševi? Antiqua 2008: Grape variety: Malvasia Istriana
Bibich R6 2009: Grape varieties Babi?, Lasina, Plavina
Babi?  Vrhunski 2009: Grape Variety: Babi?
Koziovi? Teran 2011: Grape variety: Teran

During the discussion of the wines, Cliff mentioned the spotlight on Croatian wines. Terry followed up mentioning that Zagreb will host the International Wine Tourism Conference on March 15th and 16th. After this delightful presentation, we are very enthusiastic about our visit to Croatia and learning more about their wines, meeting old acquaintances and making new friends.

Cheers,
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Vina Croatia, 2nd Annual Portfolio Tasting

February 28, 2013 – 7:43 am
Vina Croatia at the Astor Center in NYC

Vina Croatia at the Astor Center in NYC

Vina Croatia 2013 took place in New York City at the Astor Center. We arrived a few minutes early and waited for several minutes with other media members enthusiastic about tasting the wines of Croatia.

The Astor Center is home to the Astor Wine Shop located on the lower (basement) level of this historic building. A few steps up in a narrow area, a table was set up for registration. People filed to the right into a large a room, picking up  a copy of the Vina Croatia Tasting Booklet 2013. The first few pages include information about the World Heritage wines found in Croatia. Grape discussions are described with a few photographs. The wineries were assigned table numbers 1 thru 20 and each wine was numbered from 1 to 99. The tasting book noted the grape varieties and the Croatian region. Receptacles (dump buckets) were available at each table. With so many wines to taste frequent use was made of the buckets.

Prior to the Vina Croatia event, we planned our strategy. Certain producers were of special interest to us so we made sure to find them, taste their wines and talk with them about their winery. As members of as the Wine Century Club were also interested in tasting grape varieties we had not tried before.

Grape Varieties

Some of the Croatian wines we tasted that are not familiar with many people included Plavic Mali, Pošip, Teran, Malvasia Istriana, Graševina, Babi?, Žlahtina, Kvarner, and Gegi?.

Tasting unusual wine varieties is a great experience – there are just so many delightful wines to try. Many of these Croatian wines we tried are available in the United States, so when you have the opportunity try something unusual and it may just appeal to your taste bud.

Cheers,
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Croatian Wines

February 27, 2013 – 7:58 am

Preparing for the International Wine Tourism Conference in Zagreb, Croatia next month, we experienced the Second Annual Portfolio Tasting, Vina Croatia yesterday at the Astor Center in New York City. We had a preview of some of the wines we will be exposed to in Croatia. Croatia makes wines from some of its 64 indigenous grapes. They also craft wines from international varietal grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Some of their wines are called by their Croatian names, such as Traminac and Pinot Crni. Traminac is Gewürtztreminer and Pinot Crni is Pinot Noir. We learned that the grape Graševina is indigenous to Croatia. The name Welch Riesling is a synonym; however, Welch Riesling is Graševina and not the other way around.

At times one feels that this is a small world. At one of the tables the winery owner recognized me from my presentation at the IWINETC in Perugia last year. She said she took a lot of notes during my presentation and used some of what she learned as they are opening a tasting room at her winery. She plans to attend the IWINETC in Zagreb this year. We met others that are also planning to attend the conference in Zagreb. Giving that conference a mention, I suggested during a session, Beyond Plavic Mali that people should attend the conference next month. We are certainly looking forward to the conference and the chance to explore Croatia wine regions.

Cheers
Terry

Just a sample of Croatian wines

By Terry | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Destination: Vina Croatia in NYC

February 25, 2013 – 3:34 pm

As February draws to a close, it is time to look forward to March. For Kathy and me, that means looking forward to our visit to Croatia, it wines, people, vineyards and the International Wine Tourism Conference. At last year’s IWINETC, Vina Croatia presented some of the wines from Croatia. The well organized event wet the appetite for attendees. During the wine tasting session, 15 wines were presented from 14 producers. The wineries present represented three of Croatia’s wine growing regions: Danube/Slavonia, Istria and Dalmatia.

IWINETC attendees had the opportunity to taste white wines made from Graševina, Malvasia, Istriana and Pošip as well as red wines Plavic Mali and Babi?. There were also a few international varieties including Gewürtztraminer, Merlot and Syrah. We have always been interested in trying new varietal wines.

To further wet our appetite, we are en-route to New York City. Tomorrow Vina Croatia will have their 2nd Grand Portfolio Tasting at the Astor Center. Thirty producers will be on hand to present 100 wines. We are looking forward to tasting wines made with varietal grapes that are new to us. We plan to visit four of the thirty wineries next month in Croatia and perhaps a fifth winery during the IWINETC. We have already contacted several other wineries that will be present at Vina Croatia and have done email interviews with them. We plan to write articles for each winery we visit in Croatia as well as the ones at Vina Croatia that have responded to our emails. So far we have drafts of stories about Vina Belje, Boškinac and Roxanich.

Spending a few days in New York City also gives us an opportunity to visit our daughter Erin. Surprisingly, it was Erin who met the winemaker at Bibich a few years ago and had him autograph a bottle of his wine for Kathy and me. Croatia has been on our radar ever since and we look forward to the opportunity that the International Wine Tourism Conference has presented by holding their conference in Zagreb.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Slow Food Vast Wine Event for Charity – April 27

February 25, 2013 – 12:01 am

Set aside April 27 to enjoy the annual Slow Food Vast Wine event at Rappahannock Cellars in Huntly, Virginia. Tickets can be purchased online.  A description of a Rappahannock Cellars experience is also available online.

Food and Wine

The evening begins with a glass of wine and a passport to food and wine regions. Local food and wine pairings are emphasized. According to the Slow Food Vast Wine website,  “Stamp your ‘passport’ in travel-themed areas showcasing award-winning regional wines tastefully paired with gourmet tapas-style offerings with fresh, “beyond organic” locally-sourced ingredients.”

Auctions

As guests enjoy the inspiring pairings, they can bid on silent auctions including locavore, wine and travel. After the Silent Auctions close, a Live Auction begins. Auction items include a variety of  items. Last year the auctions included a staycation, olive oil, an escape to Malta, and much more. The live Auction is followed by dessert and Port. Towards the end of the evening a drawing for raffle items take place. Door prizes are also part of the fun.

The Slow Food Vast Wine event is an annual local food and local wine event that benefits the John XXIII Montessori Children’s Center. 

If you will miss this event, consider a donation:

“Can’t attend but want to help? Donate today! Slow Food Vast Wine and John XXIII Montessori Children’s Center is a registered 501 (c)(3) Non-profit corporation, Federal Tax ID # 83-0363790. Your contribution is tax deductible. “

Cheers! Kathy


By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Short Wine Webisodes from Kevin Zraly

February 22, 2013 – 5:51 pm

Kevin Zraly is perhaps best known as the creator of the Windows on the World Wine School. He established the Windows on the World program  in a New York City restaurant. Over the years he has authored several editions of Windows on the World, with the latest one published in 2012.  Last year I reviewed his Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. My review is available online. As Zraly continues to explore more wine regions, I look forward to reading his next book. In the meantime he has created webisodes.

Zraly Wine Webisodes

Kevin Zraly has now made four very short webisodes that were recently released. These less than 60 second youtube bits show him to be friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. While I have not met him, he appears to be someone you could sit down with and enjoy a glass of wine while discussing the world of wine.

If you have ever visited a wine shop and wondered how to pronounce a German wine name, in the German Wine Pronounciation  Zraly pronounces several names arranged from dry to sweeter.

In the second webisode Using Your Senses to Taste Wine, Zraly emphasizes the importance of the sense of smell when tasting wines.

In another episode, Pronunciation Tips for Italian Wines, emphasis is placed on the region of Tuscany. In the Best Wine Value episode, Zraly says that when visiting a wine shop, he looks for the country then region and then the specific wine variety. While noting that he is happy when he can find a $50 bottle of wine that tastes like $500 bottle of wine, he says that there are numerous good value wines under $20.

Kevin Zraly Wine Stopper and Wine Glass Charms

For anyone interested in wine stoppers and wine glass charms, special Kevin Zraly accessories are available on the Internet. The wine stopper is silver plated with a silicone tip and says, ” MAY ALL YOUR VINTAGES BE GREAT! The charms come with a set of eight in a box. Each charm has a rectangular shape attached to the charm ring. Each charm features a different word related to wine such as FRESH, BOLD, SEDUCTIVE, and DELICATE. The box, with a hinged back, provides a great place to store the charms when not in use. Inside, the top of the box has a small selection of the words used in Zraly’s wine course to describe wine. In his course he uses 500 words to describe wine. The list with the charms includes 35 of these words. 

A gift of Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, a Zraly wine stopper and set of wine charms would be a gift that would be remembered and used time and time again.

Images: Provided by K. Connors of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., NY

Cheers! Kathy

 

 

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Is Wine Losing its Romance?

February 21, 2013 – 9:31 am

I recently read an article by Richard L. Elia titled Wine’s Decline The romance of wine is spent. The article was posted on the Quarterly Review of Wines website. The author spoke of why the print version of the Quarterly Review of Wines was abandoned. One of his reasons was that the romance of wine was what attracted the writers to the magazine. Now that romance seems to have evaporated. Elia tells of an experience at a restaurant in Boston. A couple asked the wine steward about a wine. The steward pulled out his cell phone and showed them a numerical rating. During the meal, the couple was observed using their cell phones and not spending time in dialogue. Is this an example of the end of romance surrounding wine?

I don’t believe so. True, people can tell stories where wine was involved in a setting that was dull and unromantic. However, there are also stories today where wine is shared by passionate people who love wine, food and friends. Here is my tale that may help Elia not give up hope. We were visiting family in Michigan a couple of days ago and had dinner at The Hill in Grosse Pointe. My brother asked me to select a wine from his cellar. I chose a wine that Kathy and I made in 2009. It has been awhile since we’ve tasted it, and I was curious how it had matured. There were four of us who drank the wine, all passionate about wine. We looked, smelled, tasted, swallowed and talked about the wine. We have all had it before and were pleasantly surprised at how much better it was now than a year ago. This led to a discussion of aging wines. My brother invited our server to get a glass and try the wine. She tasted the wine and had other staff taste it. They were complimentary. We never mentioned numbers, just what we observed and felt about the wine.

Perhaps the ingredient for wine’s romance is the mixture of wine, food and friends. If the friends are also passionate about wine, wines romance will come out in the discussion rather than quantitative rankings. This is just one little story. As I thought about the romance of wine, I always seem to come back to the blend of wine, food and friends. This is a combination that is timeless and doesn’t evaporate in the time of smart phones and numbers.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Passport to Woodinville Welcomes Wine Lovers

February 20, 2013 – 1:36 pm

Woodinville, just outside of Seattle, is home to numerous wineries both large and small. Travelers and tourists do not need to travel far between wineries. The area, only 30 minutes from Seattle, is not known for vineyards, as the weather is not conducive to growing quality wine grapes. Wineries source grapes from the Walla Walla, Prosser and other regions of Washington where grapevines can thrive in the climate.

Passport to Woodinville, an annual event, takes place April 20-21. Each participant (ticket holder) receives a passport and a commemorative wine glass. The passport entitles wine lovers to a one-time entry at the Woodinville wineries that are taking part. More than 35 Woodinville wineries are taking part. To get the best ticket prices order now.

Tickets are available online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/328962.

Ticket prices: $65 two-day pass; $55 Sunday-only pass through March 17;  $75 two-day pass; $65 Sunday-only pass after March 17.

Woodinville Reserve Event – April 12

Woodinville Wine Country is also planning for the Woodinville Reserve event the week before Passport to Woodinville. The Reserve event will take place at Columbia Winery. More than 40 wineries will pour wines that have been rated 90 and over. Other special low production wines will also be available. Enjoy tasting these highly rated wines with gourmet bites created by local restaurants.

Tickets for the event are $125. This price includes a two-day pass to the following weekend’s Passport to Woodinville. Tickets are available online at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/333301.

We were fortunate to be able to visit and write about several wineries in the Woodinville area. With the wineries relatively close together, it makes a great place to visit for a day or a week.

Cheers! Kathy

 

 

 

 

 

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Events | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

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