January 1, 2013 – 6:46 pm
Kathy spent some time in the wine room and came up with a bottle of Petite Sirah. We haven’t had a Petite Sirah in quite awhile and I was anxious to try it. As usual, I pour a bit in my glass and try it before pouring the wine for dinner. The aroma sent up a warning flag. I tasted the wine and another warning flag was raised. Perhaps my tasting was off. So I asked Kathy what she thought. She too thought the wine was faulted.
It didn’t take long to identify the fault. The wine had geranium taint. The aroma and taste reminded me of scented geranium leaves. I buy scented geraniums every year and enjoy the aroma when I brush against the leaves. I also like to use scented geraniums in flower bouquet for the house. However, in a wine, geraniums is not a desired trait. My first introduction to geranium taint came as a result of the very first wine I made in 2008. There was a slight geranium taint to the wine. I noticed it and didn’t care for its influence on the wine. That was just a slight geranium taint. The bottle I opened on New Year’s Day, I poured down the drain. The entire kitchen smells of scented geraniums.
Geranium taint is caused by the addition of sorbate to the wine. The first wine I made was from a kit and there was a packet of sorbate to add to the wine. It was suppose to help stop any yeast that may be alive from fermenting in the bottle. However, since I fermented the wine to dry there wasn’t enough sugar left to make fermentation in the bottle a problem. The addition of the sorbate did create a problem.
Hopefully this is a one and only wine to be dumped this year.
Cheers,
Terry
December 29, 2012 – 8:56 am
Cakebread Cellars
The recipe for Braised Short Ribs includes red wine, star anise, orange zest along with several other traditional ingredients. This recipe is from Cakebread Cellars located in Napa Valley. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Kathy
Braised Short Ribs with Star Anise
Bay Leaf and Orange Zest
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
4 lbs short ribs, bone in
2 T vegetable oil
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 T tomato paste
2 c red wine
2 c beef broth
1 piece star anise
3 strips orange zest
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
- In a wide, heavy bottom stainless steel saucepan, brown short ribs over high heat with vegetable oil, until brown on all sides. Remove from the pan, add the vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes to caramelize.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Deglaze with the red wine and reduce by half.
- Add the beef broth, star anise, orange zest and bay leaves. Return the short ribs to the pan, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and place in the middle of the oven.
- Cook for 3 hours or until beef is tender and is pulling away from the bone.
- Remove beef and strain broth into a saucepan.
- Skim the top of broth of fat and reduce to a light sauce consistency.
- Pour the sauce back over the short ribs and serve with potato puree, noodles or your favorite accompaniment.
Enjoy with a Glass of Cakebread Cellars Zinfandel.
Recipe provided by Cakebread Cellars, California
December 27, 2012 – 5:05 pm
Looking for something to do this weekend before New Year’s Eve arrives? Check below for a few events for this weekend. Enjoy!
Kathy
Friday, December 28
Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: Uncharted Course
Website Information
Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, CA
Event: Live Music in Wine Country
Website
Saturday, Decmeber 29
Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: Joey Vanilli
Website Information
Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, CA
Event: Live Music in Wine Country
Event: Live Music in Old Town
Website
The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, OH
Reservations Available as of Thursday
Website
Sunday, December 30
Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: Yesterday & Today
Website Information
Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, CA
Event: Live Music in Wine Country
Website
December 25, 2012 – 7:19 am
Spending our first Christmas alone, Kathy and I decided to have dinner out after the Christmas Eve mass. We went to Clyde’s of Columbia and enjoyed a festive atmosphere. While at Clyde’s, we were serenaded by the Wilde Lake High School Madrigal singers. The wine list had a good selection and bottles were half off. Since Terry ordered a seafood entree and Kathy ordered a chicken entree, we decided to go with a white wine. A Friulano caught our eye and we decided to order the 2010 Borgo M Friulano.
Next year we will visit and write about some wineries in the Friuli region of Italy. Friulano is the signature white grape in this region. Recently the wine was known as Tocai Friulano; however, because of some confusion with the Hungarian Tokaji, the name was changed to just Friulano in 2007.
The wine offered a bouquet of roses enveloping yellow stone fruit with a touch of minerality. This is an easy to drink white with a slight tingle. Consider pairing with hard cheese or in our case: seafood or chicken. One can just drink this wine by itself.
Merry Christmas,
Terry & Kathy
December 20, 2012 – 11:32 am
The following blog is based on encouragement from one of our contacts Sherrie Wilkolaski at Infinity Publishing. Sherrie suggested that authors not be shy and provide people with five reasons why their books make great gifts. I went beyond five and came up with a baker’s dozen of reasons that someone would like to receive our recently published book, A Wine Journey.
- 1. Offers encouragement for someone to visit wine country
- 2. Makes a great addition to a winemaking kit
- 3. Introduces people to ways to learn about wine
- Added with a bottle of wine, it is a gift that will be remembered
- The book has a long list of grape varietals (The Wine Century Club)
- Keep A Wine Journey in the car to check off grape varietals you come across
- Its @6” x 9” size makes it easy to carry on the plane or in your carry bag
- Makes a great addition to a wine library
- Unique wine book – there is none like it on the market
- Your recipient will enjoy the book
- Makes a gift basket special
- Your intended recipient loves wine and to read
- The price is reasonable
Interested in purchasing A Wine Journey as a gift for someone or perhaps yourself, the book is available at major .com sellers including Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Books-A-Million, and Powell’s City of Books.
Enjoy!
December 19, 2012 – 7:46 am
Chatham Hill Winery, an urban winery
There is nothing better than walking into a room where a crockpot of mulled red wine is simmering (not boiling.) The aromas of spices, citrus and wine makes me think of snow, Christmas, family and peace on earth. What could be better?
Try this recipe for Chatham Hill Winery that is made with their Christmas Red Wine, a semi-sweet red wine.
Cheers, Kathy
Chatham Hill Hot Mulled Christmas Red Wine
Ingredients
1 bottle Chatham Hill Christmas Red Wine
1 cinnamon stick
1 t whole allspice
6 whole cloves
1 T orange juice
¼ t ground cinnamon
¼ C sugar
Note: Chatham Hill Christmas Red Wine is a semi-sweet red wine.
Directions
- Heat one bottle of Chatham Hill Christmas Red Wine in a crock pot (recommended) or a non-reactive saucepan over low to medium heat (do NOT bring to a boil).
- Stir in remaining ingredients and continue to heat gently until sugar is dissolved.
- Serve in coffee mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Provided by Chatham Hill Winery, North Carolina.
December 17, 2012 – 9:41 am
Brunch at Elkridge Furnace Inn
The Elkridge Furnace Inn is an historic building that has been carefully restored by Chef Wecker. The details in the woodwork, beautiful chandeliers all added to the experience.
Upon arriving at the restaurant we were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine and several delicious tidbits including: Petite Spinach Quiche, Ratatouille in Tartlettes and Petite Croissants. The sparkling wine was a Willm Cremant D’Alsace, Blanc de Noirs. This sparkling wine from the Alsace region of France was made with the Pinot Noir grape. The light straw color had green apple and citrus on the aroma and taste.
The Tasters Guild members had the opportunity to toast each other and mingle. We were introduced to an unusual and delightful way to toast when there are many people involved. One person begins the toast and touches the wine glass of the person next to him and that person clicks the glass of the next person and so on. Doing a toast this way is quick and efficient and more importantly it alleviates the awkwardness of trying to toast everyone.
Brunch Menu
The starter for the brunch was Foie Gras with French Toast and Sweet/Sour Berries served with Roederer Estate ‘Anderson Valley’ Brut Rose. The wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. To add color, the winemaker adds some additional Pinot Noir wine prior to the secondary fermentation. This effervescent salmon colored wine had many bubbles and a large amount of foam when it was poured. The starter was a delightful food combination.
The main dish was a succulent salmon filet with a garlic thyme sauce, Potato Galette, Housemade Sausage and Brioche served with Hericot Verts Nicholas Feuillatte Brut, Chouilly Epernay. The straw colored wine was a blend of Pinot Munier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It offered hints of apple on the aroma and taste.
Dessert was Fresh Fruit Sabayon served with a Santa Margherita ‘Valdobbiadene’ Prosecco Superiore. The straw colored wine was made from the Glera grape and paired well with the fruit.
All the sparkling wines were palate cleansing and paired well with the different courses.
Cheers! Kathy
December 16, 2012 – 10:49 am
"A Wine Journey" Book Signing
Yesterday was our first book signing at a winery. We signed 27 books and it was a relatively slow day at Pearmund Cellars. The winery has invited us back for another book signing in 2013. It was a great opportunity for us to meet people and hear their wine stories as well as sell copies of A Wine Journey. We are pleased and hope everyone who purchased a book will enjoy it and use it to help encourage his or her wine journey to continue.
Many thanks to Chris Pearmund who has offered his encouragement and a spot to set up the book signing. Also, many thanks to the Pearmund Cellars staff who were so friendly and efficient.
Would you like to have a book signing at your winery?
Cheers, Kathy
December 15, 2012 – 8:52 am
This afternoon Terry and I will be at our first book signing taking place at a winery. The owner of Pearmund Cellars is Chris Pearmund, one of the many people, who have inspired us on our wine journey.
When we meet you at Pearmund Cellars or other book signing events, we hope you will bring your own wine, winery and vineyard stories to share with us.
A Wine Journey is available as a hardback and paperback. Both will be available today. For those who are looking for an ebook, Amazon is now carrying it on their website.
Cheers, Kathy
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Countdown to Christmas Gift Ideas
With only a week until Christmas, are you still searching for a few last minute gifts? Check out some of these ideas for those who are connoisseurs or new to wine.
Holiday wine at Mazza Winery
Cheers, Kathy