About     FAQ     Contact      Advertise With Us      Press   

Stemware for Wines

January 5, 2011 – 1:01 am

What type of stemware do you use for wine or Champagne?

Shortly before Christmas, while washing a Reidel red wineglass, it slipped out of my hand and shattered in the kitchen sink. It was frustrating as Terry and I would frequently enjoy using our pair of Riedel glasses for red wines. I really like the features of Riedel stemware.  Even so, Riedel stemware is not inexpensive and to think about replacing a traditional piece and having it break so easily was not something I wanted to do.

A couple of weeks later I came across a set of stemware that looked nice and had all the qualities I wanted, Luigi Bormioli. The style is traditional and it had a 25-year guarantee. The stemware is made with SON.hyx that is transparent but according to the claims very resistant to breakage.

The style is very nice with a thin lip, which I always look for in stemware. I was impressed with the stemware and purchased a set of eight for a gift. A short time later I purchased a set of 4 champagne glasses for home. They are delightful and were perfect for celebrating New Year’s Eve with a sparkling wine.

Have you tried the Luigi Bormioli stemware made with SON.hyx? Do you like it? What is your favorite wine glass?

Cheers! Kathy

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

January 2011 Wine Festivals

January 4, 2011 – 1:01 am

During January several festivals featuring wine will be occurring throughout the US. Start 2011 off right and consider visiting a wine festival soon. Below are dates and links to 16 festivals during January. Plan a trip and discover wines, food and friends.

Cheers! Kathy

Carefree Art & Wine Festival
January 14-16, 2011
Location: Carefree, Arizona
Website Information

Niagara Icewine Festival
January 14-30, 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Website Information

The Winter Wine Festival
January 14 – February 27, 2011
Location: New Castle, New Hampshire
Website Information

7th Annual Bay View Winefest
January 15, 2011
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Website Information

The 7th Annual Taste of Compassion
January 17, 2011
Location: Harriet Himmel Theater, CityPlace, Florida
Website Information

The Winter Okanagan Wine Festival
January 19-23, 2011
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Website Information

The Annual Festival of Food & Wine
January 21-23, 2011
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
Information

Mendocino County Crab & Wine Days
January 21-30, 2011
Location: Mendocino County, California
Website Information

La Soirée des Grands Crus
January 27, 2011
Location, New York City, New York
Website Information

ZAP’s 20th Annual Zinfandel Festival
January 27-29, 2011
Location: San Francisco, California
Website Information

Key West Food and Wine Festival 2011
January 27-30, 2011
Location: Key West, Florida
Website Information

Oregon Wine, Food & Brew Festival
January 28-29, 2011
Location: Salem, Oregon
Website Information

2011 Naples Winter Wine Festival
January 28-30, 2011
Location: Naples, Florida
Website Information

The Sun Winefest ‘11
January 28-20, 2011
Location: Connecticut
Website Information

23rd Winter Wine & Food Fest
January 29, 2011
Location: Sacramento, California
Website Information

The Ninth Annual St. Louis Food & Wine Experience
January 28-30, 2011
Location: St. Louis, MO
Website Information

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

China’s Difficulty with Creating Safe Products May Now Include Wine

January 3, 2011 – 1:02 am

In the past China has had difficulties with ensuring the safety of its products. Over time products produced in China including jewelry (lead), toys and foods (tainted milk) were found to be poorly made in terms of health hazards. In addition there have been rumors that wine produced in China was being marketed with renowned wine labels from around the world.

Now according to an article, “Six detained in chemical wine scandal in China: state media” on Yahoo! News, China has shut down numerous wineries that have added possibly harmful additives to the wines. These additives have included sugar water, coloring and artificial flavoring. An industry expert has said that “… the additives could cause cardiac irregularities and headaches, and were possibly carcinogenic.”

When is China going to be held accountable for its lack of supervision over products produced in their country?

Cheers! Kathy

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

Barefoot Cellars Making the World a Better Place

January 2, 2011 – 9:48 am

Since we enjoyed the Barefoot Cellars Bubbly, I checked out the winery’s website and discovered that Barefoot Cellars is a supporter of non-profits. One of these non-profits is the Beach Rescue Project. The winery has joined with Surfrider Foundation to organize volunteers around the country. These volunteers help to clean up beaches to help keep them “Barefoot friendly.”

Other groups that Barefoot Cellars supports include the Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser in Los Angeles and the Hudson River Cruise that helps the Boys and Girls Club of New York. According to the Barefoot website, the winery has been involved with thousands of charity events.

“We’re always creating new ways for our friends and fans to get involved. Visit us often to learn about what events are going on in your hometown, or email us if you know of an event happening that you think we should support. The Barefooter motto is simple: Make the world a better place, and for that, we can always use your help.”

Check out the Barefoot website to discover more about their support of charities and their wines.

Cheers! Kathy

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

Celebrating the New Year with Barefoot Moscato Spumante

January 1, 2011 – 8:18 am

Happy New Year! We wish everyone a wonderful New Year!

We began to celebrate the New Year about seven hours early but it was great to relax with a glass of Moscato Spumante while dinner was cooking. The Champagne/sparkling wine we opened was Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante Champagne from Barefoot Cellars in California.

The wine was sweet with plenty of small bubbles. We used the pouring technique that I wrote about in yesterday’s blog, “How to Keep More Bubbles in Your Champagne.” The Moscato Spumante bubbles continued flowing towards the top while I continued to enjoy the taste. There was light fruit with noticeable orange and summer fruit nuances. While not quite as palate cleansing as other sparkling wines due to the sweetness, it was a delicious wine.

While enjoying Barefoot Cellars Moscato Spumante, I decided to check out the Barefoot Cellars website. According to the winemaker, Jen, “Black tie optional, Barefoot required! Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante Champagne is a deliciously sweet sparkling wine perfect for your next special occasion or just a night in celebrating the every day!”

Visitors to the Barefoot Cellars website will note that the price for these Bubbly wines are almost too good to be true at $10.99 a bottle. Other bubbly wines from Barefoot Cellars include Brut Cuvée, Pinot Grigio, Extra Dry and Rosé Cuvée. When you are looking for your next bottle of sparkling wine checkout what Barefoot Cellars has to offer.

Cheers! Kathy

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

How to Keep More Bubbles in Your Champagne

December 31, 2010 – 9:22 am

Just in time for celebrating the New Year with Champagne or sparkling wine.

Have you ever wondered as you poured a flute of the sparkling Champagne if you were pouring it correctly? Were you wishing there might be more bubbles or that they might last a little longer? Some studies have been done that show the positive relationship between bubbles and the taste/aroma.

Infrequently we have heard that a slight etching on the bottom of the flute will increase the number of bubbles, however I have never met anyone who has said they tried it. Besides do you really want to possibly break or mutilate fine stemware?

Others proclaim that opening the bottle of Champagne properly is the key way to preserving the bubbles in this liquid gold.

In a recent press release the American Chemical Society (ACS) reports a study that was done involving the pouring of Champagne. The study looked at Champagne poured directly into the glass and poured with the glass tipped allowing the wine to dribble down the side of the glass. The results of the study show that pouring Champagne down the side of the glass will preserve more bubbles. To read more about the study, visit the American Chemical Society website.

A glass of the bubbly to everyone for 2011!

Cheers, Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Start the New Year with this Dessert Recipe

December 30, 2010 – 1:02 am

Why not begin the New Year with a new dessert recipe? Check this pear dessert out!

Cheers! Kathy

Roasted California Bartlett Pears with Cinnamon and Wine

Ingredients

6 fresh California Bartlett pears, cut in quarters and cored
1/4 c honey
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/4 c dry red wine
1 t ground cinnamon
Glazed Almonds, for garnish (recipe follows)

Ingredients for Glazed Almonds

1 egg white
1 pkg (6 oz) sliced almonds
1/3 c granulated sugar

Directions

  1. Place pears in 9- by 13- by 2-inch glass baking dish.
  2. Mix honey, brown sugar, wine and cinnamon together in small bowl.
  3. Spoon over pears and toss gently until coated.
  4. Bake at 400° F for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.
  5. Spoon into individual dessert bowls. Sprinkle Glazed Almonds on top.

Directions for Glazed Almonds

  1. In small bowl, beat 1 egg white until foamy.
  2. Stir in 1 package (6 ounces) sliced almonds until well coated; remove almonds and drain.
  3. Toss with 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
  4. Spread in single layer and well separated on lightly oiled baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 300° F, turning frequently with spatula, until golden brown and caramelized, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Provided by California Pears

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

Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer for New Year’s!

December 29, 2010 – 8:36 am

Do You Need to Prepare an Appetizer for celebrating the New Year?

Small appetizers are a wonderful addition to celebrating New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day dinner. Appetizers are usually petite-size and provide an excellent wine friendly experience and can be as formal or as informal as you want. Appetizers are perfect for almost any celebration and provide excellent conversation starters.

Currently the Wine Trail Traveler website recipe section offers 14 different appetizer recipes. The recipes use wine as an ingredient.  These recipes include stuffed mushrooms, fondue and cocktail meatball recipes. To get you started below is one of the recipes for stuffed mushrooms. Enjoy!

Cheers!

Kathy

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Ingredients

16 large mushrooms, cleaned
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 c white wine
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 stick butter melted
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 c bread crumbs
1/4 c chicken broth
Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Remove mushroom stems and set aside.
2. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in 9″ x 12″ baking dish and top with mushroom caps. Chop the mushroom stems.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add mushroom stems, garlic and onion. Saute over medium heat, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add wine and chicken broth. Fold in breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and parsley. Remove from heat. Mound the mixture into each of the mushroom caps.
5. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, broiling for about 1 minute at the end to crisp the tops. Serve warm.

Provided by Chumeia Vineyards, Paso Robles, California.

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

Events at Wineries to Celebrate the New Year

December 28, 2010 – 9:02 am

Do you have plans for celebrating New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day? Why not check with your neighborhood winery to discover if they have special activities to celebrate the New Year? Of course, some wineries plan to be closed for New Year’s Eve and Day, so be sure to check in advance before driving to a winery tasting room.

Some examples of what you might find at wineries to celebrate the New Year include:

New Year’s Eve

Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan, Texas
Watch the Ball Drop at Messina Hof. The evening will include specialty drinks, menu items, music and a Champagne toast. For more information or to reserve a table, call 979-778-9463 ext. 244.

Lorimar Winery and Vineyards in Temecula, California
Friday, December 31st, 8:30pm – 12:30pm
New Year’s Eve Party
This celebration will include wine tasting, appetizers, live music with Kenny Marquez, party hats and horns. RSVP to Shannon@lorimarwinery.com

Thornton Winery in Temecula, California
New Year’s Eve Gala “Casino Night”
7pm-12: 30am

New Year’s Day

Time: 12: 30pm
DelFosse Winery, Virginia
Event: New Year Day 2011 Brunch

Time: 11am-5pm
Serpent Ridge Vineyard, MD
Celebrate New Year’s Weekend by visiting Serpent Ridge Vineyard

Time: 6:00pm
Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: FarmDoubt Rocks BOW!

Enjoy the beginning of the New Year!

Cheers! Kathy

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

Wineries Unlimited Early Bird Special Ends Soon!

December 27, 2010 – 9:42 am

The Wineries Unlimited Trade Show & Conference’s early bird discount ends before the start of 2011.

Changed from its previous location outside of Philadelphia, the Wineries Unlimited Trade Show and Conference will take place in the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Virginia. This conference is one of the largest wine-related conferences in the United States. It includes numerous speakers, a large trade show and the opportunity for people to network. The conference and trade show are scheduled for between March 29 and April 1.

Anyone planning to attend the 2011 conference in Richmond, Virginia can take advantage of a 20% discount by registering for the conference by December 31, 2010.

For more details, visit the Wineries Unlimited Trade Show & Conference website.

Cheers! Kathy

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

info@winetrailtraveler.com            Sitemap                      Privacy Policy

Copyright: Terry and Kathy Sullivan 2006-2013