About     FAQ     Contact      Advertise With Us      Press   

Easy Chocolate Fondue

December 4, 2010 – 1:03 am

If you haven’t decorated your Christmas tree yet, consider making this Chocolate Fondue and enjoying it while decorating for the holidays. It may also be a great addition to Christmas Eve festivities.
When cooking with chocolate, keep in mind that it burns very, very easily. Keep it on low heat and stir continuously.

Enjoy! Kathy

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

2 T Butter
16 oz Milk Chocolate
1/4 c Evaporated Milk
2 T White Riesling or River Gold Wine

Fresh fruit or Pound Cake for dipping (grapes, bananas, pineapple, oranges)

Directions

  1. Over a double boiler, melt the ingredients while constantly stirring.
  2. Pour the sauce into the fondue pot and keep at lowest heat.
  3. To serve, dip the fresh fruit into the sauce and enjoy.

Provided by Wollersheim Winery, Wisconsin

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

Easy Fudge Recipe with Wine for the Holidays

December 3, 2010 – 11:44 am

This fudge recipe that uses Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect for at home or holiday gift giving.

Cheers! Kathy

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

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

At Texas Winery, Buy Wine Get a Game

December 2, 2010 – 5:48 pm

I received an email reminder from Grape Creek Vineyards in Fredericksburg, Texas today. We visited Grape Creek Vineyards back in 2009. Their email was a reminder that it’s not too late to order six bottles of wine and receive a game, The Wacky White Elephant.

Why not visit Grape Creek and check out their wines? Also browse their gift selections available for this holiday gift giving. The winery has a warm fireplace for cool days.

Grape Creek Vineyards is one of the Texas Hill Country wineries. The Texas Hill Country wineries are featuring the Holiday Wine Trail for the first three weekends of December.

Grape Creek Vineyards website: http://grapecreek.com/

Review article about Grape Creek Vineyards: http://winetrailtraveler.com/texas/grapecreek.php

Cheers, Kathy

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

Winery Events for the 1st Weekend of December

December 2, 2010 – 1:05 am

There are lots of events at our winery partners for the first weekend of December. As you visit wineries be sure to consider wines or giftware purchases for the holidays. Check out the winery’s website for more information about events including times.

Enjoy your weekend visiting a winery!

Cheers, Kathy

Friday, December 3

Serpent Ridge Vineyard, Maryland
Event: Cigar Night
Web Info

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Music/Uncharted Course
Event: Tannenbaum
Web Info

Saturday, December 4

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: Food and Wine Pairings
Web Info

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Tannenbaum
Event: Music/Larry Smith
Web Info

Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Barrel Owners Social
Web Info

Tesoro Winery, California
Event: Rocky Osborn, Comedy Magician
Guys Night Out!
Web Info

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Serene Cindy McConnell on guitar
Web Info

Lorimar Winery, California
Event: Naomi Bolcombe, Jazz Sax
Web Info

Pearmund Cellars, Virginia
Event: Christmas Winemaker’s Dinner
Web Info

Sunday, December 5

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: “The Three Pets”sPETacular discount on 3 wines
Web Info

Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Barrel Owners Social
Web Info

DelFosse Winery, Virginia
Event: Wine and Food Pairing
Web Info

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Event: Music/Dennis Ford
Web Info

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

Air New Zealand and Wine Industry Working Together

December 1, 2010 – 11:55 am

It’s interesting to note how different industries can work together and everyone benefits. Air New Zealand and New Zealand’s wine industry is a great example of this concept. Besides offering a glass of New Zealand wine in the waiting lounge of San Francisco airport before the flight, once on board we discovered a small 50-page booklet that described the New Zealand wine industry.

Twice a year New Zealand wineries can submit their wines to Air New Zealand for reviews to be considered for serving on flights to and from New Zealand. Three wine consultants taste and decide what wines will be considered for the airline’s use. Currently, Jim Harré – International Wine Judge, Kate Radburnd –Managing Director/Winemaker from C J Pask Winery and John Belsham – Owner/Winemaker from Foxes Island Wines are the consultants.

The brochure also includes the different wine regions of New Zealand, with brief descriptions. Also included are some individual winery descriptions and wine profiles.

We did talk with a New Zealand winery owner who commented that Air New Zealand has a $20 price point and that the airline wanted to use his wines but he would lose money on every bottle if he sold it to the airline. So don’t expect to taste a $50 or $100 bottle of wine on your flight but do expect quality wines when you fly with Air New Zealand.

What other businesses are working together with the wine industry?

Cheers! Kathy

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

“Save Our Food” Holiday Festival – Local Wine & Food

November 30, 2010 – 12:05 am

Travel to Doswell, Virginia and participate in the Save Our Food Holiday Festival on December 11. The event takes place at 13111 Dawn Blvd ?Doswell, Va. According to the website, “Every year, 104,000 acres of Virginia farmland disappear forever.” Enjoy a day of local wine and food. More information is available at the Save Our Food website.

While traveling to winery tasting rooms be on the lookout for some delightful gift options. Some wineries go way beyond the usual corkscrews and stemware and offer an amazing array of possible gifts. On occasion we have been told that a staff member travels to a major city or two in search of the perfect giftware for the tasting room. (Sounds like a job, I might enjoy!)

Cheers! Kathy

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

New Zealand Wineries

November 29, 2010 – 11:25 am

We returned home last night at about 12:30am after a wonderful trip to New Zealand where we were with the Washington State University winery tour group. Our trek began in the middle of November. After we landed in Auckland, Terry and I went to visit two boutique wineries on Waiheke Island. After that we visited 18 more wineries from Auckland south to Christchurch.

The schedule left little time for shopping which was good although we thought the prices were high in most stores.

Things that surprised us were the size of many of the wineries as well as the up-to-date equipment they are using. We visited one winery producing 200,000 cases of wine and the winemaker commented that was on the low end of the middle of wine production for New Zealand wineries. Many of the wineries are exporting their wines. We sampled many Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines plus other familiar varieties including Syrah, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Many wineries are using sustainable methods in their vineyards. We enjoyed visiting Seresin Estate winery that focuses on organic and biodynamic methods.

Although we had a wonderful time in New Zealand, it’s nice to be back home.

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Tasting Rooms and Cellar Doors | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Lookout Ridge Winery Donates Wheelchairs

November 28, 2010 – 12:05 am

In January 2009 I wrote about Lookout Ridge Winery, a California winery that focuses on supplying wheelchairs to those in need. Since I was very impressed with what was happening at the Lookout Ridge Winery, I decided to check it out once again. Owner, Gordon Holmes, has a deep interest in helping to provide wheelchairs for the underprivileged. Gordon is also a wine enthusiast and appreciates high-end wines.

Besides the Lookout Ridge Winery estate wines, wines are also available that are produced by a “portfolio” of renowned winemakers.  These winemakers include Richard Arrowood, Cathy Corison, Marco DiGiulio, Andy Erickson, Greg LaFollette, Drew Neiman, Aaron Pott and Gerhard Reisacher.

Visitors to the winery’s website will discover that for every bottle of current releases purchased a wheelchair will be donated. Not surprisingly, these wines are not your $20 or $30 bottle of wine. Many of the wines are available in packs of 3, 4, 6 or cases. The current releases are available on the Lookout Ridge Winery website.

This is a great gift, for those who have everything. Even more important, it will help to provide a wheelchair to someone in need. A pdf page on the website ends with “Because of the generosity of wine lovers like you, someone now has mobility and freedom.”

Cheers, Kathy

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

Tohu Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling

November 27, 2010 – 7:52 pm

While in the Air New Zealand lounge at Christchurch airport we had the chance to taste wines from Tohu. Tohu is the first Maori owned wine company and began in 1998. The Koru symbol is predominant on the front label. This spiral symbolises growth, life and the natural world in Maori culture. It also parallels the growth, life and natural world for grapes in a vineyard. Wines are crafted with grapes grown in Gisborne, Marlborough and Nelson. With the connection to the land common for the Maori, all their vineyards are certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.

The 2009 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc was straw colored with light green hue. The aroma and taste offers mineral and citrus notes. The crisp finish ends with citrus yielding to mineral. Grapes for this wine are from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The straw colored 2010 Riesling offered yellow stone fruit and a mineral aroma and taste. The crisp finish had multiple layers of fruits and minerals and slate was predominant on the aftertaste.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Holiday Cookie Recipe with Sherry

November 27, 2010 – 12:05 am

After a wonderful Thanksgiving, it’s already time to be thinking of Christmas baking to be done. If you are looking for a new cookie recipe check this one out for Almond Sherry Cookies from Galleano Winery in California!

Cheers! Kathy

Almond Sherry Cookies

Ingredients

½ c butter
1/3 c granulated sugar
2 egg yolks, unbeaten
1 c coarsely ground almonds
½ t grated lemon zest
¼ t vanilla
¼ c Galleano Sherry
1 c all purpose flour
1/8 t salt

Directions

  1. Cream butter; add sugar slowly
  2. Add egg yolks, beat until fluffy.
  3. Ad ½ c almonds, lemon zest and vanilla.
  4. Sift flour and salt together. Stir in Sherry alternately with flour and salt.
  5. Drop by tablespoon onto remaining almonds sprinkled on waxed paper.
  6. Pick up the ends of the paper and toss dough until coated with nuts.
  7. Shape into balls of 1” diameter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Place in upper middle of pre-heated 400-degree oven.
  8. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light browned.

Recipe provided by Galleano Winery, California

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

info@winetrailtraveler.com            Sitemap                      Privacy Policy

Copyright: Terry and Kathy Sullivan 2006-2013