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Are you looking for ways to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? There is a recipe in the fall issue of the Wine Trail Traveler Quarterly that uses turkey – dark and light turkey meat, cut into 1 by 3 inch chunks. Tacchino Toscano (Tuscan Style Turkey) also calls for one cup of dry red or white wine. Stone’s Throw Winery is a very friendly winery to visit.
Cheers! Kathy
It’s been cool (cold?) and rainy for the last three days. Even yesterday I started thinking about making a mulled wine in the crockpot. The wine warmed with spices would taste good. It would also warm me up and the aroma throughout the house would be wonderful. Why didn’t I make it yesterday? I thought about waiting and sharing the experience with others and truth be told, I did get busy with other Thanksgiving duties. It’s midday here on the east coast and it’s has been raining all morning. Should I start mulled wine today or wait until tomorrow when the kitchen will become somewhat chaotic?
In any event, below are links to three mulled wine recipes in case the idea of a mulled wine intrigues you for this holiday weekend.
Connie’s Concoction http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/beverages1.php
Mulled Wine http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/beverages6.php
Glouvine (Vin Gewurtz) http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/beverages10.php
Cheers, Kathy
Gift shopping for the holidays has already begun. For the wine aficionado there are many gifts to consider and they are in a range of prices. There is an excellent suggestion about decanters at Examiner.com. Check it out. It also has links to several sites where decanters can be purchased. Of course, your favorite local winery may have a selection of decanters from which to choose.
Cheers! Kathy
No matter how many Thanksgiving dinners you have prepared in the past, you may have a question about what wine to serve or about preparing this holiday dinner for your family and friends. John Griffin has come to your rescue. In an online article at SavorSA, “Websites and Hotlines Offer Holiday Help,” Griffin has taken the time to discover 17 hotlines and websites with contact information. Many links are also provided including links to Butterball, McCormick, Ocean Spray, Nestlé Toll House and a food and wine pairing website. This is an article that you will want to keep bookmarked throughout the holidays.
Peruse the websites and perhaps you will find a recipe that you will want to make a tradition for your family.
Cheers, Kathy
Thanksgiving Day is almost here! If you haven’t decided on all of the dishes to be served, check out the recipe suggestions at http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/thanksgiving1.php. The recipes use wine as one of the ingredients. These recipes are used with permission from the mentioned wineries. If you know of a recipe we should add, please contact us at Wine Trail Traveler.
Cheers! Kathy
Somehow at the beginning of 2009, I missed the Wall Street Journal checklist about 20 things to do with wine. Today they published an update and it makes for an entertaining article as well as provides some ideas about the fun nature of wine. Check out the article Wine Notes: Doing Some of the ’20 Things to Do’ by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher.
By the way, I discovered this article because it was tweeted on Twitter by Eagles Nest Wine.
Cheers! Kathy
Price wars? It has been a long time since that term has been rampant. Actually, the last time I heard it mentioned was a couple of years ago just before Thanksgiving when the grocery stores were competitively offering turkeys at the lowest price. Hmm… haven’t heard that for this year anyway.
There is an article on Decanter.com about a Champagne price war between stores. Wow, that’s one I can really get excited about. Champagne and sparkling wines can be so good! Almost wish I lived in the UK to take advantage of it. Check out the article, “Prices plummet in UK Champagne price war” by Giles Fallowfield.
As a consumer, I like price wars. It’s great for my wallet and sometimes I can purchase something that I wouldn’t ordinarily buy. However, look at the flip side of the coin. How can the farmer, winery or manufacturer make any type of profit when there is a price war? After all, for all of the work and materials involved they deserve to make a profit.
Do you know of any “good buys” for Champagne or sparkling wine this year?
Cheers! Kathy
No wonder it is difficult to have a thriving winery industry in Maryland! Even though Maryland wineries have increased to more than forty, other states are increasing faster. Check out Virginia and Texas. Maryland has a long way to go to catch up. Part of the problem is with Maryland’s alcohol laws.
Years ago after Prohibition, Maryland made the decision to allow its individual counties to determine alcohol regulations. The result is chaos for winery owners, wine shops and consumers. Check out the article, “Growing state wine industry targets uneven alcohol laws” by David M. Johnson in the Gazette.net, a Maryland community online newspaper.
Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Howard County, Maryland is unable to sell wine because of the requirement that the winery must grow 51 percent of the grapes it uses. Kudos to Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive, who recently visited Tin Lizzie and willingly listened and gained an understanding of the existing problem with that regulation. Currently Tin Lizzie Wineworks is an “educational winery.”
Chaotic wine regulations also affect tourism. Wouldn’t you like to know whether a tasting fee is applicable or if food can be purchased in a tasting room?
In addition, vineyards are beautiful and add value to farmland. What better way to preserve farmland than to add a valuable crop like grapevines? Let’s encourage all of Maryland to support wineries and vineyards.
Cheers! Kathy
After all that holiday shopping on Black Friday, you may just need a day to relax. So how about a visit to a nearby winery? Just like any business, wineries need to make use of the holidays to promote their products. However a visit to a winery can be relaxing and in case you didn’t get your shopping completed on Black Friday, well a bottle of wine is a great gift for a wine lover. So consider Saturday, November 28 a time to visit a winery. The benefits include relaxing, enjoying wine and meeting friendly people.
Several wineries in southern Ohio are having a special event on the 28th of November. The Ohio River Valley Annual Barrel Tasting Tour will involve five southern Ohio wineries. They will have samples of unreleased vintages and award-winning wines. The award winning wines will be available for purchase. The Ohio wineries in this event include Kinkead Ridge, Harmony Hill, Burnet Ridge, Henke and Woodstone Creek Wineries. For more details, check out this information.
Whatever area of the country you live in, there is likely a winery near you. Consider a visit to the winery the day after Black Friday. You may decide you like it so much that you will want to make it a yearly tradition.
Cheers! Kathy
Enjoy Black Friday at a Winery
I’ve decided that despite tomorrow being Black Friday, I’m staying home away from the maddening crowds of shoppers. Who wants to stand in lines for hours and then maybe find out the items you want are sold out. That’s poor way to start the holidays.
Then again maybe I won’t stay home after all a relaxing dinner with wine at a restaurant sounds rather nice. Let someone else do the cooking! Then again a number of wineries are offering special deals and maybe you’ll find a winery event to enjoy. So enjoy your options and maybe a glass of wine.
P.S. On November 27, 28, and 29, Three Fox Vineyards in Virginia has a treasure hunt in the vineyards. Find coupons for free tastings and wine/ merchandise discounts! Also check out the Friday events at Keyways Vineyard &Winery in Temecula Valley, California and Ferrante Winery in Ohio.
Cheers! Kathy