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A Wine from Portugal

July 23, 2009 – 12:11 pm

Last night I purchased a bottle of wine produced in Portugal at Caves Sao Joao. The red wine, Porta dos Cavaleiros Dao 2006, had a very dark purple color with ruby around the rim. It was a blend of  (40%) Touriga Nacional, (25%) Alfrocheiro, (25%) Aragones, and 10% Jaen. The result was a full-bodied wine with dark fruit and forest floor nuances. The wine was very fruity and smooth. The finish offered mild tannins with an aftertaste of fruit, earthiness and pepper.

This is a delicious wine and a good value  at $11.95. I am looking forward to tasting more wines from this Portuguese winery.

Cheers! Kathy

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

Hell’s Kitchen and an Australian Winery

July 22, 2009 – 8:17 am

Do you watch Hell’s Kitchen with Chef Gordon Ramsay? Do you enjoy wine? If you answer yes to both questions you’ll be happy to know that Gordon Ramsay and Rosemount Estates in Australia are working together. Just visit the Rosemount Estates website and discover several of Ramsay’s recipes with suggested wine pairings. In addition, Ramsay has listed several tips for planning a summer party. He also makes it easy to send invitations using Evite.

Cheers! Kathy

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

July Wine Events in the US

July 21, 2009 – 12:22 pm

Are you looking for a wine event, perhaps a wine festival this weekend? At this time of year there are so many wine events across the country that below are just a few I have located. Check out individual winery websites for more information about their specific events or contact your local wineries to see what events they are hosting.

Cheers! Kathy

Date: July 23-25, 2009

State: New York

Event: 2009 Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival

Website: http://www.nejazzwinefest.org

Date: July 24- 26, 2009

State: New Jersey

Event: Summit Wine & Food Festival

Website: http://www.summitwineandfood.com

Note: “East Coast’s first international, multi-day, FREE event combining fine jazz with fine wines.”

Date: July 24-26, 2009

State: Oregon

Event: 23rd Annual International Pinot Noir Celebration

Website: http://www.ipnc.org/

Note: 2009 Master of Ceremonies – Jancis Robinson

Date: July 25, 2009

State: Colorado

Event: 6th Annual Castle Rock WineFest

Website: http://www.castlerockwinefest.com

Note: Over 26 Colorado wineries are participating

Date: July 25-26, 2009

State: Missouri

Event: Berries and Barbecue Wine Trail

Website: http://www.hermannwinetrail.com

Note: Six Missouri wineries are participating in this event.

Date: July 26, 2009

State: Washington

Event: Zin & BBQ in the Park

Website: http://zinfandel.org/

Note: More than 40 Zinfandel producers will participate.

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

Garganega – an Italian Grape

July 20, 2009 – 7:37 am

In an effort to taste a new wine varietal, while at a Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro, I chose to taste a white wine from Italy. Iname Vin Soave 2007 Garganega with a yellow straw color offered a fruit aroma with a taste of mineral notes and and a touch of honey.  The wine is from Veneto. This wine would pair well with a light entree such as fish or fruit. The Garganega grape is popular in Italy. Inama is a family-owned winery. Their website offers a photo gallery, interviews with the owners and information about the vineyards and enology of the wines.

If you haven’t visited a Tastings venue yet, consider doing so. Tastings has more than 50 wines available for tasting. These wines are kept fresh using an argon system. Tastings also has a bistro with a variety of foods available to pair with the wines.

Don’t miss the opportunity to taste a new varietal and add it to your experience.

Cheers! Kathy

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

A South Africa Red Wine

July 18, 2009 – 8:13 am

Last night while at Tastings, a Wine Experience Wine Bar & Bistro establishment, I noted a wine I was not familiar with “Boekenhootskloof –chocolate block.” Ken, the manager, said that it was from South Africa. As far as price goes it wasn’t expensive but more than I will pay for a bottle of wine. However, since tastings were also available at a relatively good price, I decided to taste the wine.

Boekenhootskloof is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Viognier. The color was a deep translucent red. The aroma offered nuances of cherries while the taste was smooth with fruit and pepper. There were tannins on the finish.

I enjoyed this South Africa wine and look forward to tasting more wines from South Africa. Perhaps a visit to South Africa wineries would be delightful. When you have the opportunity to try a wine from other areas of the world, give it a try. It will broaden your view of the wine world.

What wines from South Africa have you tasted?

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Comments (2)

Connecticut Wine Festivals in August

July 17, 2009 – 9:17 am

If you will be near Goshen, CT on the first weekend of August, consider attending The Connecticut Wine Festival in northwest Connecticut. Some of the wineries involved include Bishop’s Orchards Winery, Chamard Vineyards, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Sharpe Hill Vineyard, Priam Vineyards, Gouveia Vineyards, Rosedale Farms & Vineyard, Land of Nod, Miranda Vineyard, Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Hopkins Vineyard, White Silo Winery and Jones Winery. Tickets are available at any number of the state’s wineries or by phone. Tickets may be purchased in advance for a $5 savings. Free parking is available.

Visitors to the wine festival will enjoy local wines, specialty foods, fine arts & crafts and music. Attractions will include Jerrod Cattey Double Trio and the Shawn Taylor Duo.

Visit the Connecticut Wine Festival website for more details.

Later in the month, save August 15 and 16 for the Shoreline Wine Festival. Check Bishop’s Orchards Winery website for more details.

Discover and enjoy Connecticut wines.

Cheers, Kathy

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

Subscription Based Websites – Appellation America

July 16, 2009 – 8:58 am

If you haven’t heard yet, Appellation America has now changed from a free wine and winery information online service to being subscription based. Ow! That hurts and yet I understand. It hurts because I consider it a great resource and a good way to fact check items. As owners of the Wine Trail Traveler website, we do understand the amount of work, time and information that goes into producing a great website. While the subscription rate for Appellation Ameria is a low $4.95 a month. That ‘s almost $60 a year. Pay by the year and save a little. Imagine if you have a website drawing 10,000 subscribers, that amount quickly adds up.

My question for you is, would you pay a low monthly rate to have access to a website? Are there others ways besides subscriptions and online distracting ads, to make money with an information-based website?

Cheers! Kathy

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

“Buy Local Challenge”

July 15, 2009 – 9:33 am

A couple of years ago, Southern Maryland started a “Buy Local” campaign. Since that time the program has spread throughout Maryland. Whether you live in Maryland or another state, consider taking the  2009 “Buy Local Challenge.” Participants try to eat one product from a local farm each day. Remember to include local wine as one of your local choices. While the “official” campaign runs from July 18 until July 26, why not try to extend “buy local” all summer long? For more about buying local, read the article on examiner.com.

Cheers, Kathy

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

Wine Tasting Notes Booklet by Gormaya

July 14, 2009 – 8:11 am

A few days ago we received a sample of the TasteNote Wine booklet that Gormaya has published. This thin paperback is perfect for your pocket, purse or glove compartment. Take it to a restaurant and discreetly record tasting notes for the wine you enjoy with dinner.

TasteNote Wine booklet is designed with two opposing pages dedicated for each wine. The first page is separated into categories including wine style, wine origin, wine varietal, color and celebration occasion. Each one of these categories can be quickly circled. The second page has space for the wine name and wine notes, date, address, email, website, telephone, price and alcohol content. Descriptors are also included on the 2nd page and include ratings that can be checked. General descriptors include sweet, acid, tannin, oak and body. Finish descriptors include strength and length while Sparkling wine descriptors include intensity, quality and feel. Each booklet has room to evaluate fifteen wines.

In the future, I would like to see a blank line added to the celebration, origin and varietal categories. Users can then write an entry if a descriptor isn’t present.

TasteNotes are available at the Gormaya website. According to their website these booklets are available for wholesale at $200 for 100 items. It’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas stocking stuffers. If you enjoy making wine gift baskets, these would be ideal to add to a gift basket with a bottle of wine. If hosting a wine tasting party, these booklets could be provided for the guests.

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Comments (1)

Berks County Wine Trail, Pennsylvania – Winery Event

July 13, 2009 – 8:53 am

Berks County Wine Trail is located in Pennsylvania. The eight wineries are in the region surrounding Reading, PA. When you plan your visit, locate lodging and plan to spend a couple of days.

On August 8th and 9th, the eight wineries on the trail will be hosting “Cool Wine Treat Weekend.” This is your chance to visit eight Pennsylvania wineries. Each winery will use local wines to create an icy cold drink.

Clover Hill Winery will offer Summertime Mimosas. Treats at other wineries will include Wine Slushies and Wine Jello Shots. For more information about the event, visit the Berks County Wine Trail website.

I had the opportunity to visit and write about Pinnacle Ridge Winery and Clover Hill Winery. The countryside is beautiful and a lovely getaway from city congestion.

Cheers! Kathy

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

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