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Try this Fresh Berry Cheesecake Recipe for Valentine’s Day!

February 11, 2018 – 6:06 pm

Celebrate Valentine’s Day  Fresh Berry Cheesecake

Try this recipe for Fresh Berry Cheesecake for Valentine’s Day or any special day of the year. The recipe calls for 1 or 2 Tbsp Ferrari-Carano Eldorado Noir. This special recipe is provided by Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. 

Fresh Berry Cheesecake

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling

8 oz light cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp half & half
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Topping

2 cups fresh assorted berries: black, red, raspberries, blueberries, thoroughly chilled (or thawed frozen berries with no added sugar)
1/2 cup blackberry preserves
1 or 2 Tbsp Ferrari-Carano Eldorado Noir

Directions for Crust

1. To make crust, combine brown sugar, walnuts, flour and melted butter and mix together until crumbs adhere when they are pinched together. Press into 10-inch tart shell with a removable bottom and bake 12 to 15 minutes in preheated oven at 350°. Cool.

Directions for Filling

1. For the filling, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, half & half, lemon juice and vanilla and beat well.

2. Pour into crust and bake 20 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature before adding fruit.

Topping

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, thin blackberry preserves to a syrupy glaze with 1 or 2 tablespoons of Ferrari-Carano Eldorado Noir.

2. Pile fruit on top of cheesecake. Spoon preserves over it. Chill.

3. Bring to room temperature before serving. To serve, release sides of pan, transfer to serving platter and cut in wedges.

Recipe provided by Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery

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

How Wine Enthusiasts Can Make the Most of Lent Part 1

February 11, 2018 – 9:52 am

Tsolikouri grape vines in the country Georgia.

When I was a child I had to decide what to give up for Lent. Candy came to mind. Since I eat very little candy now, it does not seem right to give up something for Lent that I probably would not have anyway. Material goods are a challenge to give up for Lent. By the way, wine is not on our list of items to give up during Lent.

Last year, someone posted an image on Facebook that showed a list of non-material concepts that would be good to give up for Lent. Some of the items on the list included fear, impatience, worry and the need to please everyone. As Kathy and I looked over the list, we came up with examples of wine-related concepts for wine enthusiasts to give up for Lent.

Give Up: Fear

Try a wine from a grape variety you have never tried before. Don’t be afraid to try some of the thousands of varietal grapes that are used to make wine. Although the international grape varieties are most plentiful, with a little searching, you can try wines crafted with grape varieties that are new to you. Specifically look for wines from the country Georgia, Portugal, Italy and the lesser known areas of France. You may discover a wine that you like.

Cava made with Xarel-lo and Macabeo

Give Up: The Need to Please Everyone

It is unusual that a wine will please everyone at a dinner party. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. However, there are some go to wines that pair well with occasions. At a Lenten dinner party serve a cava made from the traditional Spanish grapes Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada. Don’t worry about needing to please everyone. Wine enthusiasts who prefer a blanc de blancs made with Chardonnay or a blanc de noirs made with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier may not be delighted with the cava, nor will people who don’t like bubbles. It is hard to please everyone, especially with a wine.

Give Up: Envy

Give up envy for Lent by purchasing a less expensive bottle of wine rather than a more expensive bottle of wine and donate the difference to a charity. Avoid resenting the less expensive bottle of wine and take heart that your donation will help others.

Give Up: Impatience

I actually learned not to be impatient while making wine. Make a mead and wait patiently for the mead to clear on its own. Hint: this might not happen until next Lent. After fermenting the mead and racking to a carboy, our mead was cloudy. It remained cloudy for nearly a year then cleared quickly, almost overnight. One has to be patient with wine. Patience extends beyond making meads. Purchase a case of a red wine and let it age for a decade or longer. This requires patience. After bottling our first barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon, I wanted to open a bottle every month. It was like a child and you want to see how the child is doing. After a year, though, I lost my impatience and decided to try a bottle once every six months or so. Luckily I now have a few cases left of the 2009 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cheers,
Terry & Kathy

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

Champagne Francis Orban

February 10, 2018 – 9:27 am

Francis Orban pours samples of his champagnes at APVSA tasting in Washington DC.

In January we attended a wine tasting put on by he APVSA, Association for the Promotion of Wines and Spirits in North America, tasting in Washington DC. Present at the tasting was Champagne Francis Orban. The champagne house has been in the business for four generations beginning with the founding by Léopold Orban in 1929. The generations continued with Gaëtan Orban, Pol Orban and now Francis Orban.

The family’s vineyards lie about nine miles from Epernay in the Marne Valley. The soils are composed of mostly clay-limestone. These vineyards are ideal for Pinot Meunier.

I met Francis Orban at the APVSA tasting. He grew up with both of his parents in the champagne business. In 1999 Francis completed his studies and joined the family business. In 2007 he started his own champagne house.

Champagnes

Millésime 2011

I tasted three champagnes. The Extra Brut was composed of 100% Pinot Meunier. The yellow colored champagne was aged for three years and had a dosage of 3 g/L. There were multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a center mousse on the wine’s surface. The champagne reminded me of red berry fruits, citrus and freshly baked bread. This champagne can pair as an aperitif and with salmon and even grilled beef ribs.

The Brut Reserve was crafted with 100% Pinot Meunier. The gold colored champagne was aged for two years and had a dosage of 9 g/L. The champagne had multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a mousse on the center of the surface. There were notes of yellow fruits and freshly baked bread. Pair this champagne as an aperitif or with grilled foods.

The Millésime 2011 was a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier. The yellow colored champagne aged for six years and had a dosage of 3-4 g/L. In the glass the champagne had multiple columns forming a center mousse. There were notes of apple, citrus and freshly baked bread. The champagne pairs with shellfish and beef dishes.

Champagne Francis Orban is looking for distributors in the United States.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Wines from Domaine Passot sas Rémy & fils

February 8, 2018 – 9:35 am

Domaine Passot’s Bourgogne Gamay from Domaine Passot

In January, when we attended the APVSA (Association for the Promotion of Wines and Spirits in North America) wine tasting in Washington, DC I had the opportunity to visit the table with several Domaine Passot sas Rémy & fils’ wines. While tasting the wines, I saw the intense enthusiasm that represents the Passot wines.

Domaine Passot is located in the Beaujolais region of France. The winery owns 11 hectares (27 acres) of vineyards in several locations.

At the APVSA “Wine at a Time” event, Domaine Passot was offering tastings of:

  • Chiroubles, Gamay 2017
  • Régnié Gamay 2016
  • Morgan Gamay 2016
  • Bourgogne Gamay 2014
  • Gamay ancestral methode demi-sec-Coup d’Bulles Rosé
  • Viognier 2016

The Bourgogne Gamay 2014 was harvested by hand and harvested from grapevines that averaged 50 years of age. The wine was a translucent reddish color. The wine offered a light earthiness with dark red fruit notes. The wine was medium-bodied with tannins and crispness. The finish was dry and the taste lingered on the palate. According to the winery website: “The Bourgogne Gamay is a new regional appellation since the 2011 vintage. The grapes that are used must be exclusively from Beaujolais crus.”

Morgan Passot 2016 was produced with hand harvested grapes from grapevines that averaged 46 years of age. The wine was a translucent red color. The Morgan Passot offered notes of fruit including plum. This full-bodied wine was dry with tannins. The finish had bold tannins with a long finish.

About Passot Remy et Fils

Dominique (owner) is the daughter of winegrowers. As a young girl she said that she would never marry a winegrower. Rémy (owner)  is the son of winegrowers and eventually found his calling to be a winegrower and winemaker.

By 1989, Dominique changed her mind and married Rémy. Dominique left her career as a hairdresser and became very involved with the wine growing. In 2014 many changes occurred. According to the website, “The owners of the vineyard where Dominique et Rémy worked in addition to their Domaine PASSOT, (SCEA de RAOUSSET – CHATEAU de RAOUSSET), wanted to sell their vineyards…Dominique and Rémy didn’t want to miss the opportunity and decided to create a Groupement Foncier Viticole (Financial Group for Wine production) to purchase 6 ha of vineyards for 3 crus with family and friends: Chiroubles – Fleurie – Morgon bringing the total area of the Domaine PASSOT to 11 ha.”

The Guest House

Tourists and winery visitors may want consider staying at the Domaine Passot’s winery guest house. This two-story vacation house offers three bedrooms, kitchen, dining/living room courtyard, swimming pool, courtyard and terrace. The Domaine Passot website has numerous pictures that show the wonderful ambiance of the house.

If we were planning to visit this region of France, we would definitely check out this location as a possible place to stay.

As with other wineries represented at APVSA, Domaine Passot is looking for importers.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Champagne Froment Griffan

February 7, 2018 – 10:06 am

Champagne Froment Griffan Sélection at APVSA tasting in Washington DC, January 2018

At the APVSA, Association for the Promotion of Wines and Spirits in North America, tasting in Washington DC in January, I had the opportunity to learn about Champagne Froment Griffan. Marie Froment was at the tasting and answered some questions via email. Marie along with her husband Mathias own the champagne house. Marie wrote, “Our Champagnes are not imported in the US for the moment, but we think they can match well with this market, that’s why we are doing the tastings with the APVSA.”

Marie mentioned the couple’s family history in wine, “The Champagne FROMENT GRIFFON is a familial Champagne House, coming from my husband Mathias’ family. I, Marie, am coming from the Loire Valley. From Saumur, my family was also in  the wine industry. They were the owners of Gratien & Meyer in Saumur, and also Champagne Alfred Gratien in Epernay. Mathias and I met each other in Burgundy (Dijon) while doing our oenology studies. We are both oenologists. We are running the familial Domain together since more than 15 years.

“The Champagne House FROMENT GRIFFON is situated in Sermiers, one of the last villages to be classified as Premier Cru. Our family has been working our vineyard since 4 generations at least. It covers 4 famous crus of the Montagne de Reims, where the Pinot Meunier fully reveals its qualities. The Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay bring power and elegance in their turn and participate in the richness and the aromatic complexity of our Champagnes. Our Terroir is quite specific and diversified, made of silt, clay and chalk. Because the chalk is very present, but in- depth, the Chardonnays are getting a fruitier style (pear, cherry plum flavours), with still some minerality.

“Being aware of our relation to Nature, we are involved in a sustainable viticulture and we implement alternative methods, to minimize our environmental impact, while looking for a harvest of optimal quality.”

Marie also spoke about the uniqueness of their champagnes. “We also keep our champagnes “on lees” longer than the time required normally in Champagne (up to 3 years for the non-vintages, and 5 years and more for the vintages ones for us), because we find that it gives more complexity to the wines, and finer bubbles.

“We are always looking for a good freshness, balance and purity in our blends, that’s why we work on partial malolactic fermentations on some of our wines.”

Champagne Tasting

During the APVSA tasting, I tasted four champagnes. The Tradition was a blend of Pinot Meunier with lesser amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wine had a yellow color and there were multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a total surface mousse. Yellow stone fruits were noticed on the aroma and taste along with notes of freshly baked bread. The mouthfeel was smooth. The champagne dosage was 9 g/L and the wine spent 24 to 30 months aging. The wine matches with seafood and as an aperitif.

The Rosé was a blend of 50% Chardonnay and equal amounts of Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.  The dosage was 9 g/L and was aged for 24 to 36 months. The wine had a reddish orange color and there were multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a center mousse on the surface. The champagne had a creamy mouthfeel and berry fruits yielding to some minerality. The finish was crisp. This is a nice sparkling wine to have as an aperitif especially for Valentine’s Day.

The Privilège was mostly Chardonnay, 70% with Pinot Noir 30%. It had a light yellow color, aged for five years and had a dosage of 7 g/L. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed both a center and circumference mousse. Apple, citrus and freshly baked bread were predominant on the aroma and taste. The mouthfeel was creamy. The finish was crisp with fruit yielding to mineral. This champagne would be suitable as an aperitif, with seafood and white meats.

The Sélection was a blend of equal amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, 40%, and Pinot Meunier, 20%. The dosage was 9 g/L and the wine was aged for 36 months. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed a center mouse on the champagne’s surface. The light yellow colored wine offered berry fruits and mineral notes. The crisp finish makes this champagnes ideal to match seafood. It would also be an excellent aperitif for special occasions.

I enjoyed the four champagne selections by Champagne Froment Griffan and agree with Marie that these champagnes would be perfect for the American market.

Cheers,
Terry

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

8 Cocktail Recipes for Valentine’s Day

February 6, 2018 – 1:43 pm

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Why not treat the love of your life with a special pink cocktail?  Santa Margherita, Sparkling Ice, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale and Purity Vodka have recently come up with some delightful cocktail recipes to celebrate the day of love and friendship. Check out the recipes below and be sure to have the ingredients you need on hand for February 14 or any day you’d like to enjoy a thirst quenching drink.

This first recipe requires rosé ice cubes and all you need to make rosé ice cubes is the rosé and an ice cube tray. Other recipes call for  more unusual ingredients such as hibiscus flowers packed in syrup, rose petals and Small Hand Foods raspberry gum syrup.

Cheers!
Kathy

Sparkling Frosé

Sparkling Frosé

Ingredients

½ Bottle of Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade
8 Rosé Ice Cubes
1 oz lemon juice
Mint, for garnish

Directions

Pour rosé into an ice cube tray and place in freezer until frozen. In a blender, combine Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade, rosé cubes and lemon juice. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve.

 Sparkling Hibiscus

Sparkling Hibiscus

Ingredients

Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Whole hibiscus flowers, packed in syrup
8 tsps of hibiscus syrup used to pack the flowers

Directions

Place a whole hibiscus flower in the bottom of glass. Fill glass with Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG to ¾” of the rim. Carefully spoon 2 tsps of the hibiscus syrup down the interior side of each glass.

Sparkling Raspberry

Sparkling Raspberry

Ingredients

1½ ounces vanilla vodka
1 tsp. simple syrup
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
Sparkling Ice Grape Raspberry
Raspberry ice cubes, for garnish

Directions

Place raspberry ice cubes in glass and set to the side. In a cocktail shaker, add vanilla vodka, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice- shake. Strain over ice and add Sparkling Ice Grape Raspberry.

Rose Petal Rosé

Rose Petal Rosé

Ingredients

1 bottle of Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé
Pink rose petals

Directions

Pour glass of Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé. Place a pink rose petal on top and serve.

Sweet and Sparkly Champagne

Sweet and Sparkly Champagne

Ingredients

3 oz champagne, chilled
Cotton candy
1 oz Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade

Directions

Fill champagne flutes with champagne and Sparkling Ice Cherry Limeade. Place a small 2″ piece of cotton candy on top of glass as a garnish. Push the cotton candy into the glass for a fun disappearing effect.

Flor Adora

Flor Adora
Recipe Credit: Bruce Cost Ginger Ale

Ingredients

0.75 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz Small Hand Foods raspberry gum syrup
1.5 oz Plymouth gin
4 oz Bruce Cost Ginger Ale Original

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice, garnish as desired. 

Purity Berry

Purity Berry H2O

Ingredients

4 Parts Purity Vodka
3 Parts Berry Water
1 Cup Mixed Berries
1 Long Piece of Lemon Zest
4 Parts distilled or bottled high quality water

Directions

Combine the ingredients in a glass pitcher and let sit, refrigerated, for at least 4 hours – or preferable overnight, before serving. Serve the vodka mixed with the Berry Water either shaken and strained or just combined over ice.

Rosemary Hound

The Rosemary Hound

Ingredients

2 Parts Purity Vodka
1 Part Simple Syrup
4 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary Leaves
½ Part Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
2 Slices Ruby Red Grapefruit, for garnish

Directions

Place the grapefruit juice, vodka and 1 ounce rosemary simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well to mix. Serve on the rocks, garnished with a grapefruit slice.

By Kathy | Posted in Spirits: whisky, tequila, bourbon, rye, vodka, Wine/Food/Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

A Cava for Valentine’s Day

February 5, 2018 – 10:46 am

Pata Negra Brut Rosé Cava

We received a sample of Pata Negra Brut Rosé Cava. This cava is produced by Garcia Carrion Winery, established in 1890. The cava is a blend of Trepat and Pinot Noir and spent a minimum of twelve months aging during the secondary fermentation. The cava’s color was a reddish orange. Their were multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming both a center and circumference mousse on the wine’s surface. The aroma was reminiscent of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. The mouthfeel was creamy and lively. The taste included berry fruits with cherries on the finish. The cava retails for $14.99. The varietal grape, Trepat, is an indigenous grape to the Catalonia region. It is one of the native grapes approved for use in the production of rosé cavas.

This cava pairs well with several occasions, especially Valentine’s Day. The red color and lively bubbles creates a setting of celebration. The cava would make a wonderful aperitif for Valentine’s Day and pairs well with different foods. Food pairings include almonds, cheese, avocado salads, and oriental food. We decided to pair with almonds and a stir fry. It matched up nicely with the almonds. The stir-fry included pineapple. The red berry taste of the cava matched well with the pineapple in the stir fry.

Placa from the Pata Negra Brut Rosé Cava

The label design took inspiration from the gate of Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Mila in Barcelona. More interesting than the bottle label is the placa (Catalan, placo French, chapa Spanish) on the cork. The placa shows a scene of two women, one sitting on a park bench. Many of the cava and champagne producers use decorative placas to protect the cork from the wire cage. We have been collecting placas since our first trip to Catalonia. If you have not started collecting them, the Pata Negra Brut Rosé Cava can be your first.

Garcia Carrion is a large business that includes juices and wines. The company portfolio of wines includes ten D.O.s including D.O. Cava. Their portfolio also includes non-D.O. wines and spirits.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Save the Date: April 12-15 for the Sandestin Wine Festival

February 4, 2018 – 12:40 pm

Save April 12-15 dates for the Sandestin Wine Festival, a charity event

Coming up April 12-15 is the 32nd Annual Sandestin Wine Festival that takes place in Florida. The festival is for people new to wine and to those who are aficionados. Discover domestic and international wines.

The Sandestin Wine Festival takes place over four days and offers a variety of experiences. Look for special wine dinners, wine tastings, live music, culinary tents and more.

Tickets for the Sandestin Wine Festival are available online.

The Sandestin Wine Festival benefits The Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Sandestin Foundation for Kids.

According to the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast website: “Serving Military and Veteran’s Families in Their Time of Need A family’s love is always the best medicine. When a loved one is injured or ill, a Fisher House unites families and relieves the financial and emotional strain of being away from home.”

The Sandestin Foundation for Kids website notes: “Making a difference, one child at a time. The goal of the Sandestin Foundation for Kids is to make a meaningful and positive difference in children’s lives. The Foundation will support causes or organizations which have the most impact, and to make the best, positive difference in the lives of children, including health and economic issues.”

Even if you cannot attend the Sandestin Wine Festival, perhaps you can make a donation to the Fisher House or the Sandestin Foundation for Kids.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Celebrate National Carrot Cake Day Paired with Ice Cider!

February 3, 2018 – 11:33 am

Ice Cider produced by La Face Cachée de la Pomme

February 3 is National Carrot Cake Day! If you don’t have time to bake a carrot cake from scratch, then use a box cake mix. Top the carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting. Try matching the carrot cake with cider, hard cider or even better an ice cider.

Ice ciders primarily are produced in Quebec, Canada where the winters are cold enough to freeze the apples on the trees. A few years ago, while visiting Quebec we came across the unique and delicious ice ciders at La Face Cachée de la Pomme (Domaine Neige), Cidrerie Du Minot and Union Libre.

When traveling to Quebec be sure to look for these very special dessert wines.

Minot des Glaces

Union Libre unique ice cider

Happy National Carrot Day!

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Winter Wine Captures First Time Attendees

February 2, 2018 – 3:28 pm

Winter Wine at the B&O Railroad Museum

The marketing process for January’s Winter Wine at the B&O Railroad Museum paid off this year. The event was well attended from the onset of the sparkling wine reception through the grand tasting in the museum’s roundhouse. I spoke with several people, many stating that this was the first time they attended the event. There were also the comments that this was the first time they heard about the event.

Winter Wine is Maryland’s premiere wine event and one of the best wine events on the East Coast. The sparkling wine reception had five of Maryland’s sparkling wine producers pouring tastings of sparkling wines. There was an assortment of bubbles crafted from different varietal grapes. The one that caught my attention was Old Westminister Winery’s Pétillant-naturel Albariño. This sparkling wine is made with Albariño grapes, a variety that is showing much promise in Maryland vineyards. The wine was not disgorged, but rather left in the bottle with the sediment from the secondary fermentation. That sediment did not appear in the glass though.

While waiting in line for a sparkling wine tasting, we met Katie and Tom Scott who were attending their first Winter Wine event. They were accompanied by Scott’s parents, Jeff and Linda Scott. Both couples had been tasting Maryland wines for a few years. Katie and Scott mentioned that they like smaller producers. Scott advised, “Check it out.”

Winter Wine at the B&O Railroad Museum

Tricia McGrath and Steve Linhard had been exploring Maryland wines for five years. The Winter Wine event had been a Christmas present. They were impressed with the beautiful venue at the B&O Railroad Museum. Both felt that the red wines outshined the white wines, a sentiment that was heard by others during the evening.

Frank Schrom has been tasting Maryland wines for two decades. He mentioned, that during that time, the wineries have moved from sweeter wine portfolios to a dry portfolio.

Cephas Thornton (pictured) has been tasting Maryland wines for five years. He enjoys Maryland wines; purchasing several bottles at the event. Cephas praised the Winter Wine event saying, “It was nicely done.”

The takeaways for the evening was that there were many first-time event attendees. Many people I spoke with enjoyed the red wines a bit more than the white wines. All of the people praised the B&O Railroad Museum venue for this event. The atmosphere was a bit more polished, not quite formal, but far away from t-shirts and jeans.

The Winter Wine event is held yearly near the end of January. Watch for the event on the Maryland Wine website.

Cheers,
Terry

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

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