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Annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival

November 10, 2017 – 4:04 pm

Black Star Farms is participating in the Pairing event at the Grand Rapids Festival

From November 16 to November 18, Grand Rapids, Michigan is the site of the 10th Annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival.

Tickets are available online and at the festival box office. These tickets offer a complimentary sampling glass, a Festival Program, wine, beer and food seminars. For those who would like to taste food and beverage samples, sampling tickets will be available at the festival in 50-cent denominations.

Thursday Seminars

  • Tipsy Turkey & Drunken Gravy
  • Cooking with Wood and Smoke
  • Celebrate Out of the Box: Holiday Feasts
  • There’s BUG in my beer and WHY the brewery put it there!
  • Uncovering the Truth About Sparkling Wine
  • Not Your Grandma’s Rosé: A Tasting of Traverse Wine Coast Rosés

Friday Seminars

  • Handmade Pasta
  • Cooking with Wood and Smoke
  • Tipsy Turkey & Drunken Gravy
  • Celebrate Out of the Box: Holiday Feasts
  • “To Have and Have Another”
  • When and Why to Splurge
  • Michigan Fruit
  • Rieslings: A Tasting of Traverse Wine Coast Rieslings from Sweet to Dry
  • Guinness: A Tale of Two Centuries
  • Cider 101
  • Pinot Noir: A Tasting of Pinot Noirs from the Traverse Wine Coast

Saturday Seminars

  • Celebrating Michigan Fall Flavors
  • Tipsy Turkey & Drunken Gravy
  • Cooking with Wood and Smoke
  • “To Have and Have Another”
  • Handmade Pasta
  • KBS Beer Fudge
  • Rieslings: A Tasting of Traverse Wine Coast Rieslings from Sweet to Dry
  • The World of Fruit Beers
  • Cider 101
  • Sparkling Wines: A Tasting of Bubblies from Traverse Wine Coast
  • Develop Your Wine Sense with Blind Tasting
  • A Taste of the Lake Michigan Shore
  • Getting Naked with Chardonnay: Unoaked vs Oaked
  • Guinness: A Tale of Two Centuries
  • Wine, It’s Good for YOU: The Health Benefits of Drinking Wine
  • A Tasting of Cool-Climate Reds from the Traverse Wine Coast

In addition to the seminars, Craft Cocktail Workshops will be offered. Look for cocktail workshops including:

  • Simple & Sour: The Power of Citrus in Cocktails
  • Barrel Aged Cocktails
  • Bubble & Squeak: Beertails & Mules
  • Brandied Cherries
  • The French 75 Connection: Mawby and New Holland Artisan Spirits
  • Old Fashioned: The Original Cocktail
  • Mixing Cocktails in Hemingway Fashion
  • The Manhattan: Story of the First Modern Cocktail

Several special Pairing events will take place. Several restaurants will offer special menus for this event. Restaurants taking part in this event include: Black Star Farms, Gilly’s Smokehouse/B.O.B.’s Brewing, Nibi/FireKeepers, Reds at Thousand Oaks, Rockwell Republic, San Chez, six.one.six, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, and The Knickerbocker.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Holiday Wine Events on Ohio Wine Trails

November 7, 2017 – 8:27 am

 

Chateau Tebeau Winery will participate in the Deck the Wreath event.

Save these dates for celebrating the upcoming holidays by attending events offered by several Ohio Wine Trails.

Dates 

November 24 -25, 2017
December 1 – 2, 2017
December 8 – 9, 2017

Tickets are limited so decide which event you want to participate in and get your tickets soon! While enjoying the holiday events, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the wines produced in Ohio.

One of the frequently mentioned annual events is the Tannenbaum Trail on the Vines & Wines Trail located in Northeast, Ohio. Participants have the opportunity to enjoy wine samples and appetizers. Also an 18-inch Christmas tree will be provided at the first winery. Then collect a holiday tree ornament at each of the participating wineries.

Grand River Cellars is participating in the Tannenbaum holiday event.

The Tannenbaum Trail

Wineries participating in the Tannenbaum Trail event include:

Benny Vino Winery, Geneva
Buccia Vineyards, Conneaut
Deer’s Leap Winery, Geneva
Emerine Estates, Jefferson
Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Geneva
Grand River Cellars, Madison
Goddess Wine House, Ashtabula
Hundley Cellars, Geneva
Laurello Vineyards, Geneva
Maple Ridge Vineyards, Madison
Old Firehouse Winery, Geneva-on-the-Lake
Old Mill Winery, Geneva
Park Avenue Winery, Ashtabula
South River Vineyard, Geneva
Spirits in Willoughby, Willoughby
The Winery at Spring Hill, Geneva
Virant Family Winery, Geneva

Reservations for the Tannenbaum Trail event are available online.

Another fun event for wine and holiday lovers is Deck the Wreath offered by Lake Erie Shores & Islands Trail on the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Trail.

Mon Ami to participate in the Deck the Wreath event

Deck the Wreath Details

Wineries participating in Deck the Wreath event:

Chateau Tebeau, Helena
D & D Smith Winery, Norwalk
Firelands Winery, Sandusky
Gillig Winery, Findlay
Matus Winery, Wakeman
Mon Ami Winery, Port Clinton
Paper Moon Winery, Vermilion 
Quarry Hill Winery, Berlin Heights
Rocky Point Winery, Marblehead 
Sycamore Lake Wine Company, Columbus Grove
Vino Veritas Cellars, Cleveland

Register for Deck the Wreath online.

Who doesn’t want to experience Stuff the Stocking offered in Central Ohio by the Capital City Wine Trail?

Stuff the Stocking

Wineries offering the Stuff the Stocking event include:

Buckeye Winery, Newark
Camelot Cellars Winery, Columbus
Manchester Hill Winery, Circleville
Plum Run Winery, Grove City
Sand Hollow Winery, Heath
Sand Hollow Speak Easy, Newark
Soine Vineyard, Powell
Wagon Wheel Wines, Canal Winchester

Tickets are available online.

Finally there is the  Uncorked Christmas  event celebrated by the Canal & Appalachian Trails located in East Central and SE Ohio.

Uncorked Christmas

Visitors participating in Uncorked Christmas will receive an electric corkscrew at the participating winery of their choice.

Wineries offering Uncorked Christmas include:

Cherry Road Winery, Massillon
Country Porch Winery, Cortland
Gervasi Vineyard, Canton
Grape & Granary, Akron
Lil Paws Winery, Lake Milton
Maize Valley Winery & Craft Brewery, Hartville
Mastropietro Winery, Berlin Center
Newman Creek Cellars, Massillon
School House Winery, Dover
Terra Cotta Vineyards, New Concord
The Winery at Raven’s Glenn, W Lafayette
Unicorn Wine Guild, Belpre

Tickets  for Uncorked Christmas are available online.

We have visited many of these Ohio wineries and discovered both large and small wineries and vineyards. Ohio wineries offer a wide range of wines and grape varieties. Check out the Wine Trail Traveler reviews online.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Wine Trail Traveler Holiday Gift Guide Part I

November 2, 2017 – 1:28 pm

Eat Drink and Be Merry collage

The holidays are quickly approaching and there is no better time to order gifts for family and friends who live miles away. Don’t disappoint anyone by having your carefully selected gift arrive late.

Wine is an obvious holiday gift item. But there are plenty of non-wine, wine-related gifts to consider giving to wine enthusiasts during this holiday season. Consider wine books by Wine Trail Traveler, 100% cotton kitchen towels with embroidered wine sayings and wine collages with mats and plastic sleeves.

A Wine Lexicon by Terry & Kathy Sullivan

Wine Trail Traveler now has a select list of wine-related items available for your family members and friends who enjoy wine. Notice that these are unique items we have created for the enjoyment of wine lovers and wine enthusiasts. Here is the link to the 2017 Holiday Wine Gift Guide Part 1.

 

 

 

Kitchen towels embroidered by Wine Trail Traveler

The kitchen towels are machine embroidered by Kathy at Wine Trail Traveler. The collages are designed by Wine Trail Traveler in the US. Production is limited and only available on the Wine Trail Traveler website.

Questions about any of these holiday gifts? Contact us at kathy@winetrailtraveler.com.

Cheers, Kathy

 

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

Discover the Wines of England and Wales

November 1, 2017 – 12:13 pm

Ridgeview Wine Estate

A number of years ago we visited several wineries in England and one winery in Wales. Each one of the wineries was boutique, although the largest was Ridgeview Wine Estate which produces delightful sparkling wines. Review.

To discover Breaky Bottom Vineyards, we were told “keep going.” This winery was memorable because we missed the sign and traveled another 45 minutes beyond the long road/driveway to the winery. Eventually we discovered the turn to make and

A little piece of heaven at Breaky Bottom Vineyards

continued until we were in no man’s land. We encountered sheep on the driveway and patiently waited for them to cross our path. Eventually and almost ready to call it a day, we crested a hill and saw a little piece of heaven. The winery and farm property below was highlighted with bright yellow blooming daffodils. Nearby were high cliffs of limestone similar to the limestone of Champagne. Read our review of Breaky Bottom Vineyards.

Roman-style spring at Parva Farm Vineyards

Our visit to the Parva Farm Vineyards in Wales was special, in its own unique way. Also a farm, vineyard and winery,  Parva Farm Vineyards has the remains of a spring that the owners believe may have been built by the Romans. Most surprising was the sign in the winery that said that if the winery was closed, visitors could go to the local post office to get their wine. The owners are warm and friendly and ready to share their story with wine lovers. Read our review online.

Fast forward to today when the wine industry in England is increasing. The following statistics are from the English Wine Producers website which is the official website for the English and Welsh wine industry.

The latest figures show that the region has 502 vineyards with 2,000+ hectares. Today there are 133 wineries. The top three grape varieties growing in the United Kingdom are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bacchus. However the vineyards are filled with a large number of other grape varieties. Wine enthusiasts will find: Auxerrois, Faberrebe, Huxelrebe, Kerner, Madeleine Angevine, Müller-Thurgau, Optima, Orion, Ortega, Phoenix, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Regner, Reichensteiner, Rivaner, Schönburger, Seyval Blanc, Siegerrebe, and Würzer. Red grape varieties include: Dornfelder, Dunkelfelder, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Regent, Rondo and Triomphe.

Wine lovers traveling to England or Wales should plan to includes visits to some of the unique wineries.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

14th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival

October 30, 2017 – 11:28 am

The 14th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival takes place November 12 to November 19. This fun wine and food festival includes wines from around the world, events, distillers, breweries and many restaurants from San Diego.  The festival website says, “With over 40 events throughout the week, the 14th Annual San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival is a unique opportunity to share in the love of all things culinary with Southern California’s collection of foodies, wine connoisseurs, members of the wine trade, bloggers, and media.”

A wide array of different tickets for the San Diego Wine & Food Festival events are available online. Choose the events you want to attend and order your tickets. Some of the events are already sold out; if you plan to attend get your tickets soon.

Events include:

  • Sunday, November 12
    Golf Classic
  • Monday, November 13
    FLIX Fermented
  • Tuesday, November 14
    Fish Taco TKO
    The Blais Experience
  • Wednesday, November 15
    Expedition Baja
    Ocean-to-Table Rosé Wine Luncheon
  • Whisky & Wagyu
    Behind Farm to Table: Panel Discussion
    An Evening in Barolo & Langhe
  • Thursday, November 16
    Beyond Bubbles
    Champagne, A Blind Comparison
    Wine and Music
    Flavors of Spain
    Oysters & Sauvignon Blanc
    Cult Wines of Napa
    The Rise of the California Underdog
    The History of Wine
    Agave & Terroir
    Culinary Icons
  • Friday, November 17
    Biodynamic and Natural Wines of Spain
    Steve Brown’s Farmers Table
    Sushi & Sake
    Louis Latour at Mister A’s
    Coastal Qualities of Slo Wine Country
    Blind Taste with the Masters
    The Tasting at Somm Con
    Roots Dinner Experience
  • Saturday, November 18
    Grand Tastings
    After Party with the Chefs
  • Sunday, November 19
    Cali Baja Brunch

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is organized by FAST FORWARD Events whose focus is to make lives a little bit better. According to the FAST FORWARD Events website, “We hope to leave people’s lives a little bit better because of our existence, surround ourselves with passionate team members, project and clients, and find JOY daily in doing what we love.”

Cheers!
Kathy

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

It’s National Chocolate Day! Try this Dessert Recipe Paired with Port

October 28, 2017 – 12:28 pm

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards emphasizes wine & food pairings!

Today is National Chocolate Day! Celebrate by spending a little time creating one of the chocolate recipes you can find on the Wine Trail Traveler’s website dessert recipe section, or perhaps trying your hand at this Mocha Pot de Crème created by the chef at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma, California. The wine suggested wine pairing is St. Francis Winery’s Port.

 Mocha Pot de Crème

Makes 8 4-ounce ramekins

Ingredients:

1¾ cup whole milk
1¼ cup heavy cream
8 ounces chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ each vanilla beans
¼ cinnamon sticks
¼ cup decaf coffee

Directions

  1. In a sauce pan on medium heat, scald milk, heavy cream, vanilla beans and cinnamon stick for about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, then add coffee, chocolate and vanilla extract, let melt together. Steep for 5 minutes and strain. Set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together. Slowly add the cream liquid into egg mixture.
  4. Strain and cool. Evenly pour mixture into 8 individual 4-ounce ramekins. Bake at 300°F for 50-70 minutes or until slightly set.

Recipe provided by St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Sonoma, California.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

A Yummy Cocktail, Perfect for Halloween

October 26, 2017 – 2:20 pm

Liquor ‘N Front Cocktail

The cocktail recipe below, for Liquor ‘N Front, was crafted by Erin Sullivan, Mixologist and Event Director in Portland, Oregon.

The colorful, deep orange color of the Liquor ’N Front cocktail makes it a perfect drink to add to your choice of beverages for autumn. If you are looking for orange foods and drinks for Halloween and Thanksgiving, this orange-colored cocktail is definitely one to consider. The ginger juice and carrot juice add the perfect touches for fall. Enjoy trying the Liquor ’N Front cocktail after the trick and treaters have left to count their Halloween candy treats at home.

Liquor ’N Front

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Aviation Gin
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. carrot juice
1/4 oz. ginger juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
Carrot top (for garnish)

Preparation

  1. Shake all ingredients (except ginger beer) in tin over ice.
  2. Strain into a Collins glass and add ice.
  3. Top with Fever-Tree Ginger Beer, garnish with a carrot top.

Many thanks to Erin Sullivan for sharing this recipe and photo.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

One Week Left to Celebrate Texas Wine Month

October 24, 2017 – 11:50 am

Vibrant grapevines in Texas.

According to the Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association, Texas is home to the first vineyard planted in North America. This vineyard was established in the early 1660s by Franciscan priests.

Today Texas produces a large number of grape varieties. Red grape varieties include: Malbec, Tempranillo, Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Lenoir. Texan white grape varieties include: Chardonnay, Blanc du Bois, Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Orange Muscat, Muscat Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Gewürztraminer and Semillon. If you haven’t tried a Blanc du Bois or an Orange Muscat wine yet, be sure to give them a try!

Texas has more than 350 bonded commercial wineries. The wineries produce several types of wines including: still wines, fortified wines, dessert wines and sparkling wines. Texas wineries include the large wineries such as Messina Hof winery and the smaller boutique wineries including Texas Legato.

The AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in Texas include:

Texas Hill Country
Bell Mountain
Escondido Valley
Texas Davis Mountains
Texas High Plains
Fredericksburg
Mesilla Valley
Texoma

For more information about Texas wineries, check out the GO Texan website which has a section devoted to the wine industry in Texas. One unique aspect are the flower and wine pairing suggestions the website offers.

Texas passport to wineries.

As we have traveled and written about many of the Texas wineries, we are always a bit sad to leave a state where we discovered warm welcomes, friendly hugs and invitations to return again. Check out the reviews we have written about Texas wineries and plan to enjoy your next vacation in Texas. Be sure to ask about the Texas Passport to wineries.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Halloween Cocktail from TABLE 7, An American Bistro

October 23, 2017 – 8:34 am

Vampire Kiss Cocktail for Halloween

After the trick and treaters are done for the evening, try making this cocktail for your favorite adults.

Vampire’s Kiss

Ingredients

6oz Stoli Blueberry (blueberry vodka)

2oz Pineapple Juice

Splash of Sour Mix

Raspberry Drizzle

Directions

  1. Add Stoli Blueberry, Pineapple and Sour to shaker with ice.
  2. Shake and strain into a chilled martini.
  3. Top off with pineapple and Raspberry Drizzle!

This recipe is provided by TABLE 7, An American Bistro in New York.

The beverage menu at TABLE 7 includes several cocktails, beers and wines. Wine enthusiasts are likely to discover wines they will want to enjoy with the TABLE 7 cuisine.

The current wine menu includes wines from California, Oregon, Italy, Argentina, Australia, Spain, and France. Two Rieslings are available: one from Germany and one from the Dr. Konstantin Frank winery in New York’s Finger Lakes.

The TABLE 7 food menu offers a delightful selection from which to choose your dinner. Look for an array of appetizers such as Chicken Wings, Thai Chili Fried Calamari,  Grilled Spanish Paprika Octopus, or Pulled Pork Quesadilla. In addition to soups and salads, diners are offered three types of pastas. While burgers are also on the menu, look at the variety of entrées such as: Star Anise Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, Grilled Lamb Chops, Potato Crusted Salmon, Seared Scallop and Saffron Cremini Mushroom Risotto and Pork Chop Milanese.

If you are near New Hyde Park, New York plan to visit the restaurant to discover all it has to offer.

TABLE 7, An American Bistro is located at 214 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

October is National Seafood Month: Recipe with Wine

October 19, 2017 – 9:32 am

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma

During October, NOAA Fisheries is celebrating National Seafood Month. Numerous wineries have provided us with many seafood recipes that use wine as one of the ingredients. Browse the many fish and seafood recipes on the Wine Trail Traveler website.

Check out this recipe for Lobster Bisque with Fresh Tarragon from St. Francis Vineyard & Winery in Sonoma.

Lobster Bisque with Fresh Tarragon

Ingredients

1¼ pound whole uncooked lobster
¼ cup butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 quart clam juice
4 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup Brandy
1 cup St. Francis Chardonnay
1 sprig fresh thyme
Pinch saffron threads or powder
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

  1. Cut the whole lobster in half lengthwise and remove the meat from the tail, coarsely chop the tail and body shells. Save the claws to use later.
  2. Heat the butter in a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Add the shells and stir over a moderately high flame.
  3. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook the vegetables to soften.
  4. Add flour and cook for a few minutes.
  5. Add Brandy, carefully alight.
  6. Then add the clam juice and wine; bring the bisque to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
  7. Add the claws and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the claws, shell the meat and set aside for later use.
  8. Strain the bisque, pressing to extract as much liquid from the shells and the vegetables as possible.
  9. Pour the bisque into another pot; add cream and reduce bisque to desired consistency by simmering over a medium flame.
  10. Take claw meat, chop and add to bisque. Season to taste.
  11. Add freshly chopped tarragon, serve hot.

Serves 6

Recipe provided by St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Sonoma Valley, California.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

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