Drink

Everyone is waiting anxiously in the single serve coffee world for SoloGrind 2 In 1 Automatic Single Serve Coffee Burr Grinder. We recently ran a story on it, and we've been wonding what it comes with and the price. Our Canadian correspondent, SH, contacted Solofill's Customer Service Dept. and was able to confirm some details about the SoloGrind...  It's apparently available only in-store right now at Sears & Shopko retail locations within USA - nothing for Canada yet. MSRP of $59.99 USD Inclusion of Solofill K3 Chrome & 10-cup ground coffee container At Solofill     Related StoriesReview: ECS Coffee Single Cup Fresh SealsMelitta E-Filter Reusable Coffee Filters for K-Cup BrewersSolofill Cup V1 Gold Refillable Filter Cup for Keurig Vue Brewers 

Why should you care? The distinctive South African variety called pinotage was created in 1925 at the University of Stellenbosch by crossing pinot noir and cinsault, the latter grape known at the time as  “hermitage” in South Africa. Although pinotage is the Cape wine region’s signature red grape, it’s a variety that polarizes tasters, especially those outside South Africa. Its detractors are put off by what they describe as aromas of burnt rubber or banana, and many traditionally styled examples make rather rustic ambassadors for South African wine. But the best pinotage bottlings are complex, deep and serious wines, and many modern-style examples are juicy, stuffed with fruit and utterly satisfying at a reasonable price. What does it taste like? The suave, cleanly made Painted Wolf 2010 Guillermo Pinotage Swartland from Painted Wolf is one of the best values in pinotage I’ve tasted in recent years. Its perfumed aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, spices, game and smoke reminded me of syrah. On the sweet, pliant palate, ripe acidity frames black and blue fruit flavors, and the wine’s smooth, building tannins give it the structure for at least a few years of positive development in bottle. My rating: 90 points. How much does it cost, and where can you find it? $20; Southern Starz.

One of the best Dad’s Army wheezes of the British home guard in the phoney war which later went postal, was to jumble up the sign posts on country lanes in England so that when the panzers rolled up the road to London, they’d end up in Middle Wallop. SA vinous terroir is very Mom’s [...]

What’s happening to the wine blog world? Attrition. It reminds me of my college classes. We’d start the year with 40 students in the class, and by the end of the semester, we’d be down to half that size. The only class that didn’t go that way, and actually seemed to grow, was the Wine [...]The post What’s happening to the wine blog world? appeared first on Wine Blog.

You're reading Graduation Punch Makes the Grade, originally posted on The Intoxicologist and copyrighted by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist. Visit The Intoxicologist so you don't miss a thing! The Intoxicologist - Dabbling in the world of cocktails one spirit at a time...It is graduation time around The Intoxicologist house and all I have so far is one solid graduation punch recipe to get me through the first few party minutes. Teenagers have an appetite you know. At least this punch recipe … Continue reading →The post Graduation Punch Makes the Grade appeared first on The Intoxicologist. Related Posts Summer Punch Warlock Punch Pirate’s Punch

Last week I was able to attend the “Taste the Wines of America” Congressional Wine Reception, which coincides with the annual Board of Directors & Membership Meeting of WineAmerica, and organization which "...serves the interests of wineries in all 50 states by leveraging its formidable grassroots lobbying strength to benefit the entire industry.". The reception is a unique event that allows guests to sample wines from throughout the United States (see list below) and particularly those made from non-standard grape varieties. For instance, we sampled a few Chambourcin - notably our friends at Port of Leonardtown Winery (MD) as well as Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery (NE). In fact there were several Nebraska wines with James Arthur Vineyards and Soaring Wings Vineyard Dragon's Red from Frontenac - being two more to follow. Texas was represented including Blanc du Bois ( Chisholm Trail Winery Belle Star Lone Oak Winery) as well as our favorite the McPherson Cellars “Tre Colore” Red Wine. Temparnillo seems to be a popular grape in the Lone Star state as two wineries brought some to share: Landon Winery & Pedernales Cellars. Tennessee's Arrington Vineyards contributed their Petite Noir made from the Noiret grape - another Cornell University variety with Steuben as a parent. The wine is interesting, raspberry with a little smoke finishing with smooth tannins. But perhaps the most unique non-standard grape was the Valiant Vineyards Winery Wild Grape Wine - actually produced from wild grapes. Proprietor Eldon Nygaard uses native vitis riparia (riverbank grape) that grow along the rivers and streams in the South Dakota and being native grapes are very cold-hardy and disease resistant. Nygaard's property resides near the banks of the Missouri River and while chatting he explained how Lewis & Clark camped on his site. He also showed us pictures of his Wild Grape Wine in wine shops in Paris selling for over 70 Euro. You don't have to pay that much in dollars - it's closer to $30 domestically. The wine is quite good, somewhat jammy as are many native grapes, but with a chocolate texture and a smooth tail. Very nice. Nygaard was also pouring his Full Throttle Saloon a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton - another nice wine Moving to more traditional grapes, there was plenty of Riesling represented by Colorado, New York, Michigan wineries. The Black Star Farms Arcturos Riesling was a favorite - with the brand being named for the brightest star in the constellation Boötes and the northern celestial hemisphere. Fenn Valley Vineyards Edelzwicker (Riesling and Traminette blend) was another nice wine from the Wolverine State. The Midwest was also represented by other Michigan wineries as well as a couple from Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana's Oliver Winery. Unfortunately no mead. The Northeast was well represented with wines from throughout New York state - from Lake Erie to Long Island. From the later, Cabernet Franc was well represented from the North Fork by Clovis Point Wines, Palmer Vineyards, & Osprey's Dominion Vineyards. From Connecticut, the Jones Winery Chardonnay was quite nice and we always enjoy the Dornfelder from Presque Isle Wine Cellars (PA). Heading into Virginia, I had never sample the Lovingston Winery Petit Manseng - giving us another incentive to visit the winery. Needlesstosay, there was quite a few wines being sampled - other favorites included the Colorado Cellars Winery (CO) Gewurztraminer; Gallifant Cellars (AZ) Chenin Blanc; and Stone Hill Winery (MO) Norton & Vignoles. What about the big three - California,Washington, and Oregon. They were well represented with several Oregon Pinot Noir - all very nice and very similar. L'Ecole No. 41 wines and proprietor, Marty Clubb, came from Washington and his Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley wines are always fine. Note to self to start drinking more from the Pacific northwest. And finally their were several California wines with the most interesting being the

Lost Spirits’ Leviathan is one of the most unique whiskeys being produced in America today — if not the world. Made close to Drinkhacker HQ in Monterey, California, Leviathan is a heavily peated single malt that is aged in heavy char barrels previously used for late-harvest wine (the varietal of the wine changed depending on the cask). Now comes Ouroboros (named after the snake eating its own tail), which is Leviathan with two little twists. First is the peat. This peat is sourced from a close-to-home private island in the delta leading to the San Francisco Bay instead of using Canadian peat. Second is the barrel. Late-harvest wine is out. Former Hungarian oak sherry casks are in. (As with Leviathan, they are re-charred before being filled with whiskey.) As with its predecessor, it’s fascinating stuff. The nose is intense and gut-punching, a liquid forest fire filled with crude oil, fresh timber, and plenty upon plenty of  peat. The body throws many a twist at you. What starts with simple smoke evolves, both in your mouth and in the glass. Cocoa nibs and dark chocolate syrup are the immediate developments, along with a malty extract character like you get in an ultra-high alcohol beer like Utopias. Rum raisin, maybe? Citrus also comes and goes — something like one of those chocolate oranges you get in your stocking at Christmastime. As with Leviathan, Ouroboros is both an acquired taste and — definitively — not for everyone. I think it’s a bit better than Leviathan (at least Cask #3), with more complexity and better balance. Your mileage, of course, will vary. Haters gonna hate. 106 proof. A- / $55 / lostspirits.net

Balvenie 12 yo 'DoubleWood' (40%, OB, +/-2012) - Burnside 1994/2012 (56.7%, Scott's Selection) - Darren Kramer

Nice sort of name. Great Expectations for this wine though, I don’t harbour. Modest ones, perhaps.

From the people at Scotchman’s Hill, though I’m not sure whether or not to include that in the name.