Wine

A June Monsoon of Maroon, Um, WineGo ahead. Walk right back into the kitchen. Nobody will question you.Time for another parade of wines and the accessories that love them. If you haven't seen our special summer wine shipping policies, get familiar with them before you roll out the barrel. It's just one more way we make summertime the season of wine.

Eight years on lees. First release since the 1994. Released in the first week of September 2013. Production of 1000 cases. The most prestigious sparkling red in the world. Traditionally released as a ten year old but impatience has won the day.

A June Monsoon of Maroon, Um, WineAs far as plush investments go, it'll age a lot better than your Beanie Babies.Time for another parade of wines and the accessories that love them. If you haven't seen our special summer wine shipping policies, get familiar with them before you roll out the barrel. It's just one more way we make summertime the season of wine.

I had the distinct pleasure of playing the opening set of music for my old friend Charlie Walmsley’s new folk-rock band, “Crazy Chester,” last Thursday in Mount Pleasant, MI. It was a fun gig, and you can read a bit more about it here. Afterwards, we retired to Charlie’s home, where we celebrated playing music together again. Champagne would have been a good option, but Chaz had a better idea, and pulled the cork from an 18-year old bottle of Mr. Ridge, which we enjoyed immensely with his wife Melinda. Here’s what I wrote about this beauty; the picture was taken with my cell phone camera. 1995 Ridge Spring Mountain Zinfandel York Creek, 90% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah, 4% Alicante, 14.5% alc.: There’s some bricking to the slightly murky dark garnet color here; the lovely, mature nose still shows obvious and unmistakable “Draper perfume” in all its glory, along with a slight mustiness that gradually blows off. There’s more of the same in the mouth, with a rich core of Zinfandel fruit shaded with attractive secondary nuances. Classic Mr. Ridge, and very silky; there’s still plenty of life left here, but I wouldn’t wait much longer if I had any of this in my cellar. I’d rather drink it while it still gives plenty of pleasure, rather than letting it turn into a museum piece. Charlie said he purchased this for around $30 from Valley Produce in Midland, MI, about 6 or 7 years ago. I sort of doubt that they have any left, if the place is still even in existence… Find this wine Reporting from Day-twah, geo t.

I interrupt this adventure through Croatia to highlight my recent trip to the Wine Bloggers Conference in Penticton, British Columbia. As first glance, one would think travelling to the middle of the mountains, on a series of glacial lakes, would be an odd desetination for a bunch of digitial wine writers, industry reps, and interested members of the community – however, after visiting the area last year, I was enamoured. Arriving a day early, I was able to see the calm before the storm, and visit some areas that weren’t on the roster for the official trip.  Over the next few week, there will be a lot more on that but first, here are my top 10 highlights, Letterman style!; 10.  The fresh, local, and unadulterated food of British Columbia.  While I have never seen so many A&W’s in one place, we were treated to the natural wonder of the local breadbasket and were never ever hungry for anything bugt more fresh and wonderful food. 9.  A quick stop at Vino Volo in Vancouver, where Jim Conaway said, unsurprisinging, “I can’t believe you’re having wine!” 8.  The same James Conaway’s  keynote, subtly quiet humor that was bang on for the wine industry, and a great introduction to his novel Nose. 7.  The wines – from hearty reds in the classic Bordeaux style, to light, aromatic, unusual whites. 6.  The content of the conference.  Ok I’m biased here since I presented on Positioning Your Blog with my partners in crime Kathleen and Megan, but hey, there was some great stuff there! 5.  See Ya Later Ranch and the reception presented by Constellation Brands.  Surprisingly small, local and wonderful – from one of the largest wine conglomerates in the world 4.  Sandra Oldfield and her crew at Tinhorn Creek.  Marcy, you weren’t kidding!  I saw Jesus in that cab franc! 3. The scenery – every angle, every window, every view – breathtaking 2.  The people of Penticton, specifically for their welcome breakfast, farmers market, and general excitement to have us there.  Every person I encountered was genuinely excited to have us there and just plain nice. 1.  Did I mention the scenery? More, much more to come! The post Wine Bloggers invade Okanagan appeared first on Luscious Lushes - a wine, food, and travel blog.

Hello Friends, I know you would never believe this, but I uncork or unscrew a new wine adventure just about every day. Being a wine enthusiast, a wine blogger, and someone who thoroughly appreciates and enjoys the liquid expression of a place, a person’s vision, and Mother Nature’s influence, I often tell people that wine is one of the most intriguing beverages in the world. It’s a hobby where there is always something new to taste and learn as well as great people to meet in real life or via those wonderful social media portals called Facebook and Twitter. Getting Started! Below are a few of my recent sips accompanied by my tasting notes and a picture I snapped of each bottle. I had a chance to taste these selections during a recent virtual event put on by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance (who are doing a very good job at getting the word out about the region's wines). This tasting focused on red wines (including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Lemberger) and red vinifera blends. While the Finger Lakes appellation is best known for bright and refreshing wines made from the Riesling grape variety. The region's red wines tend to have an agreeable built-in brightness that is largely influenced by the area's cooler-climate. With good natural acidity and soft-to-medium fruit flavors, these red wines are natural partners to a wide variety of foods. Much of what comes out of the Finger Lakes are small-production wines that are available at the tasting room or the producer’s website. So check out the link at the end of the note if the wine sounds good to you. Variety, so they say, is the spice of life, so keep an open mind and an open palate and enjoy the experience. Drink well, my friends! Fox Run Vineyards 2010 Lemberger 1) Fox Run Vineyards 2010 Lemberger (SRP $20): I enjoyed a glass of this wine with several people for a recent Finger Lakes red wine tasting event. This grape variety, which is also known as Blaufränkisch, was new territory for a few people, but they thoroughly enjoyed it. In the glass, it is ruby in color with pleasant black cherry and soft plum aromas alongside hints of fresh cracked pepper, ground spice, and earthy tones over a sleek and supple frame. Overall, this is a light, bright, and easy-drinking red wine that’s both interesting and food-friendly. One person – thinking ahead -- mentioned that they were going to get a few bottles of this wine for their Thanksgiving Day table. Approximately 895 cases of this wine were produced. Click here to find this wine. Wagner Vineyards Reserve 2010 Pinot Noir 2) Wagner Vineyards Reserve 2010 Pinot Noir (SRP $27.99): The producer calls the 2010 vintage, which was largely warm-to-hot and fairly dry, “One of the longest, most optimal growing seasons in the history of the Finger Lakes.” In the glass, the wine displays a medium ruby color with cherry, raspberry, (subtle) floral perfume, and (light underlying) notes of cinnamon, clove, and cedar aromas/flavors over a supple and lean frame with a medium length finish. Overall, this is a pleasant and harmonious Pinot Noir that can be easily enjoyed on its own or with a wide variety of foods. Click here to find this wine. Heron Hill Winery Ingle Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir 3) Heron Hill Winery Ingle Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir (SRP $20): This is a light-to-medium bodied, easy-to-drink wine with pleasant fruit notes of dark cherry and dried cranberry interwoven with cedar shavings, cocoa dust, and a dash of sweet brown spice and a dash of white pepper (particularly on the back-end). Balanced (not bright) acidity and silky tannins give way to a satisfying, medium length finish. I enjoyed a glass of this wine with grilled salmon and on its own. (Other info: ABV 12.5%, Aged 24 months in 1 year old and older European oak barrels). Click here to find this wine. Backyard Feathered Friends: #FeedMe Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myv

Nice black cherry pigmented hue with a bouquet of cedary blackberry, cigar box, and green pepper with another coating of ripe black fruit.Palate--Cedar and spice front with integrated deep dark berry fruit and baked bread with a finish of briary dark berry fruit.I found this on close out for under $12 at a local supermarket: sells for closer to $30. I bought the only two bottles that remained. It is a fine example of Cabernet Sauvignon with integrated flavors and solid structure that should hold this wine for another decade but peaking in another 3-5 years. At any rate, bargains like this are always a treat so raise a glass to the hunt!I will pair this with a grilled venison rib-eyes tonight--the pay out for a frigid butchering of this Maine deer shot in January.--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

This past weekend we traveled to Cleveland to watch the Nationals play the Indians and to experience the Cleveland beer scene via theCompass app. And let me tell you, the beers in Cleveland rock. Each bar we visited had at lease one local brewery on tap and many had more. Then we traveled to the Ohio City neighborhood to experience the epicenter of Cleveland's craft beer world. Why, because within two blocks, three breweries are operating including the mighty Great Lakes Brewing Company. We started our visit to Ohio City quite smaller, at the Nano Brew Cleveland, which serves a long list of beer some made in house, some made at their sister brewery, Market Garden Brewery, and others from across the U.S. Since we walked to the area, I cooled down with a light Kolsch - refreshing with just a hint of hops. I then moved deeper with the Market Garden Citramax - and IPA loaded with organic Citra hops. This was another clean and refreshing beer - even with the higher IPU - easy to drink. The crew at Nano Brew also enjoy biking and even provide a tune-up station inside the pub. We need one of these in NOVA. We overstayed our visit and had to rush a couple blocks to meet our Great Lakes tour - a tour I've been anticipating ever since the brewery expanded into the DC market. Their Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is a fixture in our refrigerator. Plus, the brewery is celebrating their 25th anniversary - opening September 6, 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway. The main fact that we took away from the tour is expect the beer to be fresh. They don't pasteurize their beer, nor leave much in the warehouse - so once the beer is bottled or kegged - it moves quickly into distribution channels. And if you want to enjoy the freshest beer, hit the brewpub where they offer rotating pub exclusive brews like the Wit's End, Milk Stout, or the Glockenspiel. The brewery is a logistical achievement considering that trucks filled with grain arrive every two days to fill the silos as they brew 125,000 barrels annually. That's impressive. We look forward to toasting the brewery on their birthday in September. Despite getting closer to game time, we had to continue on to Market Garden Brewery and Distillery and found the first disappointment. Even though distillery is part of their name, and in planning, they have not yet received the proper legal permission to commence distilling. However, in addition to their many beers, they also offer several micro-spirits from Ohioan producers - such as Apple Jack from Tomsfoolery and bourbon from Woodstone Creek. But this visit was all about the Urban Garden Saison - where they really nailed this farmhouse ale - and Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale. The latter is malty - but not sweet - and another nailed style. And as a bonus suggestion - pair this with the Scottish Egg.Our Cleveland brew experience did end in Ohio City. Progressive stadium carries the complete Great Lakes year long collection, with one stand dispensing from the bottom up. Just don't be careless and accidentally release the magnet. Cheers to Cleveland.

A neighborhood in Queens with a plethora of Korean restaurants is called Muk Ja Gol Mok, or restaurant street.

Above: At the Austin Ale House, Chef Emilio Oliva is making tortillas and refried beans using extra-virgin olive oil instead of lard. Currently, the pulled pork tacos are a speciality item. If he made them a regular item, I might have to eat there once a day. To hear Chef Emilio Oliva tell the story, the taqueros who work on the famous Calle del Taco — where taquerías line the street — in his native Reynosa, Mexico, risk their lives daily. “I come from a town of men and mice,” he told me. The patrons of the calle, he said, are often armed and if they don’t like your cooking, they might decide to end your career right then and there. His advice for the taqueros of this rough border town (on the Texan frontier)? “If you can’t cook a good greasy taco, you might as well go to Wisconsin and pick cotton.” The tacos chef Emilio is serving up at the newly opened Austin Ale House are greasy but only lightly so: he’s been making his tortillas with extra-virgin olive oil instead of lard. The same holds for his refried beans, sprinkled with crumbled feta instead of queso fresco. To borrow Emilio’s phrase, the olive oil-fired taco stuffed with pulled pork and drizzled with housemade Chipotle sauce was “abso-fucking-lutely” delicious last night. Emilio (left) and his partner, LA celebrity restaurateur and super groovy dude Spoon Singh (right), are friends of one of my best and closest childhood friends. And so when Spoon reached out over the weekend and invited me to come down for dinner (after we put Georgia P to bed), sweet mommy Tracie P said, “go have a beer with your friends” (because once Baby P 2013 gets here, and she could be here any day now, there ain’t gonna be no beer-getting with your buddies). After only three months up and running, Spoon and Emilio are still trying to figure out their place in the Austin gastronomic scene. But chef Emilio’s brilliant approach to Mexican food is any indication of what he has in store for the River City, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll do alright… Bouncing around the internets this morning, I found a poster (below) for last year’s “Festival del Taco” on the Calle del Taco in Reynosa. I’m tied up with family matters this summer, but if they do it again in 2014, I am SO THERE! The festival benefits women with cancer.