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So Long, Folks!

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Because I personally can’t stand dead blogs, I’m officially giving my wine blogging notice. Obviously I’ve been terrible at updating here and I think you can understand that it’s difficult to write about wine when you can’t really drink it. Yes, I’ve tasted here and there but it’s just not the same. Plus, my husband has been buying lots of “house wine” mags and saving the interesting stuff for when we can share a bottle again. Perhaps I’ll come back to wine blogging at some point after the baby is born, after I’m done nursing, but clearly that won’t be anytime in the near future, LOL!

Many thanks to those who have read this blog and to my fellow wine bloggers with whom I’ve learned so much. Cheers!

Labor Day Book Giveaway!

Friday, August 29th, 2008 | Books, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

::Sniff, sniff:: Summer vacation is just about over. Harvests are beginning. My son starts 1st grade next week. And it’s Labor Day weekend. Cooler, chillier weather will be making its way to upstate New York. In fact, it has already — it’s been dipping down into the 40s at night. Fall is my favorite season. It brings stunning foliage, apple picking, reasons to wear stripey socks and wooly sweaters, my birthday, Halloween, and Thankgiving. All good things Fall is also the perfect time to pour a glass of wine and curl up with a good book so I thought it would be fun to give away a copy of Passion on the Vine by Sergio Esposito. The book is a memoir of Mr. Esposito’s childhood in Italy and his journey to America. Mr. Esposito founded Italian Wine Merchants in New York City in 1999 along with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.

The book is full of wonderful anecdotes, but it is also full of great information on Italian wine, food, and culture. It’s a book that I enjoyed and I think that anyone who is interested in wine — especially Italian wine — will enjoy as well.

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this entry. On Monday evening I will randomly choose a winner and announce on Tuesday evening who it is.

Be sure to enter a valid e-mail address, otherwise I won’t be able to get your address and you won’t be able to get your book! Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, everyone!

Benmarl Winery: Baco Noir & Traminette

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

This year Benmarl Winerywas host to the Bounty of the Hudson Food & Wine Festival. The winery is situated on a beautiful piece of property overlooking the Hudson River. As you drive up you see grapevines and barns and it’s all quite lovely to look at. I was really looking forward to trying their wines, as I am not sure I had in the past. Benmarl had four of their wines available for tasting: 2006 Estate Baco Noir, 2007 Zinfandel, 2007 Slate Hill White, and 2007 Traminette. Of these four wines, I think their Baco Noir and their Traminette were not only my favorites at their booth, but my favorites of the whole show.

Baco Noir is a French hybrid grape. It is a cross between Folle Blanche (a French grape), and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia (a North American species). Maurice Baco hybridized the grapes, hence the name. Baco Noir is widely grown in New York and it produces a light-to-medium bodied wine, rich in color and flavor. The 2006 Benmarl Baco Noir was an excellent example of this wine — flavors of pepper and dark cherry filled my mouth and the wine had great body to it. It seemed fuller than Baco Noir I’ve had in the past, produced by other wineries. However, at $28, it was over my wine budget for the day and I had to resist buying a bottle.

The Traminette grape is another hybrid. It is a cross between Joannes Seyve and Gewürztraminer. It is characteristically dry and spicy. My taste of the 2006 Benmarl Traminette was my first (known) taste of this grape. I immediately was reminded of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Goose Bay, in particular). The winemaker told me that he also thought it had some Sauv Blanc characteristics. It was dry, but not bone-dry — plenty of fruit was apparent including gooseberry and citrus. The finish was clean. At $15, there was no way I was leaving the event without a bottle of this. I thought it was a great price for some amazing local wine.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #46 Announced: Rhône Whites

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Dr. Debs of Good Wine Under $20 will be hosting the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW). She has picked a great topic for June: white wines made from classic Rhône grape varieties. These grapes include Bourbolenc, Clairette Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, Picardin, Picpoul, Roussanne, Ugni Blanc, and Viognier. Dr. Debs writes:

Wines made with these grapes tend to be aromatic, and can often rival your summer garden in terms of lush floral and fruity fragrances. At the same time, however, the wines can be crisp and refreshing, especially if there is some Picpoul in the mix. And Rhone white grapes are perfect partners for fish, chicken, salads, and all of the vegetables that are beginning to flood into your local Farmer’s Market.

On June 11th post your tasting notes on your blog or on the Wine Blogging Wednesday site. I’ve found that participating in WBW is a great incentive to try new wines, or revisit varieties that I might not have cared for in the past (sometimes with pleasant surprises). Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do!