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Celebrate New York Wine Month in April!

Friday, March 28th, 2008 | Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York, Niagara, Wine Events | 4 Comments

Image source: Uncork New York!

Although some might lead you to believe that the only wines produced in New York are those from Long Island or the Finger Lakes, there are in fact five main regions. The other three are the Hudson Valley, the Niagra Escarpment, and the Lake Erie Region. We have 32,000 acres of vineyards, with more being planted every year and approximately 175,000 tons of grapes are produced annually. There are 212 bonded wineries in New York, including Brotherhood — America’s first winery (located in the Hudson Valley Region).

April is New York Wine Month and many New York wineries will be unveiling their 2007 vintages in April, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate the fruits of their labor. In addition, a major “Taste of New York” public television series produced by WXXI in Rochester will begin airing in April, along with publication of a “Taste of New York” cookbook featuring New York wines and foods.

I’m going to spend the month of April focusing on wines from The Empire State and I am going to do my best to taste one from each of the five main regions. Truthfully, I am not a huge fan of Long Island wines, but maybe I’ll get lucky and find one that doesn’t taste like lemon pith or dried up autumn leaves. At any rate, it’s a great excuse to explore!

2006 Hogue Cellars Genesis Riesling

Thursday, March 27th, 2008 | Food & Wine Pairing, Riesling, Washington, White Wine, Wines Under $20 | No Comments

I’ve been craving Indian food for way over a month. I thought that my belly would be satisfied after enjoying a delicious Indian buffet at Basera Indian Bistro (in the Hell’s Kitchen section of New York City), but that only intensified my craving. So yesterday I decided to try out a recipe for Indian Spiced Braised Chicken (it’s from the April 2007 issue of “Everyday Food”). It was a delicious blend of chicken, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and rich Indian spices. We had a bottle of 2006 Genesis Riesling in our fridge, and I thought we’d try that with the dish. The Genesis line of wines are Hogue Cellars‘ mid-tier line. They are produced in Washington state and the Riesling retails for around $15.00. The alcohol content is 13%.The wine was a lovely shade of light yellow. It had a floral nose (I thought of honeysuckle). It tasted slightly citrusy at first and then the flavors developed into slightly sweet kiwi with a hint of peach and nice minerality. It finished clean and dry, just the way I like it. The off-dry wine really complemented the spicy food. The bit of sweetness cut the heat, and yet the finish wasn’t cloying. I felt like my palate was cleansed and ready for the next bite. I don’t always nail my food and wine pairings, but this time I felt like I did. The Genesis Riesling was a wonderful accompaniment to the meal, and it would also be lovely to enjoy by itself.

Seraphin XO Cognac

Monday, March 24th, 2008 | Cognac, Spirits | 4 Comments

I haven’t been drinking much wine lately. Of course there is a glass here and there, but I’ve overwhelmingly found myself forgoing the wine at dinner, and instead choosing a nightcap to slowly sip after our boys are in bed. I’ve been especially interested in bourbons, but when I was brought a sample of Seraphin XO Cognac, I was eager to try it. Cognac is something I have enjoyed in the past, but rarely think of drinking because I’ve only had it a couple of times. I am always looking to expand my horizons!

Before I discuss the Seraphin, I thought I’d give you some general information on cognac. Cognac is a type of brandy that is produced only in the Cognac region of western France. You will often see letters on bottles of cognac that are the unofficial grades used to market the spirit. These are:

VS Very Special or *** (three stars),where the youngest brandy is stored at least three years in cask, but on average a total of five years in cask.
VSOP Very Special ( or Superior) Old Pale, or Réserve, where the youngest brandy is stored at least four and a half years in cask, but the average wood age is much older.
XO Extra Old, Cordon Bleu Centeur and Antique, where the youngest brandy is stored at least six years and a half in cask, but average 20 years upwards.

These “grades” are not official cognac grades (they are appropriate for brandy) and are simply marketing labels used by certain high profile cognac brands. More traditional cognac houses do not use these grades.

In order to be called “Cognac,” the liquor must meet several strict guidelines. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The remainder may consist of the grape varieties Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François, Montils, and Sémillon. Most cognac, however, is made only from Ugni Blanc. It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged for a minimum of two years in French oak barrels that are sealed air-tight. The resulting eau-de-vie (”water of life”) is a colorless spirit that is approximately 70% alcohol. As cognac ages, a certain percentage of the spirt evaporates from the oak barrels, filling the air with a “heavenly” aroma. This is often called “the angel’s share” (the phrase is also used in whiskey production).

This is where Seraphin cognac gets its name. According to the cognac’s marketing information

The Seraphin are the highest order of angels, composed of fire, like the fire that draws the soul of the wine to produce cognac. They are filled with pure love, and their purpose in creation is to maintain harmony in the universe. A little of this sublime spirit has been bottled by Seraphin XO Cognac so that earthly beings can share it with the Angels”

Seraphin is made by French cognac producer Camus. It retails for around $59.99. The aroma reminded me of pipe tobacco. The product literature claims a nose of prune and hazelnut. The hazelnut I could see, but I didn’t get the prune at all. When I tasted it, the cognac entered my mouth really hot, but finished surprisingly smooth. The flavors made me think of leather and tobacco. Overall, I thought it was a nice cognac, but for the price, I can think of others I’d prefer.

Happy Pi Day!

Friday, March 14th, 2008 | Food & Wine Pairing, Holidays | No Comments

Several of our fellow wine bloggers have discussing Pi Day on Twitter. Pi, of course, is approximated to 3.14159… and goes on infinitely. Therefore, Pi Day is celebrated on 3/14 at 1:59. This made me start thinking about pie wines, and I set my Google Fu into action, hoping to seek out a few. But really, there aren’t a whole lot of pie wines out there. The Shallon Winery in Astoria, Oregon has a Lemon Meringue Pie Wine that they describe as so:

A little sweeter, tried to do in the style of Beerenauslese (how presumptuous can I get), tastes like lemon meringue pie (or so I think), and you can whip it and get a “meringue” on top, nice served with wine crackers to give the taste of pie “crust.”

But if you’re not able to get your hands on a bottle, you could always make your own apple pie “wine” (and trust me, I am using the term “wine” very loosely here, folks): 

Homemade Apple Pie Wine
1 gallon apple cider
2 quarts apple juice
3 cups of sugar
7 cinnamon sticks
1 pint of Everclear

In a large pot, bring to a boil everything except for the Everclear. After it boils, simmer for ½ hour, making sure to stir occasionally to dissolve all the sugar. Remove from heat, and add Everclear and stir. Let it cool completely.

Remove cinnamon sticks and strain through a coffee filter. Pour into a bottle. You can drink this warm or cold.

Makes 6 quarts

Now, since the “original” 190-proof Everclear is illegal in several states including Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Washington, California, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Virginia and West Virginia, you can look for Everclear 151, which is 151-proof, as you might have guessed. If you still can’t find that, I’d suggest using a 100-proof vodka. Absolut, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, McCormick and Popov all make them.

Or you could just swing by a local bakery and pick up a delicious apple pie and pair it with a late-harvest Riesling, or a demi-sec sparkling wine. That’s what I’d do!

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cookies

Friday, March 14th, 2008 | Holidays, Liqueurs, Spirits | No Comments

If you’re like me and you don’t care for the traditional (albeit traditionally American) St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned beef and cabbage, you can still celebrate the holiday in style. I’m not sure where I originally got this recipe for Irish Cream cookies (it was just printed out and stuck in my recipe binder), but they’ll certainly add a delicious and festive touch to your St. Patty’s Day meal, no matter what you eat!

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cookies

Dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons Bailey’s. Sift in salt, baking powder, and flour and mix just until incorporated. Roll dough in two batches flat onto cookie sheets or cake board and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F and remove one batch of cookie dough from refrigerator. Cut and remove shamrock shapes, transferring to cookie sheets to be put in oven. Re-roll scraps, switch to second batch of cookie dough, and repeat until all cookies are baked off. Bake for about 10 minutes, just until cookies begin to turn brown around the bottoms. Edges will not brown as much as normal sugar cookie recipes, so watch them carefully. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets then remove to racks. Immediately brush remaining 1/2 cup Bailey’s over warm cookies with a pastry brush (will take 3 to 5 glazings of each cookie to use the entire 1/2 cup). Cool completely and frost with Bailey’s Icing.

Baileys Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
4 tablespoons meringue powder
Green food coloring

Mix sugar, Bailey’s, and meringue powder together until all ingredients are well incorporated and no pockets of sugar remain. If icing is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Mix in food coloring paste for desired color. Use immediately or store in airtight containers or under damp paper towels while working.

If you have a favorite Bailey’s recipe, share it!

Celebrate St. Patty’s On The Niagara Wine Trail

Thursday, March 13th, 2008 | New York, Niagara, Wine Events | No Comments

If you’re looking for something fun to do in New York’s Niagara region this weekend, you might want to check out the St. Patrick’s Lucky Charms event, which will take place on Saturday, March 15th from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and on Sunday, March 16th from noon - 6 p.m. at wineries along the Niagara Wine Trail. Admission is $20 per person when you arrive. There is no pre-registration and the fee covers you for the whole weekend. Visit as many wineries as you like!

In addition to sampling great New York wines, people attending the events will receive a commemorative wine glass and a St. Patrick’s theme gift.

For more information, visit the Niagara Wine Trail’s Web site.

For more information, visit the Niagara Wine Trail website.

Wine for St. Patrick’s Day

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 | Holidays | No Comments

My friends are the best friends
Loyal, willing and able.
Now let’s get to drinking!
All glasses off the table!

Although I can’t imagine celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with anything other than a cold, frothy Guinness, I am sure there are people who either don’t like beer (the horror!) or else they want to try pairing up their corned beef and cabbage with a wine. This is tricky business! Corned beef is a very salty meat, and cabbage… well, it has a strong flavor of its own. They work well together, but finding a wine to complement both foods at the same time might not be so easy.

Natalie MacLean to the rescue! Ms. MacLean is the author of Red, White, and Drunk All Over (currently topping my “to be read” pile). I consulted the food and wine matcher on her Web site. If you’d like a white wine, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Blanc top the list of your best options. If you’d prefer a red wine, a Bordeaux or new world-style Cabernet Sauvignon should fit the bill.

Of course, no one would would fault any wine lover for pouring off a pint on St. Patty’s Day, so by all means do!

WBW #43: Comfort Wines

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 | California, Lodi, Red Wine, Wine Blogging Wednesday, Wines Under $20, Zinfandel | 5 Comments

Joel Vincent, of Wine Life Today, is responsible for choosing this month’s topic for Wine Blogging Wednesday: Comfort Wines:

Choose a wine, any wine, that you love to unwind to and tell us about not only the wine but what makes the experience special and relaxing for you!

At first this seemed easy enough, but when it came down to actually picking one wine to write about, the task became rather daunting. There were several bottles in the running. I had to really think about what “comfort wine” means to me. I considered some of my favorite comfort foods (steak-frites; tuna salad in a pita, dunked into some chicken noodle soup; penne topped with my husband’s marinara sauce) and realized that they’re all pretty accessible foods. They’re all easy to prepare, the ingredients are readily available, and they’re not terribly expensive. Since there are just so many wines that I could pick to write about for this topic, I thought I’d apply the same criteria to wine.

The bottle I would write about had to be readily available (because there’s nothing worse than really wanting a glass of a specific wine and not being able to find it) and not terribly expensive (I decided to cap it at $15). I also wanted to pick a wine that was “quaffable” — that is, a wine that stands on its own and doesn’t really require food to be enjoyable. With that in mind I picked Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel. It retails for around $12.99 and you can find it pretty much anywhere. I’m a big fan of Ravenswood wines, so really I’d be pleased as punch with anything from the winery, but I happen to be especially fond of the Lodi Zinfandel.

The wine is a blend of 84% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, and 2% “mixed blacks.” It is a full-bodied wine that is jammy and spicy with flavors of raspberry, plum, and vanilla. It is soft and lush as it rolls around in your mouth. The oaky finish is nice and warm and consistently puts a smile on my face. At 14.5% alcohol, it’s a big wine but I find the alcohol to be well-integrated.

No, it’s not a terribly complex wine, but when I’m thinking about “comfort” I want something that’s easy. I want to kick around in my bunny slippers and to curl up in my favorite chair. I don’t want to teeter on heels and be aware of my posture all night. I don’t want a wine that makes me work. I don’t want to decant or swirl the heck out of the glass, trying to open it up and coax out all the little nuances that make it a fantastic wine. Sometimes I just want to crack open a bottle that I know I can trust, pour it in a glass, and enjoy. I think that Ravenswood has consistently proven it can make quality “no brainer” wines. When I pick up a bottle of Ravenswood anything, I’m confident that I’m purchasing a decent product.

It’s been interesting to see what other wine bloggers consider comfort wines. I’ve noted that Sonadora of Wannabe Wino and Erika of StrumErika.com also picked Zinfandels. Once Joel has had a chance to compose his wrap-up, I’ll be sure to let you know so you can check out what everyone else chooses to help them relax.

Noble Indeed

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 | Australia, Dessert Wine, Shiraz | No Comments

Just tasted a bunch of wines from Nugan Estate. They are a fairly substantial Australian producer (100,000 cases according to the Northeast rep). They have all the basics (Shiraz, Cab, Chard) in the $11 range. They also have a bunch of single-vineyard offerings at $20 and up, sourced from the expected regions - McLaren Vale, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra, King Valley and the Riverina. They routinely receive good marks from Tanzer and the Advocate, a stable of high 80s and low 90s. Sizeable, but not overexposed. At least, not in the Northeast.

Their 2006 Durif (Manuka Grove Vineyard) is nice. Full bodied and beautifully deep crimson in color, it is a very good representation of Petit Sirah. Dark cherry fruit, soft tannins, nice acidity. A great lamb wine. Their 2006 McLaren Vale Shiraz (McLaren Parish Vineyard) is cool, but more dusty clay, earth and wood than I usually dig. To my palate, the plummy fruit is a little overwhelmed.  Well crafted, just not my style. Of course, Tanzer and Parker loved it, awarding 90 and 91 points, respectively. Parker 90′ed the Durif as well.

The basic Estate line is solid, with the 2006 Chard as a standout. A bit of toasty vanilla and nutmeg melting into honeydew on the nose, a little peachy in the glass. Juicy with just the right bit of oak. Definitely a value pick.

But the blow-me-away, these-guys-are-awesome, somebody-find-me-a-cloud-to-lounge-on wine is their Nugan Estate KLN Estate Bottled Botrytis Semillon from the Riverina. Hot damn. Beautiful in the glass, like spun gold. Incredible on the nose. I’ve been happily sticking mine in the glass for a half hour with constant delight. Layer upon layer of aromatic joy. Honeysuckle, citrus zest, sweet ripe pear, and a distant hint of spice. In the mouth it is trim and crisp with perfect acidity. Sure, it would be a fantastic dessert wine, but it’s clean enough to match with a variety of cheeses, king crabs legs, or just about any spicy fare.

This is an impressive and unique interpretation of the Sauternes-style. If you like sweet, particularly of the not-necessarily-dessert-wine variety, I’m sure you’ll appreciate this gem.

Rum a Dum Dum

Saturday, March 1st, 2008 | Rum | No Comments

I’ve tasted a number of sipping rums in the last year or so. This is not rum and Coke stuff, so don’t be thinking about the “B” word from Puerto Rico. I’m talking about yummy rums that have been aged in oak for four or more years. The rums are not as rich or full in the mouth as a bourbon, but definitely should be considered liquor with stones.

There are plenty of readily available examples like Pyrat XO Reserve, a Carribean rum from Patron, and 10 Cane Rum made from virgin pressings of Trinidadian sugar cane, a Moet-Hennessy offering. Harder to find but worth the look are the Flor de Cana Grand Reserve, a 7 year aged rum from Nicaragua or Santa Theresa 1796 from Venezuela (one of my favorites).

The other day I had the opportunity to taste two nice rums that were new to me. Ron Barcelo Imperial is the easier to find of the two rums. It is the top shelf offering in the Ron Barcelo line. It’s an award-winning Dominican rum with rich, full flavors, touches of honey and something a little nutty - with a hint of something like melted butter. Very nice.

The second bottle I tasted (from the same importer) was Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. It is another top shelf product in a line with two or three other everyday Venezuaelan rums. The Reserva is distilled in copper pots and aged for 12 years in small bourbon barrels. I am a regular drinker of small batch bourbon, and this was a truly special treat. A massive nose of vanilla with nuances of toasted almonds almost blew me away. It was like no rum I’ve ever sniffed. In the mouth it had a full body, rich and creamy with a smooth finish. The vanilla carried through the complete experience, encouraged with notes of of almond, honey, and nutmeg.

Very delicious and very unique, this rum has a great package as well. If you like sipping on particularly distinctive rums, or small batch bourbons, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is a perfectly delightful distraction.