This is no (April Fool's) joke- Wine Festivals have begun

 

 

 

April 1st - Fool's Day- is a tradition in many parts of the world and the earliest notation of the first day of April and pranks is in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. But, another great thing about April is the season of wine festivals, tastings and celebrations. 


While many wine festivals are held around the harvest in the fall, there are festivals that celebrate spring.  Here, in no particular order, are a few (very few) of the wine festivals and events coming up in April. 

Spring Fever hits the Garden State on April 7 with local  NJ wines.  Come to Long Branch for a sampling of all NJ has to offer- at least for wine.  From April 5th through the 7th, Bear Creek Mountain Resort in PA will be having its wine and food festival.                                 

If you are in the Virginia area next weekend (April 6 & 7), you might be interested in the April Fool's Wine Festival held at the James River Cellars.  Cork in Shreveport, LA, will feature 80 wines from around the world as well as sampling of signature dishes from local restaurants. 

The Maryland Wineries Association presents DECANTER—the third annual event to highlight the heritage and tradition of both Maryland wine and Maryland horse racing—on April 20-21, 2013 at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, home of the Preakness Stakes.  See my post on Equestrian Wine.

Further south is the Sandestin Wine Festival in Destin, Fla.  It will be held the weekend of April 18-21st.  Paula Deen will be cooking so it is sure to be a good time!

The California Wine Festival in Orange County will be about the same time- April 19-20.  There will be a wide range of wineries represented from throughout the state. 

Earlier in the month (April 4-7) also in California is the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival. It is the premier epicurean lifestyle event on the West Coast, matching 250 acclaimed wineries and 75 celebrity chefs to create a hedonistic four-day destination on one of the most picturesque strips of coastline in the world.

Pennsylvania has a number of festivals (including a wine and cupcake pairing) that you can check out.

Not to be outdone, Texas Wine Lover has a whole bunch of festivals coming up in April and beyond.

Finally, the Windy City hosts a number of festivals in April.   

Where ever you are, there probably is a wine festival near you.  It is a great way to support the local vineyards, wineries, chefs and artisans.  So, put away your parka and get tasting!

What Wine Matches Well with Bunny Ears?

 

It's not Easter in our home unless we have at least one solid milk chocolate bunny with extra-long ears. Of course the ears are the first to go.  And, while a nice, cold glass of milk may be the beverage of choice, there are other more "adult" options to consider.

Looking to the experts, the general consensus is the pairing wine and chocolate is not straightforward.  It can take a bit of experimenting to find the best wine and chocolate combinations.  However as a general rule of thumb, the wine should be sweeter than the chocolate to avoid and clashing.   Match ligher chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; stronger chocolates are matched with more full-bodied wine. 

Milk chocolate bunnies are preferred nearly 3 to 1 over dark chocolate bunnies so it is important to understand its composition. Milk chocolate has a higher percentage of sugar and smaller percentage of  chocolate liquor. This, along with its milk content, yields a milder, sweeter product with fewer flavors and aromas. 

So, what do I drink with my milk chocolate bunny (probably sans ears at this point)?  A pinot noir or lighter merlot will pair well.  But I think my chocolate bunny needs some fortified wine- a nice tawny port. Its nutty nuances highlight milk chocolate’s nutty and caramel notes and enhance the overall chocolate flavor. The combination is a delicious treat.  Sip, bite, repeat.

Happy Vernal Equinox!

The daffodils and crocuses are peeking out of the earth, robins are returning to the backyard and slowly, slowly the days are getting longer.  Ahh, spring is in the air!  Clean off the grill, pull back the pool cover, and dust off the patio furniture.  The winter doldrums will soon be a distant memory.  Time to celebrate!

 

Throughout history, wine has played an important part in spring rituals.  The Greek god of Wine, Dionysus, is synonymous with many of these rituals.

Greek religion is dominated by the cycle of life, death, and re-birth  and viniculture is an integral part of this cycle. Grapevines bud in the spring, fruit ripens in the summer and fall, and then lie in wait during the winter in anticipation of the cycle to begin again. Dionysus was a dying god, who like the grapes, was ritually killed each winter only to be reborn in the spring.

In April, around what the Greeks considered their new year, was the Anethesteria. Anthesteria, one of the four festivals in honor of Dionysus was held annually for three days.  At the center of this wine-drinking festival was the celebration of the maturing of the wine stored at the previous vintage, whose vessels were now opened, and the beginning of spring.  It must have been quite a party. 

The first Greek wine I consumed was during a trip to Greece many years ago-  the ubiquitous Mavrodaphe wine.  It was inexpensive, easy to pronounce, and easy to drink.  Greek wine has come a long way over the years and there are now many more options.  Check out New Wines of Greece to learn more.  

And what better way to serve your wine than in the aptly named Dionysus glasses.  Grab some feta, olives, a nice loaf of bread and celebrate spring!

Stick a Cork in It

Recyling, reusing, repurposing are all part of our lexicon today.  Everything from plastic bags being converted to fashionable handbags to outwear that is made from "pre-used" materials can easily be found. 

So, for the wine lover, what are some things you can do with your used corks?

Here are some of my ideas-

Wine Trivet Kits:  Save the corks from your favorite wines and create a trivet or serving tray

Tabletop Decorations:  There are a variety of containers from oversized wine glasses to cork holders.  You can buy them in the shape of a dog, owl, or even a rooster.

Picture Frames:  take a plain, inexpensive frame and using a hot glue gun, simply stick your corks around the frame.  Some people will cut the cork lengthwise to make a flat surface, but it works equally well- and is much faster- to leave the corks whole.

Jewelry:  Make necklaces, earrings and bracelets from your corks.  Leave them natural or for a unique look paint each one.  This works best with natural corks. 

Tell us what unique ways you reuse and repurpose your corks. 

YAY for Chardonnay!

I like Chardonnay. There, I admit it.  Even with all of the press about the health benefits of red wines, the French Paradox, and the proliferation of gourmet steak houses, given a choice, I always choose Chardonnay.  It is the perfect wine  to unwind after a hard day at the office or with a group of friends.

It seems I am not alone in my love for Chardonnay.  According to The Wine Institute and Nielsen , a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, wine sales in U.S. off-premise measured channels from all domestic and foreign production sources grew 2 percent on volume and almost 4 percent on value.  Most of the growth was with wines from California and other U.S. states, up 4 percent in volume, while imports shrunk 1 percent in volume.

Within table wine, Chardonnay remained the most popular with 21 percent of the volume, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 percent volume share; Merlot, 10 percent volume share, Pinot Grigio/Gris, 8 percent market share, and White Zinfandel, 7 percent market share. 

Why is Chardonnay so popular?

Chardonnay grapes are easy to grow and can be crafted into many different types of wines. Perhaps they are also so popular because they have little innate character of their own and instead inherit the characteristics of the soil and climate where they are grown. Chardonnay's strength is its structure and its ability to age rather than its aromatic intensity. In general Chardonnay wines are medium to full bodied, with medium acidity and an attractive creamy, buttery character on the palate. Aromas and flavors range from citrus, green apple and pear in cooler climates to more stone and tropical fruit in warmer climates.

While prized Chardonnay wines can be pricey, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a well-made wine.  One of my favorite, inexpensive Chardonnays is Cupcake. If nothing else, the name is friendly and puts me in a happy mood even before I open the wine. Go ahead, uncork a bottle of your favorite Chardonnay!

Equestrian (?) Wine

We live in a very friendly neighborhood, filled with great people, kids of all ages, and a few wine lovers. On a regular basis, the wine lovers, along with some special guests (usually beer drinkers) get together for  fun, informal tastings along with a great meal. Everyone chips in to make it easy on the host, which in for this gathering was me. My job was to make sure there were enough wine glasses for all of the guests.

During a recent tasting, the dinner menu featured filet mignon from our local favorite butcher with an assortment of salads and sides provided by our fellow wine tasters. 

During hors d'oeuvres we enjoyed several lighter white wines including:

• 2005 Château Carbonnieux Blanc, a White Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon). Dry, with complex, buttery flavors due to bottle age.
• 2005 Fernand & Laurent Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Vide Bourse, a White Burgundy (Chardonnay). Golden color. Mellow citrus flavors. Mild oak.
• 2005 Kesselstatt Spatlese (Riesling). Aromas of sweet petrol. Very complex fruit flavors, with well rounded sweetness.

These wines were refreshing and primed us just enough before dinner. As we were enjoying our perfectly prepared filets (compliments of the men at the party), we moved to our dinner wines, starting with a 2009 Dunham Trutina, a Washington Cabernet/Merlot blend. It is described as having new world aromas of licorice and vanilla oak with plush flavors matching the aromas. We also enjoyed a 2005 Realm Cabernet Beckstoffer to Kalon and a 2005 Gorman Evil Twin (Washington Syrah/Cabernet blend).

But one wine really stood out: the  2003 Château Smith Haut Lafitte (Bordeaux Cabernet/Merlot blend)—that really got the folks talking! It has been described by others as having earthy aromas with hints of tobacco, blackberries and pencil shavings. Yet the first reaction one of the guest had, after noting the "dirt" smell, was that it tasted like a horse's rear end! Hmm... does not sound terribly appealing, but yet is quite accurate. There WAS a subtle barnyard or "equestrian" flavor that was strangely addicting.  Needless to say, it was the wine that made the night.

Need an Equestrian Decanter to go with your equestrian wine? Visit SimplyLoveWine.com.

Wine-Tasting Classroom at Home

A friend asked if I had any good information on the best wine-tasting schools — classes that would help her learn to be a more educated and discerning wine aficionado. I referred her to some of the first that came to mind: Corkbuzz Wine Studio's options, the wine classes at Otto (Mario Batali's Greenwich Village pizzeria), and the Astor Culinary Center.

But now I'm having second thoughts. She could do herself a favor by spending the money and time on homeschooling. That's right. You've heard it before — the best way to learn about wine is to drink alot of it — "Buy a good corkscrew and use it."  If you have the budget to spend on classes, consider setting up a wine tasting curriculum at home. It's not all fun — it takes preparation. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Enlist some colleagues. Schools function better with students. The interaction between you and your colleagues will help you better enjoy learning and make it less of a chore. You can be as casual or formal as you like, but you need to recruit friends and family for this educational get-together. And since food and wine are best buddies, it's even better if they share and prepare one of their favorite recipes. Don't sweat what goes with what.

Decide on a budget for school supplies. You're going to need a variety of wines, so don't blow it one bottle. With a price range of $10–20 each, you could afford a case of twelve bottles for $200. They won't all be fantastic. The odds are likely that you will have a bottle or two that you won't like. But discovering a new favorite that will enjoy again and again is worth the investment. Visit your trusted wine shop and ask them to put together a varied collection within your budget. In my experience, the experienced wine shopkeep is more than happy to work within any budget. And always be prepared with wine glasses and a notebook.

Begin class. This is the fun part. You and your fellow pupils are gathered for a scholarly adventure. Enlightenment awaits. Swirl, sniff, sip and spit! Spitting, of course, is optional if you're already home or have a designated driver to get you there.

Keep good notes. It's easy to lose yourself in the moment of discovery. Be diligent and write down what you're smelling and tasting in each wine, and your reaction to it. How does the aroma and mouth feel strike you? Harsh? Heavy? Sweet or savory? No need for to be ultra-specific, and remember a wine's taste may evolve on subsequent sips. Your taste in wine certainly will change over time.

Rinse and repeat. Try a blind tasting, or with wine labels out in the open. Focus on a single type of grape, or part of the world. Change up the guest list and introduce newbies to experienced tasters.

Nothing beats experience, so go on and get some — with your own homeschool wine tasting session.