Monday, March 05, 2012
Wanted: Wine & Conversation
This would be how I broke a nail using a typewriter. That story can be part of the good conversation we have (okay, okay - I'll save that one for the 'mediocre' conversation ad).
Sunday, March 04, 2012
2012 Virginia Wine Expo
Last weekend Kate invited us to Richmond for a girls' weekend. Allie, Amanda, and I agreed, and went to wreak some wine havoc down in Dixie by attending the Virginia Wine Expo.
Typically, in the past, Wine Expos have been something of a conquest for me. I have previously made sure I visited each and every winery, tasting wines and taking copious notes. If you recall last year I sent out Screw Cork Awards to both NJ and Maryland. However at the 2012 Virginia Wine Expo, there were over 70 wineries - and with socializing with the college girls, I didn't get to visit all of the wineries and do not have quite as many notes. So, unfortunately, no screw cork awards this time around.
After a hearty southern pancake breakfast, we were ready to pour and roar.
Fun fact: I pregame every wine festival with pancakes. As a result, to this day, I have not ever had a hangover due to partaking in a wine festival.
So here are some of my notes, in order of visitation:
1st - At Ingleside we learned 2007 was a great year for wine as Virginia had fantastic weather. The Blue Crab Blanc and/or Red are cheap buys here, and would easily please the crowds.
3rd - The 2009 Church Creek Rose at Chatham Vineyards is aged in french oak, and slightly less sweet than I had been tasting otherwise in roses. Very tasty.
4th - The Ginger Wine at Sans Soucy Vineyards is like none other - so unique, in fact, that Amanda bought three bottles. They combine this with their Blackberry to create a sangria that is truly delicious. They also had a bottle with a cat on it that future cat lady Kate was ecstatic about trying, however it was slightly disappointing.
5th - Introduced as the newest winery in Virginia, aka the 211th, Little Washington opened in VA on 11-11-11. They have a 'Dirt Road Wine Club' where you go out for a walk and try unique wines from across the nation (a very cool idea). This woman pouring, the owner's wife, was the most charismatic wine pourer we ran into all day - although later on, when we saw her again in another area of the wine festival, she did not recognize us (or maybe didn't hear us as we said hello).
6th - Davis Valley Winery - they were also selling Jello Shooters, which was dangerous. Their Autumn Red and Corot Noir are the same grape just aged in oak or stainless steel, respectively.
7th - Afton Mountain was where Kate announced she was 'feeling it'. Here, we were explained how to guage residual sugars: 0% is dry, 1-5% is slightly sweet, and 6% + is a dessert. Their Festa Di Bacco bottle is very cool.
8th - Lake Anna Winery's Chardonnay Barrel Select has a "bacon flavor" according to Amanda, and a "meat finish" according to Allie. Kate and I did not come up with either of those flavors. This is one winery I've wanted to visit in person for awhile now. I hear it is beautiful.
9th - Stinson Vineyards - The labels were so clean; I loved how simple they were. Allie noted she liked how when you looked at them you could instantly tell what kind of wine it was - you didn't have to search.
10th - Blenheim Vineyards gave giant pours.
11th - The Byrd Cellars Dry apple tasted like Dill to me. The '09 Syrah tasted like winter; more specifically, something I would drink on my deck while my dad was grilling, in the cold air. We also tried their Norton, an organic grape that has been grown for over 200 years in Virginia. This was a first for me, the norton grape.
13th - Wintergreen Winery had a raspberry fruit wine that I felt I should pour on my toast. Here, we also learned 2009 was a wet year, creating a softer grape.
14th - I noted at Barren Ridge Vineyards the petit verdot burns going down. Also at this point, the Pittsburgh Penguins score became 8-1 (Allie subscribes to ESPN notifications; the score updates were going on nonstop throughout the day). But looking at their website, this winery looks beautiful! I will have to visit in person.
16th - Kate noted the Petit Manseng at Chestnut Oak Vineyard had flavors of coconut.
17th - The wine pourer at Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery kindly offered to take our picture (shown above). Here, we learned meads differ from other wines as they add honey, not sugar. Kate purchased the Hunter's Moon - a liquid which made us feel like we should have a Harry Potter party as we were drinking it. A spicy, pumpkin mead, it tasted like fall.
18th - At Vintner's Cellar of Yorktown Kate picked up a wine slushie (see below) while Amanda called the Strawberry White Merlot "Dangerous". This terminology accurately depicts the wine here; all tasting like Kool-Aid so they are likely refreshing on a hot summer day, as well as easily getting you intoxicated. Our wine hose here also poured some black raspberry merlot over pound cake - I didn't like it, but others were impressed. This does present a unique idea, though, and could be something to try with other wines.
21st - Cardinal Point resides in a region of eight wineries and two breweries. It looks like I have a destination to relocate to.
23rd - The only note I have on my Prince Michel tasting sheet is 'Allie is Aggressive'. This is not in my handwriting.
24th - Glen Manor has a very grassy, earthy sauvignon blanc.
25th - Democracy Vineyards gets their name as the owners were/are lobbyists.
26th - At New Kent Winery a nearby taster mistakenly heard the term 'Niagara Grape' as 'Viagara Grape', and subsequently was a bit excited, no pun intended.
30th - Well Hung Vineyard - I don't have any notes but I do have a photo:
All in all, I believe I hit 34 wineries. Amanda and Allie hit a few more. I loved all of the flavored chip dip vendors on the side, and the arts/crafts around were fun as always. Amanda at one point walked to 'get some dip' and the winery she walked away from thought she was going to 'dip' as in do chewing tobacco. Many wineries offered three-bottle discounts, interestingly. I haven't seen those at wineries/festivals previously.
I was slightly disappointed with the venue. It was in a convention center so the lighting and atmosphere was unattractive. Everything echoed, and frankly, concrete and glass is a sad combination. When something broke anywhere in the room, you'd hear the echo of the shatter followed immediately by a crowd "awww" in unison. Another thing was no outside food or drink - not even water! Free water bottles were provided by Harrisonburgtourism.com, though. Made me miss the northern festivals, BYO picnic & enjoy the sunshine. But February drinkers perhaps cannot be choosers, and it was a thoroughly good time anyway.
After a hearty southern pancake breakfast, we were ready to pour and roar.
Fun fact: I pregame every wine festival with pancakes. As a result, to this day, I have not ever had a hangover due to partaking in a wine festival.
So here are some of my notes, in order of visitation:
1st - At Ingleside we learned 2007 was a great year for wine as Virginia had fantastic weather. The Blue Crab Blanc and/or Red are cheap buys here, and would easily please the crowds.
3rd - The 2009 Church Creek Rose at Chatham Vineyards is aged in french oak, and slightly less sweet than I had been tasting otherwise in roses. Very tasty.
4th - The Ginger Wine at Sans Soucy Vineyards is like none other - so unique, in fact, that Amanda bought three bottles. They combine this with their Blackberry to create a sangria that is truly delicious. They also had a bottle with a cat on it that future cat lady Kate was ecstatic about trying, however it was slightly disappointing.
5th - Introduced as the newest winery in Virginia, aka the 211th, Little Washington opened in VA on 11-11-11. They have a 'Dirt Road Wine Club' where you go out for a walk and try unique wines from across the nation (a very cool idea). This woman pouring, the owner's wife, was the most charismatic wine pourer we ran into all day - although later on, when we saw her again in another area of the wine festival, she did not recognize us (or maybe didn't hear us as we said hello).
6th - Davis Valley Winery - they were also selling Jello Shooters, which was dangerous. Their Autumn Red and Corot Noir are the same grape just aged in oak or stainless steel, respectively.
7th - Afton Mountain was where Kate announced she was 'feeling it'. Here, we were explained how to guage residual sugars: 0% is dry, 1-5% is slightly sweet, and 6% + is a dessert. Their Festa Di Bacco bottle is very cool.
8th - Lake Anna Winery's Chardonnay Barrel Select has a "bacon flavor" according to Amanda, and a "meat finish" according to Allie. Kate and I did not come up with either of those flavors. This is one winery I've wanted to visit in person for awhile now. I hear it is beautiful.
9th - Stinson Vineyards - The labels were so clean; I loved how simple they were. Allie noted she liked how when you looked at them you could instantly tell what kind of wine it was - you didn't have to search.
Thomas Jefferson! You need to slow down a bit. Don't ride a horse and drive, you know.
10th - Blenheim Vineyards gave giant pours.
11th - The Byrd Cellars Dry apple tasted like Dill to me. The '09 Syrah tasted like winter; more specifically, something I would drink on my deck while my dad was grilling, in the cold air. We also tried their Norton, an organic grape that has been grown for over 200 years in Virginia. This was a first for me, the norton grape.
13th - Wintergreen Winery had a raspberry fruit wine that I felt I should pour on my toast. Here, we also learned 2009 was a wet year, creating a softer grape.
14th - I noted at Barren Ridge Vineyards the petit verdot burns going down. Also at this point, the Pittsburgh Penguins score became 8-1 (Allie subscribes to ESPN notifications; the score updates were going on nonstop throughout the day). But looking at their website, this winery looks beautiful! I will have to visit in person.
16th - Kate noted the Petit Manseng at Chestnut Oak Vineyard had flavors of coconut.
17th - The wine pourer at Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery kindly offered to take our picture (shown above). Here, we learned meads differ from other wines as they add honey, not sugar. Kate purchased the Hunter's Moon - a liquid which made us feel like we should have a Harry Potter party as we were drinking it. A spicy, pumpkin mead, it tasted like fall.
18th - At Vintner's Cellar of Yorktown Kate picked up a wine slushie (see below) while Amanda called the Strawberry White Merlot "Dangerous". This terminology accurately depicts the wine here; all tasting like Kool-Aid so they are likely refreshing on a hot summer day, as well as easily getting you intoxicated. Our wine hose here also poured some black raspberry merlot over pound cake - I didn't like it, but others were impressed. This does present a unique idea, though, and could be something to try with other wines.
21st - Cardinal Point resides in a region of eight wineries and two breweries. It looks like I have a destination to relocate to.
23rd - The only note I have on my Prince Michel tasting sheet is 'Allie is Aggressive'. This is not in my handwriting.
24th - Glen Manor has a very grassy, earthy sauvignon blanc.
25th - Democracy Vineyards gets their name as the owners were/are lobbyists.
26th - At New Kent Winery a nearby taster mistakenly heard the term 'Niagara Grape' as 'Viagara Grape', and subsequently was a bit excited, no pun intended.
30th - Well Hung Vineyard - I don't have any notes but I do have a photo:
All in all, I believe I hit 34 wineries. Amanda and Allie hit a few more. I loved all of the flavored chip dip vendors on the side, and the arts/crafts around were fun as always. Amanda at one point walked to 'get some dip' and the winery she walked away from thought she was going to 'dip' as in do chewing tobacco. Many wineries offered three-bottle discounts, interestingly. I haven't seen those at wineries/festivals previously.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Triumph Brewing & Brooklyn Beer Dinner : Leap Day was a Raging Success
The title of this post accurately depicts the story of my leap day: a raging success.
Raging, that is a weird word. It describes a great many items. But in terms of leap day, it is used as 'epic' or 'of great magnitude'.
Let's start at the beginning: Pancakes. I began my day with pancakes. Delicious pancakes on an otherwise rainy and cold leap day. Yes - it's the day after National Pancake Day - so what. The pancakes were phenomenal. You can't put up an argument against good pancakes. Period.
Later, I went to Triumph Brewery in New Hope. They threw a Leap Day party like no other. $2.29 beers and 29c wings. I had a Jewish Rye beer (it really tasted like a piece of rye bread) and a Coffee & Cream Stout. Honestly, with this deal, any day instantly becomes a good day.
Not to mention, I always love the chalk art at Triumph.
I came home and relaxed for a bit. Listened to the rain and enjoyed the afternoon. Caught up on some quality daytime TV.
But then at night, the big event. The Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner. It was a sold out show at the local tavern. Five courses & five beers.
I was seated at a mismatched long table with eleven other people. There were thirty-two seats at the dinner. All ages were mixed; across from me was a husband and wife with their two sons, next to me was a father and a son, on the other side was a husband and wife in their seventies, and way down on the other side was a group of friends. All at the same table. For the first time I wasn't the youngest. Not surprisingly, men outnumbered the women.
We were introduced to the beers, each in succession, and allowed refills if we requested. The alcohol content was >8% for each beer, however, so I kept myself in check (unfortunately, in New Jersey, Thursday is still considered as part of the work week).
First off was the Lager with homemade soft pretzels and three different dips. Spicy!
Next was Salmon with a honey glaze and Local #1. The salmon was perfect, and the sweetness of the Local #1 was very complimenting.
Water carafe break. I feel like this should be an Untappd check in option. Hydration is important.
Third was a rack of ribs, vegetables, and Brooklyn's limited edition brewer's reserve 'The Companion'. So lucky to be able to taste this on tap - it's very rare to find this, and quantities are nearly extinct now as it is. And the ribs! Marinated overnight in a beer-based sauce; melt in your mouth. Many of my fellow beer dinner mates took home a growler of this brew.
At this point my fellow table-mate explained asparagus is likely to be good this year due to the warm winter and early spring.
Fourth was potatoes, mushrooms, Local #2, and --- wait for it ---- KANGAROO. I'm not kidding. Man, that stuff is chewy, even when cooked flawlessly as it was. Not so much gamey, but there was a grittiness to it that was a little strange.
Finally, an old familiar face (well, these days, anyway) was the chocolate stout with ice cream. Call me crazy, but I like these beer floats.
Great company and great food. The table really became a community by the end, all of us chatting (which was very welcome to someone like me, who went by myself) and exchanging Untappd accounts. The food was fantastic and our host from Brooklyn Brewery, Miles, was great at narrating us through the pairings. Not to mention, I got a sweet glass that will be cherished provided that it does not break.
FeBREWary & Leap Beers finish with a bang. Your move, March.
Raging, that is a weird word. It describes a great many items. But in terms of leap day, it is used as 'epic' or 'of great magnitude'.
Later, I went to Triumph Brewery in New Hope. They threw a Leap Day party like no other. $2.29 beers and 29c wings. I had a Jewish Rye beer (it really tasted like a piece of rye bread) and a Coffee & Cream Stout. Honestly, with this deal, any day instantly becomes a good day.
Not to mention, I always love the chalk art at Triumph.
I came home and relaxed for a bit. Listened to the rain and enjoyed the afternoon. Caught up on some quality daytime TV.
I was seated at a mismatched long table with eleven other people. There were thirty-two seats at the dinner. All ages were mixed; across from me was a husband and wife with their two sons, next to me was a father and a son, on the other side was a husband and wife in their seventies, and way down on the other side was a group of friends. All at the same table. For the first time I wasn't the youngest. Not surprisingly, men outnumbered the women.
We were introduced to the beers, each in succession, and allowed refills if we requested. The alcohol content was >8% for each beer, however, so I kept myself in check (unfortunately, in New Jersey, Thursday is still considered as part of the work week).
First off was the Lager with homemade soft pretzels and three different dips. Spicy!
Next was Salmon with a honey glaze and Local #1. The salmon was perfect, and the sweetness of the Local #1 was very complimenting.
Water carafe break. I feel like this should be an Untappd check in option. Hydration is important.
Third was a rack of ribs, vegetables, and Brooklyn's limited edition brewer's reserve 'The Companion'. So lucky to be able to taste this on tap - it's very rare to find this, and quantities are nearly extinct now as it is. And the ribs! Marinated overnight in a beer-based sauce; melt in your mouth. Many of my fellow beer dinner mates took home a growler of this brew.
At this point my fellow table-mate explained asparagus is likely to be good this year due to the warm winter and early spring.
Fourth was potatoes, mushrooms, Local #2, and --- wait for it ---- KANGAROO. I'm not kidding. Man, that stuff is chewy, even when cooked flawlessly as it was. Not so much gamey, but there was a grittiness to it that was a little strange.
Finally, an old familiar face (well, these days, anyway) was the chocolate stout with ice cream. Call me crazy, but I like these beer floats.
(Before mixing & after mixing it all up)
Great company and great food. The table really became a community by the end, all of us chatting (which was very welcome to someone like me, who went by myself) and exchanging Untappd accounts. The food was fantastic and our host from Brooklyn Brewery, Miles, was great at narrating us through the pairings. Not to mention, I got a sweet glass that will be cherished provided that it does not break.
FeBREWary & Leap Beers finish with a bang. Your move, March.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Who the F is Q?
For more on Q, see this prior post. Thanks for the recommendation Q! I've been needing a getaway.
Alas, if only Q had done a google-search. Old Hotel Brickman postcards are going for $4.25 on eBay.
Alas, if only Q had done a google-search. Old Hotel Brickman postcards are going for $4.25 on eBay.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Pottery
After much consideration I chose to do a butter dish. This was for two reasons: first of all, I really need one, and second of all, when are you ever 'blown away' by a butter dish that you simply have to have? I've never fallen in love with a butter dish before, and figured it would effectively solve the problem of butter roaming waywardly in my fridge.
The painting process itself was extremely relaxing. I did feel quite amateur, especially when others came in and were painting murals on their pieces - not to mention Dr. Ali's skillful, even paint job. But, true to form, a mother thinks her own work is best and I am quite proud.
Although it looks like a small child did this artwork, this piece is very functional in my house.
The other awesome thing about this pottery place is there's a Thursday night BYOB ladies night that sounds incredible. Some wine and some paint, what could go wrong? I'm game to experiment.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Four Pours & Seven Cheers Ago
Fun Facts:
James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, suggested there be both a National Brewery and a Secretary of Beer. I will be accepting all write-ins on the ballot for this position if it ever comes to fruition.
George Washington wrote down his recipe to make beer. Check out the outcome from a homebrewer who recently made General Washington's personal beer recipe.
Franklin Pierce (who somberly died of cirrhosis), is rumored to have said "There's nothing left but to get drunk," after not being nominated for re-election.
Rutherford B. Hayes, with influence from his wife, banned alcohol from the white house during his term, although it was not strictly adhered to.
Prohibition was initiated via the Eighteenth Amendment to the US constitution, under Woodrow Wilson's term.
According to Wikipedia, it was illegal to homebrew a beverage with an alcohol content > 0.5% until 1979, when Jimmy Carter signed the bill repealing these restrictions.
Some Brews & Beverages to be festive with:
- Yards Brewing - George Washington Tavern Porter, Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale
- Wardland Brewing - Homebrewer, I believe, but maybe he'll share - John Adams Braintree Ale
- Are you a homebrewer? Try out the John Q Adams Patriot Ale recipe.
- Feel free to drink any of these brews in a William Henry Harrison beer stein.
- Rolling Meadows Brewery - Lincoln Lager
- Rusty Truck - Taft Draft Toffee Porter
- Go have some drinks and dinner at the home of Warren G. Harding
- Swamp Head Brewing - Roosevelt
- Does anyone use myspace anymore? Regardless, feel free to check out Wasted Wine's song Harry Truman on their myspace page. It could add some nice ambiance to the room while you're trying all of these presidential beverages. Also note if you peruse iTunes, you can find all kinds of songs you've never heard of about presidents.
- Reportedly, if you order a Nixon at a bar, it is whiskey & citrus soda.
- Why not start a gift giving tradition? Offer this Bill & Hillary set to your politically appreciative drinking buddies.
- You can check out our current president having a beer on the White House's flickr account, but you've already missed out on the Obamagang Inauguration Ale.
Worst case scenario just dust off your three piece suit, drink something on the rocks in a scotch glass, and barrel around making executive decisions. Happy President's Day!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Disney Princes Go Internet Dating
This is the resulting discussion from when the clubs at the Jersey Shore are closed for the season so Dr. Ali and I go see Beauty and the Beast on a Friday night. For the sake of our sanity Jagerbombs need to be year round. But come on who wouldn't want to take Gaston or Hercules to Karma? Plus I feel like every girl in this state has run into at least one Captain Hook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)