Tuscany

Well, we got home from out trip to Tuscany Sunday evening. However, my body still thinks it's in Italy. I've been waking up at 3am. I will tell you, I have now become an Italian driver so watch out!! We all had a fabulous time!!

We arrived in Rome and went to rent our car. We found the staff at the airport most helpful as we had no clue where to go. Lucky we got an upgrade to an Audi Quattro. Good thing too…four women and luggage needed it. I won't tell you we purchased two extra bags to come home with. Had to put the wine, cheese and olive oil somewhere.

Once we got up towards Poggibonsi the GPS (yes thank heavens we had one!) kept telling us to go down a dirt road. We weren't quite sure so we pulled into a tasting room and asked for directions. It's funny, and we found this in multiple places, nobody knows what's outside their immediate area..that or they weren't willing to share it with us. We ended up purchasing some wonderful Vernaccia from this tasting room. (I will go into that later) We were no better off after the tasting room with directions, but we did now have wine. Against odds, we went up this dirt road, up the "hill" (which was like driving up Mount Beacon) and we came across our new home for a week. A converted barn that had 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, basic kitchen and small living room. The view was wonderful. We could see the walls of San Gimingnano and the rolling hills of Tuscany! The place was great for us as it was within an hour of everywhere…San Gimignano, Siena, Chianti, Florence, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pisa. However, it had no bells and whistles, so if you wanted a more luxury villa, you would have needed different accommodations.

The villa was on a farm winery complete with vineyard, olive trees, a rooster who woke us every morning, chickens, turkeys and not to forget the 5 cats/ kittens. One in particular who was at our doorstep every morning and evening when we returned. She even hung out with us until late at night while we drank wine.

The owners of the farm were very nice and sincere. Lovely people, to bad they didn't know English. It was quite amusing communicating with them. Angela would come down and be talking and talking and we had no clue what she was saying. One morning we woke to a basket of fresh Fava Beans just picked from her garden. The last evening we were there, they came down with 5 bottles of wine for us to leave with. It was very nice, but to bad the wine wasn't that good.

I'll write more tomorrow and take you on our journey through Tuscany……..

Tuscany here we come

The day has come when we are taking wine night to Italy. There are 4 of us heading out to Rome today where we will then drive up to Tuscany. We will be staying at this villa – Il Gallo just outside San Gimignano http://www.labellatoscana.net/index.php?p=proprieta_toscana&l=eng&proprieta=57 . We will be visiting San Gimignano, Florence, Siena, Greves, Radda and some other places before heading back to Rome to do some sightseeing. We do have appointments at a bunch of wineries throughout Tuscany.

I won't have my computer with me, but if I come across an internet café, I will make a posting. Otherwise, until May 12….Ciao!

 

 

Results of the Hudson Valley Wine Competition

I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Here are the results as well as info if you would like to attend the wine dinner.

The link for the Hudson Valley Wine & Culinary Food Pairing Dinner

Poughkeepsie, NY , April 29, 2008: Brook in Waterland in Rhinebeck New York was the setting Saturday, April 26th for the 4th Annual Hudson Valley Wine Competition. This competition highlights the Hudson Valley Regions wines and the growing interest the public has for them. The competition was open to all commercial wineries in the Hudson Valley AVA using New York State fruit, but more exclusively, Hudson Valley fruit.

Seventy nine wines made in the Hudson Valley were entered in the competition. Overall the wines from the 18 wineries that entered scored higher than in the past three competitions, suggesting to all present, a continuing improvement in winemaking for the area.

The winners of the 4th Annual Hudson Valley Wine Competition by class and variety are:

Sparkling:

Brotherhood Winery NV Blanc de Blanc –Silver Medal, Best Sparkling Wine

Clinton Vineyards NV Sparkling Seyval Peach – Bronze Medal

Applewood Winery Stonefence 2006 Hard Cider-- Bronze Medal

White Hybrid:

Benmarl Winery 2006 Seyval—Gold Medal, Best in Class and Best White Hybrid

Magnanini Winery 2006 Bianco Amable (Seyval) -- Silver Medal

Brotherhood Winery 2006 Seyval Blanc—Bronze Medal

Bashakill Winery 2006 Whitetail (Cayuga) –Gold Medal, Best in Class

Brimstone Hill Vineyards 2007 Cayuga – Silver Medal

Adair Vineyards 2007 Cayuga—Bronze Medal

Whitecliff Vineyards 2007 Awosting White (Seyval/Vignoles)--Silver Medal, Best Hudson Heritage
Benmarl Winery 2007 Traminette – Bronze Medal

White Vinifera

Millbrook Vineyards 2007 Tokai Fruilano – Gold Medal, Best in Class, Best White Vinifera

Millbrook Vineyards 2006 Chardonnay –Gold Medal

Benmarl Winery 2007 Riesling – Bronze Medal

Brotherhood Winery 2005 Riesling—Bronze Medal

Labrusca (Native) Grape:

Hudson-Chatham Lindenwald White Niagara/Diamond—Silver Medal, Best in Class

Red Hybrid:

Benmarl Winery 2006 Baco Noir—Gold Medal, Best Red Hybrid

Benmarl Winery 2006 Frontenac—Silver Medal

Bashakill Winery 2006 Blue Heron (Chancellor)—Bronze Medal

Red Vinifera:

Millbrook Vineyards 2005 Cabernet Franc –Gold Medal, Best in Class, Best in Show, Best HV Wine

Millbrook Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc Block 3—Gold Medal

Applewood Winery 2006 Cabernet Franc – Bronze Medal

Oak Summit Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir – Silver Medal, Best in Category

Millbrook Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir—Silver Medal

Bashakill Winery 2006 Copperhead (Pinot Noir)—Bronze Medal

Brotherhood Winery 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon—Silver Medal

Hudson-Chatham 2005 Merlot—Silver Medal, Best in Category

Baldwin 2006 Merlot—Bronze Medal

Grape Sweet Wine:

Bashakill Winery 2007 Osprey (Vignoles)—Silver Medal, Best in Class

Bashakill Winery 2007 Whitetail (Cayuga)—Bronze Medal

Bashakill Winery 2006 Osprey (Vignoles)—Bronze Medal

Fruit Wine:

Brookview Station 2007 Pomona (Apple/Pear) – Gold Medal, Best in Category, Best in Class

Adair Vineyards 2007 Peche –Gold Medal, Best in Category

Dessert Wines:

Clinton Vineyards NV Cassis – Gold Medal, Best in Category, Best in Class, Best Dessert Wine Warwick Valley Winery NV Pear Liquior –Gold Medal, Best in Category

Warwick Valley Winery NV Black Currant—Silver Medal

Palaia Winery NV Mead—Bronze Medal

Port:

Brotherhood Winery NV Ruby Port—Gold Medal, Best in Class

Hudson Chatham Winery Paperbirch Raspberry Port—Silver Medal

For more information on the Hudson Valley Wine & Grape Association visit www.hvwga.com

Video of the competition can be seen here.

Hudson Valley Wine Competition - Competition Day

Well yesterday was a long day. It all started Friday night with last minute changes to entries. Colleen and I were up until 2am making sure everything was correct. With 4 hours of sleep and a stop at the A&P for brown lunch bags (it's a blind tasting) we headed to Rhinebeck for the competition.

While the results aren't official yet...there were some nice results for newcomers at Hudson-Chatham Winery, Baskhill and Palaia. Congratulations to them. I will keep you in suspense until the results become final.

Here is a video I put together from the competition.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Everyone is invited to attended the Hudson Valley Wine & Culinary Food Pairing May 30th at the Culinary Institute of America's, St Andrew's Cafe. You will be able to mingle with the winemakers and winery owners and their wines are paired with dinner prepared by the Culinary chefs. For more information click here.

Hudson Valley Wine Competition

Well..I have to apologize; I've been lax this week. I have been very busy with work and I somehow got talked into assisting with the Hudson Valley Wine Competition. The Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association hosts this competition every year. They reached out to me to help them with the competition and arrange the banquet, which is open to the public and being held at the St. Andrew's Café at the Culinary Institute of America. We'll start out first with the competition.

The competition is going to be held on Saturday. There are currently 72 wines entered in an assortment of categories. I will take pictures so you can see a wine competition at it's best. This competition is open to all Hudson Valley wineries and the wines must be made from New York Grapes..preferably Hudson Valley grapes and processed and made in the Hudson Valley.

The judges from the competition are Bob Brink – Fine Wines Manager at Arlington Liquor; Chris Gerling – Cornell's Extension Associate for Enology for NY State; Steven Kolpan – Professor of Wine Studies, CIA, Harriet Lembeck – wine and spirits educator and writer; William Lembeck – Society of Wine Educators, Bill Radner – Sommelier, wine writer and educator.
Wine Director for Xaviar's Restaurant Group; Jennifer Redmond , and Brian Smith- Professor of Wine Studies, CIA.

You will hear first of the winners here on my blog.

On May 30^th at the St Andrew's Café you will have the opportunity to mingle with the winemakers and enjoy the winning wines in the top 5 major categories – Sparkling, Red, White, Fruit & Dessert Wines paired with wonderful dishes from the chefs at the Culinary. For more information on the dinner visit www.hvwga.com I'll be there!

Pasta Primo Vino

I attended the Pasta Primo Vino this past weekend. We had a wonderful time touring the Shawangunk Wine Trail. We started out in Warwick at Warwick Valley Winery. They had a nice Chardonnay that I really liked, which I purchased. I went out of my norm and tasted their Winston Harlequin Port which I was surprised I liked. It was made from Baco Noir grapes which attributed to the smoky taste.

After Warwick we traveled to Applewood Winery which I think had the best Pasta. It was Blue Cheese baked Pasta. Yumm! Then we went to Brotherhood and the Marlboro Wineries. Benmarl had good Gnocchi! I also tasted their port too. It was good. I am not a port drinker, but the person I was with likes sweet wine. I kept an open mind and tried some. After Marlboro we went to the wineries in New Paltz, Pinebush and Gardiner. We ended at Whitecliff where we sat on the deck with a bottle of Awosting White and relaxed after a long day.

The wineries were crowded and I was told that Sunday is usually less crowded. I think the next event which is in June, I'll attend on Sunday.

It's really nice to go wine tasting in your backyard. I am so fortunate to live in a region that has good wineries. On a typical weekend where I don't have anything planned, I will think nothing about packing a picnic lunch and going to some of my favorite wineries. Don't think because you went wine tasting today, next month you will be tasting the same wines. NOT! Wineries release new wines all throughout the year. I will say, if you go wine tasting and really enjoy the wine, purchase it! Don't wait until the next time. These wineries are small production and they may only have a few hundred cases of that wine. The next time you go to purchase the wine, they may be sold out.

Wine and Memory Loss

I saw this information in the NYWGF newsletter. Thank you Jim.

MEMORY LOSS in women may be decreased significantly with moderate wine consumption, according to a recent Swedish study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The long-term prospective study showed a 70% decrease in the lifetime risk of dementia, while spirits consumption increased the risk, suggesting that the non-alcohol components unique to wine may be an important factor.

Not sure if I agree, since I can't remember things now. But that might be due to the busy lifestyle I lead. With that being said, in 30 years you will have to ask my kids if this holds true.