Can you tell the difference if a white wine was aged in oak or stainless steal? Here is a way to have your eyes to determine the aging process.
If a white wine is aged in oak it will have a straw yellow, yellow, yellow gold or yellow brownish color.
If a white is aged in stainless steal the color will be clear, clear with a hint of yellow, or pale yellow.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
What's picking this week in Hudson Valley Wine Country
This week if you go wine tasting, they are harvesting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. When you harvest grapes you would like your brix levels to be around 21 or 22.
What's a brix level? A brix level is the sugar level in the grape. When the brix is around 21 or 22 it is usually perfect for producing good wine.
Flavor developent occurs along with the drop in acid and increase in sugars in the grape. When you harvest grapes that have a low brix level, you risk the unripened fruit to leave some strange characteristics in the wine. Such flavors such as bell pepper in reds.
What's a brix level? A brix level is the sugar level in the grape. When the brix is around 21 or 22 it is usually perfect for producing good wine.
Flavor developent occurs along with the drop in acid and increase in sugars in the grape. When you harvest grapes that have a low brix level, you risk the unripened fruit to leave some strange characteristics in the wine. Such flavors such as bell pepper in reds.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Best of the Hudson Valley
It's out...Hudson Valley Magazine's "Best of the Hudson Valley" which is voted on by the readers of the magazine.
Congratulations goes out to Millbrook Vineyard and Winery who won Best Winery in the Hudson Valley.
Congratulations to The Shawangunk Wine Trail which won the best "International Wine Event" for Around the World in 80 Miles.
Congratulations to Benmarl Winery who received "Best of the Hudson Valley" in the category of "Best place to sample Sangria."
Congratulations to Whitecliff Vineyards . Their Awosting White won the Best Cocktail Wine.
Congratulations to Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery who won the Best Distilled Fruit Beverages.
Congratulations to the Shawangunk Wine Trail, the Vineyards and Wineries in the Hudson Valley. Cheers to you!
Congratulations goes out to Millbrook Vineyard and Winery who won Best Winery in the Hudson Valley.
Congratulations to The Shawangunk Wine Trail which won the best "International Wine Event" for Around the World in 80 Miles.
Congratulations to Benmarl Winery who received "Best of the Hudson Valley" in the category of "Best place to sample Sangria."
Congratulations to Whitecliff Vineyards . Their Awosting White won the Best Cocktail Wine.
Congratulations to Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery who won the Best Distilled Fruit Beverages.
Congratulations to the Shawangunk Wine Trail, the Vineyards and Wineries in the Hudson Valley. Cheers to you!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Red Wine & Chocolate
During the Hudson Valley Wine Festival I had the opportunity to help my friends at Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery pour wine. Their booth just happen to be next to the Cote d'Or Chocolate. Cote d'Or was handing out samples of their Intense 70% Cacao Chocolate (bittersweet chocolate). I tasted the chocolate with the two red wines Whitecliff had brought to the festival and the chocolate paired best with the Malbac. It was quite amazing. Everyone that came up to taste the Malbac I sent to get a piece of chocolate first. It really does change the taste of the wine.
Here's how to taste red wine and chocolate
Here's how to taste red wine and chocolate
- Pour the red wine into the glass. smell, swirl and smell the bouquet When you swirl the wine it exposes more liquid to air, releasing the multitude of aromas.
- Taste..take a small amount of wine in your mouth, wash it across your tongue to cover your taste buds, revealing the flavors as well as weight, balance and texture,
- Spit or swallow...then observe the length of the flavors and the finish
- Take a piece of chocolate and place it on your tongue. Allow the chocolate to melt naturally. Swirl it across your tongue and watch the progression of flavors.
- Now start above at the Taste. As you taste note how the chocolate may have soften the tannins, changed the flavor of the wine. It might bring about flavors that weren't present during the first taste.
Different chocolates compliment different red wines. Milk Chocolate may compliment Merlot better than bittersweet. In this case the bittersweet complimented the Malbac. You have to experiment.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Not all NZ Sauvignon Blanc's are created equal. I love a nice glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc. It's crisp and citrusy.
Last night while at a friends we drank a Babich Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is crisp with a citrus finish of grapefruit. It's a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc. We moved onto a second bottle that was new to us. It was a 2005 Cairnbrae Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. It was a dissapointment to us. This wine wasn't as crisp and citrusy as the Babich. In fact, it had suttle hints of citrus on the finish. Not quite what we expected.
However, if you like Sauvignon Blanc, but feel the citrus flavors are to strong, you might want to try a bottle of the Cairnbrae.
Last night while at a friends we drank a Babich Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is crisp with a citrus finish of grapefruit. It's a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc. We moved onto a second bottle that was new to us. It was a 2005 Cairnbrae Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. It was a dissapointment to us. This wine wasn't as crisp and citrusy as the Babich. In fact, it had suttle hints of citrus on the finish. Not quite what we expected.
However, if you like Sauvignon Blanc, but feel the citrus flavors are to strong, you might want to try a bottle of the Cairnbrae.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Wine and Cajun Food
Wine and Cajun Food...ever wonder what to eat with the spice of Cajun. Some cajun food is hot and others is just spicy.
Red wines are out....the tannins - the substance found in red wines that leaves our mouths feeling dry and our teeth chalky - does nothing to combat the deadening effects of excessively spicy food; instead, you're just left with a dry mouth full of over-spiced 'buds. So, when Cajun's on the menu, skip the reds. Also skip the wines that are high in alcohol. Because alcohol in wine creates a sensation of heat as it goes down, it generates a sensation akin to swallowing a lit match when consumed along with food that generates a lot of heat on its own. Clearly, these wines should be avoided at your crawfish boil! High alcohol wines are generally those whose alcohol content clocks in north of 14%.
Cayenne wines to the rescueIt should come as no surprise, then, that you ought to reach for relatively low-alcohol whites when pairing wine with Cajun fare. These wines will provide relief from the heat of the food with their brisk acidity without unnecessarily upping the hot factor with high alcohol. The best whites for spicy fare are those whose flavor profiles include spice notes; these include Gewerztraminer, Viognier, Muscat, Pinot Grigio, and Gruner Veltliner. Two of these wines - Gewurztraminer and Viognier - can be perilously low in acidity when grown in hot climates, so reach for versions from France or cooler new world outposts like Sonoma or Washington state, or New York.
Red wines are out....the tannins - the substance found in red wines that leaves our mouths feeling dry and our teeth chalky - does nothing to combat the deadening effects of excessively spicy food; instead, you're just left with a dry mouth full of over-spiced 'buds. So, when Cajun's on the menu, skip the reds. Also skip the wines that are high in alcohol. Because alcohol in wine creates a sensation of heat as it goes down, it generates a sensation akin to swallowing a lit match when consumed along with food that generates a lot of heat on its own. Clearly, these wines should be avoided at your crawfish boil! High alcohol wines are generally those whose alcohol content clocks in north of 14%.
Cayenne wines to the rescueIt should come as no surprise, then, that you ought to reach for relatively low-alcohol whites when pairing wine with Cajun fare. These wines will provide relief from the heat of the food with their brisk acidity without unnecessarily upping the hot factor with high alcohol. The best whites for spicy fare are those whose flavor profiles include spice notes; these include Gewerztraminer, Viognier, Muscat, Pinot Grigio, and Gruner Veltliner. Two of these wines - Gewurztraminer and Viognier - can be perilously low in acidity when grown in hot climates, so reach for versions from France or cooler new world outposts like Sonoma or Washington state, or New York.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Clinton Vineyards
Congratulation Ben and Phyllis Feder owners of Clinton Vineyards on their 30th harvest. Ben is the oldest active winery owner in New York. I had the opportunity to have my booth next to him during the 2006 Bounty of the Hudson. I won't tell you his age, but he's a wonderful gentleman.
Clinton is know for their Cassis which is black currant fortified wine. Combine that with their sparkling Seyval (which is very good, by the way) and you have a wonderful Kir Royal.
Clinton Vineyards is located at 450 Schultzville Road in Clinton NY. The winery is open year round from Thursday through Monday, Noon to 6pm. Winter hours are Friday through Sunday, Noon to 4:30pm.
Clinton is know for their Cassis which is black currant fortified wine. Combine that with their sparkling Seyval (which is very good, by the way) and you have a wonderful Kir Royal.
Clinton Vineyards is located at 450 Schultzville Road in Clinton NY. The winery is open year round from Thursday through Monday, Noon to 6pm. Winter hours are Friday through Sunday, Noon to 4:30pm.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Hudson Valley Wine Festval
It's not to late to visit the Hudson Valley Wine Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds today. I attended yesterday and it was fantastic! There are over 50 wineries from the Hudson Valley and Finger Lakes wine region.
I got a special treat from Thirsty Owl Winery...I got to taste their 2006 Dry Riesling which won the Governors Cup, the most prestige honor at the NY Wine & Food Classic Competition. It was a great Riesling. Yes, I purchased my one bottle alotment.
McGregor Vineyards is there with their Rob Roy and Cab Franc which are two of my favorites.
There are many great Finger Lakes wines to taste at the festival, as well as vendors to purchase early Christmas gifts from.
Local Hudson Valley wineries that are there at the festival are: Whitecliff Vineyards, Brotherhood Winery, Baldwin Vineyards, Warwick Valley Winery, Millbrook Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Casade Mountain Winery,and Alison Winery.
The festival runs today, Sunday from 12pm to 5pm.
I got a special treat from Thirsty Owl Winery...I got to taste their 2006 Dry Riesling which won the Governors Cup, the most prestige honor at the NY Wine & Food Classic Competition. It was a great Riesling. Yes, I purchased my one bottle alotment.
McGregor Vineyards is there with their Rob Roy and Cab Franc which are two of my favorites.
There are many great Finger Lakes wines to taste at the festival, as well as vendors to purchase early Christmas gifts from.
Local Hudson Valley wineries that are there at the festival are: Whitecliff Vineyards, Brotherhood Winery, Baldwin Vineyards, Warwick Valley Winery, Millbrook Winery, Clinton Vineyards, Casade Mountain Winery,and Alison Winery.
The festival runs today, Sunday from 12pm to 5pm.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Early Harvest Worldwide
Not only are we in the Hudson Valley experiencing an early harvest...so are many regions throughout the world.
The grapes in the Lazio region, around Rome, are ripening at least 20 days early. And in the northern regions of Veneto and Trentino, the grapes were ready to pick in early August, three to four weeks early.In Sicily, red grapes are primed to ripen in early September, a month early. The grape harvest is smaller, but the quality of the fruit is rich, more flavorful and sweet, they said.The heat hastened the ripening, and the lack of rain intensified the natural sugars. The 2007 vintage is going to be special.
In Germany August 30 marked the official start of the grape harvest, with growers hoping the current dry spell will last, so that they can make use of the early ripening this year to lock in all the aromas and flavors the grapes have to offer. Almost all of Germany's 13 official winegrowing regions are expecting a good harvest. There some 80,000 winegrowers in Germany, growing as many as 140 different varieties. The country still primarily grows white wines, although the area planted with red grape varieties has increased by nearly 40% in the past 15 years.
Riesling and Müller-Thurgau are the predominant white wines, while Spätburgunder (the German name for Pinot Noir) and Dornfelder are the main reds.
The grapes in the Lazio region, around Rome, are ripening at least 20 days early. And in the northern regions of Veneto and Trentino, the grapes were ready to pick in early August, three to four weeks early.In Sicily, red grapes are primed to ripen in early September, a month early. The grape harvest is smaller, but the quality of the fruit is rich, more flavorful and sweet, they said.The heat hastened the ripening, and the lack of rain intensified the natural sugars. The 2007 vintage is going to be special.
In Germany August 30 marked the official start of the grape harvest, with growers hoping the current dry spell will last, so that they can make use of the early ripening this year to lock in all the aromas and flavors the grapes have to offer. Almost all of Germany's 13 official winegrowing regions are expecting a good harvest. There some 80,000 winegrowers in Germany, growing as many as 140 different varieties. The country still primarily grows white wines, although the area planted with red grape varieties has increased by nearly 40% in the past 15 years.
Riesling and Müller-Thurgau are the predominant white wines, while Spätburgunder (the German name for Pinot Noir) and Dornfelder are the main reds.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Hudson Valley Wine Festval
This weekend is the annual Hudson Valley Wine Fest. This year the festival has moved and it will be at the Dutchess County Fair Grounds. A great move by festival organizers! Last year we had a thunder storm that blew in the sides of the tent. What a mess!
This year looks like it will be a banner year with many more wineries attending. There will be wineries from the Hudson Valley as well as the Finger Lakes. There are going to be some fantastic seminars like:
Cake w/drunken berries and chocolate mousse by Dan Budd of Taste Budd's ,Jessica Applestone of Fleisher's Meats, Homemade Jerk Sauce by Shantell Muhammed of Soul Caribbean Cuisineay Art of Matching Wine & Spicy Food by Ric Orlando of New World Home Cooking
I'm looking forward to Ric Orlando's seminar. He's a fantastic Chef and I'm sure he has some wonderful wine pairing suggestions.
This is a wonderful opportunity to taste some great wine produced in New York State. The festival is rain or shine. See you there!
This year looks like it will be a banner year with many more wineries attending. There will be wineries from the Hudson Valley as well as the Finger Lakes. There are going to be some fantastic seminars like:
Cake w/drunken berries and chocolate mousse by Dan Budd of Taste Budd's ,Jessica Applestone of Fleisher's Meats, Homemade Jerk Sauce by Shantell Muhammed of Soul Caribbean Cuisineay Art of Matching Wine & Spicy Food by Ric Orlando of New World Home Cooking
I'm looking forward to Ric Orlando's seminar. He's a fantastic Chef and I'm sure he has some wonderful wine pairing suggestions.
This is a wonderful opportunity to taste some great wine produced in New York State. The festival is rain or shine. See you there!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
2007 Grape Crop
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation says the 2007 GRAPE CROP looks big and good at this time, though the most crucial period occurs in the next two months during the harvest and crush. New York Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is estimating 180,000 tons of grapes this year, a 16% increase over 2006, with crop size about average in western New York (Chautauqua/Erie) and larger in the Finger Lakes and Long Island regions. With a few localized exceptions (mostly hail), the weather has been virtually ideal all year, and if that continues through harvest the quality should be excellent. Nationally, the grape crop is up 9% to nearly 7 million tons, with our friends in California accounting for 88% of that (6.18 million), Washington 6% (381,000—or more than double New York’s crop), New York 3%, and the other 47 states a total of 3%. Grapes are America’s highest value fruit crop, and the sixth highest overall, and that doesn’t even include the incredible value-added components.Many growers in the Hudson Valley will be harvesting early this year. Usually harvest begins the second or third week in September. This year some growers will be harvesting Seyval this week.
It's an exciting time in wine country...take a ride during the week or weekend and visit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)