Wine Pairings for the Associates in Your Life

Ever get stumped on what to purchase for the associates in your life.  The hairdresser, your boss, personal trainer etc...  Natalie McLean, of Nat Decants has put together a list of what to get for your associates.  I have added local wine suggestions next to each associate.  As of writing this post, the wines were available in the tasting rooms at all the wineries.  Some wines you will be able to find in local liquor/wine stores. If you don't see them, just ask.

Natalie’s Top Ten Gift Wines for Your ...

1. Hairdresser: For the person who combines humor and optimism every time she styles your mop. Go for a light, gulpable wine like a dry rosé. It’s versatile and fuss-free—a great quaff for your coif.  (Millbrook Vineyards and Winery Hunt Country Rose $15; or Benmarl Winery Rose)

2. Psychiatrist: Of course, he’ll analyze whatever you give him so choose a wine that’s all about balance. Easy-drinking pinot noir is medium-bodied yet packed with flavor. Surprise him with a large-format bottle, like a magnum. Big thinking means big progress for you. This wine also works for psychologists, marriage counselors and bartenders. (Millbrook Vineyard and Winery 2009 Pinot Noir $18)

3. The Boss: Pick too pricey a wine and your boss will think your last raise was too much; go cheap, and she’ll think you lack judgement. Focus on a label with a lot of white space since that makes the bottle look more expensive. A castle in the distance also works, but avoid fluffy animals. (Whitecliff Vineyards and Winery 2009 Gamay Noir $16.95 )

  

4. Personal Trainer: Think a muscular, robust red would work? Hold that position. Instead, try riesling: this light white wine pairs well with a health-nut diet of salad and seafood, plus it’s low in alcohol. You can also give it to Pilates instructors, yoga masters and Tai Chi coaches.(Brotherhood Winery Dry or Semi-Dry Riesling $9.99)

  

5. Financial Planner: You and he both know it’s going to take decades before your portfolio recovers after the crash of 2008. With that long-term view, vintage port makes the perfect gift. This fortified wine from northern Portugal, with its long aging potential, will be around for both of you into your retirements. (Brotherhood Winery Ruby Port $9.99)

  

6. Travel Agent: She’s been everywhere and seen everything, so go local with your choice of wine. Even better, if you live close to the winery, get the bottle signed by the winemaker. (Hudson-Chatham Winery 2009 Baco Noir)

7. Teacher: If you can’t find a suitably obscure wine with a Latin name, there’s always cream sherry. It’s the tipple of Oxford dons, not to mention the centerpiece of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story The Case of the Amontillado. (Brookview Station Winery Whistle-Stop White $12.99)

  

8. Mail Deliverer: Go for a winery that’s consistent year after year in producing a wine that can be enjoyed in snow, rain, sleet or hail. Try an Australian shiraz or Argentine malbec. (Whitecliff Vineyards and Winery 2009 Malbec $18.95)

9. Mechanic: Yes, there’s a wine called Red Truck, but try to be more imaginative. Why not give a wine made by Mario Andretti in California or Ferrari in Italy? (Glorie Farm Winery Red Monkey $13.50)

10. Online Date: So you’re on your second or third rendezvous with the person you met on eHarmony or Dating.com. If you’re not sure yet whether marriage is a possibility, try something middle-of-the-road, like merlot. Yes, it’s the soft jazz of wine, but until you know, play it safe. (Palaia Vineyards Merlot $18.99)

And after all that shopping, don’t forget yourself: even Santa’s little helpers need more than milk and cookies. Try something with high-alcohol like Italian Amarone or Rhone syrah: these big reds easily drown out tone-deaf caroling and pair beautifully with tired feet. (Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery 2008 Sky Island Red $23.95, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery, Millbrook Vineyards and Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc Proprietor's Special Reserve $29, Oak Summit 2008 Pinot Noir $30)

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I am very grateful to be sharing this Thanksgiving with some childhood friends and their families.  It should be a wonderful day, full of laughter, stories and memories.

I hope all of you have wonderful and safe holiday weekend.  Be thankful for what you have.

Brimstone Hill 2007 Vin Rouge Superior

This Brimstone Hill Vineyard wine is a blend of Foch, Chambourcin and Chancellor. This wine is produced from 100% grapes grown in the Hudson River region.   I am keeping an open mind with this, because I am not a big fan of red hybrids, but you may be.

At first I got a nose that smelled like a cigar box.  It soon led to a hint of menthol and bell pepper.

As I tasted this wine my first initial flavor was a sour cherry.  This soon led to some dark berry fruit.  This is a  very acidic wine with a hint of white pepper on the finish.

This wine is available in the tasting room at Brimstone Hill Vineyards.

Spanish Wine Pairing at Canterbury Brook Inn

Cornwall Wines hosted a Spanish Wine Dinner at the Canterbury Brook Inn, in Cornwall NY on November 4. I've never been to the Canterbury Brook Inn but heard wonderful reviews, and some Spanish wines, I thought it would be a great evening and it was.

As we were seated we were poured a 2009  Ipsum Reuda.  This wine is an estate bottled wine by 37 year old Hermanos del Villar in the northern region of Rueda.  This is a nice unoaked crisp wine.  This wine had a nice floral nose that gave way to and citrus notes.   It was a little minerally with hints of tropical fruit and orange.

Then came the first course a stew of some kind paired with a 2009 Pazo De Galegos which is an Albarino. This wine had a perfume and white flowers on the nose.  This is a youthful wine with hints of peach and tropical fruit.  Personally, I think a wine with a little sweetness would have been a better pairing since the stew had some spice to it.

We then had a Tapas course which was paired with a 2008 Ludovicus.  This is an estate bottled wine made by Celler Pino.  The wine is made with organically grown grapes in the high elevation region of Terra Alta just south of Barcelona.  This wine had a cigar nose with hints of blackberry.  The taste had black fruit with a white pepper finish.

For dinner we had Payaya which was paired with 2009 Vizcarra Roble, estate bottled by Bodegas Vizcarra. This was a very young Tempranillo wine that will age well over the next 5 or so years.  

Dessert...my favorite course.  This was a chocolate something with raspberry sauce that was very good!  It went very well with the 2005 Bellum El Remate.  This wine was made in the South East region of Yecla.  It is a late harvest 100% Monastrell.  This wine was sweet but not syrupy. It complemented the chocolate very well!

Hudson Valley Thanksgiving Wine List

As Thanksgiving approaches we begin to plan the big feast.  The appetizers, turkey, side dishes, dessert and of course WINE.

Here is my suggested list of Hudson Valley Wines to pair with the turkey feast.

1. If you can find a bottle of it - Whitecliff  Vineyards & Winery 2009 Riesling or their Gamay Noir.  Make sure the Gamay is slightly chilled.

2. Clinton Vineyards 2009 Seyval.  I wonder if any of the wedding guest will be drinking this on November 25.

3.  Benmarl Winery Slate Hill White - This is a blend.

4.  Millbrook Vineyards 2008 Proprietor's Special Reserve Chardonnay and their 2008 Block 5 East Pinot Noir.

5.  Oak Summit Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir

6.  Traminette - Palaia Vineyards, Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery, Applewood Winery and Benmarl Winery all produce wonderful Traminette that will pair very nicely with you meal.

7.  Hudson-Chatham Winery Seyval Blanc.

8.  Brotherhood Winery - Blue bottle Riesling for a taste of sweetness, or their dry Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Most of all no matter what you are drinking this Thanksgiving, enjoy the day with your family and friends.

Coyote on the Run at Bashakill Vineyards

  

Tucked away in Wurtsboro, NY is Bashakill Vineyards.  Paul and I stopped there on our way to Bethel Woods to see a concert in August and came home with a bottle of 2009 Bashakill Coyote.

This is a young Cabernet Sauvignon that is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc and aged in American oak for 10 months.  This is a wine that needs to age for at least another year or so.

The wine had wicked color.  I realize it looks more inky but held up to the light it was garnet red.

The bouquet was a bit herbaceous with menthol and hints of a barnyard and wood.  As I tasted the wine, I got sour cherry with hints of tobacco.  My favorite is on the finish, thanks to the Cabernet Franc.....soft white pepper.

I think there is more potential for this wine if it's left to age for at least another year in the bottle.  Unfortunately we only purchased one bottle.  So if you have one in your cellar, hold on and open it next year and tell me your thoughts.

Hudson Valley Greek Wine Tasting

This Sunday I am pouring once again at the Ladies of Philoptohos Greek Wine and Food Tasting.  The event is being held at the Poughkeepsie Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church Hellenic Center in Poughkeepsie.  This is a great event to taste wines from Greece and to enjoy some fabulous Greek food!


I don't know what the selections are this year, but you may be in for a taste of Assyrtiko - a high acid white originally grown in Santorini, or Xynomavro, a red grown in Macedonia that is often compared to a Pinot Noir.   Last year there was a wine produced from Roditis, which is a pink skinned grape grown in the Peloponnese region that can be made into a white or rose wine.   I am sure there will be a bottle of Retsina floating around, wine infused with pine resin.  (I am not a fan of it, but it is something you have to try once)   You can read about the tasting last year by clicking here

There is still time to purchase your tickets.  Come taste some Greek wine with me.  Actually I'll be pouring it for you.  Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Hudson Valley Wine Country

If you are a new reader to Hudson Valley Wine Goddess or just want to refresh your knowledge of Hudson Valley Wine Country please watch the slide share below.  It's a nice overview of the region with suggested itineraries for wine tasting.

Hudson Valley Wine Country

View more presentations from Debbie Gioquindo.

Aroma Thyme Bistro & Dr Konstantin Frank Wine Pairing

It is all about the food and wine!  After a long day of work, traffic, across the bridge and over the mountain, I was seated at Aroma Thyme Bistro for a Dr Frank wine paring dinner.  I was lucky enough to be seated with Jan McGuire who is the sales representative with Dr. Frank.

If you are not familiar with Dr Konstantin Frank (Dr. Frank for short) he initiated the "Vinifera Revolution in the Finger Lakes Wine Region.  He was a European immigrant who came to the States in 1951 and was a professor of plant sciences and held a Ph.D in viticulture.  He moved to upstate New York and took a job at Cornell Uniersity's Geneva Experiment Station.    Dr Frank believed that it was the lack of proper rootstock, not the cold weather that was the reason for the failure of Vitis Vinifera in the Finger Lakes.    Long story short in 1962 he founded Vinifera Wine Cellars and earned a reputation for producing great Rieslings and wold class champagnes.  Today they produce wine under three labels, Dr. Konstantin Frank which is all estate grown, the Chateau Frank label produces champagne, and Salmon Run produces wines from grapes sourced from other regions in the Finger Lakes and has a higher residual sugar especially in the whites that the Dr Frank label.  They produce 56,000 cases annually.

Now on to dinner....we began with a Chateau Frank NY Champagne Blanc de Noir paired with Grilled Pairs, Caved Aged Raw Cheddar Strudel, Praline Walnuts, Baby Red Romaine Walnut Tarragon Vinaigrette.    I am not a big fan of sparkling, I don't know why, but this Blanc de Noir which was 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier I really enjoyed.  It is crafted in the traditional method and bottled for 8 years before it is disgorged. It went very well with the pears.

Next on the menu was the Dr. Frank 2009 Dry Riesling paired with curried winter squash, onions and mushrooms. Some of this butternut squash was pureed which gave it almost a soup presentation.  It as in a mild Thai and Indian Madras Curry. The curry was mild but it did have kick.  So.......Marcus brought out the Dr Frank Semi Dry Riesling and we got to do a side, by side comparison.   The Dry Riesling had slight hints of citrus and wet slate leading way to soft apricot and was .9 RS.    It went well with the curry but the semi dry Riesling which was 2.1% RS did cut the spice.

We moved on to the 2007 Pinot Noir.  2007 was a banner year for wine growing in New York State.    The Pinot was paired with Grilled Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, Savoy Cabbage with Truffle, Onion and Bacon.  This salmon was caught with one line.  One line, one hook improves the quality as we were educated by  Marcus.  The Pinot had less the .2% RS hints of red berry and a dry mid palate.

Now that you are full and may or may not be ready for dessert there is another course waiting for you.  Yes, a Slow Braised Local Brisket with Roasted Potatoes served with Dr Frank's 2008 Cabernet Frank was served.  The pairing was wonderful, but I was full.  I guess it didn't stop me because I ate most of what had been put in front of me.

Now for the final course.  What we all save room for.....Local Apple Crisp, Pumpkin Ice Cream paired with Celebre Rose.  The Celebre Rose was made with 100% Pinot Meunier and was 2% RS.  I found the Rose very yeasty on the nose and very effervescent.  I think it's the bubbles that get me.  The apple and pumpkin ice cream....well what can I say. The apple crisp was actually baked in the half of apple.  I thought that was pretty cleaver.  The pumpkin ice cream was not over powering in flavor and it went very well with both the Celebre Rose and the apple crisp.

Marcus, Jamie and Aroma Thyme Bistro did a wonderful job with the food and wine pairing.  They do offer different wine and food pairings dinners along with beer pairing dinners throughout the year.

Meet Marcus Guiliano and Aroma Thyme Bistro

Last week I received and invitation from Marcus and Jamie Guiliano to attend a Dr Frank wine dinner on Friday night at Aroma Thyme Bistro.  I had planned on working on my blog posts since I had a busy weekend ahead, but...something told me, when the owners reach out and make a special invite to you, you go.  So after a long day at the day job, we drove the hour across the bridge and over the mountain to Ellenville, New York to enjoy a 5 course wine pairing dinner at Aroma Thyme Bistro. The dinner and wine will follow in an additional post.  I think it's important that I tell you about Marcus, Jamie, their restaurant and philosophy to prepare meals from organic or sustainable food sources.

When I was first introduced to Aroma Thyme Bistro it was during the "Best of the Hudson Valley." I stopped at their table for a taste and was quite impressed.  That was about 4 years ago, and I have to come clean - we always say we would make the trip but the first trip out to the restaurant was this May.

Marcus has quite an impressive looking resume working / cooking at the Depuy Canal House, Mobil Five Star properties like the Greenbrier and Broadmoor.  Working in one of the top 25 French restaurants in the world - La Tante Clair and many prestigious Country Clubs. He was on the fast track!  What changed all that?  His health.

When your overweight, have high cholesterol and facing an operation for acid reflux, you seek out a change and that is what Marcus did. It is this change that he brings this philosophy of organic and sustainable food sources to his restaurant.  Marcus began purchasing free-range, pasture-raised and certified organic meats from ranches and small farms.  He even encouraged fruit and vegetable growers to cultivate crops specifically for restaurants like his.  He does NOT use butter or heavy dairy products, white flour products or refined sugar.  In speaking with Marcus Friday night, I learned quite a bit about the co-ops restaurants purchase from versus purchasing from small individual farms, farmed talapia, wild Scottish salmon and the entire industry.  I will never buy talapia and guess what - there is no such thing as wild Scottish salmon, it's farmed.

Marcus has a great You Tube Channel - Healthy Chef & Gourmet Food where you can see why I won't purchase or eat talapia anymore, and he is author of  the Healthy Chef Blog.

Marcus and Jamie's philosophy behind Aroma Thyme Bistro is something everyone needs to pay attention to. It will make you re-evaluate your eating habits and make you aware of what your purchase and where it comes from.  I wish  Marcus and Jamie the best of luck in their future endeavors and look forward to more trips to Aroma Thyme Bistro!

Hudson-Chatham 2008 Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite grapes.  The grapes in this Cabernet Franc were sourced from Long Island.

On the nose I smelled lots of earth and barnyard leading way to a hint of  cran-strawberry.  The mouth feel was a bit rough and tannic. Tasting cranberry and cherry with a hint of tobacco ending with a burst of black pepper.

This wine is available currently in their tasting room.