His Building / Her Building - Whitecliff's New Winery

That's how it was explained to me now that Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery has built a new winery building a bit of a distance from the tasting room. Her building (Yancey) is the tasting room, His building (Michael) the newly build geo-thermal winery.

Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery just completed their new geo-thermal winery building. Michael Migliore, owner/winemaker said they outgrew their original space and needed to build a new winemaking facility to handle the capacity to be able to grow.  "Three years ago we were a 3000 case winery, now we are a 5500 case winery and growing.  Not only do we do our own, this enables us to do custom crush and make wine for other facilities."


When asked "Why did you choose a Geo-Thermal building?" Michael replied, "It fits the model of a winery perfectly. It's a green building and will cost us 1/3 of any other way to heat/cool a building. Wine wants to be kept at 55 degrees, ground temp is 54 in Gardiner, instead of building a cave this was a way to bring the cave into the winery.

Geo-Thermal in layman terms - 8 feet below the surface is a constant 55 degrees.  Long tubes are put 8 feet underground that go out into the field horizontally and back into the winery in a loop.  Glycol is pumped through the pipes to maintain a 50 degree temperature. Upon return the glycol is and put through the heat exchanger to heat or cool the water that is then pumped through the winery floor. This regulates the temperature in the winery.

This was their first harvest in the new winery.  "It was so nice to have the space and the room said Michael and to be able to increase capacity. We had tons of room to process grapes more than we had before.  It was so nice to be able to process inside when weather was bad."

Yancey and Michael like to joke - "She has her building and I have mine" said Michael.  Yancey says she likes it this way, we stay out of eachothers way.  She does occasionally come down and visit.  Especially when it involves food and wine.

The Other Wines in the House - McGregor Vineyards 2010 Rose of Cabernet Franc

Even though my "In Search of Rose" column has ended, I tasted this Rose at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival last month.  John McGreger gave me a sample to take home and taste at my leisure. 

I was quite impressed with this salmon colored 2010 Rose of Cabernet Franc..  Aromas of strawberry fields and minerality filled the nose. The palate was filled with fresh strawberries with citrus undertones.  As the wine warmed up a bit the citrus exposed itself as pink grapefruit on the finish.

This wine was bone dry and well balanced.

I was really impressed  and enjoyed the selection!  I would give it a WO\/ on the WOW meter.  Good job John!

All in the Gallo Family - William Hill Napa Valley Chardonnay

Continuing with my Gallo tasting we move to the William Hill Estate Winery, 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay. If you do not like a heavy, oaky, buttery Chardonnay this is not the wine for you.

The Chardonnay grapes were pressed as whole clusters.  After settling overnight they were racked, inoculated and fermented in new and used oak barrels and all the wine underwent malolactic fermentation.  Some of the wine was racked off the lees after primary fermentation, others were allowed to sit on the lees during aging.  The final blending, blended the two lots.

This wine had quite a body to it.  On the nose I got some toasty oak and a hint of spice with some butter.  The palate lends itself to some tree fruit flavors and a long finish with hints of melted butter. The oak was well balanced.  It does have a hint of sweetness to it with .67 g/100ml of residual sugar to balance out the acidity.

This would be a great wine to pair with lobster tails!  This wine retails for $25

The Launch Party

Last Thursday at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie the Happy Bitch and myself, the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess launched Happy Bitch Wines. It was a beautiful day and foliage was at its peak.  I couldn't have asked for a better day.

The Grandview outdid themselves, the food was fantastic!  We had 150 people attend the launch.  The compliments from the well wishers was just incredible.  I am not use to being the center of attention and people were coming up to me and thanking me, telling me how wonderful the wine is. It was a fantastic experience and I am glad I have been given this opportunity.  An opportunity to work with Keryl who is quite a dynamic woman herself and produce an outstanding wine that is not just a wine, but a lifestyle. 

I want to thank everyone who attended the launch!  I also want to thank, you.  Yes YOU, my readers for all the support and encouragement you have given me. THANK YOU!!

Here is the link to the pictures I've posted from the party..  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hvwinegoddess

Halloween Party at Brotherhood Winery

170 years ago a family of explorers and winemakers began hand digging undergound tunnels in Washingtonville, New York. Come celebrate All Hallows Eve below the surface of the earth from where this historical holiday was born.

2009 marked the resurection of the spirit of Halloween in our historical cellars with an EPIC party that lasted far deeper into the night than anyone had anticipated. Everyone who participated went over-the-top with their costumes to impress the "Secret" judges. We know this year's party will surpass all expectations, so get your tickets sooner than never!

Music & Dancing:
DJ Jason Jaso in the Long Vault
8pm-Midnight
OPEN Wine Tasting Bar: 8pm-11pm
Halloween Buffet: 8pm-10pm
Costume Contest: 11pm

Tickets are ALL INCLUSIVE & EXTREMELY limited so order NOW before its too late!

I attended the 2009 Halloween Ball.  I have to admit - Halloween is just not my holiday.  I put on my witches hat and had a blast.    The food and entertainment were great!

BashaKill Vineyards Building a Cave

We have all heard it referred to as a "Man Cave." But...Paul Deninno of Bashakill Vineyards is constructing a Wine Cave.  When I first met Paul a few years ago, just after he opened, he told me his plans were to build a cave in the hillside of his winery.  Congratulations to Paul as now he is in the midst of building his wine cave which will be 40 feet deep, 16 feet wine and 9 feet high when complete.

There will be room for 20 - 25 barrels and a tasting bar when complete.  Paul is looking forward to bringing his red wines to a new level by aging them in the cave.  Note: This year Paul's Cabernet Franc called Black Bear won a Double Gold and best red wine in the Hudson Valley Wine Competition.  I was so proud of Paul!  Can't wait to taste the wines a few years after they've been aged in the new cave.

Recently Elaina Athans from YNN interviewed Paul about the cave.  To view the video click here.

The Other Wines in the House - Domaine de la Crillonne

I am always amazed sometimes what Paul pulls out of the cellar.  This week it was a 2006 Chateau Sainte Cosme Cotes du Ventoux Domain de la Crillone. (boy that's a mouth full)  This wine is 100% Old Vines Grenache produced by Louis Barroul.  Louis is the 14th  generation Barroul to make wine at St Cosme.  St. Cosme is located in Gigondas which is 10 miles northeast of Chateauneuf de Pape.  The grapes for this wine come from the Cotes Du Ventoux.

The wine has aromas of blueberry with red berry shining through and a distant hint of sage.

The palate was filled with blackberry, blueberry and hints of tobacco.

This is a very approachable wine and should be enjoyed today, don't wait until tomorrow.

Not Your Grandmother's Gallo

If you asked me before my lunch with Nicholas what vision comes to me with Gallo wines, I would have told you the jug wines on the floor of the liquor store I purchased when I was in college.  I know that has all changed and they have done a wonderful job transitioning the brand. Recently I had the wonderful opportunity recently to sit down and be educated on the Gallo Family portfolio and of course it included some tasting. They have really evolved into a dynamic leader in the wine industry.

I did not realize that the Gallo Family portfolio consisted of wine imported from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Argentina and Italy.  Not only that, but there are a number of California wineries folded into their portfolio like Mirassou, Bridlewood, Frei Brothers, Louis M Martini, MacMurray Ranch to name a few. This winter maybe I'll have to work my way through their portfolio.  In the meantime the next few Thursday's I'll write about what I worked my way through during this wonderful lunch.

First was a Prosecco - La Marca Prosecco which is produced from 100% Prosecco grapes that were harvested in early September and sourced from hundreds of small vineyards in the region.  The wine cold settled then was fermented in stainless steel.  The still wine aged on the lees prior to a secondary fermentation that used the Charmat process.

On the nose the wine had hints of fresh citrus, honey and some distant white floral notes.  On the palate I picked out green apple at first followed by numerous citrus notes and some minerality. The finish was crisp and refreshing.  (I really enjoyed it!)

This Prosecco retails or $17.99 in your neighborhood wine shop.

Happy Bitch Launch Check List

Tomorrow is the big day - the launch party for Happy Bitch Wines.  Keryl and I are extremely excited and that is putting it mildly.  We hope you have your tickets.  We have some great surprise for in store for our guests.  First the check list:

Wine - check

Glasses - check

Surprise #1 - check

Surprise #2 - check

AV equipment - check
                                                     
                                                      Bubble Machine - check
                                                     
                                                       
See you all at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie tomorrow night!  Tickets are on sale until noon on Thursday.  So if you haven't gotten yours yet, you still can.  http://happybitchwineslaunch.eventbrite.com/

It's Cider Week in the Hudson Valley

This week October 16 - 23 is Cider Week.  I always thought cider came in a jug.  It wasn't until people from Ireland moved in across the street from me 14 years ago that I received an education on hard cider. Bulmers and Magners was the cider of choice for Frank and my first introduction to the world of hard cider.  Little did I know - cider was being produced in the Hudson Valley.

New York State is the second largest producer of apples in the nation and the Hudson Valley is the "apple belt".  The Glynwood Organization which began the Apple Project is organization behind Cider Week.  The Apple project promotes the production of hard cider and apple spirits in hopes to preserve apple orchards in the Hudson Valley. The development of the event Cider Week will cultivate the appreciation for hard cider.  There is even a Hudson Valley Cider Trail that promotes regional cider producers.  For a list of cider producers both regular and hard in the Hudson Valley click here.

The hard cider producers that I am familiar with in the Hudson Valley are Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery and Applewood Winery.  I have had, and enjoyed their cider numerous times.

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery produce Doc's Drafts which is a collection of ciders - Apple, Pear and Raspberry.  All their ciders are 100% fruit and gluten free.

Applewood Winery is the maker of Apple Dave's Stone Fence Cider. Every November, they host the New York Hard Cider Experience.  This year it is November 5 & 6. (Click here for a video of  the first NY Hard Cider Experience)

If you are looking for apple spirits Harvest Spirits in Valatie, NY produces an Cornelius AppleJack which is distilled 3 times and offers a nice smooth taste (I am told)  It is made from 100% Hudson Valley apples grown on their 200 acre fruit farm.  Each bottle is produced from over 60 pounds of fresh grown apples.

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery also produce a Bourbon Barrel Aged Apple Liqueur.   This liqueur is a slightly fermented sweet Hudson Valley cider blended with their apple brandy and finished and aged in Bourbon barrels.

I am sure there might be a few others out there that I have missed. I will have to spend a day on the Cider Trail and visit them.  Happy Cider Week!

Regional Wine Week - 2010 Rooster Hill Dry Riesling

I thought I would finish off Regional Wine Week with a Finger Lakes Riesling.  This wine was a gift from my friend Melissa who we met for an afternoon of wine tasting in the Finger Lakes this past summer.  What a wonderful selection it was! Thank you Melissa!

WOW! is what I said after the first smell of this wine. A nose full of citrus zest - tangerine peel and lime zest. Once me and the wine settled down there were hints of apricot and apple that showed through.

A simple sip brought tart green apples, apricot to the mid taste.  Hints of minerality dance in your mouth. This wine has a beautiful mouth feel and is smooth, silky and not very acidic.  It finishes off with a nice citrus zing.

If you are a Riesling fan, I highly recommend this wine.  I really enjoyed this bottle!

Drink Local Wine - Cascade Mountain Winery

Tucked away in Amenia, New York is Cascade Mountain Winery.  I actually visited this winery this past winter and tucked away is right.  Beautiful property and views.

This Private Reserve White is a bottle I took home with me after my visit.  Unfortunately, there is no vintage on the label, so that leads me to believe it's a mixture of different vintages.  I do know, it's a blend of Chadonnay and Seyval.

The nose had some citrus notes, followed by honeydew melon and some sweet flowering aroma of white flowers.  A distant hint of oak was detected on the palate.  The wine was soft with a hint of sweetness, pineapple and tart apple. The tart apple left a strange finish.

This wine sells in their tasting room for $15.

Oh No - Wrong Color Bottle Closures

I am going to reveal something here before I should.  Our packaging for Happy Bitch Wines Rosé isn't the traditional wine bottle.  I mean it is as far as the bottle goes, but not the closure.  It's not a cork, but a cap...yes a bottle cap for an easy open.

We ordered our caps thank goodness with somewhat of a buffer time, just in case something should go wrong. Not that we expect anything to go wrong...but...you just can never be sure.  The caps ordered were Hot Pink.  When they were delivered Keryl opened the box AND.....OH NO- They were purple.

Now purple is my color, pink is Keryl's and the color scheme of Happy Bitch Wines.  Purple caps are not going match the outfit our Happy Bitch Wines Rosé will be wearing.  What to do?  People say when someone hands you lemons, make lemonade.  Well....

The company we purchased the caps from couldn't do enough for us.  They worked throughout the weekend, emails and .jpgs going back and forth to make purple turn pink. Although they aren't as hot pink as we would like, they will match the outfit just fine.  They arrived this past Friday, so we are all set.

QUESTION: What do we do with all these purple caps?  This is where our customers are going to benefit.  We are throwing in a bunch of purple caps when we bottle this week.  If you are one of the lucky people to purchase a bottle with a purple cap, you will receive a special gift from us at Happy Bitch Wines.  It could be a set of glasses, a shirt, the Happy Bitch Book or some other Happy Bitch Wines gift. We will have posted on our website instructions on how to claim your prize with your purple cap on November 1st.  Why November 1st - well - October 20th is our launch party where you'll see the bottle perfectly dressed and get to taste it but November 1st is when it will be available in the wine stores in your neighborhood.

Regional Wine Week - Brimstone Vineyards

In the spirit of Regional Wine Week I picked up a bottle of Brimstone Hill 2010 Seyval Blanc.  Brimstone Hill Vineyards in located in Pine Bush.  They are a small winery and have over 10 acres of vines planted.

I like the Seyval grape, it's crispness and citrus notes and I found that in this 2010 vintage from Brimstone Hill. It  had some floral notes on the nose as well and distant hint of bananas.  The color I wasn't to keen on.  Usually Seyval Blanc is very pale yellow if that.  This color was a little to golden to me.

The taste was a bit bland for me, but it did have hints of tropical fruit and guava. I was looking for a bit more.

I wouldn't hold onto this wine, if you have it in your cellar, I would drink it now.

Regional Wine Week - Drink Local First Hudson Valley

This week is Regional Wine Week. I am narrowing it down to Local Wine Week because  I am a big proponent of local wine.  This week I will do my best drink local Hudson Valley Wines and I hope wherever you reside you will seek out your local and regional wines.

In the spirit of "Regional Wine Week" I am going to talk about the Traminette grape. A little grape history - Traminette' is a late mid-season white wine grape which produces wine with pronounced varietal character likened to one of its parents, Gewurztraminer.  I'll be honest, when I first tasted traminette about 5 years ago it thought it was skunky.  That may have been because the vines were very young but now as the vines have matured and the winemakers have perfected their Traminette winemaking skills, it has become one of my favorites.

I know of 4 wineries in the Hudson Valley that produce Traminette; Whitecliff, Palaia, Benmarl and Applewood.  I just happen to have a 2010 Whitecliff Vineyards Traminette and recently opened it.  This grapes in this wine came from both Whitecliff Vineyards and fruit from the Finger Lakes region.

This 2010 Whitecliff Traminette was a Gold Medal winner in the 2011 San Francisco International Wine Competition.  Kudos to Whitecliff!   I found the bouquet on this wine to be very aromatic! Lychee aromas with citrus and minerals filled my nose.


On the palate the wine was very smooth, slightly acidic and had nice balance.  Tastes of tropical fruit and hints of pineapple filled my palate with a soft spicy finish.  


This wine will pair will pair very well with a dish that has hints of spice.  The wine sells for $15.95 in the tasting room.  Not sure if they still have it available.

The Other Wines in the House - Luna Sangiovese

We visited Luna Vineyards a few years back and must have filled out something that left our phone number.  A few months ago they called Paul and caught him at a weak moment, or maybe he was craving Sangiovese.  Either way, a few weeks later we received a package from UPS from Luna Vineyards. In it was some Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese.

We opened a bottle of the Sangiovese recently and it was a nice garnet color with a nose of oak and vanilla.   Usually a Sangiovese is a light to medium bodied wine and this wine was very heavy.  Almost the weight feel of a Cabernet Sauvignon. 

There wasn't a lot of fruit left in the wine.  There were hints of black fruit, currants and chocolate with low tannins.  I think I expected something more from this wine. On the finish there was a hints of smoke with chocolate and pomegranate.

If you come across this wine, it's given to you as a gift...don't cellar it.  It's a drink now wine.  Drink it before the rest of the fruit fades into the sunset.

You're Invited to the Launch of Happy Bitch Wines

This is your personal invitation from me to the event we've all been waiting for, the launch of Happy Bitch Wines Rosé.

We've put a lot of hard work, consideration and detail into this wine, the bottle, the label, the closure and asked you to choose what is now the first vintage of Happy Bitch Wines Rosé.  Now come and be a part of the celebration!  Celebrate with us!

The Grandview in Poughkeespie is conveniently located just up the street from the Poughkeepsie Metro North Station.

$10 from every ticket sold will benefit the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation.

I hope you to see you at Launch Party on October 20th!

Harvest Party at Millbrook Vineyards

Millbrook Vineyards 2011 Cab Franc Block 3 East

Imagine, a nice fall afternoon, sitting in the midst of a beautiful vineyard, sipping on some wonderful wine, while munching on delicious harvest inspired food prepared by Chef Angelo Sosa and Bull & Buddha Restaurant.  

You don't have to imagine, you can on Saturday October 15, 2011!  Beginning at 12noon with a wine reception and a wonderful harvest luncheon. (If the food and wine don't inspire you to attend, an afternoon with that handsome Chef, Angelo Sosa should!)

Your reception begins with Canapes, Local Cheese, Curried McIntosh Soup, Duck Pastrami with Cherry Confit and Asain Meatballs with Ginger and Apple Salad.  Now pair that with Millbrook's 2005 Brut Proprietor's Special Reserve, 2010 Tocai Friulano, 2009 Hunt Country Red and 2007 Proprietor's Special Reserve Merlot.  

Hoping you have more room there are three more courses plus dessert.  Next course and pairing is a Warm Fall Spiced Pumpkin Pie Soup with Butterscotch paired with Millbrook's 2009 Proprietor's Special Reserve Chardonnay.  Don't drink all the Chard, because the Chardonnay along with their 2010 Pinot Noir are paired with the Slow Roasted Salmon with Charred Eggplant and Sweet & Sour Cherry.

If you thought the next course was dessert, you were wrong.  Now your glass is filled with the 2007 Proprietor's Special Reserve Cabernet Franc and you are dining on Pork Belly with Old Fashioned Mustard and Cortland Apples and Ginger Chutney with Asain Succotash and Grilled Bok Choy.

Now we are onto dessert which is a Goat Cheese Cake with Pretzel Crust and coffee.

Tickets for the Harvest Party are $125 per person plus tax.  Guest are seated at tables of 8 or 10.  To attend please call 800-662-9463 ext. 17 for reservations. Harvest party is held rain or shine!

Angelo Sosa was the youngest of his siblings, born in Connecticut to a Dominican father and an Italian mother who believed meals were serious affairs. He graduated with High Honors from the Culinary Institute of America in 1997, after running the kitchen at the Escoffier Room, one of the institute’s highly acclaimed restaurants.  

In late fall of 2005, Angelo turned his attention to consulting, having amassed the experience of opening many restaurants in his career. His consulting work includes: restaurant Stephen Starr’s Buddakan, Asian-Mediterranean hot-spot LOFT, Morimoto, Alain Ducasse’s Spoon Food & Wine in Paris among others.In the summer of 2009, Angelo launched his fast-casual restaurant, Xie Xie (shay-shay) in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, which won him StarChef’s New York’s Rising Star award for “Best New Restaurant Concept.”

In 2010, Angelo was cast as a Season 7 "Cheftestant" on Bravo's hit reality show, Top Chef. He was then invited to compete on "Top Chef All Stars" which is currently airing.Angelo's most recent project is Social Eatz where he's signed on Executive Chef and Owner, designing a menu that reinterprets NYC staples with flavors from across Asia.

Bull and Buddha restaurant fuses an urban interior with exotic design elements of the East nestled in Poughkeepsie's revitalized downtown.  Served under the watchful eye of a hand-carved two-ton Buddha, the Asian-themed menu reflects the bounty and diversity of the Hudson Valley.

Empire White Meets Empire Apple

Last week I went apple picking at Weeds Orchards in Marlboro.  It's something I enjoy and do every year.  Usually my cousin comes and joins me but this year due to our busy schedules it was just me and Melanie.  Actually me, Melanie was there in body, texting, I was the one picking and pulling the wagon of apples.

What do you do with a large bag of apples - make applesauce.  This year I deviated from my normal recipe and used wine instead of water.  I don't know why I didn't do this sooner, since I cook with wine all the time.  Duh..It took some recipe swapping with Kitty Oliver at Heron Hill Winery in the Finger Lakes for the bell to go off in my head and use wine in my canning recipes.  Thanks Kitty!

What wine to use in my applesauce is just as difficult to choose what wine I will drink tonight.  Hudson Valley apple needs to go with a Hudson Valley wine. But what wine to use?  Seyval, Riesling, Chardonnay, Traminette?  I chose Hudson-Chatham's 2009 Empire White.  This wine is a blend of 1/3 Seyval Blanc from the Hudson Valley, 1/3 Riesling from the Finger Lakes and 1/3 Sauvignon Blanc from Long Island.  I got my basis covered. A little wine for the applesauce, a little wine for me.  The result - 7 simply wonderful and healthy jars of Empire meets Empire applesauce.

The recipe:
25 apples - I used Empire apples
1 1/2 cups white wine such as Riesling, Traminette or Seyval
3/8 teaspoon each of nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon
2 cups of sugar - more or less depending on your sweetness level desired.
Juice of 4 lemons

Peel, core and slice apples.  As you do this toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Transfer apples with juice ot a large pot.  Add wine.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cover and simmer mixing often for about 10 minutes, until all soft.

I put them in a blender and pulse until it smooth but lumpy. Stir in the sugar and spices and put back on the stove and cook 5 more minutes.

Ladle the hot applesauce into sterilized jars of your size choice and process for 20 minutes.