2 Blizzards 30 years Apart - What has Changed

I survived the weekend and the Blizzard of 2015...The blizzard of the century.  This isn't the first blizzard I lived through.  Back in 1985 I was in Buffalo NY, a senior in college and lived through that major blizzard that dumped four feet of snow in two days.  So pardon me if I don't get crazy over storms.

Thirty-One years ago I lived in a house off campus.  We watched over the course of the weekend the snow pile up to 4 feet.  We had to pound on the front door so I could squeeze through with the shovel and shovel enough for us to open the door so we could get out.  We weren't smart enough to get milk, bread and eggs so we could make french toast, but we did have enough beer (Meister  Brau) to get us through the tough parts.  What did we do? We baked cookies and played board games and watched TV, drank beer.  We did venture out to the bar "Past Times Lounge" on day 2.  I remember walking down the street being taller than the cars and watching the National Guard trucks drive by. Remember this was before the internet.  Heck, we didn't even have cable.

Thirty-one years later living at the beach I heard the warnings.  I was looking forward to being stuck inside with my husband and dog for a few days.  Perhaps a neighbor or two would come over if we lost power since we are the only ones on the block with a generator.  My thought process for this storm was

1. What was I going to cook
2. What wine was I going to pair with it
3. Who would come over
4. Test the generator!

The snow began on Friday night.  It was grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup paired with Hudson-Chatham 2009 Baco Noir from Casscles Vineyard.  

They've told me that Baco Noir ages well and I cant attest to that.  This wine was great!  It showed it's age in the color as it was a tad brickish.  The aromas on it were smokey and oaky with black cherry.   The palate was smooth and silky.  There was still enough acidity in the wine to pair well with the tomato soup. 

Saturday we were expecting snow, but it was 40 degrees out and rainy.  The bay side of the beach where I live didn't have any flooding.  However the city of Cape May did at high tide. Other parts of South Jersey along the shore towns of Wildwood, Ocean City and Sea Isle did.  They are right on the ocean, so high tide, full moon and the 70 mile an hour winds just flooded them out.  

We didn't lose any electricity so no neighbors or relatives came over to party.  It's times like this that I miss my Rombout Road neighbors in NY as we didn't need an excuse like loss of power to party. We just needed a storm and pot luck dinner at someone's house it was.

I spent most of storm Saturday on the computer finishing up some things. Braised Lamb Shanks for the first time and of course took a nap.

I paired a Nebbiolo and Montefalco with the lamb shanks (separate blog post for them) and had enough for dinner for 6 but it was only the two of us.  I guess it's lamb shanks for a few days.

Looking back at the two blizzards what has changed?  Just my choice of beverage and what I cooked. Of course the company is different and my two housemates from Buffalo now live in Florida.

The next time you hear Blizzard here are somethings to keep in mind.  Don't go crazy. You might be stuck inside for a few days, but make the best of it.  

Make sure you have the essentials, batteries, blankets, water.  Don't forget the milk, bread and eggs. Also think about what you will prepare if the power does go out.  Don't stock the fridge so it's busting at the door.  If you have a gas cooktop, think about the meals you can prepare on it.  Make sure your grill has gas because you can use that too.  Most of all, don't panic, relax and enjoy the downtime.

Hudson-Chatham Winery: 5 Baco Noirs and Growing

When I first met Carlo he hadn't even opened his winery.  He was a year away from that.  Since he's opened I usually make at least one if not more visits to see him and Dominique and what they are up to.

What was once a small winery nestled in the town of Ghent, New York is growing like a wild vine.

Since it was a beautiful day we sat outside and had a glass of their Rose.  Or has Carlo calls it, his "orange wine." It is made from Seyval, Geneva and Concord grapes. The grapes were all pressed together.

Solera Building at Hudson-Chatham Winery

Shortly after the Rose was poured we ended up walking over to the "Solera building" which will house a maximum of 20 barrels for the purpose of making Sherry.  He is using the technique that they use in Spain, maturing the wine using the solera system.  This is the system where you gradually blend small amounts of young wines with the older stocks in such a way that it is assimilated by the older wine.  It will then pick up the characteristic of the aged wine.

We then moved into their tank and barrel area.  Long and behold they are entering into the Cider relm. Ron Bixby is their new Cider maker and he is from Little Apple Farm, a 5 acre, 100 year old organic apple farm. They have made 150 cases of organic natural apple cider. It is fermented in the bottle like a Belgium Ale. .

The barrel room that use to house their wine, port and sherry, is now dedicated to only the red wine from the 2013 harvest. The port and sherry are over in the solera. Carlo says it's going to be a good year, as it was a super vintage! And he's excited!

This year they will be coming out this year with 5 Baco Noirs. They will have the Estate Baco, Reserve Baco from Casscels Vineyard, Middlehope Baco which come from 40 yr old vines, Old Vines Baco and the Fieldstone Baco. New to their portfolio is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Peter Brengall's Farm in Columbia County.

Also new is their Rivers Edge blend which is a wacky hybrid blend of Berden and Chambourcin but it taste like a Pinot Noir says Carlo.  It did have acidity like a Pinot and a little raspberry on the profile.

In addition to the wine they are launching a food program complete with jams and drizzles. Look for a catalog soon or visit their food table they will have in addition to their wine table at many local wine festivals..

Carlo and Dominique are doing some wonderful things at their winery.  If you are in the Hudson Valley for a day or weekend, they are a must stop and taste.

2007 Hudson-Chatham Cabernet Franc

When people purchase wines made in the Hudson Valley or New York for that matter, they often drink them when they get home.  I am going back to my buy one for now and one for latter because they age quite nicely.

I recently found a 2007 Hudson-Chatham New York State Cabernet Franc in the cellar. It came out and met the corkscrew, the glass and my lips.

Complex layers of aromas filled the air.... black fruit, blackberry, oak and spice.  There was some hints of wet tobacco.

As the wine hit my lips and palate, flavors of black fruit and blackberry were enjoyed.  There was a chewy aspect to the wine and it finished with some white pepper spice.

I paired this with Black Bean and Chorizo Chili and it was quite the pairing. I am sorry if you want the recipe, I kind of threw it together and didn't record what I was doing.

Visiting Hudson-Chatham Winery

During December I took a ride up to Hudson-Chatham Winery to visit Carlo and Dominique.  I haven't been up there in a while and forgot how beautiful it is up there.  It is so nice to see that they are growing.

Hudson-Chatham is up to 3000 case production and they just recently expanded their facility.  (I did get to tour their new wine making facility but it was dusk and my pictures didn't come out to well.)

They've been busy, as they also expanded their tasting room.  It look great!

We tasted mostly reds, all reds and I have to say they were nice.   I was very surprised at how nice the 2011  Baco's were.  2011 was a tough year with the hurricane at harvest.  In the past I have favored the Old  Vines Baco, but this tasting I really liked the 2011 Baco Noir Reserve from Casscles Vineyard in Athens, NY. It was had a very  raspberry, fruity nose and was a tad smokey with a little hint of spice.  This will be great if aged a few years.

I tasted the 2009 Merlot that had a very meaty nose and was full of plum and a bit complex.  The 2010 Empire Reserve Red was bursting with Cabernet Franc mid palate with cranraspberry notes.  The Empire is a blend from the three major NY wine regions and is 33% Cabernet Franc from the Finger Lakes,  33% Merlot from Long Island  and 33% Baco Noir from the Hudson Valley.

I'm looking forward to tasting more wines from Carlo & Dominique.  Hopefully in the Spring I will find my way North again.

Got Sangria?

Join Hudson-Chatham Winery for their 5th annual Sangria Festival this Saturday, August 4th.  Whether you like a classic red wine sangria or want to try a sparkling watermelon sangria, you can enjoy these and several other variations on the theme.

While tasting and enjoying your favorite sangrias, you can listen to live flamenco guitar music by the Capital Region’s own Maria Zemantauski and Jose Miralles. There will be lots of delicious food, including tamales, burritos, tortilla chips & watermelon salsa made with local ingredients from the folks at Block Factory Talmales. Tony’s Grilled Pizza truck will be here, too, with amazing grilled pizzas, French fries, and fried dough. There will be additional vendors for shopping fun, and you can even enjoy a chair massage! (I like the massage chair!)

It will be a fiesta at the winery – an event that folks look forward to all year long. Winery hours on August 4 are 12 noon to 7:00 pm, with flamenco music playing til about 5, and a local band “bringing it home” in the early evening. There is no admission fee. The cost is $5 for tasting the selection of sangrias, and $5 for a glass of your favorite sangria. Foods, massage, and other vendor offerings are priced by their providers. 

 

Carlo DeVito Talks Baco and Hudson Valley with Kevin LoVullo

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.

A Hudson-Chatham Find - 2006 Merlot

This is one of those wines I found when rummaging through my cellar.  I have no idea when I purchased this wine and it's always a surprise to find botlles like this when you are hunting for something else.

This is a New York State Merlot with 12% alcohol.  The nose was a bit musty, leading way to a cigar box, plum, black cherry and a bit of earth.

The palate was very enjoyable.  Black cherry and black fruit combine together with essence of tobacco lead into a vanilla finish.

I served this wine with Pasta and tomato sauce and it was a great pairing.

Baco vs Baco

Last week I was invited to Hudson-Chatham Winery to take part in TasteNY which is a tasting event that takes place on Twitter with people in different parts of the country.  It's a way to introduce people to the wine regions of New York in the comfort of their living room and is founded by Lenn Thompson of The New York Cork Report.

The note I received from Carlo was asking us to come to the winery for pizza and Baco.  We would be tasting the 2009 Casscles Vineyard Baco Noir and the 2009 Old Vines Baco Noir. The same grape, two very distinctively different wines.

Paul and I drove the hour to the winery and it was dark, so we went down to the house where everyone was gathered and the dining room table set.  Dominique decided to make Penne with Sausage instead which was a nice surprise and very good!

We sat down at the table, David and Carlo with their computers and pasta, me with my cell phone and the event began.  We began with the 2009 Baco Reserve.  The grapes for this wine came from winemaker Steve Casscles vineyard in Athens, NY and was aged in French Oak for 6 months.  I tasted this Baco back in January and it was quite acidic.  I was pleasantly surprised how the acidity had soften up quite a bit in the past few months.  As the wine opened up we got a candied black cherry flavor.

Baco's side by side

The next Baco is Hudson-Chatham's Old Vine Baco 2009.  This wine was much more fruit forward than the Reserve, much heavier and bolder. The grapes for this wine come from the Finger Lakes.  Two Baco's, same grape, different growing regions in New York.  It's very interesting how different the wine can be based on where the grapes are grown.  When you get down to it, they can be different within the same vineyard.

Recently Carlo had a blog post about the Old Vines and I found it very interesting.   The grapes used in the Old Vine Baco come from The Masson Place Farm.  It is a huge property, and it is really an amalgamation of smaller farms. Pultney Vineyard is the spot where their block of Old Vine Baco is grown.  The vines are gnarly, twisted, and look like old witches hands. But, they produce big, luscious bunches of dark, ripe grapes. They let the grapes hang as late as possible. Almost until they begin to burst. They crush them at a facility in the Finger Lakes and then transport them back to Hudson.  You can read more about Carlo's Old Vine Baco on his Hudson-Chatham Wine Blog.

Chelois by Hudson-Chatham Winery

 

Chelois, until I received this sample from Hudson-Chatham Winery, I personally never heard or tasted wine made from this grape.  Being that this grape is new to me I did a little research and there isn't that much out there on this particular grape.  I knew it was a hybrid, the pedigree is Seibel 5163 x Seibel 5593 and its origin is in Abeunas, Ardeche France.  The grape tends to bud late which is good in case there is a late spring frost. 

  The Chelois grapes were grown at Steve Casscles Vineyard in Hudson, NY and ws aged in French oak for 9 months.  Now knowing what to expect from this 2008 Chelois I was excited to try it. On the nose I got a bouquet of raspberry, cooked cherry, mushroom and a hint of vanilla.

Now for the taste.  I had no expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't acidic like some other red hybrids tend to be.  I found the wine light and soft with flavors of black cherry an cran-raspberry.

For a red hybrid, I really enjoyed this wine.  Good job Carlo and Steve.  I am looking forward to taste future vintages of their Chelois and will  now have a vintage to compare it to.

Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail Season Kick-Off

The Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail is kicking off the season April 9th with their Pasta Trail Event.  What's unique about the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail is you have wine, beer and spirits you get to taste.  There is something for everyone.

The event cost is $15 and that gives you a passport good at Brookview Station Winery, Harvest Spirits, Chatham Brewery, Tousey Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery and Furnace Brook Winery. The event runs from noon - 5pm.

I did attend this event last year and really enjoyed it.  The wine, the beer and the spirits!  If you are a vodka drinker, Harvest Spirits makes Core Vodka, very smooth! Have a beer tasting at Chatham Brewery is a great palate cleanser before moving onto the next winery. 

Snow-Flakey Fridays at the Hudson-Chatham Winery

Hudson-Chatham Winery just announced a great January promotion.  When you are tired from the snow, you create promotion around the white flaky stuff.  Kudos to them!

Dominique and Carlo don't want you to go without in the event you are snowed in.  You need the necessary supplies...wine of course! On Fridays during the month of January if you stop by their tasting room to warm up, you will be treated with a 10% off your wine purchase. They want to make sure you are well stocked with their deep reds that go well with winter warmers like stews, soups, stoups and roasts.  They also have a great selection of dessert wines that are great after the end of a day skiing or that 9pm shoveling shift. Their sparkling cider is great substitute for people that don't care for beer as they watch the football playoffs.

If you find yourself in the area, stop by, say hello, warm up and take home some wine. I might just stop there today on my way home from Schenectady if time permits.

Good Ol' Boys Club Wine - H-C 2005 Merlot

Yes I am calling this wine "The Good Ol' Boys Club" wine. Why?  The first aroma I received from this wine took me to a room full of cigar smoking men sitting in a country club with their smoking jackets on.

This deep black cherry color wine gave way to cigar humidor aroma giving way to earth and hint of black cherry.

The taste on my palate was one of plum and hints of black cherry, tobacco and bitter taste of strong coffee on the finish.

This is one instance of a wine we purchased and held onto for a few years.  It's nice to dig it out of the wine cellar and see how it's aged.  Unfortunately I don't think you will be able to purchase the 2005 now, but take a look in your cellar and see if you have a bottle you forgot about.

Season's Greetings on the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail

Tis the season of holiday trail events.  This season marks the inaugural holiday event on the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail "Season's Greetings."

Can you say CHEERS?  CHEERS is what you are going to receive this weekend when your travel the trail that spans from Germantown, NY to Castleton, NY over into Richmond and Great Barrington, MA. Visit all the trail members this weekend and you will receive a sequined wreath bottle necklace that spells "CHEERS"

To participate in this event just purchase your trail passport at any of the locations on Saturday or Sunday for $15, $5 for your designated driver.  Each passport will entitle you to beverage samplings, snacks and a wine charm at all Trail venues.  Event hours are 12pm - 5pm Saturday and Sunday.  Remember, you must visit all members during the weekend to complete bottle necklace that spells "Cheers."

For more information visit the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail.  CHEERS!

The "Empire" strikes White

Hudson-Chatham Winery has released their 2009  "Empire Reserve White."  Empire is a brand that Hudson-Chatham developed by blending wine wine from the three major wine regions in New York State: The Finger Lakes, The Hudson Valley and Long Island.  The release of the Empire White compliments the Empire Red that was released last fall.

The Empire White is a blend of Seyval Blanc from the Hudson Valley, Sauvignon Blanc from Long Island and Riesling from the Finger Lakes. Carlo DeVito of Hudson-Chatham Winery told me this is one of his biggest winemaking risks he had ever taken.  Instead of dimpled jackets and lots of filtering, they packed the barrels of blended wine in giant tubs of ice and tended to them daily.  Their goal was to let the wine form as naturally as possible.  The delicate flavors of the white wine mingled and the result is a grat wine that expresses the terroir of the three regions.

Onto the wine!  The color is a bit of the clear pale yellow of the Seyval and Sauvignon but the Riesling adds another shade of yellow.  On a color palette it would be a light warm golden yellow.

On the nose I immediately smelled yeast which lead way to the citrus of the Sauvignon Blanc and Seyval.  It is a very crisp and light wine with a soft mouth feel.  The taste is a little mineral with limon which leads to a honeydew melon which rounds out the taste and follows by a hint of green apple and grapefruit.  The wine finishes with a citrus ending.

This is a limited wine and is available in Hudson-Chatham's tasting room or at the farmers markets they atttend.

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Sangria Festival at Hudson-Chatham Winery

This Saturday, August 14th at Hudson-Chatham Winery is their 3rd Annual Sangria Festival.  I am going to do my best to try and attend.

Hudson-Chatham will be sampling several sangrias from traditional to sparkling.  To accompany the Sangria, you can feast on carne asadas from Mexican Radio.  They will have live flamenco guitar music and more.  The festival hours are 12 noon to 5pm.  Admission is $5 and you get to taste 5 sangrias.

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The People Have Spoken: "The Face of Hudson Valley Wine Label" Hudson River Valley Red

The people have spoken!  Hudson Valley Wine Magazine ran a "People's Choice" to see the public opinion of  Hudson Valley Wine Labels and to let the people choose who they think has the best label.  The 20 labels that were in this competition were winners from the competition in June that was judged by a panel of four industry judges.


Congratulations goes to Carlo and Dominique DeVito and Hudson-Chatham Winery for their Hudson River Valley Red label. This label was produced by artist George Cooke.  This is the famous view from Washington Valley, looking down the Hudson River.  Cooke was a famous portraitist and landscape painter.  To read more about Cooke and his painting please visit Hudson-Chatham Winery's Blog.


The people have spoken.  Congratulations!

Revisiting Hudson-Chatham's 2007 Empire

Here is another wine we opened recently.  This 2007 Empire was released in the fall of 2009. This wine, produced by Hudson-Chatham Winery represents the three major wine regions in New York - Finger Lakes with the Cabernet Franc, Long Island with the Merlot and Hudson Valley with Baco Noir

When I initially tasted this the Baco was overpowering. You can see my previous post here.  No the wine has matured so to speak.  At first the nose took on the Long Island Merlot - earthy.  The taste was Cabernet Franc - cherry with spice mid palate and ended with the smokey Baco.

As we sat on the deck and drank the wine, the flavors began to change.  As it opened, the spice was more prevalent on the nose. The earthiness begins to fade.  The Cabernet Franc really begins to dominate this wine.  The Merlot and Baco flavors become very distant.

We paired this wine with a marinaded flank steak.  Not a bad choice.

Hudson Chatham 2007 Merlot - Reserve

2007 - A banner year in the Hudson Valley. I once again find myself drinking a wine with a little disappointment.

At first when we opened this bottle there were a lot of tannins. The wine was earthy with a nose of Anise and spice.  My first sip can be described in 5 words - Dr. Browns Black Cherry Soda and spice on the finish. The wine was thin for a Merlot but had good color.

Paul decided to decant the wine to minimize those tannins.  What we didn't expect was for the wine to lose it's fruit and pepper on the finish.  Should we have put the wine in the decanter, most likely not, but we did and learned a lesson.  Should have left it in the bottle and let it open in that manner.  Oh well.

Empire - 1 State, 3 Wine Regions, 3 Grapes, 1 Wine

What comes to my mind when I hear the term Empire is first the state I live in, second is an Empire Apple. Now Empire has a entire new meaning - A Wine! Empire - 1 State, 3 Wine Regions, 3 carefully selected vineyards, 3 grapes produce one awesome one!

The Empire wine is the creation of Carlo and Dominique DeVito, owners of Hudson Chatham Winery. It is a unique reserve meritage blended from three of New Yorks' most accomplished wine regions. Carlo & Dominique took the signature grapes from each of the three regions, Finger Lakes - Cabernet Franc, Hudson Valley - Baco Noir and Long Island - Merlot to blend this red wine.

Two-thirds of the wine was blended and aged in French oak while one-third was aged in American oak for about 16 months. The wine was then blended together in stainless steel, bottled and released six months later.

Carlo and Dominque are very proud of this blend and they should be. They wanted to showcase a New York State wine in a way not showcased before that represents the three major growing regions in the state. To read more of the story about the creation of Hudson-Chatham Winery's Empire click here.

I got to taste this wine this weekend. The first time I tasted Empire was Saturday, with Dominique and Linda Pierro from Hudson Valley Wine Magizine. The bottle had been recently opened. My initial taste was wow, the Baco Noir really comes through on this wine, with the strong spice of the Cabernet Franc to finish. I liked it, but felt the Baco really overpowered the wine. Leather and smoke with a hint of plum in the background and a long finish accompanied by the spice of the Cabernet Franc.

Sunday was a different day. Sunday I tasted the wine at the end of the day with Carlo. This bottle had been opened for a while so it had been "decanted" so to speak. It was a different wine. Soft, brought out the cherry flavor of the merlot, soft spice of the Cabernet Franc with hints of the cedar of the Baco Noir in the background. It was like I was drinking a different wine. Then again, that's what aeration does. My thoughts are this wine is good now and it's going to age very well.

Hudson-Chatham Winery only made 70 cases of this wine. If you are at the winery, or a farmers market and have the opportunity to taste Empire, and like it, purchase it. If you take the time to decide and come back later, you will be out of luck.