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The moment had arrived. I closed my eyes and inhaled the perfume emanating from my glass and I was instantly carried off to the magical island of Pantelleria.  Last spring I had the opportunity to visit with Donnafugata in Sicily. During my stay with them, we flew to Pantelleria Island for an amazing day of touring the Donnafugata vineyards where Zibibbo grapes are grown.  Although the Zibibbo vines barely had buds yet, it was an impressive tour that stretched throughout the whole island and covered many districts. You can read all about it at: Day 575 Donnafugata A 360 Degree Tour http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2017/05/day-575-donnafugata-a-360-degree-tour.html The “pour” in my glass that had me swooning was a Ben Ryé 2015 Passito de Pantelleria DOC, a naturally sweet wine made with 100% Zibibbo grapes.  Since it was our first snowfall, I thought it would be fun to open this delicious dessert wine, inviting in a touch of the Mediterranean.  The color is an intense amber with stimulating aromas of apricots, figs, raisins, floral and honey. All the aromas segue onto the palate offering a beautifully balanced wine with mineral notes and a hint of herbs. The combination of gentle sweetness and savory is perfection! This wine drinks beautifully as an aperitif or pair with cheese and dessert! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $40 for a 375ml bottle If you’re running out of gift ideas, think no further! This is a fabulous wine to add to your holiday list! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com
 On the eve of the summer solstice in June, I wrote about Ferraton Père & Fils flavorful Samorëns Rosé 2016 and Samorëns Blanc 2016. And now that we are just fifteen days away from the winter solstice, I decided it was time to open a few reds from Ferraton Père & Fils.  Ferraton Père & Fils estate is located in Tain l’Hermitage in Southern France and was founded in 1946 by Jean Orëns Ferraton. His son Michel, inheriting the same passion as his father, introduced the first Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph wines to the world. Michel Chapoutier, a highly regarded winemaker and close friend of the Ferratons’ introduced organic viticulture to the vineyards in 1998 and he eventually formed a partnership with the Ferratons. By the year 2000, all of the vineyards were converted to biodynamic farming and are now certified organic. What began in 1946 as a .3 hectare estate (some of these vines still produce fruit), Ferraton now has an annual production of about 350,000 bottles and is headed by oenologist Damien Brisset.   La Matinière Crozes-Hermitage 2015 is 100% Syrah. Crozes-Hermitage is the largest appellation in the Northern Rhône and is known for its exceptional Syrahs. The grapes for the La Matinière are sourced and blended from a mix of estate and neighboring vineyards in the Mercurol and Beaumont-Monteux districts of central and southern Crozes-Hermitage. The wine is the color of dark plum bordering on purple. It is very aromatic, filling the nose with cherry, dark berries, spice and earth. The palate offers a beautiful dance of dark cherry, red berries, pomegranate, pepper and cocoa. Smooth tannins with a long finish of cherry, plum and pepper add a nice kick to the finale. This is a versatile wine when it comes to pairing with food! Alcohol: 13% SRP: $23 Côtes-du-Rhône is in the Southern Rhône. The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate conducive to grape growing which also reflects in the characteristics of the wine.  Samorëns Côtes-du-Rhône Red 2015 is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. The grapes are sourced from estate and smaller growers mostly located in the Northern Rhône. The color of the wine is dark ruby with aromas of lush red fruit, cherry, raspberry, floral and spice. The palate offers tart cherry, raspberry, fennel and pepper. It has a lovely mouthfeel with spice and pepper on a long finish. At $14 a bottle, this is a steal! Will pair well with pasta, meats and hearty fish. I popped a chocolate kiss in my mouth and took a sip of the wine. Wow! Alcohol: 14% SRP: $14 All of these wines, including Samorëns Rosé and Samorëns Blanc, will drink beautifully at any time of the year. Don’t limit your selection of wine based on what season it is. Be adventurous and have some fun with mixing it up a little. I have white and rosé wine chilling in the refrigerator all year long!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com When it comes to making and/or eating red sauce, the pasta itself tends to be an excuse for me to devour the sauce! In fact, whenever I eat pizza, I love a side of sauce so that I can spoon extra on my slice. I love tomato sauce in all its forms. Whether it’s arrabiata, basil, mushroom or plain tomato, I love it all! On a recent excursion to The Market at Pepper Place in Birmingham, AL, I happened across a booth selling marinara sauce. Of course, I had to stop and investigate!  Maw Maw’s Marinara is a beautiful blend of flavors sourced from the freshest and all natural ingredients available.  The company’s slogan which is written on the jar says it all. Big Italian taste from a small town in Alabam’.  Jamie Tolbert grew up eating a variety of meals made with his mom’s (aka “Maw Maw”) home canned tomatoes. She never actually made a marinara sauce with the tomatoes, but her creativity and passion for cooking inspired Jamie to take all he learned from his mom and developed his own recipes over the years. One of the recipes that Jamie created is an amazing marinara sauce that he has named Maw Maw’s as a tribute to his mom for inspiring him. Jamie and his wife Nancy sell the sauce to retail stores throughout Alabama. However, I’m sure that they would be more than happy to take your order and ship some to you! https://www.mawmawsmarinara.com When my package of Maw Maw’s Marinara arrived, I immediately opened a jar and ate a few spoonfuls. The sauce is light, with just the right amount of spice added. I love the fact that it’s “chunky” as opposed to so many pureed sauces that one finds on the supermarket shelves. Although I could have easily eaten the entire contents of the jar spoonful by spoonful, I made spinach and cheese ravioli to go with the sauce. It was a perfect marriage!  And, what would a meal be without a nice bottle of wine? So, I opened Concha y Toro’s Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2015 to pair with the dinner.  Gran Reserva Serie Riberas Carmenere 2015 is produced at the Cachapoal winery in the Rapel Valley of Chile by head winemaker, Marcio Ramírez. The grapes are harvested from the Peumo Vineyard, which runs along the Cachapoal River and the Coastal Mountains.  The wine is a brilliant color of purple with heady aromas of berries, cherries, plum, spice and cocoa. The palate offers a silky mouthfeel filled with dark berries, pepper and a long finish of fruit and spice. The wine is medium-bodied that has structure and depth. It was a good choice to pair with the marinara! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $17 Although the ravioli was delicious, the marinara sauce and the wine were the stars of the evening!  Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope that it was wonderful. My table was graced with family, friends, too much food and some lovely wines. These were the most popular wines of the evening.  The 2013 Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is from the Arroyo Grande Valley, Central Coast, CA. Laetitia Vineyard & Winery is located in Southern San Luis Obispo County and is comprised of over 600 acres of vines. The first grape plantings were established in 1982 by French viticulturists from Epernay, France. In 1998, Selim Zilkha, owner of a wind power development company, bought the Laetitia property. With the expertise of Head Winemaker Eric Hickey and Vice President of Vineyard Operations, Lino Bozzano, they produce high quality wines with an emphasis on sustainability. Although the estate is widely known for their Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, the Pinot Noir is an attention getter.   The Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is impressive. The color is cherry red with delicious aromas of raspberry, cherry, floral and spice. The palate is layered with soft fruit, cherry, pomegranate, spice, cocoa and hints of oak. It paired well with the turkey and a variety of side dishes. In fact, I enjoyed sipping it with a decadent ganache filled chocolate cake. This wine was truly good to the last drop! Alcohol: 13.9% SRP: $25 Hands down, Donnafugata’s 2016 SurSur won the hearts of the white wine drinkers. SurSur is made with 100% Grillo grapes, an ancient indigenous variety from Sicily. These grapes were harvested from Donnafugata’s Contessa Entellina Estate Vineyard located in the Southwestern part of Sicily. I have tasted and reviewed the 2014 and 2015 SurSur vintages. By clicking “Donnafugata” on the menu found on the right side of this page, you will find many stories, history and wine reviews for Donnafugata.   The 2016 SurSur is pale yellow with playful aromas of citrus, pineapple, floral and tropical fruit. The palate offers a nice balance between citrus and light stone fruit and moderate acidity with a nice dose of minerality. This is a bright and refreshing wine with just the right amount of dryness on the finish that made it compatible to our Thanksgiving feast! Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $20 Both wines are available in the USA and abroad. Until next time…  Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  Thanksgiving is just days away and I’m taking a short break from writing so that I can focus on family and friends. My home is already filled with delicious aromas of pumpkin and banana muffins baking in the oven. Sparkling wines are chilling in the refrigerator and I’ve just put the finishing touches on the menu. I will be back at the beginning of the week with stories to share. Until then, have a beautiful holiday!  Cheers!
Penina Thanksgiving is fast approaching and for those who are hosting family and friends, it is a busy time of finalizing menus, shopping and perhaps selecting wines to pair with a variety of dishes. Since sparkling wines, roses, whites and many reds pair well with turkey and traditional side dishes, the possibilities of what to select might seem daunting. It all boils down to personal preference. However, a good rule of thumb in choosing a red is to look for mild tannins and moderate acidity. The trick is to enhance the meal…not overpower it.  I recently tasted Bila–Haut’s 2016 “Les Vignes” Rouge and “Les Vignes” Blanc, both great wines to open at Thanksgiving. I have written about Domaine Bila-Haut and winemaker, Michel Chapoutier in previous stories.   To recapitulate: Domaine Bila-Haut is located in the region of Côtes de Roussillon, Languedoc, a wine region known for making top quality wines. It is in Southwest France, and very close to Spain. Michel Chapoutier is a fourth-generation oenologist and head of Maison M. Chapoutier. He is world-renowned and one of Rhône’s most famous wine producers of Hermitage, Chateauneuf du Pape and Côte Rôtie to name just a few. Chapoutier purchased the 190-acre Domaine Bila-Haut in 1999. It was a neglected property but showed promise with the land being a mix of schist, gneiss and clay. With Chapoutier’s knowledge, expertise and passion along with the climate of the Mediterranean, he turned the land into a perfect growing environment for Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Bila-Haut wines reflect all of this. Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rouge is exquisite. This Syrah-dominated wine is blended with Grenache and Carignan. The color is royal purple with concentrated aromas of dark berries, spice, herbs and a pleasant earthiness. The palate is layered with dark cherries, plum, blackberry, spice, pepper and chocolate. The wine is medium-bodied with mild tannins and a long finish of berries and spice dancing on the palate. This is a wine that can be savored right through dessert. Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $15  Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Blanc is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Vermentino and Macabeo. Michel Chapoutier has truly captured the essence of these varietals. The wine is very aromatic with saline notes, citrus, floral and green apples. The palate offers soft citrus and herbs. The wine is crisp, beautifully balanced and the finish offers a taste of lemon zest and the sea. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $15  To quote Chapoutier “I’m focused more on length and aftertaste than on the nose because the wine is meant to be married with food”. And I can assure you; these wines will complement a wide range of food! Have a great day!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  When I got the invitation to attend a seminar and walk around tasting of Texas wines, the first things that came to mind were cowboys, boots, the Alamo and rodeos. Wine was definitely not on my radar. However, after participating in an educational seminar and tasting some delicious wines, I’ve got a whole new outlook on Texas!  Texas is the second largest U.S. state. To give you an idea of just how large it is, take a look at this map of Texas superimposed over an area of Europe. Texas is huge! However, only a small portion of the state is devoted to making wine. In fact, only about 1% of Texas land is suitable for growing grapes, but that area is larger than the total planted area of France!  Texas wine production dates back to the 1650s when Franciscan priests planted vines for making sacramental wines. After prohibition ended, Texas didn’t see a resurgence in the wine industry until the 1970s. It is only in the last decade that Texas wine growers are truly seeing the “fruits of their labor” with improvements in quality and also winning numerous national and international medals and awards. The numbers of visitors on the main Texas wine trail rank second as the most popular wine route in the U.S. The two major growing regions in Texas are Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country.  Texas High Plains AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the second largest AVA in Texas and is located in the northwest region of the state where 75% of the state’s grapes are grown. There are approximately 5000 to 6000 acres currently under vine. Over forty varieties of grape are planted at 2,500 to 4000 ft. above sea level in soils of sandy loess over caliche (limestone). The climate is continental with low humidity. Texas Hill Country AVA is located mid-state and is the largest AVA in the state with over sixty producing wineries and is considered the center for Texas wine industry. Of the nine million acres in this area, approximately 800 acres are planted vineyards. The climate is humid and more subtropical during the growing season so fewer vineyards exist here. The soil is mostly limestone but there is lots of rocky soil as well. The Texas Wine Trail is here and tourism is growing in leaps and bounds. Grape varieties abound such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Riesling, Picpoul, Viognier and Souzão. I tasted single-varietal and blended wines from fourteen wineries that were represented at the event. Speaking in generalities, the red wines from the High Plains have concentrated flavors with soft to medium tannins. The whites are quite aromatic with delicate flavors and low acidity. Reds from the Hill Country tend to be a bit more tannic, but I find they also have more depth. The whites are aromatic with nice minerality. The wines of Texas are impressive. All the owners and winemakers that I met transferred their enthusiasm to me when describing their wine. As I was told at the seminar, “making wine started as a ‘lifestyle’ for many, but now it is their ‘life’s passion”. And it truly shows! I look forward to visiting Texas Wine Country soon. Here are links to the 14 wineries. I encourage you to explore, read their stories and hopefully order a bottle or two or three of wine. At a later date, I’ll go into more depth on some of the wineries and review their wines as well. www.barzwines.com www.bendingbranchwinery.com www.edenhill.com www.fcv.com www.hilmywine.com www.lewiswines.com www.llanowine.com www.losdrawcellars.com www.messinahof.com www.pedernalescellars.com www.spicewoodvineyards.com www.weddingoakwinery.com www.westcavecellars.com www.williamchriswines.com So, the next time someone mentions Texas to me, I can assure you that ‘wine’ will be the first thing that comes to my mind!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  The other evening I had a craving for pasta along with the desire to be back in Sicily. To satisfy my appetite, I made delicious spicy butternut squash pasta.  However, flying to Sicily was not negotiable. So I did the next best thing and opened a bottle of Sicilian wine!  The pour was a 2015 Fondo Antico Nero d’Avola. I have reviewed several varieties of wine from Fondo Antico which was established in 1995 and is owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family, now in its sixth generation of winemaking. Indigenous to Sicily, Nero d’Avola is the most important and widely planted red grape in Sicily. It is known for its high tannins, medium acidity and robust character. However, when grown at higher elevations with cooler temperatures, the result generally leads to a smoother wine. Fondo Antico grows Nero d’Avola 200 meters above sea level on fresh soil containing limestone and sand. The wine is refined in stainless steel tanks and then bottled. The result is a fresh and juicy wine. The color of the wine is dark ruby with aromas of fresh cherries, berries and spice. The palate offers red cherry, fresh red fruit, plum, spice and hints of chocolate and pepper on a lively finish. This is a full-bodied wine with smooth tannins and lots of versatility when it comes to pairing it with food. Needless to say, the wine was a perfect complement to the spicy pasta! Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $12-$15  Now if I could just sneak off to Sicily for a bit!  Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Once upon a time when I lived in Florida, I would occasionally take road trips to visit other southeastern states. But for some reason, I never made it to Alabama. So, when the opportunity arose recently for me to take a press trip to Birmingham, Alabama, I was very excited. Through the gracious invitation of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, I and five other journalists were given an in-depth tour of this “magic city”. Our three-day trip “showered” our senses with southern style cuisine, culture, history and music. Our emotions ran from belly laughs to somber moments that brought tears to our eyes.  Birmingham was founded in 1871 and is located at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It was once a primary industrial center in the southern United States for mining iron ore, coal and limestone, the three main raw materials used for making steel, which was manufactured there. In addition, rails and railroad cars were also manufactured in Birmingham. Due to its enormous growth from 1881 through 1920, Birmingham was nicknamed the "The Magic City". And indeed, it is! Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama and today’s industry is focused on medical research, trade and finance. It has more green space per capita than any other city in the United States, stunning architecture, historical neighborhoods, over 500 restaurants ranging from world-class cuisine to “down and funky” and a significant place in history with the Civil Rights Movement. Birmingham is a warm and inviting city. Wherever I went I was always met with gracious southern hospitality. My home for several days was The Tutwiler Hampton Inn in downtown Birmingham. When I arrived at the hotel a wonderful bag of treats was waiting for me, a gift from my hosts. The Tutwiler is a National Historic Landmark adorned with original marble and ornamental ceilings from 1914. The rooms are spacious and the staff is always ready to please. Since I was the first to arrive and had a few hours to myself, I began exploring the city on foot. Birmingham is an interesting mixture of historic buildings and new high rises. There is a lot of renovation and restoration taking place. On my walk, I saw some impressive historical buildings such as the Masonic Temple Building built in 1922 and designed by two black architects, one of whom was the first black graduate from M.I.T in 1892. Just across the street from the Tutwiler is the Linn-Henley Library built in 1927, once the central library for the city before a new library was built across the road. Today, the Linn-Henley Library contains all historical research sources, rare books, maps and is a center for genealogical research. Walking tours are available for Birmingham’s historic buildings. Having worked up an appetite exploring a portion of the downtown area, I walked into a restaurant called “brick & tin”. Mauricio Papapietro, the owner, opened this restaurant in 2010 and uses only local and sustainable ingredients. The décor is quite interesting. The space was originally an old shoe store. Ceilings were opened up to expose more brick and church pews were brought in as part of the seating along one wall. The Tuscan Panini that I ordered was my first “taste” of Birmingham and I knew from the first bite that I was going to be experiencing an incredible food fest on this trip. When it comes to eating, the residents of Birmingham take it very seriously. Whether it’s Michelin star restaurants or casual local eateries and cafes, Birmingham has it all. And trust me, you will never go hungry; there is something for everyone. Our first night in Birmingham we were treated to a sumptuous dinner at The Highlands Bar and Grill. Owned by chef Frank Stitt, a nine-time James Beard Foundation finalist, this French-inspired southern style restaurant opened its doors in 1982. Chef Stitt is an Alabama native who not only has an award-winning restaurant, he has trained and inspired many chefs that have gone on to open their own restaurants in the Birmingham area. As with most of the restaurants in Birmingham, Chef Stitt uses locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. In addition to selecting our meals from the menu, Chef Stitt presented us with many appetizers and side dishes to taste. The Stone Ground Baked Grits were drool worthy! It was a heavenly introduction to the cuisine that Birmingham has to offer. And we were beginning to understand why our hosts told us to pack “loose” clothing. For the next several days, we were treated to extra side dishes and samples at every meal! Our first morning in Birmingham, we had breakfast at Trattoria Centrale. In addition to the traditional eggs and grits, they offer a breakfast pasta! It is quite an imaginative breakfast menu. The latte is probably the best that I’ve ever had! The Bogue's Restaurant was another breakfast stop for us. They opened their doors in 1938 and it’s a popular spot for locals. As the description says “it is stick to your ribs down-home cooking with old fashioned Southern hospitality”.  Many Greeks immigrated to Alabama in the early 1900s influencing a blend of southern and Greek-style cooking. Greeks own many of the soul food, seafood and barbecue restaurants in Birmingham. We had a chance to sample this fare at Johnny’s Restaurant, Niki’s West and The Bright Star. Johnny’s and Niki’s West are owned by the same family, both offering Greek influence on southern favorites. Niki’s West is a large cafeteria-style restaurant offering 70 items at the steam table. I loved the collard greens! The Bright Star opened its doors in 1907 and is a 330-seat restaurant located in Bessemer, AL. The menu offers traditional southern fare as well as Greek style. The fried green tomatoes with gulf shrimp and cornmeal-fried oysters were amazing! As with all the restaurants we dined at, the food was fresh and service was A-One. One night we had dinner at Saw’s Soul Kitchen, a small down home space serving traditional southern dishes. I think we sampled most of the menu! All good! I couldn’t believe that I had room to taste their Banana Pudding, but was so happy I did! And if breakfast, lunch and dinner weren’t enough to sustain us, we were taken to the Pizitz Food Hall for dessert and cocktails one afternoon. Located in the old Pizitz department store, it is now a food court like no other. This is a collection of chef-inspired cuisine featuring a variety of concepts from restaurateurs. Our focus was the Waffle Works and cocktails. The menu speaks for itself. Think soul food and waffles… In addition to Waffle Works, there are presently 16 other food stalls representing cuisine from around the globe. In the middle of the court is a large bar called The Louis Bar, serving craft cocktails, local beers and wine. This stop was quite a treat! While in Birmingham we toured some well-known attractions, as well as a few unusual and out of the way places where tourists don’t usually go. Here are a few of the popular sites we visited. The Market at Pepper Place is Alabama’s largest weekly outdoor farmer’s market that opens every Saturday from 7 am to noon, rain or shine. It is also the largest outdoor market that I have ever seen! One can expect to see anywhere from 103 to 120 tents, but the area can accommodate up to 129 tents. Farmers of locally grown produce, flowers, food tables, hand crafts, clothing and jewelry can be found here…all Alabama made goods only! There are chef demonstrations and live music. Local restaurants buy their produce here. In fact, we happened to see Chef Stitt here! Pepper Place is open from mid-April through mid-December. Not to be missed! The Peanut Place founded in 1907, is located on a quaint cobblestone street. Aromas of roasting peanuts were floating out the door of this 1885 building when we arrived. There are two antique roasters that still work, one of which is 110 years old! All the peanuts are sourced from Virginia and I can attest that these roasted peanuts are yummy! If you like books, then Reed Books and Museum of Fond Memories is a must see. I love to wander through bookstores and this one truly tops the charts. Jim Reed, author and philosopher, has been in business for 37 years. He has collected and cataloged over 50,000 books, magazines, newspapers and posters, with an additional 250,000 items that are not cataloged! If you can’t find what you’re looking for, Jim will gladly help. I could have easily spent many hours there getting lost in such an eclectic inventory. The Vulcan Park and Museum is home to the world’s largest cast iron statue made with 100,000 pounds of Alabama iron and is 56 feet tall. Designed and sculpted by Giuseppe Moretti for the 1904 World’s Fair, Vulcan’s permanent home is atop Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. Vulcan is the god of fire and metals and symbolizes the city’s iron origins. Vulcan is quite impressive and the museum depicts a fascinating history of how it came to be. After dinner one evening we participated in a Birmingham Pedal Tour, a “pedal-powered bike party”. It was lots of fun and the laughter non-stop. This is a great way to tour the city, although our objective was to tour a few brewing companies. We worked off our dinner and enjoyed a little live music and some interesting beers. I highly recommend it! You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the Negro Southern League Museum. The museum tells the history of African-American baseball in America through the eyes of Birmingham. The museum has an incredible collection dating back to the 1800s that include, uniforms, bats, trophies and a hologram of Satchel Paige. I loved the chandelier in the main entrance that is made out of old baseball bats! As tired as we were at this “end of the day” visit, we all re-energized and enjoyed the magic of the museum. The most sobering, powerful and important part of the trip from my perspective was the day we spent taking the Civil Rights Tour. If you take a trip to Birmingham, visiting the Civil Rights District is a must. Our guide for the day was Barry McNealy who through his voice, we were able to relive it all. Our tour began with the 16th Street Baptist Church where on September 15th, 1963 a bomb exploded killing four African-American schoolgirls. We then toured the Kelly Ingram Park, a four-acre park that is adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church. As we walked through the park, Barry gave us a detailed presentation of the Civil Rights movement that was also depicted through sculptures and statues throughout the park. There are statues of “heroes” such as MLK and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. The Four Spirits sculpture honors the four girls that died in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. We visited the Historic Bethel Baptist Church, where Pastor Fred Shuttlesworth served from 1953 to 1961. And it was he who first reached out to Martin Luther King, Jr to please come to Birmingham. The church was bombed three times over a four year period, but miraculously no lives were lost and the building still stands. It is a National Historic Landmark as well as a National Register of Historic Places. While at the church we had the honor of meeting Pastor Thomas Wilder who has been leading the congregation since 1988. We also met Reggie Johnson, who grew up in the community and had many stories to share with us. Our Civil Rights tour ended with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Again, Barry guided us through an impressive tour of what it was like living a black or white life in Alabama from the late 1800s to the present. The museum covers the Civil Rights Movement and the violence that took place. The Procession Gallery depicts the “walk to freedom”, using life-size figures representing all ages and races. This is another “must see” stop. We made a few stops on our trip that one might not find in a tour book, but are part of the soul of Birmingham. Joe Minter’s African Village in America is an amazing collection of “outside” folk art. These sculpture gardens adorn the entire yard of Joe’s home and beyond. His art is mostly made with welded metal, hand-painted biblical signage and other knickknacks. About 15 years ago God spoke to Joe and asked him to create a garden of memory. And he has been doing so ever since. Some of his works include a tribute to the children that died at Sandy Hook and a room size re-creation of the jail cell that held MLK. One never knows if Joe will come out to talk to visitors, but he and his wife greeted us and Joe gave us a tour. It was quite memorable. Our last evening in Birmingham was highlighted with a trip to Gip’s Place Juke Joint. Located in Bessemer, about 20 miles outside Birmingham, is one of the last juke joints in the country. Henry “Gip” Gipson who is in his late 90’s, opens the door to his backyard every Saturday evening to listen and dance to some of the best blues musicians you’ll ever hear. And if you’re lucky, you might just get to hear Gip play as well. The crowd is mostly made up of locals and if you’re from out of town you might have a hard time finding this hidden gem that’s tucked away out of sight with no signs. Although we didn’t stay to hear Gip play, we had the opportunity for a meet and greet. He is definitely one of a kind! This was a great way to end our stay in Birmingham. I've added a few snippets of video in addition to the slideshow. I flew back to New York the next day taking with me an incredible memory of southern hospitality, amazing food, an important slice of history, great shops, good music and new friends! Birmingham…I’ll be back!
Cheers! Penina Sherry is a fortified white wine that is making a big comeback. I recently attended the 5th annual Sherry tasting in NYC where I met with 21 winemakers and representatives pouring over 150 different sherries!  Sherry has been around for centuries and is considered one of the oldest wines in the world. Authentic sherry can only come from the southwest area of Spain, in Andalucía which is recognized by the DO (denomination de origin). There are three main towns here that form a triangle called the “Sherry Triangle”. It is from within this triangle of Jerez, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda that sherry is made. The grapes used for making sherry are Palomino, Muscatel and Pedro Ximenez. The soil, which is chalk and limestone based, the winds, humidity and seasonal changes in this area all contribute to giving sherry its unique characteristics.  Sherry is known for its aromatic, salty and nutty profile and runs from dry to sweet, although the majority of sherry produced is dry. The color of sherry ranges from light straw to dark brown. The photo below was taken from a sherry seminar that I attended last year and represents a wide range of sherry colors.   All sherry is aged for a minimum of three years and aged in old sherry casks using the Solera system. The Solera system is an aging process that uses new batches of sherry mixed with older ones in a tiered or pyramid structure. The bottom tier is the solera, the eldest sherry, which never entirely leave the system. The rows above contain the younger sherries (criadera). Once a portion of the wine is extracted from the solera, it is replaced with the same amount of wine from the first criadera and so on, creating a unique complexity and personality in the wine. Because sherry is a blend of different vintages it is impossible to give an exact age of a wine that has been aged in a solera. So it is possible that one could be drinking a sherry that might contain anywhere from 3 to 100 vintages! There are several types of sherry available. Here is a quick rundown on how they differ. Fino de Jerez is the youngest (usually 3-5 years old) and the driest of sherries. They age under a layer of flor (yeast). This layer of flor protects the wine from being oxidized and it also consumes all the sugar in the wine, creating a dry sherry. Fino only comes from Jerez and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Manzanilla is another dry sherry that is just like Fino, except that Manzanilla comes only from the coastal town of Sanlúcar. Both Fino and Manzanilla have more wine salinity than the other styles. They will complement fish and shellfish. Amontillado is an aged Fino or Manzanilla. Once the layer of flor fades the wine begins to oxidize and takes on a new character. It can be fortified up to 18%. The color is darker and it is less briny, but nuttier and richer on the palate. These wines pair well with white meat and game. Palo Cortado is an interesting sherry that begins as a Fino or Manzanilla but for no known reason it unexpectedly loses its layer of flor too soon. Once the flor dies, the wine takes on oxygen and requires further fortification. In other words, it does “its own thing”. This wine has richness but is crisp as well. Oloroso (‘scented’ in Spanish) intentionally never develops flor. Aging through oxidation of up to 40+ years produces a full-bodied, aromatic, dark and rich wine. Oloroso contains the most amount of alcohol in a sherry with levels of 18% to 20%. This is a great wine for hearty entrees, meats and stews. Pedro Ximenez (PX) is an intensely sweet wine and the sweetest of the sherries. The grapes are dried in the sun allowing the juices to concentrate prior to pressing. This is a rich wine that oozes raisins, nuts and fig. Cream Sherry is usually a blend of Oloroso, PX or Moscatel but can come in a variety of styles. This is a semi-sweet wine that is aromatic, dark in color with classic notes of nuts and caramel. Here are just a few of the sherries that I tasted the other day. When it comes to pairing sherry with food, there is a saying of which I have no idea of its origin: If it swims… drink with Fino or Manzanilla) If it flies… drink with Amontillado If it walks… drink with Oloroso Sherry is versatile and there is a style for everyone. Pair it with food, drink it as you would a favorite whiskey or explore mixing it in a cocktail. Sherry is making a strong comeback and I think it’s about time! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com
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