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Join The WineKnitter in exploring the world of Wine, Spirits, Food, Travel and much more! |
 Since I launched TheWineKnitter in June of 2014, my posts were mainly focused on wine and knitting. As time went on I drifted away from “knitting” and became more engrossed in writing about wine, food and sometimes travel. Over the holidays, I began sorting through many knitting designs that I created and now feel the need to occasionally bring knitting back into play on my blog.  While visiting Paris a few years ago, I took myself on a walking tour of Le Marais which is an historic district in parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. Amongst the historic buildings and beautiful architecture I stumbled upon a knitting shop. Of course I went in! Thirty minutes later, I departed the shop with a bag full of beautiful skeins of silk, cotton, linen and blends that I hadn’t seen in the US. It was the only purchase I made while in France! When I returned home from Paris, I immediately put my knitting needles to work. This “French” shawl is made of cotton, viscose and linen. The shawl is wrapped around a 1967 Chateau-Figeac and 1961 Chateau Haut-Brion. Both bottles of Bordeaux were opened a few weeks ago and each has a story to tell.  Chateau-Figeac dates back to the 2nd century AD with the Figeacus family and is located in Saint-Emillion. The Manoncourt family acquired Chateau Figeac in1892. Chateau-Figeac became a First Great Classified Growth in 1955. Thierry Manoncourt created a unique grape composition of 30% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. He was dubbed “Pharaoh of Saint-Emillion” by the press in 1971. Although Thierry passed away in 2010, his wife and daughters, along with a highly skilled wine-growing team, carry on the tradition of wine making today. Tomorrow I will continue my story of Chateau-Figeac and Chateau Haut-Brion and how they faired once opened! Have a great Wine Wednesday! Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  It was a lovely weekend filled with birthday and holiday celebrations. I enjoyed attending a few parties without the fuss of my planning and cooking for a change! The various festivities offered catered finger food or buffet style home cooked dishes along with an assortment of wine, champagne and other spirits. I didn’t taste or open any interesting wines over the past few days, but I did enjoy the Veuve Clicquot that was being passed around at one of the parties!  CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE FOR DETAILS As I ease myself back into the world of design and knitting, I’ve been going over some of the “artwear” I have made over the years in the hopes of inspiring and igniting my creative juices again. I came across this sweater that I designed for my niece. It is a basic crew neck sweater that I knitted and then hand embroidered flowers on it to give it a little pizzazz. The sweater has given me a few ideas for some winter hats. It’s a little more work, but worth the effort and end results!  Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight. Potato latkes served with an array of toppings and Soofganiyot (Israeli Doughnuts) are traditional treats served on this holiday. There are many recipes that can be found online or perhaps you have a favorite that you might want to share. If I find my Orange Soofganiyot recipe, I’ll post it. If you are lighting the candles, I wish you a very Happy Hanukkah!
Cheers! Penina  It’s a brisk Sunday morning and I have much to do. I’m hoping to squeeze in a walk before the afternoon craziness begins. So, I’ll make this post short and sweet! My “artwear” is finally ready for the show next weekend. I have posted a few photos (done in haste…sorry). You can click on the photos for a more detailed look.  This delicate evening wrap is made with kid mohair, metallic thread and Swarovski crystals. Each crystal was painstakingly sewn on! I love how elegant it is, but so simple and understated at the same time. 
 This piece is what I call a “Mansara”. It should be worn draped over the shoulders as an accessory, like a piece of jewelry. I used several materials to create it, including silk, satin, sequins and black Czech crystals. It’s quite whimsical! 
 I’ll discuss the delicious dinner and wine I had last night in my next post.
Don’t forget to watch the Super Blood Moon lunar eclipse! Have a great Sunday! Cheers! Penina In between tasting Chardonnays, Rosés and Rieslings, I found myself knitting a summer shawl the other day. The grapes inspired me! I call this shawl “Island Ribbon”. I love to give names to my one of a kind pieces. The yarn is a combination of cotton and vicose. The wooden beads are handmade from Africa. The shawl is light and airy. It can be worn with just about any summer outfit. Click on the photos for a closer look!  I toasted my finished piece with a glass of 2010 Selbach Riesling Kabinett Piesporter Michelsberg leftover from my party. The wine was also light and airy! And the opened bottle held up very well in the refrigerator for a few days! It still had a floral and apple aroma with apple and pear on the palate. Delicious! Enjoy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  Wow! The sun is actually shining! Hopefully, it will melt the inch of snow we got last night. I am so ready for spring.  It has been a busy but productive few days. I uncovered several spring/summer tops that I designed and knit over the last few years. I’m hoping that I can add to the collection soon! Not enough hours in the day of late. Here is a peek at a few of the tops. Click on the image for a closer look.  It was an interesting Saturday evening. We gathered to watch the NY Rangers vs. Bruins game that had been taped from the afternoon telecast. Unfortunately, there was no suspense since someone inadvertently announced who won prior to the game start. The Bruins took it, but we had fun watching anyway!  A potpourri of food and drinks were served. I opted for Grey Goose on the rocks and passed on the wine and beer. The hockey game segued into upbeat music, a little dancing and a great evening. Thanks for your comments on yesterday’s post.
I’m heading out for a power walk! Enjoy your Sunday! Cheers! Penina  I had excess energy yesterday. After making pumpkin bread, I then made banana honey bread. I think I overdid it with baking! Anyone want to come over for a delicious treat? As promised, I completed a design to show you. This scarf is a lovely blend of silk, alpaca, cotton and metallic. It is very whimsical and should be worn just as shown…draped over the shoulders. It makes a great accessory for any outfit…casual or dressy. Click on the images for a closer look at the detail.  A simple dinner, bottle of wine and nice conversation with friends completed my evening. I didn’t drink anything noteworthy, but hopefully I will be tasting something special tonight that I can share with you tomorrow! Happy Wednesday!
Cheers! Penina  I woke to a beautiful snowfall this morning. My snowshoes are waiting for me at the front door and I hope to be on a fun winter walk this afternoon.  I haven’t forgotten about my knitting projects. It has been a little hectic of late, but I will have something to show you very soon!  Il Poggione is a major winery in Montalcino. I tasted several of their wines, including a “dessert” wine that was excellent. It was a Sant’Antimo DOC Vin Santo 2004. The grape blend is Trebbiano and Malvasia. The wine is fermented and aged for 5 years in small oak barrels and 6 months in the bottle. It was amber in color with heady aromas of honey, apricots and dried flowers. I tasted subtle fruits and honey. It was not cloyingly sweet…it was just right! I am most definitely adding this to my wine rack! Check out the website: http://www.tenutailpoggione.it/tenuta.asp Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina  I was on a mission yesterday to start and complete my arm knitting project. Once one begins arm knitting, you have to keep going until it’s finished. It is not possible to put the project aside, unless you detach your arms from your body! After a few false starts and stops, mainly due to a friend stopping by in the afternoon to say hello and an oil truck breaking down in my driveway…I finally completed the project. Yippee! Here are a few photos that were taken along the way. As you can see, I made a short infinity scarf. The whole project took about 25 minutes! Knitting this way has its limits as far as design and using intricate stitches, but I thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of it. Click on each image for detail.  To celebrate, a friend and I went out for perfectly made Grey Goose martinis. Kudos to the bartender, Brian! Happy Friday!
Cheers! Penina  It was survival of the fittest yesterday with the bitter cold temperatures and wind chill factor.  So, when my friend stopped by for a quick visit in the evening, it seemed a perfect time to finish up a bottle of 1992 Fonseca Vintage Porto. I have reviewed this before…no need to reiterate!  Since we are still experiencing an “arctic freeze”, I am staying home today and will attempt arm knitting! Yes…I’m finally going to knit! I have chosen three yarns, all different textures. I will show you the completed project tomorrow.  I’m looking forward to sharing a nice bottle of wine, food and conversation this evening. How about you?
Stay warm! Cheers! Penina Yesterday got away from me and I never had a chance to post anything.  Since I have another busy day ahead, let me get right to the good stuff and tell you about a noteworthy wine I had last evening. It was a 1996, Château Calon-Ségur, St- Estèphe, Bordeaux Blend. This Grand Cru Classe wine was the color of dark rubies. The aromas of dark berry, leather, fennel and spice were prominent. It was full-bodied with dark fruits, spice and a hint of tobacco on the palate. Delivering a nice finish, this wine was a very special treat! It went well with the Baked Salmon Fillets Dijon that I prepared.  An interesting note: Château Calon-Ségur is a third growth under the 1855 Classification in the Saint-Estèphe AOC. Marquis de Ségur also owned Château Latour and Château Lafite. Even though he had ownership of First Growths, the Marquis claimed that his “heart” was with Calon, hence, the drawing of a heart around the chateau’s name on the label. http://www.calon-segur.fr  Some of my readers have inquired as to when I plan to post a story about my knitting project. I know that you’ve heard this before…. but…. barring any unforeseen business emergencies, I will be knitting tomorrow. Cheers!
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