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The arctic blast is upon us and as I sit here sipping peppermint tea, I’m thinking that hot toddies, Irish coffee, spiked cocoa and hot buttered rum are the go to drinks for the next few days. Any hot drink can be transformed into a festive and interesting alcoholic beverage that will warm you and your friends up! If you’re not the creative type, there are a host of recipes to be found on the Internet.   As much as I wanted a hot drink while visiting with friends last night, I was more than happy with the 2012 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir that they served. This Pinot Noir is from the Eyrie Winery in Williamette Valley, Oregon. It is a blend of 84% estate grown Pinot, and 16% is sourced from the Cattrall Brothers, Pearl, and Bishop Creek Vineyards. The color is bright red with intoxicating aromas of dark fruit, cherries, spice and a touch of earth. The palate offers intense layers of dark cherry, dark berry, rich spice, and raspberry coupled with a savory and fruit driven finish. This is a silky and medium-bodied wine with lively acidity and is beautifully balanced. This wine is a true gem! Pairs well with most any food such as fish, meat, fowl, pasta, stews and chocolate desserts! http://www.eyrievineyards.com Alcohol: 13.5% Stay warm and have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  A few days ago I went to a holiday luncheon. In addition to enjoying some good food and conversation, we played a game of “Dirty Santa” while sipping Cappuccinos and nibbling on dessert. I had my eye on a bottle of Tito’s Vodka and thanks to a few “steals”, I snagged it and brought the vodka home. It’s no secret that I love vodka and I’m very picky when it comes to choosing what brand to drink. Since I usually drink vodka straight up, there are a few criteria the vodka must pass before I imbibe. The vodka has to be clear, smooth and well balanced with hints of sweetness and grain. An oily texture is a bonus as well as a “neutral or very subtle” aroma. Overbearing and abrasive alcohol that causes a fire in one’s throat or nostrils is a no-no! Tito’s Handmade Vodka passed the test with flying colors! Tito’s is corn-based vodka that is distilled six times in old-fashioned pot stills at Texas’ first legal distillery, Fifth Generation distillery in Austin, Texas. They’ve been distilling vodka since 1997. Tito Beveridge is the founder and owner of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. He has a great story on his website that is worth reading. http://www.titosvodka.com  Tito Beveridge Photo courtesy of Tito Vodka Tito’s vodka has just a trace of sweetness on the nose. The palate offers a clean and silky mouth-feel with hints of toast and vanilla followed by just the right amount of oomph at the end. The bottle is a straightforward design and not as fancy as the etched vodka bottles one tends to find on the shelves, but don’t let that fool you. Tito’s vodka can certainly give the fancy bottles a run for their money!   And, I love the holiday bag that Tito’s vodka comes in! Tito’s is great vodka to drink straight or in mixed cocktails. Tito’s Handmade Vodka definitely has Penina’s stamp of approval! Alcohol: 40% 80 Proof Price: $18-20 Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]
 When I think of England, images of Stonehenge, Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth, the Royal family, the Beatles and Rolling Stones all come to mind, but certainly not wine!   So you can imagine my surprise when I opened my latest wine delivery of sparkling wines from Ridgeview Wine Estate in Sussex, England!  Mike and Christine Roberts founded Ridgeview Winery in 1994 located in the southeastern corner of England. The original vineyard is located at the foot of the South Downs in Sussex. Thirteen French clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier on three different rootstocks were planted. Since then production has been expanded to include a partnership with growers who are mostly in or adjacent to the South Downs National Park. The winery’s sole focus is the production of high quality sparkling wines using state of the art equipment and traditional winemaking methods. With the champagne region just 88 miles south of Sussex, Ridgeview experiences the same climate which is ideal for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Mike Roberts once said “To me, it was obvious that sparkling wine was the way to go because what you get here in Sussex (and in Champagne) is fully ripe grapes with great flavor, but which aren’t high in alcohol, as this prevents fermentation, which creates fizz. Because we get cold nights even in summer, English grapes have super-acidity – the hallmark of a good sparkling wine”. Mike passed away in 2014 leaving the family business in the very capable hands of the second generation. His son Simon, the winemaker for the past fifteen years, his daughter Tamara, CEO, daughter-in-law Mardi who manages marketing and sales, and son-in-law Simon who is technical manager, continue the family’s passion and dedication in producing the finest Traditional Method English Sparkling Wines.  Mike Roberts Photo courtesy of Ridgeview Winery As already mentioned, climate is an important factor in sparkling wine production. The terroir also plays an important role in producing quality grapes for sparkling wine. Sussex and the surrounding regions enjoy the same type soil as found in Champagne, with chalk having a commanding influence that affects the flavor and aroma of the wine. In addition to the chalk of the South Downs, limestone, green sandstone and clay are also key elements of the terroir. It is interesting to note that every bottle of Ridgeview’s sparkling wines bear the trademark “Merret” represented by a gold seal. This is in honor of Christopher Merret, an Englishman who in 1662 was the first person to record the process of the traditional method of making sparkling wines, at least thirty years prior to the technique being documented in Champagne! Ridgeview 2013 Cavendish is the winery’s Traditional Blend. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier dominate this blend with notes of Chardonnay. The color is light gold with subtle aromas of red fruit. Fine bubbles, bright acidity and freshness give way to a long smooth finish with hints of chalk and lemon zest. Alcohol: 12%  Ridgeview 2013 Bloomsbury is the winery’s Signature Blend. Chardonnay is dominant with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier playing a minor role but giving the blend fullness. This wine is also light gold in color. Aromas of citrus, apple and honey segue onto the palate giving way to hints of toast and lemon zest on the finish. Fine bubbles and a creamy mouth-feel persist giving this wine a lot of character. Alcohol: 12% http://www.ridgeview.co.uk  These sparkling wines are very expressive, beautifully balanced and quite elegant. Pick up a few bottles to give out for the holiday or treat yourself and pop open a bottle. England…who’d a thought! Bravo!
Cheers! Penina  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The streets, houses and stores are all decked out for the holidays. Everyone is getting in the spirit. And, the weatherman said that we might be getting some snow next week which will make a perfect backdrop to the décor.  I’ve been busy making hearty one-dish meals and opening delicious red wines this past week.  One of the pours was Inniskillin Dark Horse Meritage 2011 from Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. It is a beautiful blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. All the grapes for this “single-vineyard” wine come from The Dark Horse vineyard located on the Golden Mile in the heart of the Okanagan Valley which is considered one of the best zones for quality fruit. The color of the wine was ruby red with aromas of red fruits and berries, cherry and hints of cocoa. The palate offered lovely layers of dark cherry, juicy plum and spice with hints of oak and vanilla, complemented by soft tannins and a long finish. Alcohol: 14% http://www.inniskillin.com The wine complemented the pumpkin raviolis, sautéed veggies and seared salmon that my friend prepared for us. My only regret that evening was that I didn’t have another bottle of this superb wine to open!  Have a great weekend! Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  The autumn decorations are being put away until next year. And I’m chopping up the remaining pumpkins for my furry little friends outside.  Now that it’s December 1st, it’s time to move on to the next holiday season. So, today I’m adorning the house with festive little twinkle lights and unpacking ornaments. Before I move on to reviews and suggestions for “winter/holiday” drinks, I want to give a quick mention to a few more wines that I served on Thanksgiving. Frontera After Dark are entry-level “night harvested” wines from Chile, produced by Concha y Toro. The dramatic dark labels with an outline of the Andes traced in gold, were designed to attract the US millennial market, “with research suggesting that they are more receptive to dark labels”. I purposely opened these particular wines for the younger members at the table…the millennials. I was curious to see how the wines would be received. The below reviews belong to my young tasters!   The Moonlight White 2015 is a Moscato based blend of grapes from Central Valley. A pale straw color with aromas of tropical fruit and flowers was followed by a sweet and gentle effervescence on the palate. A hint of pear lingered for a moment. This is a sweet wine and most of my millennial “tasters” preferred to move on to the next bottle. Alcohol: 9.5%  After Midnight Red 2015 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and a touch of Merlot from Itata Valley. The color is cherry red with fruity aromas. This is a medium-bodied wine with red fruit and a hint of vanilla on the palate. They liked that the wine complemented the turkey and side dishes instead of competing with the food. Alcohol: 12% The price of these wines is about $6.00 and sold nationwide.
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  The holidays are upon us and for the past few days I’ve been immersed in cooking and entertaining. There is nothing better than celebrating with family and friends!  I’m trying to keep the meals as healthy as possible this season while adding a little twist here and there to vegetable side dishes. The roasted brussel sprouts with glazed balsamic vinegar and honey along with fresh green beans tossed with sautéed mushrooms, olive oil, pepper, salt and freshly squeezed lemon were a big hit at a recent gathering. With a few guests under the age of thirty, but over 21, I opened a few “friendly” wines that weren’t too big but went well with the meal and seemed to please all.  One of the wines that I served was a Pinot Noir Rolhüt 2015 Peter Zemmer from the Alto Adige – South Tyrol region of northern Italy. Although this region is ski country, it enjoys 300+ days of sunshine a year, with temperatures averaging 64 degrees during growing season. A perfect balance of warm days and cool nights sets the stage for producing aromatic wines with expressive character.   Peter Zemmer Photo courtesy of peterzemmer.com Peter Zemmer Winery is a third generation wine making family that was founded by Peter’s grandfather in 1928 and is one of the oldest wineries of the Alto Adige region. The vineyards and winery are in the middle of the valley floor located in the tiny village of Cortina. Peter Zemmer’s belief in organic farming and sustainability reflect in his high quality wines.  The Pinot Noir Rolhüt is 100% Pinot Noir and is ruby red with lovely aromas of cherry, red berries and a hint of rosehip. The palate offers a juicy combo of cherry, plum and red berries. Tannins are soft with a hint of spice on a long and silky finish. This wine is easy to drink and complements a wide variety of food. In fact, there was just enough left in my glass to sip with the homemade Key Lime pie! Perfect! Alcohol: 13% http://www.peterzemmer.com  I’ll talk about the other wines that I served in my next post!
Happy Sunday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  This past week I had the opportunity to attend Lebanese Wine Day in NYC. In addition to taking a Master Class on Lebanese wines with Christy Canterbury, Master of Wine, I sampled wines from twenty-six wineries representing several regions of Lebanon at a “walk around” tasting.  Prior to the class, a press conference was held where we listened to several speakers talk briefly about Lebanon’s rich wine heritage and its global presence today. Louis Lahoud, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture was among the speakers. Lebanon is a very small country in the Middle East bordering the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea on one side and imposing mountains on the other side, bordering Syria. Lebanon enjoys a Mediterranean climate. With a long growing season that has minimum variance in temperature, little or no rain and cool nights from the high altitude, Lebanon is producing wine with unique characteristics. The vineyards are the highest in altitude in the northern hemisphere ranging from about 3,000 to 6,000 feet. The combination of the warm sea air and cool evening temperatures, plus the limestone and clay soils, makes this environment very conducive for growing grapes.  Lebanon is considered one of the oldest sites of wine making that dates back to 6000 BC. And, it is steeped in history and stories from the bible. Here is an interesting timeline taken from Wines of Lebanon website: Timeline • 7000BC Modern scholarship is cautiously confident that early Lebanese create a vine and wine culture • 3000BC – 330BC Phoenician traders begin making and exporting their wines to Egypt, Cyprus, Greece and Rome as well as what is now Sardinia and Spain • Lebanon’s reputation for producing fine wines continues into the Middle Ages when those produced in Tyre and Sidon are coveted in Europe and traded by Venetian merchants. • 1517 What is now Lebanon is absorbed into the Ottoman Empire. Winemaking is forbidden, except for religious purposes. This allows Lebanon’s Christians, mainly Maronites and Greek and Armenian Orthodox, to produce wine. • 1857 Jesuit missionaries introduce new viticultural and vinicultural methods as well as new vines from French-governed Algeria, laying the foundations of the modern Lebanese wine industry. • 1918 The French civil and military administration that govern Lebanon between the wars create unprecedented demand for wine,while Lebanon’s post-independence role as a cosmopolitan, financial hub sees the country enter an economic golden age, presenting further opportunities for a new wine culture to take hold. • 1975 Lebanon descends into a 15-year civil war that stunts the development of the sector • 1992-present with peace come new opportunities and unprecedented growth. The three major wine growing regions are Bekaa Valley, Batroun and Mount Lebanon. Bekaa Valley is the most well-known wine region, producing 90% of Lebanon’s wines. It profits from 3200 hours of sunlight during the growing season and has an altitude ranging from 3000 feet to 6000 ft. It is also home to Lebanon’s oldest and largest producing winery, Chateau Ksara, founded in 1857 by a Jesuit priest and Chateau Kefraya, second largest producer, established in 1979. Batroun is a mountainous region to the north and the second largest in wine production. Vineyards thrive in an altitude of 1000 to 3300 feet grown on terraces due to the steep terrain. Batroun produces 6% of Lebanon’s wines. Mount Lebanon is located in the south with the average vineyard planted at 3,000 feet and produces 4% of Lebanon’s wines. Although Mount Lebanon benefits from a Mediterranean climate, the altitude brings wet and snowy winters. Chateau Musar, founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar is located here. Chateau Musar is considered the third largest producer of wine in Lebanon and is also one of the most well known wineries. An international influence is seen in the varietals planted in Lebanon with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Muscat, Merlot, Mourvedre and Sauvignon Blanc being the most widely planted. Lebanon’s indigenous white grapes are Obaideh and Merwah and are grown by a few wineries, with the most famous being Chateau Musar. Most of the wines are aged in oak and convey the imprint of French wine making techniques. I found the wines that I tasted to be surprisingly unique and quite enjoyable with a range of styles and complexities that would please any palate. The passion and dedication of the winemakers is evident in every bottle. The white blends were aromatic with a lovely combination of fresh fruit and citrus. The Sauvignon Blanc blends were my favorite, although the Chateau Musar White 2007, a blend of Obaideh and Merwah was exceptional. It was rich and aromatic with tropical fruit and floral dancing on the finish. Most of the reds that I sampled were robust and ranged from layers of juicy ripe fruit to dark fruit and spices. They were full-bodied with medium tannins and fresh acidity. Hands down, the reds are exotic and leave a lasting impression. Below is a slide show of some of the wines I tasted. In 2015, nine million bottles of Lebanese wine were produced. Thirty percent was exported, and the Lebanese consumed four million bottles of their country’s wine. I know what I’m going to be checking out the next time I’m in a wine shop. I suggest that you pick up a bottle or three as well. You’ll be happy you did!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  It has been one of those weeks so far that has me on the go with very little time to land on my feet. I have several wine events yet to attend and some interesting wines from England, Italy and Chile waiting for me to review. I hope to post a story in the next few days! In the meantime, I’m off to a “Taste of Oakville” at Carnegie Hall where I will be sampling some wonderful wines from Napa Valley. Look for my photos on Instagram @thewineknitter and Twitter @peninablogger today! Have a great Wednesday!  Cheers!
Penina  My love for sparkling wine and passion for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness has me singing the praises of “Pink Cork for the Cause”. Mionetto USA is running this program for the second year in a row. Having donated a total of $40,000 last year to charities committed to fighting breast cancer and supporting survivors and their families, Mionetto USA launched “Pink Cork for the Cause” on September 1st.  By purchasing Mionetto Prosecco Brut DOC or Mionetto Gran Rosé, you have a chance to win a pink 5-speed hand mixer if you find a pink cork in any of these promotional bottles. All winners will be automatically entered into a Grand Prize Drawing for the chance to win a $10,000 charitable donation by Mionetto USA made to the breast cancer charity of the winner’s choice. There will be a total of four grand prize winners across the US. Enore Ceola, managing director and CEO of Mionetto USA, said “Now in its second year, ‘Pink Cork for the Cause’ represents our long-term commitment to the fight against this disease and to giving back to our family of loyal customers, many of whom are among those affected”. The program has been extended to November 30th, 2016. Bottles with pink corks are still in stores throughout the USA. Francesco Mionetto founded Mionetto winery in 1887. It is located in the village of Valdobbiadene, just north of Venice. The winery has been one of Italy’s foremost producers of Prosecco wines for more than 125 years. Francesco’s brothers joined him in the business, building and establishing the winery’s presence. However, all three brothers were called to serve in WW1, leaving the winery unattended and unfortunately it sustained heavy damage. Francesco’s grandsons, Giovanni and Sergio Mionetto, after taking over the winery in 1961, began rebuilding it. Today, Alessio Del Savio is master vintner who studied as Sergio Mionetto’s protégé for more than 15 years. Alessio continues the winemaking tradition of producing high quality sparkling wine. The Prosecco Brut DOC Treviso is made with Glera grapes and has a pale straw color. The nose is filled with aromas of pear, honey crisp apples and apricot. It is light and crisp on the palate with a dry and pleasingly fruity taste and hints of pear and lemon on the finish. Alcohol: 11%  The Mionetto Gran Rosé is made with a blend of grape varieties selected from Veneto and Trentino region. The color is a combination of bright salmon and peach. A pleasing bouquet of fresh fruit, raspberry and pink grapefruit are prominent. The palate offers strawberry, raspberry and hints of succulent peach. Well-balanced acidity with a dry and enjoyable finish. Alcohol: 11.5% http://www.mionetto.com  In addition to the “Pink Cork for the Cause” program, another incentive to purchase these sparkling wines is that they pair well with light appetizers, fish and desserts. They also make a great aperitif. With a suggested retail price under $15 and the holidays approaching, these are great sparkling wines to have on hand.
Now go and find a pink cork! Cheers! Penina  I can’t seem to sample enough Chilean wine. With ideal climate conditions and more Chilean winemakers producing quality-focused wines, plus attention being given to organic and biodynamic agriculture, it’s no surprise that eyes and palates are on Chile! The wines are unique, luscious and many are pocketbook approachable. Check out my past posts on Chile. Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is Chile’s first and most renowned icon wine. It is Concha y Toro’s signature red and it’s outstanding! I recently tasted the 2013 vintage. But before I review this wine, let me give you a little background information. Don Melchor founded Concha y Toro in 1883. With the help of Pierre Labouchere, a French enologist, they introduced to Chile, samples of French rootstock brought back from Bordeaux. A century later, in 1986, Eduardo Guilisasti, who had become Chairman of the Board of Concha y Toro, challenged his team to produce a wine that would put Chile on the map as a serious and “world class player” in fine wine production. So, the winery enologist and Rafael (Guilisasti’s son) flew to Bordeaux with Cabernet Sauvignon samples from their Puente Alto vineyard to confer with the father of modern winemaking, Emile Peynaud. Impressed with the samples, Peynaud and Jacques Boissenot gave advice and assisted in the creation of the final blend in Chile. Their trips became annual and today Jacque’s son Eric continues the yearly trip to Chile working with Enrique Tirado, winemaker for Don Melchor since 1995. Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon’s debut vintage was in 1987.   Don Melchor established the Puente Alto vineyard in 1890 with the vines he imported from France. Puente Alto vineyard is located in the sub-region of Maipo Valley which is considered Chile’s “Cabernet Sauvignon heartland”. The vineyard sits on the north bank of the Maipo River and at the foot of the Andes Mountains. The Puente Alto vineyard is home to Don Melchor (314 acres) and Almaviva, (210 acres) a joint venture with Château Mouton Rothschild. The vineyard is akin to a “quilt” grouped into seven blocks (6 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 Cabernet Franc) with 142 parcels. With each parcel offering unique expression that changes from year to year, the key traits of fresh fruit, fine tannins and finnesse transcend through the vintages. Winemaker Enrique Tirado adds, “Don Melchor is not a single Cabernet Sauvignon, but multiple expressions, and that making this multi-Cabernet blend is a challenge.” Tirado selects fruit from 50 to 60 parcels out of the 142 for each vintage of Don Melcher. The rest of the fruit goes into making Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon which I will taste and review in the next week or so! Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon arrived wrapped in tissue paper, inviting and festive.  This 2013 vintage is a beautiful blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged in 100% French oak for fifteen months. The color is royal ruby with intoxicating aromas of lush red fruits, plum, black cherry and spice. This is a full-bodied wine with plenty of character. The palate is a convergence of red fruit, dark currents, spice and hints of stone with soft tannins. The finish is silky and long with lingering cherry notes. This is a wine that has an aging potential of 20 to 25 years.  Alcohol: 14.5% Price: $125 http://www.conchaytoro.com I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of this bottle with friends this evening!
Cheers! Penina |
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