Tis' the Season to Wine and Dine!

The Christmas season is here again and it’s time to shop for gifts! I’m sure you’re thinking about or on the hunt for a great gift for that special friend or family member. Well if they like wine, here are some gift suggestions for those wine lovers close to you.

Foil cutters are a must-have to for wine drinkers. They make opening a bottle much easier and cut that pesky foil off a bottle with one twist of your wrist. They come in a variety of shapes and colors and can be found at Target or your local wine product stores pricing from $4 and up.

A wonderful gift for wine lovers and non-wine lovers as well, are wine gift baskets. This lovely gift can be as big or small as you would like and are stuffed with, of course, a bottle of wine, cheeses, gourmet chocolates, crackers, summer sausage, etc. Baskets can be bought from your local wine shop or purchased online and shipped straight to that special someone. Prices range from $19.95 and up. Also, if you’re the do-it-yourself type, making this gift can be even more cost friendly.

Always a great gift to give is a bottle of wine. This is also great to have if you’re invited to a Christmas party or dinner. If you’re not sure what wine to choose, white wine is always a great choice. There are also bags that you can purchase for wine bottles to give asgifts. Price ranges for a bottle of wine go from under $10 and up.

Gift bags for wine bottles can be purchased at the Dollar Tree for as little as a $1.

Cloverdale Pub Crawl



Come out for a night of fun in the Historic Cloverdale District  as RSVP brings you the next

Pub Crawl!

Wristbands are $5!

Includes access to trolleys and discounts at all participating pub crawl stops including The Capri Theatre, El Rey, Tomatinos, Chophouse, Bud’s, ROUX, Pine Bar, Café Louisa and Sinclairs.

For more information visit www.rsvp-montgomery.com or call 334.356.4598

Halloween Wine & Jazz



Saturday, October 29th

 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Wine, Jazz, and Food. Costumes are welcomed but not required.

Come as you are or how you wanna be.

For more information go to http://www.vizzinifarmswinery.com/

Taste of the River Region

The Alabama Restaurant Association and the Junior League of Montgomery would like to invite you to the

2011 Taste of the River Region
Sunday, October 2, 2011
6:00pm-8:00pm

Renaissance Hotel and Conference Center

Come and enjoy many delicious of the River Region's best restaurants!

Advanced tickets are just $25 or $30 at the door

VIP Tabels are only $500 and come with 10 VIP tickets,early entry (5:30pm) a table and signage recognition

CLICK HERE to order your tickets now!

For more information go to www.jlmontgomery.org

9th Annual Grape Stomp & Lucille Ball Look Alike-Morgan Creek Vineyards

Saturday, September 17
  10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Join us for winery tours, wine tastings, live music and, of course grape stomping.

$10/person

Parking provided

                  Bring a picnic or purchase food on site.

For more on this event and Morgan Creek Vineyards go to the Alabama Wineries and Vineyards Section.                 

Bojo Knows Best!

If you ask most people about Beaujolais, they will say ‘Oh yeah, Beaujolais Nouveau. Good stuff.’ It is, but the Beaujolais region is so much more than just its Nouveau. Beaujolais is the largest wine producing region in Burgundy, France. Located to the south of Maconnais, it has over 50,000 acres of vines planted.

Beaujolais wines are made from the Gamay grape which is a cross between Pinot Noir and the white Gouais. With its close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and its semi-continental weather, this cross ripens two weeks earlier than Pinot Noir and it isn’t as hard to cultivate. This resulted in a larger production of fruitier wines.  But everyone wasn’t always okay with planting Gamay. In 1395, the Phillipe the Bold outlawed the production of Gamay because he felt that it was taking away prime vineyard land from the more appreciated and respected Pinot Noir. So winemakers pushed Gamay further south out of mainland Burgundy into what is now known as Beaujolais, where it found itself in granitic soils where the grape flourished.

The region of Beaujolais is divided into two distinct soil types which also divide the region into Northern and Southern Beaujolais with Villefranche as the middle point. The hilly northern portion has most of the Cru Beaujolais communes and is made up of granite, schist and a little limestone. The southern half or Bas Beaujolais is a bit flatter and contains more clay-based, sandy soils with some limestone patches sprinkled throughout the region. These soil differences present themselves in the wine with the North producing wines with a fuller body and a more complex structure. The wines of the South have a crisper, more acidic flavor with loads of red fruit on the palate.

Back to Beaujolais Nouveau, it was actually created by George Duboeuf for marketing purposes. It’s a light, fruity style of Beaujolais that is meant to be drunk quickly and can be slightly chilled. The grapes are picked around late August, early September and the wine is only fermented a few days before it’s bottled. These wines are then released to t he public on the third Thursday of November at 12:01 am, Beaujolais Nouveau Day. This wine can last for a couple of years but it won’t develop any additional flavors or characteristics from bottle aging.

As for the actual wines of Beaujolais, they are divided into the following levels of quality:

Beaujolais AOC – all Beaujolais falls into this category

                Beaujolais Blanc – made from Chardonnay and Aligote  

                Beaujolais Rose

Beaujolais Villages AOC

Cru Beaujolais – the highest level of quality, 10 Crus

So when you’re thinking of a red wine for white wine drinkers, think Beaujolais!

 Article by Tanisha Townsend

Find out more on Tanisha in our About Section

2nd Annual Riverwalk Wine Festival

Make plans now for this spectacular afternoon of wine on the water!

Saturday

October 8, 2011

1:00pm to 4:00p.m.

Montgomery Riverfront in Downtown Montgomery

Event will include wine tasting from 11 different distributors representing over 100 wineries.

Admission is $25 per person and will include:

• Etched wine glass commemorating the event
• Discounted wine purchases from participating local wine shoppes
• Food samples
• Live music
• Picnic baskets and coolers are welcome
• Discounted tickets for a special Harriott II Wine Cruise

You can purchase your tickets here:

• Online Now at E-tix
• RSVP Montgomery
• Riverfront Facilities
• Derk's Filet & Vine
• Peppertree Steaks & Wine
• Tickets will be available for purchase on August 15

 

6th Annnual Jazz on the Grass



WVAS-FM and the Alabama Jazz & Blues Federation present

the 6th annual

Jazz on the Grass

at the Riverwalk Amphitheater in Downtown Montgomery.

Featuring performances by Hart Ramsey, Reggie Hines, Kim Scott, Roman Street, The Hot 8 Brass Band, The Recreators and much more.

Gates open at 10am horns up at 11.

Tickets available at Dirk's Filet & Vine in Old Cloverdale, Ted the Wine Guy, Riverwalk Stadium, Another Chance Package Store and you can go online at etix.com

For more information call 334-229-4708.

August is Pinot Grigio Month!

Courtesy of About.com

Definition: Italy's most popular white wine is produced from the * Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris grape varietal. This wine hails from the northeast region of Veneto and Friuli. A light, crisp white wine that is intended to be consumed early on.

Flavor Profile Pinot Grigio flavors can range from melon to pear and some even offer a subtle tropical or citrus fruit, often there is a honey or smoky flavor component as well. As for color, Pinot Grigio is typically a pale, straw-like yellow with some golden hues thrown in. The texture of a Pinot Grigio is worth noting, as it has very smooth, almost silk-like overtones that leave an impression on the palate.

Food Pairing
Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with seafood, light pastas and cheese cracker combinations. Since this wine is fairly acidic itself, avoid pairing with foods that have high acid contents, like citrus fruits or tomato-based recipes.

Key Producers to Try
Stella
Hogue
Stone Wolf
St. Michael-Eppan
Chehalem
Bethel Heights
Eyrie Vineyards

Happy Pinot Grigio Drinking!

Wine of the Week from the Wine Whisperer

Heavyweight Cabernet Sauvignon

When you’ve got a big, rare rib eye or a killer cheeseburger on your plate, do you really want a nice little fruity white wine or a delicate pink number in your glass? We didn’t think so. Sometimes the situation just calls for BIG, rich, mouthful of flavor, and that’s when you need a Champion in your glass!

Now don’t worry, this Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t just another big bruiser. The blackberry and currant aromas are swift and lingering. The rich fruit flavors don’t feint or dodge-they’re straight ahead and swarming. And like the best heavyweights, the flavors come at you in combinations and by the time you figure one out, you get hit with another. So just take a couple of sips and then go your corner and catch your breath....

Premium, oak aged Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Syrah and Zinfandel. Three Collector’s Labels are available for each vintage.

Heavyweight is one of my favorite Cabernet’s due to its richness, but smooth enough to be enjoyed with almost anything. This regal wine is a tremendous value with its underpriced cost, and it over delivers in pleasure. Heavyweight is sold in top steakhouse’s in the Southeast like Flemings Steakhouse and Ruth’s Chris.

Heavyweight is also available in Chardonnay and Petite Sirah.

For more on the Wine Whisperer go to www.staceywines.com

No Cork, No Stopper…No Wine?

Tessa A. asked Heard It Through the Grapevine:

"How do you store an open bottle of wine without a cork or bottle stopper?"

I’m sure most of us wine lovers have come across this problem a time or two. Either the cork has crumbled from trying to remove the cork or you just can’t get the cork back into the bottle. However, you don’t have a bottle stopper to stop the bottle. So what do you do?

The simplest thing to do would be to pour the wine into a decanter with a seal-fit stopper.This may allow you to store smaller amounts of wine without as much exposure to oxygen. The wine must fill up to the bottom of the stopper to prevent the wine from aging. Also, serving "leftover" wine from a decanter makes for a more attractive presentation when serving it. Prices for decanters can range from as low as $3.95 to $300. So the amount you spend would be based on how you’d like to present your wine.

Other methods would be to use pumps or nitrogen sprays to displace the oxygen in the bottle. It's primarily oxygen that interacts with the wine and microscopic elements in the wine that cause it it to spoil. However, these methods have shown to not extend the life of wines much and are a bit expensive.

For a more inexpensive method of preserving your wine, here’s a tip from e.how.com at click here.

Wine of the Week from The Wine Whisperer

Sua Sparkling Strawberry

 

What do you get when you blend sparkling wine with "REAL" strawberry pulp? I call it Berry Paradise, but you can call it Sua. Pronounced "Swah", this burst of natural fruit pulp is an original and quite extraordinary. Sua is reminiscent of the popular strawberry fruit cake dessert, which is a favorite amongst birthday parties or a rich strawberry cheesecake found at your neighborhood bakery. But don’t let the youthful, innocent strawberry thoughts fool you. Sua packs a punch at 11.5% alcohol and will leave you salivating for more. Sua sparkling strawberry has a perfect balance being not overly sweet, somewhat full-bodied and yet far from dry wine.

Sip slowly and enjoy pure bliss!

For more information on The Wine Whisper (Stacey Diltz) go to http://www.staceywines.com/ 

Just Jura

With so many wines to write about, who knows where to start? With their region, that’s where. If you know about where a wine is from, the climate, what grapes are grown there…you can make a better decision about drinking the wine. You might even try something new.

 Jura

A lesser known region in France and the smallest, the 1600 hectare region known as the Jura, is situated between Burgundy and Switzerland. And therefore produces wine similar in style to those regions. There are four regional appellations: Arbois, Côtes du Jura and the smaller Etoile and Château-Chalon, plus two wine style appellations that cover the whole area, Crémant du Jura and Macvin (a Vin de Liqueur). The continental climate of Jura can get quite cold in the winter, so to lessen the threats of frost, vines are trained in order to receive a productive harvest.  

Due to the cool climate, chaptalization (adding sugar to unfermented grape must be in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation) is permitted , sometimes even as a necessity to assist under-ripe vintages by boosting the levels of sugar.  Another difference between the wines of Jura and the wines of the rest of France is that most of Jura white wines are aged in oak for extended periods of time, while their red wines are aged in stainless steel bottled young.

While the Jura does harvest Chardonnay, locally known as Melon d’Arbois, and Pinot Noir, the local grapes Savagnin, Poulsard, and Trosseau are also grown. Poulsard is the primary grape for the sweet vin de paille and is also used to make a rosé. Savagnin is permitted for Jura’s most famous wine, vin jaune. 

Vin Jaune is made by picking the grapes as ripe as possible, oftentimes making this a last harvest wine. After fermentation, it’s stored in Burgundian barrels for over 6 years. In a style similar to sherry, the barrels are filled and allowed to evaporate, therefore reducing the amount of wine remaining in the barrel and a creating space for air at the top of the barrel. Due to this method of aging, over time the wine oxidizes and a film of yeast  develops on the top of the wine. The classic Vin Jaune flavours are of mild eastern spices, walnuts and sometimes honey.

When shopping for the wines of Jura, the following are producers of note:

·         Domaine André et Mireille Tissot

·         Role,

·         A & M Tissot

·         Domaine de la Tournelle

·         Jacques Gaspard Feuillet

·         Domaine Berthet-Bondet

·         Henri Maire

Submitted by Tanisha Townsend

 

 

Western's Annual Food & Wine Event

WESTERN'S ANNUAL FOOD & WINE EVENT

Friday, September 23rd

Birmingham Zoo

6pm-9pm

Don't miss the best wine and food event in the state! 

There will be over 650 wines to taste along with the best local, Alabama food items prepared by chefs from the Jeff State Culinary Institute. Wine experts will be on hand to provide education as well as food and wine pairings and recipe suggestions. Wild animals will be on display, carousel rides, a giant prize raffle, and one-night-only wine deals to take advantage of and stock up for the holiday season. 

 Tickets are $45 in advance,  $55 at the door

All proceeds benefitting the Emmet Oneal Library

Is Wine The New Fountain Of Youth?

(BlackDoctor.org)  – Wine gets better with age, but can age get better with wine?  The latest anti aging weapon is not an injection or a wonder cream, and it doesn't involve the old nip/tuck either. Quite simply, for glowing skin it’s all about consuming a glass of red wine a day for women and two for men. Following is more information about the wine/beauty connection: the new elixir of life.


What is it about wine that can help us age and look better?
The mechanism is the antioxidants in red wine. Antioxidants sop up damaging free radicals that play a role in aging and age-related diseases. There is a much higher concentration of antioxidants, including resveratrol in wine compared to grape juice. In wine, the skin and seeds are part of the fermenting process, but both are removed when making grape juice.


Stress may have something to do with it, too. It is difficult to sort out how much of the benefits are from the chemical properties of wine vs. the types of behaviors that wine drinkers tend to have such as less stress in their lives. Wine is part of the Mediterranean diet, which is also rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, seafood, yogurt, and olive oil. This diet is more of a lifestyle that includes drinking wine with dinner. Studies show that the Mediterranean diet is associated with longer, healthier lives.


(Read more here)

A Taste of Fashion

A Benefit for the Montgomery AIDS Outreach

All portions of proceeds will be donated to MAO

All donations are tax-deductible

Free Admission

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Yes I'm still on the hunt for Sauternes but I will have it hands this weekend. I promise, but since I haven't hunted it down yet, I decided to open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc by Nobilo, which I almost drunk the entire bottle alone.(smile)

I first taste this wine at a wine tasting and instantly feel in love with it! I was told by a friend who accompanied me to the tasting that, "There's a wine at that table that taste like grapefruit!" (eyebrows raise) So, of course I had to make my way over to find out about this wine. Now, I tell you I was shocked when I found out it was a Sauvignon Blanc because before I was not a fan. With one taste of Nobilo's I was sold! It definitely had a nice hint of grapefruit in it and not only was I sold but so was the bottle. Here's more about Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from Marlborough, New Zealand:

Pale yellow with brilliant clarity. Very evident aromas of pineapple, passion fruit and melon. Fresh, crisp and clean with zesty flavors of ripe tropical fruits and zingy acidity. A beautifully balanced wine with great presence and mouthfeel.

FOOD MATCH. Enjoyable on its own as an aperitif, or pairs well with any lighter seafood dish, lemon herb chicken, or summer salads.

critical acclaim:
"Vibrant and mouthwatering, with a laser beam of lemon, lime, grapefruit and apricot flavors. Hints of fresh herbs and flowers add to the complexity."

89 Points
Wine Spectator

I would also like to add that the bottle was only $9.99. Great price for a great tasting wine. This is a great summer wine and it gets two wine glasses (or 3, LOL) from me!

Happy Wine Drinking!

Sweet Sauternes

Lately (via Twitter) I've seen a lot of talk about Sauternes pronounced {soh-tern}. Now I've never taste this wine before nor had I even heard of it. Since it seems to be so popular I had to look it up and find out what all the rave is about. Here's what I found out...


Sauternes an elegant sweet wine from the Sauternes region of western France. It's made from SAUVIGNON BLANC or SEMILLON grapes that have been infected by a beneficial mold called BOTRYTIS CINEREA, which causes the grapes to shrivel, leaving a sugary fruit with concentrated flavors. The best Sauternes come from vines that have been hand-picked (as many as 12 separate times) to ensure that the grapes are not removed from the vines before reaching the perfect degree of ripeness required for these wines. Sauternes are most notable as DESSERT WINES but, because of their high acidity, they also make excellent partners for rich dishes like PÂTÉ, CAVIAR and FOIE GRAS. "Sauterne" without the ending "s" usually refers to an inexpensive semisweet California wine.

Flavors in Sauternes range from apricot, peach, pineapple, and vanilla.The wines are smooth and creamy (Mmmmm...that sounds so good! I love the color of the wine as well)

Desserts pair well with Sauternes but because of it's complexity it goes well with a variety of food.Here are some ideas for pairings with Sauternes
http://www.hellovino.com/food/wine/pairing/sauternes


So it is safe to say that will be on the hunt for this wine this week. I will definitely tell you all if it's all the rave, which I'm sure that it is. (smile)

To find out more on Sauternes go to: http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry/?id=4430

Music & Fireworks in the Vineyards -Morgan Creek Winery

Morgan Creek Winery will be hosting a series of Music & Fireworks in the Vineyards this summer.

Dates are June 18, July 2, & August 13

6pm-10pm

Admission is $10

Bring a picnic or purchase food on site.

All of this along with winery tours and wine tastings!

For more information check out the Wine Events tab and for more information on Morgan Creek Winery check out the Alabama Wineries and Vineyards tab.

Corks in the Courtyard-June 2nd

Corks in the Courtyard is back this year!

Come out to the A&P Lofts in Old Cloverdale to sip and stroll through the shops at the A&P with wine tastings, door prizes and live music by Henry Pugh from 5:30-7:30Pm

Admission is $5.

For more information call 334.356.4598 or visit www.rsvp-montgomery.com

Serving Wine: Temperature

Article courtesy of Publix Wine Guide

Serving your wine at the right temperature can make all the difference between a so-so sip and a "wow" of a wine. While over-chilling wines can mask their flavors and aromas, serving them too warm can make them taste flabby and dull. For the most enjoyment, serve wines at the following temperatures:

Champagnes/Sparkling Wines-45°F
Lighter whites (such as Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling) - 45°F to 55°F
Full-bodied whites (such as Chardonnay)-55°F to 60°F
Lighter reds (such as Beaujolais and Pinot Noir)-55°F to 60°F
Full Bodied Reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel and Merlot 62°F to 67°F


To get your wines to these temperatures, chill reds about 45 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator before serving; two hours should suffice for the whites. Don't worry if your wines are colder than the above temperatures when you first take them out of the refrigerator—the warmth from a room full of friends will quickly take the chill out of any glass, and soon your wine will taste just right.

For more wine tips from Publix Wine Guide go to www.publix.com/clubs/wine/wine101/Home.do

Art & Soul at Pure Artistry Cafe'

Hosted by Kalonji Gilchrist

Friday, May 27th @ 8pm

Art & Soul is an event dedicated to the visual arts. Come out and invigorate your senses with paintings, photos and sculptures by local and regional artists, while enjoying smooth jazz and light appetizers.

This event includes door prizes and a silent auction. You will also have the opportunity to mingle and connect with the artists as they express the inspiration for their pieces.

This event is presented by Pure Artistry Cafe' located in Montgomery, AL.

Make sure to check out the Laugh Lounge at Pure Artistry Cafe' this Saturday, May 21st!

To find out more information on Pure Artistry Cafe', tickets and events go to http://www.palitcafe.com/

Good Food, Good Wine, Good God Let's Eat!

Eat, Drink and be Merry is exactly what I and group of friends did last month!

We attended a Five Course Wine Dinner benefitting the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance on Monday, April 25 at Carrabba's. The food was declicious and the company of friends was a plus. This wine dinner is held every year to help find a cure for this disease. The wine dinner was $35 which is a steal compared to most wine dinners that range from $45-$80. So of course I had to jump on this! The wine pairings were perfect with the food and I was stuffed and feeling the wine at the end of the night. I didn't even taste the last red wine because I had approached my limit. LOL



Below is the menu of our wine dinner. My favorite dish Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. It was so tender and seasoned so well it taste like steak! My favorite wine of the night was the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay.

Antipasti
Spinach Fonduta
An oven-baked blend of spinach with Fontina and Gruyere cheeses, served with grilled bruschette bread
Wine Paring: Kendall Jackson Chardonnay

Insalate
Italian Salad
Wine Paring: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc

Pasta
Penne Franco
Mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and black olives, in garlic and oil with ricotta salata cheese
Wine Pairing: Ravenswood Zinfandel

Carne
Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Wood grilled to perfection and topped with an apple and fig infused port wine sauce Wine Pairing: Pian Di Nova, Super Tuscan

Dolci
Creme Brulee
A rich custard dessert topped with a layer of caramelized sugar


Unfortunately, we didn't get the Creme Brulee but overall we were all very pleased with the dinner.I meant to take pictures of each dish but I was so hungry and the food looked so good that I forgot to. At the end of dinner we were each given nice wooden Carrabba's cutting boards. The dinner was everything I expected it to be and I look forward to my next one!

If you would like to attend a wine dinner at Carrabba's or get specials and deals on meals sign up for Carrabba's Amici Club at www.carrabbas.com/amici-club/

For more information on Friedreich's Ataxia go to http://www.curefa.org/.

Giving Back One Bottle At A Time with ONEHOPE WINE

I recently came across this wonderful brand of wines from a friend who suggested I follow them on Twitter. When I found out what the wine distributors are doing with the profits from the sell of their wine, I had to share it. With each bottle of wine that is sold half of the profits are donated to charity.

ONEHOPE has donated over half of $400,000 to there partneted charities. Matt of ONEHOPE informed me that they are now distributing in the Southeast.

Check out ONEHOPE at http://www.onehopewine.com/.

May is National Wine Month!

I can't explain how excited I am about National Wine Month! I have thought of several ways to celebrate this wonderful month. One way I plan to celebrate is to visit one of the 14 wineries here in our great state of Alabama. I also plan to attend wine tastings at some of the other wine shops in our area. I've becomed a fan of PepperTree Steaks N' Wines but I will be attending a tasting this Friday at Ted the Wine Guy. (Oh yeah its free you'd like to attend as well)So here's some info on National Wine Month. Now mind you this is celebrated in the UK but who says we can't celebrate it in the USA?

National Wine Month takes place in May 2011 - the start of the summer period - when wine consumers are likely to be trying new wines

MAKE TIME FOR WINE is the umbrella campaign designed to:

• Increase awareness of the wide variety of wines available
• Give reasons for people to experiment and try different wines
• Encourage people to discover more about wine
• Engage different groups of consumers

To find out more about National Wine Month go to www.nationalwinemonth.org

So how do you plan to celebrate National Wine Month?

Celebrate Earth Day with Wine!

Earth Day is April 22nd and what better way to celebrate than with organic wines! Now I'm sure many of us think, "Organic wine? Isn't it already organic with it being made from grapes?" That is true, however many vineyards do not follow the principles of organic farming which excludes fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Read more here on Organic Wines

So come out to PepperTree Steaks N' Wines Thursday, April 21st, 5:30pm and get your green on! They'll taste six wines that are considered green! Not wines that are green in color; these wines are produced using sustainable and organic methods. Many of these wines were made from grapes that were raised without chemicals in the soil or pesticides.

Malbec World Day is April 17th!

If you've never tried Malbec here's a good reason to!

Malbec, Argentina’s flagship varietal, now has its own world day, as Wines of Argentina has decided to establish April 17th as Malbec World Day, a celebration that will be a must within the wine agenda worldwide.

Malbec has been acclaimed by European palates – especially the English and French – who have indulged in this variety since the times of the Roman Empire until modern times. Centuries later, this variety found in Argentina the ideal environment to reach unprecedented levels of quality and produce unique wines of international renown. Today Argentina is the largest producer of Malbec in the world. Malbec has become the national star and is grown all over the country’s wine regions. That is why Wines of Argentina decided to pay this tribute to this emblematic variety.

Here are some things to know about Malbec:

Flavor
Malbec is typically a medium to full-bodied red wine. Ripe fruit flavors of plums and blackberry give it a jammy characteristic. The tannins are typically a bit tight and the earthy, wood-like appeal makes for a fairly rustic, yet versatile wine.

Food Pairings
Definitely a red meat wine that is adaptable enough to stand up to spicy Mexican, Cajun, Indian or Italian fare (especially with tomato-based sauces). Consider giving Malbec a go with barbecue, chili and sausage.

I've been wanting to try Malbec for a while now and I think I'll have a bottle April 17th. Will you?

Happy Wine Drinking!

To find out more on Malbec World Day and about Malbec wine go to:

www.winesofargentina.org/fr/nouvelles/ver/2010/10/04/el-malbec-tiene-su-propio-dia-mundial/

www.wine.about.com/od/vineyardvocab/g/Malbec.htm

New Winery Opening in Jemison, AL!

This Spring a new winery, Hidden Meadow Vineyard and Winery, will be opening in Jemison, AL!

Make sure to check out the Alabama Wineries tab for newly added vineryards and wineries in Alabama:

Fruithurst Winery (Fruithurst, AL)
Bryant Vineyard (Talledaga, AL)
Hodges Vineyard (Camp Hill, AL)
Wenker's Vineyard (Albertville, AL)

Bryant Vineyard

Tuscaloosa Wine and Food Festival

Saturday, April 30th , 2011
1:00pm-6:30pm
Government Plaza
Downtown Tuscaloosa

Come stroll through the Government Plaza, listen to laid back music and enjoy good times with friends. All while sampling some of the newest and best food, wine and beer Tuscaloosa has to offer.


Food, Wine & Beer Tastings provided by the following participating restaurants and wine/beer suppliers:

Brickhouse
Carmelo Cafe
Chloe's Cup
Chuck's Fish
Cypress Inn
FIG
FIVE
Grassroots Wine
Moe's BBQ
Pinnacle Imports
Taziki's Mediterranean Grill
The Source Distributing
And MORE!!!

A percentage of the proceeds will help to benefit the following wonderful organizations:T-Town Paws and The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Ticket Pricing:
$30.00 pre-sale price
$35.00 at the gate

This is a 21 and up event. ID will be checked upon entry.


For more information go to www.tuscaloosawineandfoodfestival.com

Warm Weather Wine-Cavit Pinot Grigio

Spring has sprung and it's time to bring out the white wines! One white wine that I would suggest is Cavit's Pinot Grigio. I decided to try it after I saw Snooth.com mention the brand on Facebook. That same day while browsing the wine aisle in Wal-mart, I saw the Pino Grigio and quickly snatched it up. A few days passed before I opened the bottle on a laid back Sunday afternoon with my family and some friends. The first thing I noticed when I tasted it was how crisp it was! It's a little dry but not too dry.

Here are some things you should know about Cavit's Pinot Grigio:

-The bottle cost about $7.97 at Wal-mart (Great price!)
-Imported from Italy
-It has fruity and floral scents
-Nice gold color
-It goes great with almost any food:chicken, veal, pasta dishes or fresh seafood.
-Make sure it's well chilled

It's a very nice wine to mellow out with and you'll definitely enjoy it with your dinner or a nice appetizer. I would definitely suggest it for a gathering with friends.


Happy Wine Drinking!

There is a Right Way to Hold a Wine Glass

Wine is served in stemware because the temperature at which wine is served can have a profound impact on the tastes and the enjoyment it yields. Wine glasses should always be held by the stem of the glass rather than the bowl since the heat of your hand will quickly warm the liquid.

Warming a wine above its desired serving temperature will yield unwanted and unpleasant characteristics. The alcohol in wine will give a sharpness or 'bite' to the taste if the wine is served above 74 F. degrees.
Enough said. Just hold the glass by the stem unless the wine is served at too cool a temperature and you need to warm it for a minute or two.

To find out more go to www.cellarnotes.com

5th Annual Spring Wine Release at Ozan Vineyard

The date is set for Ozan Vineyard and Winery's 5th Annual Wine Release!

Join them on April 22-23rd for a Chilton County Peach wine from tree ripe white peaches, plus their 2010 Vino Rose' will be featured along with seasonal hors d'Oeuvres as they mark the beginning of spring at the vineyard.

For more information go to www.ozanwine.com

Happy St. Patty's Day!!-Green Wine Spritzer Recipe

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a Green Wine Spritzer!

Ingredients
green food coloring
1 chilled 750ml bottle of dry white wine
1 liter chilled plain or lime-flavored seltzer

Preparation
Place 1 drop of green food coloring into each of 8 wine glasses (or 8 drops in a large pitcher).

Divide 1 chilled 750ml bottle of dry white wine among glasses, or pour into pitcher.

Top with 1 liter chilled plain or lime-flavored seltzer; stir lightly. Serve promptly. Serves 8.

For more recipes go to fine.myrecipes.com

Wine Humor Tuesday

Men are like a fine wine.

They start out as grapes.

It's our job to stomp them, and then keep them in the dark until they mature.

And hopefully they'll turn out to be something we would like to have dinner with.

The Preserve Jazz Festival

Sunday, June 5th, Hoover, AL at Regions Park

Featuring Boney James with Earl Klugh, Eric Essix with special guest Eric Darius and Roman Street. Tickets are on sale now for $35!

For more information go to www.preservejazz.com

Check out the Neo Jazz Collective Birmingham's premiere young jazz ensemble perform at The Preserve Jazz Festival 2010!

The Cork Is Stuck!

So you're hanging with your friends and one of them pulls out a bootle of Moscato D' Asti. You all have grabbed your glasses and are so ready to get that first sip and what happens? THE CORK IS STUCK!!!!!! Ahhhhh!!! Well this actually happened to me last week. I screwed the corkscrew through the cork and pulled until my arm began to hurt! The cork would not budge! So what did we do? Nothing! We were afraid to keep trying to use the corkscrew because the cork was crumbling. A brand new bottle of wine wasted right? Not really.

Here's a method to the MADNESS of a stuck cork:

Push the cork into the bottle. If pieces of the cork get into the wine, use a mesh strainer to catch pieces of the cork as you pour the wine. You can opt to pour the wine into a decanter. This method is probably your best option.

If you ever run across this dilemma, (and trust me for wine lovers this is a dilemma)this method will be sure to work.

And if you want to save the wine bottle, check out this video of how to remove a cork from a wine bottle.

Happy Wine Drinking!

April 30th: Grape Expectations Art & Wine Festival

Grape Expectations Wine and Art Festival

April 30th, Saturday

12-4 P.M. At The Waters in Pike Road, AL


The Waters and RSVP Montgomery present Grape Expectations Wine and Art Festival. Come sample over 50 wines, enjoy live music by Henry Pugh and view art displayed by several local artists.

Donations accepted.

$15 to participate in wine tasting and receive commemorative wine glass. All proceeds and donations benefit the March of Dimes.

Tickets available at Peppertree Steaks N’ Wines, RSVP Montgomery, or The Waters Realty Office.

For more information go www.thewatersal.com or call 334-356-4598

Wine Humor Tuesday: Water vs. Wine

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine, and to those who don't, and are always seen with a bottle of water in their hand.

As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom,
In beer there is freedom,
In water there is bacteria.

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. Coli) - bacteria
found in feces.

In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we DO NOT run that risk when drinking wine and beer (or vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor), because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and / or fermenting.

Remember:
Water = Poop,
Wine = Health.

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of ...you know the rest!

Village Kitchen Hosts "A Taste of France" Wine Dinner

Hot off the Press!

Village Kitchen hosts "A Taste of France" Tuesday, March 1st, featuring wines from the famous importer Kermit Lynch and will be hosted by David Holt of International Wines.

Come enjoy a 4-course Tasting Dinner from Chef Calvin paired with the fantastic wine options.

$40 per person - Limited to 16 People.

For reservations call 356-3814 or email info@eatvillagekitchen.com today!

For more information on Village Kitchen go to www.eatvillagekitchen.com

February 18th is National Drink Wine Day!

Which wines do you prefer? Reds, Wines or Bubbles?


For more food holidays go to www.foodimentary.com/wine/

What Wine Do You Drink to Relax?

Heard It Through the Grapevine asked Facebook fans:


Adrienne says "I enjoy classic White Zinfandel by Southern Home. It is simple and always hits the spot. Then I hit my bed."

Kim says "Rose' all day!"

Amy says "I LOVE Reisling- the regular one and Relax. Yum! Have to be near my bed though because it wine makes me sleeepy."


What about you?

Shelby Blanc Wine of Ozan Vineyards

I hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day and dinner as much I did. I would assume that you had a nice bottle of wine to go along with dinner. Wine always seems to add a bit of romance to dinner don't you think? Well, last night my family and I enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's Day T-Bone steak dinner with baked potatoes and tossed salad. My mom suggested that I stop by the store on my way home and grab a bottle of wine. I then reminded her that I had one bottle of wine left (I know, tsk, tsk, I'm low on my stash of wine), which happened to be a bottle of Shelby Blanc 2007 that I purchased on my first visit to Ozan Winery on my birthday of last year. Of course, I wanted to save it for a special occassion, and what other occassion could be best than for Valentine's Day dinner with my family?! Needless to say, I was running late for dinner and when I arrived home, most of the bottle was gone. But they did save me one glass, which is what everyone else got as well. Can you say MMMMMMM? This wine is absolutely delicious! And we couldn't help but emphasis the muscadine taste of this wine. It tasted absolutely wonderful with our meal and was smooth going down. My family raved about it and now I've planned to make a visit to Ozan very soon to purchase another bottle. On second thought, maybe I'll buy it by the case this time since my family enjoyed it so much.(smile) Also, if I remember correctly, the bottle was $11.99 or $12.99. You can't beat that price and trust me it's worth every drop. So if you're traveling to North Alabama anytime soon, you may want to stop by Ozan Winery in Calera and pick up a bottle of Shelby Blanc. It has such a different taste and you'll be sure to add it as a new wine favorite.

To find out more about Ozan Vineyards and wines go to www.ozanwine.com

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting with Pinnacle Imports

Valentine's Day Wine Tasting with Pinnacle Imports at PepperTree Steaks N' Wines

Thursday, February 10th

5:30 until 7:00

Featured Wines:

Frisk (Australia)
“Frisky Prickly Riesling”

Tercos Torrontes (Argentina)
“Stubborn”

Husch Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (California)
“Shhhhhh”

Altovinum Evodia Garnacha (Spain)
“Sexy…” IWC
Greek for “Aroma”

D’renberg “Love Grass” Shiraz (Australia)

Tikal Amorio Malbec (Argentina)
“Love Affair”

PepperTree Steaks N' Wines
Your Neighborhood Market
8101 A Vaughn Rd.
Montgomery, AL. 36116
ph (334) 271-6328
fax (334) 271-6390

All Aboard the Ozan Vineyard Train!

Join Ozan Vineyard on Saturday afternoons for the South’s wine and train excursion. This 3 hour event includes a Souvenir Wine Tasting, Gourmet Box Lunch, and Heart of Dixie Railroad train excursion.

For more information and to make reservations go to http://www.ozanvineyardtrain.com/index.htm

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Check out these Valentine's Day Gift Ideas from Wills Creeks Vineyards!

If you're looking for a special gift for your favorite Valentine, here are some ideas to get your (grape) juices flowing. Maybe one will do the trick, or perhaps a combination of these will have your sweetheart singing your praises for months to come (wink!).

The gift of wine. A simple way to give wine as a gift is to pick a theme, such as sweet wines (for your sweetheart) or red wines (red representing love), or wines that pair best with your Valentine's favorite meal and dessert. HINT: The Wills Creek Vineyards Cupid's Nectar and White Chocolate Port dessert wines are a delicious pair. Put them in a pretty burlap wine tote and voila, instant gift!

Wine accessories mix it up. Every wine lover will always appreciate those extra little accessories that make sharing a bottle of wine more enjoyable. Think bottle savers, decanters, aerators, wine-themed T-shirts and hats, napkins, coasters, wine glass charms, serving platters and trays, even some new wine glasses. We have lots of accessories to choose from in the Wills Creek Vineyards tasting room, and we are happy to help you arrange them in a unique basket of your choosing.

Wine country overnight get-away. Wills Creek Vineyards is situated in beautiful countryside away from the hustle and bustle. Get an early start on your Valentine's Day weekend with a Saturday visit to the vineyard and tasting room, and an overnight stay at one of the nearby hotels or B&Bs. What could be more romantic?

Tour Alabama wineries. For adventurous wine lovers, take your Valentine out along the Alabama wine trail on Saturday. Pick up some favorites along the way to enjoy with your Valentine's Day dinner.

Elegant wine gift baskets. For a unique and memorable gift, select a pre-made gift basket, or customize one with any of the the other ideas on this list. We have gift baskets at all price levels.

Personalized passion. Let your sweetheart know your most heartfelt wishes by printing them on your own custom wine label. Choose from a variety of label designs on our website and label your favorite wine from our selections available for customization. $4 setup + $0.25 per label.Allow 24 hours for them to be ready for pick up.

Gift certificates keep on giving. If you're not sure what your wine-loving Valentine would like most, gift certificates are a simple and fun way to let him or her pick out her favorite treat.

For more on Wills Creeks Vineyards click here