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!