Gift Giving for the Discerning Wino-The Decanter

So when it comes to giving a gift for the wino who probably has everything, what do you do?  It would never fail by giving a wonderful bottle of their favorite wine or maybe one of YOUR favorite wines.  But once that bottle has been enjoyed (as I'm sure it will be), you just have an empty bottle.  Now you could use the cork for some future decorating project ( Beth made a cool lazy susan) or put a candle wick in it for ambient lighting (Mary Jo made several of these from special bottles) or for the not so crafty person that I am, you have to come up with something else.

As for some favorite "toys" for the wino, one that is very useful and can be used over and over, is the decanter.  I do have to admit I have a couple of decanters that get plenty of use. So why a decanter?  What is the purpose of a decanter?





Well, for starters there are a couple of reasons one chooses to decant a wine.  One is for aeration.  This is mainly for full-bodied red wines whose aroma, flavor, and complexity can improve with aeration.  We have noticed that during some of our wine classes the wines change after the first tasting, then pairing with some foods and later tasting again once the bottle has been open for a while.  This decanter just helps speed up the process.  We've also noticed it can enhance the flavor of an inexpensive wine.  These don't have to be fancy but best to use either glass or crystal because they won't alter the wine's taste.  Also, make sure they are large enough to hold an entire bottle of wine and still have plenty of room. There should be plenty of surface area exposed to air.

Another reason for decanting is for removal of sediment.  Again, for full-bodied reds since, as they age, they can develop a deposit that settles to the bottom of the bottle.  The decanter helps to separate the clear wine from the sediment, because no one enjoys that unpleasant taste.

Now let's explore which wines should be decanted.  According to Andrea Immer Robinson, the Rule of Thumb: Older red wines (typically ten years and older, but visually inspect bottles with three or more years of age to be sure) may have sediment, and are thus candidates for decanting.  All vintage Port has sediment, and should be decanted--the older the wine, the thicker the sediment.  Young, very full-bodied red wines can benefit from decanting for aeration. 

Speaking of aeration, if you don't wish to enjoy the entire bottle at the time, using an aerator for pouring a glass at a time is the perfect solution.  My pick of choice is the Vinturi.  Just hold it over your glass, pour and instant aeration!  It's fun to try a little wine without the aerator and then after and taste the difference.  It's amazing how the wine really opens up.

 





Now if you are like me and really love pretty toys, I picked up a beautiful wine funnel from JordanWinery in California on our last trip.  It's not only functional but pretty to use.

 

So if you are looking for a fun gift or just want to enhance a wonderful bottle of wine, try a decanter!

Cheers!

Lisa



Our New Look

Beth, Mary Jo, and Lisa overlooking Russian River Valley

How fast time flies. It seems like only last week, Lisa, Mary Jo and myself set out on our blog writing adventure, but more than a year has passed by since that first posting. In addition to expanding our knowledge of wines, writing this blog has opened up some wonderful opportunities for us to share our passion for wine with others. From Grilling in the Garden to helping with a wine tasting at the annual Karla Smith Foundation auction, to our most recent class on how to host a blind wine tasting party at Fezziwig’s Marketplace, we have thoroughly enjoyed each new adventure. So after reflecting on the direction of our blog, over a nice Pinot Grigio and pizza at Peel Wood Fired Pizza, we decided it was time for a bit of updating. No major changes, just a few tweaks we think will allow us to get information to you in a better format. Here are the changes you will see:

• We have added a new page that we are excited about sharing. It gives us an opportunity to review wines we have tried and want to recommend to you! Check out the page, “What’s In Your Glass Tonight”, for a new wine review each week. It will include a description, review, and suggestions for pairings. Wines that we have recommended in the past are now listed on the page, “Wines We Found Devine”.
• Each week you will continue to see our regular blog on wine related topics. Notes from Wine School will continue to be posted as well.
• As part of our wine education, look for ‘Wine Word of the Week” on our Facebook posting. Just a quick post with words related to wine to broaden your wine vocabulary.
• Last but not least, time does continue to tick away, and though we don’t feel (or look) any older, we thought it time to update our biographies too. Check out what is new with us, one of us has a new addition soon to arrive!!

For me the best part of this blog experience has been meeting new people who enjoy wine and food while challenging myself in my knowledge of wine. Of course the very best part is spending time with two wonderful ladies who make my life better each and every day!
Cheers,
Beth   

Wine School-Blind Tasting, July 30, 2013

THEME:  BLIND TASTING OF RED BLENDS

I chose red blends with a cabernet sauvignon base for my class.  My thought was that if one of the wines was a straight-up cab, and the other two blends, we may be able to discern some other flavors that would help us identify different varietals in the future.  I also wanted the class to be a blind class, first, since we had just hosted the class about blind tastings at Fezziwig's Marketplace and, second, to see if any of us could differentiate the cab from the blends.  It was not as easy at it appeared for Lisa and me.  Beth, however, took top honors by correctly guessing all three wines.

THE WINES:
Primus The Blend 2009

• Color:  Deep purple with hint of brown revealed when swirled.
• Nose:  Earthy nose with green pepper, a hint of smoke, and pepper and cassis.
• Mouth:  Red fruit up front with a hint of spice and tartness. Nice finish with medium tannins.
• Price:  $19.99 
• Conclusion:  This wine had a wonderful, smooth feel on the mouth with overwhelming green pepper on the nose. A nice wine to open up and enjoy a glass in the evening.  

H 3 - Horse Heaven Hills 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

• Color:  Deep purple with a touch of brick red.
• Nose:  Nice fruitiness with red and black fruit coming through with a nice bit of oak.
• Mouth:  Bigger tannins, but balanced with a hint of chocolate.
• Price:  $13.99 
• Conclusion:  Food really elevated this wine, but we also enjoyed it on its own. The steak especially gave a richness to the wine. An excellent value wine for your next steak dinner.

Ghost Pines Winemaker’s 2011 Red Blend

• Color:  Inky, brilliant purple
• Nose:  Musty, dark fruit
• Mouth:  Big tannins with the most spice of the three wines. Wonderful, long finish with hints of pepper.
• Price:  $19.99
• Conclusion:  This was the biggest of the wines this evening. Notes of pepper and spice on the finish with be tannins that stood up to the asiago cheese and steak. Like the first two wines we would recommend giving it a try.

THE PAIRINGS:
Cheeses

• Vermont Cheddar:  Nice pairing, we liked it best with with H 3 Cabernet. Very nice with the Primus also, not our favorite with  Ghost Pines.
• Gouda:   Very nice with H 3, our favorite. Really accentuated the fruitiness in Ghost Pines, almost too much. The fruit in Primus really popped initially with this cheese, but it flattened out the finish-too creamy.
• Garlic and Herb Cheddar:  First of all, we all loved this cheese-yum, yum!! A nice match with the Primus that got better with each bite, but the cheese out shone the wine. An excellent match with the H 3, it really accentuated the finish and the herbs in the cheese shined with this match. The wine and cheese definitely complimented each other-this was our favorite match. With the Ghost Pines the wine overshadowed the cheese, but it was not a bad pairing, just not as perfect as the H 3.

Entrees

• Tortellini with Asiago Cheese:  We loved this with Ghost Pines. This blend stood up very well to the asiago cheese, definitely our favorite of the three wines with the pasta. It also really enriched the  H 3 Cabernet, deepening the flavors of the wine. The pairing with the Primus was our least favorite, but as Mary Jo said, it gets improved after after a few bites.
• Grilled Steak:  All paired very well with the steak and it was quite difficult for us to pick our favorite. When push came to shove we decided the H 3 was our favorite with the steak, it brought out some wonderful fruit in the wine. Our close second was the Ghost Pines. An excellent pairing, really bringing out a richness in the wine that wasn’t their on its own. We also enjoyed the Primus-finish on the wine really excellent when paired with the steak. All three of these wines would be great for your next steak dinner!!

Chocolate

• Sea Salt Soiree:  We all agreed that H 3 cab was great with this chocolate, the Primus came in at a close second. Not a favorite of ours with the Ghost Pines. Of course the chocolate is delicious!

Conclusion:
Beth:  What a fun class! It was a great challenge putting our knowledge to the test trying to discern the slight differences in these red blends. All three wines were great and I would definitely purchase again in the future. Overall I like the Primus the best as a sipper alone, although it paired well with many of the food selections as well. I would have to say the overall winner for pairing was the H 3 Cabernet. It was wonderful with almost everything and what a value. It really showed how food and wine can bring out the best in each other. Thanks Mary Jo for a fun evening!
Lisa:  Blind tastings are really fun and not that easy! I enjoyed trying to figure out what was the main grape of each since they were all blends and blends are what I am really IN to these days.  I have had the H3 before so when it was revealed I was happy to see that it was the best value. It seemed to be the best overall pairing wine with most of the food but then who can go wrong with steak(thanks Chris)!  Again, what a fun evening and I'm ready for more blind tastings :)!
Mary Jo: This class went really well.  Even though I was incorrect on two of the three wines, it was really interesting to try to differentiate between the three wines.  The Primus, with its overwhelming scent of green peppers was absolutely delicious and paired well with the food.  It was definitely a wine that could be enjoyed with or without food, but definitely one I would recommend opening if you want to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening.  The H3 won out with regard to food pairing.  It was voted first with almost every dish.  It had a fruity nose and heavier tannins than the Primus.  Finally, the Ghost Pines fell in the middle.  It had more spice than the other two wines and the heaviest tannins.  It had a nice, long finish with pepper on the finish.  It really stood up to the asiago cheese.  I want to thank my darling Chris for grilling our steaks!  They were perfect!

How To Host a Blind Wine Tasting!

What could be better than a wine party?  How about a wine party teaching you how to throw a wine party!  The Stay At Home Winos were most fortunate to be asked to host just such a party!

Last Thursday, the Winos hosted "How To Host A Blind Wine Tasting" at Fezziwigs's Marketplace in Lebanon, Illinois.  First, a little back ground on Fezziwig's!(http://www.fezziwigsmarket.com/index.html)

Fezziwig's opened their unique shop in historic Lebanon, Illinois in 2007.  Ellen Leaf-Moore and her husband Tim Moore, both with extensive retail management experience, decided the shopping district in Lebanon would be the perfect backdrop for a wine and gourmet food business.  They didn't stop there, later adding home decor, entertaining essentials, gourmet olive oils and an enormous list of loose leaf teas.  My Husband and I started visiting (with and without our children) soon after Fezziwig's opened their doors.  In some ways for the Stay At Home Winos, Fezziwig's was the beginning of our journey.  Both Lisa and Beth have worked, and still occasionally work, at Fezziwig's and the three of us have spent a lot of time (and money) in this great shop.

One of the specialties at Fezziwig's, other than wine, is loose leaf teas.  Ellen Leaf-Moore is a Level IV Certified Educator Specialist with the New York-based Specialty Tea Institute.  Fezziwig's "Wall of Tea" contains over 100 different types of loose leaf teas!  Teas can be purchased in-store or on line! In addition, Ellen teaches classes, such as "Blending Your Own Botanical Tea", which will be held on Tuesday, August 13.

Finally, this wonderful store offers home decorating and entertaining items, as well as classes on cooking, decorating and entertaining.  But my personal favorite is Fezziwig's delicious wine!  They carry an assortment of varietals that are unique and delicious!  To this day, some of my favorite wines are those I have purchased or enjoyed at Fezziwig's!  Further, the atmosphere of this lovely gem has contributed greatly to some wonderful memories I have made with my family and friends!

But, back to the wine class!  The main focus of this class was to teach participants how to host their own blind tasting at home.  The Stay At Home Winos gave an overview of how the evening would go, and we got started!

The first step in hosting a blind wine tasting, is to decide on a theme.  For the class, we chose three red wines and three white wines - all different varietals.  We gave participants a sheet that outlined the characteristics of five red varietals and five white varietals, letting them know that the three wines of each type were listed among the five.

In their own wine tastings, participants would also need a group of wine drinking friends, wine (covered - of course!) and finger food.  We had three types of cheese, crackers, cashews and bread sticks to go with our wines this evening.  Of course, chocolate covered grapes were offered at the end, as well!  Other staples of a blind tasting include water, white background with which to judge the color of the wine, paper and pens, a dump bucket (if you do that sort of thing), a scoring sheet and a small prize for the winner.

For our class, we started with whites.  We gave participants helpful hints on how to hold their glasses (by the stems), how and why to swirl (my specialty!), how to properly enjoy the nose and how to taste. Participants were asked if they smelled any particular aromas and what they tasted.  They were also asked if anyone had an idea which wine was which varietal.  After all the score sheets for the whites were handed in, we found we had one participant who had guessed all three varietals correctly!  She received a bottle of wine preserver.  (Congrats, Jackie!)

After a brief intermission, and some shopping, our guests were once again seated at the table for round two - reds!  We went through the same analysis of our three reds, as we had done for our whites.  The reds proved to be infinitely more challenging to our guests.  There were many great responses about what our guests found on the nose and mouth.  In the end, however, no one matched all three...or two...but several people were able to guess one of the three.  Those guests received a bottle of delicious gourmet BBQ sauce.

Overall, the evening was a resounding success, and demonstrated that a blind tasting isn't as easy as one would think!  Our participants had great questions that sparked interesting discussions.  The Stay At Home Winos truly enjoyed hosting this class and meeting all of the participants.  Further, we enjoyed being together at a place that holds such amazing memories for the three of us.

Cheers!

Mary Jo

Wine School-Texas Cabs, July 16, 2011

Theme:  Texas Cabernet Sauvignons

Since I have lived away from Texas for the past 11 years, I decided it was time to check out the Texas Cabernets just to see how they taste.  Having more knowledge of California Cabs, I was excited to try a new locale.  I chose three from very different parts of the state- Lubbock  (northern), Fredericksburg (central hill country) and Bryan (east-central). Let's see how they add up!

The wines:

McPherson Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

• Color - Garnet
• Nose – A bit of spice, pepper and earthiness
• Mouth – A lighter bodied Cab with nicely balanced tannins, the finish ends with a bit spice, tart, red fruit apparent.
• Price – $14.69
• Conclusion – Alone this Cab was okay for a $15 bottle of wine, but when matched with the food the wine was elevated to a new level. We really enjoyed it with the lighter gouda.

Becker Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2010

• Color - Garnet
• Nose – Much bigger nose than the first wine with notes of asparagus, black olives and a deep earthiness.
• Mouth – A bit too much pepper on the mouth for us when we first tried this wine. Tannins were abundant. Once paired with the food the fruit of wine came shining through and the tannins were tamed. 
• Price  $24.99
• Conclusion – The fruit really comes forward with the food that really balanced the overpowering pepper we initially tasted. Nose on this wine was the most interesting of the night.

Messina Hof Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 2011  

• Color – Deep garnet
• Nose – Floral note comes out with the first inhalation. Also a bit of a chemical smell.
• Mouth – Tannins are as big as Texas. No mistaking that this is the youngest of the wines. It will benefit from more time in the bottle. Definitely needs to be paired with a meal at this point to round out the tannins.
• Price $19.79
• Conclusion – This wine really stood up well to the dinner! All of the big, young tannins didn’t overpower the steak, but help the fruit of the wine shine. This wine will be interesting to try later when it has had time to age.

The Pairings:

Cheeses

• Marieke Aged Gouda – This was a new gouda that we tried this evening and we all loved it. It was definitely the best cheese of the night-pairing well with all the wines. I think “delish” sums up this pairing!
• Wyngaard Chevre Gouda – Although we all enjoyed this cheese, it paired best with the Messian Hof.
• Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda – Again, one of our favorite cheeses, but was a disappointment with McPherson Cab. However, with the Becker the tarty fruit of wine was enhanced and the best match was with the Messina Hof.

The Meal

• Green salad with balsamic vinaigrette – We had to have our green leafy vegetables! Best to save the Cab for the main attraction, the steak!
• Mashed potatoes – The potatoes were delicious, but again, leave the wine for the steak, cheese and chocolate!
• Steak – What can we say-steaks and Cab-a match made in heaven. All of the wines were fantastic with the wonderful steaks Lisa’s son prepared for us. A big thank you goes out to Dylan, your dad trained you well. The McPherson was completely changed with this pairing. It took this inexpensive wine to a new level, really filling it out and elevating its body. The Becker and Messina Hof were also excellent with the steak. The fruit shined through with the Becker and tannins in the MH really met their match!

Chocolate

• Chili Infused Chocolate – This was a hit with all the wines. One of our favorite chocolates-best with the Messina Hof.
• Cabernet Matinee Intense Dark – This pairing was a mixed bag and we found it hard to all agree. Overall, we think it depends how much you love this chocolate, and Lisa does!
• Sea Salt Intense Dark – This was a disappointment, the almonds in the chocolate brought out bitterness in the wine.

Conclusion

Beth – Another night of successfully broadening my wine knowledge while enjoying the company of two great friends! I have had Cabernet from all over the world, but these Texas Cabs were a real treat. They were all enjoyable, especially with the steak, which makes it too hard to pick a favorite of the night. Although I did love how the fruit really came out in the Becker when paired with the cheese, steak, and chocolate. It was also interesting sampling from three different years, an excellent example of how the flavor profile of wine changes as it ages. Looks like I need to make a wine trip to Texas Wine Country! Thanks Lisa, it was a great class.
Lisa - Well I was pleasantly surprised to find out I DO like Texas Cabs!  I've heard they are bold and a great pairing to a big thick steak and I found out that's true.  For simply just enjoying the wine alone, these wines were not wowing me but when paired with the meat, especially the steak, they popped!  All three were very different-from the nose to how they paired with each of the cheeses and the chocolates.  I'm ready to see what else the state has to offer. Road trip!
Mary Jo - Texas reds were a first for me! It was a wonderful surprise! These were three very different and delicious cabs! They were so different, I am not sure I can choose my favorite! The Messina Hof, being the youngest of the three, was a big, tannic wine that could stand up to any of the foods served. The Becker had enormous pepper on the mouth and became more fruit forward with the food. The McPherson had wonderfully balanced tannins, a wonderful finish and we found it to be a lighter bodied cab. Thanks Lisa, for opening our eyes to a great region to explore! These wines were fantastic!

Messina Hof Winery & Resort

As you may or may not already know, I am originally from Texas.  It is true- you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the girl! -even though we have moved a couple of times and a couple of states over the past eleven years. So recently while my husband (also native Texan) and I were back visiting we thought we would locate the nearest winery.  Having visited California multiple times and Oregon, I was anxious to see how Texas wines stood up to the more well known wines.

Since we were in the Bryan/College Station (home to Texas A & M University where our daughter is attending and I am an alum) area, we found Messina Hof Winery & Resort.

What a delightful discovery!  Messina Hof is located in Bryan and was established in 1977 by Merrill & Paul Bonarrigo VI.  Messina Hof's winemaking heritage dates back more than 200 years, originating in the founder's homelands of Messina, Sicily (Paul's family) and Hof, Germany (Merrill's family), hence the name. The art of winemaking has been handed down for seven generations. 

Our timing was a little off so we were unable to take the winery tour, but since we had time to spare, we decided we needed to do a wine tasting.  They have quite an extensive offering of wines from Cabs, Zins, Merlots (to name a few dry reds) to Chardonnay's and Rose's to other semi dry reds and whites, dessert & specialty wines.  We however, concentrated on the dry reds (can't do them all in one tasting).  Our first was the Pinot Noir and then several of the various Cabs.  The owner Paul also offers a super-premium line under the Paulo label.   One of the more memorable labels was the Texas Hold 'Em Red blend which is a great everyday enjoyable wine.  We were then treated to a tasting some of the Ports, which were all amazing!

Not only do they offer tastings, as I mentioned, they also have winery tours and a Wine Bar attached to the Tasting Room & Gift Shop.  They offer tons of events, such as Happy Hours, Sunset Tours, classes and themed dinner parties.

 

If you care to extend your stay beyond tastings, they have The Vintage House Restaurant which features fresh produce from local growers. You can also dine in the Barrel Room.  If you still can't leave, they have The Villa, voted "America's Most Romantic Bed & Breakfast", which provides guests with romance, privacy and world-class elegance.  The Villa houses ten romantically unique themed and decorated rooms.  They can also arrange corporate and special events.  There are too many aspects to mention here so go to their website for more details (www.messinahof.com).

 



If you can't make it to Bryan and are closer to the Texas Hill Country, venture over to  Fredericksburg and check out their newest location.  In 2011, The Bonarrigo family established the Messina Hof Hill Country Winery.  Merrill's family originates from Hof, Germany and settled in Fredericksburg in the 1800's. This beautiful 10-acre estate includes a Wine Garten, "Manor Haus" B&B, VIP Room and Guest Center.  This place will be my next trip!

 

Can't wait to return!

 

Cheers!

Lisa

 

 



Delightful Tasting at MacPhail Winery

On our recent California wine excursion, one of my favorite stops was MacPhail Family Winery. MacPhail specializes in Pinot Noir, a favorite of mine and my husband. Having tasted and enjoyed a MacPhail Pinot at our Pigs and Pinot dinner in October(see October 29, 2012 blog entry), I was looking forward to tasting a variety of their Pinot offerings.

We arrived at the winery, completed in 2008, and were greeted by assistant wine maker William Weese. The barn like structure was built with the environment in mind, using natural sunlight and specially constructed wet land that recycles waste water from the winery. A lovely table was all set in the middle of the winery. William gave us an overview of the history of the winery as well as the philosophy of James MacPhail’s winemaking. At MacPhail they believe in small batches of hand made wine, the winery produces only about 5,000 cases a year, with minimal intervention. Grapes are sourced from cool climates of the Sonoma Coast, Mendocino, and recently added Santa Barbara and Oregon. The grapes are hand picked and hand sorted and fermented using natural yeast. As we tasted a variety of the wines MacPhail has to offer, the terrior of each distinct vineyard was definitely apparent. All agreed we had found a wonderful winery for outstanding Pinot Noir!

If you plan on visiting the Sonoma area in the future and are a lover of Pinot Noir, I definitely recommend a visit to MacPhail. Tastings are made by appointment only, but they are easily reached through their website www.macphailwine.com or by phone. The small family winery truly treats you like an old friend.
Cheers,
Beth
P.S. While chatting with assistant winemaker, William, we discovered he has his own label, Weese Family Winery www.weesefamilywinery.com that produces a Cabernet from the Rockpile AVA, another favorite AVA of mine! Check him out online or on Facebook.