Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest

Online tickets are now available for the 8th annual Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest to be held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhineback New York. The event will be held September 12th and 13th. Many New York wineries will be featured along with special wines from around the world, food, cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts and much more. Tickets are available in the following options: One day tasters pass- includes a tasting glass, all of the wines you wish to taste and admission to all areas of the event. Cost is $30, $25 in advance. One day regular admission – no wine tasting included, admission to all areas of the event, free cold non alcholic beverages and a souvenir tasting glass upon exit. Cost is $15, $10 in advance. The weekend tasters pass - includes a tasting glass, all of the wine you can taste all weekend and admission to all areas of the event. Cost is $50, $45 in advance. The weekend regular pass – includes admission to all areas of the event, free non alcholic beverages all weekend and a souvenir tasting glass upon exit. Cost is $30, $25 in advance. You can get your tickets Online at www.HudsonValleyWineFest.com Grape Events Partners LLC, PO Box 67, High Falls, NY NY 845-658-7181 Sounds like a great weekend of wine tasting along with events for everyone.

Summertime Appetizer

Not sure exactly where this recipe originated as I recently acquired it from a friend who acquired it from another, so I hope I am not stealing anyone’s top secret recipe, but it was so good I felt the need to share. It is a great summertime appetizer, or you could potentially make enough portions to consider it a meal along with a salad and maybe some brown rice to soak up the juices left from the salsa mixture.
Shrimp with Spicy Fruit Salsa
½ cup diced mango
½ cup diced papaya
½ cup diced pineapple
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ Thai chile, seeded and minced or substitute jalapenos instead
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
To prepare the salsa: combine the mango, papaya, and pineapple in a medium bowl. Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, and Thai chile in a small bowl and pour the mixture over the fruit. Toss lightly to coat the fruit.
To prepare the shrimp: season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook in a very hot sauté pan with the canola oil for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked.
Spoon some of the fruit salsa onto each plate and top with 2 shrimp.
Enjoy with your favorite white wine, my suggestion would be a good Chardonnay that can stand up to the potent mix of flavors in this dish.

Lake County Day Trip

Our plan for a day trip up to Lake County is coming together nicely with a stop at Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyards and Winery. The stop will include a tour of one of their high-altitude vineyards in a Pinzgauer, yes, I said Pinzgauer. Wikipedia describes the Pinzgauer as high mobility all terrain 4×4 or 6×6 military utility vehicles made in the U.K. and named after an Austrian breed of horse. I am looking forward to this tour. As for Six Sigma, according to their website, the ranch is about 50 minutes north of Napa with approximately 4,300 acres of property and is owned by the Ahlmann Family. Purchased by Kaj Ahlmann in 1999 with a commitment to keep the property as close to its natural state as possible. The vineyards are integrated with native vegetation making them look like a part of the natural landscape and all of the vineyards provide wildlife corridors in and around them to preserve the natural habitat and allow for the movement of the large population of local wildlife. The winery’s inaugural debut was on September 28, 2005 with the crushing of 6.4 tons of Tempranillo grapes harvested from the Christian’s Diamond Mine Vineyard. The winery was expanded in 2006 with a new crush pad and three more 1300 gallon tanks, since then more tanks have been added each year. The current releases include the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Michael’s Vineyard, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Rooster Vineyard, 2007 Rose, 2006 Pinot Noir Diamond Mine Vineyards, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Tempranillo, and a Bordeaux style blend called Cuvee Pique-Nique. We will finish the visit having a nice picnic lunch with an awesome view. Thanks to our brother-in-law for setting this one up, I know I am excited and I am sure we will come back with much more information to share on Six Sigma after our visit

Wine Country Reading

I am currently reading the book, “The Far Side of Eden”, by James Conaway. The story of new money, old land and the battle for Napa Valley is the second to the book “An American Eden” written a decade earlier by James outlining the early days of Napa Valley. I really enjoyed the first book and looked forward to this new chapter in the history of the Valley. This book tells of the start of the 90’s in the valley. It no longer was about the wine itself, it had begun to change where owning a winery was a symbol of status. As you can imagine the local folks and the “outsiders” views differed greatly. Let’s face it; you have a home grown Napa Valley winemaker living next door to an absentee winery owner. The fact that one lives in the valley and one merely visits the valley would make them different. It also would naturally change their regard for the land itself. While I am not done with the book, it is clear to see how many issues can result from the scenario above. As well as overcrowding of wineries becoming an issue, the amount of tourists, and the water supply are all key factors in the struggle. Although I don’t care much about the political views outlined in the book, I still find the history of the valley fascinating. What is more exciting to me is the fact that I have visited the valley several times and recognize many of the names and places discussed, but I am also excited by the fact that I will be back in the valley in less than a month. It is always great to read a book about Wine Country just prior to vacation, sometimes it prompts a new idea of some place you’d like to visit or a winery mentioned that you have yet to visit. It sure gets the excitement building if nothing else. A full review of the book will follow when finished. In the meantime if you have a Wine country vacation planned, or just want to gain some knowledge about where some of best wines are produced pick up one of the many books about the valley.

To purchase a copy of this book, click here:

Zinfandel

I am an avid reader of Wine Spectator and several other wine related periodicals that led me to this next article. The June 30, 2009 edition of Wine Spectator just arrived dedicated a great section to Zinfandel wines. I am a big fan of Zinfandel as a red wine lover. I must add the deep red selections of Zinfandel; not the white, pink colored sweet versions. Although in their article “The ABC’s of Zinfandel, Wine Spectator does state that “Ironically, white Zinfandel has been both a savior and a curse. Without it, many of the now cherished old vine Zinfandel Vineyards may have been ripped out, and yet in the minds of many consumers Zinfandel will always be that sweet and simple rose”. Okay, but in my mind if white Zinfandel saved many of the old vine Zinfandel vineyards around the Napa Valley area from sure destruction, it will always hold a special place in my heart. Just don’t expect that you will read about me drinking it anytime soon. In California Zinfandel happens to be one of the most widely planted wine grapes with some 50,000 acres planted as of 2008. Why? It is a vigorous producer capable of yielding 8 tons or more of fruit per acre. Most top Zinfandel makers will keep loads much smaller in the 2-3 ton an acre range to achieve better depth and intensity. There is an ongoing debate over whether the old vines make the best Zinfandel and my answer is give them due respect, after all they are our vineyard senior citizens. I read with interest the “Zinfandel For Every Taste” article with some great recipes. I just wondered why no one ever pairs Zinfandel with one of my favorites, and I know I will take a lot of heat from the “experts” on this one. Yes my favorite pairing is a great Zin and Pizza. You heard me right “Pizza” a food that has become as American as apple pie. A good Zinfandel with a nice peppery finish stands up well in my opinion to the tomato, cheese and acids of the pizza, and the wine won’t fill you up like beer. Don’t take my word for it, purchase a good selection of Zinfandel and a pizza and do your own test, I bet you will have found a new love. Check out Wine Spectator’s August edition or visit them on line at www.winespectator.com for the complete stories, and check out the Q and A article with Dave Phinney of Orin Swift Cellars, very informative. By the way as I write this I am enjoying a pizza from our favorite local shop along with a Venge Vineyards Scouts Honor, a blend of 68% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah and 17% Charbono. Ah, can life get any better?

Summers Fresh Produce with Wine

Summer is great time of year for enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season with your favorite wines. It is also a time of year that many people like to eat light. The hot weather sometimes suppresses our appetite as well as the fact that we want to look good in our swimsuits, can also help to curb what we eat. Either way, it is a great time to indulge in the local fresh vegetation available. How about slicing up a nice ripe tomato, layer it with fresh mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with salt, pepper, some fresh basil and drizzled with your favorite dressing or even balsamic vinegar? Makes a nice refreshing snack you can pair with your choice of wine. Another easy vegetable snack would be steaming asparagus until just tender, but still a bit crunchy. Serve along with your favorite ranch dressing for dipping. My personal favorite, are the fruits. A fresh juicy crisp apple goes great with a glass of wine and a few slices of cheese. A platter of fresh grapes to compliment the grapes in your glass goes a long way too. The possibilities are as endless as the variety of vegetables and fruit available in summer.

The 2009 Napa County Fair

The town of Calistoga will once again host the annual Napa County Fair. The 2009 theme is “Let the Good Times Roll”. The four day celebration kicks off Thursday July 2nd and ends Sunday July 5th. The celebration includes the fourth’s Silverado parade, the ultimate small- town 4th of July parade complete with vintage cars, motorcycles, horses, colorful dancers, live bands, and will provide an awesome display of patriotic spirit and fun. The fair is held at the Napa County Fair Grounds, and includes live stock shows, rides, fireworks, auto racing and more. Visit one of three “Old Faithful” geysers in the world shooting water 60 feet in the air while in Calistoga. The parade is free, fair prices are $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 6-12 years old. For more information call: 707-942-7333.

Napa Trip 2009

With all that is going on this year including the bad economy, I struggled to get as excited about our upcoming Napa trip as I was last year. That all changed this week as some really great appointments have come together. We confirmed an appointment with Venge Vineyards; you may remember that Venge moved over the winter to their new location in Calistoga. We happened to be the last tasting ever hosted at the old tasting room and were looking forward to visiting the new winery. They are now open to club members and special guests only and we are happy to be invited. Not to mention the fantastic wine Kirk Venge is known for. We hope to visit Shramsburg the same day; just waiting for a confirmation. Another appointment I am very happy with is for Outpost on Howell Mountain. I tried several times last year to set up a tasting appointment at Outpost, well known for some great wines, just never made the connection. This year we will get that visit to Outpost, along with another special Howell Mountain location, O’Shaughnessy which was recommended by Dan at Outpost. We recently tried a 2005 O’Shaughnessey Cabernet and were very impressed. Both of these wineries are known for excellent wine and Howell Mountain happens to be one of our favorite spots so I am really looking forward to these visits. We will try to do some in depth write ups on each winery we visit after the trip as we did last year; so be sure to come back and visit.

Paso Creek 2005 Merlot Review

I loved the movie Sideways although I never thought the bad publicity it gave Merlot was fair, so thankfully Merlot has made a well deserved and major come back. With that in mind, we are reviewing a rather tasty selection, the 2005 Paso Creek Merlot. Paso Creek Winery is all about “Stubborn Patience”, their motto for making quality wine. Bold Character derived from Stubborn Patience to be exact. A motto that makes you feel it is something worth waiting for. Paso Creek is located in Paso Robles California, an area known for bold wines such as Zinfandels and Bordeaux varietals. The 350 acre Paso Creek vineyard offers optimal growing conditions with very little rain, high summer daytime temps reaching upwards to near 100 degrees with evenings that drop nearly 60 degrees. This fluctuation in temperature gives the grapes the structure to produce outstanding wine. Paso Creek produces a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zinfandel and a Merlot. I recently picked up a bottle of Merlot for the first time and really enjoyed the intense flavor, bold, yet soft at the same time with hints of oak and vanilla. The wine is aged for no less than 18 months giving it a smooth finish. I am really becoming a big Merlot fan of late and recommend you try this very good reasonably priced wine.