GO PITTSBURGH STEELERS !!!!!

Benedictine at it's finest!

I recently was invited to dinner at my friends father's home and went searching in my liquor cabinet for possibly finding a bottle of something I could take along. The only item in there without the seal cracked was this bottle of B&B. I have hung on to it for the last 8 years never opening it as it was a very large bottle and very expensive (top shelf liquor) and I did not wish to open only for me to have a glass of brandy by the fire. I had bought this bottle as a gift for the man I had been dating at the time. He had been my first love from high school, we dated for well over 2 years and had thought of marriage. But then he dumped me and we both moved on. 30 years later we reconnected and spent another year and a half in each others company....and I dumped him. (graciously of course) Any how he was the man who introduced me to the pleasures of B&B. It is refreshing and relaxing at the same time. A wonderful drink for after dinner. But I of course still prefer my red wine. B&B goes down nicely as a shot....but this is not the kind of lady I wish to be, although I have done my # of B&B shots. Drinking B&B out of a beautiful crystal brandy snifter is a classic moment and a time in my life I will always remember. Well back the the OLD bottle of B&B in my cabinet......So I decided to give this to my friend's father, hoping all the while he would appreciate it as much as I know other B&B drinkers do. It was a hit! It was the right choice. He was so joyful at receiving this, he handled the bottle as if it were a precious thing to behold. It made my heart smile and be full of joy for making someone this happy over a bottle which I had for 8 years. I know now it went to it's rightful owner. I wish him many happy moments as he savors the fruit from the vine in the bottle.
While dating Mark he educated me on how the cognac was made. I will try to remember now what he said to me and share that with you.
B&B is a French spiced liquor and fine cognac. Benedictine is a herbal liquor made by monks from as far back as 1510. It is composed of 27 herbs and spices. (B&B is great over French vanilla ice cream) In 1930 they started bottling the B&B, a mixture of Benedictine and Cognac together. The history of B&B Cognac Liqueur dates back to the early 1930's at New York City's famous "21" club. During Prohibition, a creative bartender was inspired to combine Benedictine Liqueur with French cognac brandy. The drink became such a popular call that the makers of Benedictine decided to bottle these special ingredients together. When the distinctive presence of cognac is accompanied by the subtle hints of honey, herbs and spices in Benedictine Liqueur, the flavor is a delicate marriage of the best of both worlds. Every bottle of Bénédictine has the initials D.O.M. on the label. Mistakenly thought by some to refer to "Dominican Order of Monks" it actually stands for "Deo Optimo Maximo"; "For our best, greatest God".
If your looking for a smooth, slow drink to romance your special someone for Valentine's Day I would recommend having some on hand along with some special brandy snifter's and settle down after an evening out or meal at home in front of the fireplace and snuggle & sip. But may I also recommend .....just one glass! Save the rest of the bottle for some more romantic times!
You may ask if this is a wine blog then why am I writing about cognac.....well cognac is made from grapes by double distilling the white wines and making it to harsh to be a fine wine.

SO NOW EVEN A BAD WINE CAN BE GOOD ???

I have seen it all! Your key to telling wine's future!(is what they say) Mature young wines instantly know how they will develop over the next 1 to 10 years. When dipped into wine, the patented alloy tip of the Clef du Vin (wine key) replicates the aging process, softening tannins and improving taste. Tested over 10 years by scientists and sommeliers, this wine taste enhancer has received praise throughout the world, and is endorsed by the Wine Enthusiast Magazine testing panel. Brushed steel. I really need to have a more clear understanding of this gadget. Just when I thought I had seen it all then comes along this in my searching. This amazing tool actually emulates the ageing process in your glass of wine, 1 year for every second you hold it in your wine glass. A must have for all serious wine collectors and winemakers. REALLY????? I am left speechless today.......
Cheers !

WINE & SPICE and EVERYTHING NICE !!!

Wine & spice and everything nice! That's what great wines are made of! Spicy in reference to a wine can mean anything from peppery to cinnamon. When I first started sitting in on wine tastings or even a dinner with my friend Paul several years back, I was totally clueless as to what they were talking about. All I knew was I totally enjoyed the wines he had chosen to share with us. And I learned much. I must say until a few months ago when studying more on my own and with a few close friends when drinking I have finally trained my nose to pinpoint that peppery smell everyone was talking about. Now I even taste it immediately. It is amazing how we can train our noses and palates to pick up the scents and tastes. If you would like to start training your senses might I suggest you try this. Upon opening a bottle of your wine at hand gather some spices from your pantry. I am sure you have some cooking spices on hand, perhaps not, if not then you will have to stretch your imagination a bit further and try to remember the smells of the certain spices. Line up 6 wine glasses in front of you.....no you are not going to drink 6 glasses of wine! You are going to then add a small spoonful of each spice into a different glass. Swirl, sniff & smell just as you would a glass of wine. Put into your memory bank the smell of each spice and associate it somewhat with a food you have consumed made with these. Do this exercise a few times and before you know it you will be able to pick up the aromas when given a glass of wine. Doing this with a few great friends can be great enjoyment and conversation when entertaining.
Salute'

RESVERATROL....HEART HEALTHY

SHOWN IS ONLY 1 SUPPLIER OF RESVERATROL...THERE ARE MANY OUT THERE
This blog relates to both my health blog and wine blog today so I am publishing it in both...guess it is just a lazy Sunday morning for me....

Red wine and something in it called resveratrol may be good for you. It is found in the skins of red grapes. For a long time red wine has been thought to be heart healthy if taken in moderation. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of good cholesterol and protecting against artery damage. Too much alcohol consumed can have damaging effects on your health. Still according to the Mayo Clinic doctors agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart. Researchers believe it is the flavonoids or resveratrol which is responsible for this and have heart healthy benefits for you. Antioxidants aren't the only benefiting factor in red wine for your body. It is also the alcohol content.


How is red wine heart healthy? Some studies show that red wine has even more heart health benefits than other types of alcohol while some other studies show that red wine is no better than beer, liquor or white wine. They still have not found that red wine is superior to any of these.


The studies supporting the red wine theory suggest the antioxidants called poylphenols will help protect the lining of the blood vessels of your heart. These antioxidants come in 2 forms flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

• flavonoids....found in oranges, apple, grape juice, onions, tea & cocoa. Red wine has higher amounts than beer or other alcohol.


• nonflavonoids...these appear to keep the arteries from blocking with fatty deposits. Studies though have only been done on mice...not humans. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid which has drawn the most attention to the scientists.

Resveratrol might be the key ingredient in red wine which helps prevent damage to blood vessels , reduces bad cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

Resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of the grapes used t o make the wine. Because red wine is fermented with the skin of the grapes longer than white wine this is the reason for higher content of resveratrol in the red as opposed to the white. You could of course eat grapes or drink red or purple grape juice but the content in red wine is higher because of the fermentation process. Blueberries, cranberries and peanuts also contain resveratrol.

How does alcohol affect your heart? Or benefit it?

• raises the good cholesterol levels


• reduces formation of blood clots


• helps prevent artery damage caused by bad cholesterol

Neither the American Heart Association or the National Heart Lung & Blood Institute recommend that you start drinking to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and can cause other health issues. Drinking too much increases the risk of high blood pressure, liver damage, obesity, certain cancers, accidents and other problems. Even small amounts can cause heart failure in some people who have unnoticed health issues.

If you already drink red wine please do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled alcohol. The limit for men is higher because men are generally weigh more than women and have more of an enzyme which processes alcohol than women.