WINE STUDY 2011

Finally after many months of sabbatical, we began our wine study once again. Between my being ill and snow, holidays and coordinating every one's schedules we are back on track and loving it once again. We met on this past Saturday & had a wonderful selection to taste. Champagne, White Burgundy, Pinot Noir & a blended red wine from California. I will report on these during the coming weekend. All were enjoyed with lovely compliments from appetizers to salad to main course & finally dessert which is pictured in the slide show below. Dessert's do not always have to be yummy, gooey & fattening. This selection was luscious, delicious and very, very satisfying. A perfect way to end the evening! Check back this weekend to see my thoughts!

Oh My! How could I forget!

Upon waking this morning I happened to realize that is has been 3 days since I had my "prescribed by physician" evening glass of wine. ....I ask myself "how could this be!?!" I am at the age where you do seem to forget things every now and then. Perhaps it is not an age thing, It very possibly could be that we all get so busy in our living that things just slip by us and we are so tired we just crash at night. I knew at 5 AM in the morning it would not be justified to have that "daily dose" of wine. But in my travels to the coffee pot I chuckled as I envisioned myself going to the box of wine .....bending down...placing my head under the fawcet....opening my mouth .....turning the fawcet wide open & letting that precious fruit of the vine splash on my tongue and satisfy my desire. What a site that would be I am sure! Maybe my cat "Gabby" would be at my feet lapping up some drippings....quite possibly she would just be sitting there patiently waiting for her breakfast and gazing up at me thinking "Mommy's finally lost it"! So as I made it to the coffee maker and got the can of cat food out I made a visual note to myself to look forward to this evening when I can go to the box of wine with my "special crystal glass" pour myself my "daily dose", retreat to my living room and relax with Gabby lying on my lap and gaze upon the fire in the fireplace & tell myself "yes my life is very, very good & I am very thankful" and even better since I remembered to follow "my docs orders". And if by chance I forget this part of my evening I will remember in the morning, giggle and while the coffee is brewing get myself a pen and paper & make myself a note! (and hope I remember to read the note) Cheers..............

Tasting Wine.....

Just sitting here reviewing what I learned so far on wine......let's start with tasting..It used to be just simply..."I like it"...."oh no, I don't like it" This is how I tasted my wines and then I just stuck with the one brand I liked and never ventured out of that safety zone. But in the past 3 or so years I have grown not only older but grown with a desire to explore other territories and add more favorites to my list. In my coming out of my comfort zone I have found a lot of new wines (new to me) that I love and at our tasting a couple weeks ago Lisa brought a wonderfully smooth tasting white which surprisingly I will drink again. You can scroll down and read about our first tasting to see what wine Lisa brought.
As I have grown in my wine knowledge...and it is a slow process, enjoyable process, I have learned to savor every drop and let it meld in my mouth and let it speak to me. This luscious fruit of the vine is becoming my best friend. It is almost like I can have a conversation with my glass of wine now.
So simply what I do is take a nice look after its pouring, sorry but looks matter here. If it does not look appealing I do not think it would taste very well. After I have a mental picture of it I take a slow sniff to experience what I am hoping will be pleasant smells. If something does not have a pleasing smell I do not think it will taste too wonderful. But, remember not everything smells the same to each person. That is why our little wine tasting group will be good for us......what one smells or taste that another doesn't possibly by speaking this out and sharing you can then train your nose to pick up what someone else caught on to right away. After I savor a few of these moments I find myself envisioning the fields, the bright sun shining in the vineyard, the hardy vines climbing and wandering, the spectacular, plump, firm grapes just waiting to be picked by the tender care the pickers give them. Gods rain bathing them from time to time while growing. All of nature in sync to just bring you the most fabulous taste to bring to your table, to compliment your foods, your socializing with friends, to bring to your side while sitting in your home in front of the fireplace. Yes a glass of wonderfully tasting and well made wine can truly become your great friend. It is knowing I feel, when to stop and just have this be an enjoyable experience and not to go beyond your boundaries to have it wreck havoc on your life that wine can not only ease the stresses of a day, give joy to celebration, help your health & heart but it can take you to distant lands and dreams to put a smile on your face.
Getting back to this glass of wine I was tasting.....I then after the sight and smells are married in my mind swirl the wine in the glass as to see what the legs (the wine drippings on the inside of the glass.....do not swirl too fast or you will have legs on the outside of the glass also!!!) When swirling the wine the aroma starts leaping out at you. This I think I read is opening up the scents. Now after all this swirling and releasing it is time to really get your nose in there and see what you find. I know in public some may look at you and think "what is that person's problem". By the time you get to have your first sip your neighbor at the next table may be ordering his second cocktail. And if he or she is they are probably the ones thinking you are the one with the problem....But I am learning over the years if you make your wine drinking an experience and not just a thirst quencher or reason to have a drink, you will possibly find yourself drinking less and enjoying more. After this deep smell is when it is time to take your first sip...you want to wet your lips, raise the glass to your lips and once the wine hits your palate just savor the wine for the moment and just see if you can taste what you have smelled. Some like to swish the wine in their mouths before swallowing, it is all in preference I feel...there are no rules....it wouldn't be pleasurable if there were rules. My tasting stops at the sip and then after all this testing and learning is done I then enjoy my glass of wine with my meal or appetizer. Even living alone or dining alone can be made an occasion when treating your glass of wine like this. Not every sip just the first.....after the first and you have learned your wine you will have such a pleasurable experience that I think you will look forward not to your next drink to gulp down but to your next glass of wine to spend time with. Our lives are normally based on rush here and rush there with not much doing anything but going through the motions of life, getting things done but then wondering where did time go. Take time to "Smell the Wines"! and learn and pass your knowledge on to others. You will be surprised just how little people really do know about their wines but every now and then you will in your meetings, happen upon a real connoisseur and it is then you become even more intrigued...be sure to have a pen and paper (or bar napkin) with you then! You can learn a lot from someone willing to share their knowledge. Because of their love for it they will want you to experience what they do.
Till next time.....

A Favorite Quote

I recently read a quote which made me chuckle....."Don't worry if you can't understand wine-speak. Nobody can. It's a language invented by drunk people." this was said by Jay Fedigan, documentary film maker. I read this in Jonathon Alsop wine book....Wine Lover's Devotional...365 Days. This book along with The Wine Bible have been a great influence in my understanding of wine.


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I must not fail to mention...although we had 5 bottles of wine...we did not consume all 5 bottles. We behaved ourselves! There was more than half the Ice Wine left, a great amount of the homemade wine (to become salad dressing, cook with or pour down the drain ).....:( and a smaill bit of the other 2. The hostess gets to keep all leftovers since she opened her home to us.
So actually we did not consume all that much wine.

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A Must Read

As I prepare to get ready to go to our very first "Wine Study" today I stumbled upon this article which you may also enjoy. Wine may help women keep weight in control...

How It Began

It all began in May of 2010. I had just published my
first book and was searching for ways to promote my book into the bookstores. It started with my favorite book store to visit, The Penguin Bookshop
in Sewickley, PA, the town in which my son lives and I frequent often. Upon going to visit another authors book signing I was browsing the shelves in the shop and stumbled across this book "The Wine Bible". Being a Christian the title grabbed my attention. When I took it from the shelves and opened its pages I found it was filled with so much interesting information that I just had to have it. So because of my great interest in wine which had entered into my life over the last decade I decided to purchase this book.
After my divorce as I started to socialize once again, a few of the men I dated were very educated in wines and the vineyards. I attended many wine tastings and learned a lot during this time. My drinking this luscious drink became an educational time and a pleasurable time, not a time of drunkenness. At one point in that past decade of my life my doctor advised me to drink wine (a small portion ) each night in order to build my blood and energy levels. I took his advice and I did so at least 5 nights a week and when my next rounds of blood work came in my blood was excellent for a 50 something woman and my cholesterol level was called impeccably remarkable by my primary care physician. They credited this to the wine & also my diet since I was 29 yrs old.
Getting back to the book.....I rather enjoyed this book immensely the next couple months. So when an author was to speak at the bookshop on his latest book, Wine Lovers Devotional 365 Days of Wine I decided to see what he had to say. I then purchased my copy.
So now I had 2 wonderful books to further educate myself in the makings of wine. While my long time, great friend Chrissy was visiting one day I then shared my books with her. I had been considering beginning a "Wine Bible" Study group consisting of a small group of my friends who shared a common interest...wine. Here we could learn and grow together in our knowledge of the vine. So as Chrissy was looking at the books I was hoping she would grab hold of my idea and then she brought the subject up and it was then I knew this should be. So from July till now we discussed doing so and on Monday we are having out very 1st "Wine Bible" Study.
Being Christian women for many years now the both of us know what the Word of God says about wine and drinking. So as we set out on this wonderful adventure with our close friends we do hope to remember He is Lord of our lives and we never would want to do anything to take away from that or cause one of our friends ( or ourselves) to stumble.
What God commands Christians regarding alcohol is to avoid drunkenness.

Ephesians 5:18

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

So Lord please remind us of this as we enjoy learning of just one of your wonderful creations, the fruit that comes from the vines.