Wine Stoppers.......Plain to Fancy

Wine stoppers of all shapes, sizes and materials.
From plain to fancy. Murano glass stoppers from Italy. Plain stoppers in stainless,pewter,chrome, cork and wood. The main idea of a stopper is to stop the oxidation and spoiling of the bottle of luscious wine you have opened. Oxygen entering your bottle of wine after time will change the alcohol to carboxylic acid. Which just really means "vinegar". I am sure most of you have had this happen. You open a wonderful bottle of wine and save some, or should I say have some left, and then the next day go to have a glass and it taste nothing like it did the previous day. Most will dump this down the drain, but I have learned in my ways of being taught as a young girl...waste not, want not....I have dyed unfinished wooden picture frames with it, fabric, and my best find is making salad dressing from it. Use in place of vinegar when making a homemade dressing & you will love what you taste...the extra virgin olive oil will meld together nicely with your "bad tasting" wine. Fancy wine stoppers make great gift ideas and are perfect for "stocking stuffers". I have stumbled upon a site yesterday WineStopperStore
I contacted Walter, the owner, to see if I could promote his business in my blog today. He responded in record timing! Please visit his store to see the very large amount of stoppers he has available & if you do not see the one you are looking for you can feel free to ask him to find it for you. He is very prompt and customer service is high on his priority list. His business started in a one bedroom apartment working on the website nights and weekends all the while working a full time job. I know the struggles of this journey he has taken personally as this is how I built my website. Dedication to his work has developed a wonderful site for him to display his passion to you. So please stop by his site and take a look to see if there is anything you might need for a special gift for a special someone. There still is time to have it shipped to you. Most of the above wine stoppers are available @ TheWineStopperStore
So stop by & tell Walter...."Gabbriella" sent you! Please consider following his blog WineStopperStoreBlog
The crystal cross below is a favorite wine stopper of mine I hope to add to my collection someday.
Good Day for now! Happy Shopping @ The Wine Stopper Store!

COMMENT TO MY ARTICLE CHRISTMAS WINES

Comments

Christmasiscoming said...
Dec-7-10 5:40pm

I have just received a case of wine for Christmas, and I thought I'd share it with you (not the actual wine, although that would be nice) because it sounds like a great idea to me, the wines are chosen by a Wine Master and wine experts to be exactly right for Christmas, I presume the food, festivities and definitely the weather have been taken into account, the website is www.wineforchristmas.com So far I've tried 3 bottles and they have all been lovely, and, they did seem to be spot on for the weather and the festivities, anyway, I thought I'd share this little find with you all seeing as it was relevant to the article... Enjoy!


This comment was left on my Zimbio site which my blogs get forwarded to....Gabbriella

Tuscan Wines

Tuscany is known as one of the most romantic places on earth. Is it because of the background scenery or is it because of the wines?........or might it be a blend of the two? Which ever you decide..... remember "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Wineries can vary in size from tiny farmed estates to the huge colassal firms. Which would you like to visit? I like quaint, old things....I can imagine myself going to the tiny farmed privately owned vineyard. I like a home feeling. I am not into overpowering estates. Although they may be nice or maybe nice is too gentle of a word. Being of Italian heritage I would just love to visit a small vineyard, sit in the Italian flower garden and look out into the fields at a distance while sipping my wonderfully made glass of wine. Taking in every moment around me...the air, the sun, the conversation and every taste of the grapes...to just totally loose myself in the moment of time and keep not only a visual picture in my mind but also the scents of the air around me. My dream vacation...sometime in the future I am sure. Napa Valley and Tuscany....not in any order but both are planned in my mind. On my next trip to the wine store in Boardman, Ohio, my favorite wine store around, I am going to purchase a Tuscan Wine or 2 and hold a taste for myself and then report for you. Even though I am of Italian Heritage I do not really drink Italian wines, shame on me...I know, This will need to change. Although at Thanksgiving dinner a family my son knows who live locally own a vineyard in Italy and their daughter runs it, they brought a couple of bottles to dinner and it was rather enjoyable, pleasing to the palate and of course had good legs. Shame on me again I was so into the turkey and the stuffing that I did not retain the name of the wine in my mind. I will find out soon....promise.....till later...Cin Cin! (Cheers!)

Poppa Donne' homemade wine....

Growing up part Italian, my father was full blooded Italian, I have wonderfully fond memories of my great grandfather "Poppa Donne" and the times I spent with him. He spoke English but chose to speak Italian more. All that was missing at his home was the fact that it was in Pennsylvania on a farm and not in Italy on a vineyard estate. Each and every Sunday Poppa would have the entire family for dinner. Dinner would consist of homemade spaghetti (handmade noodles) homemade sauce from the tomatoes and herbs of his garden, and homemade wine. Poppa would give each great grandchild a shot glass full of his homemade brew. Our parents would argue...No...but Poppa won each time. "Good for their blood" he would tell them! The old timers knew what they were talking about. It was a wonderful celebration each and every Sunday I will never forget. Running and playing on the farm with the fresh air. Climbing the plum trees and picking fruit while Poppa watched with a careful eye as he sat under his grape arbor where he would gaze upon the fruit he would change to wine when harvest season came. I spent many afternoons and evenings sitting with Poppa listening to his stories in broken English of how he made the wines. I would look at the grape clusters and vines and leaves and think "my what a gorgeous site" Never did I think I would someday be doing a study on wine and yearn to be sitting at my Poppa's feet again, not as a young girl of 9 or 10, but as a woman in her late 50's. If only I could have one more sitting with Poppa it would not be just a one way conversation...but now I could chime in with my bits of knowledge I am learning. So my first experience with wine was at about age 7 or 8 and Poppa's was the first to give me happy memories. Now a plan of homes is on the site of Poppa's farmland.....a cousin of mine lives in one of the homes, and we still remember times on the farm & those Sunday meals with Poppa and our family. I had a very fortunate childhood. I not only had both sets of grandparents from mom and dad I also had a great grandfather who was remarkable.
My father's father was Roman, his mother was a Brazilian Italian. I have learned that in ancient Rome wine was linked to authority. If you had a vineyard you had power. Here in America I think Tuscany is the area most people want to visit for wine. Wine is on every table for every meal with the exclusion of breakfast (maybe?) sometimes the meal itself is a slice of bread and the wine. I have been know to do this after a long day at the office and not even bother with a meal...I guess it is my heritage coming through.
The whites grapes of Tuscany are: Chardonnay (the regions most expensive white) Malvasia (now the grape most known for vin santo the desert wine), Sauvignon Blanc (very limited amounts are grown),Trebbiano (used for dry whites), Vernaccia (Tuscany's most traditional refreshing white wine). The reds grapes of Tuscany are Cabernet Sauvignon (often times blended with sangiovese to make Chianti), Canaiolo (declining in use) Merlot (also used to make Chianti), and Sangiovese (the major Tuscan grape).
There is so much to cover with Italian wines. I will get deeper into the study in the next day or so. Some times I need to reread a section to be sure I have the proper understanding. It is written in English but the depth of what they are relaying to the reader is a lot to behold. So till tomorrow....Chow!

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What does the Bible Say.....

What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine?

I found the above link a while back....being a Christian from time to time I like to include scripture on my blogs. Some may frown upon a Christian for drinking...it is all about a balance in life in my opinion and not doing things in excess to have them cause you or others problems. So read what gotquestions.org has to say about this subject. We need a balance in all area's of our lives or we could fall when faced with temptations of all sorts that come our way. Anything that causes us to stumble with our walk with the Lord is bad for us.

Topic tomorrow.....Italian wines!.....my heritage (and my father from Rome never drank a bit all his life!)

Wine Openers from Pretty to Convenient

These are just a few of the wine openers available in the stores these days. From very attractive to highly functional and then simplicity.There are waiter style, mounted styles, screw pull corkscrews, easy grip corkscrew. They come in all shapes and sizes (even electric) They can be high tech, simply classic or decorative and even pink! They can be all different price ranges. But what really matters is does it do the job. They all eventually get the cork out of the bottle so you can enjoy your wine. It is all a preference of what you want for your collection of bar items. I would love to collect antique corkscrews someday. Not to really use them but perhaps just to display and cherish.
The curly part of the corkscrew is called the worm. It has been told to me that the corkscrew is an English invention. I will need to do more research on this one. The English have brought us many great things. It is said they began using the corkscrew in the 1600's. Not only for wine but also for beers and cider. In 1795, the first corkscrew patent was granted to the Reverend Samuel Henshal, in England. From simple to electric we have come a long way. One will do the job just as well as the other. They all have the same basic purpose in mind...getting the bottle open. This is definitely one tool your bar or kitchen drawer can not be without if you choose to purchase your wines with a cork and not in a box or screw top. I have drank many great tasting and high quality wines from a box and screw top so we can not exactly judge a wine by how it is packaged.
In The Wine Bible you can be guided as to how to properly use the cork screw. I have found that I could never operate the waiter's corkscrew. possibly it is because I just learned that you need between 50 & 100 pounds of pulling force to do so and my hands being weak are not capable of that.
There is nothing easier than pushing a button and getting your wine from a box when you have bad hands, but when I get my trusty, simple wine opener from the department store out to open a bottle of wine somehow it changes the whole atmosphere in the room and the experience is a bit more pleasing to me. You see I have learned over the last decade in my life in learning about wines to make it an experience from the time I decide to go to the wine store to purchase, till I sit down in the comfort of my home or a friends to truly enjoy every moment. You may say that I have "fallen in love". And yes, that would be the proper way to look at it. I love every part of the wine experience. The best parts are when I do have time to go and tour the wineries and see the vines in the fields and get up close and touch them. These are moments I have had and do not forget. I have not been to Napa or Tuscany yet...those trips are definitely what I wish to do in the next decade of my life, but I have been to wineries in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio and I have learned that the more I learn about wines the more appreciative I am of all the work involved with the whole process from the vine to the glass.
Cheers!

PS...Corkscrews can be great stocking stuffers!!!! hint...hint....

Australian Wines....4th largest wine exporter

Australia has become the 4th largest wine exporter in the world. Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Chili & the US are the rankings.We import all kinds of wines from Australia. It's famous one is Grange by Penefolds Vineyard which is very expensive (in the ball park of $500 per bottle sometimes) Very little of this wine is made. Perhaps that is why it is so expensive. Aside from the fact that it is very pleasing to the palate. I was graced on an occasion several years ago with a bottle of this vintage. But, Yellow Tail is one of our largest imports from Australia, being only $9 a bottle and this is a favorite of mine which I purchase regularly. The Shiraz is my favorite. The Yellow Tail Shiraz was the very first Shiraz and first Australian wine I tried and still today it is my all time fav.
Below are some of the great vineyards of Australia. I am very pleased to say I have had the pleasure of experiencing all except for Brokenwood Wines,Black Swan Vineyards,Juniper Estate and Vasse Felis.....sooooo if there are any samples out there for trying just send them on their way to me! LOL!!!!! Seriously******* I have linked each vineyard below with their links, so just click away and tour their vineyards and learn about their goodness. Till later....Cheers!
ROSEMONT
PENFOLDS
HARDYS
YELLOW TAIL
JACOB'S CREEK
LINDEMANS
ALICE WHITE
WYNNS COONAWARRA ESTATE
MARGARET RIVER WINE CENTER
BROKENWOOD WINES
BLACK SWAN VINEYARDS
JUNIPER ESTATE
VASSE FELIS

Can we change the world green?

The chart above shows dark green and light green area's of the globe as to where people have actually taken the time to read my blog. Goal? To have GREEN everywhere! The blog was started October 25 and so far total times it was gazed upon is 549 times.

It's A Wonderful Life!

You know the Christmas story of old.....It's A Wonderful Life....one of my all time favorites I make sure to watch each year. If you are a wine lover do you wonder if they had us wine lovers in mind? Ok, enough of being silly this morning! I do however remember them drinking egg nog in the movie, but I don't remember seeing any wine bottles or goblets...I will have to watch more closely this Christmas.
If your holiday dinners are like what mine used to be like when married and entertaining, you have shrimp & beef, maybe some sausage and pasta, stuff cabbages, great veggies and the list goes on & on with all the goodies for desert. If I were chosing wines for my holiday entertaining I would chose both a wonderful Chardonay and a great Australian red. (I am partial to Australian wines) I may also have a wonderful port or an ice wine on hand for desert.(these are great poured over a bowl of french vanilla ice cream! yum....yum....yum! But if your family is Italian like mine you would want to have a wonderful Italian pino grigio from northern Italy and maybe a red from Sicily. You may want to start your shopping list now for the trip to the wine store. Figure on at least half a bottle per guest and then you may as well do your New Years Eve shopping while there, so don't forget the bubbly! Grab a bottle or 2 extra to have on hand just in case you unexpectedly get invited out during the holidays. That way you already have your gift for the hostess. Remember it is always grand to show up at the door of someone's home with flowers, candy, wines, candles or some other type of gift for the person who extends a warm welcome for you into their home. My parents raised me to not go visiting without taking a gift of some sort and over time I have had close friends of mine tell me it is because of my doing so it has lead them to do the same when they go out and then those friends turn around and carry on the same when visiting. It is a wonderful feeling to hear this and know it is mostly because of the generous parents I had growing up who started me on this path in life. As the holidays approach I grow a bit sad because both Mom & Dad are gone now. Mom passed on December 6, 3 years ago,and Dad January 5, soon to be 5 years ago,In less than 2 years I lost my heritage....but I have all the memories and traditions left to carry on with. Holidays will never quite be the same but now it is time for me to add into the traditions I already have a few of my own. We tend to miss our loved ones a bit more on these occasions in life, but memories are forever. I do hope you have a few happy memories with your parents.
Sorry.....I get emotional quite often...now back to the holiday wine...
If you are really confused about which wine to choose for your festivities then try out the wine & food paring chart I have in the right hand column of this blog page. It has been a great help to me.
Tomorrow I am going to delve into the Australian wines....being my favorites...I figured I would start there first. So till then...keep warm, (if in the south....keep cool) be safe, and spread some love and joy into someone's life!
God Bless....
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
In the end it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. Proverbs 23:31-33

This to me is just saying...."don't get drunk on it".....a bit of wine can be good but a lot?.....watch out!

"The most complete wine book ever. A must for anyone who loves wine, whether they are a pro or an amateur. Thorough, authoritative and entertaining"----Robert Mondavi, founder and chairman emeritus of th Robert Mondavi Family of Wines. THIS WAS A QUOTE ON THE BACK OF THE WINE BIBLE WE USE FOR OUR STUDY PURPOSES

Which wine for Christmas?

What wine will you be serving for the Christmas Holidays? In the next few days I will be blogging about the various favorites I have learned about. If I were entertaining I would have 3 types for my guest to choose from because my sincere opinion stands strong...we should drink what we like...not because someone says it is complimentary to our meal. I drink wine mainly for the health benefits. My doctors tell me for a 57 year old woman my blood levels are impeccable. And all this came about after being told several years ago to drink a small glass of wine each evening. I do this 4-5 times a week and sometimes go 4 or 5 days forgetting to do so. But I do believe it has kept my cholesterol levels where they need to be. I do however value any ones opinion to decide to serve which wines go best with which foods. I just tend to love my full bodied reds. Till tomorrow....Cheers!

Wine Chillers & Cooling Systems

Either of these luxury items I would love to have in my home. And I actually do not believe it would be a waste of my money. They come in much larger sizes, but for just myself these would be sufficient. Ideally I would love to have a climate controlled wine room with a small wooden table & 2 stools in the center where I could actually take friends to see the collection I chose and allow them to pick their drink of the evening and sit at the table for a bit and enjoy a taste before going upstairs to the kitchen or living room to enjoy the bottle of wine. Dreams....yes that is what life is made of! Maybe someday I will have that dream. I have learned from The Wine Bible that temperatures in wine vary for each type. So one of these units would surely pay off in itself.
The fastest way to chill wine is of course in a wine bucket. But many may forget to take the wine out after a few minutes and it would be way too chilled for its type. Red wines should only remain in the bucket for 5 minutes, fruity reds around 15 minutes and whiles for 15 to 25 minutes and of course champagne for a half an hour. This is why as attractive as an ice bucket can be & I would love to have a lead crystal one in my home, I think a wine chiller you can program with your type of wine and take out when ready would be the best investment. I like a dry, full bodied red and drink mine at the moment room temperature. I do not enjoy a chilled wine, red or white, although on a hot summer day a glass of chilled chardonay is awesome and refreshing and relaxing at the same time.
I have learned in The Wine Bible that wine doesn't care if it is stored in a $10,000 custom built cellar or in a damp basement or in a closet as long a 3 important facts remain true.....the environment is cool, the bottle is lying on its side or upside down (do not stand upright)and no direct sunlight. Temperatures matter because it will affect the chemical changes taking place as the wine matures. A wine stored at 75 degrees will mature 2x as fast as one stored at 57 degrees. If you store the bottle upright the cork will begin to dry out and shrink. If air gets in over time this will cause the taste of the wine to change.
So....finalization.....I would love to have a walk in, sit down wine room (so if anyone out there is wondering what to get me for Christmas!) but since this of course is a fantasy of mine a single bottle wine chiller would do the job. I will continue to keep my wines as I have, being a box of wine is doing me well for now. But for special occasions I will purchase my wines and keep on a shelf (on their sides) in my basement where the temperature there is much cooler all year round than the rest of my home. If anyone is doing their shopping online and want to check out wine chillers I have found you can do so HERE.
HAPPY CYBER MONDAY everyone!!!!!! Enjoy your shopping experience in the pleasant atmosphere of your home without any pushing and shoving...shopping in your PJ's can be the best!
Cheers!

Wine Aerators....To Use or Not To Use?

Really now do you believe all these wine contraptions are necessary? I suppose it is all a matter of necessity verses need to have the latest gadgets. Before I became so interested in learning about my favorite drink of choice I was one who would purchase just about anything connected with keeping my wine or making it better if I had the funds to do so. But really as I learn more in my studies on wine it becomes more clear to me, or should I say it is my opinion, that so many factors from nature to making of this drink are so much more important to the final taste. In my opinion a little gadget such as an aerator is not going to make a bad bottle of wine any more appealing to you than if you did not run the wine through the aerator. Maybe I am just naive in this area but the more I read the more I remain with my way of thinking. In my opinion wines are made to be enjoyed, not guzzled down without knowledge of the taste being left on your palate. If indeed you open a bottle of wine and slowly drink and taste it your wine in my opinion should self aerate. I have read recently that just allowing the bottle once opened to sit for several minutes before pouring will allow it to breathe (aerate) is not the way to do it...the tiny neck of the bottle does not leave enough room for aeration to happen. They suggest decanting the wine. It is in the pouring action that the wine aerates. So in my humble, inexperienced, nonprofessional opinion I would think that if you have the proper glass to drink your wine from that if you simply pour yourself a glass and wait a few moments to do the sniff, swirl and looks for legs (tears) on the sides of the glass that by the time you savor all of these moments that your wine should be aerated enough for drinking. Then with the extra $25-$120 you have saved by not adding an aerator to your wine gadgets you can then purchase a few more wonderful bottles of wine to add to your rack or cellar. Again...this is just my personal opinion not meant to defer you from purchase of these modern inventions. However I just can not imagine my great, great grandfather from Italy who made his own Italian wine from his own tiny vineyard on his property for his own consumption worrying about aerating. I think the elements the grapes are grown in are the most important factors in a good bottle of wine and just pouring and allowing the aromas to escape for a few moments before drinking adds to the wonderfulness of your glass of wine. I could be wrong...unless of course someone gifts me with an aerator this Christmas and proves me otherwise!
As Poppi Nonno would say...Salute!

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India Happy Black Friday Everyone!!!! You won't catch me out in those stores today! I worked retail for many years and it was not a very nice time while being an employee with all that hussle and bussle. Just to let my veiwers know I have added a google translation tool to the blog since I have checked the stats and we have had in just the month of my blogging many viewers from other countries. Hopefully this tool will attract many more viewers to the blog. If you are a regular veiwer please consider clicking the follow me button on the right hand column of this blog so if you have a blog we can also follow you. Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend and now to rest after the delicious Thanksgiving meal from yesterday! Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whatever it is you chose to do today remember to take a moment and give thanks for all you have been given in life. No matter what our circumstance may be there are always some out there in this vast world who are less fortunate than we may be......Wising all of you a Blessed Day!

Vintage Estate Wine & Beer of Boardman, OHIO

Also known as the V.E. to those who frequent this awesomely designed and operated wine & beer store in Boardman, Ohio. Several years ago, possibly 6 years, I was taken to the store by my dear friend Lola who is like a daughter to me. She took me there on Mother's Day and let me pick a bottle of my choice. I had seen the store for several years but never ventured in. Boy what a mistake that was on my part. Once inside its doors I was intrigued by the huge selection of wines and beers. Beers which you could purchase by the bottle only. Living in Pennsylvania I was used to the concept of having to purchase a 6 pack or case of beer. And of course the selections of both wine and beer is so limited as to what I saw in this shop. The shop is tucked away in the corner of a tiny plaza in Boardman. At the time of my finding this shop it had a different owner. It is now run by Phil & Sandy Reda and they have done some changes in the stores setup.
I had attended pretty regularly the monthly wine taste which is on the 3rd Saturday of each month and met some interesting friends along the way. Then when some life changes in my own life kept me away for a while I had not known it had been remodeled and had new owners. Upon being in Boardman this past summer for a lunch date with a friend at the Springfield I decided to stop by and pick up a bottle of wine for myself. At the V.E. you can get wines you can not obtain in Pennsylvania. The V.E. has over 800 craft beer labels and 1000 wine labels. The day I chose to go to the V.E. just happened to be the day of the wine taste. The place was bursting with people and bubbling with excitement! I was thrilled to see all the improvements done to the shop. Phil & Sandy have certainly made something which was already good so much better! I was limited for time so I could not stay for the taste but I was graciously greeted by both Phil & Sandy and asked to stay. Being such a wine lover it was sad to say I could not stay...but I would be back! I purchased my bottle of 337 wine which Phil helped me pick out. Even though the place was bursting with people I still received great service and felt for the moment that I was the only one in the shop. Phil & Sandy's hospitality will get them far in their endeavor of running this shop.
The 337 wine is a cabernat sauvignon which is bursting with blackberry, cherry, laced with coffee bean with a hint of pepperiness. I am a syrah or shiraz fan...leaning towards a merlot at times....but this cab gave me all the taste and boldness which I enjoy and at the same time remained a softer wine. 337 Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
In September my friend Gaynor & I attended the wine taste and had a great time. For a cost of $10 at the door you receive a glass to use for the taste and back at the bar can exchange your 6 tickets for a generous taste of the 6 wines chosen for the month. 3 reds and 3 whites are offered. Tons of appetizers are there for your enjoyment. Where else can you get such a grand wine taste for such an economical price? No where that I have ever come upon! The V.E. now has an added room with a bar area which allows it to pack in even more people to enjoy their tastings.
If you are in the area of Boardman you must stop by and visit the V.E. If you are a beer or wine lover you will not be sorry. You will only wish to go back more often!
Last month I had surgery and had to miss the October & November wine taste...but it is my plan to do my best to get over for the December tasting. It is not only a very reasonable way to sample new wines but a wonderful time of socializing.
I have found from the past that sometimes if you find a certain wine at the V.E. and ask your state store to order it they sometimes can. But really I think if you live outside of Boardman you really need to make the trip there if possible to have the whole experience of their unique shop. Plus enjoy yourself a glass of beer or wine while there!
Phil & Sandy I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for allowing me to blog about you! Hoping to visit soon!.....needing a wine for our wine study our group is having in December!

Which wine is a Turkey Day Wine?

Which wine do you choose to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner? There are so many different opinions on this topic who is to say what is proper.
RIESLING, GEWURTZRAMINER, CHARDONNAY, SAUVIGNON BLANC, ZINFANDEL, SYRAH, MERLOT, CABERNAT SAUVIGNON, PINOT NOIR, SANGIOVESE are just a few of the different varieties of wine we have to choose from. So many we could drive ourselves silly trying to pick the correct one. If having company for dinner we want it to be perfect and would not want to have the wine not be pleasing to your taste or your guest. So what then is the correct wine to pick? So when I am thinking on this it comes to my mind...."what do I choose when not knowing what to wear to an important event?" (wedding, class reunion, Christmas formal dinner, etc) Well I go deep into my closet and pull out that simple little black dress and red high heel shoes. I put this on and feel like a million bucks!
Why? Because I am so comfortable in this attire. I know that this outfit of mine will fit in at most every occassion. And I feel good while wearing it. So my suggestion to you is this....chances are those who are coming to your home for dinner you already know their likes on wines so I would suggest you have a small variety on hand and available to be opened. Allow your guest to choose which wine they would like with their meal. I think if someone is drinking a wine they prefer, instead of one that society tells us is proper, their meal experience will be much more pleasing to them. Wines bring out the flavors in foods, we all have different taste going on with out palates. With the typical Thanksgiving meal there are so many different varieties of foods made available that I just could not imagine drinking a wine I did not enjoy just because it tells you somewhere that it should be......In my home my "little black dress & red shoes" wine is Shiraz.....I just couldn't imagine my meal without it! Thanksgiving food is comfort food so let your wine choice be comforting also......there are no wrong choices , regardless of what the critics may tell you...but then again, I am just a woman from western Pennsylvania who loves the simple pleasures in life. There are enough struggles that come at us each day that we need not trouble ourselves with right or wrong wine. Simplicity...to me that is the answer!
Blessings to all this glorious week of Thanksgiving.....let us remember that each day we can find something or someone to be thankful for in our lives, and perhaps make a difference if we tell them.

November’s full moon is the Blue Moon of 2010 - Albuquerque Nature | Examiner.com

November’s full moon is the Blue Moon of 2010 - Albuquerque Nature | Examiner.com


I know this has nothing to do with wine....but is very interesting.....as about 1 hour ago I woke up unexpectedly and looked out the window and actually thought it might be 6am and not 12am....it was way to light for midnight. Oh well, now to get back to sleep! (yawn)

Trip to Greendance Winery cancelled...

Even though our trip this weekend for our group has been postponed till springtime it is no reason for you not to check it out. From today through Sunday it will be Greendance Winery Light Up Weekend sure to be a fun time!

Start: 11/19/2010 - 10:00am

End: 11/21/2010 - 5:00pm

Kick off the Holiday Season with a visit to Greendance Winery.
We have lovely gift ideas for everyone on your holiday shopping list.
Stop in this weekend for some Holiday Cheer!

Our Light Up Weekend Special: Apple Jack Cider - Originally $20
Sale Price: $15 with any Wine purchase. (copied from Greendance website)

I am sure they would love to have you ....so if you are in the area of southwestern Pennsylvania stop by for a visit.

306 Deer Field Road, Mt. Pleasant, PA 15666

See you in the spring Greendance!

Mixing Coca-Cola with Wine is not only done in China!

CNN article

OC WEEKLEY

FOOD 52

Recently I was told about wine being mixed with Coca-Cola. I did not find this appealing, but then again I have not touched a soda since I was 24 years old. So to spend the last 34 years without remembrance of the taste of Coke maybe I can not make a clear statement as to if it would be tasty or not. CNN did an article about the Chinese mixing these 2 drinks together. So I ran across 2 other articles about other people doing so. It appears people all over the world have done this. If you have already tried this please leave a comment below of your likings. Also there is a poll at the right of this post if you would care to participate. I will not be trying this....I just can't imagine ruining my luscious glass of red wine....and when I come across a bad tasting wine I usually cook with it or use it to make a salad dressing. Do you think Santa in the pic has any wine in his bottle?

John Cleese's Wine For the Confused Video

WINE FOR THE CONFUSED



You can go to the above link and watch the video I watched recently. I found it quite interesting and simplistic. I think you will enjoy watching it. I had the dvd from Netflix which had some added extra's included. John will take you from the grape to the glass in a very understandable approach.

GET YOURS NOVEMBER 18!!!!!

According to French law, Beaujolais Nouveau is released at one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of November. This tradition is has ben ongoing for decades and celebrated worldwide with many welcoming the wine’s arrival. This festive and refreshing red wine is made from hand-harvested Gamay grapes and bottled six weeks after harvest.
Each year I hope to not miss the arrival of this wine as I have been told quantities are limited. When gone they are gone. But funny...I have found 2008 & 2009 bottles still available online. It must just mean that the stores do not reorder this wine.
Beaujolais Nouveau is intended for immediate drinking, and in general should not be kept for more than a year. This wine is made quickly so it does not release many tanins into the wine. It is amazing to realize that just weeks before this wine was a cluster of grapes in a growers vineyard.It is a light weight wine with floral notes which I think goes well with many and any foods. Perhaps that is why is is made so quickly and is kept light since we tend to stuff more that just the turkey on Thanksgiving here in America. From apetizers to deserts I think this wine will go well with the entire food course of the day. The label is eyecatching & festive so you will be sure to spot it in the store. Grab yourself a bottle or 2 on November 18.

TOP 10 PICKS IN WINE WALK

On Saturday Gaynor & I put our heads together to discuss our favorites in The Wine Walk. Below are our choices. Please remember these are our personal choice. Some may differ, we all have different likings.
WINES and the shops that offered the taste:
1. Domaine De L'Espigouette Vacqueyras 2007 Village Candy
2. Helfrich Grand Cru Gewurztraminer Alsace 2007 St Michele Fine Linen
3. Vassiliou Ambelones 2007 Greece Vita Hair for Life
4. Niepoort Twisted Red 2006 Portuguese Carly M Fine Jewelry
5.CJ Pask Roy's Hill Merlot 2005 New Zealand Fun Buy The Pound
6. Cono Sur Cabernet Carmenere 2008 Chili Tapas
7. Bernardus Marinus Meritage (Bordeaux style) 2004 Cheers
8. Becker Estate Pinot Noir 2006 Penguin Books
9. Vina Satazo Rueda Spanish Orrs
10. Two Tomatoes NC Merlot Spoiled Chics

BEST APPETIZERS
# 1 spot went to Carly M Fine Jewelry....your selection was amazingly presented & delicious!

The above wines of our choices were all found to have pleasing tastes to us. From the crisp, dry whites with pear notes to the rich full bodied reds with their peppery, berry scent. We enjoyed them all.
We also thank all the other business participating in this event: Sewickley Frame Shop, Sewickley Spa, Creative Hair Studio, Esthetics, Thomas Jewelers, So Ho, Pendleton, Perfect, The Jewel Theif, The Clay Cafe, Van's Aveda Salon, Bi Ali Salon, Sewickley Shoe Repair, Antiquarian, Simply Yogurt, International Images, Verizon, No Good Riding Hood, Sewickley Confectionery, Yankellos, Howard Hanna Real Estate, Big Bang Comics, Naked Grape, MAK, EM Jewelers, Cuttings, Norman's Barber Shop, Bailey & Bailey. I do hope I did not leave any one out. We appreciate your commitment to the community and your gracious invitations into your shops. We hope to next time be able to get around to more of your shops.
To the shops we had visited, your presentations were very nicely done and some of you went out of your way with the appetizers offered. Just know you all were deeply appreciated in all your efforts to welcome us. Till next time!

The Village Wine Walk

November 10....Sewickley Village Wine Walk .....sponsored by Sewickleychamber.org
this was the kick off to the shopping season ahead. On Wednesday evenings Village Shops will remain open from 5-8pm each week through the holiday's.To cover the entire Wine Walk was not an easy task. Hat's off to those who did! We did accomplish tasting 18 of the 35 different wines on the list.Gaynor & I will be compiling a list of our "10 Favorites" very soon and posting. But to tell you a bit about our journey through town I will get started blogging.
Beautiful weather could not keep us away from The Village Wine Walk on Wednesday evening. It was a spur of the moment idea to attend. On Tuesday I had been at Vita Hair for Life
My hairdresser Connie, also the owner, suggested I stop by the next evening for the wine walk. Just recovering from surgery I was unsure if I would be up to this adventure. So even though Chrissy was also at the shop at this time I did not think I would be going so I did not encourage Chrissy to meet me in Sewickley. Speaking with Gaynor briefly the next morning we decided we would meet downtown to see what was happening. I now wish I would have encouraged all the members of our wine study group to attend. We did end up meeting Jackie on the street a bit later in the evening.
So to begin on our adventure we started at Vita Hair for Life since that is where we got our invite. We were there at 5PM sharp and Carissa from Vita greeted us and lead us to the back of the shop where they had prepared a nice table complete with table cloth and wine glasses with their offering for tasting. It was a Vassilliou Ambelones 2007 Koropi from Greece. So Gaynor and I sat in the antique chairs by the fireplace in the salon and enjoyed our taste. It was a tasty dry white wine which was very pleasing to drink. I am partial to reds, but I would again drink this wine. We then moved up to Village Candy
where we had one of the best wines of the evening Domaine de l'Espigouette Vacqueyras 2007 . As I said prior I am partial to reds. 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 5% Mourvedre is what I have learned it contained Anything with Syrah in it I naturally love. It was deep ruby to purple in color and carried scents of peppery, blackberry, and spicy notes. It was a full bodied red as I have been known to enjoy and I likened it to the Turley Vineyards wines I have tasted. Definitely this will be a wine I will remember. We also were graciously greeted and welcomed into this shop. I must say it was very nice to meet the shop owners and have the time to chat briefly with them.I still have several more stops to blog about but will be back tomorrow. Till then....enjoy your Friday evening!

Water into Wine.....

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. John 2:1-11

This would have been an amazing party to attend......

BLOGGING THIS WEEKEND ABOUT "The Village Wine Walk" WHICH I ATTENDED ON THURSDAY EVENING IN SEWICKLEY

A New Wine Box In Our Wine Store

It had been a month since Gaynor had brought my box of wine to me, when she did my shopping for me after my surgery. It was empty and time to replenish. This would be my 5th time to leave the house in a month. I had an appointment in town so to make best use of my time away from the house I would make as many stops as possible and of course one of them would be our wine store. Instead of grabbing my usual box...I have been going out on a limb the last couple months with my box wine favorites and trying new adventures in taste. On sale for $17.99 was this box of SEVEN. I asked the man at the desk if it were good...he said it just came in this week and he had no idea. Price was right....container was attractive...when reading the side of box it had a list of 7 different wines and Shiraz was at the top of the list, so that being one of my favorites I decided to give this box of wine a try. Upon returning home I settled in with my glass of wine and did my little test. My findings were it was lighter in color than the wines I prefer, but I would give it a chance. The smell was light and weak to me. The taste was the same. But then again I prefer full bodied, dry reds. I will drink this wine for the next 30 days or so and see if my appeal for it changes. It is not bad tasting, just not what my palate prefers. It is sort of like if I could compare it to a date.....being out with a man and you enjoy his company and dinner is fine, but something is missing for you to want to have a deeper relationship with this man....nothing is wrong with this man....just not the main man for you. Can any of you out there understand this? Iam a woman who knows what she likes in her man and her wines and I hate to waste anyones time. I do hope I get some visitors this month to help me empty this box of wine. Maybe I will start to like it more, we shall see. I would although have this box of wine in my house for a party where some of the guest are not into the heartier wines. For them I think this would be a great wine. Maybe this wine would be the stepping stone to fuller bodied wines for the white zin drinker. To ease them on their way to darker reds.
This wine is a Spanish blend of 7 different varities of grapes.
Shiraz
Cabernat Sauvignon
Graciano
Garnacha
Tempranillo
Merlot
Petit Verdot
If one or more of your favorite reds are in this blend, give it a try. Your opinion may be very different than mine.

Cooking with wine.....

It used to be 37 years ago when I was first married that I would want to cook with wine. So off to the supermarket I would go looking for cooking wine. I was naive enough to think that you wouldn't dare add the real thing to your dish. Then one day about 14 years ago while cooking some pasta and shrimp for my dinner and drinking a glass of Cabernet I thought "I'll just add a splash of this".....To think I had never ever thought to try "real" wine in cooking prior! That moment was the beginning of a new journey for me when in the kitchen. I wanted to add a splash to everything. One of my best findings was on the day I was drinking White Zin. I had some left a few days after opening the bottle....It was not pleasing to drink anymore but so not to waste it I added it to some extra virgin olive oil, a bit of balsamic vinegar, put some herbs for added flavor and viola! Zinfindel dressing which has become one of my favorites to use on greens and pasta. So don't dump out that bit of wine or the wine that is just not pleasing to you....save it on your counter and use it in your cooking. My son has taught me to use leftover red wine to dye unfinished wooden picture frames. Now I do this quite often. (That's a tip for crafters) Today I leave you with the thought to be creative in your cooking. Just do not over do it. You really don't need as much as you think...more is not better all the time. One of my best findings is wine added to burgers! I think a bit of wine pulls out the natural flavors a bit more....and if you have a favorite recipe that you add wine to and would like to share it, please do so in the comment box.

Ricotta Pasta & Spinach
1 box pasta
1 C ricotta cheese
1/3 C romano cheese
2 T butter
1 package FRESH spinach...cleaned and stems removed
white or red wine to taste (I like to use between 1/4-1/2 C)

Cook pasta, drain (save 1/2 C cooking water for sauce) rinse
Toss with butter
Combine reserved water with ricotta in mixing bowl
Add your wine
Stir till blended
Mix in the Romano
Toss in fresh spinach...it will wilt

Serve with alone or with a side of chicken or shrimp. Or even chop up and place in your pasta. Make a nice field greens salad
Pour your self a glass of wine & enjoy!