The Wining Woman

Entry for July 1, 2008- Westfield Wonder

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:24:02 GMT

Last week we celebrated my dad's 78th birthday at the fabulous Chez Catherine restaurant in Westfield, NJ. I was a bit worried when I heard the plans to go there as my dad is not one to enjoy expensive - French restaurants. Fortunately, he hit it off with the owner and this made for a great evening.

Now, for the wine and food. My husband and I started with the house Champagne- Pol Roger Brut. Delicious, crisp and refreshing this was the perfect beginning for the night ahead. We followed with a bottle of Domaine Hortala Albertus 2001- Languedoc-Roussilon, France. This isn't a region that is well known which is why you can get some good bargains on a restaurant wine list. After browsing the Burgundy and Bordeaux and even Rhone for a reasonably priced wine, I was happy to come across this one from SW France made from the Carignan grape. While some of these wines can be rather simple and non-descript, this wine had good intensity and body. The flavors were subtle but lasting and it paired well with both the lamb and duck we were eating. Good fruit, a bit of spice and a nice smooth finish made this wine the perfect choice. We finished our meal with a glass of Paul Jaboulet Muscat de Beaumes de Venise that tasted delicious with my husband's peach melba. Dinner is prix fixe and they also offer a tasting menu of about 6 or 7 courses that you can have paired with 4 different wines. (The entire table must order this.) All in all, this was a fabulous experience that transports you to France for a short while.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 30, 2008- Time to Toast

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:05:15 GMT

Yay is all I can say! I received my results from the Society of Wine Educators and can now proudly say I am a "certified specialist of wine" (CSW) Those 3 letters are to be added after my name so it's good to know what it stands for. There's also a pin to wear so others can ask you what it's all about. I like that. This was a real hurdle and it feels good to have made it over it. So, have a toast with me.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 30, 2008- Time to Toast

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:05:06 GMT

Entry for June 25, 2008- Great News for White Wine Lovers!

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:48:16 GMT

We keep hearing about all the health benefits of red wine but what about all those white only drinkers out there? Well, some good news now. Israelis scientists have created a white wine with increased polyphenols - the chemicals that are proven to fight heart disease. The process to do this does not change any of the wine's aromas, taste or color but increases the polyphenols by six times. It's an incubation process where the squeezed grapes are in contact with the alcohol and skins for about 18 hours. One Israeli wine producer is already using this technique and those wines will be in stores by the end of the year.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 21, 2008- Wine in the Times

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:20:46 GMT

Okay everyone... have a look at Sunday June 22nd's New Jersey section of the NY Times or follow this link click here... WE ARE IN IT! Well, not as the Wining Woman but owner of All I Do is Wine.

The story is all about the mega wine stores popping up in New Jersey from Bottle King to Wine Library to Gary's Wine & Marketplace. I am pleased with how Tammy LaGorce handled this story but, was actually hopeful that the story would include a smaller store's side of things. I told her about Italian Wine Merchants in the city and Coolvines in New Jersey. I do enjoy some of the big shops like Wine Library.. For me, it really is like going to a library. I can spend hours browsing and rummaging and having a fabulous time. But, for some, the experience can be daunting. Well, it is nice to know there are still smaller boutique wine shops where where you can sample, learn, enjoy and buy at ease.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 20, 2008- Family First

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:38:01 GMT

Yesterday was my son's 8th grade graduation and my nephew's high school graduation. Lots of celebrating to do. Well, after a nice glass of Veuve Cliquot Rose' (light and luscious) to toast my son (thanks to dad) I was hoping to take my son out for a fabulous dinner. Unfortunately, life has its turns and he was feeling sick with a sore throat and fever so just wanted to get home. Tonight we were going to head off to a restaurant called Rio 22 in Union, New Jersey that I have wanted to try for some time. It's one of those Brazilian Rodizios (tons of meat) but also has a sushi bar. I know, that's weird but I have been receiving regular emails from them about all these fantastic evnets and meals and was just looking forward to a feast. It will have to be another time as I am home again with my son's fever still lingering. It doesn't matter. I am still able to celebrate and have opened a bottle of Peju Cabernet Franc Napa 2003- Napa Valley, Ca. We have had this bottle since our trip to the winery 3 years ago and I hadn't found the right time to open it. I am so glad I did tonight. It's 93% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 1 % Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a perfect blend for me since Cab Franc is one of those grapes that needs to shine but loves the smooth Merlot and peppery Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is full of body, fruit and spice as well as coffee and chocolate. Lots of color and intensity it really is a fabulous wine. I toast my son, Ethan and my nephew, Daniel with this fabulous wine.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 18, 2008- Brunello brouhaha

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:14:54 GMT

You may have heard about the "scandal" that has taken place in Tuscany regarding Brunello di Montalcino. In case you haven't, basically, there is an investigation going on with suspicions that many Brunellos have been produced with more than the Sangiovese grape that is supposed to be the only grape in these highly regarded (and priced) wines. In fact, over 1 million bottles have already been confiscated in Italy. Now, the USA is getting involved by threatening to stop selling the wines until there is a guarantee that the wine is in fact Brunello di Montalcino. This could happen as soon as Monday. I like what one producer has offered to do. They will change their label and lower their designation from a DOCG wine so that they can still sell these bottles. Hopefully, others will want to do the same and we can all still get to enjoy the wines that I am sure are delicious. Actually, without the DOCG designation and Brunello label, the price will most definitely be lower. That's always a good thing.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 16, 2008- Canada is Cool

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:32:45 GMT

Wow.. there were so many new wineries in the Niagara region this year I just couldn't believe it. I suppose having a similar climate to Burgundy and the Loire and New Zealand and Oregon has made this happen. No longer is it just icewine...there are fabulous Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers as well as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc. I was able to visit maybe 4 of the over 50 or so wineries here. (could be even more- I'm not sure) The first winery visited was Thirty Bench Wines in Beamsville. They produce ultra premium small lot wines that are not sold outside of the winery. I liked every wine I tried there. Each wine had so much flavor as if they squeazed everything they could out of each grape. There was intense concentrated fruitiness along with very long finishes- definitely the way wines should be. I loved how they like to decant their wines even for a tasting .. understanding that wine is a living thing that needs to breathe.

The other wineries visited were Eastdell Estates- known for their Black Cab and Cabernet Franc Icewine. Since I love Cabernet Franc I was most interested in the dessert wine made from this potent grape. Fruity, sweet and tasty I thought this was an excellent wine.

Next, since my golf loving Father in law was with us on our adventure, I wanted to make him happy and found the Rockway Glen Golf course and Wine Estate in St. Catherine Ontario. There I thought we could taste while eating and looking out at the golf course. Lunch was very casual with burgers and salads and I still wanted a glass of wine to go with this meal. I had their Pinot Gris which was light and crisp that I wanted to match with my interesting goat cheese and vegetable pizza.

Overall, I can say that Ontario wines are impoving with more intense and fruity wines.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 10, 2008- Icewine Country

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:51:24 GMT

I'm off to Canada tomorrow, Stoney Creek, Ontario to be exact. It's to visit family but, I love it since we will be right in the heart of the Niagara winery region. One of my favorite wineries is Vineland that also has a fantatic restaurant overlooking the vineyards. They have fabulous Sauvignon Bland, Riesling and ofcourse - Icewines. I hope the cost isn't too outrageous for those. Another favorite is Peninsula Ridge Winery also with excellent Sauvignon Blanc and icewine.

I'll try to get to some wineries we missed in the past. Hopefully, we'll have the time.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Entry for June 9, 2008- Ra Ra for Rose'

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:39:23 GMT

I was disappointed that I didn't get to attend a Rose' tasting this past weekend but that hasn't stopped me from sampling some wonderful pink wines. In fact, I just popped open a bottle of Domaine Chandon Brut Rose' - Napa, CA ($16.) I have had their regular brut as well as their Blancs de Blanc and love them so figured this wine wouldn't disappoint. A really nice salmon pink color with lots of fine bubbles it's really toasty with apricot and strawberry flavors. As I figured, this is a delicious bubbly.

I opened this to celebrate taping the pilot of my tv show, "Time to Wine" that will be airing on local cable tv in July. We taped at one of my favorite wine shops - Coolvines in Westfield, NJ and had a Rose' for me to "work" with . That was the Chateau de Bonhoste Bordeaux Rose' 2007 - France. (Approx: $15) Made from a blend of Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine had a nice pink color, good strawberry fruitiness and a very slight sweet finish on the palate. It is definitely a great Spring/Summer wine at a great price. While I couldn't drink it all through the show, my husband and I did finish it off at lunchtime. The Rose' tastings actually started a couple of days ago when we had the Bastianich Rosato 2006 - Friuli- Italy (Approx $14) from my other favorite wine shop, Italian Wine Merchants in NYC. Made from 100% Refosco, this was a more intensely colored wine with more body and darker fruit notes to it. Still, crisp, refreshing and enjoyable. Rose's really are excellent choices for all kinds of palates and I recommend these highly.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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