The Wining Woman » Zita Keeley’s Wine School

Worth the Wait

Administrator — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:22:28 +0000

Well, I have been out of print for a while now but hurray- I am here and there are some great things to report about.
First of all, my book has been published! “Zita’s Guide to Wine and Life – A Different Kind of Wine Book” is available to order online at www.buybooksontheweb.com (or click here) and you can also email me if you would like a signed copy (at info@allidoiswine.com) My co-author Carolyn Kourofsky and I will be having our first book signing in Rochester NY on the evening of Tuesday May 15th. You can go to www.womenforwinesense.org for more information and to register if you can make that. We will also be having a book signing in a local wine shop in Rochester area on the evening of Wed May 16th. If you would like a book signing in your area, please email me.

In addition, the sizzle reel (that is the short promo video) for my new lifestyle tv show “All the Best with Zita Keeley” is on our All the Best website and You Tube or click here. The first show will be completed shortly and will be airing in the Fall of 2012. We are so very excited about all that is happening. We thank you for your support and encouragement and hope you all watch!All the Best with Zita Keeley TV show

Cheers,
The Wining Woman

All the Best with Zita Keeley

Zita’s Guide to Wine and Life- A Different Kind of Wine Book

Palmaz Wine Dinner

Administrator — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:27:50 +0000

Join WWS New Jersey for this very special Palmaz wine dinner.

The Turtle Club
936 Park Avenue
Hoboken, NJ
|201-710-5960

Wednesday November 30, 2011
7:00-9:00PM

Palmaz Winery is a boutique winery in Napa Valley. These wines are limited and not easy to come by. Alan Greenberg from Palmaz Winery will be leading the event and presenting each of the four wines we will be having that evening. This is a unique opportunity to explore the wines of Palmaz Winery and have them with specially chosen dishes that showcase these special wines.

Wines to be Tasted

2009 Palmaz Chardonnay – ceasar salad with shaved parmesan and garlic croutons

2007 Cedar Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon – pasta course

2007 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon – marinated skirt steak w roasted potatoes

2001 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon – chocolate cake of the day

Registration for this event is mandatory as seating is limited. Please register online by clicking the link below by November 28th.

Register Here

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Zita Keeley’s Wine School – See classes

Cruising Back to the Wine World

Administrator — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:01:29 +0000

Time has a way of moving rather fast sometimes and I just realize how long it has been since my last blog post. I will try and make up for that lapse.

I recently returned from a cruise through the Panama Canal. What an amazing experience that was. It’s incredible to think that 100 years ago without all the technology that we have today, something that grand and significant was developed. Until now, only the smaller cruise ships could make it through but within 2 years new locks for the bigger ships will be ready. There will be a site to see.

Spending 10 days on a cruise ship was just like spending 10 days at a 5 star hotel. Food, drink, dancing, shows and yes, exercising! The food was surprisingly good throughout the ship but we were still able to leave without gaining any weight. (That’s thanks to walking back and forth and up and down the 14 story ship!)

The wine program on our ship, the Island Princess was pretty good. Their onboard Sommelier led 2 different wine tastings that were well attended. They also have a good discount program that allows you to choose any wines from their lists (it is simply based on price point so with our package we could choose any wine under $45.) There were lower prices packages and a higher one as well. While I had thought we’d make it through our 12 bottles for the week, we actually left the ship with a bottle of bubbly we did not consume. Thank you Jann and David (our ship had 2 Sommeliers as they were transitioning from one to the other.) We loved talking about wine together every night.

Now I have returned to see that there are numerous bottles of wine that I consumed in the last month that I need to report about. This is going to be a busy month.

Cheers,
The Wining Woman

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Zita Keeley’s Wine School

Napa Valley Wine Event

Administrator — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:19:05 +0000

I am missing out on a Napa Valley trip this year but, I can’t complain as a cruise to the Panama Canal instead is not a bad alternative.
But, being Napa I wanted to let you know about an upcoming wine event taking place from Thursday November 17- Sunday November 20th, 2011.
A celebration of Food, Wine, Fun benefiting the Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena Scholarship Fund. Flavor! Napa Valley is a four-day extravaganza of farm-to-table fine cuisine, world-class wines, and the fun that is had when these elements come together in America’s premier wine region. It will be held at:
The Silverado Resort & Spa
1600 Atlas Peak Road
Napa, California
707.257.0200

http://www.silveradoresort.com/

Call or go to website for tickets

Cheers,

It’s Wine App Time

Administrator — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:46:35 +0000

I did it. I gave in and upgraded to an Iphone. I have had it for about a month now and frankly, have not enjoyed it very much. First, I had sound issues and had to get it replaced. While that should have been a simple “swap” at the AT&T store where I purchased it, I was sent to the Apple Store where I had to sit for a half an hour (even with an appointment) until someone could help me. After being told this should have been done at my AT& T store (duh!) and it’s not something they usually do there (what? – you sell these things!) the rep did make the exchange. All this for a phone.

These past few weeks, I have been playing around with the features to see if I can get used to it. I added lots of free “apps” including Facebook, Twitter, Linked In as well as food, wine and travel ones.
Yesterday, I decided to look at the application “WineStein” – for food and wine pairing. They refer to it as your personal digital sommelier in your pocket. With just a few clicks through various icons, you will get a list of wines with descriptions as well. The more details you can give for your dish, the more specific your wine choices will be. The database of wines is impressive and is updated on a regular basis. I really had fun with this and definitely recommend it to you food and wine lovers.
This app alone is making me want to keep my Iphone.

Cheers,
The Wining Woman
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Zita Keeley’s Wine School

Falling for Autumn Wines

Administrator — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:41:18 +0000

Back from the shore and ready for Fall! Join us for a WWS Wine Tasting Mixer!
To celebrate the end of a very hot summer we are dedicating our fall event to autumn wines!
Join us at The Clam Broth House on Sept 21st to taste some great fall wines, mingle and meet new people. This event is great for those of you just wanting to check out the group and see what its all about. This will not be a formal event, however, there will be plenty of wine for tasting!
Don’t forget our web page everyone! We have new member perks available! Also don’t you want to see what we’ve been up to? Like us on FB, we post everything going on our page.
www.womenforwinesense.org

Wednesday Sep 21
Clam Broth House- Hoboken, NJ
Meet at Bar 6:30PM
Join event 7:00PM
RSVP IS ESSENTIAL – REGISTER ONLINE

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

Zita Keeley’s Wine School
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Ladies’ Night of Bubbles

Administrator — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:36:22 +0000

Starting at 7pm, The Bubble Lounge’s expert sommelier will be pouring four champagnes for guests to taste and savor. Anders, the romantic crooner who was nominated for an American Smooth Jazz Award last October alongside Seal and Michael Buble, will be serving up some delightfully smooth songs. Following the tasting, Anders will perform a full set in his new quartet formation. To top off the evening, The Bubble Lounge will give away a bottle of champagne to one lucky tasting participant. However, no guest will leave empty handed; all attendees will receive a gift bag courtesy of Soapology.
Directly following the evenings’ events, Anders will grace the stage once again for an encore performance starting at 9PM.
The event details are as follows:
Wednesday August 24th 2011 – 7PM
The Bubble Lounge
228 W. Broadway #1
New York, NY 10013

Tickets: $40 (RSVP before the 24th and save $5)
RSVP to: 646.613.1101 or amy@twoshepsthatpass.com

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Zita Keeley’s Wine School

You Had Me At Merlot

Administrator — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:07:22 +0000

Merlot has had a bad rep for a while now so I decided to host a tasting of Merlot to show just how good this grape can actually be.
For years, Merlot was one of the most popular red wines since it is generally very fruity, smooth and not very tannic. But, over time lots of bad Merlot was produced and then the movie Sideways came out and gave Merlot its final blow by heavily criticizing it. Sales of Merlot completely diminished and retailers, restaurants and producers found the Merlot sitting on their shelves.

The fact is that Merlot can make some exquisite wines. One of the most famous and expensive Chateau Petrus from the right bank in Bordeaux is exclusively Merlot.

An early ripening, thin-skinned grape Merlot grows extremely well in regions that have lots of daytime sunshine, cool nights and good drainage. This will produce ripe, fruity wines with a slight sweetness that gives a smooth mouthfeel. Merlot has often been (and still is) used as a blending grape since it can balance out heavier or more acidic wines.

Our tasting consisted of 8 different wines from California, Washington, France, Italy, Chile, Australia, New York and vintages from 2005-2009. A few we know were 100% Merlot while others had minor percentages of other grapes like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec or Petit Verdot. Overall, the wines were well liked with just one not being enjoyed at all. As expected, the Californian wine from Napa Valley had the boldest fruit and the Chilean Reserve wine seemed the most complex. By the end of the tasting, everyone realized how one grape could be so different depending on soil, climate and winemaking choices. The favorite of the night was from France and was 100% Merlot. In order of tasting the wines were:
1.Hogue Cellars 2009- Columbia Valley, Washington
very aromatic and fruity. nice balance
2. Clos de Moiselles Le Bordeaux Merlot 2009 – France
100% Merlot, great body with nice ripe fruit, supple finish. Chocolatey.
3. Rosemount Estate 2009- South Eastern Australia
dark, cherry fruit. Soft and velvety. Oak.
4. Chelsea Goldschmidt Alexander Valley 2008 – Sonoma, California
100% Merlot. mocha like, lingering finish.
5. Casa Julia Reserve Merlot 2007 Maipo Valley, Chile
grassy notes on nose and palate at first. Opened up with plum, chocolate and finished softly
6. Pellegrini Vineyards 2005- North Fork Long Island, NY
fruity aromas but unpleasant taste. Gasoline like. Got worse as it sat in the glass.
7. Vallarom Merlot Vallagarina 2007- Trentino, Italy
blackberry and tea flavors. A food wine.
8. Rutherford Hill Napa Valley 2006- California
big and bold with cherry and mocha flavors. Fruity and flavorful wine.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Zita Keeley’s Wine School

When Only a Red Will Do

Administrator — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:32:47 +0000

This has been one of those days. You know, one that you wish would just end. So, for me, I was simply waiting for 5 o’clock when it would feel right to open a bottle of wine.
Suddenly, it was almost 5:30 and I was more than ready. As it has been so hot here my first choice was to find a cool, refreshing white wine. I found a Tuscan Vermentino, the Perolla San Felice 2009. 85% Vermentino, 15% Sauvignon Blanc. At first, I was excited by the golden color and what seemed like, very citrusy aromas. A few sips and I realized, that while this wine should be crisp and satisfying, it just wasn’t doing the trick so after another glass and half, it was time to switch to something else. I wanted a red wine , but nothing too big or bold. My husband chose the Sean Minor Carneros 2009 Pinot Noir. Well, this did the trick. My first sniff was pure vanilla and cherry. The first sip made me want more and more. Lots of amazing cherry fruit, some oak but not overpowering. Lots of cherry and spice seemed to coat my palate. It didn’t take long before my husband thought he had enough as I realized the wine has 14.5% alcohol. As I sit here, finishing the last glass of the bottle, it is interesting to note that I find the finish long and satisfying as a good Pinot Noir should be. With an average cost of about $18.00, it is a fabulous find.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Zita Keeley’s Wine School

A Refreshing Sauvignon Blanc

Administrator — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:46:08 +0000

One of my favorite perks in the wine business is when I receive a package that I haven’t expected and it’s a bottle (or more ) of wine to try. Most recently, I received a bottle of Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from the U.S. importers, W.J. Deutsch & Sons. The wine is produced in the famous Marlborough region and was inspired by the beauty of the rainforests, beaches and valleys of the 9 Great walks of New Zealand.

I have never been a big fan of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs as so many are overly acidic and way too citrusy with that ever popular description of “cat pee” on the nose. Well, I am happy to say that this very affordable ($10.99) Sauvignon Blanc had none of that. Definitely acidic and citrus driven but very fresh and crisp it was the perfect wine for a hot summer night. The wine is grown under New Zealand’s sustainable practices as well, just another reason to go out and buy some.

Cheers,

The Wining Woman

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Zita Keeley’s Wine School