Issue No. 9             January 2006

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Contents:

• Upcoming Winery Adventures
• What's new at the Winery Adventures website
• Feature Article: Hosting your own wine tasting party
• Local winery events

 

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Where we're headed:

Weather permitting, we are planning a visit to Ohio's Breitenbach

Winery on January 7th. We are re-visiting this winery so that we

may sample a few more wines and spend some time with the winemaker

gathering information for an upcoming article..a behind the scenes look

at Breitenbach...complete with plenty of photos. Be sure to watch for this

article in our February newsletter.

 

We are also busy planning our 2006 Winery Adventures. Gary

and I will be traveling again in March. We'll post information on the

website as soon as we've decided on our first destination of the new year!

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What's new at the Winery Adventures website

Monthly wine recommendations from area wineries. January is

"Wonderful Dinner Reds".  Visit the Winery Adventures website to view

our five picks for January 2006.

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Hosting a Wine Tasting Party   Now that the holidays are over and spring seems so far away, sometimes it's hard to find something to look forward to. More than likely there is snow on the ground in your area...along with freezing temperatures.This is a great time to plan your own wine tasting party. Friends and family will appreciate the thought of tasting wine in a warm atmosphere on a cold winter evening. Following are some tips to make your wine tasting party successful and entertaining for all.   It's best to keep the amount of guests to a minimum. Eight to twelve samplers (including yourself) should be plenty. You want to be able to interact with all of the guests on a personal level. This is also a good number to allow for group conversation.   It's important to have the proper supplies on hand. Use this list as a guide when purchasing items before the event:   Wine: (expect approximately 10 samples per bottle) Glasses Simple snacks to complement the wine (cheese, bread, chocolate etc.) Pitcher of water (for drinking and rinsing) Dump bucket Paper and pencils (for guests to take notes)   Wine is best tasted from white to red...and from dry to sweet. It may also help to educate your guests on the basics of wine tasting.   Swirl - Gently swirl the wine in the glass. Hold the glass up to a white background. Check out the wine's "legs" - the streams of wine that run down the side of the glass. See if the wine is light or full bodied - or somewhere in between. This is also the time to take a good look at the color of the wine. White wines can range from a very pale yellow to an almost honey golden yellow. Red wines can range from a dark pink to a deep purple.   Sniff - Take some time to identify each wine's individual aromas as a group. Every wine has such unique characteristics. This can be a very fun task for everyone.   Sip - Take a sip of wine and hold it in your mouth for a few seconds...then proceed to swish it around a bit. Allow everyone in the group to voice their impressions and thoughts of each wine that is being sampled.   There are several different ways to go about choosing wine to serve at your party. Personally, I like to pull out seven or eight bottles of wine from my wine travels. A couple of reds, a couple of whites and a dessert wine or two is typical for me. I enjoy showing my friends the wonderful wines that are offered in the eastern states that I travel to. On the other hand...you may also ask each of your friends to bring a bottle of their favorite wine. Though you can never be sure what type of variety this will produce (you may end up with all White Zinfandel), this can be a fun and inexpensive way for everyone to share their favorite wine. Some may even wind up with a new favorite at the end of the evening.   With the proper planning, an evening of wine tasting can be educational and fun for all. The best advice I can give you is to relax and have a good time...and everyone else will too.
This article was written by Sharon Alexander of www.WineryAdventures.com. Copyright ?© 2006. All rights reserved.   Local Wine Events   Ohio   January 13-15 Fire & Ice:  The Ultimate Winter Wine Weekend. Join a dozen of Ohio's premier wine makers for the second annual Fire and Ice Weekend at the Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake, January 13-15 2006.  This one-of-a-kind getaway weekend will feature some of the best wines produced anywhere in the region. The theme for 2006 is centered around Ohio's fabulous ice wines, but will include seminars and tastings of numerous varietals including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Chambourcin.  Beyond wine, noted authorities in the fields of gardening and chocolate will share their expertise.  One featured program will be presented by Starbucks Coffee Company of Seattle doing a tasting seminar of premium coffees and teas. Other Hot and Icy themes for this weekend include Flamb?© Cooking, Warm Winter and Chilled Summer Soup and Wine Pairings, Nature Walk along the Icy Shore of Lake Erie, Midnight tasting of Ice Wines, Optional Hot Massages by a professional masseuse and many more! Guests will also enjoy a five-course grand banquet on Saturday evening along with lunch and breakfast buffets!  Guests will enjoy two nights lodging, all listed meals, tastings and activities for just $475 per couple! Only 100 rooms are available for this fabulous weekend.  To register, visit www.thelodgeatgeneva.com and be sure to use the Group/Special offer code:  4G070G (the 0's are zeros). Complete details are available at www.OhioWines.org or by calling (800) 227-6972. January 27 & 28 and February 3, 4, 10 & 11 Chocolate is for Lovers Wine Trail - the Wineries on the Wing Watch & Wine Trail in Northwest Ohio. Take your significant other on an unforgettable romantic tour of the wineries along northwestern Ohio's Wing Watch and Wine trail this Valentines Day season!  This self-drive tour begins with a white tabletop tree decorated with a lovely heart garland. Participating wineries include:  Klingshirn and Christ in Avon Lake, Heartland in Westlake, Sand Hill and Firelands in Sandusky, Mon Ami in Port Clinton, and Single Tree in Amherst. At each winery you will collect a ceramic and metallic heart ornament to place on your tree. You will also enjoy chocolate hors d'ouevres paired with one to two wine samples chosen by the winemakers themselves at each stop. The wineries will be open from 1-6pm each day. Prices for the trail are $25 per single (includes 1 tree and ornaments and wines samples and hors d'ouevres for one) and $35 per couple (includes 1 tree and ornaments to share and wine samples and hors d'ouevres for two). A limited number of tickets will be sold and all ticket sales are final. To order tickets call 800-227-6972 or visit www.OhioWines.org.   February 24 and 25 The 2006 Wines and Vines Chili Cook-Off - The Wineries on the Wines & Vines Trail in Northeast Ohio. Some of the state's most charming family wineries are working together to create an event to help take the chill off a frosty winter weekend. Eleven regional wineries in the northeast corner of the state are sponsoring a chili cook off. They include Laurello Vineyards and Old Mill Winery in Geneva, Debonne Vineyards, Maple Ridge Winery and Grand River Cellars in Madison, Old Firehouse Winery and Lakehouse Winery in Geneva on the Lake, Tarsitano Winery, Biscotti Winery and Buccia Vineyards in Conneaut, and LaLeure Vineyards in Parkman. Visit each of the eleven wineries listed above. Sample their 'favorite chili' and have your ballot validated. At each location, you will enjoy a small portion the family's favorite chili, complemented by an appropriate wine. You will also receive a 'Frosty the Snowman' ceramic gift item. While the wineries are generally closely clustered, you may want to plan on a two-day excursion to visit all eleven. At the end of your journey you will have collected four chili mugs, four small snack plates and three charming candles so that you can replicate your favorite recipes again and again. Then return the ballot to Chili Cook-Off, PO Box 157, Austinburg, 44010. EACH couple [or single] that returns a ballot will receive all of the chili recipes and will have their name placed into a drawing for an overnight at the fabulous Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva on the Lake. You may visit the wineries between 1 and 6 p.m. each day of the event.Cost is $25 per person or $35 per couple. A limited number of tickets will be sold so do not miss out. All ticket sales are final. To order tickets call 800-227-6972 or visit www.OhioWines.org.   New York   February 3 Singles Round Table, Castello di Borghese Vineyard & Winery. Warren Strugatch to host an evening of art, wine and mingling singles! Please call for more information, (631)734-5111.    September 9 & 10 The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest. Grand Reserve Tasting to be held Friday evening Sept. 8th from 6-9pm.  The Grand Reserve is a charity event and tickets must be purchased in advance.  Tickets for the Wine Fest can be purchased at the gate.  The Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest is host to over 40 NY State wineries and a whole variety of gourmet food and fine craft vendors.  The price of admission includes all the wine you can taste and a souvenir tasting glass. There are wine education seminars, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, and live music.  It takes place on the Greig Farm in Red Hook, NY. For more information about the fest, visit http://www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com .      Indiana   January 11 Wine classes begin at Grape Inspirations Winery. Contact the winery to schedule a spot.   Pennsylvania   January 27 Wine Down from 4-7 p.m. Perk your spirits with the delightful ambience of La Casa Narcisi Winery. Enjoy, this month, an Italian Picnic. Taste the rich, flavorful, foods of Italy and enjoy wonderful Italian wines made at La Casa Narcisi Winery just North of Pittsburgh. Wine Down with us from 4 to 7 pm on Friday January 27th. Wine tasting will be available. Veni, assaggiare, gradire!   Quality Wine Making Supplies for Home Vintners. Large selection of wine making kits and wine supplies, in stock and ready to ship. Secure online ordering and low prices. Free catalog! www.HomeBrewIt.com      Accents of Wine - Take Time To Enjoy Life! Specializing in Fine Wine & Cocktail Accessories for Those Who Prefer the Truly Unique and Beautiful. www.accentsofwine.com.   Smiths Winemaking Store Inc. providing quality wine kits, and wine juice from Europe. Please see our web page at www.smithswinemaking.com for all your winemaking needs. And business opportunities to own your own winemaking store. Smiths provides consulting, franchising and partnership services. Absolutely the finest quality wine at the most economical price.   If you have questions, comments, winery events you would like listed or if you would like to submit an article for consideration in a future newsletter, you can contact me by emailing sharon@wineryadventures.com.   If you would like to be deleted from the Winery Adventures newsletter mailing list, send and email with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line to newsletter@wineryadventures.com.