National Drink Wine Day 2014
National Drink Wine Day is February 18, 2014. This day is a celebration of wine, its benefits, and its versatility. As I’ve written many times, wine is a celebration and an event. In moderation, wine can be beneficial to your health. Wine has been around for over 6,000 years and has been the focal point of special occasions for most of that time.
Whether your choice is red, white, or rosé, sweet or dry, wine is the preferred drink of people around the world. Americans consume approximately 13% of the wine made in the world, making us the top country in wine consumption. Recently, wine news reported that Americans were drinking more Italian wines than Italians were. Though some states are not as far along in their development, all fifty states make wine. Americans are planning vacations to various wine regions of the United States every year. Wine should be celebrated on National Drink Wine Day, as well as the other 364 days.
From one wine lover to another, Cheers!
Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery
“3 Reds by Wight” is a blend of 50% Petite Syrah, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30 % Cabernet Franc and is 100% Kentucky Proud. Jim Wight has proved, with this exquisite red wine, that Kentucky can grow quality varietals and produce quality wine.
The wine is a dry red with aromas of berries and spices. While the wine will benefit from aging, today it is a lovely dry meritage styled wine. There is a dry, tannic structure with flavors that remind one of an old fashioned blackberry jam cake. The first taste is one of berries and dark fruit, while the finish has blackberry and spice flavors.
We saved our first bottle for a Valentine’s celebration and it made for a memorable evening. We toasted the day with crystal wine glasses engraved with “3 Reds by Wight”. Now we look forward to the next special occasion.
Love and Wine on Valentine’s Day
Thoughts of wine and romance seem to go hand in hand. With Valentine’s Day nearing, wine lovers are looking for ways to show their love to a special someone. Celebrating your love at a Kentucky winery has become an annual event for many. Many of the wineries, such as Horseshoe Bend Vineyard and Winery, Equus Run Vineyard and Winery, Talon Vineyard and Winery, and Prodigy Vineyard and Winery, have scheduled special events.
Whether you choose one of these, or would like to go to another winery, I suggest that you go to the Kentucky Wine website (check my links), and visit the website of the winery of your choice.
If you celebrate with your loved one at home, look for one of Kentucky’s fine wines at wine shops and liquor stores around the state. My husband and I are looking forward to celebrating our love with our first bottle of 3 Reds by Wight, produced by Jim Wight at Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery.
Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
New Vintage of Norton Reserve
A wine’s vintage is the year when the grapes were grown or the wine was produced. Most wineries release new vintages each year of their most popular varietals. Unfortunately, some years have a bad growing season and a vintage is not released. A specific year might also produce a wonderful crop and the vintage is one of the best. If you especially love a wine, you always look forward to the new release.
Recently, Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery released the newest vintage of their Norton Reserve, one of my favorite wines. While each vintage of the Norton Reserve has been good, they have been slightly different. Norton Reserve is made with the choicest grapes of the year, fermented separately, then aged for 12 to 16 months in French oak barrels. The wine is deep purple in color with the flavors and aromas of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The 2011 vintage is quite exceptional.
Norton wines are always big reds, so keep that in mind when you try them. Norton Reserve is a really big red, with big tannins and a smooth finish. If you enjoy Norton wine, be sure to give the Norton Reserve a try – you’ll be glad you did.
Jane’s Saddlebag
For those of you who visited Jane’s Saddlebag in Boone County last summer for their first annual wine festival and are hoping for a second one, you’re in luck. They will be hosting another festival this year, a two-day festival on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. Last year’s festival was so successful that they are expanding to two days from noon to six both days. Jane’s Saddlebag is perfect for an afternoon of relaxing and drinking wine.
If you were unable to visit Jane’s Saddlebag last summer, I recommend that you visit. Many wine lovers who attended last year have asked me whether there would be another festival this year so I’m sure they will be looking forward to it.
They will also be hosting a Fall Festival on September 20, with crafts and wines. You can check back for more information.
I’ll be there and hope to see you there.
Kentucky Wine Lover in 2013
Thanks to all of you who have visited my blog; 2013 was a good year. There were over 2500 visitors to the site and while most were from the United States, there were many from other countries as well. 11 visitors from Pakistan was especially surprising.
While the current weather is good for sitting by the fire with a glass of wine, the cold doesn’t exactly suggest visiting vineyards. Hopefully, we’ll begin to see an end to the cold weather and an early spring of visiting wineries and trying new wines.
Kentucky Wine – There’s an app for that!
If you are interested in having more information about Kentucky wine at your fingertips, go the app store and download the Kentucky wine app. The app gives you a list of the Kentucky wineries with links to their websites. You can also download a passport to the Kentucky wineries for a record of your visits and a free gift.
I’ve used the app mostly for the links to the wineries websites, but I recommend it to anyone who is interested in visiting or finding out more information about Kentucky’s wine industry.
Happy 2014 from the Kentucky Wine Lover
As we reflect on 2013, it was a great year for Kentucky wine. Not only is the state opening more wineries and planting more vineyards, but the state is beginning to develop a wine culture. Wine lovers are enjoying Kentucky wine and looking for more.
As recently as just a couple of years ago, people were astounded to find that Kentucky made wine. Today Kentucky wine has become a first choice for many wine lovers. The reason is clear; Kentucky is making very good wine. When I visit wineries around the state and go to festivals, there are always people who are looking for their favorite Kentucky wines. Wine lovers are finding favorite wineries in the state, they are joining the wine clubs offered by the state’s wineries, they are taking the wine tours, and they are attending the wine festivals.
Kentucky wineries are showing off their wines in wine competitions around the country and letting the rest of the country know that we have an excellent product. Kentucky was a producer of excellent wine in the 1800s and has become one again.
I’ve noticed an expanded interest in the kentuckywinelover blog. This year many people have visited this site looking for information about Kentucky wine. I love sharing my love and interest in Kentucky wine with visitors to the site and those who have found my book. I’ve always been proud of being a Kentuckian and as a wine lover, I am proud of the growth of Kentucky’s wine industry. The kentuckywine site and the Kentucky wine Facebook page are developing quite a following, as well.
2014 will only see a growth of Kentucky wine lovers. Look for the new vintages, new varietals, and even new wineries. Kentucky’s wine culture has a bright future.
Happy New Year to all of you wine lovers.
Holiday Greetings from the Kentucky Wine Lover
The tree has been trimmed, the presents have been wrapped, the cookies, candy, and bread has been made. Tomorrow and the next day, I’ll be welcoming family to our home. I decided it was time to relax and reflect on some of the wines I’ve enjoyed this year.
My favorite Kentucky wines from 2013 are: the Cabernet Franc, released this summer by Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery, the new vintage of Norton Reserve from Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery, the new vintage of Dornfelder from Verona Vineyards, Prodigy Vineyards and Winery’s Lemberger, Smith-Berry Vineyard and Winery’s John Harley (Zinfandel), and the recent release from Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery of their 3 Red by Wight (Meritage Blend). Kentucky wines get better every year.
Hope you and your family and friends enjoy the holiday and wine. Have a Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday. As you look to 2014, plan to enjoy the new year with a Kentucky wine.
Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery
Everyone who has tasted Wight-Meyer wines knows Jim Wight makes excellent wine. Over the years, he has won many awards for his wines at various competitions. We have enjoyed his Norton especially for several years. With his new, limited release wine, he has exceeded his past achievements.
Last spring on a visit to the winery, Jim gave us a taste of a blended, dry, red wine that was still in the barrel. He gave us the chance to purchase the wine before it was bottled. Last weekend we were able to take part in the bottling of the wine we had bought; by the way bottling your own wine was really cool. We also sampled the wine and it is amazing. Wines that are recently bottled are left alone for a while to allow the wine to readjust from the “bottle shock” of the bottling procedure. Jim advised waiting at least six weeks before opening the first bottle. He also believes that the wine will get better as it ages. Waiting will be difficult; the wine already demonstrated its superior quality.
The wine, “3 Reds by Wight”, is in a Meritage style, made of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Syrah. When we are finally able to open that bottle, I will get back to you with a full description. I can’t wait.