Nov 16thWhat wine goes best with a Happy Thanksgiving?

My suggestion whenever choosing a wine, whether to go with food or to drink alone, is the wine should be one you will enjoy. While it is true that particular wines will enhance certain foods, you are more likely to enjoy yourself if you love the wine.

Thanksgiving dinners raise a lot of questions. Is your menu the traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings, what is your budget, who are you breaking bread with, and do your guests enjoy wine are the most pressing. Traditional Thanksgiving dinners have a range of flavors and to match each course, several (maybe many) different wines are called for and this would be costly. The more people you are sharing your meal with, the costlier it becomes. Some guests might not even want wine. (Really, you know people like that?) So, deciding on the wine is not a quick choice.

I looked at suggestions I’ve made it the past and really can’t improve on them. A nice dry, or semi-dry Gewürztraminer or a Beaujolais Nouveau will enhance the flavors of that Thanksgiving turkey. For dessert, a nice sparkling wine will pair well with those favorite pumpkin and pecan pies. For the adventurous wine lovers, many wineries, including those in Kentucky, make a semi-sweet spicy style of wine for the holidays, such as Prodigy Vineyard and Winery’s Holiday Cheer, a blended wine with added spices.

Hope your Thanksgiving is a good one! Enjoy the day!

Oct 26thGabriele Rausse Winery

One of the best wineries in Central Virginia is very small and visitors are welcomed to an intimate tasting room with service from members of the family. Aromas of freshly baked bread fill the room as you walk in and you get to taste some of the bread along with your wines.

Gabriele Rausse Winery is set in the middle of a wooded area. One could miss finding it, if they are not careful. But take care because you certainly don’t want to miss it. Each wine you are poured in of great quality. It’s just a matter of finding the one you like to best. We love the red blend, Rosso. The flavors and aromas are perfectly suited to any Italian wine lovers tastes.

This visit as we were leaving I noticed a white called Malvasia Bianca. They were basically out of it but I was able to taste it. The wine has the aromas of tropical fruits and flowers. The flavors are tropical as well. Most wines made with Malvasia Bianca are done somewhat sweet, at the very least off dry. This one however was dry and delicious. I was able to purchase their last bottle, and opened it this week. My memories of how good the wine was were not exaggerated. Hopefully, there will be more in the future at the winery.

Sep 26thRaffaldini Vineyards and Winery

We made our fifth visit to Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery earlier this month and have agreed that they just get better and better with each visit. The grounds, the vineyard, the gorgeous villa tasting room, and the amazing wines combine to make Raffaldini one of the premier wineries in North Carolina. They are definitely our favorite!

Aug 27thNational Red Wine Day

Another day to celebrate wine – August 28 is National Red Wine Day. The question is what red? What is your favorite? My answer years ago was a well-made Sangiovese, but now there are many more choices to consider. Here’s a list of my favorite reds: Sangiovese (still), Barbera, Nebbiolo, Lemberger, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Norton, Tempranillo, as well as several red blends.

But, it’s Red Wine Day, not Red Wine Week, so I will have to choose. We will definitely raise a glass to toast red wines. Hope you enjoy a glass or two?

Aug 21stA Kentucky Dry Rosé

For the wine lovers who love a good dry Rosé and thought that the only Rosés to be found in Kentucky were sweet, I have found just the thing for you. Wight-Meyer Vineyards and Winery in Bullitt County has a Rosé made with a whole cluster press of the Zinthiana grape. The flavors and aromas are reminiscent of dried strawberries with an aftertaste of cranberries.

For those who are not familiar with Zinthiana, it is a relatively new grape species resulting from a cross of “Zinfandel” and “Norton” made in 2001 in California. Combining characteristics of both its parents, it has a hardiness to cold weather, is disease resistant, and has high productivity. It produces a dark grape that is suitable for red wines.

Jim Wight, winemaker at Wight-Meyer,  has used this grapes to create an exceptional Rosé that is sure to please the most discerning Rosé lover.

Jul 24thHolly Spears at Brianza Winery

Summer is a great time for events at your local winery, usually including food, music, and lots of wine. This past weekend, Brianza Gardens and Winery hosted such an event. Along with Tony’s spaghetti and meatball dinner and his wonderful wines, visitors were treated to the music of Holly Spears.

Holly Spears is a local singer, musician, and songwriter. She has recorded several CDs of a mix of music, including country, pop, and Christian. We’ve had the opportunity of hearing her before and have enjoyed listening to her.

Check your favorite winery’s website for upcoming events. Music at a winery is a great way to spend a warm, summer evening!

Jul 23rdTotal Wine & More

Wine lovers often go into liquor stores, both large party style stores and small neighborhood shops and wish for a better wine selection. In some, wine even seems like an after thought. Wine shops are popping up, but are generally small and the choices are limited. Kentucky wine lovers have now joined a group of wine connoisseurs in other states and have a new place to go. Both Lexington and Louisville are home to a Total Wine & More, a liquor superstore chain that focus on fine wine.

The company originated in Delaware in 1991, as a small independent store and according to their website, has grown into the country’s largest independent retailer of wine, with each superstore featuring more than 8,000 wines (along with over 2,500 beers and 3,000 spirits). Total Wine & More can be found in over 20 states, and more outlets are opening.

Conveniently located, off Nicholasville Road, in Lexington Green, Lexington’s new Total Wine & More opened in the spring. We visited first in May on a day that unfortunately experienced a power outage. In an effort to console the many customers that were turned away, the management met visitors at the door with a gift of stemless wine glasses. We went again this month and were glad we went back. For a wine lover, the selections are exceptional. Kentucky wines, regional wines, domestic and foreign wines of just about every varietal. If that isn’t enough, the prices are better than most places we’ve shopped.

We just discovered Total Wine & More, with the opening in Lexington. But other wine lovers in Kentucky have known about it for a while now. Louisville has had a Total Wine & More in the Paddock Shops, on the corner of Brownsboro Road and N. Hurstbourne Parkway since 2016. Some sources in Louisville are saying that a second store is coming soon.

I recommend a visit to one of these superstores; it’s worth a drive. Or maybe a stop while vacationing to one of their other more than 175 superstores. Check out Total Wine & More online to find out more about it.

Jun 30thBullitt County Wineries

Some of Kentucky’s best wineries are in Bullitt County, but unfortunately we live far enough away that we don’t often get to visit them. As luck would have it, we needed to pick up a purchase we had made at a furniture store in the county last week. Of course, we planned the day around visits to some of our favorite wineries.

Our first stop (after picking up our purchase) was at Brooks Hill Winery. It had been a while since we had visited and did a full tasting. We were pleased to find that they have a red blend that is both unique and great. The full-body dry wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Lemberger, that has been aged for 14 months in Kentucky white oak barrels. There are tastes of spice and blackberries with a wonderful aroma and aftertaste. Needless to say, we had to have some to take home. If you are a fan of dry red blends, you will want to give it a try.

Next, we traveled a bit south to Forest Edge Winery. The wine here is always going to please visitors, from the somewhat exotic Java Vino to the very traditional Cabernet Sauvignon. Our favorite, as you might guess, is the Cab. It has lush flavors of dark fruit. There’s also a really great dry Riesling for the white wine lovers. For those with a taste for the more unusual wines, the Java Vino is a dessert red wine with coffee flavors that will give you a boost.

Our last stop of the day was at Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery. Jim Wight, one of the state’s finest wine makers, always has a wine ready for visitors no matter what style of wine they enjoy. He makes a great dry red Norton. Possibly his most unique wine is a dry white called Cabernet Doré, a hybrid grape varietal using Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton grapes. Great grapes varietals are often cross bred using two other varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon was created from the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Franc grapevines. Cabernet Doré wine shows it direct link to its grandparent, Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is crisp and perfect for a hot summer day.