No, I haven’t given up on talking about wine. Christmas shopping, giving and grading finals, and going to basketball games has taken up most of my spare time this month. Of course, I have had some very good wine. A glass of wine (or more) is always relaxing after shopping and grading; and the Elk Creek Kentucky Proud Store next to Rupp Arena and Chrisman Mill Winery at Hamburg offer a chance to combine two of my loves on game days.
There are a couple of wines I’ve enjoyed this month that I would recommend, especially for those of you who love the big reds in cold weather. Prodigy’s Lemberger is a dark, dry wine with a plummy taste. Chrisman Mill’s Norton is garnet colored dry wine that has a spicy taste.
Enjoy the season and have a happy holiday with family, friends, and wine.
by admin
I’ve discovered a couple new wineries that have recently opened that I’m looking forward to getting to in the next few months.
The Little Kentucky River Winery has opened in Bedford. They are open on Saturdays and by appointment. They offer several sweet wines in bottles with names like Smokehouse Red. We stopped briefly weren’t able to spend much time so I’ll wait to review it.
Verona Vineyards opened earlier this year. While I haven’t had a chance to visit, I have heard good things about them and their wines. They are closing for the winter months.
The Grimes Mill Winery has opened in Lexington. Their winter hours are limited and they plan to close in January and February, so it may be a while before we visit. After looking at their website, I’m looking forward to visiting and tasting their Italian style wines.
The Cincinnati Enquirer recently reported a market opening in May next year located on Mt. Zion Road just south of Florence, in Northern Kentucky. Several Kentucky wineries will be available there for tasting and buying.
The wine industry in Kentucky is constantly changing. New wineries have been opening and people have been discovering Kentucky wine. I hope you are enjoying the wines as much as I do.
by adminMy husband and I have had a Thanksgiving tradition for several years. After dinner on Thursday, we travel to Brown County Indiana, for the weekend. We spend Friday shopping, but it involves casually strolling around Nashville rather than pushing and shoving to get the best prices at stores like Best Buy.
For those who have never visited Nashville, the town is full of unique shops full of one of a kind items, artisan crafts, and unusual gifts. Our Christmas cards come from a lovely little shop named the Totem Post, that sells Leanin’ Tree cards. As someone who loves to cook, I also enjoy a stop at a gift shop called Kiss the Cook. The Nashville House and the Nashville General Store and Bakery offer a wide variety of local jams, jellies and spices. Dining in Brown County offers many choices, from the Brown County Inn and the Ordinary featuring old fashioned country cooking to restaurants with more modern cuisine.
Fine wine is also to be found at several local wineries. Our stops include Brown County Winery, Chateau Thomas Winery, and nearby Oliver Winery just north of Bloomington. Oliver Winery, the largest in Indiana, offers tastes of a large variety of wines from drys to sweets. They also have many flavors of hard cider. Chateau Thomas, while offering some sweeter choices, have many varietals of dry reds. If you love dry reds (and I do), I recommend a visit. Brown County Winery has many lighter reds and fruit wines that are quite popular with visitors.
Each season in Brown County offers a panoramic vista of the hills in southern Indiana. The change of seasons provide visitors with many opportunities to enjoy the area. We find it a lovely, relaxing way to spend Black Friday.