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North Carolina Wine Month
Enjoyed a wonderful bottle of Il Falco by Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery to celebrate North Carolina wine month. This wine is a dry red made with the Sagrantino grape. Sagrantino is noted for flavors of dried plumbs, and dried cherries. This varietal is blended with Montepulciano and Petit Verdot to give this full-bodied wine a fruity character with a complex aroma.
Sagrantino is a varietal that is fairly unknown due to the limited acreage around the world. It is indigenous to the region of Umbria in Central Italy. Even though there has been a growth in the number of producers, there are still only around 2500 acres in the world.
by adminMay is NC Wine Month!
Most wine lovers don’t think of North Carolina when they start looking for a bottle of good wine. But, if they’ve ever had one from there, they might.
In 1835, North Carolina opened its first winery, Medoc Vineyards. At the turn of the century, there were 25 wineries in the state, but they closed during Prohibition. Duplin Winery was the first modern one to open in 1975. Almost twenty years ago on a trip to North Carolina, we visited a few wineries. Since then the state has developed a wine industry that that includes 186 wineries and 2300 acres of of vineyards and is ranked 11th in the United States in wine production. Biltmore Estate Winery is one of the most visited wineries in the country.
One of our favorite wineries is Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery in Ronda, North Carolina. We first visited there in 2014 and fell in love with the place. We have visited there many times since then and have enjoyed many wines. It’s hard to choose your favorite from this winery that specializes in Italian style wines.
So wine lovers, I recommend that you give North Carolina a try. You definitely !won’t regret it and you might find yourself a new favorite spot!
by adminSpinach Lasagna Supreme
I’ve always loved to cook and, of course, have done a lot of cooking with wine. (would love to get that cookbook finished) Right now though with the stay at home rule, I’ve taken cooking to new lengths. I’ve been trying new things, and creating recipes. It’s been fun!
Here’s one of my newest recipes for cooking with wine. It was a big hit!
Spinach Lasagna Supreme
- ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
- ½ pound of bacon, cut slices into one-inch pieces
- 12 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large onion, cut into small pieces (the size of the mushroom slice)
- ½ pound ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2 T. parsley flakes
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups mixed shredded Italian cheeses (Romano, Asiago, Mozzarella, Parmesan, & Provolone)
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1 ½ cup shredded Parmesan
- 9 Precooked Lasagna sheets
- 30 ounces tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine
- 2 T. Basil
- 2 T. Oregano
- 2 t. Garlic Granules
- 1 t. sea salt (can be omitted for low sodium diet)
- 1 t. coarse ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, and onions in a skillet, until meat is cooked and mushrooms and onions are tender. Drain. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, wine, basil, oregano, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs in a large bowl; add ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese, parsley flakes, and eggs. Mix well.
- Mix together the remaining shredded cheeses in another large bowl.
- Place ½ of the lasagna sheets in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture, then ½ of the spinach, next the ½ of the meat mixture, followed by ½ of the shredded cheeses. Repeat layers.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
by admin