May Day and the Kentucky Derby; it was a beautiful spring day. We spent the evening enjoying some of our favorite wine and some of our favorite music at one of our favorite places.
Brianza Gardens and Winery is a perfect venue for an outdoor concert. Today was no exception. We enjoyed the music of Jeff Blackburn Band and great wine from Brianza.
A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and songs from Jeff, Steve, and Britt was a perfect way to spend the evening!
A couple of weeks ago, we visited Grimes Mill Winery in Lexington. This was our first visit for over a year. It was a rainy day so we were inside but with social distancing we were still able to enjoy the visit relaxing with a glass of wine. With a wine list that includes Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, and some fruit wines, there’s something for every taste. Our favorite, though, was a Brunello, a medium bodied red wine made with an Italian grape. With a beautiful tasting room, it is a nice place to visit and enjoy some Italian style wines.
by adminVisitors to the Bourbon Trail in Bullitt County are often surprised by the number of wineries. Bullitt County is home to Brooks Hill Winery, MillaNova Winery, Wight-Meyer Vineyard and Winery, and Forest Edge Winery. Visitors will find good wine and will enjoy a good time while visiting.
Last month, we stopped at two of these wineries. When you enter Bullitt County from the north, the first of the wineries you will discover is Brooks Hill. They make one of our favorite wines, their Estate Reserve. It is a full-bodied red blend of Lemberger and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a unique wine as it is difficult to find Lemberger wines. They are also making a Tempranillo. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend it. Both of these reds are excellent examples of Kentucky’s dry reds.
In the southern end of the county, you will find Forest Edge. It is located near Kentucky’s Bernheim Forest. Forest Edge Winery has a wine list that includes a variety of wines both sweet and dry. From Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet Sauvignon, they made some of our favorite wines. Visitors can relax and enjoy a great wine.
by adminAfter a long year of the pandemic, finally fully vaccinated, we had our first night out enjoying a safe evening of wine and music at Brianza Gardens and Winery for a St. Patrick’s Day Party.
The Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent, as usual and the music provided by Rucca was great.
With original songs, as well as covers, such as Tyler Childers’ White House Road, Waylon’s Can’t You See, and Adele’s Rollin the Deep, they have an eclectic playlist with something for everyone. They also did one of our personal favorites, Pistol Annie’s Hell on Heels. Of course, one of the best was a tribute to the late, great John Prine with Angel from Montgomery. Solo sets were also special, like Lauren’s version of Wayfaring Stranger and Ashley’s cover of Blue Bayou.
We had a fun night out!
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Wine lovers in Northern Kentucky or those visiting the area have something to look forward to this week. Brianza Gardens and Winery’s spring and summer hours begin on March 16. While they have been open on the weekends for a while now, wine lovers can now drop by from Tuesday to Sunday.
Brianza lovers will notice some changes in the décor that allows for a more open look as well as social distancing. Check out their calendar of events at their website, http://brianzagardensandwinery.com
We’re still not traveling, but Eagle Creek Vineyard is just a short drive down the river from Northern Kentucky, we visited last week for an afternoon. Located on Main Street in Warsaw just a few doors away from the well-known Jewells on Main, Eagle Creek Vineyard was a nice diversion on a dreary, rainy day in February. Owners Dave and Beth Lynn have created a nice place to visit that’s made even nicer because they have good wine. Their wine list includes many of the sweeter wines such as Concord, Niagara, and Catawba, native grapes that are well known to most Kentucky wine drinkers. Purchasing juice mostly from New York, the winery also feature dry reds such as Shiraz, Malbec, and Dornfelder as well as dry whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Vignoles. Sauvignon Blanc and Dornfelder were our favorites.
My favorite dry white is Sauvignon Blanc and I’m always excited to find new offerings especially in Kentucky, this was a pleasing find. The wine offers the crisp, acidic, tart apple flavors with the herbal aromas that lovers of this wine expect. Dornfelder, a German grapes, is not often found in Kentucky. We were pleased to see the wine on their list prior to visiting, but their offering on their wine list was sweet. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived and found they had a dry Dornfelder. For those unfamiliar with this grape, the wines have a dark fruit taste with dark spicy overtones and made for lovers of a nice dry red wine.
The weather was somewhat dreary and wet, so photos of the outside were not possible, but here’s a glimpse of the tasting room which provides a cozy welcoming place to enjoy some good Kentucky wine. A visit to Eagle Creek Vineyard is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
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Brianza Gardens and Winery has a new release and it’s not wine – their new release is a Brandy.
For those unfamiliar with brandy, it is a liquor produced by distilling wine and contains a higher alcohol content that wines. Owner and winemaker, Tony Parnigoni’s new brandy is made using his Chambourcin wine, distilling a portion and blending that with the remaining wine then aging it in a Buffalo Trace barrel. He did an excellent job!
Brianza Brandy offers complex aromas and flavors. Wine lovers will find it very enjoyable. When you pour a glass, let it breathe just a bit, then enjoy the first aromas of dark spices (cloves and cinnamon) and hazelnuts. Take a sip; the first flavor you taste are those same spices. Then when you swallow, the taste is of a just picked blackberry, leaving you with a warm finish. This brandy made from Chambourcin is a pleasant addition to the Brianza list of wines.
by adminIn this disturbing year, finding a safe place to relax and enjoy an afternoon break is a great find. Our place is Brianza Gardens and Winery. On bad days, on good days, or just Wednesdays, stopping at Brianza and sharing a great Cabernet Sauvignon makes it all better. We’ve shared picnic lunches, ran into friends, and just visited with Tony and talked about wine.
Fall in the vineyard has been beautiful. Kentucky wine lovers would enjoy a visit. Try a tasting flight and choose the wine you love most. Enjoy!
If you’re missing the Chrisman Mill Vineyards and Winery, Hummingbird Ridge Distillery, and Fuego Grill, you might be interested in the pop-up sales from their newly opened Hummingbird Bakery Company.
Denise Nelson has created custom design sugar cookies. She uses only natural ingredients – Potassium Bromate free flour and 100% natural Madagascar vanilla. They are not only delicious but also a work of art.
Check out their Facebook page.
by adminThe last Saturday in September, we enjoyed a wonderful meal and amazing wine on the patio at Fuego Grill. The Grill, the Chrisman Mill Winery, and Hummingbird Ridge Distillery are closed until spring. They will be missed!
It was a beautiful night and the winery was looking its best.
The owners, Chris and Denise Nelson, are to be congratulated and thanked for providing their visitors with a safe and responsible way to have quality meals and drinks during the Covid 19 pandemic. From delivery and carry out to VIP safe-distanced dining on the patio, they have been a welcome respite from the worry of contagions.
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