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Wine Festival at Jane’s Saddlebag
Though April has been rainy and cold, May is almost here and the weather looks promising. Just the right time to start thinking about visiting wineries.
Mark your calendars — one of Kentucky’s best wine festivals will be May 30, 2015, from 11 AM to 8 PM, at Jane’s Saddlebag in Union, in Boone County.
Watch for more about the festival. I will be writing about the details.
by admin with No CommentsForest Edge Winery
Wineries sometimes offer barrel shares of new wines. This means that you purchase a case of the wine while it is still in the barrel. During the aging process, buyers are invited to taste the wine to experience the changes that the wine makes in the barrel. Last year, as a gift for my husband, I purchased a blended red wine from Forest Edge Winery. Butch Meyer, the winemaker, created a blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petite Verdot, and 6% Petite Syrah. The wine is called Mes Amis Vin 13. We went over the weekend to bottle the wine. The blend is delicious; a smooth, full-bodied wine with deep red berry flavors.
Forest Edge hosted a breakfast followed by the bottling process. We invited close friends as our guests for the day. My husband bottled his case of wine. It is interesting to have the opportunity to bottle your own wine. This event was an especially enjoyable experience. Forest Edge is offering another barrel share for next year with a vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Forest Edge is one of Kentucky’s finest wineries. It is located in Shepherdsville, just about a mile off I-75, at Exit 112, near Bernheim Forest. Wine lovers will find a lot to like, from their reds to one of the best dry Rieslings I’ve ever had. I certainly recommend Forest Edge Winery.
by admin with No CommentsFrench Lick Winery
For Kentucky wine lovers looking for a day trip, I recommend French Lick Winery. The winery is located in West Baden, Indiana. Visitors will find it difficult to know if they are in West Baden or French Lick as the towns are side by side. French Lick and West Baden are home to the French Lick Springs Hotel, the West Baden Springs Hotel, and the French Lick Casino. There are also many golf courses, a water park, and a multitude of other activities. But for wine lovers, you can’t beat the French Lick Winery and Vintage Café.
The winery is located in an old factory building so the outside is not as impressive as some wineries you might visit, but don’t be misled. When visitors walk through the doors, they will be impressed by the wine tasting bar, the dining area, the glass front winery, and the gift shop. Wine lovers will find themselves impressed, not to mention happy.
Visitors can start at the tasting bar with a wide variety of wines. Our favorite is the Norton, but their Pinot Gris, Leon Millot, and Traminette are excellent as well. After your tasting, you’ll want to choose a wine and get a table for lunch or dinner. The vintage café offers a full menu of Italian foods. I recommend anything on the menu, but when I’m there, I can’t pass on the pizza. Their pizza is maybe the best I’ve ever tasted. They have marvelous appetizers also. My favorites are the stuffed mushrooms and the All Natural Pan Bigio (a fantastic artisan Italian bread).
After your dining experience, I recommend the gift shop. This gift shop offers the widest variety of wine related gifts of any winery around. Shoppers will love it.
Whether you visit for the day or choose to stay overnight, French Lick and West Baden, Indiana is a great place to go.
March Wine Lover News
March was both a busy and a distracting month for this wine lover. Between illness, weather, classes, and basketball, I’ve been remiss in keeping up. So let’s talk about some wine.
My husband and I have had the opportunity to enjoy some great wines, with visits to French Lick Winery in Indiana, Chrisman Mill Winery, and Forest Edge Winery in Kentucky. We’ve also been using Kentucky wines to salute the Kentucky Wildcats victories.
This month I’ve been trying a lot of different recipes for the cooking with wine book. Denise Nelson and I have spent some time cooking together. The two of us have some great new ideas for some special dishes. In the next few months, I will be letting you know about the progress.
I’m really looking forward to spring and the opportunity to get out and about to visit wineries and try new wines.
by admin with No Comments
Wine for Cabin Fever
Earlier this winter, we were all watching the news from the Northeast and being grateful that Kentucky’s weather was mild in comparison. But this past week, Kentucky has had its own round of snow and cold. The region has reached colder temperatures and more snow than has been seen in years. Even those who love snow are saying enough. For someone like me that doesn’t like winter at all, it has been more than enough. There is one way I can think of to enjoy a cold winter evening. Build a fire in the fireplace and open a bottle of a Kentucky red wine. Just in time for the weather, we got a few bottles of really great wines from the Commonwealth.
The 2012 vintage of Norton Reserve from Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery was released in December. While this wine is always a favorite, the new vintage is an exceptional one. This full-bodied wine has the spicy flavors of a fine Norton, but has achieved a mellow finish that sets it apart.
Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery’s Cabernet Franc has aged to even better than when it was first released. At the time, the wine was excellent and demonstrated the quality of wine that Kentucky could produce. Now after nearly two years, the wine has the subtle flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg with a finish of milk chocolate. After my first sip, my first thoughts were the flavors of spicy hot chocolate.
The spice and dark fruit flavors of the Lemberger from Prodigy Vineyard and Winery is always a special choice. With its soft tannins, the wine is smooth and offers red wine lovers a medium bodied taste of pepper and light leathery aromas.
A glass of a fine Kentucky red wine, a blazing fire, and a special someone can chase the winter blues and offer a remedy for cabin fever. Just think spring is just about a month away.
by admin with No CommentsHappy Valentine’s Day!
It’s not too late, check your favorite winery’s website. Many have special events planned, such as Brunch at Chrisman Mill, Valentine Dinners at Atwood Hill, Elk Creek, and Prodigy. There are too many to name them all.
Whether you’re going out or staying in, get that bottle of Kentucky wine and have a good time. Hope you and your special someone have an enjoyable, romantic day on Saturday.
by admin with No CommentsValentine’s Day
If you’re looking for a romantic way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, wine lovers need to look no further than the nearest Kentucky winery. Most wineries plan special events for visitors that include special tastings, dessert pairings, or dinners. Check out the website of your favorite winery for their scheduled event; some will need reservations so don’t delay.
For those who would rather stay in, get a bottle of the Kentucky wine you love best to share with that special someone. A few of my choices are Norton Reserve from Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery, Cabernet Franc from Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery, Malbec from Grimes Mill Winery, and Lemberger from Prodigy Vineyard and Winery, but there are many others to choose from. Kentucky wineries have a variety of good wines.
However you choose to celebrate, have a romantic time with the one you love.
by admin with No CommentsTyler Park Neighborhood Association Wine Tasting
My husband and I spent a couple of hours, on Sunday, at an event held by the Tyler Park Neighborhood Association, at the Mid-City Mall, in Louisville. They were hosting a wine tasting to raise funds for Tyler Park. The park is a part of one of the Olmsted systems of parks. Frederick Law Olmsted, already known for his work on Central Park in New York City and the United States Capitol Grounds, was commissioned in the early twentieth century to design a park system for Louisville. All monies raised will go to the Tyler Park Master Plan.
I was invited to sign my book, A Wine Lover’s Odyssey Across Kentucky, by Joan Dubay, one of the groups members and planner of the event. The theme of the evening was France, featuring wine, hors d’oeuvres and music of France. A gift basket was raffled, with gifts from Kentucky wineries and a copy of my book. It was obvious that those attending had an enjoyable evening.
My thanks to the group for extending the invitation and their warm reception to my husband and I, and their interest in my book. The evening of wine tasting was well-planned, well-attended, and successful.
by admin with No CommentsVerdelho
Verdelho is a white wine grapes most often associated the island of Madeira, or Portugal and Spain. The grapevines were introduced in Australia in the early 1800s, and much more recently in the United States. Chateau Thomas Winery, in Indiana, makes this wine from hand-harvested grapes, shipped in a refrigerated truck from a vineyard in Lodi, California. Verdelho has aromas of honeysuckle, peaches, and limestone. The wine has mineral flavors with spicy, nutty, overtones, with a lingering finish.
While no one would describe Verdelho as a light white wine, the full-body flavors add a dimension to the enjoyment of this wine. Though this wine is not as familiar to white wine lovers as a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc and is harder to find, I recommend giving it a try if you get a chance.
by admin with No Comments
Happy New Year from the Kentucky Wine Lover
Get a bottle of your favorite wine, find a special person, and celebrate a new year!
Happy New Year! Best wishes for a happy 2015!
by admin with No Comments