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Happy Holidays
Brown County Winery
No visit to Brown County and Nashville, Indiana, is complete without a stop at Brown County Winery. Whether you stop at the winery just outside of town, the tasting room in town, or both, you should always visit this winery. They have some of the coolest winery related gifts available at any winery. Their staff are some of the friendliest, most helpful of any winery we have visited, and we love their ports.
They have an Old Barrel Port and a Black Raspberry Encore that are two of the best after dinner drinks we have tried. Both are created in the fashion of ports and are 20% alcohol. I recommend that you give them a try.
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Chateau Thomas Winery
During our last visit to Chateau Thomas Winery in Nashville, Indiana, we were somewhat disappointed because our favorite wine was not available. However, we stopped there on our Thanksgiving trip and were happy to discover that they once again had Teroldego, or Dragon’s Blood. The wine has deep colors, a flowery aroma, and flavors of berries and cherries. It is an amazing wine.
Also, we tried a Verdelho, which is a new wine varietal at Chateau Thomas Winery. Verdelho, a Portuguese white grape, has the aromas of peach and honeysuckle. Unlike many whites, Verdelho is a full-bodied white that is quite satisfying.
Even though our visit was brief, we enjoyed it immensely and were pleased to be able to purchase two such unique wines.
Oliver Winery
A visit to Oliver Winery, north of Bloomington, Indiana, is always going to be enjoyable. Whether it is in the spring when the flowers are in bloom, or in the summer when you can sit at a table by the lake and sip your wine, or in the fall when the patio is warmed by the heaters so visitors can still enjoy the outdoors, or in the winter when the barrel room is open for wine lovers to drink a glass of wine surrounded by barrels of future vintages. We were able to relax and enjoy our wine over the Thanksgiving weekend at a table in the barrel room.
Wines made by winemaker, Bill Oliver, are always excellent. This visit we were treated to a new dry, red blend, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes. The wine has dark berry flavors with an aromas of cherries. It is one of the best blends we’ve tasted at Oliver Winery. Of course, the Sauvignon Blanc and the Shiraz were as good as usual. For those who enjoy sweet wines, the winery has some excellent choices such as the soft red and soft white. Their meads and ciders are also big hits with visitors.
If you’re near Bloomington, or just want to plan a trip, be sure to stop in at Oliver Winery. The winery is an excellent spot to taste wine and while away a couple of relaxing hours, no matter the season.
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Merry Christmas from the Kentucky Wine Lover
As you’re getting ready for a holiday party, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, remember there are many wonderful Kentucky wines to help you celebrate the season. I recently saw a shirt that said “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, but red will do.” Whatever your favorite, Kentucky’s wineries have it all.
You’ll find lots of wines to choose from, old favorites or new vintages such as Chrisman Mill’s Norton or the new release of Moscato from Grimes Mill. Whether you are visiting one of the wineries or just stopping to pick up a bottle at your favorite wine shop, look for some Kentucky wines and enjoy the holidays.
by admin with No CommentsWine and Cooking Book
For those who have enjoyed A Wine Lover’s Odyssey Across Kentucky, I’m working on a new book. This one will be about cooking with wine, as well as pairing wines with your foods.
This time I have a co-author. I’m working with Denise Nelson of Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery. Some of you might have enjoyed her cooking expertise at one of the winery’s Tuscan Dinners, a vineyard lunch, or the Tapas and dessert menu at the winery. We have been creating recipes and researching topics.
Watch for updated news about when the book will be available.
by admin with No CommentsHappy Thanksgiving
November has been both busy and tiring, but I didn’t want the month to pass without wishing my readers a Happy Thanksgiving and wishing you a very winey holiday.
If you are still trying to decide on a perfect wine to go with your special dinner, let me recommend a light, dry, red or a dry Traminette. A Beaujolais Nouveau, which is released on the third Thursday of November, is also an excellent choice. If you prefer a fruit wine, I would recommend a Cranberry, for its tartness.
However you plan to spend the day, enjoy yourselves!
by admin with No CommentsNorthern Kentucky Wine Festival at MainStrasse 2014
Whether it’s to celebrate Octoberfest, Italian Heritage, goetta, or wine, Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati have demonstrated time and time again that the banks of the Ohio is a great place for a festival. I’ve been to several in the past, and have to say they know how to throw a party. Expect one this weekend at the Northern Kentucky Wine Festival.
MainStrasse is one of the best spots for a festival. The tree lined Sixth Street promenade between the Clock Tower and the Goose Girl Fountain is a perfect location for a stroll under the tent from booth to booth tasting Kentucky’s wines. The MainStrasse Village hosts great festivals.
MainStrasse Village is a historic neighborhood, with German heritage and architecture, just off the 5th Street exit from I-75/71. Parking is available in lots nearby, including complimentary parking at the IRS lot at 4th and Johnson. There are shops, restaurants, and taverns in the MainStrasse area.
The Northern Kentucky Wine Festival will be held from 3 to 10 PM, on Saturday, October 18, 2014. Four sample tickets and a souvenir wine glass are available for $10, but you can purchase more tickets or wine from the wineries. Fourteen wineries, including some of Kentucky’s best, such as Verona Vineyards, Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery, and Smith-Berry Vineyard and Winery, will be there, as well as some artisans.
I’ll be there signing my book, hope to see you there.
by admin with No CommentsWineries of the Bluegrass
While the weather last week was rainy and dreary, a friend and I were fortunate to have chosen the one day of the week with perfect weather. Wednesday was a beautiful day for a day trip to some wineries in the Bluegrass region.
When you visit vineyards this late in the season, the grapes have generally been harvested. The vines have begun to look like all the other foliage of the fall and are not at their best. To my surprise, when we arrived at Lovers Leap Vineyard and Winery, the Norton grapes were still on the vine and absolutely gorgeous. Since Norton is one of my favorite grapes, seeing the vines covered was a welcome sight. I was, of course, anticipating all that wonderful Norton wine to come. Lovers Leap currently has seven acres of Norton vines. Their wine made from this native American grape uses its other name, Cynthiana. They are planning to also make a Reserve in the future as well. We tasted a lot of new vintages of some of my favorite of their wines and had a great tasting experience.
Our next stop was in Frankfort, at the Prodigy Vineyard and Winery tasting room. We had a wonderful visit with some excellent wine and a lunch of chicken salad sandwiches. Prodigy’s tasting room has an inviting atmosphere that seems to suggest you come in, enjoy the wine, and relax a while. So, we did.
We visited Chrisman Mill Winery at Hamburg and couldn’t resist an order of bread pudding to go. New gift items had been added to the shop, so it was fun to look around.
The day was enjoyable and it is always fun for me to introduce wine lovers to some of my favorite wineries.
Kentucky Proud Incredible Food Show Review
Our day at the Incredible Food Show was quite enjoyable. We spent several hours on Saturday looking at exhibits and tasting Kentucky products. There was something for everyone’s tastes from sauces, to meats, to cheeses, to sweets. Though not all the choices were to our liking, it was easy to see that everyone was finding something they enjoyed. We were happy to find some of our favorites from previous years, as well as finding a few that we’ll want to try again and again.
We have been fans of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese for many years. Kenny Mattingly makes a variety of cheeses at his farm in Western Kentucky. Whether you’re a fan of cheddar, Swiss, or one of his more creative choices, Kenny’s cheeses are excellent. While our favorite is his Swiss, we tried a new one this year, Tomato Basil Cheddar and are looking forward to trying it again soon. Check our their website at www.kennysfarmhouse.cheese.com, to view their products.
Browning’s Country Ham has been a long time favorite as well. Whether you enjoy ham, bacon, or sausage, find those and more at Browning’s. Their products are on display at www.BrowningsCountryHam.com.
A couple other products we discovered a few years ago were there as well. Since we love cheese, we also enjoyed tasting and buying from the Boone Creek Creamery. If you have ever tasted a homemade ketchup and miss that special flavor, you will want to try Grandma Carolyn’s Ketchup, made from an old family recipe; it is one of our favorites.
One of our favorite booths was new to us this year. Kandies of Kentucky is making candy using Bourbon, Wine, and Spirits. We tried some candies and they were amazing. My favorite was the Noire Berry, made with Blackberry Wine from Forest Edge Winery. We spent some time talking with both Barry and Barbara Summer and enjoyed meeting them and talking about their products. Look for them at www.kyagr.com/KDAPage.aspx?id=10013. After tasting, we of course had to buy some candy.
Of course, we also visited the winery aisle and did a few tastings before we left. Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery was pouring tastes of their newly bottled Chambourcin. We tried a couple of Nortons, one from Rose Hill Farm Winery and one from Rising Son’s Winery and enjoyed them. Forest Edge Winery and Purple Toad Winery were also pouring some of their excellent wines and we enjoyed visiting with them.
The entire experience certainly made for a pleasant fun day.
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