Visiting A Petting Zoo

Posted on July 25, 2010 by AdminSidney

Okay, so it wasn’t necessarily a petting zoo but there was animals and we did get to pet them… Today my husband and I took my 7 month old son to Lattin’s Cider Mill. They are a local cider mill/farm/store here in Olympia and we just have a blast every time we go. My son loved getting to pet all of the animals, especially the bunnies, and feeding the goats. I don’t think I have ever heard a sweeter sound than him squealing with delight as a little white goat ripped an entire bag of oats right out of his little hand. I am sure that goat would have been squealing with delight also if he was able.

Going to Lattin’s really got me thinking about how self sustainable they are. The owners live right there on the farm and all of their employees are family members. In their little store they sell home baked goods and vegetables and cider that they made. They have some of the very best pies I have ever eaten and they make it so convenient for the consumer. You have about 15 varieties of homemade, frozen pies to choose from. All you have to do is pick your favorite, take it home and bake it! Now, if only they made apple wine too so I could stock up my wine rack as easily as I can fill up my belly with their pies…

First Blush at the Wine Rack Store

Posted on July 24, 2010 by AdminSidney

So, a while ago I read a post from another Wine Rack Store blogger about First Blush juice. When I read about this non-alcoholic juice made from grape varieties such as chardonnay, cabernet, syrah and merlot, I couldn’t wait to try it! I remember thinking how great it would be to be able to sample these premium grape blends without the sulfites that send me straight into an allergic reaction. In her posting, she mentioned that not a lot of stores were carrying this new product yet so to be on the lookout for First Blush. Because of this, I never thought I would be strolling through the beverage section of my local Safeway and see it sitting in the cooler!

As soon as I saw if, I ran over to the cooler and picked out 2 of the juices and a couple of the teas too. I am always on the lookout for new juices and teas because I seem to be one of those people who are always parched and sometimes water just doesn’t cut the mustard. I can’t wait to try some tonight! Although it isn’t alcoholic wine, you’d never know the difference once I put the beautifully purple merlot juice in a wine charmed glass. Just fancy enough for burgers on the BBQ tonight!

Wine Rack Store Water Fairies??

Posted on July 23, 2010 by AdminSidney

There is a very hilarious and outlandish tradition in Sweden that celebrates the “Water Fairy of the Year.” Oh, I know you are thinking of a tiny beautiful female being but think again! The creature is sort of like Pan, the half human half goat that plays a flute. However, this mischievous Swedish fairy plays music in rivers, causing curious listeners to venture out to their untimely deaths. So, this mythical character is like a child of Pan and an alluring female Siren. The best part of this–it’s a MAN. A man-fairy. Now, that’s what I call entertainment…

In our day and age, the only real water fairies around are big naked Swedish men skillfully playing instruments in the river. From that description alone, I think we should start a Wine Rack Store tradition that honors the Wine Rack Fairy. As if we’d ever need one, it could be yet another excuse to have a party that involves all the ingredients you need for a good time: naked men playing flutes, wine, wine charms, and…..more vino.

Another cool thing about the water fairy contest is that the men are only allowed to wear “clothing” found in nature. Most wear crowns woven of leaves and flowers. Sounds like my kind of party!

Okay, so I’ve got my fairyland wine charms, now where are the water fairies?!

Rioja Wine Tourism

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Candice L.

The ideal location to explore Spanish wine is Rioja, the region most famously associated with antiquity’s most famous drink. Museums like Dinastia Vivanco Museo de la Culturo del Vino showcase the history of wine, from its 10,000 plus years of history, storage vessels, cellar innovations, wine-related art, consumption and novel modern gadgets such as artistic bottle openers and the advent of glass bottles.

     As a tourist venue, Rioja has a lot to offer if you enjoy Iberian food and wine. This region in Northern Spain offers several guest houses such as Casa Gassedate in Rioja Baja and Casa Los Pinos, a stone house with lake views, a fountain, garden and antique furniture. Here might be your opportunity to spend time getting to know the people and gaining some insight into venues the regular tourists in the high rise hotels may never hear about.

     Restaurants serving traditional rioja cuisine include Calahorra in the town of the same name and Casa Tila in Clavijo. Some guest houses will provide food by prior arrangement.

     La Riojaturismo considers Spanish bodegas, of which there are around 500, the ‘cathedrals of our times.’ Their varied architecture makes for interesting viewing, even before you go inside to view cellars, wine racks, or taste Tempranillo and other Spanish varietals. Note the range from modern glass and wood structures, back in time to stone buildings from a century or more ago.

     Well-known wineries include Bodega Lan and Bodga Puelles. Bodega Lan features on Wine Spectator’s top 100 list, so if you tend to rely on French or American wines and wonder what country’s wines to attempt next, this may provide a good place to start.

Fermenting Wine

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Candice L.

Again with the book, 1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die (Gen. Ed. Neil Beckett). Inside there are not just images of famous art and wine labels, but also some of wine fermenting. I think this might be the one which changes my daughter’s mind about wine. Right now she has a fascination with this heavenly liquid, and I would rather see her approach drink with some intelligence than try to pretend it doesn’t exist. So we looked at this book together and there was a pretty gross image. When wine ferments, it isn’t pretty. Or maybe the image showed a mixture which had succumbed to bacteria.

When Riesling or Merlot turns up on a wine rack the consumer might forget how much work goes into creating the liquid he loves so much, but it’s like dinner. Someone had to slave over the ingredients first. Dinner does not appear on your table by magic.
In fact, Virtual Wine lays it all out quite simply. There has to be a chemical reaction, the right barrels and appropritate temperature to create alcohol. Wine must not be left in too-high temperatures (white wine especially) or it will cook and the wine will be lost. In other words, careful monitoring takes place.
A wine maker, even the best in his trade, can suffer the effects of subordinate reactions. A sulphurous smell can arise in spite of the many considerations paid to environment, temperature and every other aspect of the process. Like a souffle, the finished product does not work out every time. Consequently, nitrogen and micro nutrients are sometimes added to the barrel to ward off this disaster.

The wine maker uses a hydrometer to see if all sugars have been absorbed, added or natural. This device will sink to the bottom when the sugars are ready. He does not get to taste the wine to find out.

To stop bad bacteria from arising, the wine or ‘must’ will be mixed. Within hours bubbling will commence, then the wine sits for several days (longer for white wine than red). After this, wine enters phase two of fermentation when the wine maker carefully moves his liquid into an airtight container. His major concern here is not to add oxygen. Any further ingredients go in about now, such as blends already completed or more yeast.

So, after weeks, even months, a vintage completes its journey from first fermentation to finished product. This does not take into consideration growing, maintaining, and harvesting the grape. Nor bottling, marketing etc. You get the picture, and your mother will sympathise if she did the cooking in your house. No instant, microwave wine here.

Sounds like a lot of work? That’s because it is. Is it worth while? Oh yes. In fact, I wonder how many pharmacists wish they were making wine right now instead of mixing the ingredients to save lives? Thankfully, there seem to be enough clever people out there to fill both jobs.

Bacchus, Dionysus

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Candice L.

label for the 1864 Theophile Roederer & Co. Champagne

Not really, they aren’t actually here. They never really were anywhere except in myth, but that doesn’t stop them showing up in wine related art along with other god or goddess like images. They draw attention to the antiquity of wine making and the artistic qualities of this discipline. For example, a book called ’1001 You Must Taste Before You Die’ (Gen. Ed. Neil Beckett) features not just names of wines and reasons you should drink them, but lots of images my daughter found fascinating. We thought the picture of a small, chubby Bacchus looked kind of creepy. Indeed, this particular deity, adapted from the Greek Dionysus, is the Roman version and represents drunkennes. Dionysus was a bit more civilized and a better multi-tasker, standing for wine-related activities as well as theater and fertility.
Not only these deities, but other images play with a combination of civilized antiquity and debauched high society. The 1864 Roederer Champagne label takes a lovely woman, voluptuous as was the 19th century and ancient Greek/Roman ideal, and creates an ambiguous picture. She holds the glass, key to a good time, arms exposed in the act of raising them. Her dress clings to an hourglass figure tightly enough to define her thights, yet she appears to be wearing some kind of chastity belt. From her head flows two long plaits, one neatly curled at the end, the other coming apart like a series of tentacles sent to ensnare the avid drinker. A ‘mask’ set against one hip suggests the god of theatre, Dionysus, while orchids in varying stages of bud promote stand so lush beside her that even the one still yet to break into bud cannot mitigate the idea that the chastity belt may not be working. Note the dragon, top right hand corner. Does he guard what is left of her purity? And what does this say about champagne?

Images of men with prostitues, voluptuous and semi-exposed women drinking champagne: these make me wonder. After all, champagne is the drink of the gods, or so it is portrayed, imbibed by the wealthy and civilized. Right?
If I had the chance to glance at the wine rack or cellar of a wealthy someone, would I also find art like this hanging around their house? These days such images really would indicate a civility that stretches to art appreciation, not to mention the money to pay for it.

As for the 1001 wines: I don’t recognize many of them from my experience, though have heard of them, much as I have heard of many pieces of fine art though not yet had the chance to see them in person. The two share this in common also: it’s not the same, seeing pictures of them in a book.

L’Acadie Wine

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Candice L.

In the very far east of Canada, a handful of provinces have garnered a reputation for cold. Their winters are harsh, their summers short. PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland contain some of Canada’s most historic sites and show some of the country’s oldest roots. L’Acadie is a reminder of former French colonies settled in these areas. The grape and wines made skilfully from it are gaining the kind of praise their French predecessors would be proud of.
Craig Pinhey wrote for Wine Access about this versatile grape, used in ‘bone dry’ wines, dessert wines, and sparklers. So, you could have some l’Acadie grapes on your wine rack no matter what style of white you prefer.
Pinhey recommends a variety from Gaspereau Valley, L’Acadie Vineyards, Nova Scotia. Jost Winery, in the same province, also makes a l’Acadie Blanc, along with Seyval Blanc, Marechal Foch and others.
Further wine varieties to look for in the east include Cayuga, crisp with green apple and Baco Noir, featuring berry fruit and spice. Familiar names like Chardonnay and Riesling have also found a home here.

Seems that fine wine has found a surprising home in the Maritimes.

Fabulous Birthday Weekend

Posted on July 19, 2010 by AdminSidney

This past weekend was my birthday. Now, I’ll admit that I approached my birthday this year with a little trepidation and fear because I turned the big 2-5. I am so glad that I didn’t let my negative birthday attitude ruin my birthday party. It was absolutely perfect. My father-in-law and I had a joint party this year which really worked out in my favor. Not only did I get to share my day with him and some of his friends and family, I also got to have a HUGE birthday party free of cost. He paid for everything! We had a great BBQ, a wonderful band, and our own private car show on a beautiful summer day! There was enough food and beer for about 300 people which was a good thing because we ended up with about 200 guests! Perfect planning on his part because we had plenty for all and some really great left-overs!

The only thing missing was some wine donated from one of my wine racks. Maybe next year, I’ll think to break out a few bottles before the party has ended and every one has gone home. All in all though, I would have to say that the party was a huge success! I’ll just back with a wine charmed glass of wine that I should have donated and reminisce on ghosts of birthday parties past. Maybe if I start planning now, I’ll be able to out do this year’s bash next year!

Lesser Known Italian Wines

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Candice L.

While varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay make popular choices for dinner parties and short wine lists in restaurants, there are so many varietals to choose from that a waiter needs something to go on; some clue from the drinker as to what style he or she likes. Even ‘red’ or ‘white’ gives few clues. Sometimes, exploring regional wines turns up so many new grapes for my growing lexicon that I almost wish the variety would just stop. I start to feel severely ignorant all over again. I’ll never remember them all, and am hardly likely to encounter such unusual wines unless I start to travel. If this happens I’m seriously considering Italy. I like the sound of their food in particular, and they are passionate about cuisine and wine.

Liguria Foods, a website selling food and drink from Liguria in Northern Italy, carries items like mushrooms in olive oil, honey and pesto. They also sell nine types of white and two types of red wine. Should you ever discover the following on a wine rack, here is some information which comes from their website.

Pigato is described as golden in color, grassy on the nose and dry with a slightly bitter finish. Rossese Ruffino, made from 100% Rossese grapes, is also dry; a ruby red liquid tinged purple, again slightly bitter in the mouth but fragrant on the nose. These are summaries, of course. In the latter case, scent and flavor are enriched with age.

There were numerous different Italian names, blends relying on drying grapes, mold and so on to produce dry right through to sparkling sweet wines, plus food pairing suggestions.

Wine & Health

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Candice L.

How many times have you, readers, come home after a hard day and said ‘boy, could I use a glass of [insert drink of choice here]‘? For me it would be tea, actually. Wine is for curling up on the sofa or drinking with food. Usually I turn to caffeine or chocolate in times of stress.
Now, according to Science Daily and other publications, it turns out that research points to a link between stroke and alcohol consumed within one hour before a stroke.
Then again, drinking regularly but within moderation before an episode can reduce the chance of stroke.
Plus, red wine is supposedly good for your heart if consumed in moderation.
So, I guess the question to ask is: do you like wine? Or beer? Or the odd glass of sherry? Chances are, if alcohol or stroke don’t kill you, stressing out about what to do with all of this scientific research is murder. I say life’s too short. You can’t take the wine rack with you.