Categotry Archives: Wine Wednesday

Sulfite Free Wine SUCKS!

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Today I educated myself on sulfite free wines, and I think I’ll pass on buying any in the future. We don’t have any allergies in our family to the stuff, so no need to drink it anyways.

Side note, one of the interesting things I learned is that wine has less sulfites than most dried fruit.

Main reason is because we maintain a pretty large collection of wine at any given time. Until today, I didn’t realize the stuff only has about a 6 month shelf life, even when it’s stored properly. And you have no idea how it’s been stored before you buy it. So, every time we buy sulfite free, we never drink it before it goes bad. I opened another bottle tonight with “suck your lips right off your face” pucker power. It’s even hard to keep the stuff around for guests with allergies who drop by unexpected.

Yeah, going forward, BYO sulfite-free wine to my house . . . and one with sulfites for Michael and me.

Twitt

Wine, Women & Shoes

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Today I did a search for wine women shoes and found an organization I just had to volunteer to help. It was kismet! Wine, Women & Shoes has been around for 8 years and I had no idea they existed. What a great way for women to get together and do some good for the community.

Now in its eighth year, the WW&S® team has produced over 120 events, which have helped net an astounding $12 million for various women’s and family-related causes.

I’m so excited about helping this organization I might wear heels while I sip wine and cook dinner tonight. I doubt the hubby will object.

Oh, and I got to thinking about a name for a charity for Beer, Men & . . . Hmmm? How might you name it?

Twitt

My New Toy, Vivino

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This week I’m sharing my thoughts about my new toy, Vivino. Jeff Hollar turned me on to it Monday. What exactly is Vivino? This video explains it.

The app was easy enough to set up and I added 7 wines right away. At first it was so much fun I had to stop myself before I went through the entire wine cabinet.

The app allows you to manage wines from both your phone and the web, a plus. I downloaded the free app, so what I can do on my phone is limited at the moment. I’ve promised myself I’ll try other apps before buying one.

Taking pictures of wine label is a snap. It then scans the label and, in most cases, finds the wine in their database. If it doesn’t find the exact wine, it’s easy enough to change the year and type, or you can search by text for the right wine. The wine info page provides a decent amount of information about the wine and plenty of places to add your own thoughts and opinions. Tonight I learned about our wine choice before we opened it, paired it with the right meat and chilled it to the best temperature. Doing a happy dance. I’m not overly happy with the way you view lists of wines on your phone. I want more flexibility to create my own lists for shopping trips and parties. I guess maybe I could use the wish list. There is a nice section for wine pairing.

You can do a lot more with wine on the app than on the website. Viewing the wines on the website is easy enough though. They provide a list of your wines and the ability to sort them by categories. If a wine is missing information, it will drop off a category sort though. Plus, there is no heading for certain categories, so you can’t quickly find a grouping of a certain grape. The information about wines on the website is equivalent to the app, plus there’s additional vineyard and winery information with a map. I also like that you can look up a varietal and get suggestions. This wasn’t accessible from a wine page on the app. Maybe it’s in the Pro version.


Here’s a link to my page on Vivino at http://www.vivino.com/users/WinO-Wendy. They originally set my account up with the extension wendy-ho, which luckily I was allowed to change.

Last but not least, I have to add a link to The Ultimate List of Beer Apps for Blaze and our beer drinking friends—even though I’m pretty sure Blaze still uses a candlestick style phone.

Twitt

Werewolves & Wine & Beer & Coffee

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So sorry I’ve missed about a month of wine posts. I’ve been mismanaging my time lately. Time management is something I know so well I could write a book on it, but you gotta actually follow the practice. So I can’t even come up with a good excuse.

Werewolf with Wne by Michele Irving, an artist who works mainly with fabric, combining this with embroidery, paint and beads.

Anyways, if you’re on Twitter, you know that every day seems to have a theme or two or three. Being a writer, we try to support each other with #WriterWednesday promotions, although most just spam the twitter world with their own stuff. Don’t get me started.

There’s also #WineWednesday, obviously one of my favorite hashtags to search for on Wednesdays. Brings up some really cool blogs about wine I’ll save for another week’s post.

And . . . there’s #WerewolfWednesday. So I had to ask, what do you get when you combine wine with werewolves. First thing I found was the cute pin to the left. I thought about ordering one until I saw the $95 price tag. Seriously, these should be mass produced for $10. She’d be a millionaire. Well, maybe.

The next thing to catch my eye was a wine label. YAY! I love that wine makers have gone wild with labels, so why not name a wine ‘Werewolf.’ Heck, there’s a Vampire label. Comes in the usual Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio varietals. Perfect choices for any Halloween party is my thought.

The bad news is I found this post on Werewolves.com about the damage to the liver from excessive drinking of alcohol. Man Turned Into Werewolf From Drinking Too Much Wine.

“He developed one of many different varieties of porphyria after being exposed to sunlight for a long period of time on vacation with his wife. At first, he thought it was just tan. Then his fingernails, and the skin on his hands started er.. coming off. Not to mention the excessive hair growth.”

Turns out there are other beverages dedicated to werewolves. Blaze will be happy to hear about Newcastle Werewolf, although it was only available in 2011. Maybe they’ll bring it back.

“Legend has it that a beast roams the moors and plains of Newcastle Upon Tyne. It’s part man, part wolf, and more than a little wild— the perfect inspiration for a Limited Edition ale. Newcastle Werewolf comes at you with a dark, startling aroma, a roasty flavor, and a final taste of hops that leaves you howling for more.”

And another one of my favorite hot beverages, that I can’t do without every morning, has a Wicked Wolf label by Reven’s Brew Gourmet. It’s more fairy tale but I’m counting it here as one I’ve gotta try.

“Got big eyes, big ears, big teeth? Are you cross-dressing? No one will notice when you serve this blend of highly select and exotic origins.

Intense, vibrant flavor in a balanced cup with a superb finish. Superlative after-meal coffee with awesome applications as accompaniment to chocolate desserts! Also available in Certified Organic form. Dark Roast.”

And speaking of coffee, it’s only 8:00 A.M., so I think I’ll go get me another cup.

Twitt

To Wine or Not To Wine

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I’ve had two down days of feeling like a cold or flu is coming on. So I’ve had to contemplate canceling Wine Wednesday in between popping zink tablets. Then, in my cloudy state of mind, I wondered if a glass or two will actually be harmful or helpful. After all, wine is good for the heart. Off I went to Google and found this.

It has been found that those who drink a glass of red wine daily are about 20% less likely to contract the flu. It is believed that this may be related to the vitamins and antioxidants, like resveratrol, present in red wine (but largely absent in white or blush wines). Although alcohol tends to depress the immune system, drinking a glass or two of red wine when sick with a cold or flu is probably not detrimental and may prove beneficial. Other studies have shown a daily glass of red wine is beneficial to the heart, and lowers the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of age-related dementia (probably due to the resveratrol). Excessive alcohol use, however, is definitely detrimental to health.

I found a number of other articles on the subject, agreeing that red wine can help combat a virus, especially a cold. One article said a study showed that 14 glasses of wine a week decreases your changes of getting a cold by 40%. Well, I’m a wino, but that’s even too much for me to drink. So, HELL YEAH, we’re having red wine tonight!

Twitt

Sexy Wine Lables

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As Valentines day quickly approaches and considering my hubby pulled out a bottle of The Watchers from Fetish Wines for tonight, this post was a given. Hmmm . . . I wonder what he has planned this evening?

Let’s face it, we’re all suckers for a sexy wine label whether it’s the name of the wine or the picture on front. I can’t argue with all the articles I’ve read today, sex sells! And so I searched the Internet for the best of the best of the sexy wine labels and here are just a few that I found.

This is about the funniest one I’ve found today. I’m assuming they’re talking about the way the grapes hang on the vine, right?

I’ve seen this label everywhere. Who doesn’t appreciate pin up girls?

Gentlemen, I’d be a little careful of what this ladies got between her legs.

My passion for pulp fiction would have me snatching this one off the shelf.

And just in case you’re not stimulating enough of your senses while watching porn.

I could go on all night with this post, but we’re almost finished with the Fetish wine and I’m getting the, “are you done with that post yet” look from the hubby. I’m off to put on a pair of boots similar to the ones on this label.

But before I zip up the boots, I’d like to include one sexy beer label for Blaze McRob. Considering all the hard work he does for the Press, I think he deserves a screaming Double Wench tonight.

I’d like to recognize a few of the websites that did a much better job than me, talking about these wines and beers. I suggest you check out these articles for more of the saucy labels:

Is It Ever Too Early for Wine??

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This is going to be a short post this week, because I want to hear from your instead.

I had spent most of today editing The Courier and other Visionary Press authors, which was a bit tiring, so I opened a bottle at 4:00 today. As I twisted the stelvin closure of the 2008, The Footbolt Shiraz by d’Arenberg, I remembered it’s Wine Wednesday and next thought, what to write about.

We try really hard to wait until 5:00 P.M. to open the wine, but some days . . . . I’m sure you understand what I’m saying. So I’m opening this up to all the readers this week.

From special events to stressful events,
share your stories about the times
you’ve opened the bottle early.

Any liquor type applies to this one. I’ll add mine to the comments as well. No surprise, quite a few come to mind right off the bat.

By the way, the wine I’m drinking tonight won a gold metal at the 2010 China Wine Challenge. It’s definitely worthy.

 

Twitt

Wine & Cookies

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bakingcookies01Welcome to my kitchen. Yes, this is the spacious counter where I spend countless hours cooking and baking. In fact, it’s one of my most favorite places in the world, especially when the family gathers around to talk, eat, drink and celebrate.

I lost all motivation to write or edit this afternoon, so I made cookies instead. Gluten-free, sugar cookies with sprinkles on the first dozen and sliced almonds on the second dozen.

See the bottle of wine in the middle of it all? Well that’s the wine we drank last night. I left it there because I wasn’t sure if it was on our wine rating list. When I turned away from the oven, I laughed when I noticed it among all the baking stuff. How could I not take a picture of the setting?

At 2:00 P.M., I really wanted to open another bottle of wine to dip my cookies in instead of milk . . . but I didn’t. I was good. Won’t stop me from indulging later, after dinner. Will it be a dessert wine or finish up tonight’s white selection with a few cookies I’ll have to share with the dogs. If they were chocolate cookies, the decision would be easy . . . Port. I’m just not sure what to drink tonight.

You got a favorite wine to drink with sugar cookies?

Oh, and by the way, the cookies I baked are not from scratch. I learned over the Christmas holiday that the Betty Crocker gluten free cake mixes double as a base for cookies. Thanks, Betty, for making it even easier for me to pack on extra pounds. If you’re gluten free like me, visit the Betty Crocker website, search for ‘gluten free cookies,’ and find all the yummy treats you can make. Besides the sugar cookies, I’ve made the Cookie-Brownie Bars and they’re delish!

Twitt

Leftover Wine

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CHEERS!!

Welcome Back to Wendy’s Wine Fest!

HOORAY!

One of my resolutions for 2013 is more blogging about fun stuff. So, how could I not bring back my wine reviews? I want to do more than just reviews this year. I’ll be writing about wine festivals, wine & cooking classes, and generally anything else related to wine.

Wine and cooking are two of my greatest escapes from the stresses of writing, editing and managing a publishing co-op as well as two indulgences I can’t live without. If I weren’t a author, I’d probably be a professional chef in my third career. It must run in the family because my youngest son starts culinary school this year. In fact, he and I attended a recreational cooking classes last night. We were both dismissed from Knife Skills class with all our digits, although half of what I learned is that I’ve been cutting 95% wrong.

This week I’m touching on leftover wine. I chose this topic because I found two bottles of white wine in the refrigerator this evening. Both bottles had been there since Christmas: one we had partially drank and one had been an ingredient in the lobster mac & cheese my son prepares annually. Then there’s last night, when we drank a bottle of red that had sat on the counter in a cool corner of the kitchen for at least a week longer. An open bottle of wine hardly ever has a life this long in our house.

How long are you willing to keep an open bottle of wine?

One reason I enjoy writing these weekly posts is because I’m no wine expert. Sure, I’ve tried well over 500 varietals, but each new winery and type is like a whole new experience. And some things about wine I just don’t think about including wine storage, at least until tonight. Not to mention–confessions of a wine lush–we rarely drink less than a full bottle in one evening.

On those rare occasions we drink leftover wine, we’d take a sip to determine if the wine is still good and throw it away if it’s not. In this case, both our leftover bottles of white were perfectly fine. The red last night was better.

Frankly, I don’t know anything about storing open bottles of wine outside of common sense food storage. If it’s white, it goes back in the fridge; if it’s red it’s corked and put on the counter for a day or two until we usually drink it. Again, if it’s bad, it’s spit in the trash and disposed of.

I had to consult an expert, and according to The Wine Doctor in his lesson on Preserving Opened Wine, I’ve still got a lot to learn about wine storage. I’ve been lazy in regards to wine care.  So . . . now that I’m completely embarrassed about my lack of knowledge, I’m off for a lesson or two on decanting, vacuuming and nitrogen to preserve wine.

More later . . . .

Twitt

Kendall Jackson Ain’t Bad Wine

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I missed a few weeks posting because I’m on partial vacation and very busy over at Visionary Press Cooperative. Starting a new business is FUN FUN FUN, but soooo time consuming. I’m so glad I’ve got the support of Blaze McRob and Sue Mydliak through our start up!

This will be a quick one just because I wanted to make sure I posted. In fact, I’ll probably post more of our favorites until after the 4th when things settle down a bit.

Anyways, this week I’m mentioning Kendall-Jackson wines, and the first word that comes to mind is consistent. Their Chardonnay is probably our most favorite.

Vintner’s Reserve is where it all began, back in 1982 when Jess Jackson crafted the first bottle of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, which gained immediate attention for its unique, bright fruitiness. The 1983 release of Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay won the first Double Platinum Award ever presented by the American Wine Competition. The heart of the Kendall-Jackson portfolio, the Vintner’s Reserve series has continued to win accolades year after year, becoming perennial consumer favorites.

This is the one wine we always have in the fridge during the summer, and we buy it by the case. You always know what to expect when you open a bottle of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, and that’s certainly a plus. We also enjoy their other wines, in particular their Merlot is almost always on the rack. (Don’t be a snob. Merlot is a good wine.) In our house Kendall-Jackson varietals get a 3.75 to 4.5 out of 5.

Twitt
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