Archive for category Main
Traveling Vineyard
Mar 22
I received a contact today from a Traveling Vineyard consultant in Virginia. She indicated that TTV is shutting down as of 9am tomorrow. How sad that another business bites the dust. Even though they were a competitor of ours, having more in-home wine tasting companies is a good thing. It opens up all our experiences, and generates good healthy competition.
I don’t know the reason why they’re shutting down, and it probably does not matter in the long run, but the sad part is that there were a lot of independent consultants who are also independent business people who are now without incomes. I pray that it was not the primary income for some families. If it was, my heart goes out to you. I hope you are able to recover and find something soon.
Better post something
Mar 18
I better post something (can’t believe it’s been 10 days!) Guess I’ve been really busy with so many things … full-time job, work with a company called Alternative Solutions in Sheboygan Falls; wine business — excited about new things coming! There will be lots more information and posting on this soon, but I’m not quite ready yet.
I’m trying to be good this week and not drink wine before the big “Vintage in the Valley” event Saturday, but last night, hubby came home and needed to unwind (he was all stressed out), so I opened a bottle of Cabernet. It was a young Cab, so I aerated/”decanted” using the new Soiree aerators I have (also available in my store). I highly recommend them. It gently aerates and the result last night was a fruity, firm, lovely Cabernet. I really do need to plan a blind tasting at my house testing out all the aerators I have.
If you want to try the Soiree at a reasonable price, I have them here. See Aerators
Enjoy and
Cheers to full glasses all around!
Great Wine Source is your guide to a fantastic wine tasting party in Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac (really throughout the State of Wisconsin). With a Passion for Wine and a Heart for Others, you can be guaranteed that you will receive great wine, great education, great entertainment for your wine tasting party and feel good about helping your local community! Visit my website
California’s wine industry first took root in … Wisconsin?
Risa Wyatt in the March 2010 Wine Enthusiast Magazine provided a fun bit of history on a “viticultural visionary” (p. 19).
Agoston Haraszthy (regarded as the father of California viticulture) established Buena Vista vineyards in Sonoma County in 1857, but prior to heading out west, stopped by our great state of Wisconsin and planted vineyards by the Wisconsin River in Prairie du Sac. The grapes did not survive our winters, but his vision lives on in Wollersheim Winery. Wollersheim stands on property formerly owned by Haraszthy, but now owned and run by Julie (Wollersheim) and her husband Phillipe Coquard. Wollersheim produces 20 different grape wines and uses the caves dug by Haraszthy.
Who would’ve thunk it?
Cheers to full glasses all around!
Great Wine Source is your guide to the best wine party in Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh and throughout the State of Wisconsin. Visit my website
Asian Wine Dinner
Mar 4
Last night I had the opportunity to try, for the first time, a dinner event organized by Nan Sorella’s wine bar. If you’re not familiar with Nan Sorella’s, they are located in Trolley Square on Olde Oneida St. in Appleton. For these events, they open up a banquet room across from the wine bar and include dinner and wine.
This event featured Wines and an Asian theme, but we were informed that the wines we were trying were not Asian wines, simply selected to pair well with the Asian foods.
The Menu
Thai Lemongrass Chicken Soup paired with Kikkoman Plum wine
Asian Thai Flatbread paired with Nagasaki Berry Sake
Slow Roasted Tenderloin with cranberry orange glaze and cranberry orzo paired with William Hill Cabernet
Bananas Foster with coconut glaze paired with Mionetto Moscato
Course 1: Thai Lemongrass Chicken Soup
Simply put: AMAZING! Our chef described it perfectly as starting with a strong sense of coconut, transforming into lemon and lime flavors, finishing with spiciness at the back of the throat. It was very delicious and the sweetness of the plum wine (while normally a bit too sweet for me) helped to offset some of the spice allowing all the wonderful flavors to show through.
Course 2: Asian Thai Flatbread
The Flatbread, similar to a pizza with yellow peppers and onions (I think they were caramelized) with hot sauce drizzled on the plate for sampling. It was paired with Nagasaki Berry Sake, and I loved the Flatbread. However, I discovered that I am not a fan of Sake. I guess I enjoy fermented grapes more than fermented rice.
Main Course: Slow Roasted Tenderloin with cranberry orange glaze and cranberry orzo.
The Tenderloin was exactly that … quite tender and with mouthwatering with light orange glaze, crisp pea pods and slightly sweet orzo. The William Hill 2008 Central Coast Cabernet did not have a lot of structure, although the flavors were complimentary to the Tenderloin.
Dessert: Bananas Foster with coconut glaze
I was very interested in trying this dessert with the wine. I’ve paired Bananas Foster with a heavier dessert wine, and the sweetness can almost be overwhelming, so I was excited to pair it with a lighter wine like Moscato. This Mionetto Moscato was sparkling, light and slightly sweet. It was very nice all on its own (and the other guests at the table enjoyed it thoroughly) with enough effervescence to please and a nice compliment to the sweet dessert.
Summary
All in all, the event was delicious, a lot of fun (shoutouts to tablemates Shannon, Renee, Amanda visit Amanda’s MaryKay website, Dave and Kathy), and the next event on April 7th sounds like it will be a blast: Hollywood theme – dress up like your favorite star!
Cheers to full glasses all around!
Great Wine Source is your guide to the best wine party in Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh and throughout the State of Wisconsin.
Visit my website
