Something Different for you...some of my Art

Hello - I thought I'd share some of my paintings just for something fun and different. I hope you enjoy, sorry about the bad photography (I'm  not that great at that LOL).

Wine over Water this Saturday

Looking for something to do this Saturday night in the greater Cincinnati Area? Why not come down to the Purple People Bridge on the Newport, KY side and come to the Wine Over Water wine tasting on the bridge with Hors D’oeuvres and live music. Wineries include: Stonebrook Winery, Horseshoe Bend Winery, Redman’s Farm Winery, Smith-Berry Winery, and Little KY River Winery. See ya down there!

Details:

• Saturday, September 15th 7 – 10 PM
• Tickets $25 from website or $30 at door
• Website to buy tickets at: http://www.newportwow.com/Buy_Tickets.html
• Causal attire
• Free music and Hors D’oeuvres

Cheers!

Pennywise what a Wine

Last fall I came across one of the best red's I ever tasted. I had the Pennywise Petite Sirah, and it was bold and built like the way a Petite Sirah should be. To my curiosity, I wanted to find out about more wines from this label. I asked my local wine store Liquor City  to let me know when their Petite Sirah and other wines from Pennywise came in.

This week they came in...finally, I bought the Pennywise Cabernet Sauvignon and the Pinot Noir. Since it's summer I cracked open the Pinot Noir. Wow, was I amazed to have tasted such a vibrant, yummy, jammy wine!

As soon as the cork comes out, there's a hint of Root Beer. I let the wine breathe for about an hour and I could smell the hints of strawberries and cherries. This vibrant wine had tastes of cherries, plums, and strawberries right off the bat. You let it sit on your tongue and small traces of anise and some sandalwood com out.

A great summer red wine that needs to breath for about 30 - 50 minutes to taste all of it's luscious jammy flavors. I would recommend this with a light pasta vodka creme fish dish or a pork dish of any kind. Check out their wines, the Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir are wonderful.  My suggestion, is pick up a few bottles for your collection, my advice these wines will get better with age.

**Spoiler alert: Next Blog posting from me will be on the Pennywise Cabernet Sauvignon.

A Wonderful Wine Restaurant in Cincinnati

Recently, I celebrated my birthday at La Poste Eatery and Wine Room and it was one of the best wine and food experiences ever. We decided to have wine pairings with dinner.

Our first course was the Foie Gras on Banana Bread with a sliced Banana with caramelized sugar on top that had a maple carmel syrup finished with cracked sea salt. We had a glass of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne. The hint of sweetness from the Champagne complimented the syrup and the Banana Bread and the driness of the brut matched perfectly with the salt. The Foie Gras melted in your mouth and had this creamy after taste.

The second course was an order of Ravioli with a field blend of mushrooms, fresh sage,
cream, and parmesan reggiano. It was paired with Styring Estate Pinot Noir '06, this was one of the best comfort combinations that I ever had. The Ravioli had a parmesan sage cream sauce with crispy pieces of sage on top that added a slight crispiness to the cream. The Styring Estate Pinot Noir was the perfect pairing. It was a very soft tasting with berries and finish with tannins. This is one of the best well balanced Pinot Noir that I have ever tasted.

The third course was fresh catch of John Dory, a nice crispy white fish with a wonderful red wine reduction with sliced carrots and sliced parsnips. A sweet and savory taste intertwined with the light fish was perfect and it was paired with Domaine Aubissieres Cuvee Silex Vouvray '09.  It wasn't tart at all, a slightly sweet taste of melon and fruits. I loved it because it didn't have that sour taste that Sauvignon Blancs have. A wonderful summer wine that you can drink all summer long and for $16.99 a bottle with a 90 point rating from Robert Parker who wouldn't want to.

The last course was a white chocolate bread pudding with dried cherries and a butter cream carmel sauce. It was paired with La Tour Vielle Banyuls dessert wine. First of all anything with white chocolate and bread pudding is exquisite. The taste that carried me into bliss was the port-style wine that in France they chill and drink it as an aperitif. This nutty, fruity dessert paired perfectly with the chocolate dessert.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves wines, food and wonderful ambiance.

Cheers,
Angela

Dancing Bull has a great Cabernet Savignon

I tried the Dancing Bull Cabernet Sauvignon, Dancing Bull winery is in Healdsburg CA. This is a Cabernet that you can right now, and it tastes more like a Zinfandel than a Cabernet. The cab has a very floral aroma and had a floral taste. Tastes of cherry, currant, and jam are apparent right off the bat. Medium tannins hit the end of the taste with spice, sugar, and clove. I tried it the first night and left some for the next day and it became even more jammy the second day. It's great with gilled pork, salads and all meat dishes.  I picked up this fabulous wine for about $8.50 a bottle, what a great value.

I included their link above, you should check out the website, it's very educational. The website has grilling tips, wine tips, how to order wine, and many other tips about wines. And they host wine events all over the country so go visit the website.

Happy drinking,
Angela

A Local Winery that Produces Some of the Best Cabernet Franc

I tasted the Kinkead Ridge Estate River Village Cellars Estate Bottled Cabernet Franc again. I love this winery, it's located in Ripley Ohio and their wine towers over so many California wines. The 2008 Cabernet Franc won the Jefferson Cup Invitational in which 600 wines entered and only 20 wines won in 5 different categories. Click here to view their other awards

The Cabernet Franc grape is usually blended with other red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.  It's lighter than the Cabernet Sauvignon and more peppery. River Village Cellers Cabernet Franc is 100% Cabernet Franc. Tastes of cherry, raisin, and oak fills the pallet with medium tannins. The grapes were cold-soaked and fermented in small bins aged in American and French oak barrels. A great wine that goes with beef, stews, red sauce pastas, and pork.

***Update: On Memorial Day weekend Kinkead Ridge Estate are releasing their 2010 vintage white wines. On Labor Day weekend they will release their 2010 vintage red wines. I know where I will be on those Saturdays. I got to sample some of the red wines early and I can't wait for Labor Day. 

A Premium Beer thats Crafted for the Wine Drinker

I recently hosted a wine tasting for a liquor store and I noticed a champagne bottle in the beer section. I asked about it and the beer distributor told me that it was the Sam Adams Infinium Ale. It's a premium beer that was collaborated between Sam Adams Boston Beer Company and the Bavarian State Brewery Weihenstephan (world's oldest Brewery).

When you peel back the wrapper you'll notice that it has a champagne cork that you open very carefully like a champagne cork. A crisp champagne-like beer with tiny bubbles and a fruity aroma tastes more like a champagne or wine. It has a hint of citrus, pear, and apple taste with a subtle dry taste of hops. The golden amber color has tiny bubbles that makes you want to stare at it for hours. Malt, hops, alcohol, and acidity are a perfect balance, there's nothing that I would change about this perfect champagne beer.

Infinium is a drink that beer drinkers and wine drinkers can enjoy together. But there's only one catch, drink it while it's still on the shelves and it's only drinkable till July of this year.


Cheers,
Angela

Cincinnati International Wine Festival is this Weekend

So once a year I get all giddy inside for my favorite weekend is coming up. The second weekend in March is the Cincinnati International Wine Festival. There are over 600 wines from over 100 wineries from all over the world.

The festival grand tastings are on:

• Friday, March 9th from 6:30 pm - 9 pm $70 before the event and $75 at the door
• Saturday, March 10th from 2:30 - 4:30 pm $60 before the event or $65 at the door
• Saturday, March 10th from 6:30 pm - 9 pm $70 before the event and $75 at the door.

All of the proceeds go to various Cincinnati charities. The price includes a complimentary wine glass for tasting, all the wine you want to try, light bite foods from salads, sandwiches, and deserts. One thing that I enjoy about this event is you get to meet the winemakers and the people that make the wine. It's a great event that I can't wait to go to, hopefully I'll see you there.

For more information on the wine festival. 

Cheers, 

Angela

A Spanish Wine That Caters to all Red Wine Drinkers

I'm a fan of a lot of Hispanic wine grapes, Tempranillo, Malbec (well this is a French grape but the Spanish do it better), and Rioja. Of course the new trendy grape coming out of the Hispanic countries is the Garnacha. 

I'm posting about the Bodegas Borsao Garnacha, I have tasted their Tempranillo and Syrah both were great. I was enthusiastic about trying the Garnacha since it's a lighter red wine that thrives in hot dry climates like Spain. (Basically you can't get it wrong in that type of climate) Garnacha is a grape that's used in a lot of different wines such as sparkling rose wines, red wine blends, table wine blends, and since it has a high sugar level it's used in fortified blends (things like Ports). 

Back to the Bodegas Borsao Garnacha, I opened the bottle and it had a wonderful bouquet of black pepper, rose, and raspberry. This wine had tastes of berries, spice, and a hint of vanilla. If you like a wine with a lot of spice and fruit then this is the wine. I'm serious that the after the first sip of wine, I was debating if I should finish off the bottle, it's a great drinking wine with friends. I paired it with some oriental brown sauce stir-fry and it went perfect with it. The price: Under $10, which doesn't hurt the wallet! 

Note of caution this is a high alcohol content wine 14% alcohol, I would suggest you swirl the glass to get the alcohol fumes out of the glass before you smell. This is a wine that needs to breathe for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

An Organic Chardonnay Thats Worth Trying

This week I tried the Emiliana Natura Organic Unoaked Chardonnay. I'm not to big on overdone over oaked California Chardonnay. So when I tried Natura Chardonnay I was pleased. First of all, it's from Chile in the Casablanca Valley. Second of all, it's priced under $8 a bottle! Here are my notes on this great wine

• Tastes:  True Chardonnay, crisp, a little creamy, very acidic fruit with hints of grapefruit. Very tropical fruit tastes are in the finish. Very balanced and light bodied. 
• Aging: The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks with no oak. 
• About the Winery: The winery is 100% organic from a mobile chicken coop to an organic garden in the middle of the vineyard to help the soil. They use their own compost; have windmill and solar power. They have biodiversity, which is having different species coexist within the same physical space. Which means in the farm vineyards the horses, geese, and alpacas live and control the weeds. 

A great bottle of wine that is thinking about it's own green footprint.

Cheers,
Angela

Port and Dessert Wines that great for any occasion

Hello all, I have a few great dessert wines to share with you today. I have 4 different wines that I have reviewed and would like to share. Before we get started here is some insight to Ports and Ice Rieslings.

When people think of Ports they think of the sweet red wine that is usually served after dinner. People assume its from Italy but it's not. Port comes from Portugal in the northern region. It's a fortified wine that has the grape spirt added to help it from soiling and stops it from fermenting. This leaves in a lot of residual sugars and higher alcohol content than most wines. Only the wine coming from Portugal can be called Port or Porto.

Ice Riesling usually called Ice wine that comes from the grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids don't freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape. A smaller amount of wine is a result from pressing of frozen grapes but it's a very sweet wine.

• Fonseca Bin 27 Port Premium Reserve - This is blended from reserve wines selected from the winery for their color and depth in taste. Tastes of ripe plum, mocha, black currant, and cherry with a lingering finish of berries and fruit. Great with Chocolate. Great for all who like a heavy intense red wine. Great after dinner drink
• Quinta Do Noval 10 year-old Tawny Port - The 10 year-old Tawny is a blend of old ports from different vintages that have matured in oak casks for 10 years. A medium ruby color, the bouquet is bursting with rasin, chocolate, menthol, cherry, and spice. This is a wonderful port that has an oak finish and very tannic. If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon then this will be the port to choose. 
• Frost Bitten Ice Riesling - The Ice riesling has a sweet and tangy taste that is a medium bodied. The bouquet has pineapple, pear, orange zest and some ginger. Awesome by itself or with creamy cheeses. 
• Easley Blueberry - This is the taste of blueberry preserves, a great fruit wine. Perfect for brunch or buttery dishes.  

You can try these all this week at Liquor City Bakewell  in Covington for free on January 26th and 27th from 4 - 7.  Please join me. 

Cheers. 

Four different Chardonnays worth trying

Here are four Chardonnay wines that are different but have some similar qualities.

I recently tried 4 Chardonnay wines that were all wonderful and worth purchasing. 

Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Chardonnay: What a great Chardonnay a little creamy not to oaky and has a mineral taste. The bouquet has tastes of Lemon zest, a little bit of melon, nut, and a hint of floral. Very light on the oak aging.  Great wine that I would recommend with sushi or light pasta dishes. 

Simi Chardonnay Sonoma County Chardonnay: If you are into buttery creamy Chardonnays then this is your pick. This is a buttery Chardonnay with a hint of oak, a little bit of citrus, vanilla, and honey. Great with pasta light red sauce or a heavy cream sauce. Also goes with crab cakes, seafood casseroles, or seafood chowder. 

Francis Ford Coppola Director's Chardonnay: This is a very light Chardonnay it's fermented in Stainless steel instead of oak. Very crisp, with tastes of pear, apple, citrus, and a little bit of vanilla. I would recommend this with any fish, chicken, or cheese dishes. Very vibrant wine nothing but the true taste of Chardonnay comes out!

Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay: The big dog Chardonnay, this is very buttery, very oaky, and very creamy. Tastes of cream, brown sugar, carmel, apple, and a hint of pear. Very crisp and full-bodied Chardonnay. I would recommend this award winning Chardonnay with pasta with clams, alfredo sauce, chicken cordon blu, and fried chicken. 

You can try all these wines tonight at Liquor City Bakewell tonight from 4 - 8 pm. Please join me, it's free. 

Cheers, 

Angela 

Buy local...A winery that will is ranked internationally

This Saturday I decided to go the Ohio River Valley 6th Annual Barrel Tasting. First off it was a beautiful day and what a lovely drive. Since I live in Northern Kentucky, I decided to go to Harmony Hill Vineyards  in Bethel, then to the Ripley to Miranda-Nixon Winery and then end at Kinkead Ridge Winery.

I would normally blog about all three places but I'm going to go straight to my favorite the Kinkead Ridge Winery, they have their wines mastered. These wines will stand the challenge against of any wines anywhere. We first tasted wines as the finished product and then we tasted them out of the barrel. The first wine we tried was their Cabernet Franc and I all ready knew I wanted to buy a bottle. We tried 4 wines from the barrel and all of them were showing strong characteristics of big red wines. We started off with the Cabernet Franc which all ready had some tanins, a hint of cherry, and a little spice aftertaste. This was by far my favorite out of the barrels. I then tried the Cabernet Sauvignon which was on its way to be a full-bodied tanic cab. It was of course still in its young stage but it sure showed potential. Next we moved onto the Syrah which was a little more fruitier tasting or lighter tasting than I would expect from a Syrah. I’m sure after it’s fully aged and bottled the wine will be great after a few years of aging in the bottle. The last barrel tasting was a Petit Verdot this was also showing strong tannins and a spicy aftertaste. This will be the wine to buy when it gets released next year. Trust me when all of the wines get released next year, I’m going to be the first in line to purchase them.

If you check out their wines on their website almost every single one has won awards either internationally or national. The 2003 Viognier/Roussanne was rated in the Top 100 Exciting Wine Finds in the World by Tom Stevenson, British editor of the New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia. (I bought the last bottle of the 2010 vintage as pictured below.) The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon won the 2011 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Check out their fabulous wines on their website. 

Pictured: I’m with the winemaker of Kinkead Ridge Winery, Ron Barrett, I bought the last bottle of Viognier/Roussanne which he autographed for my collection.  Here it is on their website.







Cheers,
Angela

My new favorite Petite Sirah

Last night I hosted my first wine tasting and it went well. People that came and people bought the wines that I was pouring. If you missed it last night please come to tonight's wine tasting. It's at Liquor City Bakewell in Covington from 4 - 8pm and it's free.

The Petite Sirah, Masked Rider, that I was pouring I had picked for many reasons. I had tried it once before and I enjoyed it plus the price didn't hurt the wallet at $7.89. The Masked Rider Outlaw Petite Sirah tastes wonderful after you let it breathe for about 30 minutes. It has tastes of plum, oak, a lot of berry, and a finish with a black pepper. This wine won the silver medal at the 2010 International Critics Wine Challenge and won the silver medal at the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

I recommend having this wine with a hearty dish like steak or pork.

Enjoy and please join me for the wine tasting tonight,

Angela

A review of Riondo Sparkling Pinot Grigo NV

Last weekend I was told to try Riondo Sparkling Pinot Grigo NV. Naturally I said yes, because I love sparkling wines and I really like Riondo wines.

I chilled the bottle at proper temperature and I had my champagne flute waiting. When I poured it, it was a beautiful gold color with small bubbles perfect for a sparkling. The taste was drier than a normal glass of Pinot Grigo and it tasted like someone mixed it with club soda. It was very disappointing to me. 

I would not recommend purchasing this for any occasion or to drink as a sparkling wine. You'll be disappointed and want to mix it with something else. Do not try to mix it with orange juice to make a Mimosa because it will taste like orange flavored wine. Some grapes are not meant to be made into sparkling wines, this is one of them. 

Some sparkling Riondo alternatives:   

1. Pink, Spago Argento: Love this sparkling it's fruity, light, and has a hint of sweetness.  
2. Prosecco, Spago Nero: Another prefect sparkling that taste like the perfect Prosecco. 

Cheers to all

 

A drink recipe from my amateur bar tending recipe book

Hello all,
In my spare time I like to come up with my own recipes for drinks. This is a recipe that I came up with while waiting for my Italian dinner to finish baking. I thought about some of the key ingredients that are in a lot of Italian drinks or foods for example vanilla, lemon, and white wine. What I came up with was something called Italian Sparkle.  Its light, has a hint of vanilla, and it adds to any dish.


The Italian Sparkle
¾ bottle of dry white wine
1 ½ oz of Ginger Ale
10 oz of club soda
1 ½ oz of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup
¾ oz of lemon juice
2 oz of Apricot Brandy
Mix in chilled pitcher
Chill champagne flutes or wine glasses
Garnish the flutes or glasses with lemon slice
Serves – 8 champagne flutes

***This recipe can also be found on http://www.wine-girl.net/
I recently started writing for wine-girl.net, please check it out.

Cheers,
Angela

Clombia Crest Winery...A Winery thats Kicking A** and Taking Names

It use to be that Columbia Crest made everyday wines that you would find in your chain grocery stores and in my opinion they weren't that great. I just viewed them as a mass-produced wine that didn't really get into the complexity of the grapes and what they can achieve.

Recently, I've noticed a change in this winery. I went to a wine tasting that had H3 Columbia Crest Wines and I was shocked. I had the Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Les Chevaux Red, and the Cabernet Sauvignon, all extraordinary wines. Here were my thoughts:

1. Chardonnay- I'm really picky about Chardonnay because I prefer the French not so much oak traditional flavor. Usually I shy away from California Chards (too buttery and sugary) but I tried this one. The first taste was apples and pear then came a hint of oak with a little bit of vanilla. Now this is not an overdone typical Chard, the natural surrounding flavors come out and it blossoms in your mouth. It got 89 points by the Wine Spectator and it's only about $15 a bottle. It's worth every penny, a great wine for the summer. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/179
2. Pinot Gris - I love Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio so I knew I would like it. It was very citrus and usually you'd get that from a Sauvignon Blanc, but it was mixed with a flowery taste. It was very smooth to the taste no twinging in the jaws. The words that come to mind crisp, light, and clean. Another 89 from the Wine Spectator and only $15 a bottle, I recommend you pick up a few bottles. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/180
3. Les Chevaux Red - Holy Moley this wine ROCKED! What a wine, right up my alley a big red. This red wine blend consists of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 10% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. There were so many different flavors, a little oak, a little licorice, some black cherry, some berry, and a small amount of tannins. The legs on this wine took forever to seep back into the bottom of the glass; I knew that this was a great wine. 91 points from the wine spectator and only $15, I would suggest getting some nice juicy stakes and share a bottle with close friends for dinner. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/178
4. 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon - Okay so not as big as the red wine above but still a great cab. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Syrah, and 2% Malbec. I suggest that you let this bad boy breathe for an hour or so before drinking, it opens up the wine more. Right off the bat I tasted a little jammy taste of berries. Some hints of earth but once it breathed I tasted oak and licorice. Good Cab for the price, $15, I would suggest picking up a few bottles and opening them in a couple of years and got an 88 rating from the Wine Spectator. http://www.columbiacrest.com/HorseHeavenHills/release/176

The last wine I will rave about from these guys is the 2008 Grand Estates Amitage Red Wine. This is by far my favorite from this winery. It received an 89 from the Wine Spectator and it's only $10 a bottle. Find the nearest wine store and clear them out of this wine! One of the best red wines I've ever tried. A great dry wine with hints of plum, spice, and berries that have a smooth finish. Columbia Crest really know how to blend their grapes, 64% Merlot, 19% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4.5% Malbec. I had this with a petite filet with blue cheese crumbled over it and I tell you it was the best. Even trying the cheese with the wine was great. This can be enjoyed with blue cheese, meats, and alone.  http://www.columbiacrest.com/grandEstates/release/435

Let me know what your favorite Columbia Crest wines are and share some stories below in the comments section.

Cheers,
Angela

Rosé wines for the Summer

Recently I had a few friends over for a Rosé wine tasting.

I picked 5 Rosé wines to taste, here's my ratings or thoughts.

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2010: ...What can I say about this South African wonderful contender? Well for starters it's only $10.99 per bottle. This is the perfect summer wine for hearty red wine drinkers, if you like your beefy Cabs then you'll love this bottle. In the last 10 years, it's been rated in the Wine Spectator for 80+ points. Mulderbosch should be chilled and then served about 30 minutes after its been chilled. The taste has hints of strawberry, pepper, and a hint of melon. As it breathes its bouquet just blossoms (no pun intended.) I approve go out and buy a few bottles

Coteaux d'Ancenis Gamay 2009: A french Rosé made from Gamay grapes (known to make the cheerful red wine, Beaujolais) from the Loire Valley. This was a Rosé that I would serve slightly chilled, DO NOT SERVE REFRIGERATED. At first I could taste a hint of bitter apple, but then once I let it breathe it had a hint of raspberry. Something I'd serve with apples and a sharp cheese. It was okay, retail any where from $6 - 9.

Korbel Sweet Rosé Sparkling: Okay...(sigh) well it's sweet and very beautiful to look at in the flute. The taste was all over the place, it was like they tried to put everything in this wine. It had tastes of a young peppery/fruity Pinot Noir, Gamay, and a tiny bit of young non aged Zinfandel. Hey if you like a sweet wine then this is your pick. It had tastes of sugar, fermented sugar, and melon. It was too sweet for me.

Oliver Estates Soft Rosé: This is how a nice summer sweet Rosé blend should taste like. Oliver Estates is from Indiana http://www.oliverwinery.com/softrose this is the only website I will plug. First off, it's only $8 a bottle but don't let that get ya. The soft Rosé is sweet with no after taste. Of course not it's 100% Gamay grapes, very jammy. You will taste hints of sugar, concord grape, and black cherry. Go purchase this if you like sweet, it will go well with dark chocolate!!!

Biere et Fils Coteaux 2010 Rosé: I've been saving the best for last. This bad boy has a 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% cab...can I get an AMEN. This was a light color wine, almost peach. Trying and capturing a taste of crisp, smooth, Grenche.  The Rosé shares tastes of strawberry, melon, and pear but it was perfectly balanced. This goes with cheeses but this wine I want to buy a case for home.

Cheers and drink,
Angela

Things on my mind:

Sweet Wines for the Summer

Okay so a few friends have been asking about sweet wines for the summer. I have a few in mind, reds and whites.

Let's start off with Reds:

• My all time favorite is a port from Terra d'oro, Zinfandel Port (http://terradorowinery.com/zinfandel-port.php). This sweet port is best enjoyed with dark chocolate. I recommend opening it and let it breathe for a couple of hours before drinking. I think it tastes the best once open and drank the next day. The taste is jammy with hints of berries and oak, a wine that's perfect for dessert. The more the port breathes tastes of cocoa, caramel, and raisin pops out. This wine retails anywhere from $10 - 15 depending on state and wine shop. 
• The next red is more of a fruity red that never fails. George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (http://www.duboeuf.com/index.php?lang=en#/en/page/Selection/Beaujolais-Fleurs-Beaujolais) wine doesn't need to breathe it's ready to drink. The light red wine that has hints of strawberry and cherry and is great with cheese or drank by itself. Retails for about $10.
• The Ridge Winery in Indiana makes a wonderful Blackberry Red Wine. This was a 2008 Silver Medal Winner (http://www.theridgewinery.com/index.html this winery is on the Indiana wine trail and it's about 45 minutes away from Cincinnati) is a great wine served chilled or at room temperature. They have a couple more wines that are sweet and they have a beautiful tasting room/deck that overlooks the Ohio River. Retails for about $12.

White Wines:

• It's all about the Germans!!! Leonard Kreusch (http://www.kreuschwines.com/german.html) has a whole line of sweet whites that are very inexpensive, so drink up. My first pick is the Kabinett white; it's a sweet white that doesn't hurt your jaw when drinking. The wine has hints of pear and apple and it retails for $5. Remember just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's bad! My second pick is the Liebfraumilch Rheinhessen. Oh my I love this wine, it's sweet to the taste but has a finish of a fruity white. Another one with Pear flavors and also retails for $5. You can find all of his wines at Kroger. 
• Terra D'oro (http://terradorowinery.com/moscato.php)...and the Italians come in second for great white wines in my book. Terra D'oro has a wonderful Moscato that's perfect for a hot day. This wine is best served chilled and paired with fruits, cheeses, or drank by itself. If you like the taste of peach, melon, or honey this is the wine for you. This wine retails for about $8 a bottle. 
• Bianco Dolce Lambrusco Dell'Emilia (Party Source has it on sale for $5.99 and it's another Italian) This light white wine has a little bit of bubble and is best served chilled. It has hints of melon and cherry to the taste. My recommendation is to buy it buy the case so it's in your wine collection for the summer! I love this wine; everyone that I serve it to loves it. 
• And last but definitely never least is Kentucky's very own Elk Creek (http://www.elkcreekvineyards.com/). I have two picks from this winery.  First of course is their Gewurztraminer, this has cantaloupe and citrus to the taste. (Their Riesling is a great sweet wine as well) The Gewurztraminer is perfect served chilled and its $19. The next one is Viognier, I had this the other night, and it has a finish like a Chardonnay with out the oak taste. This fruity wine is only $10. It's a clean wine that has tastes of honey and floral. It's perfect with chicken and light dinner pairings. 

These are my sweet wine picks for the summer, so drink up and enjoy. Remember if you live in the Greater Cincinnati area you can always email me and I can recommend wines for your party, dinner party, collection or whatever. I will meet you and pick wines to your budget and taste. I will charge you a small travel fee for my travel and time (I come cheap lol). My email is angela.laible@insightbb.com.

Cheers,

Angela 

Great White Wine for Spring and Summer

Last night I was eating dinner at Chez Nora (http://www.cheznora.com/) in Covington, KY and decided to have a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Our waiter recommended a wonderful Pinot Grigio that is now one of my favorites, Maso Canali Pinot Grigio.

This clean crisp pale yellow wine had a lovely floral bouquet that had a hint of citrus to the nose. The taste was devine, small hints of lemon, citrus, and a hint of apple. The best part was very low acidity so it didn't leave that sour taste or twinge in your jaw that you get when you drink high acidic white wines.

I went online and found the winemakers website (http://www.masocanali.com/home.htm) and it's price doesn't hurt the wallet. This specific winemaker specializes in Pinot Grigio, so you know that this Pinot Grigio is going to knock your socks off! I found it for $15.99 at one of the local wine stores (http://www.thepartysource.com/express/item.php?id=7458).

So drink up, stock up on this great white wine.

Cheers
Angela

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