Wines from Portugal

The time has come to think again about wines from Portugal. Esporão is offering you something truly different-- a Portuguese sparkling rosé wine. Esporão is a Portuguese wine and olive oil company producing wines from native Portuguese varieties. They produce Portugal’s leading red wine and their Reserva Red wine sets the standard for Portugal’s southern Alentejo region.


The sparkling rosé is new (blend of Touriga Nacional and Syrah, traditional method vinification).

The new vintages of their core Reserva wines have also changed. Each vintage of these labels feature the work of a Portuguese artist and the new labels feature works by Joana Vasconcelos.

These wines make a perfect accompaniment to meals or are delicious and smooth just on their own. on their own

And, something else tempting to anticipate-- they have a new property in the Douro whose wines will be released in a few months.
 http://www.esporao.com/

Remember, always drink and serve responsibly.

Hot Buttered Rum

How about a nostalgic, warm cocktail during these cold winter nights?  Consider Hot Buttered Rum made with  Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum:

Base: Brown Sugar
Butter
Pinch of Salt
Fresh apple cider
Fresh extracted ginger juice
Nutmeg, Allspice
Using 2 tbsp prepared cocktail base, add:
2.0 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve,  6.0 oz. of hot water, Cinnamon                                                                          

Or go a different route and try:

The Presidential Seal


1.5 oz Appleton Estate Reserve
.75 oz Carpano Antica
.75 oz Aperol
Dash of whiskey barrel aged bitters

or

The Oval Office

2 oz Appleton Estate Reserve
1 oz Demerara syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice
.5 Pomm wonderful
1 spoonful maraschino liquor
1 blackberry

http://www.appletonestate.com/

Please drink and serve responsibly.

Wines to Enjoy

No matter where you are in a relationship, or not, Valentine’s Day is all about a celebration of love. Consider these delicious yet affordable wines - blended twists on varietal favorites:

· For the serious duo…make your statement with Apothic Red ($14), a blend of Merlot, spicy Zinfandel and lush Syrah. We've written about this delight before and now we are writing about it again. It is very nice.

· Want to keep it  lighthearted? Try Barefoot Wine’s newest release, Sweet Red ($7), a deliciously sweet blend of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Petite Sirah. Make the bottle your Valentine! Tie a note to the necker asking your special someone “Will you be my Sweet Red?” This is also worth another mention. A sweetly (but not too sweet and never cloying) enjoyable wine.

· For the eclectic couple… say, “I love you” with Bear Flag Wine’s new big, bold Dark Red blend ($9), with a wild label to match.

And, no one says you can't just have a glass with friends or just by yourself. Enjoy!

Always remember to please drink and serve responsibly.

Sparkling, Festive and Affordable

When you think of any celebration, you might hear the sounds of  Champagne corks popping. While others may point out what are the most expensive champagnes, (a nice superlative if you just want to read about bubbly hyperboles), we would like to turn your attention to more affordable (and just as enjoyable) sparkling wines.

Barefoot Bubbly, the recipient of a myriad of awards for sparkling wine for under $20, offers five sparkling wines to suit a broad range of preferences listed below, from driest to a sweeter taste profile:

Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée - your classic champagne; crisp with hints of green apple

Barefoot Bubbly Extra Dry - aromas of ripe yellow apples complementing the creamy texture

Barefoot Bubbly Pinot Grigio Champagne - flavors of citrus and yellow apple

Barefoot Bubbly Rosé Cuvée - aromas of peach and strawberry

Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante - sweet with flavors of mandarin orange

But the best part is that all these Barefoot Bubbly choices are affordably priced at $10 a bottle - so you can have a variety on hand for any celebration or just for the fun of it.

Remember to always serve and drink responsibly 

http://www.barefootwine.com/

Autumnal Cocktails

Caramel Apple

Sleepy Hollow

Two Cool-Season Cocktails from Kanon Organic Vodka

Sleepy Hollow: 

2 oz Kanon Organic Vodka

1 oz White Crème de Cacao

½ oz Half and Half

½ oz Dark Crème de Cacao

Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Powder (see recipe below)

simple syrup

In a plate with a diameter larger than a martini glass pour in enough simple syrup to coat the rim and dip the rim of the glass into the syrup.  Wipe the excess off the outside of the glass with a damp cloth.  Allow the syrup to drip down into the glass.  Put the cocoa powder mixture in a deep dish and coat the rim of the glass with the powder.  Add more powder to the center of the glass and rotate the glass so that all the syrup drippings get coated as well.  Dump out the excess cocoa powder mixture and set the glass aside.

 Add the Kanon Organic Vodka, half and half, and white crème de cacao to a mixing glass, add a few ice cubes and shake.  Strain the mixture into the martini glass allowing the cocoa powder to draw in from the sides along the surface of the cocktail.  Slowly drizzle in the dark crème de cacao so there is a layer on the bottom of the glass. 

Pumpkin Spice Cocoa Powder:  Add 1 tsp of dried pumpkin spice mix to ¼ cup of cocoa powder.

Caramel Apple: 

2 oz Kanon Organic Vodka

½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice

¾ oz Berentzen Apple Liqueur

¾ oz Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)

Cinnamon Sugar (see recipe below)

Put the caramel syrup in a plate with a diameter larger than the martini glass.  Lightly dip the rim of the glass in the simple syrup.  Wipe off any excess from the outside of the glass with a damp cloth.  Hold the glass upside down to allow any excess to drip off.  Then dip the rim into the cinnamon sugar (for a crystalline effect allow it to sit over night…it will look like rock candy).  Add all the other ingredients to a mixing glass add in a few ice cubes and shake vigorously.  Strain into the cinnamon sugar rimmed martini glass and garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.

Cinnamon Sugar:  Add ½ tsp ground cinnamon to a ½ cup of granulated sugar.

Caramel Syrup:  Place 2 cups sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan; add enough water to make it look like wet sand.  Heat on medium heat until the mixture turns a medium amber color.  Remove from heat and add 2 cups of room temperature water and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.  Allow it to cool completely to room temperature.  Slice a green apple and soak the slices in the caramel syrup for at least one hour.

Enjoy and always drink and serve responsibly. 

 http://www.kanonvodka.com/

Four For Dinner, or Lunch, or Supper, or Brunch, or...

Here are two delightful, uncomplicated wines to have with any meal any time you feel like it. California-based The Naked Grape launched this Fall with four easy-to-enjoy wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied, rich red with flavors of black cherry and blueberry. The Ponot Grigio is a crisp white wine with the aromas of pear, lemon and honey while the Chardonnay is a smooth white wine with aromas of pineapple and peach. The lush Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied with the fragrance of plush blackberries.

 These are wines that need no rules and since they are priced at around $9.00 a bottle, neither do you. Enjoy!

www.theNakedGrapeWine.com

Remember--always drink and serve responsibly.

Redwood Creek Malbec

Redwood Creek's Malbec is a delightful red wine perfect for the approaching cooler weather. This medium-bodied wine is bursting with the lush flavors of black cherry, blueberry and dark blackberry fruit, with hints of brown spice and maple after notes. Malbec is a California wine with historic roots in Argentina and can stand up to chowing down by the campfire or dining at a well-appointed table. And at about $6.99-$12.99 for a 750-ml or 1.5-liter bottle, the price is nice and smooth as well.

http://www.redwoodcreek.com/