Off The Vine Media

Nothing brings about a happy feeling than the feeling of drinking a sparkling wine.  Thats right a great glass of bubbly can compliment a meal, brighten your mood or bring a sense of sophistication or luxury to your experience.  The great thing about sparkling wine is all of the choices that abound.  You can find ones that are dry to sweet, from low price points to high and from all over the wine growing world.

This was more evident than ever to me last evening.  After a wonderful deep dish pizza we popped open a bottle of Blanc de Noir from Gruet winery in New Mexico.  First off pizza and sparkling wine they do go together try it !  Second who has heard of bubbly from New Mexico ?  Well if you haven’t tried it I suggest doing so they make a wonderful bottle.  In fact you can find great bottles of sparkling wine made around the US.  Another one of my favorites is Illinois Sparkling from Illinois.  Finally, the price point on this bottle made it a great value.  Which, means you don’t have to break the bank for a glass full of good bubbles.

My point being is that we need to start thinking of sparkling wine not as a special occasion wine or a wine that is too pricey or only enjoyed on New Years.  It needs to be thought of as a wine that is extremely versatile.  You can it enjoy it at a black tie affair or on a Tuesday night.  It can be 15$ or 150$.  In fact it goes great with pizza, seafood, and a great many other dishes.  So go down to your local wine shop and pick up a bottle.  You will definitely be able to find something you will enjoy !  Start drinking bubbles!

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When going to the beach you are most concerned about what beach you will be going to, bringing the correct equipment, who will be going, and finally what you will be bringing to eat and drink.  For this post lets talk about what you should bring with to drink and eat.  Isn’t this the most important?  Beaches stand for summer, the hot sun and fun.  When you bring food and drinks along it must compliment these three things.

First beaches stand for Summer.  In the summer we think of long relaxing days filled with good friends and family with out a care in the world.  Some foods that may help take you to this place would be a simple BBQ.  This includes things like burgers, hot dogs and sausages.  These are things that everyone can enjoy and are simple to make.  The wine you pair with these should compliment these simple dishes and good company.  Try a dry Rose or a Zinfandel.

Second the beach is the most enjoyable when the sun is hot and the sky is blue.  This means you need a way to stay cool.  My suggestion is to make a simple salad topped with shrimp or chicken.  Then pair this with a Sauvignon Blanc or a slightly dry Riesling both chilled.  I also suggest lots of water as well!

Finally the beach is a place to have fun.  With all of the games and activities surrounding the beach it is never hard to find something to do.  My fun food of choice would be a seafood boil.  These are fun and simple to make and are great for a group of people.  Pair this fun food with a fun wine like a sparkling wine or a Vinho Verde and everyone will be having a good time.

Remember when going to the beach to bring the proper dinnerware and glasses.  There are plenty of non breakable items to choose from out in the market place that will serve your food and drinks both in a fun and elegant way.  So go grab your suit some food and a bottle of wine and enjoy the beach while the summer lasts!

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It is July and the weather is warm and the ideal summer activities pop in my head effortlessly.  One that comes to mind is enjoying a wonderful bottle of wine with my friends and family.  The panic sets in which one is the right one for a summer day in July?  Any wine of course will do but certain wines tend to fall higher on my list.  Here are some of my thoughts and ideas for wines to share this July with your family and friends.

I am first drawn to white wines that are light and crisp and can be slightly chilled for a warm day.  Some ideas include a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand a Riesling From Michigan that is a little dry or a Gewürztraminer. One of my favorites for the summer is a Prairie Fume, which is a seyval from Wollersheim Winery.  These wines are great slightly chilled and enjoyed on a porch, patio, and beach actually anywhere your summer activities take you!

My second set of wines I enjoy during the summer months are sparkling wines.  Yes these can be enjoyed at times other than the holidays or special occasions.  I have a few I have been enjoying lately.  May I first recommend a Cava?  These sparklers are from Spain and can normally be found at a reasonable price point.  I have also been enjoying Prosecco, which is an Italian sparkler.  Who doesn’t like food or wine that comes from Italy plus these too can often be found at a nice price point.  Finally, one of my favorites to enjoy is any of the sparkling wines from Illinois Sparkling Company. Yes you are correct these sparklers are from Illinois but they are definitely worth the try.

While I only highlight two types of wines above lets be honest any wine will do in the summer.  As long as you are enjoying it and those around you are as well and the time you are having is wonderful!  Have a wonderful summer sipping wines with wonderful people.

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It may be one of the most romantic days of the year.  However, Valentines day wouldn’t be complete with out a great wine.  When planning your wine choice take into consideration what the plans for your day will look like.  If the day consists of a fancy dinner your wine should compliment and create that luxury once a year vibe.  If your day will include chocolate pick a wine that will stand up to that wonderful silky feel in your mouth.   Finally, if no food will be involved think of how the wine you pick will help enhance your romantic activities.

If you will be enjoying a luxurious dinner my suggestion is to pick a wine that falls on the higher end of your budget that you normally wouldn’t drink.  This will help in making your dinner feel that much more luxurious.  Ask your local wine store or Somm. what will pair nicely with what will be on your plate.  For the chocolate you will be enjoying I suggest a rich, intense or velvety wine. This will help to ensure that the wine compliments and holds up against your lovely chocolate your enjoying.  Finally, for that romantic or spontaneous event try a wine that invokes fond memories for you, maybe its a favorite wine, or a wine you had when you first met or even a wine from a place you both want to travel to.  No matter what wine you choose for your days events remember it will only help to enhance your romantic day!

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If you are someone who likes to listen to podcasts and learn more about the wine universe may I recomend you try out a podcast dedicated to wine.  I recently discovered podcasts based off a friends recomendation and in the process I have come to enjoy a few of the one’s dedicated to wine.  To start use what ever application you normally use for listening to podcasts.  If you don’t have one I suggest Itunes.  Once there try doing a search for wine related podcasts and you will come up with a pleathura of options.  These options range from making wine more accessible, to the wine business, digging into a specific wine region and many more.  What I enjoy about these podcasts dedicated to wine is that you have the opportunity to listen to interviews with the wine makers, Somm’s, and others in the business giving you a first hand perspective on what really goes on.  Below are three of my current favorites.

The Great Northwest Wine cast –  This podcast is normally 20 – 30 min long and is dedicated to wines of the Northwest United states and British Columbia.  The podcast normally picks a winery in this region and interviews the wine maker.  This is a great podcast if you are intersted in finding great wines to try from the Northwest region and the background on this region.

Grape Radio –   This podcast is normally 45min – 1 hr long and aims to dig deeper into different wine regions and grape varietals.  The hosts of the show generally interview someone from a winery within a region they are focusing on or that specializes in a varietal they are speaking about.  The interviewers do a great job at digging deep into the whys which makes this a very informative program.

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With 2015 upon us there are so many wine areas I would love to visit this year.  Below are five I hope to visit !  Some of these areas are up and coming while others are some I am sure you are familiar with. If you haven’t already made your list of wine travel locations for 2015 now is the time to start !  Here is hoping you have a new year filled with great wine, great adventures, and spent with great people .

1. The Finger lakes in New York:  This region is well known for its Rieslings, but in recent years they have seen a rise in red wine production.

2.  Virginia :  This region has gotten a lot of media attention over the last year as it continues to grow, develop, and find its voice.

3. Texas hill country:  This area may not be one you have thought of in the past but as the 5th highest wine producing state in the country they must be doing something right.

4.  Michigan Wine Country near Traverse City:  This area sits right on Lake Michigan and sits on the 45th parellel

5. Oregon :  Pinot Noir country ( Need I say more)

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The view from Sonoita Vineyards

Do you ever find yourself in places that you don’t expect there to be vineyards and wineries ? I do, from time to time and one of these happened just recently when my family went on a vacation to just south of Tucson Arizona.  As you travel through this area two things will pop out at you.  The first is there is desert as far as the eye can see.  The second is that there seems to be mountains that have sprouted up off the ocean floor all around you.  This did not seem like a place to find wineries, vineyards, or an AVA.  However,  I was wrong all of these could be found here.  Fifty miles from the border of Mexico and south east of Tucson lies the Sonoita AVA which contains about 10-15 wineries and vineyards.

My question was how can this be ?  What I found out was the reason for this was that the area is approximately 5,000 feet above sea level in elevation.  This gives it a much more favorable growing area for grapes than the desert floor.  Once you arrive in the heart of wine country after traveling about 45 minutes from Tucson you will quickly notice the familar surroundings of vineyards and wineries.  The operations in this area are not large commerical ones but smaller boutique and family run operations.  We had the pleasure to check out three of these wineries while visiting.  The first was Whilhelm Family vineyards.  This family operation has been around since 2003 and has seven varietals planted on site.  They offer a nice selection of reds and whites crafted by their female wine maker Karyl who was trained in California.  The second we ventured to was Kief-Joshua Vineyards on “Winery Row”.  This winery has two different vineyard sites and a winemaker who was trained in Australia.  Finally, we stopped at Sonoita Vineyards.  This is the oldest vineyard in the area dating back to 1979 where currently there are 10 varietals grown on site.  The founders granddaughter is currently the head winemaker.  This winery is situated on a hill with beautiful views of the rolling hills.

This isn’t the only wine region in Arizona, however it was the only one we were able to visit.   The other two areas are the Verde Valley which is south of Flagstaff and the Wilcox area which is northwest of the Sonoita/Elgin area we visited.  So next time you are on vacation in Arizona try some of the wines you may be pleasantly surprised.

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Christmas is upon us and one of the traditions this time of year is deciding what to put on your with list.  If you are like me your list often consists of wine or wine themed gifts.  Below are some of my suggestions and thoughts.

If you are going to put wine on your list make it something you have always wanted to try.  Maybe it is a new brand, or a specific vintage or a wine from a particular region.  Also, I suggest being specific in what you ask for on your list when it comes to wine ( just my two cents). If you are asking for wine themed items here are some thoughts.  If you enjoy reading there are a lot of great books out there on wine outside of the reference material.  There are books on the history of wine, the wine business, the making of wine, and the interesting stories of famous wine families.  If reading isn’t your thing try a film on wine.  In recent years there have been some fun ones that have come out such as SOMM or Blood Into Wine.  Finally, there is always a pleathora of wine accessories and gadgets out there that will help with any of your wine needs.  Happy Christmas list creating !

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Wine and a meal
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When planning a meal there is always a reason behind what you are making.  It may be something simple as you are low on time it may fancy because of a special occasion , it may be themed or one of many other factors.  One of these driving factors behind your meal may be wine.  That is correct wine can frame a meal !  Wine can help create a template on where you would like to take your meal and how the diners will experience it.  Here are some ways wine can frame your meal this evening.

Wine has the ability to to help steer the flavors of the meal.  If you speak to any sommelier they will tell you that certain wines pair better with certain foods due to things like acidity levels in the wine, how sweet the wine is, how spicy the food is, along with a number of other factors.  This being said if you decide to drink a Merlot this evening  it may not pair well with every food therefore helping to steer your food choices.

Frequently we have theme’s for our meals.  This can be because of a special occasion or time of year or just for fun.    When you chose a wine it can help you decide on your theme.  For example if you chose a Rioja from Spain it may be a great opportunity for a Spanish themed meal or Tapas party.  Maybe, you run across a pineapple wine from Hawaii which would lead perfectly into a Luau.

These are just two of many ways that wine can frame the meal you are going to prepare for dinner this evening.  So remember wine isn’t just a part of the meal it may actually help to plan your next meal.

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Do you have a favorite local wine hang out ?  Is there a place you enjoy going or have never tried and would love to check out?  Everyone has a different reason for enjoying a particular establishment.  However, I think there are a few key elements that make any wine hang out a great place to go back to time and time again.  First I think the establishment needs to have a great selection of wines at a variety of price points.  Some days you are in the mood for a tried and true Pinot Noir at a good price, and other days you are celebrating and need a exciting and different grape varietal to sample.  Next, I think it has to be comfortable.  Nobody wants to go to a hangout that you can’t enjoy.  Finally, it should be a place you want to return to and bring others along for the ride, because lets face it wine is always more enjoyable when others are present.  Below are some local places I enjoy or would love to try.  Please let us know where your favorite wine hang outs are, we would love to try them.

1.  Preservation Bread & Wine :  A great little wine bar and cafe in historic downtown Geneva,IL

2.  Acquaviva Winery :  A great place for Italian food along with a glass of local estate wine.  Located in Maple Park,IL

3. Pops for Champagne:  Dedicated to champagne and sparkling wines.  Located in Downtown Chicago

4. D.O.C Wine Bar:  a neighborhood wine bar and bistro.  Located in Chicago

5. Webster’s Wine Bar :  A place where beginners and experts a like can enjoy.  Located In Chicago

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