I’m not Greek, but I love this wine.  It is a blend of Moscato and Gewurztraminer that is made in a low alcohol, dessert style whilst keeping its acidity and defying the cloying trait associated with most ‘stickies’.  I served this one right out of the fridge on a warm evening.  Absolutely perfect.  The Gewurz brings that delicious apricot and honey to the nose and palate, while the Moscat has its own additions of peach and rose.  The nose went forever and followed smoothly onto the palate.  A razor sharp acidity cuts in right at the end, perfectly timed.  A long finish had me reeling for more.  When I first tasted this wine at Barboursville, I loved it and bought two bottles.  Now that I have had it at home, in the right surroundings and in the right frame of mind- I wish I had more.  At about $16 per bottle, this wine absolutely, 100% rocked my wine world.  Albeit a ‘dessert’ wine, I would easily drink this as a pre-dinner aperitif, with starters of foie gras and definitely with dessert/cheese plates.  We sorted out some brownies with ours.  I am convinced that this wine is a 94 pointer and if I could give it 6 stars I would.  Bravo….

Develop a relationship with your local wine store. This is important because each one is different. Every place has its own unique way of doing business, from the selection to the prices. If you are still a novice, do not go to a store where you will only have http://www.eno.cz/ expensive bottles to choose from. Try to choose a shop that fits your needs.

If you enjoy a specific brand or a particular type of wine, learn how to incorporate it into your special occasion. If you do not like a wine that a friend does, do not buy it. You will just end up wasting funds on a wine that you are unlikely to enjoy.

Preserve the flavor of your wine by storing it properly. Temperatures to any extreme can damage your wine’s taste. Continue to allow the flavor to work its magic at a temperature of around 50 degrees. You can buy a special wine fridge or put the bottles in a cool basement.

Always try one bottle of wine before buying more. Because your wine options are endless, you may fall in love with any number of them. Once you find a wine that you love, you can invest in purchasing a case.

You can make a wine sauce for beef dishes. Just melt butter in a pan and then add some wine. Let the sauce simmer in order for it to get thick and cook off the alcohol. You should then drizzle your sauce over your beef dish.

Step outside of your comfort area when you order wine when eating out. Impress your guests by opting for a new wine. It will present a surprise to your guests.

A lot of people want to drink wine after dinner, try a dessert wine. Great choices for dessert wines are Italian Moscato, French Champagne or California Port. Your guests will love to drink a glass of wine near the fire.

If you’re looking for a lighter wine, color doesn’t matter. Red and white wines are similar in alcohol content. However, white wines are smoother and lighter in taste. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are the lightest options available, so consider them for your table.

White wine tastes best when it is young, within two years of bottling. The exception would be Chardonnay. The explanation behind this is that white wine production does not normally involve oak. Oak is also used for making darker wines.

Many varieties of wine will go well with your favorite dessert. A wine that accompanies dessert dishes is usually a sweeter variety of wine than the wines for the main course. Excellent wines to serve with dessert are the tawny and ruby port wines. They should be served at roughly 55 degrees to maximize their flavor.

As this article has shown, there are many considerations to take into effect when learning about wine. However, the information you’ve read in this article is sure to help you plan out your meals. Be sure to experiment to find the ones you like!

In some areas of the planet, especially in nations like United States, United Kingdom, Spain and other close by countries, they drink wine much more than they drink fruit juice for they imagine that it has larger wellbeing added benefits.

Alcohol is just one particular portion of the red wine overall mixture and with that, the other contents nevertheless have the electrical power to make the overall body nutritious and stay healthy. For much more than eighty a long time, wine experts say that ingesting red wine have fantastic results to a person’s welfare and with that, quite a few are ingesting it habitually.

If you are still considering on what are the ailments that it could aid, then we have previously investigated it for you. Diabetes, macular degeneration, cancer and heart linked troubles are just some of the several problems that could abet. It is explained to be loaded with antioxidants, the nutrition found in food items that slows down the oxidative in our physique that causes it to deteriorate. Most men and women are not acquainted that the oxygen found in the entire body requires care in the creation of by-solutions that can give a bad result to the physique and these undesirable things bring about us the detrimental entire body situations. In addition, anti-oxidants may possibly possibly augment the immune defense and for that purpose decrease the likelihood of most cancers and virus.

Quite a few probably is aware that ingesting red wine can give our overall body a great deal of advantages nevertheless people do not any longer go into the element. If you want to know far more about the information behind this, then you can be interested in reading through the next lines of this write-up. You will at some point get to understand even much more the strengths of red wine.

Just like other alcoholic drinks, red wine ought to be taken reasonably. Whatsoever is extreme is constantly poor for the overall health. Drinking at minimum one to two glasses per working day are just correct to combat a cardiovascular or hear condition. If it goes outside of that, it can be presently terrible for the health. The factors identified in grape skins have polyphenol which the major function is to moderate the production of protein that obstructs the blood vessels. When the blood vessels are contracted, it will be far more grueling to pump in oxygen to the coronary heart. In addition, scientific studies set in plain text that red wine includes bioflavinoid and resveratrol, compounds that have the functionality to trim down the quantity of poor cholesterol within the system and heap on the quantity of great cholesterol.

Even supposing there are many research performed and carried out on the wellness advantages of red wine, there are these researchers who disagree with this considered. A specific team of researcher promises that red wine has a excellent deal of more healthy rewards to the heart in comparison to other alcoholic drinks although a quantity of researchers say that beer is superior than red wine. The wavering feelings at the rear of this makes the men and women think, is it real or made-up?

I’m at 60 days again (well, 61 today), and for some reason, it’s not a big deal. Sure, I put my 60-day AA chip out on display on the top of my desk (alongside my 24-hour and 30-day, all three awaiting the 90-day chip that remains in my desk drawer), but, otherwise it’s become more of a given: I don’t drink.

For one thing, I know I have a lot I want to do in the next few months, both personally and professionally, and drinking will prevent me from doing it. Period. Drinking is the opposite of being productive, and I want to get shit done! After all this time, I know that it’s not what I want, and, I know that it’s counterproductive–and, being productive is the antidote to my cravings, for the most part. Drinking gets in the way of that, both before, during, and long after. As my Facebook friends so effectively illustrated this Saturday morning, I can either be going to the bodega for Advil, coconut water, and a bagel; or, I can be on my way to Estonia (or, whatever other country is on your must-see list).

Secondly, compared to my last time being here (mid-December), I really don’t feel like drinkin’. Really really. That dazed-and-confused feeling, that first-few-sips-and-I’m-already-starting-to-forget-things feeling, that nervous-because-who-knows-what-I-might-do-in-my-blackout-some-dumbass-shit-I’m-sure feeling–yeah, I really don’t want THAT feeling.

I’d rather get on with things. And those things–scientific editorial work, story pitching, trip researching, future job planning–can’t be done while thinking about drinking, drunk, or being hung over.

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts lately grappling with the idea of slipping and/or relapsing. For me, slipping was necessary. I don’t like to be afraid, to wonder, and slipping was my way of dispelling my fear: What would it be like if I drank? Welp, I drank and found out! It was necessary, for me anyway, to finally know–deep down, with no lingering doubts–that being sober is better than drinking, and the very least, drinking does not help me now; most of the time, it makes things worse. One glass is more painful than no glass, mainly because I just want more, and more, and more. I know I won’t want to stop, and I’d rather just skip the whole mess.

I never got a pink cloud, but I do have a moment now and then; and one of the best pink-cloud moments is when you sit back and think, Look at what my Saturday is like NOW, versus what it was like when I was drinking? And, the miracle is not that I quit drinking, or reached 60 days. It’s that THIS is my new normal–I expect to get up at 8 or 9 or 10, do the dishes and make coffee, walk the dogs to the beach with my boyfriend, bathe the dogs when we get home, shower, and then drive to “town” to hit a mini-arts fest and shop at a big box store (yes, I can’t tell you how fun shopping for bulk items is, even now, on a Saturday, when any other day prior to last June would have seen me sick and in bed until 3 pm, barely breathing and trying to piece my soul back together form a night out that I don’t remember). Yes, this is my new normal, and how much glitter can I toss over my unicorn’s shoulder to celebrate such an awesome mental and emotional achievement in healing? And endless supply, friends.

Ever since I was in Barcelona and had some wonderful chickpea dish I have been thinking about chickpeas and it seemed perfect with pork cheeks.

I soaked the chickpeas for 24 hours and then boiled them for 40 minutes.

Pork cheek and chickpea stew, serves 2 people, marinate for 24 hours, cooking time 2 hours

• Pork cheeks 
• Smoked paprika powder
• Flour, for the pork cheeks
• 1 leek, cut up
• 1 carrot, quartered and sliced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped fine
• Brussels sprouts, 4, separated leaf by leaf
• Cavolo nero
• Chickpeas, soaked and cooked
• Chicken stock
• 2 bayleaves
• Lemon thyme
• Parsley, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, cut in to 2 quarters
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• extra virgin olive oil
• Arrowroot to thicken

I dusted the pork cheeks in smoked paprika powder and marinated for 24 hours. The pork took on a slight smokiness that added to the flavor.

After 24 hours I dusted the pork cheeks in flour, pan fried and set aside.

I then pan fried the garlic and then added the rest of the ingredients.

Once it was brought to simmer I put the lid on let simmer away for 1.5 hours. After that I added the chick peas and let simmer for another 30 minutes.

When it was done I thickened the sauce with some arrowroot and served. I think I like pork cheeks better than ox cheeks but am not sure, it is gorgeous meat! It is also very easy to cook with a minimum of effort, it just needs a little of your time and it gives so much flavour in return!

He’s been applying to graduate schools. Recently got a full ride scholarship to a very prestigious university after months of agonizing that he wouldn’t… and now… now, he is going to turn it down. He uses phrases like “value added” and questions my credentials (and I think my intelligence more often than not). 

Recently I pointed out to him that he has ZERO work experience. He’s never mopped floors, emptied waste baskets, gotten up at 4:30am to make coffee at 5:30am, never been yelled at in customer service jobs, or almost dropped a plate of food while serving it. 

He pointed out that he doesn’t see “the value added from these kinds of jobs” and that he shouldn’t have to apologize for never “needing one.” 

If you ask him, schools should be begging him to come. Employers should be begging him to work for them. Fine, I see his point… but actually, no I don’t. 

I’m working as a maid and a personal assistant for a crazy woman who thinks that paying me in sweat shirts and cups of coffee is JUST as good as getting paid in cash. Most of us are working to make ends meet. I wish employers were competing for me… instead it’s just bottles of wine competing for my attention and space in the glass. 

Sugar & Spice Tasting

May 23rd from 4-6

Join us at The Cave for beautiful Italian wines, sumptuous cheese and salts from the waters off Marblehead. Complimentary. Hope to see you there.

The Cave
44 Main Street
Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930
978-283-0896

This is a lesson I’d do well to learn.

The Down Association of Canada plus other bedding experts argue that the genuine Siberian goose does not look or quack like a duck, er, goose down comforter. The Siberian Goose is a safeguarded species that, in accordance to a Highlights Journal picture, flaunts crimson and black plumage-barely the pristine white colour for a white goose down comforter.

There is a white-fronted goose with grey plumage that breeds in Siberia, but that kind of goose would be suited to a gray goose down comforter. The Down Affiliation of Canada posted an nameless assertion from “a big provider of ‘Siberian Down’” in which the supplier admitted the trade title is specious. “Siberian Down” could occur from a wide variety of countries. The Down Affiliation of Canada’s conclusion: No one particular can verify genuine Siberian Down, so the time period is an empty advertising label any seller of white goose down comforters can use.

The Pheasant Tail, Swedish and Grey Goose nymphs are all variants of the very same sample and fished with the identical strategy, frequently known as the ‘Netheravon Style’. The Pheasant Tail Nymph is a generic darker nymph, the Swedish represents the Summer months Mayfly nymph identified in northern latitudes, whilst the Grey Goose signifies the lighter colored nymphs these kinds of as the Pale Wateries and Blue Winged Olive. From listed here on all a few nymphs shall be referred to as sunken nymphs.

There are some similarities among the sunken nymph and the Killer Bug. They are both tied with wire and are intended to be fished sub-floor. That, nonetheless, is wherever the similarities conclude. The sunken nymph is created to imitate a sub-area nymph rather than a base dwelling crustacean. The sunken nymph sample is generic and not meant to represent one particular particular species. The inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph, observed that swimming nymphs tuck in their legs and appendages and so he dispensed with these when he made the artificial. It is this simplicity which can make sunken nymphs so lethal – it matches nearly all swimming nymphs observed in the entire world nowadays. This is why it has delight of position in my fishing devices.

The Netheravon Fashion of nymph fishing calls for quick reactions and a understanding of what is going on beneath the drinking water. The just take is very subtle and is effortlessly skipped if the fly fisher does not anticipate what will happen. If 1 can see the nymph in the h2o then things are a tiny simpler but this is rare until just one is blessed plenty of to fish clear chalk streams and rivers. It is far more frequent to see the fish and even far more typical to see the chief – the two are handy indicators.

Definitely if just one can see the nymph and the fish it is only a situation of placing when the nymph disappears within the mouth of the fish.

The Netheravon Fashion of nymph fishing demands rapid reactions and a understanding of what is likely on under the water. The take is extremely delicate and is simply skipped if the fly fisher does not foresee what will come about. If one particular can see the nymph in the water then things are a little easier but this is unusual until one particular is fortunate plenty of to fish clear chalk streams and rivers. It is a lot more prevalent to see the fish and even more typical to see the leader – both equally are useful indicators.

Naturally if one particular can see the nymph and the fish it is merely a situation of placing when the nymph disappears inside the mouth of the fish. This needs good vision as very well as very clear h2o. The fish itself is a useful indicator even if 1 can’t see the nymph. If the fish helps make a run and stops then it is probably to have taken a nymph. If it stops in the tough location of the place you assume your nymph is situated then strike. If all that can be observed is the leader, then the trick is to look at for small twitches at the place in which the tippet disappears into the drinking water. This can show that a fish has taken the nymph.

Irrespective of which strategy of indicator is utilised, 1 must always bear in mind that the fish will only maintain the nymph in its mouth for a portion of a second prior to it spits it out. Fish will hardly ever hook themselves so there is only a very little window of opportunity to strike. As soon as you have caught the first fish of the working day, rub some fish slime on the nymph. This makes it flavor far more all-natural and the fish will not be quite so rapid to spit it out.

The Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf is a turf race for two year olds. The distance is a single mile and the purse is $1 million. The Juvenile Turf was initial operate in 2007 at the Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Due to complex demands as an enlargement race for the Breeders’ Cup, the race is not qualified as a graded stakes race for its initially two runnings. The 2nd jogging will be held in October 2008 at Santa Anita.

White Siberian goose down is the most highly prized filling for goose comforters. But now the Down Association of Canada claims that Siberian goose down is actually a trade name. The Down Association of Canada plus other bedding specialists argue that the actual Siberian goose doesn’t look or quack like a duck, er, goose down comforter. The Siberian Goose is a secured species that, in accordance to a Highlights Magazine picture, flaunts crimson and black plumage-hardly the pristine white color for a white goose down comforter.

There is a white-fronted goose with grey plumage that breeds in Siberia, but that sort of goose would be suited to a grey goose down comforter. The Down Association of Canada printed an nameless assertion from “a main provider of ‘Siberian Down’” in which the provider admitted the trade title is specious. “Siberian Down” may well arrive from a wide variety of countries. The Down Association of Canada’s conclusion: No one can verify true Siberian Down, so the phrase is an vacant marketing and advertising label any vendor of white goose down comforters can use.

Goose down applied in duvets and comforters and identify manufacturer comforters is collected from geese raised all all around the entire world. Among the the best is Hutterite goose down from Alberta, Canada. Siberia produces yet another great, really dense range of goose down. Poor to high excellent down is gathered in Asia.

If you purchase a Siberian goose comforter, see if it has a zipper and unzip it to search at the down. Or do the “squeeze” examination to confirm that the down is higher quality. Maybe you are much better off avoiding the danger of bogus items and selecting Hungarian or Canadian goose comforters. Promoting buzz is in all places-seem at the way talentless William Hung reached dubious fame soon after a breathtaking failure and Simon Cowell excoriation on “American Idol.” But as opposed to William Hung, Siberian white goose down comforters are almost everywhere and in demand from customers.

White Siberian goose down is the most very prized filling for goose comforters. But now the Down Affiliation of Canada states that Siberian goose down is actually a trade title. The Down Affiliation of Canada furthermore other bedding professionals argue that the actual Siberian goose doesn’t appear or quack like a duck, er, goose down comforter. The Siberian Goose is a guarded species that, in accordance to a Highlights Journal photo, flaunts crimson and black plumage-rarely the pristine white shade for a white goose down comforter.

The gain gave jockey Julien Leparoux his initial Breeders’ Cup get, as properly as the colt’s next gain in six starts.

Thank you for your patience.

Today was such a chill day. It makes me realise how valuable Saturdays are. I had the most amazing day spent with friends and family. It is days like this that make you realise how valuable they actually are. The end to a perfect day was spent drinking with your mum and friend discusing weird facts about ourselves. It is so easy to forget how important people are to you, until you sepend 10 minutes with them. It was the best way to kick start a long weekend and im excited to see how it turns out.

always 

S x

Argentinian Wines

Alex and Sherry’s night

Southwestern Wines – Arizona Stronghold

Southwestern Food to compliment the Arizona vintages

Our very own winemaker….

A treat!!

Let’s taste!

Last Year we started a small wine club in our town. We invited a few friends that we knew had an affinity for wine and even one friend who makes his own wine right here in town. Everyone we invited loved it and we have made it a quarterly function. Tonight has come back around to us and we are featuring wine and food pairings from Napa Valley as hubby and I are planning to visit for our 20th wedding anniversary in the fall. I can’t wait and tonight we will show a preview to our little group. Each couple in the group has featured a completely different theme and it has been absolutely great and very educational as well. We not only drink and eat but we LEARN! What an experience it has been. Here are a few pics from past wine club nights throughout last year. Enjoy!

“Everything that needs to be said about wine has been said already,” said Jonathan Palevsky, program director at WJBC, Maryland’s classical music radio station and host of its show, “Word on Wine,” to a group of JHU friends and alumni gathered at the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, NY. But assuming that his audience had not read all of the thousands of books that have been published about wine, he pressed on, taking us on a whirlwind tour of France, Italy, Germany, Spain and their respective wines.

Palevsky compared the difference in taste between French Burgundy and Bordeaux to the difference between New York and Los Angeles, and let us in on the secret that Dom Perignon was actually the person who tried to figure out how to remove the bubbly from wine!

He talked about many different types of wines, and the grapes from which they are pressed, as well as some pairings. “My favorite pairing, by the way,” he said, “is wine with nothing.”

Palevsky expressed admiration for Chardonnay – not my favorite wine by the way – telling us that Chardonnay is blended into many different kinds of wine, including champagne. Good vintage Chardonnay can be kept for years, he said. “In a lousy vintage, just drink them now.” He referred to pinot noir as “the problem child of the wine world.”

Wines labeled ‘Gran croux’ come from a single vineyard. Wines labeled “village,” (best to say that with a French accent, like ‘vee-lajh’) come from different vineyards in a region.

When he moved on to talk about Italian wine, Palevsky told us that moscato is only 5.5% alcohol. “Perfect for breakfast,” he said.

Pinot Grigio is the top-selling wine by the glass in the U.S. – it’s medium body, medium fruit, medium flavor, medium color. “It’s the high fructose corn syrup of wine.”

Super Tuscan is a mixture of indigenous grapes and non-indigenous grapes. In the early 1900s, Tuscan vintners who wanted to blend sangiovese, cabernet and merlot grapes could only get the designation of ‘table wine’ for these blends. So in an early display of marketing genius, they came up with the name Super Tuscan so they could sell their expensive product with a more impressive name.

It’s hard to give a lecture on wine when your audience is not actually tasting, but Palevsky’s clear expertise and love for his topic made this an entertaining opportunity. Tomorrow we’ll be tasting wine at a local winery, so I’m looking forward to putting my new knowledge to work!

Franklin Liquors

5-18-13

Till

5-31-13

Vodka

1.75L

Skyy $23.99
Skyy Citrus $23.99
Skyy Blood Orange $23.99
Ketel One $39.99
Ketel One Orange $39.99
Ketle One Citroen $39.99
Svedka $19.99
Svedka Citron $19.99
Svedka Clementine $19.99

Liter

Grey Goose $34.99

750mls

V-One $24.99
Christrian Audiger $14.99

Rum

1.75L

Bacardi White $24.99
Bacardi Gold $24.99
Bacardi Select $24.99
Captain Morgan $29.99

Gin

1.75L

Tanqueray $34.99
Bombay $27.99
Bombay Sapphire $37.99

Whiskey/Bourbon/Scotch

1.75L

Jack Daniels $42.99
Jack Daniels Honey $42.99
Southern Comfort $28.99
Southern Comfort Pepper $28.99
Dewars $35.99

750ml

Macallan 12YO $49.99

Tequila

1.75L

1800 Silver $36.99
1800 Reposado $36.99

750ml

Jose Cuervo Black $21.99

Cordials

1.75L

Kahlua $34.99

750ml

Romana Sambuca $23.99
Courvoisier $29.99

30pks

Coors 12oz Cans $21.99
Coors Light 12oz Cans $21.99
Michelob Ultra 12oz Cans $21.99

24pks

Lite 12oz Bottles $17.99
Bud 12oz Bottles $17.99
Bud Light 12oz Bottles $17.99
Heineken 12oz Cans $23.99
Heineken 12oz Bottles $23.99
Heineken Light 12oz Cans $23.99
Heineken Light 12oz Bottle $23.99
Amstel 12oz Cans $23.99
Amstel 120z Bottles $23.99

12pks

Mikes Lite 12oz Bottles $13.99
Mikes Cranberry 12oz Bottles $13.99
Mikes Lemonade 12oz Bottles $13.99
Mikes Lemonade 12oz Cans $13.99
Mikes Mix Pack 12oz Bottles $13.99
Mikes Black Cherry 12oz Cans $13.99
Mikes Strawberry Lemonade 12oz Cans $13.99
Sam Adams Lager 12oz Bottles $13.99
Sam Adams Lager 12oz Cans $13.99
Sam Adams Summer 12oz Bottles $13.99
Sam Adams Summer 12oz Cans $13.99
Sam Adams Summer Mix Pack 12oz Bottles $13.99
Sam Adams Porch Rocker 12oz Bottles $13.99
Sam Adams Light 12oz Bottles $13.99
Sam Adams Lattitude 48 IPA 12oz Bottles $13.99
Sam Adams Boston Ale 12oz Bottles $13.99
Smirnoff Ice 12oz Bottles $13.99
Smirnoff Black Ice 12oz Bottles $13.99
Smirnoff Mix Pack 12oz Bottles $13.99
Dos Equis Lager 12oz Bottles $12.99
Guiness Black Lager 12oz Bottles $12.99
Modelo 12oz Bottles $13.99

Website

www.franklinliquors.com

Twitter

www.twiter.com/franklinliquors

Facebook

www.facebook.com/franklinliquorsMA

Reblogged from West Coast Living Canada:

Vista del restaurante desde el recinto de la marina

IKUAI Sailor Pub se ubica en el segundo piso del Club de Yates en el corazón de la Marina Riviera Nayarit. Es una palapa abierta, con una vista espléndida del recinto de la marina y la bahía. Es un lugar que invita a disfrutar de la buena mesa y la fresca brisa del mar. Aquí se puede realmente experimentar el estilo de vida de la marina.

IKUAI está abierto para desayuno, comida y cena, y su menú está lleno de imaginativos platillos que seguramente deleitarán su paladar.

Las mañanas son deliciosas en el recinto de la Marina Riviera Nayarit

La cocina de IKUAI Sailor Pub captura la esencia de la cocina regional tradicional de mariscos, mientras que admite influencias contemporáneas de estilos de cocina ampliamente extendidos, como las cocinas asiática e italiana. Una comida o cena en el restaurante IKUAI Sailor Pub del Club de Yates de la Marina Riviera Nayarit es una verdadera experiencia gastronómica, la cual cierra con broche de oro gracias a la maravillosa selección de postres y cafés.

El Brunch Dominical de IKUAI Sailor Pub es con mucho el más popular del área, al igual que es una excelente manera de disfrutar de una buenísima comida con especialidades de la cocina mexicana y de mariscos, así como Mimosas y Bloody Marys incluidos, todo al ritmo de la música en vivo.

Las noches se llenan de romanticismo en IKUAI Sailor Pub.

Cualquier día de la semana, venga y pregunte por el especial del día. Seguramente será una gran idea para la comida, como el menú ejecutivo que se sirve de martes a viernes. Hay una hora feliz todos los días de 5:00 a 7:00 p.m. y 2×1 en todos los platillos de camarón, sábados y domingos de 1:00 a 6:00p.m.

IKUAI Sailor Pub se ha consolidado como un lugar favorito en La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

Su horario es de 8:00 a.m. a 8:00 p.m.

Angel, gerente del restaurante, nos dice: “¡Los lunes nos vamos a pescar!

The NSLC store at Larry Uteck lost a great friend and family member this week and what is truly Larry Uteck’s NSLC loss is Bayer’s Lake gain.

When I transferred to Nova Scotia, I quickly discovered that some of my favorite wines were not available in this province.  I didn’t recognize very many wines in the Port of Wines section, and although I had some training, I seem to have lost my passion for trying new wine.    Going to the Liquor store had lost its fun….. and then I met Sue.

Sue knows so much about wine and going to the Liquor Store became fun again.  We laughed and shared stories, and I learned to trust her completely when she handed me a bottle and said ‘try this’!   Almost every Friday I would walk in that store and say ‘Sue, I need a wine to blog about tomorrow’ and we would have a blast.  I was crushed to learn this week she was getting transferred from my favorite store and even more saddened cause I thought I had one more Friday.

So this wine blog is about some of Sue’s favorites,  which quickly became some of mine.  I hope you  enjoy the wines as much as Sue and I have.

I didn’t buy this wine the first time Sue recommended it.  At $40, it’s a treat wine.  But I ended up going back and getting it and it is spectacular.  As I stood on my deck last night with glass in one hand, and barbecue tongs in the other, I remembered her lovingly caressing the bottle and telling me I had to try this one.   You take your time drinking this wine, enjoying every ounce.  Deep dark purple in the glass, when you bring it to your nose, it’s raspberries and plums, spices like cinnamon and clove and nutmeg.  I remember thinking, wow, that’s a lot of complex aromas.  With this wine, the last mouthful was as flavorful as the first.   All those flavors you detected on the nose are there, plus toasty oak.  But the lingering finish was what stood out for me.  This wine stayed in your mouth a very long time.

Both Sue and I love the old vine Zinfandels, and big bold wines.  She wasn’t long passing this one to me when it came in.  I’ll be short on this one, because I wrote about it last week.  Deep dark fruits, toasted oak, spices and a hint of cigar.   Another big wine in the glass.

Sue was the person who introduced me to the Bluenose selection of wines and told me about the winemaker with roots in Nova Scotia.  This award winning winemaker, Paul Brasset, makes a mighty fine Zinfandel.

One of the new white wines Sue introduced me to is awesome with spicy food.  I had this with Asian food and also Indian food, and love –  love – love it.

This beauty, Stag’s leap Viognier, is great with turkey.  I had not tried the Viognier wine before I met Sue, and I love its crisp vitality and flavors of white peach and a balanced acidity.  And now its my favorite for turkey and roast chicken.

I do love a good smoky Merlot with grilled pork or pork Tenderloin and this is one of my new favorites.  When I asked her about a smoky Merlot, this is the one.   Flavors of plum, licorice and chocolate combine to make a great Merlot that will go with many grilled foods.

I had tried one South African Pinotage and found it a little over-powering on the Mocha and coffee taste.  Sue quickly put this one in my hand.  I was hesitant, but I tried it, and have had it several times since.  To me, it is the epitome.  Not over-powering, but subtle hints of all the flavors of a South African Pinotage, mocha, chocolate and oak.

And last but not least, one of my and Sue’s favorites – Rhiannon.

Sue had this opened when I went in one Friday and when I tried it, instantly loved it.  Flavors of fresh fruit and fun just burst in my mouth and the lingering finish will remind you why you like the wine so much.  I liked it so much I went back and bought a full case.   A blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Barberra, Sue hit it out of the ballpark when she recommended this wine.

Well that’s it for this week.  I know this blog has been very personal in many ways but I also hope you got some great ideas for wines.  Winston Churchill said ‘Too improve is to change – to be perfect is to change often”.  Change is a good thing, it’s just not always an easy thing.   This week my favorite store lost Sue, Mark & Pietra, but introduced Sheila, Kim and the new Retail Product Specialist Rayell Swan.  I am looking forward to the new fun wine journey we will take together.   I’m sure Rick, Brenda and Heather will have the new ones trained in making customers family before long.

Cheers

Darlene

Date: Tuesday, 28 May
Time: 7PM
Location: Trattoria Hall, Il Centro (Vancouver Italian Cultural Centre)
Tickets: $30 (pre-registration required. To reserve, call 604-430-3337 or buy online at iccwinetasting.eventbrite.ca)

An exploration of 7 wines from Abruzzo and Molise, guided by wine expert Carmen d’Onofrio of Stile Brands, who will share his knowledge about wine making, tasting and pairing.  For the list of wines or to buy your ticket online, click HERE.