A basic guide to organic wine...

With terms like natural, organic, sustainable, and bio-dynamic being thrown around; it can be a challenge picking out a “greener” wine.  One of the major benefits of organic growing is lower sulfite counts, which leave you less likely to get a headache or to turn flush from the wine. Please note that sulfites are a naturally occurring byproduct of wine making, and they affect people differently. They are added to stop the sugars from converting to alcohol (fermentation). Fun fact: an entire bottle of wine contains less sulfites than one serving of broccoli! Now, let’s get down to brass tacks:

Natural Wine – This refers to most wine commercially distributed in the US, though the term has no law pertaining to its use. Natural wine contains no added sugar, flavoring, no acidity adjusters and is generally made with a “let’s not tweak this too much” kind of attitude.

Certified Organic Wine – These are wines that contain no traces of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizer. In addition, they contain minimal levels of added sulfites depending on the laws governing certification for the region. If the label says “Wine made from organic grapes”, the juice is organic, but sulfites can be added.

Bio-dynamic – Wines that are grown and treated with a more holistic approach. This means no artificial chemicals and more cover crops, natural manures and simulation of a natural ecosystem. Some bio-dynamic growers even take the position of the stars into consideration, and follow an astronomical planting schedule.

Sustainable – Practices based on ecology and the natural surrounds of the grapes, and often strive for a carbon neutral facility. Sustainable farms use hawks and owls to combat rodent problems, chickens to eat bad bugs, plant flowers to keep pests away, and use other natural means to create a farm that keeps its own balance. Sustainable farmers also consider soil health for generations to come, and are aware that what goes into the earth now has a longer lasting effect.

Unfortunately, many wineries that practice some of these farming techniques don’t get certified or even boast that aspect of their growing.  It’s always helpful to do a little research on what you’re drinking beforehand, and remember; always read your labels!

To see what the Department of Agriculture says about organic wine, click here: http://web.archive.org/web/20041021080518/http://www.atf.gov/alcohol/alfd/wine.pdf

White Wine is what most people gravitate toward pairing with a traditional holiday ham dinner. When selecting a white for Easter, look for a wine with a little underlying fruit to help balance the natural saltiness of ham. For those of you who glaze their ham in honey, this will accentuate natural peach and fruit notes in the wine (especially the crowd pleasing Rieslings).

·    Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé

·    Lucien Albrecht Pinot Blanc
·    Dr. Loosen Riesling
·    Keuka Springs Gewurztraminer
·    Villa Wolf Gewurztraminer
Burgundy or Pinot Noir – If you had your heart set on red, a nice light Pinot Noir or a Gamay make a great mate for Easter dinner. When looking for a lighter style red, try a rounder style wine suggestive of bright fruits. These styles will pair best with a savory or mustard spiced ham. ·    Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages
·    Roth Sonoma Pinot Noir
·    Casillero De diablo Pinot Noir

Zinfandel – often mistaken for the popular sweet “white” style, Zin is actually a dry medium-bodied red grape. More importantly; it goes great with a traditional Easter dinner. Featuring pepper notes, natural jammy fruit, and a slightly higher alcohol content, Zinfandel is an excellent pairing to stand up to a classic baked or fried ham. I recommend:

·    Plungerhead Zinfandel
·    Primativos
·    Gnarly Head Zinfandel

Sparklers - Bubbles and ham go hand in hand! Bright acidity helps cut the salty taste, and light fruit mingles well with nearly any style of ham.

• Stellina Di Notte Prosecco
• Lucien Albrecht Cremant D'Alsace Brut Rose
• Chandon Rieche

For those who want to look good and have fun too here are some summer sizzling drink recipes.

Mimosa's are low calories to begin with compared to other drinks, but if you swap regular OJ (203 calories) for Trop 50 = 100 calories.

Skinny Bloody Mary: 202 calories

2 ounces vodka
4 ounces low-sodium tomato juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
hot sauce
cajun spices
worchestershire sauce

Combine first three.

3 dashes hot sauce

1 dash cajun spice and worchestershire.

Stir well and garnish with your choice, celery stalk, pickle, or olives.

Add black pepper if you like it hot.

Lemon Soda With Mint & Bitters:  about 135 calories

1 quart lemon soda or lemonade (use lemon/ lime juice with truvia or blue agava)
6 sprigs of mint
angostura Bitters
Lemon slices
Ice cubes

Pour lemonade/ soda to 6 glasses.

Add sprigs of mint to garnish.

Add a few drops of angostura bitters to each glass.

Add a few slices lemon and ice cubes.

Voila a yummy summer drink perfect for a picnic.

MORE TO COME SO KEEP CHECKING BACK.

It was only earlier this week that a women was searching for the perfect drink to celebrate a bridal shower. Being overwhelmed by the vast amounts of liquors and wines it can sometimes be off putting. How can you satisfy everyone? Something that wouldn't be overwhelming after the brides mother and bride's requested champagne punch! 

CHAMPAGNE you can dress it up or just take it down.

Choice pick.  Whether you call it champagne or sparkling wine, whether  you like sweet, brut or extra dry. The choices are nearly endless. And for an occasion for many people where its difficult to please everyone you can try. 

If its just a certain kind of champagne/ sparkling wine (MOET, Chandon, Korbel, to name a few) you are satisfied with you can stop there, but why? Here are just a few suggestions how you can make an event a little more special by either allowing your guest to experiment with drink making themselves or introduce them to a new variety. 

Mimosas 

Are always a good way to start the day whether on vacation or just a special day. Its a easy drink to make being only champagne and orange juice (1:1).  *Feel a little experimental, use a different kind of juice, grapefruit is always a good choice the bitters compliment the effervescent and good if your not looking for something as sweet as orange juice. Just for looks you should choose a fruit that compliments the juice as a garnish. Or allow the fruit to mingle in the champagne flute.

Champagne Punch.

1 (6 oz.) frozen orange juice
1 liter bottle ginger ale
1 (10 oz.) box frozen strawberries
1/2 liter vodka
2 bottles champagne

Mix all your ingredients except the champagne. You don't want it to lose its sparkle before your even done mixing. *Should always tilt your flute to maintain the bubbles. Makes 6 drinks.

For more flavors in the champagne you should check out the LIQUEUR AISLES.

Chambord Champagne. A nice way to add a little more zing. Chambord is a raspberry flavored cognac based liqueur. Added in champagne for a little flavor and color.

Pama Champagne. Is a pomegranate flavored vodka and tequila liqueur  that can be used just like the previously mentioned drink, just a fruity flavor with a little bit of citrus kick.

Sparkling NUVO.  NUVO is already a sparkling champagne and vodka blend. Its delicious on the rocks but if you want to make it last a little longer add to champagne. Serve chilled. Also available in NUVO LEMON SORBET.

Mandarine Napoleon. Mandarine Napoleon is named after its taste of Sicilian tangerines, cognac based.

Grand Marnier. This is a orange flavored cognac based liqueur. 

Grand Gala Liqueur. Comparable to the Grand Marnier, but is a brandy based liqueur made in Italy.

I really like a variety dry, sweet you name it. 

However, now that the weather is getting nicer.

MUSCADET, MUSCATO Either way is just fine.

I just  love the little spritz that you can get out of the muscat wines. So de-lish and delectably sweet and refreshing. 

If you drink Rieslings you should try Muscato's you'll fall in love, and if your afraid that they are sweeter then Rieslings that is not always true. Like other noble grapes (theres only 9 and Muscat is one!) you get different levels of sweet and variety of flavors. Ask an associate for help if your concerned of going too sweet or not sweet enough. 

Personally, I like the muscato d'asti wines, its a wonderful pop and fizz like a champagne I consider it a bit smoother and a lot more refreshing. I have to suggest Elio Perrone's Sour-gal. Its my current favorite and I'm constantly searching for a new favorite. Its always nice to out do your tastebuds such a nice awakening for them! When searching for a Muscato unlike the red variety, youth is in your favor. D'asti's especially are better to be consumed early for wonderful honeyed, peach, apricot, pear, lychee and sometimes spicy flavors that can be found in the Muscat grape. The alcohol content can be much lower than other wines, which may hint at the residual sugar (RS) content.

Delectable Recipe tip: (try naked grape moscato)

         As the seasons turn, we tend to change out beverage of choice. As far as fall in a bottle is concerned, this one takes the cake(or pie). Imagine the taste of fresh pumpkin pie mingling with warm autumn spices as a cream liqueur. Sounds pretty tasty, huh? Fulton's lends it's self to many fall inspired cocktails, and it's great alone! My personal favorite is one I call Pumpkin Pie A La Mode.  To make it as a shot, mix 1 part vanilla vodka with 1 part of Fulton's Harvest Liqueur. For a martini adaptation, use 2 parts Fulton's to 1 part vodka and garnish with a cinnamon stick. So what we want is to hear how you've been enjoying this product whether it's a cocktail or a food recipe, make sure to share...

All champagne is sparkling wine but not all sparkling wine is champagne.

A sparkling wine is any wine, from anywhere in the world that has bubbles in it from being carbonated. True champagne, is still considered sparkling wine, but must come from the Champagne region of France. It must be made using a process called Methode Champenoise.

Methode Champenoise is the traditional method of making champagne where the the wine is bottled after the first fermentation.  A second fermentation then occurs in the bottle induced by adding a small amount of yeast and rock sugar (dosage) that is added to each bottle. During this process the champagne is capped with a crown cap. The bottle is then riddled(slowly turned over time) so that the lees(sediment) settles in the neck of the inverted bottle. The neck is then frozen and the cap removed. The pressure in the bottle forces out the lees, the bottle is then topped off and recapped.

The second method of making sparkling wine is called the Charmant Process or bulk process. In this process carbon dioxide is injected into the wine after fermentation and bottling and then capped.

Sparkling wine can be made from a variety of grapes and come from many regions of the world. Champagne (France) is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or a blend of the three. Sparkling wine from other worldly locations use a great number of grape types including the aforementioned. The sparkling wine of Spain is called Cava, South Africa produces Cap Classique, Espumante of Portugal and Spumante from Italy are other well known types of sparkling wine.

Sparkling wines can have a varying degree of sweetness or dryness. The degree of sweetness is determined technically by the amount of residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation and bottling measured in grams/liter.

• Doux: A very sweet sparkler.
• Demi-Sec: This type is fairly sweet
• Sec:  Indicates a slightly sweet type of sparkling wine
• Extra Dry: Only slightly dry. Better labeled as Semi Dry.
• Brut: Dry
• Extra Brut (Brut Sauvage) or Natural: The driest of all sparkling wines.

Additional label information:

• Blanc de Blanc: "White of White". Sparkling wine made from white grape varietals.
• Blanc de Noir: "White of Black". Sparkling wine made with red grapes which give varying hues of color to the wine, determined by the amount of skin contact the juice has with the skins of the Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier grape.
• Rose: Pinkish sparkling wine made from the Pinot Noir of Pinot Meunier grape with elongated skin contact. Pinot Noir wine can also be added to the wine to give the desired color.
• Spumante: Asti Spumante is a sparkling wine from the Asti region of Italy that is made primarily from the Moscato grape. Spumante without the Asti designation can be made from a variety of grapes and is made in the rest of the world.

Rose and blush wines are commonly referred to as the same thing: Wines that are neither Red or White but shades of pink wine made from Red grapes. The pigmentation (color) is in the skin of the grape and determines the color of the wine. The degree or depth of the color is due to the amount of time that the skin of the grape is in contact with the juice after crushing.

Rose is often thought of as being a more serious form of pink wine. It is usually a more full bodied, of-dry style, whereas blush wines are commonly thought of as lighter bodied, fruit forward and sweeter.

The most popular types of blush wines are commonly known as White Zinfandel, White Merlot or just plain Blush.

Rose wines are often overlooked by dry wine drinkers because of their color and popularity of blush wines. They tend to be lumped into the sweet wine category.

The of-dry Rose wines often have greater depth and structure offering a wider choice of flavors. They make a great summer patio beverage and often have the depth of flavor to compliment our much loved barbecue fare.

The following are a few examples of our Rose wines:

Michel Torino Malbec-Rose 2008 – Argentina Michel Torino Coleccion Malbec Rose is dry and well-structured with very lively fruit character. It also has hints of spice and berries and a clean, crisp finish. $ 11.99 750ml Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2008 – South Africa A lovely, lively, bright and clear pomegranate colour and has complex layers of strawberry, cherry, roses and fresh peaches on the nose. The wine has a nice, spicy and slightly peppery taste on the palate and is well balanced with a fresh long aftertaste. $ 10.99 750ml Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45 Rose – 2008 - France 86 PTS, BEST BUY, WINE & SPIRITS. The '08 Paul Jaboulet Aine has sweet-tart cherry flavors that deliver a thirst-quenching pink that's priced right for parties. $ 10.99 750ml

Other Roses:
•    Kim Crawford Gisborne Rose 2007 (Australia) - $12.99 750ml
•    Marco Real Garnacha Rose  2008 (Spain) - $ 9.99 750ml