Wine Bloggers Conference Finger Lakes, New York

Finger Lakes wine publications

Well, I have my first Wine Bloggers Conference under my belt. My first Wine Bloggers Conference in Finger Lakes, NY. I actually had to say it twice.

For the purposes of this post I will refer to Wine Bloggers Conference 2015 as WBC15.

The WBC15 was AMAZING! I went not knowing anyone and left with an entire community of the most remarkable and talented wine writers ever! I was in great company with the likes of Karen MacNeil – keynote speaker for the conference and author of The Wine Bible – second version coming soon.

I had a chance to meet some of the bloggers I have admired for some time now and new ones that I have come to admire.

Finger Lakes, NY is a BEAUTIFUL place and I plan to revisit many times over. Let me say I was in awe over it.

The wines from this region are beautiful, elegant, and structured. I tasted so many wines that I wanted to bring home with me. I will be sharing over the next few blog posts specific information on a few wineries that I absolutely fell in love with their wines and their story.

I participated in the “Live Wine Blogging” session which allowed local wineries 5 minutes each to share information about their wines and bloggers to taste one wine. It was AWESOME! I was able to discern Finger Lakes wine makers take pride in the wine they produce. I have never experienced such hospitality. Thank you!

I got to experience the Rockwell Museum an the Corning Glass Museum - WOW!

Corning Museum of Glass

The landscape of this beautiful place is breathtaking. If you are considering a nice getaway this is the place to go. 

Again, coming soon I will be looking for other wine lovers to go back with me to this lovely US wine region.

My Wine Passion Double-Hinged Corkscrew Review

Image Source

Today I am doing a review on the My Wine Passion Double Hinged Corkscrew.

Well, let me say I am 2 for 2 on My Wine Passion products. A few blogposts ago I did a review on their Wine Chiller which I absolutely love.

First, let me say I DO NOT get behind any product that does not promote the wine enthusiast experience.

I am excited to share this latest product review. It is another all-in-one product. The My Wine Passion Double-Hinged Corkscrew is GREAT!

There are 3 things you can do with this product:

1. Cut foil – There is a serrated foil cutter that allows you to remove the foil from the upper neck of the bottle.  Always remove the foil from the bottle prior to your first pour.
2. Open bottles – This product not only allows you to open your favorite bottles of wine but also open beer or coke bottles.
3. Last but not least, the corkscrew for the opening your bottle of wine.  Five screws between you and your favorite grape juice.

The corkscrew is of a very good quality. The one thing that struck me was the weight of it – not heavy just quality. 

The length of the corkscrew will allow you to access even the longest cork.

This product gets two thumbs up from me for the following reasons:

1. The quality of the product – it will last for YEARS!
2. It is a multiple use item – eliminates the need for a separate bottle opener, knife for cutting foil, and corkscrew.
3. Impress your friends and family with opening a bottle in the same manner as a Sommelier.

In my opinion a must-have. Click here.
Cheers and Enjoy!!!!

---

Disclaimer: I received a free sample. My feedback is unbiased.

It's National Chardonnay Day Review - McBride Sisters Truvee Chardonnay!

May 21, 2015 is National Chardonnay Day!!!!!

I have had the opportunity to taste a lot of Chardonnay in my years of tasting wines. I am always looking for a new one to try. I have been following the McBride Sisters for some time and was very interested in tasting their Chardonnay.

Well, tonight I surprisingly happened upon a bottle in a local retail establishment. I purchased the bottle anxious to chill it and sample what was inside this beautifully decorated bottle. Let me say I was immediately drawn in by the label. 

I am a wine lover and not usually enticed by labels but this one was nice, however, the label is never more important than what is in the bottle.

I chilled the wine ready to pair it with some crab legs I had just steamed. I anxiously pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured my glass.

I was struck by the color a beautiful golden straw hue. My first taste was impressive :-)

On the palate, the wine gave me peach, green apple, nuttiness (almond to be exact), and moderate oak. I really loved it.  It is a deck/patio sipping kind of wine. I wondered would it hold up against the steamed crab legs I was preparing and the wine absolutely was a perfect accompaniment. 

I give the 2013 Chardonnay 2 thumbs up. 

My Conversation with Wine Connoisseur and Founder of The European Wine Table - Jacqueline Chambliss

Image Source

This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with Wine Connoisseur and Owner of The European Wine Table about her lovely wine gelee’s and wine.

We Skyped over coffee it was a great morning………………. :-)

Jacqueline Chambliss is a Wine Connoisseur who is extremely passionate about wine and her wine gelee’s.  I recently had the opportunity to purchase a box of four different flavors of the wine gelee’s in preparation for an upcoming gathering where I was going to make different grilled cheese sandwiches.  Well, let me just say on THAT day we did not eat ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches the wine gelee’s created a totally different grilled cheese sandwich experience.   

I paired my gelee’s with the following grilled cheese sandwiches:

• Grilled Blue Cheese paired with Rouge Bordeaux Blend - (2014 Finalist in the Taste of the South)
• Grilled Brie and apple paired with Prosecco Mimosa
• Grilled Smoked Goudapaired with Bordeaux Blanc
• Grilled Manchego paired with Cotes du Rhone

I asked Jacqueline what was the inspiration behind her wine gelee’s and Jacqueline shared that she grew up with these lovely food accompaniments.  It was a lovely story of how her gelee’s were a thread in her childhood.  Jacqueline's gelee’s are truly artisan in nature, cloaked in love and family tradition.

As you know I too am a lover of wine, so I had to ask Jacqueline how she got her wine legs. Jacqueline explained how she was a guest at a friend’s house who served a homemade wine and just like that she was smitten with the wine.  Jacqueline observed all of the components of the wine site, smell, and taste and determined the wine was very good.  From that point, Jacqueline immersed herself in the world of wine.  Jacqueline to her credit has wine credentials most people dream of obtaining.  A few of Jacqueline’s credentials - French Wine Scholar, WSET Certified, Port Wine Specialist, Champagne Specialist, and she is currently working on her WSET Diploma. Jacqueline knows wine!

I asked Jacqueline what she wanted people to know most about her wine gelee’s and she said “after one taste it will put a smile on your face.” Well, I can certainly testify it put a smile on my face :-)

Jacqueline also shared with me there is a new wine gelee flavor coming out which is Pear and White Burgundy – yum.  I cannot wait it sounds delicious.

Image Source

Okay I know you are asking where one can purchase these lovely wine gelee’s. Please see the list below, or click here.

Georgia:

• Whole Foods Market - Briarcliff, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Merchants Walk,  Marietta, Harry's Farmers Market Roswell, Johns Creek, Ponce de Leon, Savannah
• The Fresh Market - Buckhead, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Suwanee, Peachtree City, Athens, Marietta
• Oli & Ve - Buckhead, Vinings, Roswell
• Talk of the Table Wine & Cheese Shop - Cumming
• Leaning Ladder Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar - Woodstock
• Alon's Bakery - Virginia Highlands
• Calyroad Creamery - Sandy Springs
• American GraFrutti- Roswell
• The Beechwood Inn - Clayton
• The Buford Farmer's Market - Doraville
• Little Alley Steaks - Roswell (served with their cheese plate)
• Cheeses & Mary - Milton
• Golden Isles Olive Oil - St. Simon Island

Tennessee:

• Whole Foods Market - Franklin, Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga
• Avanti Savoia - Knoxville

North Carolina:

• Whole Foods Market - Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Greenville, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Charlotte
• Southern Season - Chapel Hill

South Carolina:

• Southern Season - Charleston

Alabama:

• Whole Foods Market - Birmingham

Virginia:

• Southern Season - Richmond

Another wine lifestyle offering from Corks and Cuvee! Cheers!

A Review - My Wine Passion Wine Chiller

Recently, I had the opportunity to review a wonderful new wine product.  The product is the My Wine Passion Wine Chiller.

When I received the package in the mail, my first thought what a great gift option for a wine lover.  It is packaged perfectly for a gift bag, or if you are like me a wonderful structure for a beautifully wrapped present.  I just love wrapping presents.  Okay I digress, but the packaging is really great.

Upon opening the box, I was surprised to only see two pieces.  I originally thought there would be several pieces seeing it was supposed to aerate, provide dripless pours, and chill the wine.  This product was supposed to do a lot.

So, now for the review…………… J

Putting the two pieces together was soooooo easy.  A quick screw of the two pieces provided and you have a product that aerates, provides dripless pours, and chills wine.  What more could you ask for :-)

The instructions tell you to freeze the stainless steel rod for an hour – which I did.  After an hour I was ready to chill my wine.

I had a bottle of 2012 Saldo, 90 pts from Wine Advocate.  I chose a bottle from my cellar that I truly love to try out this chiller.

The wine aeration was stellar, and the design of the product provided dripless pours.  The one thing I was looking for was the chill factor.  Well this product did not disappoint, my lovely wine stayed chilled!  I also tried this product to keep a lovely bottle of Rose, again the product did not disappoint.  It kept my chilled bottle of Provence Rose at a beautiful temperature.

I am always excited to find a new great wine product to share.  This product is great for an entertainer who wants more space on his/her table or wants the chill to last on a lovely bottle of wine you open after a long week J

This product gets a thumbs up from Corks and Cuvee and My Wine Life Blog.