The Wino and I Know

Absinthe and Pernod Drip in Philly!

 

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, My Mom, Tim (the wino) and I took a day trip to Philadelphia. The three of us spent the day sampling and shopping for food in the Italian market.

The last stop of the day was Parc restaurant located off of Rittenhouse Square.I saw that absinthe cocktail were on the menu, I knew I had to try it! I did not realize that making the cocktail was a table top production similar bananas foster minus the element of fire.

The Set Up: 

•     A canister with a drip spiket
•     A special flat slotted spoon
•     A sugar cube
•     an Absinthe glass
•     Most importantly Absinthe.

The Process/ Ritual

• An Absinthe spoon is placed over the glass with a sugar cube in the middle of the spoon.
• The Customer or Waiter/ Bartender starts the drip of water of the sugar cube.
• When ever the customer decides enough water has been added they close the spicket.
• Enjoy!

Note- As the water and sugar are added the drink becomes cloudy.

 

(A picture of the Absinthe set up in Philadelphia) 

This post does not even begin to explain the complexities and history of Absinthe. It is an interesting thing (to me) to investigate. I will try to do more blog posts on the infamous Absinthe.

Oyster Shooter at Salisbury Wine Festival

At the Salisbury Wine Festival I tried a twist on the beloved oyster shooter. A decscrition and review follows!

Friday's Creek "Trimiette", D.L Jardines "Texas Champagne" hot sauce, and a raw oyster were the ingredients that made up, this twist on the oyster shooter

(The oyster shooter ingredients)

The white wine gave the oyster shooter a nice grassy taste, and the hot sauce gave the drink a spicy kick! The combination of the grassy,earthy wine and the oceany tasting oyster was great. Eastern shore surf and turf cocktail is my best short description for this drink

(Me about to try the oyster shooter.)

Photo credits go to my Mom :-) 

This oyster shooter would be a great addition for a fall party, or just something fun and new to try!

To see a version of a traditional oyster shooter, look at the oder pages of the blog!

Wassail Cocktail (the wassail-tail)

Last night before going out, I was faced with a conundrum. What to drink for the night?

I had half a bottle of Boordy Wassail (a German style  mulled wine), lemon flavored vodka, and Tang powder.

The combination was great! After I put the vodka in the Wassail it tasted a tad too strong for me. Adding the Tang powder balanced out the Wassail and vodka combination. An added bonus of the Tang powder is the level of vitamin c in Tang, which is especially great during the current cold and flu season!

Try out the Wassail-tail the next time you are looking for a new festive drink!

(A picture from the Octo-bowl. The Wassail- tail was developed for the after party for the Octo -Bowl)

"Wino and I Know" Business Cards!

The first Wino and I Know business card was a bit of a fail... I am so excited for the new and improved version to ship from vistaprint! Let me know what you think!

 

The new and improved business card! With a picture of the Wino (Tim) and the I know (me, Carolyn) at the Salisbury Wine Festival last year

 

(The enlaged picture of me and Tim at the Salisbury Wine Festival last year.) I hope it is not to small on the business card?!

Salisbury Wine Festival in the Flyer!

Me with the star of the Salisbury Wine Festival

Below is an excerpt about the wine festival in the Salisbury University newspaper, the flyer!

By:Diana Dwyer and Justin Odenhal

"Do you know where the wine is,” slurred one already-overindulged participant at the Autumn Wine Festival wobbling in front of a sampling station last weekend.

Salisbury University senior Sam Kempf started the day knowing little about wines, but was given the chance to learn while working at the Boordy Vineyards stand.

“I learned about the different types of wine categories and the nuances that encompass each,” he said.

Kempf said Boordy harnesses the uniqueness of Maryland by using apples grown and harvested in Harford County in its Chilled Apple wine. The winery advertises its 100 percent apple wine to be “as close as a wine can get to an apple without hanging from a tree!”

From dry to sweet, white to red, the options seemed nearly endless. The samples satisfied any palate.

“The younger, hip crowd goes for the sweet, fruity stuff,” observed sophomore Sean Keating, who also worked at Boordy.

Inside the Boordy tent, Sam (blue shirt) and Sean (green shirt) are pictured at the end of the tasting line

I was given the wonderful opportunity to work with Sam and Sean at the Boordy tent. Due to my internship at Boordy I was able to give Sam, Sean, and other festival goers a detailed descriptive and informative wine tasting, or simply pour them the wine they requested.

This wine festival didn’t target the younger college crowd, but it did provide an opportunity to unwind on the weekend and learn about wine.

More Salisbury Flyer articals can be found on Salisbury Flyer

 

Origins of the Word "Toast"...

... in reference to wine.

(The man on the right is sweating just thinking about lifting his glass and toasting his friend)

The word “toast,” meaning a wish of good health.

"Toasting"started in ancient Rome, a piece of toasted bread was dropped into wine.

I do not know how a piece of toasted bread would taste in a glass of wine?

Just some thoughts...

Some Wine Toasts and Quotes...

Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.
- Ernest Hemingway.

Wine is life.
- Petronius, Roman writer

Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.
- Benjamin Franklin

Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.
- Louis Pasteur

“What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?”
- W.C. Fields as Larson E. Whipsnade , You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939)

The wine-cup is the little silver well, Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell.
- William Shakespeare

If God forbade drinking, would He have made wine so good?
- Cardinal Richelieu

 

Boordy Landscape

A portrait of the Boordy landscape, painted by my neighbor Mr. Herb. I framed the picture with Boordy corks attached by hot glue.

Boordy Concert!!!!

Friday August 6th my dad and I went to Boordy Vineyards, where I have a great Summer internship! We went for the Saturday night concert. Jimmi Smooth and The Hit Time band were playing some rockin Motown Music. 

Unfortunately it started to rain pretty hard during the concert. My dad and I sought out cover inside the wine shop. After about 20 minutes we ventured outside, the band was still rockin and people were dancing in the rain on the patio. On the lawn brave souls hid out under umbrellas.

(Old barn converted in to a wine shop and wine production area)

(People dancing on the patio. I love the little girl in mid-spin!)

(People on the lawn and waiting at the tasting barn for wine, or a wine tasting)

Women... Have Better Noses

(This man's sense of smell is not the best)

Since wine tasting is essentially wine smelling, women tend to be better wine testers because women, particularly of reproductive ages, have a better sense of smell than men.

Faking Your Way Through a Wine Conversation

If the colour is Dark red: say, “Mmm, yes I love those dark red fruits with a slight cedery spice underneath.”

Or a lighter red: “Do you get that almost sweet/sour cherry? Charming.”

Sauvignon Blanc: “This is great. I could kill for an oyster.”

Chenin: “I love Chenin, it’s a pity more people don’t drink it. Such a versatile grape. You can make anything from bubbly to brandy with the stuff.” (Say the last part as if you are talking about someone you have a massive crush on.)

South African Pinot Noir: Sigh, shake your head and smile saying, “It’s good, but it ain’t no Burgundy.”

South African Merlot: “Ja, there’s some nice plum flavours here, but I don’t like the green edge it has”

Pinotage: “Pinotage has potential, but more wine makers need to focus on…” By this time everyone at the table will have nodded off and you can carry on eating in peace.

Port: At most  restaurants Port is left open for weeks and continually served. To impress the table, take a sniff then call the waiter over and ask how long the bottle has been open for. On return he or she will most likely say a few days, but I promise you 99% of the time it is closer to a few weeks. Say, “I thought so” and request a new bottle be opened.

Chardonnay: Nice, but a little to heavy on the oak.

If it says Shiraz on the bottle: “I love the powerful red fruit and black pepper combo.”

If it says Syrah: “This is how I like it: old world style, with violets and white pepper.”

Cabernet Sauvignon: “Well, these tannins are just begging for a steak.”

Red Blends: “I don’t see my there is such a fixation on single varieties, surely by blending the winemaker can get the best from each?”

Adapapted from a post on on 2oceansvibe.com

 

World Record: A Bottle of Wine Sold for $117,000!

A 200-year-old vintage from Bordeaux set a new world record when it was sold on Tuesday for $117,000
The 1811 Chateau d'Yquem, once likened to “liquefied crème brûlée" by American wine critic Robert Parker, is now the most valuable bottle of white wine in the world. The wine that was previously the priciest came from the same Bordeaux chateau: a bottle of 1787 Chateau d'Yquem, sold for $100,000 in 2006. The bottle of wine will be stored and displayed at Christian Vanneque's wine bar in Indonesia behind bullet proof glass.

 

(The proud owner Christian Vanneque, a french wine collector, his valuable bottle of wine.)


Thanks time.com!

Wine That Tastes Like Grape Juice

    Muscat  is the ancestor from which all grapes are descended, and the only one to taste like grapes when it’s a wine. When the muscat grape is used to make wine in Italy the ending result is the highly popular Moscado.

Please refer to the "Musing about Muscat , Muscadelle, and Muscadet " artical for more information on the different wines produced from the muscat grape.

(The rapper Drake, drinking wine, most likely moscado. Drake mentioned moscado wine in one of his songs, increasing the wine's popularity.)

Bricks (brix) in Wine?

    The sugar content in grapes is measured in Brix. The level of Brix of grapes is an indicator of the potential alcohol content of the finished wine. If all the sugars are fermented into alcohol, dividing the Brix level in half will indicate the approximate alcohol content of the finished wine. Two degrees Brix results in slightly more than 1 percent alcohol.

For example if a grape with 20 brix of sugar is made into wine, the wine will most likely have a 10% alcohol content.

(A refractometer measuring the sugar level of some grapes)

The Wine is Disappearing from it's Barrel!

This is happening because of a phenomenon known as the "Angel's Share."

What is the angel's share you may ask...

The angel's share is the portion of wine or spirits that is lost to evaporation during aging in oak barrles.

Why does this happen?

In climates with higher levels of humidity like Maryland, more alcohol than water evaporates from barrels. This loss of alcohol is attributed to the growth of a darkly colored fungus, called the angel's share fungus. The fungus grows on walls, buildings or anything close to the barrels. This black fungus is attracted to wineries and distilleries because the fungus has an appetite for airborne alcohol.

(A distillery in Scotland, with the angel's share fungus on the side of the buildings)

 

Swimming in Beer... A Reality

    Swimming in beer can be a reality if you are in Austria. The Starkenburg brewery, which as brewed beer since 1810 offers patrons a beer pool experience in their spas converted from old brewing vats. Each spa or vat holds 5,000 gallons of a beer water mixture that is heated to a temperature of your choice. According to resort officials, swimming in beer can help treat skin conditions, improve blood circulation and even cure wounds.  The jury is still out as to whether or not that's actually true. Cold Starkenburg beers can be delivered to you while you are in the pool!

(People relaxing in a pool of beer)

Beer... a bacterial excrete

Beer is made via fermentation. Fermentation involves bacteria eating yeast cells and defecating. Therefore, beer is bacterial excrement. The bacterial excrement, that occurs when yeast cells eat sugar,  is what causes the bubbles or carbonation in beer. 

(A close up artistic picture of "Beer Bubbles")

Fun Fact: Champagne

When taking the wire casing (cage) off a a champagne cork the coiled part of the wire will turn 6.5 times

Why 6 turns?

In the early days of champagne production a lot of bottles were lost due to the corks popping off. Moet Chandon did some experimenting and discovered the 6 turns was enough to keep the cork secure, and other champagne houses followed. 

Other theories suggest that the number 6 represents the 6 levels of atmospheric pressure inside the champagne bottle. The French also regard the number 6 as representing eternal happiness.

Cage before turning

Wine Barrels....Toasted

Different levels of toasting barrels contribute to a range of flavors in the finished wine.

Heavy toast contributes roasted, smoky aromas of coffee, and persistence of flavor.

Medium plus toast imparts coffee, pepper, tobacco, smoke flavors.

Untoasted American oak imparts vanilla and coconut flavours, light toast spices, brioche, fresh almond and cocoanut.

Untoasted French oak barrels stabilize red colour; light toast vanilla, gentle spices, cloves, cinnamon, roundness, richness.

French is tight-grain oak and generally contributes the following characteristics in the finished wine has a refined and elegant mouth feel, a hint oak to support the flavour of the wine, and “juiciness” that contributes to the appeal.

In France, winemakers use the wood of following forests – Limousin, Troncais, Allier, Vosges, Jupille.

The toasting process

 

 

The Business of Wine

In 2010 Argentinean wines toped Chilean wines in total exports to America.

The change can be attributed to the rise of the Chilean peso against the dollar.

American wine consumers have become more price cautious due to the economic downturn. Americans have began looking for other options when wine shopping and many of them have turned to the Argentinean grape Malbec.

COPpucchino

One of the converted police boxes in Edinburgh 

Before the times of cellphones police around the world used Police Boxes to stay in contact with their police stations while they were patrolling the streets. The boxes had telephones or radios in them, that made contact to others possible.

While I was in Edinburgh Last year I saw some of these Police Boxes that were converted into coffee stands. I thought it was a creative way to save repurpose these antiquated police boxes.

Riddle me that.....Champagne

Riddling is the term used for consolidating and  removing sediment from champagne bottles.

The champagne bottles are placed in a pupitres, or an A frame wooden wine rack. Every 1 to 3 days the bottles are given an abrupt shake and downward tilt and placed back in the pupitre. After several weeks the sediment in the bottle collects in the neck of the bottle.

Champagne being riddled

When riddling is finished, the sediment collected in the bottle neck is frozen to form a "plug" which the next step in the process removes (dégorgement or "disgorging"). After adjusting the level of fill and setting the sweetness, the product is corked, caged, labeled, and shipped.

Sediment collected in the bottle after riddling occurs.

How Riddling Came to be:

Madame Nicole-Barbe Clicquot (of Veuve Clicquot)  was not a fan of theoften cloudy appearance of Champagnes of the early 1800s. Upon her husband's death, the young widow became head of Veuve Clicqot Champagne . Determined to improve the appearance of her product, she found that shaking the bottles loosened sediment stuck to their sides.  To get the deposits closer to the neck, she used gravity, cutting holes in her kitchen table to place the bottles upside down. In 1810, she employed Anton Muller to improve and refine the process that came to be called riddling.

Madame Cliquot on champagne cork topper

Opa!... Grappa

Grappa is a distillate made from grape pomace. It has been a part of the Northern Italian culture since the 14th century.  Grappa has always been seen as a drink for the working class; however, recently grappa has thrown off its Blue Collar associations and has attained a measure of respectability. Grappa is now seen as young, fashionable, and stylish. Once seen as a spirit to put into the first espresso in the morning, distillers are now exploring new avenues such as single varietal grappa, single vineyard grappa, aged grappa, and even peat-smoked grappa.

Greek grappa was featured in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding in which the bride and groom's family repeatedly take shops of grappa followed by shouting the word "Opa", the greek word for cheers.

 

Fried Turkey

For a while my mom and step dad have been frying a turkey on thanksgiving day. The "turkey fry party" has turned in to quite an event. A lot of our neighbors come over and we all hang out and eat different dished, the Cincinnati chili being the favorite. It is great to see neighbors and watch our turkeys being cooked in a fun and eventful fashion before we all sit down for the big thanksgiving meal.

The turkey fryer

Removing the fried turkey

The finished product!


 

Croissant Bread Pudding

The recipe is from my favorite T.V chef Ina Garten. We made her croissant bread pudding for Thanksgiving. It is my new favorite dessert. The bread pudding is so great and the croissants make it even more special. My mom and I soaked the raisins in brandy to give them a little more flavor. The soaked raisins were a great addition to the bread pudding.

Ingredients

• 3 extra-large whole eggs
• 8 extra-large egg yolks
• 5 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 croissants, preferably stale
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

 

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Bacon Infused Whisky

A while ago, on an episode of dinners, drive-ins, and dives I had seen a restaurant owner that made bacon infused whiskey and wanted to give it a try:

• First I cooked some bacon and set aside the grease.
• While the grease was warm, not hot I poured it into a jar with whisky.
• Once the bacon grease cooled it hardened at the top and I skimmed it off.

A picture of the whisky and bacon grease while it was separating and cooling

The cooled grease once it hardened and collected at the top of the jar

A picture of the process of removing the grease

Removing the grease was the trickiest part of making the bacon infused whiskey, as you can see in the picture the bacon grease did not cool as a solid mass. Once I took off the grease there were still little bits of grease that I carefully skimmed off with a spoon. 

I also made a batch with that I added some maple syrup to. I just love the combination of bacon and maple syrup.

The whisky turned out well, I used evan williams whisky, the bacon gave the whisky an added smokey taste with a hint of that great bacon flavor. The batch the maple syrup had a hint of the maple flavor, which worked nicely with the bacon whiskey flavor.

A Garden Fountain Filled with Alcohol....

During the reign of William III, a garden fountain was once used as a giant punch bowl. The recipe included 560 gallons of brandy, 1200 pounds of sugar, 25,000 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and five pounds of nutmeg. The bartender rowed around in a small boat, filling up guests' punch cups. 

An image of the trevi fountain with red water, similar to what the punch may have looked like

Just imagine a man in a canoe floating around filling up guests cups. That would be a great party!

The Wino and I Know in the Salisbury Flyer!

Some of you may have seen an article about the Wino and I know in the November issue of the Salisbury Flyer, below is a longer version of the article seen in the Flyer. Both articles were written by my lovely friend and sorority sister Amanda Kimmish! Enjoy!

Blog is an outlet for wine information and reviews

By Amanda Kimmish

Staff Writer

[email protected]

There’s a new blog in town with food and wine tips, factoids and traveling anecdotes. “The Wino and I Know” is a new blog created by sophomore Carolyn Moore and her stepfather Tim O’Hare.  The site boasts wine reviews, ratings and recipes from O’Hare, the professional wine expert, with a fun and modern twist courtesy of Moore.

O’Hare said the name came from a Jimmy Buffett song.

“I am the wino and Carolyn is the ‘I’,” he said. “We want it to be a wine blog that helps people in and not in the wine industry to learn about wine.”

O’Hare is a regional director of education for a prominent alcohol distributor and is also working on his Master Sommelier, which is the highest distinction a professional can attain in fine wine and beverage service.  Only 170 people worldwide currently hold this title. 

“I put his advanced knowledge into terms that other people with not as much knowledge about wine can understand,” Moore said. “When we did research on other blogs we saw they were really dry and boring and we wanted ours to be a funny, enjoyable and easy read.” 

Recent blog posts include reviews on The Deli, EVO pumpkin beer and chocolate wine, with sporadic pictures and fun thoughts, such as wine out of a vending machine, Pop Art and Don Perignon.  Moore and O’Hare also recently attended the Salisbury Wine Festival. 

“I am going to start posting more about local restaurants and reviewing them,” Moore said.  “I also saw on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’[A Food Network TV show], this bacon flavored Whiskey drink which I plan on making and posting the recipe and my review of it.”

One of the most popular posts was “Gourmet…College Style,” in which Moore gave her recipe of salmon with a whole grain mustard and maple syrup glaze with roasted baby carrots.  She said the recipe was “simple and turned out better than expected.”

Many posts include Moore and O’Hare’s travels to South Africa and the multiple vineyards they visited there, as well as O’Hare’s trips to France, Napa and Chile. 

“I think that a wine and food blog is awesome,” said junior Caitlin Connors.  “It’s cool that you can check out easy recipes and it is easy for people to read who aren’t wine experts.” 

 

Food and Wine Pairing Tips

 

The Deli

 

Above is a picture of, Mitch, one of the owners of The Deli proudly holding his creation in front of a sign that one of the waitresses Stephanie painted. 

The Deli Is my favorite new Salisbury restaurant, it is the perfect place to meet a friend for lunch during the week, or grab dinner before you go out on the weekend. The Deli has a great menu of gourmet sandwiches with high quality meats and sandwich sauces made from scratch. The deli also has a full bar and a great selection of specialty beers on draft. 

Above is a picture of the burry brat, the specialty sandwich that was available the one time I went to The Deli.

The sandwich above has a spice horseradish mustard, with a high quality brat smothered on a wonderful homemade coleslaw. The cool coleslaw did a wonderful job of balancing the spicy mustard.

EVO Pumpkin Beer

Evolution or EVO beers is a local brewery on the  Delmarva peninsula. The have lots of great seasonal and specialtly beers that are crafted in a micro brewery environment. EVO's current seasonal beer is the "Jacques Au Lantern" roasted pumpkin and pumpkin spices are added to the beer's mash to give the beer a great pumpkin flavor with out being too over powering. I first tasted the beer on draft at a local Salisbury restuarant called the "Deli", and I loved the surprising combination pumpkin and beer. 

This coming weekend is the annual Pumpkin Chunking Festival on the Delmarva peninsula, I am camping out at the festival with some of my friends and will be sure to bring some of EVO's pumpkin beer with me. 

Sorry about the delay in the Salisbury Wine Festival posts, they will be up in the next couple of days!

Pop Art and Dom Perignon

 Andy Warhol was a big fan of Dom Perignon Champagne.......So much that he and 19 of his friends made a plan to buy 2,000 bottles of Dom Perignon, keep them in a sealed room and pop the 2,000 bottles to ring in the new millennium. Andy Warhol wrote of the Champagne plan in his diary on March 8th, 1981. The sealed room of Dom Perignon has never been been found and the other 19 members have never been identified. 

It makes me wonder whether the plan was ever carried out, or possibly the other people in the pack drank the champagne when Andy Warhol died. If the room with 2,000 bottles was found it would be a real champagne treasure chest.

Dom Perignon Recently created some limited edition commemorative bottles to celebrate Andy Warhol and his love of Dom Perignon champagne. The bottles hold the 2002 vintage, and have red, yellow, or blue labels to commemorate Warhol's bold use of color. The bottles are going for $150 and are on sale at Sherry-Leiman in New York City

Drink Champagne from a High Heel Shoe.....

Without feeling gross about it.

About a year ago I came across this champagne and shoe combination from the wonderful shoe designer Christian Louboutin, and the champagne maker Piper Heidsieck. 

In 1880 in France it was popular to drink out of high heeled women's shoes, think of it as a way to make things more interesting at a party. Christian Louboutin and Piper Heidsieck have made this old french custom more sanitary and fashionable. I can only imagine what it would be like to drink out of this Champagne flute/ shoe.  I love the sky- high twirled crystal heel of the champagne flute/ shoe.

The set is $500.00, an extravagant price, but the set would be a great conversation piece

Chocolate wine?

(Above is a picture from a red wine and chocolate tasting, notice the "wine legs" on the glasses.)

While I was at the Salisbury Wine Festival (more posts will follow) I tasted a chocolate dessert wine.  The wine is called "chocolate zin" and is produced by the St. Michael's winery. I thought that you could taste a little bit of the red zinfandel grape, but the for the most part the chocolate over powered the red wine taste. One of the women working at the tasting tent informed me that the chocolate flavor comes from natural chocolate extract, and the the wine is nice when poured over deserts, specifically pound cake. Personally I thought that the wine had to much of a chocolate flavor. I have tasted wine filled chocolates before and think that they do a better job of combining chocolate and wine into one bite, or sip in the case of the chocolate wine. If you ever come across chocolate wine, or wine filled chocolates  I would give either one a try.

If you want to try the combination without buying chocolate wine, or wine filled chocolates, just pair a red wine with some chocolate and you will get a similar affect. 

A Hotel with a Trail Park on the Roof!

While I was in in Cape Town, South Africa some of my friends and I went to the Grand Daddy Hotel for drinks.  First off the hotel is amazing! They had a bunch fun design elements, such as paper dresses made out of maps on the walls of the stair case. ( I couldnt find a picture online, but check out their web site for some more pictures) www. thegranddaddy.co.za.

The best part of the hotel was the air stream trailer park on the roof. Unfortunately when I was at the hotel the trailer park was not completely finished. I did manage to see the trailer park, when it was not completely fished. I walked up the steps and the door wasn't locked, so i peaked around. I probably broke some rule by doing that but I could not resist! The trailer park had astro turf on the ground and each of the trailer's interior was designed by an artist. If you are ever in Cape Town you should definatly stay at The Grand Daddy hotel. 

The first picture is of the one of the trailers being lifted on to the roof of the hotel.

The second picture is of the rood top trailer park.

The third picture is of the inside of one of the trailers

Gourmet.... College style

I just made salmon with a whole grain mustard and maple syrup glaze(similar to honey mustard) with some roasted baby carrots. It was simple and turned better than I expected! Here is the recpie if you want to try it.

• 2 Frozen wild salmon filets (wal-mart)
• 2 tbsp Whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

Preheat your oven to 375. Taste the marinade/glaze before you put it on the salmon to make sure you like how it tastes, if not just add a little more of what ever you think it needs. Place the salmon in a baking dish and cover the salmon with the mixture. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for an hour or two, to let the salmon marinate. Put the salmon in the oven for about 10 minutes, the time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your salmon. Take out the salmon and move an oven rack about 5 inches away from the broiler. Turn on the broiler setting of your oven and put the salmon in for about 10 more minutes, or until the mixture begins to bubble. Let the salmon cool, then ENJOY!

Let me know if you try the recipe, or if you have any questions. This is first attempt at recipe writing, I hope the recipe makes sense. 

A history lesson... in alcohol

• President Lincoln, when informed that General Grant drank whiskey while leading his troops, reportedly replied "Find out the name of the brand so I can give it to my other generals.
• As Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on Sherry than on weapons. 
• In the 1600's thermometers were filled with brandy instead of mercury
• In ancient Babylon, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (fermented honey beverage) he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the "honey month," or what we now call the "honeymoon."

 

Thanks:http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/FunFacts/AlcoholTrivia.html

Oyster Shooters!

About a year ago my brothers friend, Pete introduced me to the oyster shooter on Thanksgiving day. An oyster shooter is a raw oyster, vodka, and hot sauce. Pete and i decided to add a little old bay. I was hesitant to take the oyster shooter, but i was surprised with the taste. The hot sause helped to ease the burn of the vodka and you could still taste the "oceany" taste of the oyster. Next time you are eating raw oysters (which are now in season!) give the oyster shooter a shot!

Wine Lanterns

Have you ever had a wine, champagne or liquor bottle that you could not part with?

You could turn your wine bottle in to an oil lantern. My mom had the" bright" idea to turn a bottle of christal that Tim had been given into a lantern. The champagne bottle lantern has been a great conversation piece in our home and was the perfect use for a nice bottle that we did not want to part with. Here is a link to order a kit to make your own bottle lantern: wine lantern kit.

Below is a picture of me and my amazing friend Leila on my 21st birthday, before opening the bottle of 2005 Moet Chandon that Tim and my Mom gave my for my birthday. I plan on turning this bottle into a wine bottle lantern. 

The Lobster Zone

Yesterday I went to Brew River in Salisbury to watch some football and hang out with friends and I spotted this "the lobster zone" machine. You pay two dollars and get one chance to release a claw into a lobster tank and hopefully catch a lobster! If you are sucessful the restaurant will steam the loster for you. I was not succsesfull with my first try, but I will keep on trying and let you all know when I do catch a lobster!

Musing about Muscat , Muscadelle, and Muscadet

Many people ask me what’s the difference between Muscat , Muscadelle, and Muscadet. What follows is some information for you to keep it all straight the next time you go into your favorite wine shop….

 Let’s tackle muscat first. The many pseudonyms for this grape include moscato (in Italy ), muskadel (in South Africa ), muskateller (in Germany ) and moscatel (in both Spain and Portugal ). Why can’t everybody just agree on one name? Life would be too easy. To make it even more confusing, muscat can have various names attached to it, such as “ Alexandria ”, “Ottonel”, and the rather lengthy phrase “Blanc à Petits Grains”. But don’t be too concerned with these appendages – they’re just different varieties of the same grape, and all will be extremely perfumed and grapey. Dry or sweet; still, sparkling, or fortified: muscat has a distinct aroma and flavor that is delectably delicious.

 Next there’s muscadelle, which is not related to muscat at all. As one of the three grapes allowed for white Bordeaux (the other two more notable grapes being sauvignon blanc and sémillon), muscadelle is commonly used to add a tangy, grapey youthfulness to white Bordeaux blends. It seldom gets top billing because it lacks the components necessary to make a single varietal wine you’d call yummy. The one exception to this rule is in Australia , where muscadelle is useon its own to produce lusciously sweet fortified wines. The grape is called “tokay” there. Don’t ask why.

 Finally there’s muscadet. A popular LIGHT, DRY wine produced in the western portion of France's Loire region. Unlike most other wines in France, the name is not taken from a town or geographic are, but rather from a grape known locally as Muscadet, althoughits proper name is (Melon de Bourgogne). Although it can be a bit neutral in flavor, muscadet is dry with crisp acidity, making it a great match for shellfish. You might see the term “sur lie” on the label. If you do, make sure to buy it; it’s been aged on the lees, and this lends a delicious richness to the wine.

Both Carolyn and I were in Loire, France back in 2002 and stayed at a chateau in Nante, France, which is the region where some muscadet wine is produced The owners name was Suzanne who was a widow with two lovely girls. One of Suzanne's friends even took Daniel, my steps son, on a 4-wheeler ride though the chateau's vinyeards one night Suzanne was a charming host to us and we will never forget her hospitallity and kindness. Below is a picture of the chateau that we stayed at durring our stay in Loire region of France.

 

My Wine as Nice Legs

 
Have you ever noticed that when you swirl a glass of wine "legs " apear?

The legs are an indicator of the alcohol content in the wine. The speed that the legs drip down the wine glass gives the drinker an idea of the alcohol content of the wine. The legs of a wine with low alcohol content will drip down faster than the legs of a wine with a greater alcohol content. Wine with a higher alcohol content will take longer to evaporate, causing the legs to run down the glass more slowly.

Here is a saying to help you rember how to judge the alcohol content of your wine: If the legs of the wine are moving slowly, you will also be moving slowly after a few glasses.

 
 

 

 

The Fabulous Beekman boys!

 
Over the Summer I started to watch the Fabulous Beekman Boys on planet green. Two city boys buy a working farm and mansion in upstate New York. I loved watching the Beekman boys work on their farming skills and bringing a city flair to their farm, for example Brent (one of the city boys) attempted to put bows on the goats before the mansion hosted it's first wedding. Brent wanted the goats to look nice for the wedding too! Check them out at beekman1802.com

While my my Mom,Tim and I were in South Africa two years ago we stopped at Fairview Winery in Paarl, a town in the wine region outside of Cape Town, South Africa. The winery also produced goats milk cheese that was made from the milk of goats that live on the farm. A picture of the goats and their tower is 

pictured below, it was very entertaining to watch the goats play on their tower. The combination of the fairview wine and cheese was delicious! I would recommend the wine especially with some goat cheese and crackers. Some of the fairview wine bottles have the name "goats do roam" on them, keep an eye out for it!