Herbs and Wine

This is the time of year when it is so cold that all I want to do is stay inside.
We think about food and wine but what about planning for our garden.
Spring will come soon enough and we need to make sure we have thought about our favorite recipes and what HERBS we will need. 


Check out this video of Mary and I pairing wine and herbs in my herb garden ...


The Vintner & The Herbalist

Fall Wine ...

When the days get shorter and the nights seem to be longer/darker/colder, we tend to switch our wine selection to red wines.  These days at the wine tasting room we are mulling wine, using one packet of mulling spices (cinnamon, orange peel, all spice, nutmeg) 12 bottles of BlackJack (Chambourcin fermented with blackberries and a blend of Petit Verdot & Merlot added) warmed to 150 degrees and enjoyed by the glass.  Nothing better than warming up from the inside out :-)

Harvest has "officially" begun!!

Where will you find me these days ... yes, inside a tank cleaning and prepping for grapes.  When it comes to making wine & hard cider, I will ferment and age most white wine grapes and apples in my large stainless steel tanks which are temperature controlled to maintain optimal fruit flavors.  Come and see what I am crushing next ... Cheers!!

Hard Cider!!

Hard Cider is now being produced at Corcoran. 
Lori has made her first batch of hard cider from locally grown apples.  This variety is off-dry making it crisp and refreshing. 
Come visit our new cider barn for a taste!
Cheers

Spring Sippin!!

Nothing says spring more than sippin on some Sangria. 
Use a crisp and fruity white wine with loads of fresh fruit and a hint of basil.
You can even add some bubbles, I always do :-)

Try Dawn's version using the Corcoran Traminette!



Just say NO to ice cubes!

Trying to keep your wine at the correct temperature or should I say "cellar temp" can be difficult sometimes.  Since our heaters are on full blast this time of year, your wine may get warm just while drinking it.  Please, please DON'T put ice cubes in!!  This changes the flavors of the wine.  I keep glasses chilled in the freezer and I also have some frozen stones.  The stones (which are generally used for scotch drinks) will chill wine fast and they don't water down or change the wine flavors ... nice!
Happy New Year and stay warm!!
Cheers!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip with Viognier

You asked for and you got it!!
Last night at Corcoran we offered wine and dessert pairings and because not all of us have a sweet tooth, I made this spicy chicken dip and paired it with our Viognier and it was quite delicious!!

Mix all ingredients together, then put into oven safe baking dish:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
2 cups shredded chicken (I just bought a whole baked chicken which made it even easier)
1/2 cup Mexican style shredded cheese
Sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning on top

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Enjoy with tortilla chips or crackers and a nice sized glass of slightly chilled Viognier.
Cheers!!

Mulled Wine Recipe ...

I have posted this a couple times, but it never gets old and especially now that we are serving it in tasting room.

Warming you from the inside out...Enjoy!

 

Warm Spiced Wine Ingredients:

2 cups water

2-3 cinnamon sticks

8-10 whole allspice

8-10 whole cloves

1/2 cup sugar

zest of 1/2 an orange, plus orange slices for garnish

1 bottle of Corcoran Cabernet Franc or USB
 

Directions: Combine water, spices, sugar & orange zest in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir & cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer over low heat for one hour. Strain out spices & return to pan while adding one bottle of Corcoran red wine, I prefer the Cabernet Franc or USB.
 

Cheers!

Wine Dog ...

Our wine dog, Belle.  Belle came to me during harvest 2012 at the playful age of 1 year old.  Now at age 2, she is not only our wine dog, friend, guardian, but a big helper to our older dog, Mocha.  Mocha is a chocolate lab who has a hard time getting around these days.  Belle knows Mocha needs help and is always right there to help her up the stairs.  It is some of the smallest things in life to be thankful for. 
Cheers!

Fall Wine!

Does your palette change with the seasons?  I will go on record as always saying, "I am a couch-potato white wine drinker and a red wine social drinker".  But with these past few chilly days, I may be rethinking that.
Most of the time we change our meals from salads in the summer to stews in the winter which means we will change our wine selection from a white to a red naturally.  But how does a couch-potato wine drinker change??  I believe I will be doing some further studying as the temperatures continue to drop...
Cheers!!

 

Harvest!!

Well....I have completed another harvest here in Virginia!  2013 is no exception to how growing grapes in Virginia can be difficult.  Mother Nature is our true grower and this year, on May 27th, she brought us a late frost.  This was the beginning of our difficult growing year.  Because of this frost, not only did we lose some of our fruit, but the critters also lost there food so it was challenge to say the least!  Corcoran was lucky in that we did get some high quality grapes, just not as many as expected.

Happy Fall!!
Cheers!!

Spring has Sprung?

When I think of spring, I quickly start thinking of campfires and that would mean S'mores!  What better treat for the kids than to sit by an open fire with your family and all make a tasty snack together?  Well, at our house, not only do the kids enjoy their S'more, but I have taken the tough task to pair them with wine.  Ok, I pair everything with wine!  But this time it is our USB Port-Style wine which is absolutely delicious with a gooey chocolate marshmallow filled S'more.
Enjoy!!

They are Here ... Girl Scout Cookies are Here!!

I usually forget how many boxes of Girl Scout Cookies I have ordered until they show up!  Yum!! 

But I always try and take it one step further and pair them with Corcoran Wine!  I hate to say it, but yes, I sit down with every bottle of wine and every type of cookie and taste ... it is a very tough job!!

So, starting at the top of the stack is the the chocolate peanut butter cookie which is just wonderful on its own but pairs really nice with our Chambourcin, BlackJack and our soon-to-be-released Pinot Noir.

Oh the delicious cookie in the middle with chocolate, caramel and coconut ... one of my favorites, but I do enjoy it with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, BlackJack, RAZ or USB.

On the bottom of the pile is a dark chocolate minty cookie which because of the mint is a bit harder to pair, but it wonderful with our USB Port-style wine!

Even though they are not pictured, the shortbread cookie is quite delicious and a favorite with coffee, but if you want to pair it with wine, our Cello is the perfect match.

Please come taste and tell me what you think!!
Cheers!!

 

 

 

YUM!

It is Girl Scout cookie season and that makes me want to pair them with wine every time. Last year I paired them with our Malbec and Chambourcin, well this year I will pair them with our new dessert style wines. I know tough job, but someone has to do it :)
First up is our house favorite, Samoa...with its rich chocolate and caramel taste pairs wonderfully with our USB (port-style) wine.
Second would be the Tag-A-Longs...milk chocolate with a peanut butter center goes great with our new BlackJack wine, Chambourcin fermented with blackberries.
Third is the original Thin Min...although it has a hint of mint, the dark chocolate icing and cookie pair very well with our RAZ wine, Merlot fermented with raspberries.
Our last dessert style wine (but not least) is our Cello, Petit Manseng infused with lemon zest, goes great with the butter cookie, Trefoil or their new lemon cookie, Savannah Smiles.
Enjoy!
Cheers!

Wine Cubes?!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is preparing for a great 2012.

Sometimes we finish all our wine at a holiday party and sometimes we have leftover wine in the bottle..."How long will it keep?" is one of my most asked questions. Of course there are variables as to how to answer that because all wines are different and the levels in the bottles can be different. But none-the-less, if you seal up your wine and do not allow additional air to continue to enter the bottle, it should last a couple of days. Fortified wines can last a bit longer. But if you have several bottles open and you just can't finish them, then pour the wine into ice cube trays and freeze them. When frozen, empty the ice cube trays and store in a ziploc bag. These "wine cubes" are excellent to add to all your favorite recipes.

Cheers!

One of My Favorite Quotes...

As Benjamin Franklin said...

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."

Cheers!

Recipe Week ... #5 ... Viognier Dressing

We all tend to start our holiday
meals with some sort of salad so I went through my recipe book to find this absolutely delicious dressing...

Zesty Mustard Viognier Dressing

Ingredients:

1 c. Mayonnaise

1/4 c. Dijon Mustard

1/4 c. Viognier Wine

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Honey

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1/4 tsp. Salt

This yields approximately 1.5 Cups.

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and creamy...Enjoy!!

Cheers!!