Tasting Room Series

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It’s finally open! Dorchester Brewing Co.’s opening was much-anticipated and long-awaited for many of us Dorchester residents, and I was so excited to get a sneak peek last week at the ribbon cutting with Mayor Walsh.

Dorchester Brewing Co

I was even more excited to learn how much local love the brewery team has; so much of what has gone into constructing the brewery and making it beautiful has to do with local Dorchester people and businesses. Dorchester Brewing Co  Mayor Walsh was on hand for remarks and has provided some great support along the way; he really let the brewery team shine though, and shine they did.

Dorchester Brewing Co

Dorchester Brewing Co The Dorchester Brewing Co. space is gorgeous and made from materials reclaimed from the original warehouse. I love that they have games and a patio along with two tasting bars and will be host not only to house beers but beer collaborations with brewers who don’t have their own breweries.

Dorchester Brewing Co

 

Dorchester Brewing Co It will be a space for community and creativity, what Dorchester is all about.

Dorchester Brewing Co {I love these wooden doors!}

Dorchester Brewing Co

And I can see myself hanging out at this tasting bar many times in the future.

IPA

beer tasting

The staff was fantastic, and the beers we tasted, Clapp’s Cream Ale and Mass Ave IPA,, were delicious. I don’t even like IPAs, and I loved this one. It was so balanced and easy to drink with lovely pine and citrus notes.

 

Dorchester Brewing Co.

The integration of the old and the new dotted the space, and hope for the surrounding community as well as the space within was everywhere. I was so impressed with everything; the brewery really went above and beyond all of my hopes and expectations.

Dorchester Brewing Co.

Aiming to be a gathering place and a place even for families, Dorchester Brewing Co. will have a b. good food truck outside most of the time, giving beer lovers a healthy-ish local option for pairing food with beer. I love b. good fries and bowls!

b good food truck

While I am bummed we sold our condo a few blocks away, as a Dorchester resident for 10 years,  I am so excited to have this inspiring and fun new business as ours. Welcome to Dorchester!

Tags: beer, beer tasting, brewery, Dorchester, dorchester brewing co, events

I’ve covered Sep’s Farm, Little Creek Oysters, and Lavender by the Bay, but I couldn’t wrap up my trip to the North Fork without sharing some photos of two of my favorite North Fork wineries, Bedell Cellars and Kontokosta Winery. I’ve visited both wineries before and was excited to have them on our press trip itinerary.

bedell cellars Our first winery stop was Bedell Cellars, which had its nicely air conditioned tasting room set up for us, a nice bit of relief from the heat outside. I love the Bedell Cellars building and grounds. More photos can be found on my last blog post about the winery.

Bedell Cellars

North Fork wine country

Bedell Cellars

We were a little behind schedule so took a quick few minutes to wander around inside before tasting. I knew I loved Bedell Cellars wines and was excited to taste the latest Taste Rosé blend which was as delightful as past rosé blends. That 55% Cab Franc makes it! I love a rosé of Cab Franc so much, and the North Fork grows some fantastic Cab Franc.

Bedell Cellars

Before we left, I snuck out to the winery porch for a quick photo. How stunning is this space? I could have sat here all day, but we had more North Fork to explore!

Bedell Cellars

Later in the afternoon, we rolled into Kontokosta Winery. The last time I visited Kontokosta it was pouring rain, so arriving with gorgeous blue skies and bright sunshine made for an entirely different experience. The winery building and interior was as beautiful as I remembered, and I was excited to see General Manager Polly again. This time we were also welcomed by Michael Kontokosta, one of the owners of the winery, who was incredibly warm and hospitable.

Kontokosta WineryNorth Fork vineyardKontokosta Winery Michael tasted us through a number of Kontokosta’s wines, and the Viognier and Cab Franc ended up being my favorites. Viognier is another grape that grows beautifully on Long Island. These two grapes really reflect the North Fork terroir. When I open a bottle at home, it’s like I am right back there!’

Kontokosta Winery   Kontokosta Wine

bluff bar Kontokosta With a glass of the Cab Franc (oh so peppery, with notes of earth and dry leaves and dark berries, amazing) in hand, I raced down to the bluff to soak up some sun and snap photos while I sipped my wine. The wine at Kontokosta is outstanding; the views are unforgettable. For someone who loves the sea and wine as much as I do, this place is pretty much heaven.

Kontokosta Winery

IMG_6290

Thank you to Kontokosta and Bedell for hosting our group! I can’t wait for my next trip to the North Fork.

Tags: Long Island wine, Long Island wine country, North Fork, press trip, Travel, travel blogger, wine, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday

65% Sonoma County, 35% Napa County = a little vacation for my palate. If you’re a long-time reader, you know that we try to visit Napa and Sonoma twice a year. Travel recaps can mostly be found here.

This year, due to visiting new places and traveling for weddings and the Chicago Marathon, we have no trips to Sonoma planned, and while I am a little sad about this, I know that a little piece of me can visit through old photos, great memories, and of course wine. This is one of the reasons I love wine; pouring a glass and breathing it in can transport you back to a place in time that’s warm and sunny and gorgeous.

 

Ghost Pines Cab Sauv

This Ghost Pines wine will forever make me think of colder climate memories; I enjoyed it recently at a dinner at my sister’s house, Sunday night in winter with the family all around. My mom made an incredible roast prime rib with coconut shrimp, baked potatoes, kale Caesar, and other veggie sides.

The wine is rich and spicy with jammy blackberry and cocoa notes to balance it out. It was great with the roast meat, complementing the slight saltiness of the marinade perfectly, but it would also be great with a warm berry pie. It drank nicely long into the night, its long and lovely finish the perfect winter warmer.

Tags: Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, Sonoma, Travel, wine, wine and food pairing, wine tasting, Wine Wednesday

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