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Good Monday, friends! I say it every week, but I can’t believe the weekend flew by so quickly. We got a ton done as far as setting up work appointments on our old condo and our new house. I feel like I will be qualified to be a contractor by the time all of this buying and selling is over. It’s been nonstop roofing, plumbing, heat conversion, solar panels, painting, etc. It will all be worth it in the end, but for now it is definitely a part time job!

One thing that always makes us happy is finding a new wine and learning about/reading about wine in general. I pin a lot of wines to my wine Pinterest board so that I can keep track of what wines I have liked and certain wine and food pairings. It’s fun to check in every now and then to share wines I am loving, and that’s the purpose of today’s post. As always, I love hearing from you, so if there’s a must-try wine you want to share, please let met know in the comments!

Cartograph Pinot Noir

Massachusetts wine shipping laws make it difficult for us to get all the wine we want from outside the state, so I am thankful for a mom who does not mind receiving wine shipments! We discovered Cartograph on a trip to Sonoma County a couple of years ago, and have been huge fans since. First. they are the nicest people ever. Second, their wine is outstanding, which just makes us want to talk about it. Their Floodgate Vineyard Pinot Noir is simply a joy, with bright bursts of berry and a little earthy funk. It’s everything Pinot Noir should be, and it makes us dream of a trip to their new Healdsburg tasting room!

Fetzer ChardonnayFetzer Sundial Chardonnay is all about flavor and big value. You can pick up a bottle for around $8, and this Chardonnay is just easy-drinking and fun and fruity with a rich, yet not overwhelming finish.

Stylo Old Vine GarnachaWhile we lean toward California wine a lot of the time, we have also been making an effort to try and buy wines that are from outside the US, as well as wines from other regions in the US. This Stylo Old Vines Garnacha is all fruit and a nice touch of acidity. Think cherries and strawberries, with a mouthwatering finish, all wrapped up in a lovely, light garnet color. We picked this wine up after a wine tasting at Bin Ends, and we are wishing we purchased more.

 

La Marca ProseccoThis LaMarca Proscecco was part of a recent Sunday brunch at Steel & Rye. We drank bubbly because we were catching up with good friends, it was Sunday Funday, and because sparkling wine is a great addition to any meal! I don’t always love Prosecco because there are times pear flavors completely overwhelm my palate. The LaMarca Prosecco is different and had more tart notes of citrus and brioche. It’s a great brunch bubbly!

 

The wines on tap at Beat Hotel are also a great addition for Boston area wine lovers. Beat Hotel has become one of my favorite spots, and I love their wine list, which is heavy with Rhone varieties from California. The Topanga Vineyards Grenache Blanc and the Black Sheep Finds Rousanne are both favorites I discovered, thanks to the restaurant’s variety of pour sizes.

If you are interested in reading more wine posts and photos, stop by The Collectionary Wine Club, where moderators share photos of wines and other information.

Tags: Beat Hotel, California wines, chardonnay, Garnacha, Grenache, Italian wines, Pinot Noir, prosecco, Rousanne, Spanish wines, Viognier, wine, wine tasting

Winter is a great time to visit Napa Valley, and while I unfortunately don’t have a Napa or Sonoma trip planned until summer, I wanted to pass along some information on Yountville’s winter festivities in case any of my readers are planning a trip. We have visited Yountville many times, and we have enjoyed wine tasting at Jessup Cellars and Ma(i)sonry and some great meals at Bardessono and Bottega.

If you are planning a winter trip to wine country, below is some information on what’s happening in Yountville. Happy Travel Tuesday!

Yountville Napa Valley

wine grapes Napa Valley

Napa Valley

{Lucy’s Garden}

  • The Art House Short Film Series continuing through March at Jessup Cellars Tasting Gallery features monthly art house films paired with flavor-infused popcorn wok-popped to order. Chef Mike serves up Zinfandel Port paired with Winter Spice Popcorn (cinnamon, allspice, cloves and a touch of honey), Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Bacon Smoked Sea Salt Popcorn, Sauvignon Blanc with Green Onion Garlic Popcorn, and more, eleven amazing combinations in all.
  • Chefs on the Vintage Estate, home to the luxurious Villagio Inn and Spa, harvest their Meyer lemons all winter long, and use them to stir up fresh, house-made batches of lemon curd.  This creamy, dreamy condiment debuts at afternoon teas alongside tender pastries and in luscious Meyer Lemon Tarts.
  • Mad for fermentation, Chef Richard Reddington of Redd and Redd-Wood house-ferments winter vegetables from the garden, cures his own meats and makes three kinds of sausage, including breakfast sausage spiked with maple syrup, and his own, mouth-watering Italian-style cotechino.
  • Have you ever wondered how the experts can detect aromas of summer blackberry, nutmeg or even chocolate in a wine’s bouquet? Winemakers Bell Cellars help train palates using fresh fruit, herbs, and other delectables representing wine flavors and aromas. Students of the vine are guaranteed to savor the preferred drink of Bacchus in a way they never have before.
  • Pics of Chef Victor Scargle’s Brussels sprout plants could very well be the most-Tweeted image from Lucy’s Restaurant.  Yountville is heart-healthy thanks to Chef Scargle.  He has planted a rainbow palette of cruciferous vegetables in his kitchen garden, considered vital for vibrant health. Take a saunter through the Romanesco, broccoli cheddar cauliflower and violet broccaflower. The most intriguing of all has turned out be the oft-maligned but definitely interesting Brussels sprouts–visitors always appreciate these cute mini-cabbages more after their visit to Lucy.
  • Michelin starred chef-spottings: Pancha’s is Yountville’s only true dive bar, family-owned and operated for decades, offering cheap drinks and pool tables.  It’s a great spot to rub elbows with local chefs and vintners after hours. Just head through the vintage hitching posts out front.

Tasty winter festivities:

CabFestNV — February 28, March 1 & 2  — NEW!  Napa Valley’s first Cabernet festival, and it’s in Yountville!

Napa Valley’s legendary Cabernets finally have their own festival. The festival kicks off Friday with a salute to “Cigars & Guitars,” including a live concert, cigar party, and showing of rare classic guitars. Then, on the weekend, more than 100 of Napa Valley’s top wineries pour. lincolntheater.com/cabfest/

Taste of Yountville — March 14-16 — Yountville’s downtown street party!

Taste of Yountville signals the transition from winter to spring in Wine Country, when the mustard is blooming and grapes are beginning to bud.  This is the village’s celebration of the year featuring its signature street party with food, wine, art and music, plus other weekend happenings all over this charming town.  yountville.com/events/taste-of-yountville-2

Tags: Food, Napa, Napa Valley, Travel, wine, wine country, Yountville

Thank you to the Boston Wine Expo for hosting this Grand Tasting giveaway! The winner, chosen by Random.org,  is Meghan, with this comment:

Love the Pacific Rim Sweet Riesling! Also tweeted!

Meghan, please email me at traveleatlove at gmail dot com to let me know you can definitely go.

In the meantime, the Boston Wine Expo is offering a $10 discount with the code SOCIAL. Don’t forget that in addition to the Grand Tasting, there are all sorts of seminars available by some amazing people like Randall Graham and Kevin Zraly: http://www.wine-expos.com/page.cfm/Action=Seminar/libID=1/listID=1/t=m/goSection=2_3

 

Boston Wine Expo

 

Wine Wednesday calls for a special post! As many of you know, the Boston Wine Expo is coming up the weekend of February 14, and lucky for one of you, they have given me a pair of tickets to the Sunday Grand Tasting to give away!

The Grand Tasting exhibitor list features SO many wineries including some of my favorites like Codorniu, Alexander Valley Vineyards, Grgich Hills,  and Merriam Vineyards. Wine tasting is an excellent way to spend a cold Sunday, and the Boston Wine Expo is the place to do it this February.

In addition to the Grand Tasting, the Boston Wine Expo is offering some great seminars and special events. If I wasn’t going to be out of town I would be all over the following:

Bonny Doon wine dinner

Château D’Esclans: The Rosé Lifestyle of St.Tropez with Sacha Lichine

Napa Valley Cabernets-Great wines from great years

Merroir & Terroir Pairing with Island Creek Oysters

A Tuscan Table Wine & Food Pairing Experience with epicurean Lou Di Palo Presented by Seaport Hotel in collaboration with Toscana Promozione & the Italian Trade Commission

For a full list of seminars, visit the Boston Wine Expo website.

Now, about that giveaway!

To enter, you must be 21 years of age, period. If not, don’t even try it! Entering is easy; just leave a comment on this post letting me know your wine of the moment.

To get a second entry, tweet, “ I want to win @BostonWineExpo tickets from @traveleatlovemm.”

I will announce a winner on Friday evening. Good luck, and cheers!

Tags: Boston, Boston Wine Expo, wine, wine and food, wine education, wine events, wine tasting

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