100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 47 Hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train

Blog 47 Hop aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train

Take a journey by train through 25 miles of Napa Valley including the vineyards of Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena. You can get to the train station earlier to partake in a pre-boarding wine tasting. There are afternoon and evening rides with and without food service.

The dinner wine train experience is wonderful for those wanting to feel the excitement of being on a train dining in style with china, linen, silver and crystal. The train has vintage-style cars with polished mahogany paneling making your experience feel very authentic. Children are allowed on board for the thrill of the train ride. They can also enjoy the views of the countryside and rows of vineyards.

You have several choices of experiences from being in a more casual car or dining on the high end of style. You can be in the open air car or experience an indoor car with air conditioning. There are three kitchens onboard with a menu of items to choose from. There is also a tasting room and observation deck. What a great way to share your love of wine.

Be sure to view the videos of the Napa Valley Wine Train.



Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 46 Visit Volcano Winery on The Big Island of Hawai’i

Blog 46 Visit Volcano Winery on The Big Island of Hawai’i

When you think of The Big Island of Hawai’i, what comes to mind? Lush tropical beaches, like turtle beach which is a black sand beach with very old turtles on it, or the southernmost tip of the United States of America where there is a green sand beach, wind turbines and a ridiculous view of the Pacific Ocean. You feel like it is the end of the earth and you reached it. But, do you think about a Volcano Winery?

On your way to the Kilauea volcano in Volcano National Park, you can stop by the Volcano Winery for a free wine tasting 365 days of the year. In Hawai’i, they do not just use grapes to make their tropical wines. They use tropical fruits like yellow guava and the exotic jaboticaba berry which they blend with traditional grapes to make wines from paradise with fruity notes. The wines they offer are Volcano Red, Volcano Blush and Hawaiian Guava Wine.

For those who want a more traditional wine, they use the Symphony grape which is a white grape and is a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. UC Davis of California created this grape varietal which was chosen due to the volcano’s climate and the grapes ability to grow well there. The bouquet of the Symphony grape is peach, apricot, and lychee.

If you really want to try something different and you like dessert wines, you might want to try the Macadamia Nut Honey Wine, made from island blossoms of the Macadamia Nut tree from the island. This one was my favorite and I took some home with me. The 3 Wine Girls are going to give it a try to let you know if it tasted as good off the island as it did on the island. Stay tuned!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 45: Can you drink a glass of wine without a nose?

Blog 45 Can you drink a glass of wine without a nose?

For some reason, I was not only born with a huge sense of smell, but smells can make me actually sick. When I worked as a nurse, I went on rides with the fire department; I would take bets on what was burning when we went to a fire. Whether it was electrical, carrots on the stove, or paper burning, I would be able to guess it.

With wine, if I can’t smell the wine in the glass, I cannot enjoy the taste of the wine. The nose is part of the enjoyment for me and a soapy or dirty glass drops the enjoyment by about 75%. I even feel that I can guess where some of the wines come from, for instance, sometimes I can tell the Martini from the Cuvaison and which winery a wine may have come from in California. Some of the wineries have distinct smells that come up in their wines. Even though there are different grape varietals, I can smell a distinction between wineries.

I don’t think my nose knows what nasal fatigue really is. I think that if someone is wearing heavy perfume or have a strong odor; it can affect the taste of the wine. A very aromatic food can disguise what the wine tastes like. There might be too many smells surrounding the glass while you are trying to distinguish what scents are in the wine.

I prefer to taste wine in the morning first thing. Even brushing your teeth can affect the smell or the taste of the wine. Eating food and then trying the wine can also change the nose on the wine. When I plan my winery tours, I go to the wineries that I feel are the best in the early morning, if they can fit in the schedule that way. However, it does not stop me from doing a late afternoon tasting in one of my favorite wineries.

Many wines open up after you swirl them for a while or wait for a time to capture a better release of the true aroma of the wine. I like to try to distinguish the more complex aromas as the wine settles into its glass.

If you have trouble distinguishing what aromas you smell in the wine, you can purchase a smell kit. It helps you to train your nose to know what different scents may smell like in a glass of wine.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 44: Wine and Tuna pairing. Just try it.

Blog 44 Wine & Tuna Pairing. Just try it.

Do you always need to pair your expensive wine with a gourmet meal?

I was starving, just back from Boston with nothing in my refrigerator. What do you eat when you have nothing? Better yet, what do you drink? A splitting headache had already started, or shall I say Migraine for those who know what that is like? Do I really have to go to the store or a restaurant? What to do?

I popped my head in the pantry and located some Stoned Wheat Crackers and a can of Starkist White Albacore Tuna. Those who know me don’t be shocked, but I am allergic to everything except wine. Two of the items on my long list that I am allergic to are onions and garlic. I know, I know, I am Spanish and Italian, how do you think I feel? I can’t have ketchup, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise or mustard because, they have onion powder in them. I choose to eat the tuna on the cracker, imagine that…plain tuna on a plain cracker.

I decide to pair my plain tune and crackers with a meritage from Cuvaison winery. I belong to 10 wine clubs from California, I might as well drink a great bottle of red wine with my tuna. I want my food to taste great too. I choose the Two Estates Cuvaison 2005 ATS Selection, a classic red wine representing a blend from the best grapes from the Carneros and Mount Veeder estates.

My tuna actually tasted like real fish! My meal became an event! It was not a cheap meal, by no means, crackers $3.69, tuna, $1.49 and the classic red $54.00 and out of production. Well worth my time and effort. Is that what canned tuna is really supposed to taste like?

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 43: What do you like to drink?

Blog 43 What do you like to drink?

Let’s hear from you. Do you like white, rose, red, sparkling, or desert wines? What is your favorite varietal? What is your favorite winery to visit and what do you get to do there? What is your favorite wine?

I like reds the most with Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel being my favorite varietals.

My favorite wineries to visit would have to be Far Niente for food and wine pairing as well as their cars and the grounds that they have surrounding their property, St. Supery for the barrel tastings and their tours and tastings, Hall Rutherford for their crystal chandelier as well as their cave tasting, Laird for their wines and hospitality, Schramsberg for their wine cave tour, Opus One for their unique building and design and great tasting experience, Peju for their gift shop and wine tasting experience, Robert Mondavi Winery for the Mustard Festival Event and wine tasting tour and I am sure there are many more that I just can’t think of at this moment. These are the ones that come to me first. Tell me about your experiences and which places you like to visit most.

My favorite wines are Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon, Hall Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon and Jack’s Masterpiece, Opus One Overture, and any Laird wine. These are only a few of the wines that I love. We don’t want to list them all, we may not have room. What is your absolute favorite? My absolute favorite is the Monte Rosso, Louis Martini, Gnarly, Old Vine Zinfandel. Tell me about yours!

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 42: Tannins

Blog 42 Tannins

In red wine, the red color comes from the skin of the grapes which is one of the places where tannin is found. Tannins which are plant polyphenols are present in the seeds, stems and skins of grapes and found mostly in red wine. Grape varietals that are white contain a lower concentration of tannin in comparison to grape varietals that are red.

Other food or drink items that contain tannins are: tea, cheese, nuts, coffee beans and some fruit. Tannins taste bitter and leave a dry or puckering feeling in the mouth. The drying effect that tannins leave in the mouth is referred to as astringency. Tannins are also found in red and white wine that has aged in oak barrels especially if the barrels are new such as 100% new French oak barrels.

Tannins are considered an antioxidant and a natural preservative. The tannins in the wine soften while the wine ages. They help the wine improve with age. Tannins provide structure and function to the wine and add to the flavor of the wine. Wines that can age longer in the bottle have more tannins than those that cannot age as long in the bottle. When red wine ages, it reduces the effects of the tannins, softening the flavor of the wine. At least, this is the effect that we are trying to achieve when we age a great red wine for years.

Tell me what you think! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 41: Boston Food & Wine Pairing

Blog 41 Boston Food & Wine Pairing

The Lenox in Boston, MA has received the award for being one of the top 500 hotels in the world for service, and they deserve it. Free Internet, hot chocolate, bottled water and any service that you want is given to you with a smile. I am hosting a conference and there was some noise outside of our room for a short time. Before I could even complain, they came in to the room with extra beverages and food. They are on top of things here.

I ate dinner at the City Table restaurant in The Lenox hotel during my stay. What else are you supposed to do when there is a rain storm in the city that you are visiting? Not worth going out when you have a great restaurant in your hotel.

I took a small break from having all fish for dinner; however, I did have oysters for the appetizer. I then ordered Blue Cheese Crusted Filet with whipped Yukon potatos, and broccoli rabe and needed a good bottle of wine to go along with it. You know how I love my big Cabernet Sauvignons. I ordered a Cab from the Stag’s Leap District in California. It was estate made and bottled by Steltzner Vineyards and the menu price was $65. Wow, it was awesome!

Tasting Notes:
The wine was a nice rich deep red/garnet color with aromas of smoky French oak, blackberries and dark cherry along with a hint of toffee, vanilla and spice. Smooth mouthfeel, well balanced, soft tannins that open up the cherry and blackberry flavor with the pairing of the steak. Smooth finish with smoky notes of soft spice, vanilla and French oak. It melted in my mouth! No diet today, Crème Brulee for dessert!

Tell me what you would pair your steak with! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica