Wanted: Female Winery Owners!

Once a month, a group of women and I try to get together for dinner and wine.  We select restaurants that are new to most of us so where we can celebrate together the experience of trying something new.  Our group consists of very discriminating diners who range from the most carnivorous to vegetarians.  Our ages range from late twenties to mid-sixties.  The cross-generational gathering provides a depth to the conversations that can only be present among groups with various experiences.  But what stands out to me the most of the reasons that we may not ever have our full core group.  We (women) have so many things that keep us busy and many times away from what we want to do.  We are caregivers, we work, we lend shoulders to the bereaved, we are taxi drivers, we don't have sitters...the things that keep us from taking care of our own needs run the gamut.  So I want to raise my glass to women...we truly are "every woman"!

Sidenote:  I'm not a food critic so I won't mention the restaurant unless the food was slammin'!  Yesterday's choice was alright...just alright...so I won't give the name.  But the Riesling was awesome with the Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich and the Crab and Shrimp Nachos.

With March being Women's History Month, The Vine Wine Club wants to highlight wineries that are owned by women.  To do this, we need your help!!!  Of course, we have Shoe Crazy Wine in our cellar but we invite you to send us other wine brands that are woman-owned.  We want to feature them on our site and do something to honor these phenomenal women over the next few weeks.  Please send those names to our email at thevinewineclub@gmail.com.  Don't hesitate!  March will blow by quickly.

Join us this Friday with our California friends "The Grape Girls".  Off The Vine with Benita and Terricinia at 3:00 pm on the May We Help You Radio Network (woman owned).

Pairing Smairing....Just Drink What You Like!

Last week, Off The Vine with Benita and Terricinia was a great show!  Not that others haven't been great but our guest and my friend Brian Fairtile made it extra special.  Of course it is always to connect with old friends (Brian and go way back like car seats), but to have a "second" to what Terricinia and I say all of the time.  Our radio show discussion related to grilling, the wines that we typically drink with grilled foods and why.  Not only is Brian a wine expert, he also co-hosts a radio show called "Grilliant Ideas".  Since he knows his way around the grill, Brian led in the discussion about the food.  We talked about the wines that we (meaning the three of us) typically enjoy with beef, various forms of fish, including shell fish, and grilled vegetables.  You can click here to listen to the show.

If you only remember one thing from the conversation, that should be to drink what you like.  Yes, so many wine experts and aficionados suggest Cabernet Sauvignon with steak but if you like something else, drink it!  Wine is for pleasure.  You should enjoy what you drink.  Enjoy White Zinfandel with steak?  Have at it!  A lot of wine snobs will swear by certain pairings.  And yes, they have a reason that makes perfectly good sense.  The balance between fruit and acidity is a key factor the wine pairing process and of course, each wine has its own distinguishing characteristics that make it a likely palate pleaser with foods.  But your palate rules.  Do you!

Don't forget to join us for Downtown UNCORKED with Internationally Acclaimed Jeweler Jay Sharpe on July 15th.  The cost is $55 to include jewelry making materials, hands-on learning, wine, and light refreshments.  The class starts at 6:15 pm.  RSVP to thevinewineclub@gmail.com or call 804-993-4130.  Class size is limited.

Check out Milo Case, our celebrity guest on Friday!  His show was hott!!!  Listen and purchase his music here.  

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The Reason Behind "The Exclusive Blacklist"

The Exclusive Blacklist is a first of its kind in Richmond, VA.  Hosted by The Vine Wine Club, the event features six African-American wineries and wine brands that have not quite enjoyed mainstream exposure in the area.  From each of the six wineries and brands represented, our guests will be able to taste 3 of their superior wines.  Heavy hors d’ oeuvres and live jazz will cap off a phenomenal experience.  The Exclusive Blacklist will be held on February 12, 2015 at Richmond’s picturesque Virginia War Memorial.  Tickets are $75.

Why The Exclusive Blacklist?

I’ve been to lots and lots of wine tastings and expos.  I’ve attended Virginia wine festivals, Italian Wine Festivals, Napa festivals, and many others.  After leaving those events, I sought out many of the brands that I had tasted and identified new favorites over the years.  So back in November, jazz great Marcus Johnson was a guest on my show “Off the Vine with Benita and Terricinia”.  During the show, he shared with us that he was in Minneapolis meeting with the corporate offices of a chain of well-known stores.  He was trying to get his wines on the shelves.  We continued the conversation to talk about the various obstacles to getting a brand on the shelf.  Money is the biggest barrier because advertising and marketing make it easier to get a store to carry the brand.  And with states having varying laws that regulate the sale of alcohol, it may be a challenging finding distribution in that particular state.  So this idea of an expo was born.  But we wanted this event to be celebratory.  We wanted to “toast” to the brands and shine a spotlight on phenomenal artisan wines, with a backdrop of great food, music, and fellowship.  The Exclusive Blacklist is a marketing event.  It is a wine tasting with an up close and personal meet and greet with some of the owners.  Marcus Johnson of Flo Brands and Gwen Hurt of Shoe Crazy Wines will be there to meet the guests and discuss their wines.  We will also introduce Felicia Cosby, an aspiring urban winery owner, who is already making wines that will sure to develop a cult following.

Other featured wines are Wisdom Oak of Charlottesville, VA, Mouton Noir of Oregon, and Seven Sisters from South Africa.

Our event sponsors are The Law Offices of Alex Taylor, Speak to Your Spirit, Boss-Chi Catering and Concessions, Inc., Dr. Charles Sutton, Moore’s Auto Body and Paint Shop, and Haywood’s Photos.

Our goal is to make this an annual event by introducing six new wineries each year.  The objective is to grow awareness organically by introducing the owners to the people who will support the brands.  The Exclusive Blacklist will be our signature event.

The Vine Wine Club

The Vine Wine Club is an online retail shop and club that cellars quality and limited produced wines from all over the world.  Our goal is to deliver the best pours to your door by purchasing, signing up for classes, and memorable educational and promotional events.  The membership is $40 per month which includes 2 bottles of wine, discounts on other events, and special member only offerings.  The Vine Wine Club hosts a weekly radio show that airs on Fridays at 3:00 on the May We Help You Radio Network.  Visit our site at www.thevinewineclub.com or call 804-993-4130 for tickets and more information about upcoming events.

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'Tis the Season

I love wine during the holiday season!  It is the great connector and the ideal solution to help you get along better with estranged family and fair-weather friends.  Often times, I am asked which wines to buy with the intentions of pairing with the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Roasted turkey with gravy, cornbread and sage dressing, cranberry sauce, candied yams, and the wine.  Of course, wine pairings aren't an exact science.  It's about what you like.  But here are some suggestions based strictly on characteristics of the wines.  One of my first recommendations is always Riesling.  I choose Riesling because of its perfect balance of acidity and fruitiness.  Its acidic nature make it a great food wine in general.  Its subtle notes of peach and honeysuckle make it an awesome match for ham and palatable with the turkey.  If you prepare dishes with a little "heat", Riesling is a great option for spicy foods.  My second recommendation is Gewurtraminer.  With its classic essence of pie spices such as cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, it pairs extremely well with the yams, the turkey and dressing.  Still balanced with acidity, the Gewurtraminer offers enough fruit to keep even the sweet wine lovers engaged.  Finally, Pinot Noir is the soft, supple red with notes of black cherry, raspberry, and a hint of vanilla (compliments of the oak fermentation) that is acidic enough to handle pork, the turkey, and the green vegetables.  And for those guests who swear that they can only drink reds, Pinot Noir will be a perfect crowd pleaser.

Disclaimer:  All families aren't the same.  If you are in my family, you may want to consider doing shots.  I'm thinking tequila.  What were you thinking?

The Vine Wine Club features its "Holiday Half", available now through December 15, 2014.  This half case consists of six wines that are perfect pours to please even the most discriminating holiday guests.  Tasting notes are included.  $64.99 plus tax and shipping.  Please visit www.thevinewineclub.com for details and purchase.

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Looking for a new way to party?  We got that!

I (Heart) You, Malbec!

I think my heart is in Argentina.  No, I’ve never been there.  And no, there wasn’t a man who left me and traveled to South America (at least I don’t think so). But I am in love.  I have friends who travel to South America often.  They love the parties of Brazil and the women of the entire continent.  The intoxicating music and the festivals in the streets.  The cities don’t sleep.  Listening to them, it seems to be one big carnival all year.  And after I met my love, I understand why.   It must be the Malbec.  The medium bodied, fruit-forward, and luscious wine dances on the palette with flavors of blackberry and plum with a hint of soft tobacco on the finish.  Its ripeness is a result of the warm growing conditions of Argentina with low humidity.  Dry warm air and controlled moisture (irrigation) helps to grow a grape that is consistently plush and produces a wine with a velvety finish.  First planted in Argentina in the 1800’s, the country now grows more than 75% of the world’s Malbec.   It is quite the contrast to Malbec grown in France.  One of the 5 Bordeaux grapes, Malbec grown in France produces a more acidic juice with heavier tannins.  Still tasty and used in many red Bordeaux blends, it lends notes of black cherry. 

Malbecs from Argentina pair well with cheese (why do we drink wine with cheese anyway?) and lean meats.  I am not speaking from experience here because a good wine doesn’t need food (just my opinion).  I enjoy Malbec with the sunset, a fire, soft music, the silence.  It sparks my imagination and takes me to the streets of South America to enjoy the festivities with my friends.  I am in love with its magenta hue, the way that it smells, and how it bonds with my palate.  It makes me sing, “You’re All I Need”.  Malbec, I love you.  You’re the only thing that brings out the two words that I swore to never utter again.  I do. 

Thank you to my contributor, Dr. Willis!  Love you!!!

Special Announcement:  Wine Trip with The Vine and The Tipsy Sommelier

August 24, 2014, $95

Includes:  Bus transportation to 3 wineries, Cooper Vineyards, Wisdom Oak Winery, and First Colony Winery, all tasting fees, lunch and refreshments, and a helluva lot of fun!

For more information, please email thevinewineclub@gmail.com for schedule, where to meet the bus, and how to pay.  More fun than you've had in a long time...we promise.

Benita

Bratwurst and Wine?

I cook with wine often.  My thought is that if what I'm preparing requires a liquid, make it something that has flavor.  Water works as it meets the liquid requirement but falls far short in the taste category.  Of course, I'm not saying that water can be replaced...you know what I mean.  Anyway, this weekend my sons wanted Bratwursts.  No problem.  I had poured myself a glass of wine already because, as I've said, I cook with wine often. Typically when I cook bratwursts, I simmer them in beer first before I finish them on the grill.  Those lucky "brats" got to simmer and soak up one of my favorite beers, Hoegaarden.  Nothing but the best for my "brats".   As the beer simmered out of the pan, I added Vidalia onions.  Once the brats had graduated to the grill, I wanted to make something extra special out of those pan drippings and caramelized onions.  So I decided to share what I was drinking with what was left in the pan.  With a little butter and a drop of Worcestershire Sauce, I poured in some Pietra Santa Sacred Stone's Master Blend.  Masterful!  Those onions were the perfect accompaniment to the brats but I bet they would have been fantastic on the bun by themselves (if you've ever craved an onion sandwich).  In the glass, the wine is bold, a little earthy, but filled with hints of cherries and plum.  It would go great with your grilled meats this summer!  

Membership to The Vine Wine Club will open in June.  Be sure to join because Sacred Stone's Master Blend will be one of our monthly featured wines.  Stay tuned for membership information and upcoming events by following us on Twitter and on Facebook.

Benita

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