The dish [ March 12th, 2010 ] Posted in » Helen Austyn

Call me old fashioned.

There is something about the tradition and ritual of wine that I find oddly comforting.

I almost never come across a robust dry sherry by the glass in a restaurant ­ unless, of course, it’s a Spanish restaurant ­ but when I do I can hardly resist. This is a superb aperitif, but one that is hardly appreciated any more in this chardonnay-laden world.

The Domecq dry Manzanilla sherry recently crossed my desk, which reminded me of my passion for the dry sherries. Both the Domecq Manzanilla and “La Ina” (a dry fino) retail for about $15 a bottle. Try them with roasted almonds or Sevilla olives.
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Chrisman Mill Vineyards

chrisman_smallWell, my pictures did not turn out very well, but the wine was great!

Last year, at the Jessamine Jamboree (the county fair in Jessamine County, Kentucky), we discovered Chrisman Mill Vineyards. We had heard rumors that there was a vineyard in Nicholasville, but we were a little skeptical. How can you grow grapes in a state where the weather changes more in a month than it does all year in some states?
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February 20th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Good Comes from the Glut – Charles Creek Cellars

sunset_small

There has been a lot of publicity about overproduction of grapes over the last few harvests. This can mean lower prices paid to growers for their grapes and more bulk wine on the market. On the plus side, for the consumer, a heavy harvest and more vines coming into full bearing can possibly mean lower bottle prices, better quality wines in low end packaging and, for some emerging wineries, it can mean an opportunity to expand production with grapes from vineyards with a long history of providing quality fruit to the industry.
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February 6th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Mill Creek Winery – Reflections Meritage

mill-creek-wineryStarting in 1996, with a barrel tasting of the first vintage of their classy Meritage wine, “Reflections,” the Kreck family has celebrated each succeeding blend with a gala dinner party. A special benefit for those attending that first party was the opportunity to buy futures – i.e. purchase a case or so of that first Reflections, vintage 1994, to be delivered in 1997, when winemaker Hank Skewis and Mill Creek Winery owners Bill and Yvonne Kreck decided it was ready for release.
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February 6th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

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