wine {for a cause} wednesday

wine for a cause - what a fabulous idea!

although i can take no credit for the idea or even for finding it (thank you, mainely home!) but what i can do is share it with you all as a fantastic holiday gift idea....there are a lot of wine lovers in my life and a lot of folks i have left to buy for, so this is just about perfect!

OneHope donates a portion of each bottle (totaling fifty percent of its profits!) to charity. Each variety supports a different cause - autism, breast cancer, our troops, AIDS, children's hospitals and more.

OneHope was started by eight friends who worked out of their living rooms, selling wine out of their trunks, trying to help support a friend in her fight against cancer. Now an enterprise, the company has sold over 20,000 cases of wine - and donated $350,000 to charity, since its inception in June 2007.

Pretty cool, huh?

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wine wednesday - neshobe river.

there are few things i love more than a good bottle of wine, and certainly one of those things is a well branded bottle of wine. especially when it comes form vermont.

i was wondering around city market last night (not even meaning to venture to the wine section) when i saw these clever little bottles out of the corner of my eye. i love the font, i love the names, i love the colors, and i certainly think that since i judge wines based on the cuteness factor of their bottles (shh...) i will certainly love sipping each and everyone one of these.*

well done, neshobe river winery, well done.

*if you think these are pretty to look at, check out their purple haze red and white dog chardonnay.

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bottle accessories

i am on the slow boat this week and as a result was all set to skip over wine wednesday and jump right into thursday's post. that is, until i came across this adorable wine accessory. what a great gift idea for the wine lover in your family (and c'mon, you know we all have one!)

i think i will be ordering one that says pinot grigio and perhaps one that says malbec...although they could be cute on 40 oz bottles of microbrew too, don't you think?

ok, enough of yesterdays business. now, let's get back to our regularly scheduled postings!

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a puzzling wine wednesday...

you know that moment at a party when you in the midst of a sparkling conversation and casually sipping on a glass of wine when all of a sudden a lovely server walks over with the most to die for appetizer and then, all of a sudden you panic...how will you ever be able to do it all - sip the wine, nibble on the snack, hold the cocktail napkin, and carry on the sparkling conversation all while holding on to just a shred of your manners?

well, friends, good news. i think this problem has just been solved. and really, isn't this puzzle boards just the most cutest and most helpful thing to be made out of wood, since, well, since the puzzle? ummm, yes.

oh the fabulous vermont cocktail parties we will have....

{via cup of jo}

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wine wednesday

i have to agree with seven days blogger haylee that "when the weather soars above 90 — and Vermonters curse their neighbors with air conditioning — standing waist deep in lake champlain holding a cold drink sounds like the thing to do." and, clearly, in my opinion, that drink should be wine. but which wine, you ask? now that is a question that dedalus wine shop co-owner jason zuliani, needed to answer. jason, besides being a very cool and well rounded guy, knows quite a bit about wine, especially the kind of wine to drink while wading in the nearest swimming hole during the steamy, but oh so fleeting, days of summer...

and what jason had to say in a recent interview might surprise you. he said the best new wines of summer are either an italian white (like a lugana or grillo) which are generally crisp, minerally, refreshing and vibrant or a rose (which have come along way since the box o' wine white zins of yesteryear!) which should be equally as crisp, juicy, and mouthwatering. lots of good advice, with a little bit of snark...his interview is definitely worth the read and his store is definitely worth a visit! dedalus is filled with tons of yummy bottles (including this and this!) no matter what your mood, taste or the season.

so, i think i just might celebrate the hump day with a cold and crisp glass of wine and a dip in the lake. i hope you all have some tricks up yoursleves tonight too. enjoy...it will be august before you know it!

ps - if there werent enough reasons already to celebrate....it's also national milk chocolate day! gotta love that.

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wine wednesdays - sofia

i have a very soft spot in my heart for sofia champagne.

just about a year ago, mr. frederickson and i celebrated the end of a really great day by sitting on our favorite front porch and sipping this summer bubbly out of plastic cups. it had been a long day, but really one of the best ever and we celebrated our efforts and the beginning of something that we thought was going to be a really fun adventure (and trust me, it has been!)

so, i think, tonight in celebration of what has been the best year ever, i will pour myself a glass (or a plastic cup) and toast to us. we've done good. really good.

and perhaps a vermont picnic with the portable version (turquoise straws included, obviously) will be somewhere in our future as well. a girl can dream....

{images via here, here & here}

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wine wednesdays & wedding season.

today is wine wednesday, but it is also the unofficial beginning of wedding season**

mr frederickson and i have quite a few celebrations to attend this summer and with that honor comes the task of buying wedding gifts, which i, like many, find to be a bit daunting. however, i think i discovered a loopole in the whole "you must buy things off the registry" concept. are you ready...? drum roll please....my new rule of gift giving is to buy things from the state in which you live. now, admittedly, this may be easier for me since i am lucky enough to live in the fantastically well branded and creative state of vermont, but i think it can work for you too - wherever you are from.

think about it - it supports local businesses, tells a story, and you may never have to visit the pottery barn registry site again...a win win in my opinion. so, c'mon - visit a local art gallery, or craft fair, or swing on by etsy to see what you can find. let's get creative!

so, the next few weeks will be filled with creative "made in vermont" gift ideas, but to start it off, and to honor wine wednesday check out these beauties from the brilliant and talented folks at simon pearce. pair two of these lovely stems with a bottle of local wine and i'd call that gift giving perfection.

{top row: hampton & hartland collection, bottom row: wellesley, barre & stratton collections}

** i say this for no real reason other than the fact that i spent last night making a 2010 wedding spreadsheet. more on that later. in the meantime, please don't judge me.

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wine wednesdays - summer chill.

being that it is picnic season and all, i just fell in love with this mini version of vermont ice - a locally made (obviously) dessert wine. the pocket sized bottle comes in a cute and protective carrying case, so you can be sure it makes it to the picnic destination in one piece.

vermont ice is the signature varietal from boyden valley winery. it is crafted from the le crescent grape and "maintains a liveliness that is unsurpassed. the unique mountain climate - early november freezes and loamy glacial soil - give vermont ice a higher sugar and alcohol content than most ice wines, as it delivers concentrated flavors of apricot, green apple, and pears." can you say yum!?

i think i just might have to scoot out of work just a few minutes early today, pick up a few mini bottles and head on home to trick someone into a surprise picnic dinner (shh! i don't want mr. frederickson or my boss to know my little plan!)

happy summer! XOXO

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wine wednesdays - simply sinful.

i am soo excited! this weekend i get to host a little get together for my favorite girls, all in celebration of the most angelic bride to be. the theme this weekend is all about the seven deadly sins (see the invitation here)

obviously wine is an important part of this occassion, so one of the weekend's featured wines will be the 7 deadly zins. get it? sins/zins? zinfandel. (again, i'm easily amused) and i may or may not have my bags packed with several bottles of this varietal. also, i am not so secretly hoping that our residence mix master - of b.o.p. fame -will be able to use it to concoct some sinful sangria....

eeek! is it friday yet?!?

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wine wednesdays - postponed.

to all my loyal followers,

i regret to inform you that wine wednesday is on hold this week due to the looming vermont city marathon. we will return to our regularly scheduled postings in june, when there will be wine wednesdays aplenty (picnic basket and sunny evenings included)

thank you for your patience.

kate

ps - the above image was found here.

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wine wednesday - riddling rack storage

two of my favorite things in the whole world - wine and storage - come together so perfectly in this magical piece of multi-tasting furniture. several years ago i fell in love with a wine rack similar to this at simon pearce. i just thought it was the perfect piece of furniture/wine storage/home decor and i wanted it immediately. unfortunately, it wasn't for sale, so i walked away empty handied and have been on a quest ever since.

and in my extensive research i have learned that this wine rack is actually something called a riddling rack and it dates back to the early 1800s and the champagne region of france. riddling is the part of the champagne making process when the the yeast and sediment collects and is concentrated near the mouth of the bottle. after initial fermentation, the bottles are inclined at a 45-degree angle on a riddling rack, which is made up of two simple rectangular boards hinged at the top (see bel0w) the riddler puts the neck of a bottle of champagne in each of the holes and on a daily basis over the next few weeks, the riddler rotates every bottle a few degrees and after a few weeks bottles that started at a 45-degree angle are now slanted to a 60-degree angle.

and while this might have been a long, painstacking and exhausting process, we get to reap the rewards of their efforts by enjoying the wonderful taste of sparkling champagne and using the racks as functional, and decorative wine storage in our homes today! seems a unfair, doesn't it?

now i just need to find someone to recreate a rack for me out of antique vermont barn wood... hmm...wherever will i find such a person?

{via vintage at heart, antique atlas, and etsy}

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wine wednesday - an accessory.

this is by far the most amazing thing i have ever seen.

what is it you ask? well - it's the tasters tote. a brilliant creation from a fellow wine loving vermonter that allows you to wear your wine like a necklace. just imagine being at the first cocktail party of the summer and not having to worry about losing or dropping or spilling your precious wine glass...it's priceless really.

happy wine wednesday!

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wine wednesdays & cinco de mayo!

(emiliano rodruguez via amy atlas)

as my friend in the super burbs said today - "i love may, i love mexican food, i love margaritas, and i love a good flirty dress - cinco de mayo is soooo up my alley" i couldn't have said it better myself. plus, i always appreciate a good excuse to celebrate life...and when you can add guacamole and party hats to the mix, it just makes it that much more fun!

but i was having a bit of a cinco de mayo conundrum - the holiday is all about tequila and coronas, but it's also wine wednesday here in vermont. what was a girl to do?! what is she to post about? but then, my debate was answered thanks to the brilliant folks at cooking light who just today released an article about wine & mexican food. oh, how i love when i'm not alone in my angst!

according to the experts at cooking light "wines that are high in acid stay bright in the mouth. like a sharp knife, the acidity in the wine cuts through even the most extroverted spicy flavors, leaving the diner on that wonderful seesaw where a sip of the wine makes you want a bite of the food and a bite of the food makes you want a sip of the wine."

and what type of wine is that, you ask? well - it can be any of the following varietals...

• whites - sauvignon blanc, a dry riesling or a spanish albarino
• reds - spanish riojas, italian chiantis or french pinot noirs.

also recommended wines to pair with your adobo sauces and other hearty flavors are those with a "plush, thick mouth feel...with thick, supersupple, superberried flavors of these wine are like a soft cushion for the robust seasonings to dance upon. " the dancing wines include - an australian shiraz and a north coast zinfandel.

so off i go to the store with my post note of wine suggestions and a shopping list fora adobado pork tenderloin, pineapple-chipotle salsa, and jicama salad. cooking light did me well today. thank you, once again!

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wine wednesdays & restaurant week.

you all know by now how excited i am for the upcoming vermont restaurant week. although, i have to admit i am so overwhelmed by all the delicious options and new spots i want to try that i have yet to make a single reservation...whoops!

however, the special wine dinner being hosted on may 20th by 156 bistro & vermont wine merchants, just might be the event that kicks me into gear and motivates me to sign up for not only that evening, but others as well.

the special event features a 4-course dinner, paired with a selection of wines from "the other guys" plus, there will be a guest speaker to teach us all a bit about the vino (and you know i need all the help i can get!)

here's what the evening's menu looks like:

• chef's cheese plate, featuring st. andre and chevre & the white knight viognier
• roasted littleneck clams with chorizo-herb broth & moobuzz chardonnay
• boyden farm petite filet with crispy shallots, potato-celeriac purée and roasted tomato ragout & plungerhead old vine zinfandel
• chocolate and black cherry bread pudding & leese - fitch cabernet sauvignon

can you say yum!? c'mon...who's with me? we should hurry and sign up as this tasty event is sure to fill up soon. not sold yet? go here to learn more.

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wine wednesdays

alright friends, please mark your calendars for saturday june 26th for the first annual burlington wine & food festival. that's right - a wine festival right here in vermont! what could be better!? this just might be the best thing to happen to wine wednesdays, since, well, since the invention of wine wednesdays!

this wine extravaganza is replacing the much loved green mountain chew festival that expired last year after 24 seasons as the waterfront festival of choice for the month of june (may has the vermont marathon, july has brewfest)

so, how does it work, you ask? well, it's simple - for $40 a head, you will get a wine glass and 15 swigs from any of the 350 showcase winess, a voucher for one food item from a featured restaurant (so far l'amante, miguel’s on main, the belted cow bistro, trattoria delia and souza's have signed on) and unlimited artisan bread and vermont cheese, all while strolling the beautiful waterfront park.

i'm sold!! who's with me?

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wine wednesday (a few days late)

one of my new favorites spots (and one i am very happy to return home to) is the burlington wine shop.

a delightful little shop right downtown with a wonderful range of wines (with cute labels) at every price plus their staff knows when to steer you away from the cute labels and towards a wine that is perfect for any occasion!

and the best part is they celebrate wine wednesdays as well! in their world, wine wednesday means partnering with drink (the fantastic bar next store) and selecting four wines and pairing them with four cheeses and bread from august first bakery. so, for $10 you can treat yourself to a little mid-week wine & cheese party! gotta love that.

this week, they are likely to feature their wine of the week - anne amie, muller thurgau 2007 - which is a "cold weather white grape variety created by crossing riesling and silvaner. oregon's cooler climate creates this beautiful wine that teases of sweetness but remains dry and light bodied with lots of white fleshy fruit flavors."

and if you can't make it on wednesday - there is a free wine tasting on saturday, april 24th!

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wine wednesday.

as i admitted last week, i know very little about wine. and since my catholic guilt forced me to go for a run rather than go wine tasting on tuesday - i unfortunately bring no additional knowledge to the table this week.

but, what i do know about my beverage of choice, is that i love a clever label, and this refreshing and sarcastic wine from boyden valley winery really got my goat (or cow in this case. haha. get it?!?!)

according to those who know, "this white table wine is fruity and semi-dry like a riesling. it is a delightful summer wine, and makes a fantastic sangria! cowtipper’s hints of apricot and pear go deliciously with chicken and seafood, grilled tuna being a favorite."

happy wine wednesday! sangria anyone..?

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wine wednesdays.

another new tradition here at lovevermont - wine wednesdays.

why, you ask? well, why not?
ok, so then why now? no reason really, except i just wanted an excuse to introduce you all to my current favorite varietal*

vermont meet plungerhead. plungerhead meet vermont.

please, don't hold a grudge just because plungerhead is not a local. he is trying hard to win our affections by becoming the official sponsor of vermont restaurant week - so really, it is in our best interest to embrace him. plus, he is just really yummy, quite cute, and comes from a really good family. i think we are all going to become great friends.

*as of now i know very little about wine other than i like the taste and i really appreciate a clever label. (please note that i use the word varietal but have no idea what it actually means) but this will all change after my first ever wine tasting next week at shelburne vineyard! i'll be sommelier certified in no time (-:

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