Wine Dinner Success!

Margot and I hosted the first of the wine dinners we hope to have this year. The response was amazing and truly an honor as the chef and wine maker as well.

You can check out the menu with this link http://www.ancientfirewines.com/ancientfire/WineDinner12009.pdf

The Elderberry Piesporter was a hit and the pairing with the spicy garlic hummus was spot on.

The main course provided 3 distinct pairings and all of them were unique and very well matched. My favorite was the quiche with the 2007 Bordeaux. The smoky cheese and bacon paired with the earthy flavors in the wine was uncommon.

The cheese course was an opportunity to try the 2008 Plum Dessert wine in a new way. The intense flavor of the cheddar helped to magnify the wine's flavors and the brie provided a smooth and soft base for this intense wine.

We finished up the evening with a light chocolate cake and the 2008 Strawberry wine. We have used this pairing before and continue to use it because it works so well!

We also included a barrel extracted sample of the forthcoming Amarone. There was no pairing involved and at this point the wine clearly stands on its own and is easily recognizable. Patience will surely be rewarded.

Cheers!

--Jason

2008 Traminer-Riesling Blend Update

The two batches of Traminer-Riesling blend, 55/45 and 45/55, are coming along nicely. A bentonite fining and some more cold have been prescribed in hopes of clearing and a softening of the acids. Time will tell.

We opened a bottle of the 2007 Strawberry (gold medal, I had to...) this past weekend. Fitting for V-Day! It was much drier and still drinkable, but usage as a base for a salad dressing is also planned. We paired it with Grafton Sage Cheddar with much fanfare. It paired well with apple as well.

Cheers!

-- Jason

Wine and the Economy

Ahhh, the downward ride of the economic cycle... Having fun yet?

Depending on what you read and where you read it, the reports on the alcohol business is either doing really well despite everything or riding along with it. That is probably true in some places and not in others, and more likely for some products and not others.

So what do you drink in tough economic times? I would guess what you can afford. Look for local wines that offer small batch attention and a wide range of tastes and aromas. Values from outside the most talked about regions are always worth searching for. And in a lot of places older vintages that don't sell well are reduced. Another year of age for many red wines makes them a better buy all the way around. The whites still need to be crisp in color with age, if not, don't buy it. If you like something on sale and provide yourself a budget for wine in the groceries, you should buy two when you see the best price.

Our own winemaking will be shortened this year due to economic forces, but fear not we have so much underway still that we will have plenty to share with friends.

Cheers!

Jason