The Discovery Channel Loves Beer!

What do Ben Franklin, pyramid building, duck ponds, disease prevention and the Discovery Channel have in common? Beer!

On January 30th, the Discovery Channel aired the show “How Beer Saved the World”. It is a an entertaining and educational look at how beer has been with us since we settled down and began organizing communities, and how if it wasn’t for beer our history would be something entirely different. Add the series BrewMasters to the mix and one conclusion is clear, the Discovery Channel loves beer!

In two previous posts I have shared my review of episodes 1, 2 and 3 of the series BrewMasters that provides an inside look of the Dogfish Head brewery. I have watched episodes 4 and 5 as well, with episode 6 still yet to air.

Episode 4 takes us to a location close to home for Sam, York Beach, Maine. We also find out where the name for the brewery comes from. Dogfish Head is the name of a street in Southport, Maine where Sam grew up. Sam tells us a story about being out on a walk with his dad, during a break from college, and having to answer a questions about how classes were going. They were going good, but he dropped the bomb that he wanted to be a commercial brewer. Looking up and reading a street sign in front of him, his dad proclaimed “Dogfish Head would be a good name for a brewery”, and the rest is history. Most good things start with a good story.

The main story in episode 4 is how Sam planned and successfully used scrap cedar wood from the Grain surfboard company, located in York Beach, to brew and age a beer. Using woods other than oak has been flirted with by some brewers, but even oak aging of beer is a niche product in our current craft beer revolution.

The more interesting story in episode 4 is what happens when the sensory panel dings a beer and that beer happens to be the DFH 120 minute IPA, the strongest and potentially the most expensive IPA in the world. The fermentation became stuck and couldn’t be restarted. The brewery staff, Sam included, decided to dump the unfinished beer; a very costly decision.

As Margot and I learned more about Dogfish Head we were curious about some of their beers we had never had before. We were lucky enough that our local craft beer shop, The Drinkery, carries DFH beers and had a number of them we had yet to enjoy.

Indian Brown Ale

The Indian Brown Ale is a dry hopped brown ale that combines characteristics of both traditional American brown ales and India Pale Ales. At 7.2% alcohol, it is potent but not extreme. We found it to have a dark brown color with a light brown head that lingered for a moderate amount of time. We detected hints of chocolate, nuts and dark malt. It has a medium body with perceptible bitterness and no noticable sweet character. I’d definitely drink this again, and likely in quantity!

I found the show “How Beer Saved the World” to be a great affirmation of my taste for good beer and unquenched curiosity about its history, styles and the locales where people worship it. Did you know that the pyramid builders were paid in beer? How about the fact that New World settlers wouldn’t drink the amazingly clean water in North America because they thought water made people sick? At home the water was contaminated and made people sick unless it was made into beer. Louis Pasteur wasn’t studying milk when he had the idea for pasteurization. Yup, beer. School kids in old Europe drank beer for breakfast. It was low alcohol so drunkenness wasn’t an issue. The nutrition they received from it was what was being sought after. And. mechanized assembly lines? Henry Ford is typically given credit, but he was ten years behind the glass bottle (for beer!) industry. The American Revolution? You guessed it, fueled by and in defense of the freedom to consume beer.

So the next time you sit down to drink a beer take a moment to celebrate the thousands of years of human history you hold in your hand. We all owe beer quite a bit!

Episode 5 of BrewMasters centers on a trip to Egypt in search of the history of beer and a recipe for a 4000 year old ancient ale. Some of the earliest visuals of beer making can be found in Egyptian hieroglyphs. What is interesting is the proximity of these images to those of bread making. It isn’t completely clear exactly what the relationship between the two products was during the times the symbols were created. In the same way “How Beer Saved the World” explained that wages for pyramid builders were paid in beer, BrewMasters suggests that minimum wage (daily) was about a 12 pack of beer. This beer would have been quite low in alcohol, but was packed with nutrients and vitamins.

In episode the beer idea Sam has kicking around is something he calls Ta Henkent brewed with Emmer wheat, palm fruit, chamomile and an Egyptian spice blend Za’atar containing oregano, thyme and marjoram. The key to the brew was wild yeast that Floris and Sam capture on the trip. Floris had the yeast sent back to a special lab in Europe to identify brew-worthy yeasts that could be cultured for their ancient brew.

Midas Touch

In honor of episode 5 we picked up a bottle of Midas Touch. This is one of DFH’s Ancient Ale series, brewed with barley, honey, white muscat grapes and saffron. Made from what is suspected to be the oldest fermented beverage, based on 2700 year old drinking vessels found in the tomb of King Midas, in the world it channels both wine and mead while drinking like an ale. This brew has wonderful floral and honey aromas and the sweetness is easily accessed. You can’t help but note the balance between the spices, fruit and grain flavors in each sip. At 9% alcohol it reminds me of a dessert style beverage.

Do you love beer? Have you ever wondered how much you didn’t know about its history? Hit up the Discovery Channel, they seem to love beer right now and are happy to share some knowledge about the noble beverage.

Cheers!

Jason

More Flavors of Meyer Lemons

Two weeks ago I shared the first part of my adventure with a box of ripe and fresh Meyer Lemons that I received from Kim at Rustic Garden Bistro. In that post I shared six of a promised ten ways to use Meyer Lemons. Ten is pretty arbitrary. As you can see from the many bloggers using them this time of year, the possibilities are pretty broad.
Here are the final four usages.

 

Lemon Tincture

The steps to make a Meyer Lemon tincture come from the same Imbibe Magazine article on Meyer Lemon cocktails as the Aged Rum Sour in my first post. In the article they use it to infuse concentrated lemon flavor into a cocktail named the Haberdasher. Here is the Wikipedia definition for tinctures.

I used eight ounces of 100-proof vodka and placed it in a small canning jar. To that I added the finely grated zest of one small Meyer Lemon. After capping the jar I shook it vigorously, repeating the shaking every day for 3 weeks. It needs to be filtered before usage. With the amount of time allowed for steeping the outcome will be much like bitters, as opposed to an infusion where you wouldn’t desire the same level of concentration.

The usage is most certainly slanted toward cocktails, but I’ve chosen to use it to flavor club soda. This creates a simple refreshing beverage with lots of applications. The result is kissed ever so slightly with citrus flavors and has just enough bitterness to cause some mouth watering, which always makes for a great way to prep for an upcoming meal.

I can’t finish this adventure up without another cocktail. It’s just what I do!

Meyer Lemon Martini

1 oz vodka
1 oz dry white wine
1 oz Meyer lemon juice
¾ oz lavender syrup
1/2 oz gin

Orange twist

Pour all the ingredients into an ice filled shaker. Shake, strain and serve in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the orange twist. The dry wine and sour from the juice are balanced nicely with the lavender syrup. Using vodka and gin you get both a hardy drink and some herbal influence that the Meyer Lemon choice works so well with.

I got to thinking about using Meyer Lemons after seeing all the posts for lemon curd. It seems either curd or cookies are the most popular way to use them during their season in North America.

Meyer Lemon Curd

I used the recipe for Meyer Lemon Curd from the Merry Gourmet. I had never made curd before and hadn’t used a double boiler for anything other than chocolate, so I knew I was going to learn something new for sure. The taste of the curd is definitely unique in comparison to lemon and lime curds I have enjoyed before. Meyer Lemons are wonderful that way. We haven’t used the curd yet, but I did process the jars so we have lots of time to decide how to enjoy it.

Lemony Green Beans

For my tenth flavor of Meyer Lemons I took the butter I shared in the first post and used it to sauté green beans.

2 shallots, minced
1 large box of frozen plain green beans
2 Tbsp Meyer Lemon butter
Salt & pepper

Melt the lemon butter in a sauté pan. Add the shallots and sauté until tender. Add the green beans and sauté until cooked to the desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper.

So that is Meyer Lemons ten ways. This is definitely one of the most fun projects I have done since I got going with food blogging. Since I still have lemon butter, lemon sugar, curd and tincture left I suspect you will see more influences from this adventures in future posts.

Cheers!

Jason

The Story Behind Ancient Fire Wines

In the last few months quite a few people have asked how I got started and how I picked the name I use for my personal brand.

Earlier in the week I sent around a link to a local news story about Ancient Fire Wines and how I got into making beer and wine at home. That is indeed how my hobby began. I frequently thank my wife for asking me at the right time to consider a hobby, and indulging what has turned into a bit of an obsession. I have grown as a person through that decision and I can’t imagine being here any other way.

I haven’t kept track of how many batches of wine, cider, beer and mead I have made, but I’d guess it tops 100 going back to November of 2003. I have used all sorts of ingredients both commercial and local. So many different experiments have been done using juices, purees, grains, honey, packaged kits, imported grapes, extracts, spices, locally picked fruits, grapes grown by friends, oak chips & cubes, and maple syrup. I have created all sorts of blends, had my share of failures and never miss learning something new, from even something thing I have done dozens of times. I love it!

The name Ancient Fire Wines has it own story. About the same time I got going with my home brewing my family purchased a vacation house in southern Vermont. Once I started going there for weekends and vacations I was hooked. We have no broadcast or cable TV up there and really who wants to watch TV when you can sit outside and watch nature and all of its glory?

( pretty sweet, huh? )

We do have a DVD player and a healthy collection of DVDs that are best used to pass time on rainy days and at night after we’ve come in from around the fire pit. My mother and I both have a fascination with nature documentaries. As such my mother had purchased a few and left them on a shelf up there. One in particular has connected with something in me that is hard to explain. Originally shown in IMAX, the movie The Seasons, narrated by William Shatner, has got to be one of the most wonderful expressions of the cycle of the seasons that we know so well here in New England. Filmed in Minnesota, the visuals are spitting images of where I live, our vacation place and all the outdoor haunts I know around New England. It was released in 1987 so it isn’t modern effects-wise now, and the translation from IMAX to DVD isn’t spectacular. That can easily be overlooked after you see it.

In one scene during the segment on the summer where a carnival and its lights are shown Shatner explains that this is a modern incarnation of how our ancestors “danced around the ancient fire”. Bingo! That is a great name for a brand of wine & beer. Neither would be possible without the sun its forces on our natural world. And thus, the name Ancient Fire Wines was taken.

I watch this movie all time, to the point that Margot rolls her eyes and walks into the other room. I have “subjected” friends to it whilst enjoying the VT place with us. I am connected to it. I can’t really explain why. I have always been fascinated by the seasons and have always felt that their changing was something I was tuned into unlike most people I know.

So many trips to VT have been made much sweeter with enjoyment of Ancient Fire beers, wines and ciders. Nothing is better than stitting on the deck swing in the sun kicking back with a glass of hard cider or strawberry wine.

Here is what the seasons look like when we get away to our lovely house in the woods in VT.

( Cold Winters. Time for snowshoeing, winter walks, and snuggling by the fire. )

( Spring time on the pond. Dad's boat ready for fishing. )

( Summer storms on the horizon. )

( The colors of Fall. My favorite of the seasons. )

That’s my story of how Ancient Fire Wines came to be. I hope you enjoyed it!

Cheers!

Jason

Crispin Ultra-Premium Ciders

At some point in 2010 I saw tweets go by from and about Crispin Cider. Being a cider lover I quickly looked them up and attempted to find out where I could get some. No luck. I contacted the rep through Twitter and was at first hopeful from the news that distribution in New England was being coordinated for 2011. It turns out that that arrangement will apparently take a bit longer and I’d have to travel to New York State to try to find some on my own. With much thanks and appreciation to Crispin Cider and their marketing staff I am able to bring you reviews using the selection of free samples that I was provided with.

We received eight different varieties to sample and review. With such a selection to work with we will be breaking it up into several outings, attempting some food pairings and we might even side by side some with our own ciders. So many options should lead to much fun!

This weekend we cracked open the Crispin Original and the Landsdowne Artisanal Reserve.

The basic serving suggestion for Crispin Ciders is over ice. This is peculiar to me as I don’t believe I have ever consumed a cider over ice. My only theory is that the ice interaction with the cider is similar to that found when serving a fine scotch on the rocks. The idea is that the water and the reduction in temperature bring out subtle flavors in the beverage. Without concern for past experience this is how we will serve them for our reviews.

The Crispin Original has a straw color and aromas reminiscent of dry white wine and hints of bottled apple juice. The flavors are restrained and the dryness is not so much that you pucker from it. Margot remarked that the familiar sour flavor from many other ciders she has had was noticeably absent. I concurred. The apple flavor is most prevalent in the finish. Margot’s quote while drinking it was “They know their shit!” You heard it here first folks.

The second selection we tasted was the Landsdowne Artisanal Reserve. This cider is made with Irish Stout yeast, organic molassesand is bottled unfiltered. This was definitely a new combination for me, but new experiences are always exciting.

The cider is brown in color and sets up with a light brown head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of spice and molasses meet you immediately. It is dry with flavors of baked apples. Margot felt the comparison to the aromas and flavors of pumpernickel bread was fitting. I couldn’t disagree with that.

This is definitely one of the most unusual ciders I have ever tasted, and one I would recommend others try. The confluence of aromas, flavors and brewing tradition is truly notable and something I am sure I will share far and wide.

Cheers!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Gimme Some Pie! Some Portland Pizza Pie!

I'm back! Margot here with a pizza review.

We have all heard the saying “When pizza is good it is really good. When it is bad it is still pretty good.” I definitely prescribed to this motto back in the college days. Because after 1am anything tasted good! Now I like to think that I have a more discerning (and sober) palette when it comes to this food favorite. This is not to mean that I have become a pizza snob, or pizza purist. I am not a zealot about any particular type being better than another (Some famous battles: Deep Dish vs. Thin Crust and in NH Greek vs. Italian). I like all types of pizza and I am always looking for a new slice to try.

This Thursday brought a unique pizza opportunity. Meeting some friends at the Portland Pie Co in Manchester, NH for some Shipyard beer and slices and all for a good cause, the local chapters of Big Brothers Big Sisters. I had heard good things about Portland Pie from some Manchester locals. The location in Manchester is the first one in New Hampshire and it opened its doors in June 2010.

Portland Pie Co started 13 years ago in Portland, Maine as a take out and delivery joint. They added two additional locations in Scarborough and Westbrook before their recent expansion into New Hampshire. Their theme has expanded as well with their new and updated locations offering seating in a pub like atmosphere, with a full bar.

Jason and I were both happy to see they offer a daily rotating variety by the slice. This allowed us to sample three different pizzas (and it let Jay get one more slice of his favorite at the end of the night!). It was not easy to make a selection because all of them looked (and smelled) delicious. We settled on three varieties reviewed below.

Moosehead – Red Sauce, Sweet Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Green Peppers and red onions, topped with their three cheese blend.

Nor’easter – No Red Sauce, Bleu Cheese Dressing and Mozzarella, Boneless Buffalo Chicken smothered in Frank’s Red Hot woven in the Three Cheese Blend.

Great Diamond – White Pizza with a base of Fresh Garlic and Olive Oil topped with Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Feta and Three Cheese Blend. It is finished with a sprinkle of fresh basil when taken out of the oven.

Before getting into the review of the individual pizzas let me explain the crust. Surprisingly even though the slices came out of a warmer behind the bar the crust was still perfectly cooked. Not exactly a thin or a thick crust, but somewhere in between. When biting into each slice you got a pleasant crunch on the bottom of the crust followed by a nice chewiness. Even though it was kept under a warmer the crust was not dried out at all. The crust ends were delightfully crunchy on the outside with a chewy soft inside. Portland Pie managed to give the big crust end lover enough to chew on and satisfy, without making the non-end eater feel they were losing out on half a slice.

Jason here, to talk about the beer. Shipyard Brewing, also from Portland, ME, was also on hand to support the fundraiser and release the 2011 batch of their Brown Ale at the pub. I talked to Jim Belisle from Shipyard about the history, and the future, of their Brown Ale. A few years ago Shipyard held a contest to pick a brew to release for Spring-time drinking. They recognized that there wasn’t a beer profile for the New England Spring and they should fix that. The Brown Ale was the first winner of the contest and has been brewed seasonally since. In 2011 the Brown Ale was switched from a seasonal beer to an all-year-round beer paving the way for a new Spring beer in 2012. I found the Brown Ale to be on the light end for the style, having a nutty, smoky quality and a noticeable influence of hops, especially towards the end. I also tried the Shipyard Fuggles IPA and Sea Dog Blueberry beers. The Fuggles definitely puts the hops up front with flavors of pine. It is light in intensity with a clean acid finish. The Blueberry was much better than I expected. Fruit beers can be a let down, but this one smelled and tasted like a blueberry muffin! This shouldn’t be a surprise hailing from Maine where blueberries are a seasonal delight. The beer is brewed with real blueberries instead of extract, which makes all the difference. My impression of the beer is of a wheat beer base with generous blueberry influence and just a little hops to cleanup. I didn’t specifically consider the beers with the pizza, but I am going to bet the Fuggles IPA and the Nor’Easter pizza would have made a good match. We both won pint glasses and hats in the raffle. Pretty cool to go home with swag as well as a full stomach!

All three slices had a great balance of toppings. For me good fresh toppings can make the pizza, but they can also overwhelm if heaped on to high. The toppings at Portland pie gave you enough to have some flavor in every bite but still allowed you to taste both the cheese and the crust. The red sauce on the Moosehead had a wonderful fresh tomato flavor and was thankfully not over-seasoned. It appears that they went to some lengths to bring out the tomato flavor rather than bury it. Jay and I both agreed that the sausage had a pronounced fennel flavor, and Jay even thought there was some fennel seed on the pizza. The sweetness of the sausage played well with the slight heat from the pepperoni. The mushrooms and the green pepper were perfectly cooked, and I was quite happy that the peppers still had some crunch. All of these things made the Mooshead my favorite of the three.

The Noreaster was easily Jay’s favorite causing him to order a second slice at the end of the night. I must note that I am not a person who can tolerate a lot of heat. The Frank’s Red Hot definitely presented a bit of a challenge for me. The chicken was well cooked and they somehow managed to not dry it out in the cooking process or in the warmer. The Three Cheese Blend was excellent, as it was on the Moosehead. Due to the aforementioned lack of heat tolerance I was not able to have too many bites of this slice. The blue cheese was definitely present, but be prepared as it does not do a lot to cut back on the heat.

The Great Diamond is wonderful for anyone who is more of a pizza purest. The tomatoes on this pizza were definitely fresh and of high quality. It was wonderful in the middle of our harsh winter to have a pizza that tasted like a bite of a summer garden. The best way to describe this pizza is clean and fresh. Adding the feta was a wonderful idea and its salty creamy texture made the brightness of the tomatoes and basil pop even more. Like the Moosehead, the balance of the toppings is what made this pizza. There was just enough feta to add some saltiness but not so much that it overwhelmed the more delicate flavors of the tomato and the basil.

I cannot end this post without mentioning the staff. Our group all sat at the bar and the service was excellent and very attentive. The staff was extremely friendly and genuinely gave you a sense that they liked their jobs and took pride in what they did. In a time when some servers act as though you are bothering them this needs to be commended!

Jay and I will be heading to Portland pie again! I would strongly recommend it to anyone that is looking not only for amazing pizza but for a local hangout where you can relax, have a few pints and feel welcome as soon as you walk in the door.

The night's meeting was amongst folks that have been acquainted through the Leadership Greater Manchester program. There were people from last year's class, of which I am one, and several from this year's class. At the end of the night when we went to settle up we found that the rest of the group, including Chris Wellington who was paying the final portion of the bill, had taken care of it. This was surprising and something we thanked all of them immensely for. Hopefully we will get our chance to repay the favor real soon.

Mangia!

Margot

Foodies Giving Back

( Our first Relay For Life team, June 2004. )

In February 2003 I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Through swift action on my part (calling the doctor) and a great team of doctors and nurses I underwent surgery, radiation therapy and got well in about 5 months. This event started two things that continue to do this day that I am immensely proud of. The first was a renewed commitment to fundraising and volunteer work, and the second was making my own beer and wine.

If you have poked around my blog for a bit you've gotten a sense of my adventures with home brewing and home winemaking. Margot asked me if picking up a hobby would be better than working all the time now that I was well and desirous of appreciating my second chance at life. I agreed, and the rest is history.

I have roots in community service, volunteering and fundraising. I am an Eagle Scout and was an active volunteer and fundraiser with the Boy Scouts, my hometown church and local organizations for many years before I went to college. In college I joined a fraternity that had a commitment to community service, something that resonated with me based on my background. After college my volunteering waned in favor of my career, but I donated to charities as much as I could during that time. After having cancer I found that my roots in giving back were re-invigorated. I wanted, no, I needed to give back. I needed to be an example for others of the hope we all must have to fight cancer.

In June of 2003, only two months out of treatment, my wife and I participated in a walk for prostate cancer on Father’s Day. Later that year we linked up with the Lance Armstrong Peleton Project and made 100 apple pies by hand (see me hard at work to the left) to raise money to fight cancer. Margot and I also attended our first Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, and event sponsored by the American Cancer Society. That event was in Boston and five minutes after I got home from it I went looking for a similar event in New Hampshire. I found the local Strides event in Manchester,NH would be held the very next weekend and promptly volunteered to help setup and cleanup. At that event I was introduced to the event chairperson for the Manchester Relay For Life, an event I had heard of through my mother’s research during my treatment. Without thinking about it, and getting in trouble for it when I got home, I volunteered to be the survivorship committee chairperson for the Relay that would be held in June of 2004. For that event my wife and I also formed a team of fundraisers and walkers, Survivors Rule! The team is composed of family and friends who all look forward to our annual events.

Food related events have been key to our fundraising. We have hosted a chocolate party, made chocolate baskets, held wine tastings and made pies several additional times, all to fight cancer. Wine tastings have become a flagship event for us, something that as a winemaker I can wholly embrace.

While our involvement with the Lance Armstrong Foundation didn’t continue as their events program has evolved, we have developed a strong relationship with the local American Cancer Society office participating in both Relay and Strides in every year since 2004. I have had the honor of being a speaker at many events, have participated in advocacy work with local politicians and made so many friends through involvement in these activites. I often look back and wonder how in the world this all happened.

( My brother, on the right, and his friend Geoff at one of our wine tastings. )

( Strides - we walk rain, snow or shine! )

( Tired & sore having completed another Relay For Life! )

( Me and Margot's uncle Gerry, also a cancer survivor. )

One of the most astonishing things that has come from all of this is how much money we have raised. Since 2003 the Survivors Rule! team has raised over $72,000!!! I always tell people who ask about this that if you had told me 8 years ago that I would be saying that now I would have likely fallen out of a chair laughing at your insane blabber. Our team has been the top fundraising team at our local Relay in 4 of the last 5 years and is the most successful (in $$ raised) in the event’s history. I get choked up just thinking about how much our support has helped and how many people we have reduce suffering for.

In late 2010 Sarah from the OC 2 Seattle blog put out a call for food bloggers who use their blog to support local charities. I responded with made the caveat that I hadn’t really used my blog to promote my events, but had used my culinary and winemaking skills to raise money and give back. It did occur to me that since changing my blog format in April of 2010 that I may have missed an opportunity. You can see what Sarah ultimately wrote about my team’s exploits in her blog.
Sarah shared her surprise as to how a relatively small group of people had accomplished so much and in such a short time. She could tell I was quite proud of the accomplishments and had an eye to a new year for fundraising and giving back in 2011. She suggested that I consider harnessing Social Media (Twitter in particular) to add virtual attendance to wine tasting events and broaden my call for support. I have to thank her for pointing this out to me, for some reason I hadn’t yet made the link.

In March and April, the dates are not yet set, we will be doing just that, hosting wine tastings and connecting with folks around the world to help us in our fight. As we get closer I will be sharing lots of additional information about the American Cancer Society, it’s events, mission and how you can get involved.

( Last year's Relay team right before closing. Proud aren't we!! )

Our team is back for Relay again this year and our online fundraising site is up and running. If you would like to donate to get us going for another fantastic year you can use the link below. The donations go directly to the American Cancer Society as we raise funds in advance of our event in June. Thank you so much for you support.

DONATION LINK - http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11NE?px=1344507&pg=personal&fr_id=31248

A few years into our activities I coined a battle cry for my team. I use it all the time to remind people just what it is that we are doing. I’ll close with that today.

“We are here, we are fighting, and we will win! WE MUST HAVE HOPE.”

Jason

Easter Seals Winter Wine Spectacular

On January 27th, 2011 the 8th Annual Winter Wine Spectacular was held in the convention center at the Radisson in downtown Manchester, NH. The event is both a fundraiser for Easter Seals New Hampshire and a great opportunity for wine enthusiasts to taste wines available throughout the state. The tickets were $80 per person, and with part of it being a donation to a local charity we were only so happy to pay full price for our tickets.

With over 200 hundred wines available in the Grand Tasting and only 3 hours to explore and taste, you can be sure that tasting them all would have to be some kind of sporting event. Short of that my strategy was to find styles and sources of wine that I had not experienced yet. I didn’t have the floor layout or a listing of the wines ahead of time (I will need to see if I can do that next time) and as busy as it was when we arrived there wasn’t time to develop a strategy to find wines that would fit my needs. So we just started in the center and went table to table looking first and sampling those that were new to us.
We each received a beautiful full sized wine glass made by Riedel. The thin rim and large bowl made for a great glass to taste with and to have at home for everyday drinking.

I used the voice notes feature on Blackberry to take my notes. In the past I have wielded a notebook and a wineglass, but it just wasn’t going to work. This time I also had a spit cup in tow. I knew I needed to spit most of the wines I would be tasting so that I could go the distance. And I got some distance in for sure. I tasted over 55 wines and while I had a buzz when I was done, I was nowhere near drunk and much happier to have the memories of the wines.

There were definitely some highlights amongst the 55 wines, both individual wines and engagement of the folks pouring their wines.

Adelsheim Vineyards – Willamette Valley, OR

Margeaux McLain, the regional sales manager for New England/Mid Atlantic, was pouring when we stepped up to the table. Immediately welcoming and ready to answer questions, she was especially engaging after she heard that we would be making a trip to the Willamette Valley later in 2011. She hosted us through tastings of their 2009 Pinot Gris, 2008 Chardonnay and 2008 Pinot Noir. The Pinot Gris was very interesting. It starts out very understated and then explodes on your palate with fresh fruit and a long clean finish. This sensation in a wine is rare and was hugely exciting. The Chardonnay had fresh pear flavors and felt like it was expressing just a little bit of residual sugar. The Pinot Noir is a great example of a cool climate style being light in body, low in tannins with a balance of fruit and spices. With our admission of the upcoming trip we were of course welcomed to call in advance and set up a tour. I look forward to taste these wines again, this time where they are made.

Fess Parker Pinot Noir

The Fess Parker winery is another 2011 visit destination and we took the opportunity to try the wine here for the first time. This wine is bold with moderate tannins and flavors of dark red fruits. It is dry and has a medium finish. I definitely am looking forward to trying more from the Fess Parker collection in May

Domaine Long Depaquit Chablis 2009

Very clean aromas and flavors, slightly minerally wine. Smooth with short to moderate finish. I could see this being a great pairing with light dishes like baked chicken, steamed fish or scallops.

Trapiche Broquel Mendoza Malbec 2008

Surprisingly mellow for a 2008. A classic representation of Argentinean Malbec.

Josef Weinberg Sweet Red 2008 - Rheinhessen, Germany

This was a surprising sweet red wine selection. Light in aroma with just enough sweetness to make the red fruits extremely tasty. It would very refreshing slightly chilled.

Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot

I have had a couple Duckhorn wines before but found this one to be very hot and not well balanced. I have to believe this is a fluke based on my past experiences.

Yellow & Blue (Y+B) Torrentes 2009

This is one wine I had had before but needed to go back for another taste. It is also organic, comes in an eco-friendly container and hails from Argentina where I find so many wines I enjoy! Aromas of flowers, fresh peaches and melons flow out of the glass. Very fresh with a bit of citrus, maybe lime, on the finish.

Cupcake Chardonnay 2009

I have enjoyed other Cupcake wines before, but never the Chardonnay. I have heard and read rave reviews so I had to try it when I saw it available. The key for me were the pungent aromas. I am betting the reviews come as they do because that component is so strong and the smooth texture and clean finish work together so well.

Finca Decero Amano

This is a blend of Cabernet, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Tannat from Mendoza, Argentina. Very well balanced with a definite focus. Moderate tannins. Would be great with a grilled steak.

Quinta do Noval Black Port

Spicy aroma. Intense dried fruit flavors with sweetness the whole way through. Very dark in color.

La Puerta Torrentes

Hugely aromatic and almost reminiscent of Muscat or Gewurztraminer. Smooth with a clean finish.

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Their Pinot Noir is a cuvee blend of 13 clones of Pinot Noir sourced from four of their properties. Very friendly with low tannins and lots of enjoyable fruit flavors. The Riesling is süsse-reserve blend with 90% of the fruit used to make the wine fermented dry before the addition of the unfermented remaining 10%. The flavors and aromas are very pronounced with a gentle sweetness that can’t help but make you smile. Mandi Silver, their Eastern Sales Manager, provided all of the winemaking information with relative ease and clear knowledge of the winery, it’s history and products. She as well told us to give a call before our upcoming visit to arrange for a tour and a meeting with winery staff if we were interested.

Yering Station Shiraz/Viognier 2006

The first time I ever saw a Shiraz/ Viognier blend I was intrigued. Why would anyone blend these two grapes? One whiff and you know why. The Viognier adds aroma notes that the Shiraz doesn’t have and those aromas greatly enhance your tasting. Smooth with restrained oak influence and expressive fruit flavors, this is one I definitely want to experience again.

Yering Station Chardonnay vs. Next of Kin Chardonnay

Two slightly different partially oaked Australian Chardonnays. The Yering hails from the Yarra Valley and the Next of Kin comes from the Margaret River region. Both have accessible fruit flavors with oak influence present, but not overwhelming.

Pol Roger Champange

Fruit flavors in the middle of this Champagne were amazing. It is dry but not to the point that the flavors are lost. This demands a repeat taste.

Sandeman Imperial 20 Year Tawny Port

Incredible! The rep explained that this is much older than 20 years but the labeling requires them to stop at 20. The brown color is a dead give-away of age. Aromas of dried fruits, e.g. raisins, black currants and figs. Immense length of flavors and a coating of the tongue that allows it to stick around quite a while.

Alcyone Vinedo do Los Vientos Red Tannat

This wine from Uruguay is one of the best dessert wines I have ever had. The Tannat grape expresses flavors of chocolate naturally, but when concentrated into a dessert wine it is out of sight! It is coating and has a long smooth finish with the fruits, spices and chocolate all along the way.

DeMartino

I ran into Chris Riendeau, a certified sommelier working in NH and one of the reasons why I am pursuing my own certification path. He, like I, was enjoying the vast selections available and recommended a few different tables to stop at. Expecting to find some great wines with his direction, I gladly followed along. Most exciting of these recommendations were the wines from DeMartino and meeting the winemaker Marcelo Retemal. Marcelo was happily pouring the wines with a huge smile on his face. One taste and I could see why. We tasted all of the reds which are either varietal Cabernet or Carmenere, or a blend of the two. These wines have intensity and have well developed and unmitigated flavors. My favorite was the 347 Vineyards Carmenere.

A couple other interesting notes.

When I tasted the Colde Valdemar Rioja I immediately recalled the specific flavor profile of red Rioja. It was a moment for me. I realized I was successfully training my palate and building my sensory memory.

Also on a recommendation from Chris I tasted the Coldisole 2003 Brunello. While I found it well put together and representative of the styl,e I was struck with the odd sensation that aged red wines aren’t that exciting to me. I have had several in the couple of years and am starting to think that my current preference is for younger, fruitier styles. I’ll be interested to see what time and experience do for this consideration.

With three hours nearly gone we packed it up and headed over to JD’s Tavern (located in the hotel) to have something to eat and review the excitement of the evening. Juggling my glass, spit cup and blackberry as I was the only picture was of me from dinner. You can see from the smile on my face that I had a great time and had a little buzz!

Cheers!

Jason

Making Margot’s Favorite Breakfast – Eggs Benedict

Margot goes nuts for Eggs Benedict. I have never seen her pass on ordering it when it shows up on a restaurant menu. Me, I had never had it before today. I’ve never been a huge fan of cooked eggs with yolks intact so I could pass this over without thinking about it.

I figured making it for the first time would also be a great opportunity to try it for the first time. I decided to use the regular bacon we had rather than Canadian Bacon, knowing full well that the dish would come out a bit different than the classic. Margot approved so I went ahead.

Hollandaise sauce can be tricky to make primarily because you must be careful not to scramble the eggs during the cooking. Similar to the lemon curd I made recently and the many applications of melted chocolate, the use of a double boiler (or similar apparatus) is required. The recipe I used for the Hollandaise came from Tyler Florence and The Food Network.

I didn’t find the process to make the sauce too much of a challenge and Margot confirmed that it tasted correct and had the desired texture. I’ll say I got lucky the first time out!

The poached eggs were pulled off using a cheat, a microwave egg poacher. Margot bought the little contraption to for her to make poached eggs without any hassle. It worked well and I hope nobody will think less of me for not doing to work to poach the eggs.

The assembly of the final dish included a light English Muffin covered gently with Smart Balance, several pieces of bacon, the poached eggs and a healthy portion of Hollandaise sauce. I used Marjoram for a garnish. I added a little salt and pepper to mine and dug in.

The Hollandaise sauce definitely expressed the lemon flavor and acid, something Margot said she really likes. I can imagine the difference with the Canadian Bacon and Margot suggested it holds up against the sauce a bit better than the traditional bacon. I can’t say I am as enamorate of this dish as Margot, but I can see how it can be just the thing to make for a satisfying breakfast.

Cheers!

Jason

Cappuccino Muffins w/ Nutella Fluff Frosting

I saw Tweets about Nutella Day and of course got to thinking about what I could contribute. Margot and I love the stuff and when I found it was made by the same company that makes the Ferro Rocher candies that I have been addicted to from time to time, it totally made sense.

I went with something that I don’t do a lot in my blog, baking. I made cappuccino muffins, cupcakes seem apt as a description too, with Nutella and marshmallow fluff frosting. The frosting was Margot’s idea. She’s got a better feel for sweet treats than I do and ignoring that idea would be pretty stupid in my experience.

Cappuccino Muffins w/ Nutella Fluff Frosting

Muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
½ cup + 2 Tbsp vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup Smart Balance, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Set oven to 375. Combine dry (first 6 ingredients) in a large mixing bowl. Mix the instant coffee into the almond milk. Mix in the melted Smart Balance, beaten egg and vanilla to the milk. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until well blended. Pour batter into 6 greased or paper lined large muffin tins. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in to the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Frosting
¼ lb butter, softened
¼ cup Nutella
½ jar Fluff
¼ lb confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Blend the softened butter and Nutella together until smooth. Mix in the sugar and vanilla. Gently fold in the fluff using a spatula. Spread over the cool cupcakes.

( Margot and I had some ideas of what we could do with this, but they really aren't blog worthy... )

The presentation in the china coffee cup completes the idea that this would be a great pairing with a hot cup of coffee for breakfast or an afternoon snack!

I hope everyone is having fun on Nutella Day. The list of recipes compiled so far is pretty amazing.

Cheers!

Jason

Never Had Sushi? Neither Had I Until Yesterday

( A typical sushi sampler )

Why had I never had sushi before yesterday you ask? No reason really, maybe only that I wasn’t a fan of fish when I was a kid, and there wasn’t (and still isn’t) any influence from my family around sushi. It was on my list of things to try and I just got to cross it off.

I found a great guide for my first sushi experience in Richard Auffrey, a.k.a The Passionate Foodie. Richard is a certified sake professional and a passionate writer/educator on many food and wine topics. We hadn’t yet met and picked a lunch outing for what I expect will be the first of many meetings as we both weave our way through all the wine and food events in the Boston area. Richard picked the Kyotoya Sushi restaurant in Stoneham, MA, both because he has had many positive experiences there and they are BYOB. That last part would give me an opportunity to bring a couple of my homemade wine selections to have with lunch.
I can see why Richard makes a great educator. He is approachable, very easy going and is extremely knowledgeable. We talked about topics from all over the spectrum from visiting Sherry bodegas in Spain to what makes a good wine shop. I am sure we could have filled days with similar conversation.

I asked Richard to pick a sushi sampler that would offer me variety but wouldn’t be too much of a challenge for a first try. The following was returned to the table on a beautiful tray which looks quite similar to the borrowed picture above. I had my camera but was enjoying talking and tasting so much, I never broke it out!

• Ebi (Shrimp)
• Tamago (Egg)
• Sake (Salmon)
• Maguro (Tuna)
• Hotate (Scallop)
• Unagi (Fresh water eel)

For pairing with lunch I brought a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc made from Sutter Ridge frozen juice and something called Pacific Quartet , a kit wine that is a blend of Vidal, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc and Muscat.

The scallops were massive, a two biter for sure. The texture was so creamy, and of course not fishy as it should be. The salmon was quite familiar in flavor, but the texture of it raw was amazing. The shrimp was the least adventuresome for me as I will eat those and lobster in volume! The tuna was really incredible and I finally know what people mean when they say that it is much more like red meat than fish. It was richer with a bit more of a chewy texture than say the scallop or the salmon. The Tamago is a sweet egg omelet served over a rice ball wrapped in a small band of seaweed. If you have never had it or have seen it, it is the item closest to you in the picture above. From what I understand the fish influence can be from a fish broth used to cook it. This was very surprising to me. The texture was similar to that of the fish and the flavor was incredible, sweet, but not like candy. The final item was the Unagi, fresh water eel that has a small amount of what Richard called a BBQ sauce and is served over rice with the seaweed wrap. The taste and texture here is a bit different. It is also a bit chewier but not displeasing. Richard said that one of the best things Kyotoya has is an Unagi sandwich that consists of the eel, sauce between two pieces of tempura sweet potato. Before I had the eel that sounded weird but not so much after. The wine pairing that worked the best was the Pacific Quartet. It has some residual sugar and a good balance of tart and sweet that ended up working very well. The Sauvignon Blanc was tasting very good, this was the first bottle I’ve opened, but was too dry and too specific of bell pepper to work with the fish.

My first sushi experience was extremely positive and will not be my last. I am going to try and work on Margot to go with me and try it too. I think she will like it, but something tells me her approach won’t be so calm and full of interest.

We also ordered from the lunch special menu. I had the Crab Rangoon, Tempura Shrimp & Veggies, Fried Tofu and Fried Rice. The tempura was the highlight and specifically the acorn squash and the sweet potato. This feels to me like and underrated delight, something I will be looking for more examples of very soon! The fried Tofu was interesting. The Tofu had some funk to it and the exterior sections were crispy and very tasting. The inside, well it wasn’t that interesting. But is Tofu ever really that interesting? Everything else was very well prepared and tasty.

I left Richard with the wines we enjoyed at lunch and two other bottles from our collection. A 2009 Petit Verdot and a 2008 Gewurztraminer/Riesling blend. I can’t wait to hear his thoughts on them. I love getting feedback because it always helps guide my future winemaking.

Hungry for sushi now? I sure am and I just had it for the first time yesterday! Thank you very much Richard.

Cheers!

Jason

Picture Citations
1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Typical_japanese_sushi_set.jpg

A Virtual Visit to Tuscany

( Colline del Chianti  )

I’ve started hitting the geography books, wine geography that is, in preparation for the introductory sommelier exam sometime in 2011. The first exam isn’t about tasting or serving wine, it is about how it’s made, but primarily WHERE it’s made. But I digress.

I started with Italy because I know the least about it's wine and winemaking. As I was reviewing central Italy, Tuscany stood out. While I have had Tuscan wines before I never took the time to evaluate them. I recall enjoying them, but that just isn’t good enough!

Grape growing and winemaking in Italy and the region of Tuscany go back so far it isn’t really worth putting a date on it. One date you might see be highlighted is 1716, which was when the Chianti wine-area was first defined. Tuscany at large has a long storied cultural history and has been the home to notable historical figures such as da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante and Galileo to name a few. The regional capital of Florence evokes visions of sculptures, paintings, architectural masterpieces, music and theater. Tuscany is known for its wines with Chianti, Brunello and Montelpulciano being several of the most widely known.

( This is what we were trying to recreate at home! )

With my newly acquired (from the reading) knowledge about the Italian DOC system and the region/sub-regions Tuscany encompasses I thought I might acquire a few under-$20 bottles to sip and review. It also made sense to pair these wines with some Italian meats, cheeses and olives for a broader sensory experience. (Note: we had this tasting on October 6th 2010, the night I started feeling off which ultimately led to my near death and a four day stay in the hospital. I assure you it was not the wine or the food. That event is also why it took me so long to post this, the memory is bittersweet because I knew I didn’t feel well but didn’t think a doctor’s visit was required. Wrong!)

I picked up mixed marinated olives, potato bread, a piece of Il Saggio (aged goat’s milk cheese), a block of Fontina cheese, Prosciutto, Coppa (spicy) and Sopressata at Salumeria Italiana on Richmond St. in Boston’s North End. The shop owners were extremely helpful answering all my questions and they even thought my project was and exciting way to experience the wine and food of different places around the world. My visit ended after tastes of aged balsamic vinegars (one was 25 years old!) and some house olive oils, both of which you can buy directly from them. I added some homemade basil pesto to the mix. It is just so good!

( Get ready to eat! )

I selected the following wines which represent two very different styles of Tuscan wine you can easily find,

• Castello di Bossi Chianti Classico 2006 (90 pts, $19, available from Wine.com)
• Villa Antinori Toscana Red 2004 (90 pts, $20, available at NH Liquor stores & Wine.com)

The Castello di Bossi had a nice ruby color and we did note a slight brown shift. At a little under 4 years old my guess would be that it wasn’t well warehoused. The tannins were moderate and we found flavors of dark cherries and a bit of smoke. The aroma of dark fruits was quite obvious when we first approached it. The finish was smooth and had a good length.

The Villa Antinori had a deep red color with a huge aroma of berries. The oak influence was apparent in both the aroma and flavor. We picked up flavors of chocolate and what I said was leather but could have been another combination of earthy flavors. The tannins were potent but not overpowering, and the finish was silky and smooth. The finish lingered and was immensely enjoyable. We have had this wine before and picked it specifically to give it a proper review. I would buy this again and recommend it as a good, accessible Tuscan IGT wine. IGT is a newer designation for wines from Italy that was specifically created so that the Super Tuscans, blends of Sangiovese and typical Bordeaux grapes, would have a category for quality control and marketing.

Because I wasn’t feeling so great my notes on the wine and food pairings are very light and don’t make good sense.. My vague recollection is that both wines paired well but not necessarily with the same foods. The cheese pairings were excellent and of course the meats when paired with the wines offered all sorts of nuances.

Cheers!

Jason

Picture citations

(1) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chianti-colline2-2.jpg

(2) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salumi_e_vino_lucchese.JPG

(3,4,5) Our own

Candied Bacon & Beer Mancakes

Really?

Hey, I’m not really a man’s man. I don’t watch sports, I don’t leave the toilet seat up and I don’t have a man cave in my house. I do know how to eat however, and celebrate manly foods with the best of ‘em. Bacon, BBQ, pizza, grilled meats, sandwiches with as many meats as there are stars, etc. You get the point.

This week I got behind on blog posts because I had to fight issues with roof snow and ice dams. Real manly stuff. I’ve got to do it again today and I need a manly breakfast to get me fired up. SO I bring you Candied Bacon & Beer Mancakes. I even used homebrew!

For the next two days I will be doing marathons of blog posts to both get caught up and to also give the middle finger to this winter that has been trying to permanently get me off track.

Candied Bacon & Beer Mancakes

8 slices of thick-cut maple bacon
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups Bisquick Lite
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 bottle homemade Blueberry/Blackberry beer (you will need between 8-12 oz)
Set oven to 350. Lay the bacon out on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar.

Bake for 10-15 min. Flip and cover with the remaining brown sugar. Cook for another 10 or so minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the sugar has complete melted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Chop into rough pieces.

Mix the remaining ingredients together using as much of the beer as needed to get the consistency you desire. Fold in the chopped bacon.

Cook the pancakes using 1/3 cup-fulls on a hot griddle until golden on both sides.

Serve with butter and maple syrup. Belch loudly when done. Only to celebrate the meal of course!

Cheers!

Jason

Open a Bottle (or three) and Travel to Portugal

( Tawny Port, public domain image from pdphotos.com )

For this installment of the Ancient Fire Wine Region Project the spotlight is being cast on Portugal.

Winemaking in Portugal defies certain “truths” in the wine world. Using mostly indigenous grapes and with winemaking experience going back over 4000 years you can’t go looking for high-end Cabernets or winemakers chasing after the latest trend. Known primarily for Port and Madeira it used to be easy to overlook other offerings from the country. The Portuguese grew to love their own wines made in the traditional styles, but have recently started looking for opportunities to produce younger drinking, fruitier wines that can showcase their unique wine personality.

As we have done in the past Margot and I prepared a couple dishes at home based and paired them with wines sourced from Portugal. We enjoyed the Leacock’s Rainwater Madeira as an aperitif. I recall having a glass of Madeira a couple times in the past but I am sure I have never had a very good example of the style before. Madeira is made on the island of Madeira which is actually 400 miles off the coast of Morocco quite a distance away from mainland Portugal. The wine has been a principal product and export of the island for over 400 years and has brought it world-wide attention. The Leacock’s selection is a pretty standard example and was easily found for under $20. We both found it very enjoyable as a starter, medium dry with a nice mix of dried fruit and nut flavors. This particular Madeira is made from the Tinta Negra Mole grape and is subject to the estufagem process whereby it is stored in a special lodge where it is heated for at least three months. This process oxidizes the wine and concentrates the rich flavors, including the nuttiness.

Our starting course was a Sweet Potato Soup with Green Beans and Cilantro. We found the recipe at the web site PortugeuseCooking.com

( Sweet Potato & Green Bean soup )

Our wine pairing for the dish was the Quinta do Vallado Branco 2008. This white wine is made from a blend of the Rabigato (40%), Arinto (27%), Viosinho (18%), Gouveio (12%) and Codega (3%) grapes. We found it to be dry with pronounced notes of lemon in both the nose and the palate. The pairing was average and the wine wasn’t a stunner, but was quite drinkable and had us wondering what more we might discover from time spent focused on Portugal. The wine finished clean due to the acidity and didn’t have a lingering finish something we felt maintained its drinkability. I thought that this wine might be a better drinker for a hot day after a quick stint in the fridge.

The Vallado wine is made from grapes grown in the Douro valley, the world’s first designated wine region originating in 1756, where much of the crop of Touriga Nacional used in Port-making is also grown.

For dinner we used some of the Vallado wine to make a baked fish with tomatoes. The fish was very flavorful and was so delicate in texture that we really didn’t consider the pairing with the wine very much. The fish was just that good.

( baked fish with tomatoes and white wine )

No trip to Portugal, virtual or otherwise, would be complete without raising a glass of Port. For dessert we paired a great English Stilton cheese and dark chocolate with the Warre’s Late Bottle Vintage Port from the year 2000. I have enjoyed a number of Ports before including the Warre’s LBV so I knew what to expect. The pairing with the cheese pretty much stopped me in my tracks. My wife enjoyed it as well but was much more intrigued by all the weird noises I was making with each bite of cheese and sip of wine. It really is as good and the classic pairing suggests and is something I could eat everyday if it were available. The wine is almost black with intense fruit flavors and just the right amount of sweetness to keep you coming back. The wine and the cheese were so good together that I got lost in the pairing and forgot to take any pictures!

( Port barrels aging, Wikimedia Commons )

I definitely need to look for additional wines from Portugal, including reds that can be paired with dishes containing red meat and sausages. I can feel so potential from Portugal in the coming years. Wines with healthy doses of acid, tannins in the reds and of course Port and Madeira still leading the charge.

Have you discovered wines from Portugal that you would recommend? Leave a comment with the names so we and others can go looking for them on our own visits to Portugal.

Cheers!

Jason



Photo Credits

#1 – Public Domain, http://pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?oldpg=2479

#2 - My own

#3 - My own

#4 - Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cave_do_Vinho_do_Porto_03.jpg