Category: MTB Archive

  • Pinot Noir & Goat Cheese

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    Amy
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    Last weekend I wrapped up Spring Break with my family at Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. At dinner in the 8212 Wine Bar and Grille, the cheese plate caught my eye, mostly for the Montrachet goat cheese, strawberry jam, balsamic, and warm brie. I asked my waiter for a white wine suggestion by the…

  • Let’s rodeo in Houston with wine events every day

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    Yep, that’s me, your VineSleuth, chatting it up with Houston wine LEGEND Bear Dalton of Spec’s at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Rodeo Uncorked Roundup and Best Bites competition event just over a week ago. There were hundreds of medal-winning wines from the international wine competition to taste alongside delicious bites from some of…

  • Blissdom Bound

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    Amy
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    Next week I’m heading back to Blissdom, a blogging conference for women, where I’ll get to listen to some fabulous speakers share their thoughts on better writing, better social media and, of course the pursuit of that better balance between the blogging world and personal life. I’m also excited to meet internet friends face to…

  • The Web Uncorked – Saving money & saving lives with wine

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    Amy
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    It’s all about saving money and saving lives this week…. Lower wine prices may lead  fewer traffic fatalities, reports the Washington Post. Good news: Wine is projected to be one of the 12 things that will be less expensive in 2012. Click over to see why and what else you can save on this year.…

  • Anthony Road Wine Company

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    Amy
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    After reading Summer in a Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes, I knew a trip to the Finger Lakes would not be complete without a stop at Anthony Road Wine Company.  I was delighted when the owners, John and Ann Martini, as well as their winemaker, Johannes Reinhardt, all agreed…

  • Visiting the Finger Lakes wine region of New York

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    Last Thanksgiving I took my family on a wine adventure in the Finger Lakes region of New York. When we first decided on the trip, I wasn’t sure what to expect. In the wine stores here in the suburbs of Houston you can’t find many Finger Lakes wines and the manager at my local grocery…

  • Behind the Scenes at Crush with Pomum Cellars

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    Amy
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    This month I had the opportunity to work behind-the-scenes for a few days with Javier Alfonso, owner, winemaker and chief janitor (his words) of Pomum Cellars in Washington state. I helped check on the grapes, met with the farmers, brought grapes back to the winery for processing, hand sorted, crushed, did a lot of rinsing…

  • Max’s Wine Dive in Houston, Texas

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    This was just one of the signs that greeted me as I went to meet with Jacob Fairchild, the director of wine sales for  Max’s Wine Dive in Houston. “Merlot is the new Merlot,” said another one. Obviously I was in for a treat. But I knew that already. About two weeks prior to the…

  • Behind the Scenes Winemaking: Pomum Cellars

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    Amy
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      I’ve been in Washington state for the past few days, volunteering as a winemaker’s assistant for Pomum Cellars, based in Woodinville. I’ve been checking on the grapes growing at the vineyards in the Yakima Valley, collected grapes that have been harvested and I have hand-sorted, crushed and pressed the grapes. And I have cleaned…

  • Salmon Over Spinach and Peppered Pork Tenderloin

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    This week I am planning to try these dinners with my family, along with the accompanying wines: Pecan roasted salmon over wilted spinach Honey mustard green beans Couscous Fruit salad Wine Pairing: Kenwood Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (Purchased at Spec’s Liquors for $9.46) I have made roasted salmon with a spicy rub many, many times. This…

  • Cellar No. 8 Wines

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    Last week I had the opportunity to meet with Paul Rydquist, the winemaker for Cellar No. 8 wines. Not only did Paul share stories about winemaking, and let me taste his wines, but he also told me a bit about the history of the Asti Winery, which produces Cellar No. 8 wines. Cellar No. 8…

  • Smells in Wine: A Sensory Evaluation

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    Amy
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    Have you ever wanted to learn more about the aromas of wine in hopes of enjoying your wine experiences more? By identifying the aromas in different wines, you will not only enjoy the experience of each glass more as you begin to appreciate the intricacies of the flavor, but it will also help you to…

  • One Day in Napa– On my way!

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    Good morning! I’m writing from 10,000 feet (or more) en route to San Francisco on a Southwest Airlines flight. I have the day to spend in Napa by myself, exploring wineries and all things wine, before my husband and brother-in-law arrive later this evening for a weekend in San Francisco. We decided I would fly…

  • Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

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    I had the opportunity to taste a LOT of wines and meet some fantastic winemakers, winery representatives and wine bloggers at the Wine Bloggers Conference last month. One of my favorite wines of the conference was the Alexander Crown by Rodney Strong Vineyards. It was a delicious single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. I had the opportunity to…

  • Want to be a better blogger? The Savvy Blogging Summit Recording are available

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    While at the Online Technologies and Wine session at the Wine Bloggers Conference in July, several of the bloggers had questions about email newsletters, monetization and search engine optimization, among other things. I wished for so many of those bloggers that they had been with me the weekend prior at the Savvy Blogging Summit. The…