Hartwood Winery – One of Virginia’s Wine Industry’s Originals

Yay, it’s here! Yes, folks, October has arrived and with it, the 26th annual Virginia Wine Month.  As many of you know,  one of our favorite things to do here at Cork and Spoon is travel around, visiting local wineries (and distilleries, and breweries).  I mean look at Emilie. She didn’t move to just anywhere in Texas, but to  Texas Hill Country, which is that state’s wine country.  No worries, though. Emilie and I already discussed whether we’d have an issue with dueling wine countries.  Though it would be fun, we both love our Virginia wine too much. I even put together  a Virginia wine care package for her before she left D.C. (Rest assured there was a Norton in there!). So why don’t we move along to this year’s first stop, Hartwood Winery (…before I start crying).

Hartwood Winery is a cozy little spot in the southern part of Stafford County, just a hop, skip, and  a jump from I-95 and U.S. Route 17. That means, its super easy to get to, so you have no excuses if you’re driving up or down the East Coast through Virginia! One of my favorite things about Hartwood is that you’ll lfeel like you’re visiting family.  Though getting rarer at wineries further north and west, at Hartwood don’t be surprised if you find yourself chatting with the owners, the Livingstons, during your visit. Of course, Jim Livingston would say it’s the other way around: he doesn’t own the vineyard, the vineyard owns him! With over 30 years experience in the Virginia wine industry, assisting other wineries in the 70’s before planting his own vines in 1981,  I have no doubt he knows what he is talking about!

As I mentioned, Livingston planted the first Hartwood vines, (Cabernet Sauvignon) in 1981.  That era was the very beginning of today’s Virginia wine industry.  Today there are over 200 wineries in the state, but back then? Literally no more than a dozen. Why? Well, growing wine grapes in hot, humid climates is tricky business as our friends further south in the Carolina’s know very well.  Those first Cabernet Sauvignon vines were wiped out by fungus.  Rather than give up, though, Livingston switched course and experimented with heartier hybrids, like the Seyval Blanc. Through the years, the original few Virginia wineries like Hartwood used their experience along with agricultural research conducted by Virginia Tech to figure out how to make vitis vinifera flourish.  Today, you can find Cabernet Sauvignon growing in Hartwood’s vineyard. Take that fungus!

So when you stop by Hartwood Winery this Virginia Wine Month (Or any time! They are open all year round), be sure to ask Jim what made him, at the time a school teacher, decide to begin a winery. That’s exactly what Mr. Hansford Abel, a long time member of the Stafford Board of Supervisors asked him when Livingston applied for his permits…

(The secret’s out of the bag, folks, teachers do drink wine!)

Hartwood Winery Tasting Notes 2014

For $7, Hartwood Winery offers about 12 wines for the tasting dependent on availability. I tasted 11, because the Petit Verdot was nearly sold out.  This is not uncommon during the early fall as Virginia wineries draw huge summer crowds. (The Chardonnay and Merlot weren’t even on the list anymore as they had already sold out.)  I liked every single wine I tasted during my Hartwood visit, but if you want to know more details, here are the notes I jotted down during my tasting.

Seyval Blanc (2013) – Recently released over Labor Day weekend, this refreshing and crisp white probably would not have lasted the summer if it had been released earlier.  Aged in stainless steel, this wine is clean, light and citrusy. Great for laid back summer picnics.

Hartwood Station White – This white is a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, and the Georgian (as in the country not the state) varietal Rkatsiteli. Though aged in stainless steel, the Chardonnay in the blend did receive some oak aging.  If malolactic fermentation isn’t your thing, never fear. The little bit of oakfrom the Chardonnay gives this wine a bit more body than the Seyval Blanc, but no butter here.  Instead you’ll taste another crisp white, though more along the lines of an apple than a lemon. The nose is sweet and fruity, like golden raisins, courtesy of the Viognier.  On the palate, along with the apple from the Chardonnay, you’ll get a very light floral prettiness from the Viognier, and a feint hint of spice from the Rkatsiteli.

Rappannock Rose – Hartwood has a series of wines named for the Rappahanock River, which forms a natural border along southern Stafford County where Hartwood is located. This rosé style wine is made from mostly Chambourcin and is processed like a white wine (i.e. the juice is pressed from the grapes and then the skins are discarded).  The Rappahanock Rose also  has an itty bitty bit of Seyval Blanc.  You won’t find the mainstream, sweet strawberry profile in this wine, which, over the past two or three years, seems to be disappearing from many Virginia rosés. Instead, you’ll get red cherry, a bit more body, and some spice. I’d say this is a good choice for a mixed party of white and red wine lovers.

Rappahannock White – A 50/50 blend of Seyval and Vidal blanc, with 3% Residual Sugar  (RS), this wine is just sweet enough and reminds me of a German Riesling.  Of course the nose is sweet, but an interesting twist is that it might remind you of cinnamon sugar. The spice follows through onto the palate, which compliments the wine’s soft, pear flavors. Definitely a wine to sit back and relax with, I brought this wine home to have with my spicy, Thai inspired recipes.

Deweese White – Another Riesling like wine, the Deweese, made from Vidal Blanc,  is more along the lines of a semi-sweet wine than the Rappahannock White.  At 3.8% RS, this wine was a bit too sweet for me, but I can appreciate it for what it is. I definitely tasted the tropical notes (lots of banana) and the melon (think perfectly ripe cantaloupe).  This wine could easily  take on the spice found in the other Hartwood white wines I tasted, but it’s perfectly enjoyable as it is. Now that fall has finally arrived in Virginia, I’ve got mulled wine on the brain and I think the Deweese White could be used to make make a wonderful warm, fall punch.

Blushing Hart – This is Hartwood’s first foray into dessert style wine. Mostly Seyval Blanc, the Blushing Hart blend also has a touch of Chambourcin and Niagra. I loved the nose of this wine: cinnamon! (Different, don’t you think?). Being a dessert wine, it is a sweet blend. However is has a nice tartness that keeps it from tasting like pure sugar, which reminded me of a cherry jolly rancher. You’ll get a lot of dried apricot and cherry flavors after which I tasted a little nuttiness in the finish. The characteristics of the Blushing Hart reminded me a lot of port style wines, but without the fortified punch.  I can definitely picture a cordial of this with an after dinner cheese platter.

Rappahannock Red – The first red on the tasting list is this Beaujolais style wine for which the Chambourcin is aged in stainless steel.  This is pretty different, as most Virginia Chambourcin takes to oak very well.  For some reason, though, the vines from the Hartwood vineyard do not.  To me, it’s all good.  Gamay, which most Beaujolais is made from, is one of my favorites, and this wine reminds of those fruit forward, light red blends.  In this wine you’ll taste black cherry and licorice and even a hint of chocolate in the finish. You can even serve this red lightly chilled, which always gets a thumbs up from Emilie and me! I had to bring this one home.

2012 Claret – A claret wine is, at its simplest, a wine made from  one or a blend of the five classic Bordeaux grapes.  This claret is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 10 months in American oak.  You’ll notice that the ruby red Claret is a cloudy wine, rather than clear, which is the complete opposite of it’s sister vintage, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvginon (We’ll get to a in a bit). A dry, medium bodied red, this wine has a nice smokiness with notes of tobacco, leather, cherry, and spice.

2012 Cabernet Franc – One of my favorite Virginia grown varietals! Aged in American Oak, this wine has a lot of similarities to to the Claret, but lighter bodied.  This wine is clean, with lots of bright cherry and peppery spices as a good Cab Franc should.  A very enjoyable, dry red, the softer tannins in this wine is perfect if you’d rather your wine not punch you in the face!

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon –  Believe it or not, this wine and the Claret are twins. It’s the perfect example of barrel variation in wine making and why barrel tastings are so important to the process. Both the Claret and the Cab Sauv are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the same vines grown and harvested in 2012. They were pressed, fermented, and barreled together, too. For whatever reason after that, though, each wine went its own independent way.  Typically, a winery will blend the varied wines to get a single vintage, but Hartwood decided to let these two do their thing. As I mentioned earlier, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is clear, not cloudy like the Claret, and much deeper in color.  It has a raisen-like, dried fruit nose, but don’t be fooled. This wine, which can be aged for a few more years,  is crisp and clean with lots of cherry accompanied by bell-pepper.

2012 Tannat – The last of the day is a beautiful, deep garnet colored wine that you could enjoy now, but for the patient, a few more years will likely bring you reward. Our red wine only  friends will definitely appreciate this wine. The nose of dried fruits, which is more potent than the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, will fool you. This wine is dry and earthy, rather than fruity,  with evenly balanced tannins and  a clean minerality. The umami (Thank-you, Kathy, from Casanel!) will make you salivate and crave a big hunk of steak! If I had room in my budget, I would have bought a bottle to “cellar”.

Jalapeño Simple Syrup

Not too long ago, my psychologist suggested I try channeling my anger to punch through my Great Wall of China sized writer’s block.  All our other attempts had failed and since dealing with anger has never been a strength of mine, I thought, “Sure, why not?” I’ll take the challenge.  So she pulled out a pad of paper and pen and we started a free flow of recipe ideas that could embody “anger”.

Now here is what I have learned about anger in the year since I started therapy: it’s a secondary emotion.  Anger never exists alone. It is sparked by another emotion.  After hearing this, I challenged my psychologist with, “Well, what about the dumb @$$ that nearly drives me into a concrete barrier on 95 that I give the finger to?” Hahaha, got you there! Wrong. “Ruth, why would you be angry at that person?” Uuummm, because he could have killed or hurt me and others?  It was fear that sparked my anger. Darn it. Doc: 1. Ruth: 0.

So back to channeling my anger…

By the end of the session I had settled on using “spice” to represent anger since I had run out of new “red” ingredients.  We also decided that the recipe would be for a cocktail. After all, it’s been ages since we’ve brought you all something fun for happy hour, right?

That evening I was sipping on some watermelon “soda” and craving more lime only to find out I had used the last of my stash.  As I substitute, I reached for a lemon.  Then, as I was squeezing the fresh lemon juice into my drink it hit me…lemon and lime…watermelon margarita!! A spicy watermelon margarita that is.  I had a pint of jalapeños from the  farmer’s market that would do the trick.  I immediately texted Emilie my idea who sent me her virtual thumbs up.

My first try, in which I muddled the peppers,  failed horribly to capture the spice of the jalapeño.  Their watery flavor (think bell pepper) also turned the drink flat. Ok, anger, I thought, turn the heat up already! And I literally had to…I went for the simple syrup route. It was exactly what my margarita needed.

We all know that anger can be quite a destructive force. That’s why so many of us are afraid to confront it. The trick is to deal with it constructively and carefully so you don’t end up burned. It might sting a little, like this simple syrup, but at the end of the tunnel something good is waiting for you.

Don’t forget to stay tuned…the margarita is coming next week!

Ingredients

• 2 medium green jalapeño peppers
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

• Slice jalapeños into rounds. For maximum heat, do not remove the seeds.  To reduce heat remove half to all of the seeds.
• Over medium high heat, combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan.
• Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• Once syrup comes to a boil, remove from heat.  Allow the  jalapeños to steep for about 30 minutes.
• Strain syrup , discarding jalapeños.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Chocolate Cherry Kiss Martini – A Valentine’s Day Cocktail

As you saw in Monday’s post, chocolate and cherries create a beloved classic combination of flavors, especially at Valentine’s Day.  (That’s tomorrow, by the way).  What is more awesome than chocolate covered cherries? Okay, maybe chocolate covered strawberries, but today is Humpday and that usually means Happy Hour here at Cork and Spoon.  Not a problem, seeing as I love to make fun cocktails and I have been DYING to try out chocolate vodka!  Why you may ask. Well,  I find it a perfect,  lower calorie option for chocolicious flavor  in place of a cream based chocolate liqueur.  Enter this beautiful, ruby red gem, which is a delightful blend of chocolate vodka, black cherry juice, and the delicious fizz of dry sparkling wine. It even looks like Valentine’s Day! I think it will be perfect whether you are celebrating tomorrow’s holiday with a candle lit dinner or with an ex’s effigy burning!

Chocolate Cherry Kiss Martini

serves one 7 ounce martini or two 3.5 ounce martinis

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces chocolate vodka + 1 teaspoon
• 1 ounce black cherry juice
• 1.5 ounces sparkling wine or enough to top off (use Proseco if you prefer sweeter cocktails)
• 1 ounce dark chocolate
• ice cubes
• frozen black cherries (optional)

Directions

1. Place dark chocolate on a small, evenly surfaced plate with 1 teaspoon of chocolate vodka. Heat in microwave at 50% power for 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Stir to create an even and smooth chocolate sauce.
2. Take a martini glass and hold it at an angle. Dip edge into chocolate sauce and slowly twist glass until entire rim is coated in chocolate.  
3. If using frozen cherries, place one in each glass.  Set glasses in refrigerator until cocktail is ready.
4.  Add ice to your cocktail shaker and pour in the remaining chocolate vodka and black cherry juice. Close shaker and give it a shake until surface is chilled.  Pour into martini glass(es).
5. Top off each martini glass with the sparkling wine.
6. Toast to love…or to shooting Cupid in his bare behind. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Fabbioli Cellars

I visited Fabbioli Cellars for the first time right before Christmas. Yes, I’ve had this one in my pocket for a few weeks, but only because I did not want it to get lost in the holiday shuffle (Happy New Year, by the way!).  We were headed to the Premium Outlet Mall in Leesburg, Virginia for some Christmas shopping. Since we were smack dab in the middle of DC’s Wine Country, we thought we’d hit a winery or two before giving our credit cards some exercise.  Fabbioli Cellars was our first stop.

As we pulled up and got out of the car, the chilly winter air wafted the delicious smell of wood fires.  Fabbioli had several fire pits going outside for patrons who may have wanted to brave the cold with a glass of wine.  Maybe on a warmer day. Today we would stay inside!

Speaking of inside, Fabbioli has a good sized tasting room.  Unlike most Virginia wineries where there is a standing tasting bar, Fabbioli has several long, kitchen island height tables set up with chairs to take your leisure.  That is not all that is unique about a Fabbioli tasting.  As I came up to purchase our tastings, I was informed that the $10 tasting fee included a food pairing. I had a choice between either chocolates or a savory platter.  Since there were two of us, I went with one of each, a course of action I highly recommend if you are visiting in groups. Each tasting platter easily provides enough nibbles for two. We even got a special treat from Fabbioli’s resident blogger, James “Jimmy Cocktail” from At Least I’m Enjoying the Ride, when he heard a fellow blogger was on site: two special tastings and a recipe!

Now on to the tasting notes we go!

Rosa Luna (2011) – Sometimes called their “cat wine”, as this dry, 100% Sangiovese  rosé is named after one of the owners’ late kitties.  In its third iteration, the Rosa Luna we sampled is the lightest version of the wine produced to date.  Fermented in stainless steel, this wine has a light and delicate nose and full of crisp flavors.  You’ll taste lovely watermelon flavors in this wine, which is a nice difference from your typically strawberry found in most rosés.

Chardonnay (2011) – Although their vineyards grow both red and white wine grapes, the owners of Fabbioli Cellars began the winery with a focus on red wine production.  This Chardonnay is Fabbioli’s second white wine in production (The Something White blend of Traminette and Vidal Blanc was not on the tasting menu).  As both Fabbioli 2011 white wines are now sold out, clearly they did not disappoint white wine lovers!  The 2011 Chardonnay has (had) a beautiful, fruity nose.  Aged in neutral French oak for four months, you will also find a light creaminess in the wine.  This wine was also the first on the list to pair with food. With the Chardonnay, we tasted a crostini dressed in olive oil and sea salt.  The fat from the olive oil along with the salt beautifully accented the creaminess of the Chardonnay.

Chambourcin (2010) –   This wine is 96% Chambourcin with 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It has a deep and concentrated nose of dried fruit and dark berries.  Dry with intense fruit flavors, the nose translates almost exactly onto the palate.  Another wine with a food pairing, the Chambourcin was accompanied by a crostini with olive tapenade and a 63% cocoa chocolate truffle with a cherry ganache center.  As can be expected when pairing chocolate and red wine, the cherry truffle intensified the fruit flavors, but what was amazing was how the olive tapenade played with the Chambourcin!  The saltiness and fat from the tapenade mellowed out the intense tannins of the Chambourcin.  It completely changed the character of the wine in your mouth.  Okay, not completely changed, but if you try this at home (or at the winery!) you will understand what I mean lol. 

 Cabernet Franc (2010) – I am a huge fan of Virginia Cab Francs; I just love the red fruits (often cherry) and spice.  This particular vintage is the lighter of the two Cab Francs made by Fabbioli, the other being the Reserve. Composed of 87% Cab Franc, 3% Cab Sauv, 5% Chambourcin, and %5 Petit Verdot,  this wine is tart and dry, but smooth with nice clean spice. Lots of bright red cherry, too, my favorite part. Like the Chambourcin, this wine had both a savory and chocolate pairing to go with it.  The chocolate was another dark chocolate truffle, but this time made with spicy ancho chili,  Vietnamese cinnamon,  and cayenne pepper. Wow did it bring out the cherry notes of the wine! The savory pairing was a slice of salami. Again, the fat and salt tamed the tannins of the bold red while again accenting the cherry notes, softening them this time rather than amping them up as the chocolate had.  

 Tre Sorélle (2010) –  Or “Three Sisters” in Italian, this wine is Fabbioli Cellar’s Bordeaux style blend comprised of three of the five (0r six depending on who you ask) Bordeaux red varietals, all estate grown: Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Petit Verdot. What a lovely and supple fruit forward wine, very much like a Merlot, but with the added lushness provided by the Petit Verdot and some earthy grounding courtesy of the Cab Sauv.  Again, I had both  a savory and chocolate pairing. Although the chocolate was delicious (a “plain” dark chocolate truffle this time), the savory pairing was both surprising and amazingly yummy. Mild Cheddar! Although I know there are many cheeses that go with red wine, I often forget it until it’s placed in front of me.  Wow did it bring out all the fruit in this wine. 

Raspberry Merlot – Not a dessert wine, but a “dessert inspired” wine. With 5% residual sugars, this wine is comprised of 1/3 [red] raspberry fruit wine and 2/3 merlot.  If you love raspberries, you’ll love a cordial glass of this wine. It has a bold raspberry fragrance (of course, right?) and though sweet, it’s a fruit sweet tinged with raspberry tartness as well as an accompanying hint of dryness from the merlot. The dark chocolate truffle paired with this wine was actually made with the Raspberry Merlot itself.  Definitely helped tame down the sweetness.

Rosa Nera – A port style wine made from [black] raspberries , this wine is fortified with brandy from Loudoun’s very own Catoctin Creek distillery. If you are a port fan, you definitely will enjoy this one with its rich and just a little tart dried fruit notes.  As the last food pairing, we enjoyed a smoked almond chocolate truffle and a walnut tossed in a spiced glaze (Jimmy Cocktails’s own recipe).  The natural fattiness of the walnut, along with the spices in the glaze definitely take the sweetness of the wine down a few notches. Now the chocolate…I can’t really read my notes, but I have OMG underlined with lots of exclamation points and something about the smokiness against the sweetness of the wine. I think OMG says enough, lol.

And now for the treats! In addition to the wines above, which is the normal tasting covered at Fabbioli Cellars,  I had the privilege to sample the following two wines.

Pear Wine – This lovely aperitif wine won a gold medal at the 2012 Los Angeles International Wine Competition. Made from Asian and Bosc pears and fortified again with brandy from Catoctin Creek, this lovely wine definitely tastes of pears and even has a nice spice as well. Think baked pears with a little cinnamon.  It’s aging process is also unique in regards to other Virginia wines (at least in my encounters), as it follows the Spanish solera system, an aging and blending system utilized by  the sherry industry.  I first encountered this system of wine blending while in Spain last year at the Tio Pepe bodega in Jerez. Using the solera system not only “pre-ages” the wine, but ensures a consistent flavor profile across the years. So, if you miss the 2012 award winning wine, it will still taste the same for years to come!

Royalty – This port style wine originated as hand crafted gifts for the owners’ friends and neighbors, but became so popular that they started bottling it. Aged for 22 months, this wine is made from Chambourcin, Tannat…and I apparently forgot to write the last half of which Cab grape (Sorry, there was a lot of chatting going on during the tasting, so my hand writing was much more horrid than usual!). I was wowed by this wine. Not overly sweet like many ports can be, it had beautiful and intense fruit flavors and a delicious spice. I ended up buying a bottle to take home with us.

Now, I did mention another treat earlier: a recipe.  Do you recall the Rosa Nera pairing with a spiced walnut? Well, as I was checking out, I was given a print out of James’ recipe (also available at the winery if you stop by) to take home.  I used this recipe as a basis for one of my dad’s Christmas presents, so you’ll probably be getting to see it sometime in the near future, too! 🙂

Cheers!

~Ruth

White Cranberry Martini, a Winter Wonderland Cocktail

Oh, are you going to love, love, love this cocktail! I mean, just look at it. Doesn’t it make you think of the holidays? Seriously, I can hear Bing Crosby crooning “White Christmas” in my head right now. Love it!

Yes, I am gushing.  These White Cranberry Martinis are that good. They make me want to buy a ridiculously sparkly dress and throw a cocktail party so I can make pitchers of the stuff.

So what makes this winter wonderland cocktail different from everyone else’s? My addition of rosemary in the form of an infused simple syrup. Yes,  I put a little Christmas tree action into these beauties! (I so want one of those little rosemary shrubs they prune into Christmas tree shapes!). Please do not panic, though. I know what you’re thinking. “Ugh, gin!”, right?  And you’re thinking of what turns most people off from gin:  the juniper. We are not getting that kind of evergreen flavor here in these White Cranberry Martinis. Juniper is much more resinous and medicinal than rosemary. With the rosemary, the resin notes are milder, plus you get a little spice. Trust me, you’re not going to feel like you’re drinking a pine tree with this cocktail.

So what does it taste like? Very fresh. White cranberries are sweeter and less tart than your typical cranberries, so the juice has a lighter body.  Adding the lime brings back a little tartness, and both the lime and rosemary bring clean, fresh notes into the mix.

When I was drinking this cocktail,  it reminded me of a mild winter day where the cold isn’t horribly unbearable and the smell of firewood is in the air. You know, those days that make you feel all warm and toasty even if Jack Frost may be nipping at your nose.

Told you it was good.

Salud!

Winter Wonderland White Cranberry Martini

White Cranberry Martini Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka*
• 1 ounce White Cranberry Juice
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 ounce Rosemary simple syrup
• fresh or frozen cranberries for garnish
• ice cubes

Rosemary Simple Syrup

makes about a 1/2 cup of simple syrup

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, crushed to release essential oils

Rosemary Simple Syrup Directions

1. For the simple syrup, combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add fresh rosemary and simmer for one minute.
3. Remove saucepan from heat and let the syrup stand for at least half an hour.
4. Remove rosemary from the syrup and pour into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Making you Winter Wonderland Cocktail

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with  ice cubes and add all of the ingredients.
2. Secure the cover of the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into your favorite cocktail glass and garnish with the bright red cranberries.

*Experiment with the vodka if you like. Cranberry vodka will bring more tartness. Whipped cream vodka may create a sweeter cocktail. Vanilla vodka may enhance the rosemary.

Hump Day Happy Hour: Mulled Wine

Holiday party season is in full swing, and if your calendar looks anything like mine, you will be spending nearly as many waking hours in the kitchen making side dishes and desserts for various parties as you will be spending at the parties themselves. And, of course, the number of hours spent in the kitchen will increase exponentially if you are hosting a party of your own. All of this time spent in the kitchen often has us at a loss for energy and creativity when it comes time to make crowd pleasing drinks that don’t keep the host “behind the bar” all night, but it shouldn’t. Don’t spend your next party mixing drinks instead of mingling. Mulled wine, for example, takes only minutes of hands on preparation time and then can be left alone for guests to serve up for themselves. This is exactly why I plan on whipping up a large batch as part of my contribution to an upcoming holiday dinner party my friend is hosting in a couple of weeks. In addition to the requested canned good for the local food pantry and the side dish I signed up to bring, I plan on surprising everyone (ok, so it probably isn’t much of a surprise anymore) with warm spiced red wine to help keep everyone warm in these freezing temperatures.

I created this recipe using a bottle of inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon and middle-shelf bourbon. I only used one bottle since I was not working with an existing recipe, but developing my own – no reason to waste wine if it didn’t work. The final result can easily be doubled or even tripled (I will probably triple it…) depending on your needs. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed the next day after a brief time in the microwave. I would recommend making multiple spice pouches – one for every bottle of wine instead of one large one, to make sure the spices fully infuse into the wine. If space on your stove top is scarce, you could make all of this in a Crockpot (which is what I plan on doing) with some minor adjustments:

• Heat the orange juice and whiskey using the Crockpot’s highest setting before adding the sugar.
• Reduce heat to the lowest setting before adding the wine, cover with the lid and let simmer an extra 30 minutes or so to make sure the flavors fully develop.
• Make sure to test it before you serve it 😉

Mulled Wine

1 cinnamon stick
3 1/2-inch cubes fresh ginger
20 whole allspice berries
peel of 1 large orange
peel of 1/4 of a lemon
juice from 3 large oranges
2 ounces Kentucky bourbon
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 750-mL bottles dry red wine

1)     Using a sharp paring knife, carefully peel away as much of the orange peel as you can, leaving behind the bitter white pith. Do the same with the lemon, although you will only need one small strip of the peel.

2)     Place citrus peels, cinnamon stick, allspice, and ginger in the center of a square of cheese cloth. Bring the edges of the cheese cloth together and secure with a piece of string or tie the opposite corners of the cheese cloth together to create a small pouch.

3)     Pour the orange juice and whiskey into a large sauce pan and drop the spice pouch into the juice. Heat over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Add raw sugar and stir to dissolve.

4)     Pour wine into sauce pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

5)     Ladle into heat proof glasses, garnish with orange slices or cinnamon sticks if desired, and serve.

Hump Day Happy Hour – Lemon Meringue Martini Cocktail

Sometimes it is just too easy. Come home from work, drop everything with a heavy sigh, uncork a bottle of wine or pop the top off a cold one…and suddenly the world doesn’t seem as bad as it did while you were stuck in gridlock just moments before as you kick back and savor a moment.  Aaaaaah.  Then there are those days when you want something more than a simple glass of something. Sometimes you want a dressed up treat, like a present wrapped up in pretty paper and shiny ribbon. That was what I was looking for when I made this bauble of a cocktail.

The inspiration came while surfing through the pretty pictures in this lemon dessert slide show on MarthaStewart.com. I started thinking about making something as yummy as these treats looked…but in liquid form…like a lemon meringue cocktail! Coming up with my own recipe wasn’t as easy as you might think, though.  The lemon part was easy, of course, but getting the pie/dessert element to play nice? Not so easy! I experimented with brown sugar, honey, regular sugar, and maple syrup trying to get that buttery graham cracker/ pie crust flavor with just the right amount of sweetness to counter the super tart lemon.  Each cocktail came out too close in flavor to my Lemon Rose Martini. Maybe Absolut Vanilla has more floral notes than I thought?

I was on my second two pound bag of lemons and quickly running low on vanilla vodka when I remembered this shot a friend had ordered a round of for a group of us that were bar hopping in Old Town Alexandria. A “chocolate cake” shot.  It tasted exactly like chocolate cake, but was made only with Frangelico and an orange slice. So out came the Frangelico.  After swapping the Frangelico and vanilla vodka ratios on the second attempt I found Lemon Meringue heaven with delicious notes of graham cracker goodness.

I so wanted to put on a little black dress and pearls, this cocktail is that fun.  It still tasted great in yoga pants, though, so don’t let the lack of a cocktail party stop you from shaking this drink up.

Lemon Meringue Martini Cocktail

serves 1 large cocktail or 2 small cocktails

Ingredients

• 2 ounces fresh Lemon Juice (I used 50/50 combination of Meyer and regular lemons)
• 3 ounces Frangelico
• 1 ounce Vanilla Vodka
• Ice Cubes

Directions

1. Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker along with all the remaining ingredients. Shake well and pour into your favorite cocktail glass(es).

Salud!~Ruth

Humpday Happy Hour: Back Porch Blackberry-Ginger Tea

I first learned about Art in the Age when fellow bloggers We Are Not Martha highlighted the company’s Root liquor made with sassafras, birch bark, and spices. After reading more about Art in the Age spirits, I decided I needed a bottle of my own to experiment with. In addition to Root, they also make Snap, a ginger snap influenced liquor, and the rhubarb based Ruby. I decided to start with Snap and stopped by the local ABC store to special order a bottle one day after work. It took about month, but last week I finally got a call telling me the spirit had arrived.

It was a couple of days before I could actually examine my new find. At first glance, the bottle and packaging are lovely. I appreciate thought put into packaging because it often signifies care put into the product inside. The spirit itself was a lovely amber color and smelled of spice and alcohol. The ginger was very apparent on the palate despite the burn of the alcohol. As someone who loves ginger, I knew I was going to enjoy this spirit.

I spent a couple of days mulling over this new find, trying to decide what to make without using the recipes Art in the Age lists on their website, no matter how delicious they may look. It wasn’t until I was harvesting blackberries from the backyard bushes that the answer came to me. The summer isn’t complete without a killer iced tea recipe – and if makes you a little tipsy all the better. So here is my summer tea recipe for sipping on the back porch after a long day at work.

Back Porch Blackberry-Ginger Tea

Makes 1 drink
3 ounces Snap
12 ripe blackberries
1 ounce black tea infused simple syrup (recipe below)
spring water
ice

Muddle blackberries and black tea simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and Snap liquor, shake until the shaker has frosted on the outside. Double strain and pour over ice. Top with spring water, stir to combine, and sip on the back porch.

Black Tea Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 honey
2 family-sized/8 regular-sized black tea bags

Bring water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Add sugar and honey, stir until dissolved, add tea bags and  simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and steep for an additional 30 minutes. Pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Humpday Happy Hour: Spicy Screwdriver Cocktail

One of my pet peeves during a night on the town is when I enter a bar and ask the bartender if they have a drink they recommend. Almost automatically, he or she recommends something god awfully girly and sugary sweet. Do I look like I want a girly drink? Ok, don’t answer that, lol!

I approach drinks the same way I approach food. A single dimension is typically not my style. I like layers of flavor that complement each other and excite my taste buds. Take for example one of my favorite drinks, Bushmills Black Bush. If you can get past the burn of the whiskey, it has some nice dried fruit notes but also a nuttiness. Or let’s talk about that wonderful Lavender Martini from Cypress: floral nose, creamy vanilla, tart lemon, and a hint of sweet from the lavender infused simple syrup. And what about Emilie’s Strawberry Bourbon Milkshake last week??? Smokey [yet sweet] bourbon, creamy and cool vanilla ice cream, and fresh sun kissed berries, oh heck yeah!

Now granted, the Lavender Martini (like my Rose version) and the milkshake take a little effort as well as special tools or ingredients, but you can still take a simple, special-tool/ingredient free cocktail and give it a nudge in a new direction. That is what I did with this twist on the classic screwdriver. I love how the heat of the Texas Pete complimented the orange and lemon juice. Next time I think I might also muddle some of the jalepeno to get that crisp fresh pepper flavor rather than using it only as a garnish.

Spicy Screwdriver

Ingredients

• 2 parts orange juice
• 1 part vodka
• juice of half a lemon
• 2-3 dashes Texas Pete hot sauce
• pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
• jalepeno slice for garnish (optional)
• ice, enough for fill your glass

Directions

1. Put a few ice cubes in your glass
2. Add vodka, and lemon juice (and cinnamon if using) into your glass and stir to mix.
3. Now add the Texas Pete, about 2-3 dashes. Stir.
4. Pour in the orange juice, stir and taste. Add more Texas Pete if desired.
5. Fill glass with more ice and garnish with the jalepeno slice.

Humpday Happy Hour: Strawberry Bourbon Milkshake

It is the height of strawberry season in Virginia. The little strawberry bed we have in my mom’s backyard is producing nearly a pound of strawberries every other day, and I have a feeling it won’t stop until sometime next week.

“What are you complaining about!?” you mutter frustratedly at me through your computer screen.

I am not complaining, I swear, but we are certainly nearing the too much of a good thing point. I have nomed delicious strawberries for breakfast, lunch, and dessert for a week. My mom has filled her freezer to the top with tupperware containers of freezer-jam and there is no more room. So, last night, as I picked yet another couple of pints of the juicy red berries, I wondered how I might use up those berries that were already just past the point of rip. Then it hit me – puree them for a milkshake! Then add bourbon. Then sit on the patio and drink it! Sometimes I am too brilliant for my own good.

Strawberry Bourbon Milkshake

makes 2
1 cup halved/quartered strawberries
2-3 ounces bourbon
3.5 cups vanilla ice cream

Place strawberries and bourbon in the blender and puree. Add ice cream and blend together. Add more ice cream or bourbon to achieve desired thickness.