Cheap wine

This one goes hand-in-hand with my Wine Snobs post because, for some reason, people have come to believe that in order for wine to be good, it has to be expensive.

Totally not the case.

While I am not proclaiming the virtues of Boon’s Farm or Fruit of the Vine (alcoholic Kool-Aid in my opinion), I am saying that you don’t have to spend $50 on a bottle to ensure that it is good.

My sister, Betsy, knows a man who owns a wine store in Denver called The Vineyard Wine Shop. They sell bottles of wine ranging from $7 a bottle to almost a thousand dollars a bottle. Everybody asks him for advice on wine, no surprises there, but I love his response when they ask him to point out a good wine. He says that if you like a wine, it is a good wine. No matter which one it is or what the price tag is.

During our wine quest, Jessi and I have found and tried hundreds (probably) of wines that were great and less than $20 a bottle. Most of the Nebraska wines are priced around $15-17 a bottle, usually a little more for dessert wines. Affordable, good wines made locally!

Don’t despair if you enjoy cheap wine… or boxed wine.

…But I do have to draw the line somewhere. It used to be at nothing less than $5 a bottle, which isn’t too bad of an idea when you consider the crappy wine you can find for less than $5. (Although, I’m not a total hater. One of my favorite Moscatos is usually on sale for around $4.77.) Now, I’ve graduated to nothing without a cork… or in a box… a girl has to have some standards.

Check out The Vineyard

Cougarlicious- Miletta Vista’s new vintage

After an especially rough day at work recently, I stopped at a local liquor store to grab a six pack of Boulevard to enjoy with a couple of coworkers. As I walked through the door, I noticed a poster hanging up announcing that Miletta Vista had a new wine out called Cougarlicious. My first thought was that I had to hunt it down and buy a bottle.

So I wondered around the tiny and packed sales floor of the liquor mart hunting for this new wine but finally gave up and asked the adorable, dreadlocked guy behind the counter. He searched for it on the computer to make sure that we had it and then joined me in the hunt, finally locating it nearly a foot and a half above his head on the top shelf of a display of Nebraska wines. I thanked him profusely, nabbed a bottle and my Boulevard and headed out. I didn’t even make it out of the parking spot before I had the bottle and my phone out to send a picture to Jessi.

“Miletta Vista has a new wine out that we are drinking next time you’re in town!!!”

“Yay!!!”

Was pretty much how our text conversation went.

When I got home, the newly acquired treasure found its home in a place of honor (the wine rack on top of our fridge), to await the time that Jessi would once again grace the Lair (my apartment, if you didn’t already know, is called the Lair) with her presence.

Thankfully, it didn’t have to wait too long.

Jessi made a pit stop in Kearney on her way home for Christmas and we finally got to crack into the Cougarlicious. It was very sweet, but not overwhelming. It reminded me of a sweeter Brianna or La Crosse. Jessi and I decided that it would be a great dessert wine with fruit or a dark, bitter chocolate.

I searched around looking for the significance of Cougarlicious, thinking that there might be a neat back-story to it. It’s not what I was expecting but here it is:

“Fun! Fun! Fun!
You've been asking when are you coming out with a fun wine label. Well here it is, New December 2011. Courgarlicious is a label and this sweet white wine will provide lots of fun!  A blend of two Nebraska grown grapes, LaCrosse & Brianna.  This fruity wine with flavors of citrus & pineapple will make a great gift this Christmas season. It's a prowlers cocktail, you're sure to enjoy and it goes very well with the Hershey’s candy cane peppermint candies.”

Jessi also suggested trying it as a breakfast wine, something I have never tried but I am always up for something new!

Cougarlicious

Wine Snobs

Facebook... along with pretty much everybody I know, knows I love wine, so my sidebar ads are often wine themed. Ads for things ranging from the Corkcicle- the icicle shaped wine chiller, to Wine Bottle Glasses (found at fab.com, hint hint), to Hobnob wines. So tonight, when I was creeping on Facebook, a sidebar ad made me giggle a little and reminded me of a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while now.

The ad was for Bordeaux wine that exclaimed: "Like Bordeaux if you are a real wine connoisseur. All wine connoisseurs like Bordeaux wine. Everybody knows that!"

WINE SOB ALERT!!!!

At the very beginning of my wine adventure, I was under the impression that my sister, Betsy, and her husband, Walt, were slightly snobbish when it came to wine. I can admit that I was wrong. Just because they do not like the same wines that I do, does not make them snobs. It makes them people who know what kind of wine they like. I also know that they are willing to try new wines.

My first true encounter with a wine snob came when I attended The Big Grape event in Grand Island with Jenna… I wrote about it a few posts ago. It was toward the end of our visit, we had tried most of the wines that we wanted and plopped down at an open table to chat and regroup. An older lady sat down at the table with us and we struck up a conversation when Jenna noticed and commented on the neat little bag she was holding.

(It ended up being a clear plastic bag with handles made to keep wine cold when you transported it. We hauled ‘glass’ it to the table where she got it and claimed ones for ourselves a little later in the evening.)

We chatted about some of the wines we had tried and made recommendations when she asked if we had tried a chocolate flavored wine from the same table that had the cool little bags. I said that I had and I had liked it, that it had tasted like tootsie pops and was WAY better than other chocolate wines I had tried. She made a nasty face at my opinion. She was almost physically upset that I actually liked it and soon got up and left our company. I was a little surprised… as was Jenna. We laughed about it a little but looking back, I am a little confused.

Most of the fun of wine tastings is trying new things. That’s why Jessi and I are able to drink drier reds now… because we kept trying things that we didn’t like in the beginning. Don’t be a wine snob. If you don’t try wines that don’t have a French name, or are the wrong color, or are too “cheap,” you could be missing out on your new favorite wine.

Semi-Sweet 16: October, 2011

Our trip to Miletta Vista Winery in St. Paul happened on one of those random trips that follow an impromptu visit to Kearney by Jessi. She came to town and we decided to venture to St. Paul to visit the place that makes Serenade.

Serenade is an amazing wine that Jessi and I discovered at the last Wine and Jazz Festival. I’m sure we’ve probably tried it before, but this year, it really stuck with us. We bought a bottle that night and many times since and it has become one of our favorites.

Setting out, we turned on the GPS and followed the directions diligently… until we got there and realized that we knew a much simpler and more direct route than how it took us. I am sensing a reoccurring theme of our tour-where the GPS gets confused and therefore we are confused. While we get to see some interesting countryside, it also gave Jessi’s car a mud bath and added about 15 minutes to a trip by taking us on unmarked gravel roads.

As we approached the tasting room, we could not help but admire the rows of grapes and the amazing view. Vineyard owners seem to really like putting the tasting rooms on top of hills, but the scenery is usually pretty spectacular, so I’m not complaining.

Jessi and I also decided that since we already knew (and loved) Serenade, we would not choose it for a tasting and give the other wines a shot. Something that worked out perfectly since that made it possible to try every other wine they offered.

We were the only people in the place when we arrived and we were the only people during our stay so we got to pick the brain of the girl behind the counter all we wanted. She was a wealth of knowledge and I enjoyed talking to her.

She gave us some food for thought while we were there. She introduced us to the art of matching particular wine glasses to different wines. For example, you want to drink red wine from a larger wine glass, leaving lots of room in the glass for air to mingle with the wine. White wine, you can drink from smaller glasses because they don’t need to breathe as much to enhance the flavors. She also told us about the Riedel class they offer that teaches people how to match wines to different glasses. The class was a little pricey sounding, but then she mentioned that everybody gets to keep the 6 different Riedel glasses used in the class (which are leaded crystal, by the way). Hopefully, Jessi and I will be able to get together to attend when it happens.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed their wines. I don’t think, since Glacial Till, have I liked so many wines that a single vineyard had to offer. There was only one red I didn’t particularly care for, while I rated almost all of the other wines (including the other reds) at an 8 or above. I actually gave their Edelweiss (no surprise, once again) and their Prairie Blush 10s.

Once we finished with our tastings, put our e-mail address down to get info about the class and talked them out of a few corks for our collections, Jessi and I each got a glass of wine and headed to sit outside to enjoy the unusual warm weather and the view from the patio. I got a glass of my favorite of the day, Catawba (and later bought a bottle). We were joined by one of the uber friendly cats that live at the winery… I’ll have to ask Jessi what its name was. She is way better at remembering stuff like that than I am.

I had a great time at Miletta Vista. It is one of my favorite wineries in western Nebraska and definitely in my top three favorite stops of the entire tour. I hope to return, if not for the class, then during our tour next year!

Miletta Vista Specs:

5 tastings for $5-ish

Food and wine-related items for sale

Souvenir glass for $3-ish (I can’t remember for sure)

Wine for Christmas? Yes Please! Christmas, 2011

Christmas morning I realized that I may have a problem.

Opening presents I was excited to find a new, cheap DVD player (exactly what I asked for, even emphasized the cheap),  gift card to Cabela’s to get a holster,  cookbook, candle, and a wine kit complete with a bottle opener, pour spout, foil cutter and more goodies including a necklace for a wine bottle from my mom.

I continued opening gifts and found two super cute cutting boards and knife, perfect for cheeses to go with wine from my sister, Betsy, and brother-in-law, Walt.

Then my sister Laura, handed me a wine bottle gift bag with a bottle of Feather River Edelweiss from my mom. Yum!

As everybody finished opening presents, my mom and Laura told me to go open the giant present in the corner. Sitting on top of it was a wrapped bottle of wine from a Salida winery from Betsy and Walt. It’s a Riesling/ Chardonnay blend that I can’t wait to try.

As I worked my way into the huge present (Laura wrapped it and likes making it difficult to open), I uncovered an adorable wine rack! It has places for 16 bottles of wine, wine glasses, and a top the perfect size for munchies.

Then, when we thought we were all done, my mom walked out with one last gift bag that she handed me. Inside I found a Redneck wine glass. If you’ve never seen one before, allow me to explain…

It’s a short canning jar glued to the top of a glass candlestick.

Classy.

15 Minutes of Fame: October 1, 2011

After we drove the thirty-some-odd miles from Paxton back to North Platte, we headed to Feather River. I was looking forward to this stop since my mom had visited there already and she knew the lay of the land so she had the advantage over the rest of us.

Jessi, Jenna, and I were blown away at how beautiful Feather River was, even surrounded by the drab landscape of late-fall Nebraska The vines covered the hills and the tasting room was nestled in a valley below a beautiful house that was home of one of the owners.

The bar was occupied when we arrived so we spent a few minutes wandering around looking at wine baubles while they finished up their tastings.

Then we pounced.

We started chatting with the lady behind the counter while we chose what we wanted to taste. My mom had tried most of their wines already so the choosing was left up to Jenna, Jessi, and me. I was surprised at the number of wines that Feather River had to offer, more than most of the places we stopped on the tour.

Wires were crossed with the first choice and she gave all of us what Jessi (I think) had chosen first, but it was ok since the tastings were free. Plus, there was four of us so we all chose different wines and exchanged glasses. I tried quite a few of their reds, but I liked only one-a semi-sweet called Red Neck Revenge. I enjoyed the whites with Edelweiss (no surprise) and Frosty’s White being my favorites.

We enjoyed our afternoon at Feather River, all of us bringing home at least one bottle (they had some of their 2008 vintages on sale).

I would love to go back. I think that I will have to talk Jessi, my mom, and Jessi’s mom into going back when it gets warmer so we can enjoy the beautiful surroundings and a bottle (or three) on their veranda.

Feather River Specs:

4 Tastings for Free

Wine Glass-$2 for small, $3 for large

The Big Grape: Putting the Squeeze on Juvenile Diabetes, October 14, 2011

“Do you want to go to the Big Grape with me?”
“What is it?”
“A wine tasting thing.”
“How much?”
“Tickets were free.”
“Yep. I’m in!”

Jenna and my text conversation went something like that… but since my phone deletes text messages, I can’t tell you exactly what it was.

She had gotten free tickets from a radio station (which was good since they were $50 a piece) and she thought of Jessi and me as possible tag-a-longs. I wonder why…

Unfortunately, Jessi couldn’t go, but another of Jenna’s friends could, so us three set off to see what exactly The Big Grape was. Come to find out, it was a fundraiser thrown every year to raise money for juvenile diabetes research, not something I know a lot about, but a good cause none the less.

When we walked into the Expo building at the State Fair grounds, we were handed a glass and a nice little booklet that listed all of the silent auction prizes, sponsors, and beverages offered for tastings.

I spotted a banner that said “Vodka” and tried to make a bee-line for it. Jenna herded me toward the first wine table with promises to head there next. She made good on her promise and I got to try vodka that is made here in Nebraska. It was surprisingly good… plus, I impressed the socks off the owner of Cooper Chase Distillery who was there giving out tastings. He poured it into my wine glass and muscle memory took over. I swirled it, sniffed it, and then tasted it… just like I do with wine. He looked at me with wide eyes and said “You are a vodka drinker, aren’t you?” I laughed… Guilty as charged, but this blog is about wine, not vodka.

We spent the rest of the evening trying wines (and a couple different beers) from all over the country and world. It was fun to try wines that I would not normally have access to and wines that I had never heard of.

Some of them were Confectioners Angel Cake which was a sweet chardonnay, Emery Pink Moscato which was a little drier than most moscatos, and

Lucy Lane

from Jasper Winery that reminded me of Welch’s grape juice with a kick. My favorites of the evening were the delicious Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Riesling and Confectioners Chocolate that was a red wine with cocoa, it tasted like a tootsie pop with a kick.

I also felt a little adventurous and chose something that I wouldn’t normally try. I believe it was Warre’s Warrior Reserve Porto, a full-bodied red that I enjoyed at the first sip but it got a little much as I drank.

Scattered amongst the unknowns, it was good to see a few familiar faces. 17 Ranch Winery, Mac’s Creek, Prairie Creek Winery, Superior Estates, Cedar Hills Vineyard, Milleta Vista, and James Arthur Vineyards were there to represent Nebraska wineries and vineyards. They were all places that I have visited or are familiar with after seeing them and trying their wines at the Wine and Jazz festivals.

The Big Grape seemed like an event that was a little too classy to be held in the Expo Building of the Nebraska State Fair grounds. We had couples in formal wear (a step below black-tie) sitting next to people in jeans and work boots. It was an interesting juxtaposition that just made the event more fun to attend. It was a fun evening and for a great cause. I would love to go to another one in the future.

Go to this site to learn more! Avera-The Big Grape