Are you a label reader? Do you like knowing exactly what you are feeding your body, or would you rather not know about the xantham gum, potassium citrate, or acesulfame potassium and the other stuff impossible to pronounce or relate to. Maybe you are somewhere in the middle; want to know some of the things but would rather not know EVERYTHING. As a part of the campaign to battle cancer, the EU has been pushing for more labeling on all food and beverage labels, and that will soon include wine.
Just after opening City Vino, we were approached by Lt. Blender to sell these cocktails, or winetails, in a bag. Fun MRE size bag that you pop a bottle of wine into, and water, then freeze to make a wine slushy. There are all sorts of flavors for both summer fun and winter fun. Lieutenant McMorris was a U.S. paratrooper who had an assignment in the Caribbean Islands. The story goes that he was invited to all the parties because he had the blender and would concoct tasty fun things for all kinds of social events. When he got home to Galveston, Texas he bought a run-down ice cream factory, and started making and distributing the bags you see in the store.
With Thanksgiving upon us, the rest of the holidays will be here in the blink of an eye. With impending gatherings, holiday meals, celebrations, and gift-giving opportunities, you are going to want a good inventory of “something special” to grab and go. Whether it’s for enjoying with food, or a gift for the host, secret Santa, or a loved one to enjoy later, a major element in your decision making will be the food being served, the theme, or the reason. You might want to select something to complement the holiday dinner, a special bottle for a celebratory toast, or a bottle for a special someone to enjoy later (hopefully with you, right?!).
Among the rolling hills and tiny villages just south of Burgundy and north of Lyon, France, lies Beaujolais. The region is synonymous with Gamay, the area’s most-planted grape. Beaujolais is 34 miles long from north to south, and seven to nine miles wide. There are nearly 4,000 grape growers who make their living in this picturesque region just north of France's third-largest city, Lyon. Today is Beaujolais Nouveau Day and at the crack of 12:01 AM this morning, City Vino and retails shops around the world are now legally allowed to sell this young wine to the public. It is commonly, in the US, thought of as synonymous with Thanksgiving, but how did it get that way?
When thinking about Italian wine, it is most common to think of Northern or Central Italy—Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, etc. However, there are some interesting, unique wines to seriously consider, if you’ll take your palate to the southern regions of Italy, more specifically, to the most southern areas, the island of Sicily, Basilicata, and Campania.
