Tag wine

Free Wine App for iPhone and iPad

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WineRating+ app on iPhone Photo Courtesy Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator’s new WineRating+  app is free, powerful and delivers convenient expert advice.  Designed for both the connoisseur and the casual wine drinker it provides over 270,000 wine reviews, collectible wine prices, and wine pairings but that is just the beginning of what this app can do.  It has an easy and effective wine rating search with filtering options that allow you to narrow your results so you can make the perfect choice.  Available now on the iPhone App Store, WineRating+ is a free download but it also offers premium content with a subscription of $2.99 per month.  There is  plenty of content in the free version, that is why I recommend using it first before you subscribe.

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Wine Ice Cream

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aldo's ice cream

aldo’s ice cream (Photo credit: surekat)

     This isn’t one of the old standards when it comes to ice cream flavors but surprisingly it is very good.  We got the chance to enjoy this special treat on the lake shore in Geneva N.Y.  Like any wine list we were offered the choice of red or white with red consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Zinfandel while the white options were Chardonnay and Chablis.  We tried the Cab, Merlot and Chardonnay and found them all very flavorful because the character of the wine was prominent in the taste palate of all the selected ice creams.  These ice creams are made with real wine and have an alcohol content listed for each which makes them only available to persons of legal drinking age.  I think it is funny that the possibility exists that someone could be carded when buying an ice cream cone.  I look forward to my next trip down Rte 14 so I can try a big piece of grape pie and a wine slushie.  

Events at Your PLCB Store! Really?

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state store

state store (Photo credit: Foxgirl)

      Did you know that you could have the chance to sample wine and spirits or even meet a celebrity at your PLCB store?  To find out if any events are slated for your favorite store you must first find your stores ID number by visiting www.finewineandgoodspirits.com and using the store locator feature to identify  the 4 digit number assigned to that store.  Position the cursor over the Promotions tab, then point at the Events tab at the far right end of the drop down menu, lastly click on the In-Store Events.  Enter your store ID number into the box marked Store then click Search and a directory of all the events scheduled for that store will appear with a description of each that can be expanded for more information when clicked.

     In a totally unrelated matter I stopped at the Ripepi Winery last week and saw that picking had begun but I also noticed that there was a plentiful supply of fruit left to be harvested.  I find that standing in a vineyard and seeing the ripe grapes hanging from the vines a truly awe-inspiring sight.  

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Free Finger Lakes Travel App!!!

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Map of the Finger Lakes region of New York, wi...

Map of the Finger Lakes region of New York, with major cities, highways, and airports marked. Created from public domain sources: NASA World Wind (USGS Maps), Image:New_York_State_Route_104_map.png, and http://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/brochure/images/new%202003/letch-park%20map2.gif. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     Anyone that is contemplating a trip to the Finger Lakes Region of New York should get moving and make plans now.  I say this from personal experience that the next several weeks are the perfect time to visit wine country.  When you visit in the fall you will get to enjoy the excitement of the harvest while being surrounded by a landscape that is alive with the vibrant colors of autumn.  A free travel app is available to help visitors enjoy many of the local attractions.  The app can be found at http://FLWC.MOBI./  Driving around the area is easy because the roads are well-marked especially with signs that direct you along the wine trails.  Tourists using a GPS can find numerous wineries preloaded in the “Points Of Interest” or “Attractions” setting of the unit.  You can find just about anything you need to know for your trip online so why wait because winter will be here before you know it.      

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Altus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005 $35.99?

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Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Photo taken at Skil...

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     If you are looking for a wine that can be described as Bold, Plush, Opulent, Intense and Concentrated then you should look no further than Altus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005.  This Cab has potent dark fruit flavors like currant, blackberry and black cherry along with wild berry flavors.  The tannins are velvety but the finish is firm with a creamy minerality.  This wine is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot.  Wine Spectator bestowed a 92 point rating upon it in 2008 and because of the structure of this blend, time has been kind to it.  You can purchase this Altus wine in Pennsylvania only online from the PLCB website where it is listed on the Wine Sale page.  The regular price is shown at $74.99 but the sale price is $35.99 and I believe that is a fair price for this bottle.  PLCB Product Code 11238.  http://www.finewineandgoodspirits.com

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Argyle Pinot Noir Spirithouse $39.99?

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Argyle Winery, Dundee, Oregon

Argyle Winery, Dundee, Oregon (Photo credit: PnP!)

 We often complain about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board that regulates alcohol sales here but there are times when they get it right.  I have to say the Chairman Selection offering of 2007 Argyle Pinot Noir Spirithouse for $39.99 (a savings of $ 35.01 from its quoted price of $75 ) is one of those times.  This Oregon Pinot Noir was produced by the Knudson Vineyard in the Dundee Hills AVA of the Williamette Valley.  It is currently listed as Sold Out by the winery but that should be no surprise after Wine Advocate rated it 93 pts and Wine Spectator gave it a 90 pt rating in 2009 which means it has only gotten better since then.  Spirithouse exhibits plenty of ripe fruit flavors especially raspberry and red cherry and just enough tannins with a smooth textured finished.  This is a very good quality Pinot Noir that has more than sufficient acidity and the hint of pepper that is the signature of a good Pinot.  I will tip my hat to the PLCB on this one and say  “Job well done”.   PLCB Code 32593

IT’S VEGAS BABY!!!!

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English: The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign

English: The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are back home from our trip to Las Vegas and I thought you would enjoy seeing two of the wine collections I saw there.  Aureole features a wine tower where the “Wine Angels” are attached to cables that lift and lower them so they can retrieve the bottle of your choice.  Aureole is located in the Mandalay Bay Resort restaurant row area.  Joe’s in the Forum Shops line their glass walls with wine so everyone can take a good look at the inventory. 

This was one of the more memorable trips to Sin City for me because of the flash flooding that I could monitor from the safety of my hotel room on the 15th floor.  The night sky on Tuesday was brightly lit by massive bolts of  lightning over the Strip and the surrounding desert followed by booming thunder that rolled to the horizon.  Not to be out done by Mother Nature Prince Harry made some noise of his own at the MGM Grand.  We attended a unforgettable performance by Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez where I saw first hand that Enrique was not only a spokesman for Atlantico Rum but also a big fan.  Reports had him showing up after the show at Hyde wearing a hoodie. Hyde is the newest lounge at the Bellagio Hotel and it’s patio overlooks the famous Bellagio fountains.  I can tell you that wine is expensive in Vegas and good wine is very expensive so it only makes sense that great wine is obscenely expensive. Enough said!

Aureole & Joe’s Wine

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Wine on display at Joe’s

Wine Tower at Aureole

Joe’s Restaurant Las Vegas

Wine Time at the Colony

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English: Portrait of a middle-aged William Pen...

English: Portrait of a middle-aged William Penn (founder of the Pennsylvania colony) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     Penn’s Colony will be hosting a Wine-Tasting that will also include gourmet fare and artisans.  The event is Saturday September 8th from noon to 6 p.m. on the Grounds of Penn’s Colony  365 Saxonburg Blvd. Rt. 228E., Saxonburg, Pa.  Admission will be charged and with a tasting admission you will receive a souvenir glass.  Visitors must be 21 years old and provide a valid I.D. to participate in the wine-tasting.  More information is available at Winetimeatthecolony.com or by calling 724-352-9922

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Seven Springs Wine & Food Festival

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Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting (Photo credit: cheesy42)

     The 20th Annual Seven Springs Wine & Food Festival will be held on the 25th & 26th of August.  Wine-tasting will be offered by 30 Pennsylvania wineries and there will also be seminars and musical entertainment.  The hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.  You must be at least 21 years old to attend this event and children, minors and pets are not permitted on the festival grounds.  Tickets are $36 for Saturday and $26 for Sunday and can be purchased online or at the event.  This celebration of Pennsylvania food and wine is being held at Seven Springs Mountain Resort  777 Waterwheel Dr,  Seven Springs, PA.  800-452-2223   

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