Up until this weekend if you had asked me about making homemade gnocchi my answer would have been “sure, if by homemade you mean cutting open a vacuumed sealed pack purchased at Trader Joe’s then throwing them into boiling water, then yes I have”.  Only there’s nothing truly homemade about that process and in fact most of those vacuumed sealed packs taste like dirt. It’s true.

I love to cook, but the idea of making homemade gnocchi has always been somewhat intimidating to me.  After my experience learning how to make it at Terre Margaritelli Winery, I was no longer intimidated. In fact I was inspired to put my newly acquired skills to the test and it was the first meal I made for my family upon my return home from Italy.  Though the ingredients for gnocchi are very simple, I learned that it is the technique that makes all the difference in making it a success.

Armed with my recipe from Jennifer McIlvaine, of Life Italian Style, and notes from my visit to Terre Margaritelli I went to town.  I was mixing and preparing what I could only hope to be, at best, an edible dinner for my family.  It turned out much better than simply “edible”.  It was pretty darn good!  So good that even the most picky food critics I know ate every bite.

The Recipe from Life Italian Style: This is exactly as Jennifer wrote it. Any of my own notes and suggestions are in italics.

Gnocchi
(warning – this makes A LOT of dough)

Ingredients:

• 4 medium size potatoes (not too floury, not too waxy) – I used russet potatoes
• 1 egg, lightly whipped
• About 500 g flour – equal to approx 4 cups regular all purpose flour
• 2 Tbs parmigiano reggiano
• salt

Directions:

Put potatoes (with skin on) into a pot of salted cold water.  Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer until just tender – don’t overcook!  I recommend about 40-45 minutes total.

Peel the skins off of the potatoes and mash them in a ricer or food mill.  (I did not have either utensil, so I used a large box cheese grater, and it worked just fine)

On a wooden cutting board, make a well with about 400 g of the flour.

Add the potatoes, egg, parmigiano (and more flour as necessary), and mix gently, pushing the dough together until it is well combined and not sticky – don’t knead just massage it!

At first I thought this would be too much flour, so I started with 2 cups, then added more and more until the dough was no longer sticky. 4 cups ended up being just about the right amount.

Working with small pieces, roll out dough with your hands making a snake. Then using a quick up and down motion, cut the gnocchi to the desire size. Put the gnocchi onto a tray, avoiding that they touch each other. (I learned that in Umbria they do not make the fancy grooves in the gnocchi from a wooden tool or fork, though we did practice the technique, just to learn it. The gnocchi I made, however, was traditional Umbrian – no grooves… it was also much less work that way!)

Drop the gnocchi in batches into boiling salted water. I used the same water I used to cook the potatoes.  Don’t stir, wait for the gnocchi to rise by themselves (This is a quick process taking approximately 1 minute. So don’t walk away from the pot). Then remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and drop the cooked gnocchi into a pan with sauce of your choice (tomato, pesto or just butter and cheese, etc…).

I made a simple sage butter sauce by heating up a couple tablespoons of butter and pieces of fresh sage until they were almost fried. It was nice, light, and full of flavor (I am a sucker for fried sage).  The gnocchi, however, would be great with almost any sauce you fancy. Next time I’m doing a pesto!

Even the Ultimate Food Critics (aka the picky 14 month old twins) loved it and ate every bite!

At our dinner at the winery they served this course with a red wine, their Mirantico; a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 20% Canaiolo, 15% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon (aged 6 months in oak barrels).

At home we paired it with a 2010 Terredora di Paolo Irpinia Falanghina. 100 % Falanghina grape, a bright and crisp white wine from the Campania region in Italy. I found this at my local wine store for $15 and was excited they carried it, as I first tasted it with the producer on my recent trip. I will have more on this wine and producer in the weeks to come.

Both wines were good choices and both great examples that something like this can pair with many different wines. The most important thing is that you DO pair it with something.  Wine is meant for food, and food is meant for wine.

Terre Margaritelli Winery makes six different wines, and all are great values.  In fact, one local dinner guest told me she frequently purchases wines from Terre Margaritelli for dinner parties.  The wines are such great values and delicious to boot.  You can’t ignore such recommendations from a local!

Please try this dish for yourself (especially if you haven’t made gnocchi by hand yet) and let me know how it goes.  And seek out Terre Margaritelli wines. They are great values and (I am told) available throughout the US.

For a related article on my visit to Terre Margaritelli click here.

(This is a revised and extended version of an article I wrote for the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference held in Perugia, Italy earlier this month. To read the original please click here)

“We are small. We are new. We want to produce our own wines with our own personality.  As a new producer it is important for us to have people listen to our story.”  – Federico Bibi, Sales and Marketing Director of Terre Margaritelli Winery

In a region where so many producers have been around for generations how do you begin fresh and stand out?  Intimidating for anyone to consider in any industry and something that Federico Bibi and Jennifer McIlvaine of Terre Margaritelli Winery are attempting.  Located in Umbria between Perugia and Assisi in the wine region of Torgiano, this winery spans 52 hectares of vineyard and produces over 50,000 bottles of wine annually from the 15 different varieties of grapes that grow on their vineyards.  Though I visited the winery during the evening when it was already dark I can imagine classic Umbrian hillsides with views of Assisi in the distance.

We visited the winery on February 1st during the International Wine Tourism Conference to find out what makes them different from their older neighbors.  What they may lack in generations they make up for in creativity, passion for the business, and the wine in the glass.

Though they have been around since the 1950’s, Terre Margaritelli is considered a newer member of the wine community with a winemaker who has been there only six years.  Back in the 1950’s, Federico explains, “There was just ‘red’ grapes and ‘white’ grapes, but nobody knew exactly which grapes they were”.  It was twelve years ago they decided to replant everything so they had full control and knowledge of the grape varieties planted. They also decided to become certified organic, a process not easy to obtain. “It is hard to be organic in a big property,” stresses Federico, “but for us there is no other way. It is our philosophy.”

This philosophy is not only displayed in their vineyard practices but also their hospitality. During our visit we were treated to hands-on cooking lessons making traditional gnocchi; something many of us genuinely enjoyed and learned from.  As we sat down to eat our creation we noticed biodegradable plates and utensils, a small but telling detail that fits the precise and compelling way Federico expresses his passion around the philosophy of the winery.

Their hospitality seemed as organic (no pun intended) and natural as their winemaking principles.  After finally sitting down for dinner and learning about the wines, we became witness to Federico as not just a businessman, but also a loving husband and new father.  His passion shows both in the work he does for Terre Margaritelli and relationship with his wife and chef Jennifer McIlvaine of Life Italian Style.  You can sense their camaraderie and love for each other simply by the way they interact and laugh together.

It may sound a bit romantic, but they made us feel like part of their family during our dinner sharing wine, great food, laughter, warmth and stories.  And we knew the couple was truly having a good time when Federico decided to bust out a magnum (the equivalent of two bottles of wine) after our dinner followed by a bottle of delicious Champagne to share with the group.  As you may imagine the laughter and stories (and wine) continued late into the evening.

This hospitality, good food and wine created a very memorable experience for fellow bloggers and myself. Something I hope many other travelers, both wine and food lovers, can have the opportunity to experience.  If you are ever considering a trip to Italy, make sure to add the region of Umbria to your list, and specifically Terre Margaritelli Winery or any of Jennifer’s cooking classes or tours for Life Italian Style.

In my next post I will share Jennifer’s gnocchi recipe that we learned during this visit.  I made it for my family this past weekend and I think I did a pretty darn good job at it if I do say so myself!  Stay tuned…

I am always on the search for quality value wines and you all know I love to cook too. So when my friend Amy, aka the VineSleuth, contacted me for help on her new ebook I jumped at the opportunity.  Amy has created a fun and savvy cookbook with recipes by cookbook author and mom blogger Erin Chase of  $5 Dinners, and wine recommendations by three contributors – including myself.

I was asked to provide wine suggestions for each recipe, with one catch – all wines must be widely available throughout the country, and all priced under $15.  As much as I love finding small production, niche wines, I had to think bigger for this project, and I think I was able to find some fun wines, at value prices, and all easily found wherever you may live.

From now until the end of February Amy is offering the ebook free to all subscribers of her blog. From her release:

 Dinner and Wine for $20 or Less is a FREE ebook for all subscribers of VineSleuth Uncorked and features 19 delicious recipes for four (or more) that can be made for $5 or less, paired with 94 affordable, well-matched wines (and even a beer or two) that all cost $15 or less.

Check out VineSleuth Uncorked and learn more about receiving your free copy of this ebook, with wine recommendations by yours truly.  Who knows, if you subscribe today you may even receive your copy just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Cheers

I have just returned from Italy where I spent nine days exploring the wine, food, and sights with a group of talented (and fun) bloggers, writers, and other media.  We were there for the International Wine Tourism Conference where I presented a seminar titled,  “A Sense of Place: How to leverage your region and place to enhance the customer experience”. In addition to the conference, our group was a part of a familiarization (FAM) trip where we were introduced to the regions of Umbria and Campania by some of the regions most knowledgeable representatives.

Trying to organize my thoughts around this trip is kind of like trying to fold laundry with the help of my twin boys.  It takes a lot of time and patience to do it correctly. And that is my intention – to be able to share with you what makes these regions so special, and express the impact they had on me, in the best way I can. It will just take some time.

I have so many stories to jot down, dozens of videos, and over 1,000 pictures to sort through (yes it is a bit obnoxious I know).  So as I organize my ideas around this amazing trip please view these pictures as a preview of what you will see here in the weeks to come.

Italy…

The People

The Wines

The Food

... Oh God, The Food...

One thing is certain, there was no shortage of amazing food

The Cooking Lessons

The Sights

… And so much more, including my new love for olive oil, highlights from the International Wine Tourism Conference,  getting stuck in a historical snow storm (my third one in a year!), new friends, and photography lessons. I hope you follow along as I share my journey through Italy.

Ciao

2011 was a whirlwind of a year for me.  Looking back much of it seems like a blur.  My twin boys were born in December of 2010, just three weeks before the beginning of the new year so a large chunk was spent getting to know my little guys, taking care of them, and cherishing every minute.  Much of Vindulge (both the business and the blog), was put on the backburner while taking time getting used to my new role as a mother, business owner, and blogger.  Though I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say things are entirely under control, I can say with confidence that I am ready to devote more time to Vindulge.  And what a better way to inspire this new goal than by traveling to Italy, for nine days, sans family!

In just ten short days I will be leaving for Italy for the International Wine Tourism Conference taking place in Perugia, the heart of Umbria.  During the conference I am presenting a seminar titled,  “A Sense of Place: How to leverage your region and place to enhance the customer experience”.   I am excited to be presenting to my peers and sitting in on many of the interesting topics and panels that will be presented throughout this three-day event.

In addition to the conference I am participating in a Blogger/Media trip visiting the towns of Orvieto, Montefalco, Torgiano within the region of Umbria, and ending in the region of Campania, among many others.  Our eight day itinerary will include a crazy amount of sight seeing, visiting historic wineries and properties, cooking classes, demos, and food and wine pairings (you all know this is one of my favorite things!).  Suffice to say I am thrilled about this trip and the opportunity to be part of such an experience.

This will be my first time away from my boys for longer than a single night, and I am a bit nervous to be apart from them for so long.  I have no doubt, with such a packed itinerary, there will be plenty to keep me distracted.  And though I am sad to leave my boys for so long I am getting giddy like a child for this trip to begin.

If you are interested in learning more about the conference, feel free to click here.  You can also follow along on their facebook page. You can be sure I will be facebooking, tweeting, and blogging all about my adventures while I am there and for the weeks that follow after I return!

Now I just have to know, what are your favorites places in Italy?

Ciao

My dad recently sent me a text saying “do you have Champagne glasses?”  I initially wanted to respond,  “Um duh, who do you think you’re talking to???”   Then I thought perhaps it was a trick question. Was this question really intended for me?  I mean its ME for heavens sake, the bubbles queen.  Then I thought, oh, wait maybe he just found some nice ones he wanted to get me for Christmas, so I immediately changed my response to: “of course silly, but one can never have too many Champagne glasses.”  At that point my phone rang with my dad giggling on the other line, saying he texted the wrong daughter. The text was intended for my sister, whom we are all spending the holidays with this year.

He had just finished reading an article in the paper about how people are always prepared with Champagne during the holidays, but most people over look one of the most important things – the proper stemware for serving Champagne.  He was trying to contact my sister and make sure she was prepared for hosting this holiday season and her wine snobby sister.

This reminded me that I had failed to produce the second installment of my Champagne series.  Doah! I guess I could blame the twins for keeping me so busy these days.  Or just the holidays in general, for distracting me.  Oh, you can also add it’s getting so dark so early these days.  Not sure what that last one has to do with anything except for the darkness making me tired and less willing to write a blog post.

Many wine bloggers and writers are probably sick of seeing articles on sparkling wine and Champagne this time of year, but I am going to be cliché and add my two cents.  Besides I promised you all a part two in my Champagne series, and after all, it IS the season where most bubbles are consumed so it is only fitting to continue the series now.  So here goes…

I’m giving away a prize people… better keep reading!

Today is an incredibly special day for me.  Not only is it just another day in the midst of my favorite time of the year (the holidays), it is my twin boys first birthday!  Holy wow did that year fly by!!!

I have a whirlwind of memories and emotions attached to that very day, one year ago, December 6, 2010, when those little guys came into this world and I am so ready to celebrate.  But, since we are thousands of miles away from most of our family and friends this year, we are keeping it very low key for their first birthday. No huge party this year.  Though I am sure we will have plenty of opportunities for future birthdays to go big!

So instead, I want to celebrate virtually, with YOU – my readers. Going along with the holiday spirit of giving I want to give one lucky reader a special gift… yes, WINE!

I have partnered with Tapeña (tah-PAY-nyah) wines to have a special contest by featuring their food friendly value wines. One lucky winner will receive a prize package valued at over $100.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the brand:

Tapeña—the wine with the little fork on the label—is a big blend of tradition, camaraderie and good taste. A fusion of the terms tapas, the American equivalent of bar hopping with an epicurean twist, and peña, a gathering of close friends, Tapeña is a food-friendly, value-priced wine at $9.99.

Tapeña is the vision of the Ferrer family, whose Spanish wine experience dates back to the 1500s. Better known for their Freixenet cava house, the Ferrers also own 11 bodegas in Spain, the wines of which are sold around the globe.

Tapeña has four wines under their label (two reds, one white, and one rosé) and all of them are included in this giveaway:

2010 Tempranillo
2010 Garnacha
2010 Verdejo
2010 Rosé (blend of  55% Monastrell, 40% Garnacha, 5% Shiraz)

 

What I appreciate about their brand is that they are all about food and friends, and experiencing them together along with a bottle of wine.  In Spain this is inherent to their culture!  To me, that’s what wine is about – sharing it with those you love over a good meal and creating memories.  Some of my own greatest memories with my friends involve the sharing of food, wine, and laughter and this is a piece of my lifestyle and culture I wish to pass onto my own boys and something I hope they, too, learn to appreciate.

So in honor of the season of giving, and a celebration of me surviving my first year with twins  my boys birthday, I want to give a prize package to a reader in hopes that you can create some holiday memories this year with your friends and family.

The prize package will contain - a bottle of each wine (Tapeña Tempranillo, Garnacha, Verdejo, and Rosé), and many other goodies, including a very thorough and awesome Spanish food cookbook, wine charms, magnets, and a very handy corkscrew (something I can never have enough of).  A prize package valued at over $100!

How to enter:

First off you must be at least 21 year of age and that by entering you verify you are over 21.

1) Simply leave a comment here on the blog letting me know which of these wines you would be most anxious to try.

2) For an extra entry, let me know what your favorite Tapas restaurant is, anywhere in the country.  Tapas restaurants are among my favorite and I am always on the lookout for new restaurants to try out when I travel.  So please share your favorite and you will get an extra entry!

3) Let me know if you are a fan of Vinduge on Facebook or subscribe to receive email notifications of this blog and you get one extra bonus entry.

It’s as easy as that.  Feel free to enter as many times as you like.  I will be choosing a comment at random, so the more comments you enter, the more likely your chances are at winning. It’s like American Idol without the obnoxious teenage singers or nit picky judges, so enter all you want!

The contest will run until this Friday, December 9^th so get to it!   

For more information on Tapeña please feel free to check out their website for history about their wines, some amazing looking recipe ideas, as well as information on their Tapeña Rewards program.  You can also find them on facebook, twitter, and their own blog.

Good luck!

…Not your average Thanksgiving wine post…

I had a very hard time accepting the fact that I would spend my first Thanksgiving away from my family in Arizona.  This was many years ago mind you.  We had many family customs that made me nervous to explore what others traditions would be like. My family never served cranberries; my mother always served turkey both ways, traditionally roasted, and also her famous green chili turkey.  We also served beans and tortillas along with other more common traditional favorites, green bean casserole and stuffing (never homemade, can you say, “ahem”, Stovetop).

My first Thanksgiving away from home involved many foods I never had before at thanksgiving – Brussels sprouts, cranberries (real homemade sauce, nothing from a can), and wine. Lots of wine.

I ended up having a fantastic time and since then I have not spent too many Thanksgivings at home, not for any other reason than it just didn’t work out.  What has happened more often is hosting Thanksgiving at our house.  I have discovered I now have a secret obsession with hosting the big day.  Since both my husband and I have developed a passion for cooking, we absolutely LOVE hosting this particular dinner.  We now have combined many of my family favorites along with new traditions (like making everything from scratch. That means not a single can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup is used for my green beans!)   And since hubby acquired his smoker, we have used it to smoke our bird for the last four years.

4 people, 2 smoked turkeys. Excessive? Of course. That's how we roll!

Our first year living in Connecticut was a bit different.  We “hosted”, but only because I was eight months pregnant with twins on strict bed rest and had no other option than to stay at home, on my sofa, and watch my hubby do all the fun work.  I tried to participate, but it was nearly impossible in my condition.  Something I have grown to love. I was just a room away but wasn’t allowed to help.  It sucked!  I guess it would have been better than Thanksgiving dinner in the hospital, but still!  Dinner was still nice, but it wasn’t the same. I couldn’t help.  The only plus was that I didn’t have to wash a single dish (I mean I couldn’t, right? I was on strict bed rest).

This year, we have two boys just shy of their first birthday, and were invited to the in-laws for the holiday in upstate New York.  The boys FIRST Thanksgiving!  As much as I would have loved to get my hands dirty and cook my favorites, we could never say no.  Besides I am quite excited for the boys to meet some of their New York family for the first time.  I just thought, darn, for two years straight I can’t cook Thanksgiving dinner.

Then last Saturday morning, as we sat on the sofa watching the annual Food Network Thanksgiving episodes hubby had an idea. “Why don’t we make our own Thanksgiving dinner to celebrate this amazing year we have had. Just you, me, and the boys.  We can do it this weekend.”
I did marry this guy for a good reason.
Many good reasons apparently.
And that is exactly what we did.
We made our very own Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a bit excessive, but who cares.  We followed Ina Garten’s entire menu from her “Thanksgiving Pot Luck” special – roasted turkey roulade, oven-roasted vegetables, cranberry fruit conserve and homemade gravy.

There was no green bean casserole or sweet potatoes, but the flavors of Thanksgiving were there, and I got my hands dirty.
It was perfect.

The wine:
Most Thanksgiving wine recommendations will tell you to not fret about the wine.  It’s not about the wine they say, so don’t stress about finding a “perfect” pairing.  I also believe that to be true.  But when your Thanksgiving dinner involves just you and your spouse, then yes you can make a big deal about the wine.  The whole point IS to NOT stress. There is enough to stress about so don’t add to that.  But for me, picking out a wine is never a stressful event. I love it!

This year I have taken a more sentimental route to pairing wines my Thanksgiving dinner.  This past year has made me grow sentimental about, well, everything – I blame pregnancy, then childbirth, then watching these two little itty bitty babies grow into two little curious boys. I have become the woman who not only cries at hallmark commercials, but also lifetime movies!!!

So this year, my wine pairings follow a single theme - gratitude.

I will be pairing my dinner with wines that remind me of the things, people, and places that I am thankful for this year – reminders of where we have been and where we are going.

For our first dinner last weekend, just me and my hubby, we opened up a special California sparkling wine made by a group of friends through Cushpad custom wine making facility.  We all pitched in and in return all received a case of custom sparking wine. It was a project three years in the making but we received the wine this past fall and it did not disappoint.  In fact it is pretty darn delicious.  The wine is not sold anywhere; only a few cases were produced for my friends and me.

The wine was grown and produced in California and it reminds me of all the wonderful people I have in my life, especially the wine geeks and wine bloggers like myself who are willing to invest money and time to wait three years for a case of wine.

For our second Thanksgiving dinner I will also be opening up wines from the places we have lived.  Zinfandel from California reminding me of where we spent five years of our lives and where my passion for wine began, Pinot Noir from Oregon reminding me of where we bought our first house and started to set some roots.

In addition we will add to the mix a Riesling showdown with a Washington Riesling and (since we are in upstate NY this year for Thanksgiving) a Finger Lakes Riesling!  Most importantly, the wines this year will reflect the people we love and places we have lived over the last ten years.

For you, if you are still asking yourselves what wines to pair with your dinner tomorrow, don’t stress about it.  As I mentioned in my Thanksgiving wine recommendation post a few years ago, there really isn’t a single “perfect” wine that will pair with every dish on the table, so instead perhaps try to find a different theme.  Perhaps try to buy all American wines considering this is a very American holiday?  Or if you live near a decent wine region, try buying all local wines this year?

If all else fails, check out my post from a couple years ago about why certain wines may pair well with your dinner – Thanksgiving Wine Pairing & Buying Guide.

While it has been many years since I have celebrated Thanksgiving at home in Arizona, I have since developed many new traditions that I can’t wait to share with the newest members of my family.  As for wine, no matter what it is, where it comes from, how much it costs, it will always be a part of our new family traditions.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, and friends!

Cheers

“Things could have been worse”.  A phrase I heard about a million times during the ten days I was without power following the October 29^th freak Connecticut snowstorm – A snowstorm that managed to knock down thousands of trees and power lines throughout the state causing the single biggest power outage in the states history.

For many people who have experienced a long-term power outage (one lasting more than a couple days) you know some of the many experiences and emotions that come with it.  The first 24 hours is not all that bad.  Sometimes it is pretty fun, forcing you to do some  things you haven’t done in awhile (turn off the TV, play a board game, spend time outside, have an actual conversation, or read a book- like the kind made from paper).  But after two days you start to get restless and, in our case, very COLD (with temperatures dropping into the twenties at night), frustrated that you are about to lose hundreds of dollars worth of groceries in your refrigerator, and begin to grow less patient.  It soon becomes difficult to maintain a positive outlook on the situation no matter how hard you try.
After six days you begin to lose hope and become downright cranky.
Then by the time your power does come back you’re more frustrated and upset than happy and relieved.

I suppose there are always positives from these situations, and lessons to be learned.  And as difficult as it can be at times, I try my best to remain positive in times like this.  Since it is November, the month of giving thanks, I thought I would look back and think of some positives.   So instead of bitching and complaining (don’t get me wrong, I did plenty of that last week), I’ve listed ten takeaways I learned from the experience – one for every day I was out of power.

1.  IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE SOME INSTANT COFFEE ON HAND

We woke up to a very cold house on the first morning of the power outage. Thirsty for a hot cup of coffee I quickly realized that both our grinder and machine require electricity to function.  Nooooo!  The roads were far too bad at this point to attempt a drive to any nearby coffee shop, and good luck even finding one that had power.  For a moment I actually contemplated hand-grinding coffee beans with a mortar and pestle, then I remembered I had samples of Dr. Drip recently sent to me to test out.  The only thing it requires to make a cup of coffee is hot water, which we thankfully had.

They don’t consider themselves “instant coffee”, but that’s really what it is.  An instant cup of coffee that isn’t reliant on a machine.

It was actually pretty decent for an instant coffee option.  The flavor reminded me of the kind of coffee you get in a diner, mellow and not very strong.  It certainly was no Peet’s (my favorite), but it did the trick considering the circumstances and would be useful to have on hand for these situations, as well as camping, or even the office if yours doesn’t have a machine.

2.  SNOW PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT WAY TO CHILL CHAMPAGNE

We quickly realized that we needed to salvage what we could in the refrigerator knowing we would soon be losing it all (as we did during the hurricane Irene power outage).  We had a bottle of Champagne never opened from the previous Friday night’s Champagne Day celebration.  It’s a bad idea to chill a wine, allow it to rise back to room temp, and then chill it again. Wine doesn’t like dramatic temperature fluctuations, so what are you gonna do?  I couldn’t damage the quality of such a good bottle of wine.  So we decided that, in the best interest of the Champagne, we better drink it!  So we put it on ice, kept it cold, and drank for lunch – in our cold, silent, powerless house on the second day and prayed for power to return.  You would too if you were in our shoes!

3.  IT’S PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA TO DO A COSTCO RUN AND FILL YOUR FRIDGE WITH BULK FROZEN ITEMS BEFORE A FREAK FALL SNOWSTORM

With a power outage comes the unfortunate and inevitable slow warming of the contents of your refrigerator.  Two days prior, ignoring the warnings of an impending storm, we went to Costco and stocked up on bulk freezer items, including a ten pound bag of frozen chicken breasts;  because doesn’t everybody need a year supply of chicken breasts on hand?

They say a well-stocked freezer will remain fine for 48 hours after a power outage, but after that things start to thaw and should be consumed or discarded.  I tried to salvage the chicken, and the rest of our frozen goods, but by day five, I had a huge mess on my hands, which all eventually ended up in the garbage bin.

Next time a storm is on the forecast, I will avoid Costco, or the purchase of any other perishable food item shopping!

4.  HOTELS PROVIDE SOME MUCH NEEDED RELIEF, NOT TO MENTION CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD

By day five we were able to secure a hotel room for two nights.  As inconvenient it is to be cramped in a small hotel room with two adults, two 11 month-old babies, and two Chihuahuas, was nice to be warm and also to be reconnected with the world (i.e. to have wireless access).  It came just in time because Thursday night was a Kunde Estate Winery twitter tasting I was invited to.  Please scroll down to the bottom for information and tasting notes on the wines of the Kunde Estate Winery twitter tasting.

5.  I NEED TO BUY A GENERATOR!!!

By day eight of the power outage, we managed to procure a generator from a friend.  Holy happiness Batman, those things are lifesavers!  We were able to run our now empty refrigerator, a tiny but powerful space heater, and a few small appliances.  It made me sad we didn’t have it when the power outage began.  The cost of a couple nights in a hotel room and the contents we had to toss from the refrigerator alone would have covered the cost of a basic generator!  And since this was the second major power outage we experienced in just two months here in New England, you bet your arss we will be buying our very own generator very soon!

6.  IT IS A GREAT EXCUSE TO DRINK THOSE “SPECIAL OCCASION” WINES

By the time we hooked up the generator, cleaned up the house, and started to feel a bit more normal again, hubby said to me with a sense of urgency, “I’m opening up something good tonight. I mean really good”, and proceeded to stare me down waiting for me to protest or come up with some excuse not to. Instead, I looked him square in the eyes and said, “I’m in. Make it happen!”

If you’re interested to find out exactly what we opened, please scroll down to the bottom of this post to read more about the two awesome wines we drank during our final two days of the power outage…..

7.  I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR NEW FRIENDS

Friends who supplied us with a weeks worth of firewood to burn.
Friends who brought us coffee and donuts in the morning, and then pizza for dinner.
Friends who provided me and my two cold babies a warm place to hang out at during the day.
Friends who offered places for us to stay.
And friends from all over who were just supportive in any way they could be.

8.  TECHNOLOGY CAN BE AN AMAZING THING

Because of my smarty pants phone I was able to keep in touch with family and friends, both in CT and out of town, and follow news updates on the storm.  I found creative ways to keep my phone charged so I could stay updated on the storm, news, and remain in touch with the world.   As a social person like myself this is important, people! The only downside was that even without TV or power I still heard all the news about the Kim Kardashian divorce.

9.  I HAVE THE GREATEST PARTNER (HUBBY) IN THE WORLD

Without his patience, support, and positive outlook on the whole experience, I may have lost my mind.

10.  I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR…

Most importantly, these guys….

Click here for video of my little Buddy The Elves

I took this video on the second day of the power outage; which happened to be the day before Halloween.  It turns out their Halloween costumes ended up to be the most appropriate costumes of all this year.

Anytime I got frustrated, sad, or upset by the power outage I replayed this video to myself, over and over and over and just smiled and appreciated the better things in life.

Yes, things definitely could have been worse.

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Appendix, The wines of the power outage 

Kunde Estate Winery tasting:

Many years ago, when I was living in San Francisco, I was a club member at Kunde Estate Winery located in Sonoma Valley.  We always enjoyed their wines and visiting their winery, but it had been at least six years since I’ve tasted a single Kunde wine.  A lot has changed since then with my palate and taste so I was curious to see how well I would like the wines now.   So when I was invited to participate in a live twitter tasting of three of their current releases I gladly accepted.

Founded in 1904, Kunde Estate Winery is one of the oldest family wineries in Sonoma, surviving even prohibition.  They are a family estate winery, meaning 100% of their wines are produced from grapes grown on their properties; therefore they cannot and do not buy fruit from other growers for their wines and still use the word “estate” on their labels.  What this means to them is that they are in control of the quality of the fruit from start to finish, and as a consumer you can and should expect consistency and quality when you taste their wines vintage after vintage.  Although they produce approximately 100,000 cases annually, they consider themselves a small boutique brand.

During the tasting we were introduced to:

2009 Sonoma Valley Chardonnay | $17
With butterscotch, lemon, and spice on the nose this wine benefits from airtime.  Allow this wine to open up, warm up from refrigerator temperature, and you will find that the fruit and body benefit.  You won’t be sorry you let it sit for about 20-30 more minutes after opening.

2008 Red Dirt Red | $28
Blend of 37% Barbera, 29% Syrah, 25% Zinfandel, and 9% Sangiovese
The name of this wine stems from the red volcanic dirt soils where the grapes are grown.  The wine itself has an intriguing nose of spice and dark berry fruits.  Well balanced, well integrated, and lush.  I really liked it!

Though this wine is not distributed you can get it through their website, club membership, and tasting room.

2008 Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel | $30
In the U.S. there is no federal regulation for the term “old vine” on a wine label.  Heck, a vineyard could be five years old and a winery could slap that term on the label.  For Kunde, putting the term “century vines” means that the vines are indeed over 100 years old.

Though I personally like my Zinfandels a bit more full-bodied, this wine will definitely appeal to those looking for a medium bodied and lighter weight Zin.  It is not jammy like many Zins can be. Instead it was lighter, yet maintained bold concentrated fruit on the nose and palate.

I must admit, I truly enjoyed all three wines.  If I had to pick a favorite it would to be the Red Dirt Red.  It was balanced, fruity, and well-structured. The wine to which I kept returning to get more and a wine I will definitely seek out again.

If you see these wines, they are definitely worth a shot, and at good price points.

OUR SPECIAL OCCASION POWER OUTAGE WINES:

2003 Archery Summit Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon
We bought this wine on our first visit to the Willamette Valley during our very first trip to Oregon.  It was also the first Oregon winery we visited that day and the weekend we made the decision to move from San Francisco to Oregon.  Needless to say that trip was a pretty special one for us both.  This was the last remaining wine from that trip, so not a surprise I had a hard time finding the “right” time to finally drink it.

2005 Domaine Pierre Matrot, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru, Les Chalumeaux
Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy, France
I have a very dear spot in my heart (and palate) for really good Chardonnay.  When many people think of the word Chardonnay the thought of buttery, oaky, California Chardonnay comes to mind. Cougar Juice as some call it.  But hell, if liking Chardonnay makes me a cougar, then so be it!  I am a huge fan of Chardonnay, especially those that come from the Burgundy region in France.   And this particular wine comes from one of the most respected areas within Burgundy.

Puligny-Montrachet is both the name of the appellation and the wine made from it, located within Burgundy, and producing some of the most magnificent Chardonnay on the planet. Les Chalumeaux is one of 17 vineyards classified as premier cru within this very small appellation.  2005 happens to be the year my husband and I got married and we have since tried to collect special bottles from that vintage. This being one of them.  Though it was not our anniversary, it was fitting we open it on this occasion.

Since we now had a working refrigerator again, I wanted to christen it with luck and decided this would be the first wine we chill in our now empty fridge.
It just so happened that the very next morning the power cam back on!
Coincidence? I think not

Cheers!

Anybody who has known me for longer than two minutes knows that I have a bit of an obsession with bubbles (aka sparkling wine).  If you’ve ever attended a class I have taught you will see my energy rise and eyes light up when discussing this particular subject.  Simply put, bubbles are my favorite beverage on the planet, with Champagne being my favorite type of bubbles.

It is a passion of mine and if I could spend the rest of my days studying just one subject of wine it would be Champagne.  I have been fascinated by Champagne and sparkling wine ever since I first became interested in the genre.  There is just something so intriguing to me about the process of making Champagne, so much more than any style of wine that I never want to stop learning about it.

It was that level of interest that motivated me to seek out and become a Certified Wine Location Specialist, through the Center of Wine Origins, and receive a certification focusing strictly on Champagne and Port.  This organization is also one of many promoting Champagne Day today, so continuing with my wine education series, I thought it appropriate to (finally) begin a series on Champagne.

Now, I could geek out all day on history and technical bits of information on Champagne, but instead, and for the purpose of this series, I want to start with the basics. I will leave the geekery for my classes.