Since it's almost New Year's Eve, I thought I'd show you guys the wonderful art of Champagne Sabering. I've never seen it done successfully in person, but I have seen it attempted. And believe me, if something goes wrong the whole bottle can just sort of....explode.

Here is a step by step instruction on how to do it. Personally, I don't recommend trying it unless you've been taught by someone that knows how, but it's still kind of fun to see how it's done.

Make sure to use a cold bottle that has been in the fridge for at least an hour prior. A warm bottle has more pressure, and thus can be more dangerous. Oh, and apparently French bottles work best, the glass is thicker.

1. Remove all of the foil from the cork and neck of the bottle, you don't want it to get in your way. And then carefully remove the cage from the cork.
2. Find the seams of the bottle (the little lines running from top to bottom, one on each side). Where the seam meets the lip is where you will strike.
3. Grip the bottle firmly, place your thumb in the indentation in the bottom of the bottle. Make sure the bottle is pointing up at a 30 degree angle. You may also want to have a towel wrapped around the base to catch glass in case your first try doesn't go so well.
4. Lay the saber, or back of a heavy knife, flat against the seam. Slide it firmly up the neck to the glass ring at the lip. That should be the point where the glass breaks.
5. If executed properly, the cork along with the glass ring will fly up a few feet in the air. So make sure to not be aiming at anything.

Good luck!

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

I came across this gadget tonight, and thought it was really interesting. The Clef-du-Vin is a device used to simulate aging in wine. For every one second you hold it in a glass, it "ages" the wine a year. Seems like an odd device right? But it can be helpful in determining what wines will age well, and even allowing you to drink wines that may otherwise be too young to drink.

The process has something to do with the type of alloy the Clef-du-Vin is made out of, and how it influences oxidation in the wine. I'll be honest, I read the press materials on their website, and I don't fully understand how it works. I think it'd be a lot of fun to try out at a wine tasting though, and potentially very useful.

They run a little on the expensive side. At www.wineenthusiast.com they run from $89.95 to $199.95.

Has anyone used a Clef-du-Vin? I'd love to know what you think of it.

Happy holidays to all of you out there from myself and my fiancé. I hope you all have a fantastic and safe holiday season.

~Cass

Happy Holidays!

My company had it's annual Christmas potluck yesterday, and several of my coworkers bought me bottles of wine. The one that interests me the most is a bottle of Riesling from Chateau Grand Traverse in Michigan. I'm a sucker for Rieslings in general, but the person that gave this bottle to me swears by this wine. The company's website describes the wine this way:



The winery also has an Inn on site overlooking the vineyards and Grand Traverse Bay, with rates starting at $125 a night. You can check out their rooms at www.cgtwines.com and make reservations by calling 1-800-283-0247. Check it out, it looks gorgeous.

This coming spring Napa will welcome a new public market created by Steve Carlin, the driving force behind Oakville Grocery and San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace. The idea behind the Oxbow Public Market is to bring back the marketplace feeling that was once common in a shopping experience, and allow shoppers to see where their food comes from and how it is prepared.

The $11-million structure on the banks of Napa River, with 18 stalls for constantly changing vendors will operate seven days a week. And not only is the market going to change the way we shop, but also feature some high-end and extraordinary products. Eventually the market will feature only wines made at the market, and will offer six locally produced olive oils from the Olive Press of Sonoma, that can be tapped from giant metal cans. A rotisserie cooker, Venezuelan arepa stand, and even an oyster bar are among the ideas Carlin has for the market.

Personally, I would love to have something like that near me. I've always adored the markets I've been to in Europe and Central America, and of course farmer's markets over the summer. If something like this was available to shop at instead of a supermarket, I know I'd be there for everything possible!

Check out the LA TImes article here.

This is officially my first Wine Blogging Wednesday post, I always seem to miss it by a couple of days. But this time I'm right on schedule. This month WannabeWino is the host, and our theme is Que Sirah Sirah. Also known as Durif in some areas, Petite Sirah is a red wine mostly produced in Israel, Australia, California, and France.

Honestly, Petite Sirah is not a wine I have a lot of familiarity with. So this should make for an interesting tasting.


I decided to try Beringer's 2003 Single Vineyard Petite Sirah from Tuttle Ranch. I got this bottle in a shipment from the Taste of Beringer wine club. It retails for about $35 on Beringer's website and in their vineyard gift shop.

I'm not always the biggest fan of full-bodied reds, but I have to say that I enjoyed this one. After fermentation, the wine was aged for almost 24 months in 100-percent new French oak barrels. I think partially because of that attention to detail, it wasn't a difficult wine to drink. It has a beautiful deep, dark burgundy color to it and an absolutely wonderful aroma full of berries. The taste is full-bodied and intense, but well-balanced and easy to drink. It's not an overbearing wine.

Vinewords Rating: 8 out of 10

Let me know if any of you have tried a Petite Sirah that you think is just fantastic.

The 4th annual Menu for Hope kicked off yesterday, and goes through December 21st. The event is a charity that raises money for the UN's World Food Programme. Last year they raised over $60,000 and this year they hope to raise even more.

The wine community has donated some really excellent prizes for the raffle. Including everything from wine trips and tours, to personalized blending sessions, and signed books. Take a look at the prizes over at Vinography. Each raffle ticket is only $10, so go ahead and buy some to help out a good cause!

You don't see many wineries advertising, and certainly not focusing on a younger generation in the way that Beringer's newest ad campaign is. Beringer announced today that they are launching a multi-million dollar television campaign to introduce one of California's oldest wineries to a new generation of wine drinkers.

The first commercial is available to view here.

The Culinary Institute of America, otherwise known as the CIA, is offering a free online class called A Taste of Wine Online. The class is designed to give students a "taste" of what CIA's professional on-site wine courses are like.




Hey, who can resist a free wine course?! This would be a great resource for beginners, and probably a fun refresher for the more experienced wine lover.

Check it out at CIA's website.

There was a great article over at ENOBytes the other day about gifts for wine lovers. So I thought I'd make up my own list for you.


Hands-free Wine Glass Holder
I personally believe that this is one of the best inventions ever. For anyone that's gone to a wine tasting, you know how difficult it can be to carry everything at one time. This great little device works on just about any wine glass, and makes it possible for you to still use your hands for writing notes, eating, or anything else.
Wine Enthusiast, $24.95 for set of 2





Gift Certificates from the International Wine Guild
The International Wine Guild is a fantastic organization based in Denver, CO that offers classes, certifications, and a variety of education resources. Whether the person you're buying for is new to wine or an expert, they have classes for everybody. Don't live near by? They even offer condensed one-weekend or one-week classes for out-of-towners. Gift certificates start at $50 and are good for one year from date of purchase.
International Wine Guild, $50 and up



Vineyard Sweets Wine Candy
I came across these candies a while ago, and I think they'd be just perfect stocking stuffers for any wine lover. The assortment features Cabernet Sauvignon, White Merlot, and White Zinfandel flavors. Tasty!
Cranberry Sweets & More, $9.95






Wine Jelly
Colorado Mountain Fine Jams and Jellies is a usual presence at Colorado wine festivals, and it's always a welcome sight for me. They offer jellies made from the wine of several different wineries in Colorado, and have a wide variety of flavors. I recommend the Fumé Blanc personally.
Colorado Mountain Fine Jams & Jellies, Individual Jars $5.50





Gourmet Wine Salsa
This is an excellent salsa from Kokopelli Herbs in the Grand Valley. I came across it at the Wines of Colorado and had to try it. It's a sweet and spicy blend with great taste.
Kokopelli Herbs, 12oz jar $7.00





Have fun shopping for your favorite wine lover!

The first Thursday of every month the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, in conjunction with Coaltrain Wine and Spirits, hosts 1st Thursday Tastings. For $12 for members and $17 for non-members, you have the opportunity to taste four wines paired with small appetizers. This month the focus was on Sparkling and Dessert Wines. Here is the menu for December's event:

• René Muré Cremant d'Alsace (France) - paired with Butternut Squash & Gingered Apple Chutney in Filo Cup
Very good sparkling wine. Just the right balance of sweet and bubbly for me. For those that don't know Cremant is a term used for sparkling wine that comes from France, but not from the Champagne region. In Alsace grapes such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Riesling are used instead of the traditional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

• Piper Sonoma Brut (Sonoma County, California) - paired with Smoked Trout Crepes with Microgreens & Aioli
Not my favorite wine, but I'm not a fan of dry wines. The appetizer however, was really excellent and paired extremely well with the wine.

• Elio Perrone Moscato d'Asti Sourgal 2006 (Italy) - paired with English Cucumber Cups with a Yuzu Vinaigrette Salad
Excellent wine. I adore Moscato because of it's sweetness and almost chewy character. This wine had a bit more sparkle to it than I'm used to in a Moscato, but still a fantastic wine. The pairing was not my favorite though. I don't think anything special was brought out by having them together.

• Seppelt DP 30 Trafford Tawny Port (Barossa Valley, Australia) - paired with Pear and Ricotta Tartlets
I tend to prefer ruby ports, but this tawny was pretty good. And it paired extremely well with the tartlets. When drinking this wine remember that there's a reason port glasses are much smaller than typical wine glasses.

If you were at the tasting let me know what you thought of the wines. If not, I hope to see you next month!

January 3rd - Wines from Napa Valley
February 7th - French & Belgian Wines
March 7th - Rhine Wines

And don't forget to check out the Fine Art Center's newest exhibition Impressionist and Modern Masters through March 9th.