Winesday Wednesday 8/19/15

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Hi friends, happy Wednesday!

Another quick drop-in this week to share what’s been on my cocktail menu as of late. Right now, my go to is pinot noir. Weird for the middle of summer, I know. But it’s the easiest to drink (excuse me, *sip*) when I have the baby, plus it pairs well with a lot of the meals we’ve been having. And ummm… my mom wanted it when we were at Costco. Can’t say no to that!

The best pinot noir we’ve had since she got here has been Kim Crawford. It’s a bit on the pricier side, but it was SO tasty and didn’t need to breathe at all once opened. (We wouldn’t wait for it that long anyways!)

From the website:

These grapes are from some of our favorite cool-climate vineyards on New Zealand’s South Island. We’ve used a wide variety of clones and rootstock, along with a mixture of soils and microclimates to ensure a balance of flavour profiles and exceptional quality.

This wine is enticingly aromatic showing notes of dark cherries and strawberries. Partially aged in French oak barrels for the alluring complexity of well integrated oak and fine silky tannins. Aged in a mixture of French oak barrels and tank for five months. Superb with herb-crusted lamb, mushroom risotto or all on its own.

We had another pinot noir with lunch out in Banff today as well which was tasty. I paired mine with salad and my mom ordered breakfast. Totally acceptable to drink wine with eggs and toast.

What are you drinking?

Winesday Wednesday 7/29/15

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Hi friends! It’s probably more like Thirsty Thursday by the time you’re reading this, but at least I remembered to post! BTW, staying home with a baby has really gotten me to like the Today show- especially the 4th hour with Kathy Lee and Hoda.

Sound advice, I should try that some time.

Anyhoo, on to Winesday Wednesday! This week, I have TWO newbies to share with you!

First up, Brickworks Ciderhouse. From the website: Batch 1904 is a UK style dry, tart cider with a refreshing full apple finish. We only use one ingredient: 100% Ontario hand picked heritage apples: the best Niagara and Georgian Bay have to offer. Our apples travel no further than 300 kilometers, from the tree to our cider house in Toronto; a benchmark for local food and sustainability.

At first, I didn’t think I was going to like it because A) I had never heard of it before, and B) It was in a can. BUT- it was SO GOOD. Not too dry and not too sweet. This is one of those ciders that should be enjoyed ice cold. Mmmm, now my mouth is watering for one. Which means I should probably head back to the store and see if they have any left. Well worth the $4/can price tag. I like supporting the smaller companies, too!

Second, is Angry Orchard’s Iceman. From the website: Inspired by the tradition of Ice Ciders in Quebec, Iceman uses the process of freezing the juice from culinary and bittersweet apples to produce a rich, complex and unique cider with a crisp apple taste and notes of caramel and toffee. This cider is sweet but not cloying. The addition of oak-aging yields a smooth and pleasing vanilla character. The result is a perfectly balanced, full-flavored cider that delights the palate with clean apple notes and a lingering toffee finish. 10% ABV

I enjoyed a glass of this while I took a bath on Sunday. And I am just now realizing that it was 10%ABV which explains the buzz I got from one glass! I really enjoyed this cider and it was really neat to learn the process for this particular batch, Will definitely purchase again!

What are you drinking this week?

PS: Can you tell I’m on a cider kick? What should I go to next?

Winesday Wednesday 7/22/15

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Ok yup, this mama could use a cold one right about now. We had an appointment at the US Consulate office downtown today (to get Wes’s SSN and US passport…lucky man is the only one in the family with dual citizenship!) and as we were in our appointment, a tornado was coming and they had all the consulate employees come into the waiting room area so they could be away from the windows. Um yeah, so after going through security checkpoints and having to leave our phones and keys and stroller with diaper bag behind, we got to sit around for an extra hour. Good thing Wes slept the whole time!

And with that I say happy Winesday Wednesday!

I know I said last week that I wanted to lay off the booze and I pretty much have! EXCEPT Tyler came home Saturday with a really cool bottle of yum for me to try:

MTL Fruit Co Pink Grapefruit! I had never seen it before. Tyler poured me a glass on ice and it was SO GOOD. Tasted just like grapefruit juice. As I was taking my first sip, Tyler read aloud the bottle-> “A rosé wine based drink with a citrus twist! This pink delight mixes the soft floral experience of a rosé with the tart crispness of grapefruit. A perfect poolside partner!” When he read that, I could immediately pick out the rosé as an underlying flavor. I gotta tell ya, it was really super tasty and at $12 for the bottle, a perfect summer refreshment that’s affordable! PS: It’s also only 5% alcohol. PPS: That’s $12 CAD (which means it’s way cheaper in ‘merican dollars).

Michael sent me his latest beer selection:

It’s a triple IPA from Stone Brewing in California. When I checked out the website, it also noted that they were selling their beer in Canada! I got excited, but then saw it was only in Ontario. If you’re in Ontario and see Stone Brewing, give it a try and let me know what you think!

What are you drinking this week?!

Winesday Wednesday 7/15/15

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

I really think I should start making my Winesday Wednesday posts every other week– I am running low on stuff to share!

Only thing I’ve got this week is from Angry Orchard called The Muse

From the website: Inspired by the festive nature of slightly sweet demi-sec champagnes and sparkling wines, The Muse is a bubbly, effervescent cider made from traditional culinary and bittersweet apples and aged on French oak. The cider is sweet upfront with a juicy apple aroma and bright acidity, and slightly drying on the finish with a lingering sweet apple note. The French oak adds a subtle wood impression, imparting notes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and hints of vanilla. 7.7% ABV.

Hmmm ok…so maybe it’s just my novice-drinking status, but it tasted just like regular hard cider. Granted, it came in a champagne-like bottle which is uber classy, but it was just enough for a glass for me and a glass for Tyler. And it was $20. Thanks, crazy Canadian price.

Also, I think I’ll be laying off the booze for a bit- this past week pretty much wiped me out!

What are you drinking?

Winesday Wednesday 7/8/15

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

I committed a major party foul. I didn’t have a drink on my birthday yesterday. It ended up just being a really shitty day (the day wasn’t shitty, but I was in a shitty mood) so hopefully we can turn that around tonight! Tyler is coming home with a few beers so maybe that’ll help me lighten up.

Only new thing I tried this week is some flavored Mikes Hard Lemonade. For some reason, I was craving the sugary sweet kinda drink! We tried the black cherry (good), mango (good) and blood orange (not good).

And since last Wednesday was Canada day, we had a few beers (I had Corona…not my top choice by any means. I can’t believe I used to LOVE it)

Then again, since we are in Stampede, I have been craving some ICE COLD Bud. Can’t wait to hit the grounds on Saturday with Susie and pay $8 a can for them! (hint of sarcasm there. Only about the price though)

Michael sent me a pic of his latest (rare) find and I had to google it to see what the heck it was

And immmmm holy cow I would love to try this! It’s Barrel-aged Abraxas from Perennial Artisan Ales. The description reads: Imperial Stout aged Twelve months in Rittenhouse Rye barrels with cacao nibs, vanilla beans, ancho chiles & cinnamon sticks. I feel like this would be good with tacos, no?

So here’s something weird: RHOC airs on the network called SLICE here in Canada (kinda sorta like Bravo in the states, but not really even though they air most Bravo shows). Turns out, they air a few weeks after they air in the states. Not sure why, but last night’s episode was with the launch party for Heather Dubrow’s sparkling wine, Collette.

Turns out, it’s $38 a bottle? Mmmm maybe I’d try a bottle ONLY to see if it actually is good or if all of Heather’s friends are just being nice. Come to think of it though, I don’t think I’ve come across a sparkling wine I didn’t like..

Oh, and Tyler opened one of the cab sauv’s he recently bottled just to see how it tasted. The verdict? OMG SO GOOD. We’re gonna let it age a couple of years first, so I kind of have to put it in the back of my mind so I don’t ‘accidentally’ venture into the basement to get a bottle!

Happy Winesday Wednesday! What are you drinking?