Christmas Eve Gathering

Scott and I hosted an early dinner on Christmas Eve with Elizabeth, Paul, Laurel, and Janet.  And Marcus too! 

With the table set for six and the weather a balmy sixty degrees, we held dinner to take a few family photos on the front porch.

Paired with the beef tenderloin roast, twice baked potatoes, roasted Brussel sprouts was a 2012 Kunde Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel. The rich dark berries and spice notes had a complexity that matched the traditional Christmas dinner fare.

Marcus and Paul Relaxing....

Looks like Santa came a little early...must be something to do with the warm weather and lack of snow.

"There is no try..only do"

An Impromptu Date Night!

Last minute dinner out at The Revelry.  Scott saw the restaurant on our way to pick up my car from the shop and decided we should eat dinner there.  

The "South Carolina Lowcountry cuisine" restaurant opened in 2013 in the Neighborhood of the Arts in an old factory off of University Avenue and was quite the find! No need for reservations, since we were early, but the downstairs bar was already packed with a late twenties, thirties crowd.  The open concept upstairs provided a row of windows looking out on University Avenue and despite the crowd gathering a floor below, the upstairs was intimate and welcoming.  

We each started with a glass of a summer favorite Chenin Blanc.  This 2013 Chateau de Breze from the Saumur region of the Loire Valley in France.  The wine was crisp, refreshing and paired well with a small plate of the Beet Deviled Eggs.  The small plate featured beet colored eggs with mustard caviar, bacon and a cornbread crumbly topping that provided a unique texture to the dish.

Scott had the dry aged Hanger Steak with a smoked potato salad while I enjoyed the Blackened Grouper with stewed okra. Yum! We will be back and will bring friends. 

Early December Trip to Aurora, New York

The intent of the Sunday afternoon mid-December drive was to stop by Heart and Hands to pick up a couple of member "shipments" that have been waiting for us in the backroom.  We decided to make a day of it and enjoy the fairly warm December temperatures.  Susan, one of the owners always remembers us and offered a tasting...some of the new releases just out so who could resist that! Heart and Hands is a small production winery on the east side of Cayuga Lake near Union Springs.  They focus exclusively on Rieslings and Pinot Nior...need I say more?

My favorite from this visit was a just released 2014 Sparkling Riesling. Made in the traditional method using bottle fermentation, this sparkling wine is my pick to serve Christmas morning and again for New Year's.  The small bubbles and fresh clean finish makes this an easy wine to serve with almost anything.  The bottle-cap top makes it fun and easy to open.  Sad to say...very limited production, so we will be sure to savor what we have.   

www.heartandhandswine.com

 A leisurely lunch at the Fargo Bar & Grill in Aurora overlooking Cayuga Lake and the Aurora Inn.  A local white wine paired with roasted kale side and sweet potato fries seemed much healthier than Scott's chicken wing choice. 

Off to the market across the street for a cup of coffee and a small piece of dark chocolate.

After a quick dash into the Bet the Farm Winery Tasting room in the village, for a bottle of grape seed oil, we headed off to McKenzie-Childs for some Christmas shopping.  Hard to believe Christmas is just two weeks away and not a snow flake in sight.

Road Trip Back to New York

No road trip is complete without healthy snacks! We bought a boat load of different varieties to sample and for yummy apple pie for Thanksgiving.  And some cider to keep us hydrated. One of the best finds at this little roadside stand was a locally made apple-butter with just two ingredients: apples and spices.  We opened this early in the week and it is delicious atop anything.  

The recipe is said to be an old family secret...clearly they don't want you to know the secret since the specific spices are not included on the label.  Worth ordering and will make my list for gift giving going forward. 

Shawnee Springs Market

www.shawneesprings.com




Next up on the slow road trip back to South Bristol, we received a great hint from a local  (the hairdresser who did our amazing hairstyles on Saturday) about a co-op with local artists, craftsmen, a butcher, massive antique warehouse and brewery.  Great suggestion and thankfully Kathy and I could remember the directions, otherwise there would have been no finding it.  Unique space old renovated space that was used to store apples. 

Rounding out the departure from Virginia was quick stop at one of the local wineries for a tasting. Virginia actually has a significant number of wineries...since we were in Rappahannock County, we stopped at Rappahannock Cellars where Mike and I tasted, Kathy took photos and Scott mapped the route home.  

Rappahannock  Cellars 

Came away with a few nice wines. The 2014 Chardonnay-Viognier started the tasting and caught my interest. It was well balanced given the fruit forward Viognier.  A 2013 Noblesse Rouge was a pleasant surprise combining Merlot, Cab Sauv and Cab Franc offered a soft, well-balanced red with a smooth finish.  Mike had a few others that he enjoyed and purchased which are currently be stored in upstate New York! (we'll be share to send them your way!) We both wrapped up the tasting with the Solera, a non-vintage wine which according to the very knowledgeable tasting staff is made in the traditional fractional blending and aging method of a Spanish style Oloroso sherry.

Tasting options for another time....