Recollecting a recolte

This will be a quick post as there's not much to elaborate on.  The joke was on me.  I tried the La Vielle Firme Recolte (White) 2011.  It's not really a "type" of wine as much as a "crop" of wine....  Recolte means "crop".  I expected a white table wine, one that was Frenchy with delicate flavors.  It was all of this but not as good as I was expecting.  Underperformed but compared to all wines out there, it was average for its low price point.  Sometimes you really get what you pay for.  Most of the time I do better than the price but this one was just a cheap white wine.  Enough said!

A Mollyshake

Adventurers in wine drinking,

Meet the Mollydooker Shake.   Direct from Australia....

Mollydooker's wines (almost of them) encourage a good shake and aeration prior to pouring.  This releases nitrogen and increases the flavor of the wine.

See Mollydooker "The Boxer" Shiraz 2010

Verdict?

It's a lot of fun to do!  Makes a good party favor, provided you leave a note enclosed about the "shaking". 

"Unshaken", the shiraz did not taste well.  So... "Shake it up!"

Watch the video to see how it's done!

A knock on the Dornfelder

Wine Review - Blue Fish Sweet Reel Red Wine (2009)
Sweet and red.  At first sip it tastes like an inexpensive restaurant "house" wine:  overly sweet.   However the face value is deceiving.  Candy-apple sweetness is a hallmark of the dornfelder grape.  Originally used for blends, new wines are coming to the U.S. market that are pure dornfelder.   (Origin: Germany.  In case you couldn't tell by the name!)   Blue Fish Sweet Reel Red is 95% dornfelder, 5% cabernet sauvignon.  Blue Fish is a good solid quality of dornfelder.  Pair it with food that counters the sweetness with savory.   It works well with Texas Toast too.

Photo from Blue Fish US wine agent Palm Bay International

Dornfelder grape vine for sale in Germany

Apple orchard enjoyment - Picture of the Day

The apple theme continues on the Brandywine Life blog.  The picture of the day is an apple orchard in Berks County, PA.  Ahhhh, relaxation.  It's a sunny fall day, with the faintest breeze.  It's warm enough for short sleeves.  The slight breeze in the air brings wafts of apple.  Honeybees sip apples on the ground.  There are enough apples for the bees to drink their fill and stay out of the way of the humans.  The sky is a clear, pale blue with true white clouds that are lightly streaked throughout.  From time to time, a small prop plane flies overhead.  There has been rain recently, so the grass underfoot retains its green color late in the season.

Pennsylvania native Smokehouse apples

This article will introduce you to the Smokehouse apple.

Smokehouse apples are native to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  They were first discovered in the 1800's on a tree next to a smokehouse.  Hence the name "Smokehouse apple".  They do not taste smoky.  They have a strong citrus flavor to them.  Not tart exactly but citrusy.   I tried one of them last week and was fooled by the name.  They pack a strong fresh squeezed apple cider punch.

Pick your own Smokehouse apples at Brecknock orchards in Mohnton, PA (Reading)
Picking season is mid September.  You can get the last pickings right now.

Grow your own Smokehouse apples with vines from Miller Nurseries of New York state.


There is Smokehouse Apple Flavored Wine at Shade Mountain Vineyards in Bloomsburg, PA in the western Poconos.  It is described as a crisp dessert wine.  For purchase online. Cannot ship to AL, AR, HI, KY, MA, MD, MS, MT, NH, or UT.

Shade Mountain vineyards has great labels.  As a partner to the smokehouse apple wine, I recommend the Bad Moose Mead.  Mead is thick dessert wine flavored with honey.  With the Smokehouse you get a crisp dessert. With Moose you get a mellowed dessert.