Steph: “Welcome Wine-Two-Five listeners! Thank you so much for joining us for Episode 39! I’m Steph, and I’m here with Val.”
Val: “Hey Steph and hello everyone! Today we are embarking on A Bright & Shiny New Sipping Year! .. but before we dive into the show…we should chat a bit about what we’re drinking.”
Steph: “My mixology experiment with Susan’s homemade lavender vodka and the muddler that Chris & Janet gave to me and I hadn’t used EVER – it is a Blueberry Lavender Vodka Spritzer. It really is like a health drink or detox elixir because it has coconut water in it. At least that’s what I’m telling myself at 1300 hours.
“Here’s my recipe (serves 1)
- muddle together:
- juice from 1 lime,
- ½ c fresh blueberries,
- 1 tsp Stevia
- add 3 oz unsweetened coconut water, 1 oz lavender infused vodka, ice to the shaker & shake-shake-shake
“Fill a Collins glass with ice, strain the drink from the shaker and add to Collins glass, top with club soda and garnish with blueberries and lime wedge.”
Val: “I’m drinking Normandin-Mercier (also a Cognac producer in Grande & Petite Champagne regions of Cognac) Pineau des Charentes Rouge. This is from the Charantais region of France where they make one of my favorite beverages, Cognac. In this case, because it’s “rouge” the grape is actually Merlot, organic & biologically farmed. They take cognac that has to be at least a year old & is still in cask (not bottled) and put it into some pre-fermented must (grape juice & skins, really). So … it’s like grape juice with Brandy in it! It’s more of an aperitif, but can be served chilled, on the rocks or with soda for an aperitif Charantais. It’s about 17% alcohol, so you’re not pouring a large glass.”
Discussion: The W25 sipping challenge for 2016! Here at Wine Two Five we’re all about discovering new things, learning and sharing.
This year we are issuing a challenge to our listeners you to taste something new every week in 2016! Whether it’s a new wine region, country, grape, spirit or other beverage – doesn’t even have to be alcoholic (did we just say that?) It could be tea, or anything.
Yes, listeners, this is a call to action to expand your palate and share your experiences! Like it? Don’t like it? Or what do you WANT to try? We want to hear how you’re getting out of your comfort zone & expanding your horizons! We will feature your photo or input on our blog each week! Post it to FB & one winner per quarter will guest host the show with us to talk about your new adventures in sipping!
Use the hashtags #W25Challenge.
Steph: “What’s your methodology for this, Val?”
Val: “Well, I’m always seeking out the “weird” or unusual sips … including this one. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a “rouge” since Cognac is normally made with white grapes like Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, etc. Interesting enough because I’m studying for my last diploma unit exam which is the “light wines of the world” so I’ll be looking to taste everything in the syllabus & then some that I’ve never had my lips on! There’s no “same ol’ same ol’” bottles or drinking wines in this house, as you can imagine.”
Steph: “I am so tickled that this is our theme that I think I’m going to charge everyone I know with the #W25Challenge. My first order of business is to get the guys at SuperMarket Liquors to help me find weird stuff. Maybe I’ll ask them to contact me each week before the podcast recording and have me pick up their “challenge”. Could be fun for all of us!
“The second idea I had, which was a brainchild of mine while I was in the Sprouts parking lot yesterday, was to taste each one of the new distilleries and breweries in FoCo and the surrounding towns. There’s still so many that I’ve never been to or tried. For example – there’s one called Mobb Mountain Distillers here in Fort Collins that I just found Googling and I’ve never heard of it before. OMG! Looks like they only have a Rye Whiskey and a Gin right now, and you have to catch them on a Friday between 6-10pm. Seriously limited hours as far as when they are open to the public.”
http://www.mobbmountain.com/about.html
Factoid:
Steph: “This factoid is also part Winoradar and is 100% attributed to #W25Challenge. Does anyone know what Cordial Medoc is? Anyone ever tried it? Anyone, anyone? I am going to tell you about it and then I’m going on the hunt for it. I just emailed the company asking them about distribution in the USA.
“Cordial Medoc is a liqueur from Bordeaux that dates back to 1878. It is a secret family recipe that contains 15 different spices, fruits, and herbs. The ‘secret ingredients’ are macerated in a cognac based spirit, which is re-distilled in old Copper Pot-Stills, and then blended with wine distillate (Eau de Vie) made from the wines of the Médoc area. Then before bottling, the final distillate, spends a short period in old wood casks followed by a refining process where a solution of pure cane sugar is added.
“There are a handful of cocktail and martini recipes that use Cordial Medoc listed on the website. So I will definitely reference that after I acquire my own bottle.”
http://www.cordial-medoc.com/cordial.html
Shoutout:
Steph: “To my bros at SuperMarket Liquors who are so good to me when I ask for obscure booze and wine. Adam and Wayne have my back, and that’s the kind of liquor store everyone needs. Keep up the excellence, guys, it is a pleasure to work with you. Right now I’ve asked them to find me some Bulgarian wine.
“To our high achiever and W25 Wonder Woman, Valerie Caruso! You did it! Champagne Master-Level with HONORS!! Holy Moses, girl. You are my Champagne hero – let’s give you a round of applause and a “clunking” of the glasses.”
Val: “Aww – thank you! So I’d like to shout out to the Wine Scholar Guild! It was previously the French Wine Society, but they’ve added Italian Wine Scholar (launching in late spring) and Spanish Wine Scholar (launching next fall) programs. Hence, they have just last week done a massive rebranding as the Wine Scholar Guild! So excited about the Italian Wine Scholar program, by the way!”
Wino Radar
Val: “Cheesy drinks. The alcohol professor (who has a cool new video cocktail series that will help with the #W25Challenge!) posted an article by Aliza Kellerman. She recently wrote about some cheese-inspired cocktails created by a mixologist on the Lower East Side in a bar called “Nitecap.” Some of these cocktails, paired with cheese dishes, included Calvados infused with Mimolette rind, gin infused with Camembert, and Aquavit infused with Bleu d’Auvergne. In some cases the cheese was grated into the cocktail as well. Aliza posted the cocktail recipes which she named, “Mimolette & Mac, Brie & Grapes, & Raclette & Potatoes” (no potatoes in the last one, just some Aquavit, vermouth, & pickled tomato brine). We’ll post the link and see what you think!”
https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog/2016/01/04/lets-talk-about-cheese-booze-no-really/
Steph: “What’s with the #DryJanuary anyway? This was my favorite tweet about it.”
Harvey Nichols @HarveyNichols Jan 4 ‘We considered #DryJanuary….for about three seconds. Nobody likes a quitter!'”
Val: “They were talking about it on the Today show today. I had to tweet back that, um, nope. Not going to happen. What silliness. That said, there’s nothing wrong with taking some time off from the bottle – I do (believe it or not) go for days or a week (until this podcast) without drinking, like right now I’m on muscle relaxers – not a good mix. PLUS, I’ve noticed a week or two of fruits/veg, no booze really resets my palate!”
NEXT WEEK – Next week we are so thrilled to have with us Massimo Coppetti, Sommelier and faculty member of Apicius Food & Wine Studies at Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy. Massimo Coppetti is a combination of savvy and classy Florentine style when it comes to food, wine, and restaurants … and a beloved former wine teacher who once gave Val an assignment to loosen up and be late for class – just once. You all will love Massimo and his contributions to the world of wine!
Listen to episode 39 here: