Summer, Summer, Summertime--Summer Salad Recipe

I live where winter begins early.  Incredibly early.  As in a blizzard-the-first-week-of-October early. 

I also live where spring starts late.  Incredibly late.  As in still-snowing-at-the-end-of-April late. 

If you want to see what spring fever really looks like, come to the Black Hills in May when the sun shines for three days straight and the temperature actually hits forty-five all three days.  People are in their shorts and flip flops, ready for summer…NOW!

I was particularly ready for the warmer temperatures of spring and summer this year, and though Mother Nature wasn’t moving as fast in that direction as I wanted her, I decided to speed things along by cooking as if it was summer:  more grilling, summer veggies, and light bites.  I dug through my recipes and found the ones that would make summer appear on my plate, and none did this more so than an orzo salad recipe from my incredibly great chef friend, Kirsten.  The dill (fresh if you can get your hands on it) and lemon in this recipe are both flavorful and zesty while being light and refreshing…just like summer.  I made this salad for my lunch for three weeks in a row (did I mention I had spring fever?), and I enjoyed it more each week as I perfected the recipe with the amounts and ingredients I preferred.  Here it is:  summer on your plate!

Summer Dill Orzo Salad

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
zest of one lemon
2 tbsp. finely (extremely fine) chopped onion (green onion or shallots will also work)
5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried dill weed
¼ cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
2 medium cucumbers: peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 large carrots:  peeled and chopped
6 oz. feta cheese crumbles

1. Cook the orzo according to package instructions using ½ tsp. salt in the water. Cook until al dente.
2. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, zest, mustard, and onion. Add a few pinches of salt. Then whisk in olive oil and dill.
3. In a large bowl, pour lemon-dill dressing over still-warm pasta. Add cucumbers, olives, and carrots. Stir well. Refrigerate until chilled before serving.
4. Sprinkle feta over the top of salad just before serving. 

Serve as a side to grilled steak, pork chops, or chicken (when I served it as supper, I grilled marinated chicken skewers as the protein ) or add chunks of grilled chicken to the salad and have as a meal itself (which is what I did for my lunch for three weeks).



I served with Erath Pinot Gris from Oregon (not with my lunch, but when I fixed this for supper one evening before taking it for lunch).  However, other Pinot Gris/Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc wines would be a nice compliment pairing with the acid of the lemon juice and zest.  For a contrast pairing, try a Riesling or Gewürztraminer, any sweetness level.



If you want summer on your plate and in your glass, this recipe is waiting to be prepared.  It took me through the “dark” days when I was beginning to suspect Mother Nature wasn’t going to give us a summer at all.  But I never should have doubted her.  As I sit on my patio enjoying my summery meals and wines, I forgive her for her shenanigans with our wintery weather this year.  As she lets the sun shine on me, I love her again…at least until the first snow storm of October!

Fear—Or Why I Say, “Bring on the White Zin!

What are the three words that make wine enthusiasts all over the world shudder? 

“White Zinfandel, please.” 

The response to this is only rivaled by the similar phrase, “What is your sweetest wine?” 

Let’s admit it, we have all been there and judged that.  But should we?

Before you tar and feather me…with wine, of course…hear me out.

I have often said that wine drinkers are made not born.  And when it comes to wine, the biggest obstacle to making more wine drinkers is fear.

People fear looking stupid, and wine is an incredibly intimidating subject.  With labels in French, Italian, or Spanish, it is hard to know how to even pronounce some wines on a list.  Then when the expert swirls the glass around, inhales deeply, and names off numerous fruits (and sometimes vegetables, minerals, or animals), most have no clue what all this means, let alone how it is done.  It is daunting.  Really daunting.

In order to make a wine drinker, drinkers have to first find a drink they like.  Honestly, few people are going to begin with a dry, tannic wine.  Most need a “gateway wine” to get their feet in the wine door.  In my very scientific poll of wine drinkers (aka my Facebook friends and followers), many started with “wines” like Boone’s Farm, Annie Green Springs, or Wild Vines (gasp!).  Mogen David, Blue Nun, white zinfandel, moscato, moscato d’ Asti, and fruit-based wines were the most common training bras for the big bosom of the wine world.  Many that started with these wines—like me—now drink dry, tannic, serious wines.  But to get over the trepidation of the unknown world of wine, concessions must be made. 

Wines like white zin, moscato, and Blue Nun should be considered training wheels for wine, the practice sips preparing future wine connoisseurs for other wines.  These wines play an important part in the development of taste and knowledge.  (They also play important roles in the bottom lines of some liquor stores; the sales from these styles often allow for the ordering and sale of other, more expensive wines.) 

Our job is not to belittle others for their choices and attempt to make ourselves feel more prestigious based on the wines we know and drink.  Our job as wine lovers, educators, and sommeliers is to move drinkers to other wines they may like, and then keep exposing them to different wines, expanding palates one person at a time. 

So pour the Beringer White Zin, pour the Barefoot Moscato, pour the Ruinite Lambrusco!  The only word that should make the wine industry shudder is the word “No” when answering the question, “Would you like a glass of wine tonight?”

Wines to move beginning wine drinkers away from the “gateway wines”:

Moscato d’ Asti—a gateway wine itself, but it is less sweet than many other moscatos, and at least consumers see the DOC/G label on the Italian bottle.  Asti Spumantes can also fit in this category.



Riesling…any riesling—German, Oregon, Washington, New York.  My favorite producers of semi-sweet rieslings at great prices are Chateau St. Michelle, Starling Castle, and Polka Dot. 

Gewurztraminer…any gewürztraminer—similar to rieslings in body and style, this aromatic wine is a palate pleaser.  Though harder to find than a riesling, many more producers all over the globe are producing this varietal.



German wines…anything German—look for the words spatlese and auslese on the labels; these terms designate sweeter wines of higher quality.

 



Italian pinot grigio—generally more supple than New World pinot grigios, these are often slightly softer and fruitier than bitterly acidic.

Prosecco—some bubblies like Champagne and Cava may still be too dry and acidic for a beginning palate, but Prosecco is an Italian sparkling that is creamier and less tart than many others.  A great starter sparkling!



 

As Luck Would Have It--Dr. Konstantin Frank

Luck often has nothing to do with planning a successful vacation.  Often times, family trips take months to prepare and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears… maybe even some screaming.  Such was true for the excursion my family and I made to Upstate New York and the Finger Lakes wine region. 

The trip had been planned for over six months.  All family members’ schedules’ had to be synchronized.  Plane tickets were purchased.  A Canadian outing was added to the two-week vacation.  Lodging via a home exchange was carefully orchestrated with another family.  Hours of online searches and reservations were made.  Must-see destinations were researched. Anticipation was building.

Then two weeks before the trip, my dad died, unexpectedly and suddenly, in his sleep.

An entirely different kind of planning began in my family.  Extended family and friends were notified.  Arrangements were made for memorial services. Final resting place decisions were discussed.  His mother—my grandma—had just fallen very ill and was in the hospital in a coma-like state.  My siblings and I were already alternating trips to the out-of-town hospital to make sure someone was with her every day, and then we had to plan her son’s funeral.  And she wasn’t even awake or aware enough to be told what had happened to her only boy.

The details were all dealt with in their own ways in their own time.  Our grief was dealt with the same way.

The days passed and it came time to make another decision:  did we continue with our intended vacation or not?  Because we were doing a home exchange and another family was already planning on coming to stay in our home, the choice was fairly straight forward.  My family packed bags, finalized any post-funeral decisions, and said goodbye to my grandma, praying she would improve and this farewell to her would not be final. 

I cried when I left my grandma at the hospital to catch our flight.

I cried every single day of our twelve day trip.

I changed our flight to come home early when I learned a close friend’s father was facing the same fate as my own dad.

This story is not to make you believe I disliked the Finger Lakes region.  Quite the opposite:  I loved it there!  The many wineries I visited impressed me.  I immersed myself in and drank nothing but local wines.  Shipping home eighteen bottles and joining a wine club ensured that I had Finger Lakes wine to enjoy for the next twelve months.  As I opened and sipped each bottle after returning home, I savored the wine, remembering the roller coaster of that trip.  I had created an emotional connection to the area. When I finished my final bottle of New York wine about six months ago, I thought it would be my last for a very long time.

Finger Lakes wines that made their way to Wyoming with me.



Imagine my delight, then, when I happened to wander into an isolated, small-town Wyoming liquor store and looked at the shelf to see a bottle of 2012 Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling, not only a Finger Lakes wine, but one of my favorite wineries from our trip, the exact wine club I joined for a year.  It was my lucky day!  I bought two bottles—one to open that night and another one to savor later.

Though the price was only thirteen dollars (retail in Torrington, Wyoming), no dollar amount could be placed on the emotional connection I again felt to the wine region.  As I poured, swirled, and sniffed, the aromas wafted to my nose:  wet rock, green apple, and light floral.  I closed my eyes and smelled again the bittersweet days of that trip. 

2012 Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling, my lucky find.

As I sipped, the good acid, green apple, and soft floral tastes covered my palate.  The view of the vineyards and stunning Keuka Lake from Dr. Frank’s front windows came to my mind.  The lush green forests surrounding the water and the fresh air enveloped me once again.  I thought back to all I learned about wine on that trip and the knowledge of how important Konstantin was to the American wine industry:  grafting vinifera vines to North American root stock and proving that traditional varietals could be grown in the U.S. 

At Dr. Konstantin Frank's winery, an important part of American wine history.

Beautiful Keuka Lake from Dr. Konstantin Frank.

Finger Lakes beauty.

More of Keuka Lake's beauty.

The long finish made me ponder that life is like that wonderful glass of Dr. Frank Riesling.  Though the harsh pain from difficult times in our lives is as intense as the first sip of that dry Riesling, over time the hurt softens, but it still lingers, just like the finish of this wine.

Yes, I was so lucky to experience a wonderful trip to an important—though lesser known—American wine region. I was lucky to again find the wine that took me back to that vacation and reminded me how affected I was by the experience.  I was lucky to consume a glass of wine that evoked such an emotional response.  Events can be planned and fine tuned and retuned and planned again; however, lucky for us, luck will always have a place in the circumstances of our lives. 

An Indestructible Bond--Someone's in the Kitchen

Food and wine, wine and food--the relationship between these two is so close, it is impossible to separate them.  My favorite part of a good meal is the wine, and my favorite part of a good wine is thinking of the meal that would pair perfectly with it.  Someone’s in the Kitchen in Rapid City takes this relationship between wine and food to a whole new level of enjoyment for all who enter, including me.

First, I must admit that I am a kitchen store and kitchen gadget queen, so I absolutely love kitchen stores.  Even with this slight obsession, there are kitchen stores, and then there is Someone’s in the Kitchen (SITK).  From the moment customers walk in, they are surrounded by the best and latest in all things food and food preparation.  From coffee and tea, to seasonal cookery, to food products, to cutlery, SITK has everything.  I love the La Creuset cookware and all the new colors for spring:  yellow, green, and purple.  (I will soon be the owner of the La Creuset line since I plan on building my collection piece by piece—in the original red color.)  My other favorite areas are the pet area, olive oil containers, and BBQ staples and supplies. 

The newest KitchenAid mixers in the best colors!

Olive oil containers...oh the oil I could infuse.



BBQ supplies galore!



The newest Le Creuset colors; I will have red!



SITK doesn’t just give you the tools for great cooking; this store gives you the instructions for great cooking as well.  SITK offers classes in fall and spring sessions.  The offerings include so many possible cooking and baking topics:  gluten free, La Creuset, Cinco de Mayo, crepes, low carb, dutch oven, knife skills…the list goes on and on.  My first experience at SITK was about five years ago when a friend and I took a sushi class, which still ranks as one of my favorite chef experiences. 

However, don’t think for a minute that food is the only focus of SITK.  Wine has a special place in the heart of this establishment.  SITK has the newest in wine accessories, with everything from colorful wine bottle openers, to fun wine glass and bottle charms, to beautiful crystal stemware.  SITK also goes a step beyond in the area of wine, too, as it has offered wine-inspired classes from area experts for years.  I was lucky enough to be considered one of the “experts” last year, when I taught my first class, Food and Wine Pairing.  I have moved on to teach other classes there, including my French Food and Wine class last weekend.  By saying I taught the class I am giving myself too much credit.  I teach the wine section and choose wines for serving; SITK chef Kirsten does all the food.  She finds the recipes, helps pair with wine, preps all the food, and instructs how to make the individual dishes during the class.  In other words, Kirsten makes my job so easy because she does so much work!  I also can’t forget the SITK staff members, including Roberta, chef assistant extraordinaire (who also teaches her own cooking classes).  These women are part of a well-oiled machine that I am so lucky to get to be a part of several times a year. 

Wine backpacks with travel glasses and corkscrews.  

Fun wine accessories.

So many wine openers from which to choose!



Beautiful stemware.

Kirsten working her magic on the cooktop for French Wine and Food.



Wine and food, food and wine…two of my favorite things!  I love both individually, but when a business makes it so enjoyable to put two of my favorite things together, I am in heaven.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to get to be a part of this promotion of my much-loved hobbies (dare I say obsessions???).  I also look forward to going back next month to do an Introduction to Wine class as SITK continues to be a supporter of the culture of wine and food.

http://someonesinthekitchensd.com/index.php

Wine on the Horizon--Fort Collins Wine Fest

The temperature was dropping, and large, wet, white snowflakes had just started drifting slowly from the sky.  In the distance, the beautiful white-topped Rockies could be spotted hovering over the brown grass of the plains.  However, it was not the snow or those beautiful mountains with ski slopes we were rolling into Fort Collins to enjoy…it was wine, the Fort Collins Wine Fest to be exact!  This was our third consecutive year of enjoying the festival, which is a wonderful fundraiser for Fort Collins’ Disabled Resource Services.  We have greatly enjoyed every year, and one of the special treats is an amazing private wine tasting put on before the actual festing and feasting starts.  This year’s private tasting was as amazing as ever, with a mix of wines from all over the world that were as majestic as the Rocky Mountains on the horizon! 

Wine one:  Marc Hebrart Brut Rose non-vintage Champagne—This sparkler from a small producer was a beautiful baby pink with strong yeast and strawberry aromas.  The mineral and crisp bite was a pleasure, and the incredibly long finish was even better.  This bubbly was a mix of the classic champagne grapes of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinto Meunier and was a classic tasting beauty!

Wine two:  Domaine Bouchard Pere & Fils Mersault “Les Clous” 2006—This white Burgundy ages quite well, and though this ’06 could still cellar a few more years, it had a great mineral aroma.  With some butter on the palette from the old oak yet a crisp, citrus finish, I enjoyed this single vineyard Chardonnay, especially with the soft cow’s  milk cheese provided by the local cheese mongers at the Welsh Rabbit in FoCo. 

Wine three:  Prince Florent De Merode Corton Renardes 1990—From the excellent 1990 vintage, the Corton is slightly cloudy, with baked cherry, anise, and leather flavors and scents.  I am a sucker for a good Pinot Noir, and this Noir from the Cote De Beaune was a great example of a Burgundian Pinot. The fact that this bottle would retail for $350 a bottle had nothing to do with the how much I enjoyed it! 

Wine four:  Tondonia Gran Reserva 1994—Talk about a special wine!  This Rioja was produced in 1994, but not released until 2012.  No, I didn’t do the math incorrectly there (though as an English teacher by day, you all have the right to question my expertise with numbers).  This wine is aged in cask (in French and American old oak) for nine years and then in bottle for nine more years.  I love the Tempranillo grape, and this blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garanche, and 10% other was filled with supple and smooth fruit.  An excellent wine and value for the aging time (at around $100 a bottle), Robert Parker gave this very high 90s scores (not that we go by Parker necessarily; however, it does show the respect for this wine). 

Wine five:  Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bricco Bussia Vigna Colonnello 1989—By far my favorite wine, the Barolo was bursting with baked fig, as if there was a Fig Newton in my glass as I sniffed.  Of course, I love, love, love Nebbiolo, and this beautiful brick-red colored wine cemented that love once again.  From an excellent, “old school” producer and a great vintage, I would have loved to drink this entire bottle to myself (over the course of several days though, of course)!  The $400 price tag?  Yes, that is always my luck; I seem to have very expensive tastes! 

Wine six:  Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2003—From the Puac in Medoc, this Bordeaux blend starts with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the remaining a blend of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot.  On the nose, the 2003 showed hints of earth, currant, green pepper, and smoke, and on the palette fresh berries.  Though this wine has already aged for ten years, it could still cellar two or three more and be a great example of a red Bordeaux.  (Retail?  A cool $500!)

Wine seven:  Caymus Special Edition 1992—My emotional favorite, I actually bought a bottle of this last year at the wine fest because it was a 1992, the year my daughter was born.  My husband and I opened the bottle on her twentieth birthday last summer and toasted to her and our parenthood!  It is a classic California Cabernet (blended from Cab grapes from eight of Napa’s sub appellations) with an aroma of spice and earth and tastes of berry, spice, and cedar.  It was perfectly aged and timed exactly to drink.

Wine eight:  Joseph Phelphs Insignia 1998—Another classic California Cabernet Sauvignon with a beautiful, almost-black, undertone, the Phelphs smelled like baked cherry and fig.  The very fruit-forward wine would age well for three-four more years since it is from an excellent producer.

Wine nine:  Elderton Command Shiraz 2004—As the only Australian wine represented in our tasting, the Shiraz made Australia look good!  From the Barrosa Valley (and from a very good vintage), the wine was filled with scents of green pepper, spice, and earth.  On the palette, this was a berry bomb with a wonderfully, long finish.  The style of this wine is exactly what Robert Parker likes, and he liked this one; he gave it a 98!

Wine ten:  Barros Vintage Port 1997—Though Ports are not my favorite (because hard liquor burns my throat—see my feelings about whiskey several weeks ago), I have learned to appreciate Port on several levels.  This Port was very special, since only two percent of Ports are actually vintage, and after the initial heat of the brandy, the lovely raisin taste was incredibly smooth.  I imagined my chocolate pot de crème recipe as I sipped this final wine. 

The beautiful and wondrous Rocky Mountains make a superb backdrop for some beautiful and wondrous wines.  Though the picturesque snow storm caused some road blocks to the event and weekend, there was nothing blocking the ten wines we were able to enjoy.  This tasting was just the beginning of a great night filled with three of my favorite things:  wine, food, and shopping!  Look for the explanation to that coming soon…

To Aerate or Not to Aerate?

Yes, I went there with the clichéd reference to Hamlet’s famous soliloquy written by William Shakespeare.  I have two great reasons though:  1—remember, I am an English teacher by day, and I just finished teaching this play; and 2—I really have been asked this question a lot lately!  My answer is not a question of life and death (like Shakespeare’s famous speech), but it can be an important answer to the life of a wine.   

1.       What is aeration?  Aeration is literally the process of circulating air through or mixing air with another substance.   In this case, the substance is wine.  The market today is flooded with aerators in almost any size, shape, or price.  What these cool-looking gadgets do is let the wine run through or over an object to inject more oxygen. 

2.       Not all wines need aeration.  Most white wines would not benefit from aerating.  The point of aerating a wine is to increase the contact between oxygen and wine.  For many wines, this increased oxygen is a good thing.  Air in the wine helps to bring out the aromas and flavors of a wine.  Oxygen can also soften the taste of the tannins. Red wines gain more from this process.  Many white wines that are very light bodied and delicate anyway would actually lose smell and flavor if aerated. 

3.      Only some red wines need aeration.  It is generally a personal preference if you would like to aerate a red wine.  Red wines that are very young and tannic can be softened to pair better with foods if they have been aerated.  Also, if any wine drinkers enjoy softer wines with fewer bold tannins, aerating can help make the wine more drinkable to this type of palette. 

4.      There are some wines to never aerate.  Wines that have been cellared for an extended period of time should not be aerated.  Aged wines become more delicate, and if a very old wine is aerated, the smells and flavors might actually be lost completely.  Depending on the wine, I wouldn’t aerate anything over 10-15 years aged in the bottle.  Think how disappointing it would be to open up a beautiful bottle of perfectly aged wine to spoil it by using an aerator.  (Now keep in mind, this would be different from just decanting and letting the wine sit to open up.) 

5.      Do what you like.  Ultimately, it comes down to what every individual likes to drink.  I often go through periods when I will aerate wines very often, just so I can use my fun wine toys.  I also like to drink a wine one night without aeration and then the next night with aeration, taking notes on both tastings to see which I preferred.  I also like to show friends and wine students the difference aeration makes, so I will often pour them an ounce with no use of an aerator and then an ounce with the use of an aerator.  It is fun to witness wine novices experience the difference that can be made in some wines when more oxygen is present. 

6.      What aerator to use?  This is probably the trickiest question of all!  As mentioned, aeration of wine is big business right now.  There are small gadgets for just one glass or large contraptions to aerate an entire bottle.  There are even wine glasses that do the aeration themselves!  I don’t have a particular preference, but again, it depends on the circumstance. 

This large aerator is very beautiful and makes a statement.  I like to use it at parties or get-togethers where there is a large group and beautifully aerating an entire bottle of wine for all to see is a must. 

 

 

The decanter and funnel is another beautiful, yet traditional, way to aerate an entire bottle at once.  The decanters available today are even more magnificent than the aerator selection.  One can also spend a little or a LOT (see some of Riedel’s new decanter designs).

 

 

 

This individual glass style of pourer is also a great way to let people aerate their own glass as they pour.

 

 

 

This one-glass-at-a-time aerator is a fun invention and is interesting to have set out so individuals can decant their own as they pour a glass. It is the one I keep on the edge of my wine room shelf to easily grab if I think I want aeration for that night’s wine.

 

 

The aerator that goes inside the wine bottle is very popular right now due to its reasonable price and its ease of use.  I liked and used mine often, until I used it at a class and gave it away to someone who complimented it.  I have wanted to replace it, but I just haven’t.  Mainly because I have so many other styles I can use to aerate!

 

 

 

So whether you aerate wines as often as Shakespeare killed off a main character in his tragedies, or whether you look at aeration with distrust like an “adder fanged,”  it can be useful to many wine drinkers.  Aeration is popular to the masses right now; let’s see if it stands the test of time like a great Shakespeare play. 

 

What do you think of aeration?  Do you have a favorite that you use? 

Where You Least Expect It--Heaven to Earth, Gillette

My New Year’s resolution was to focus on businesses that promote wine, and though I haven’t posted every week since I began, I really have been trying not to neglect my blogging responsibilities.  Today, I’m focusing on the promotion of wine in a place many may not have necessarily expected it:  a gourmet kitchen store.  I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “foodie” (only because of time and calorie constraints…hehehe), but I do love interesting and unique foods, both making them and consuming them.  I love so many aspects of kitchen stores and kitchen gadgets.   Most kitchen stores have a wine-related section that has wine tools and glassware.  However, Heaven to Earth in Gillette has taken this sometimes small relationship with wine to a whole new level!  A level I highly appreciate!

Gail and Emerald, owners at Heaven to Earth, approached me some time ago after they had surveyed their customers and found many were interested in wine, so Gail and Emerald were quick to oblige.  The proprietors of this wonderful store quickly came up with the idea to create a wine and food “club” so to speak, where students would first learn the basics of wine (that’s where I came in), and then learn different aspects of food and wine pairing, with monthly sessions that would focus on different foods, wines, and food and wine tools.  Gail and Emerald also wanted to have multiple sessions of the Intro to Wine Class, so that the large numbers of their interested patrons could ensure a date that worked for them.  I put together a class introducing the basics of wine with important terms, wine evaluation techniques, and food pairing basics.  If I do say so myself, I thought my class was first-class.  But even tooting my own horn, the information of my class was nothing compared to the atmosphere Heaven to Earth created for this class!

The tables were covered with black table clothes, set with glasses, Bling and Ty Nant bottled water, gold silverware, fun wine napkins, oyster crackers in artichoke shaped bowls, marinated olives in stoneware dishes, and a beautiful wine journal.   This was only the beginning of the fabulous spread for the evening.  During the tasting of the two white wines that evening, Gail’s kitchen staff served lobster ravioli with alfredo sauce, crusty bread with warm artichoke dip, and fresh vegetables.  With the two red wines, the kitchen presented a mini-cheese plate with hard salami, aged white cheddar, and mixed dried fruits.  The wines were great, and the food was wonderful!  The staff served the tapas portions to customers and made sure water glasses were full all night.  It was better service than I have witnessed in many restaurants.  Beverage Broker of Gillette—which I highly recommend readers check out—provided the wine and had the bottles that we tasted that evening for sale to take home that night.  Of course, Riedel glassware was available for purchase from Heaven to Earth, as well as the wonderful food we had with our wines and the many other gourmet products the store offers.  I left feeling these were the best classes I have taught!

In my quest of promoting wine in my rural area this year, I must remember not to overlook businesses that aren’t directly selling wine but may actually be supporting the wine culture on a whole other level!  Heaven to Earth is doing a fabulous job encouraging the wine industry, and they do it with extraordinary style!  I look forward to the classes I will be teaching there.  

You Can Take the Teacher Out of the Classroom...But She Will Just Keep On Teaching!

Yes, I'm a teacher by day, moonlighting as a sommelier at night.  Sometimes people give me a funny look, and I know they are wondering if educating students and enjoying wine may actually be a conflict of interests.  However, for several reasons, I say no!  The biggest reason it isn't a conflict is because I don't necessarily think of myself as a sommelier that is a wine expert.  (In fact, the more I learn about wine, the more I know I don't know, and the more I want to learn about wine.)  Instead, I consider myself a wine educator.  My favorite job as a sommelier is to teach other people about wine.  For years, many in my generation have been intimidated or scared of wine.  We grew up drinking beer, and though there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it's left many people nervous about looking silly when consuming wine.  I love to take this "mystery" out of wine for drinkers by teaching them what the terms mean, how fermentation works, and why labels say what they say.  This knowledge of wine takes the unknown element out of wine, making it more likely that these now-educated people will drink more wine!  It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.  Consumers know more about wine and will enjoy wine more, and I get to keep teaching about one of my favorite subjects!  So, Tuesday, when I am teaching a section of my Wine 101 class, there is no conflict to be found, just more wine lovers waiting to learn!

Boom! Not Bust!

I live in a small town in Wyoming on the edge of the Black Hills.  Yes, you all heard me correctly...a trained sommelier in Wyoming!  (Believe me, stranger things have happened.)  I live in a magnificently beautiful state, filled with multiple natural resources, resources that have often caused our local economies to boom during the good times only to bust during bad times.  But today, I'm thinking about a different type of boom here in Wyoming and South Dakota, different than a natural resource boom.  I'm talking about the booming wine industry!  Wyoming and the Black Hills have always been a bit behind the times, and that is probably true of the wine business.  However, we are quickly catching up!  Interest in wine is growing to new heights in this area, and I love it!  Three new wine bars recently opened in Spearfish, SD.  One even opened in Sturgis, SD, better known for its biker babes in August than its grape varietals.  The Black Hills has its own wine trail, including several wineries and tasting rooms.  Wyoming grows grapes and makes wine in several different locations.  Liquor stores all throughout the Black Hills are expanding their wine sections as consumers want more selections to choose from and a higher quality of the selections already available.  Some friends of mine just purchased a small liquor store and have plans to continue the wine boom.  I'm leaving town to travel through beautiful Spearfish Canyon after work to enjoy my Friday evening at the Spearfish Creek Wine Bar.  Oh, there may be liquid gold in these there hills, and I hope to see the boom keep going!  All boom, no bust...I'll drink to that!