Exploring the World of Local Drinks

According to an article in Container Gardens the elderberry cannot be eaten raw.  In juice form can, however, add an exciting subtle sweetness to cocktails.  The words “elderberry” or “st germain” on a cocktail menu appear to me as bold, bright lettering, commanding my attention.  I can’t order any other cocktail if I’ve spotted those ingredients.  According to the St. Germain distributor’s website, men pluck the elderberry flowers during one six week period each year in the foothills of the French Alps.  The workers then transport the blossoms via bicycle to the factory where they are mixed with fermented grape juice to create the unique liquor.  St. Germain is made in limited quantity.  It’s a lovely story for an elegant liquor.

I first encountered this flavor at a now-closed restaurant in Baltimore called Ixia; a fantastical space decorated in silvers and bright colors with mixmatched kitschy couches.  The owner still runs eateries in Charm City including the Paper Moon Diner that serves comfort breakfast dishes in rooms eclectically decorated with Barbie heads and Pez dispensers.  As we watched the Ixia bartender make “The Queen Bee” for the first time he explained the recipe was his own creation.  It was so unique that it won him a spot in a worldwide bartender competition.  (I never found out if he won.  He mentioned that he was prepared to pour perfectly-measured shots while dangling from a bungee cord during the upcoming contest.  I’d really like to know how he did that!) 

My friend Meg (R) pointed out the Queen Bee on the new menu after hearing me gush about Ixia's version.

I said a departing prayer when I learned that the restaurant where I enjoyed this delicate mixture of sweetness and alcohol had closed.  Oh Queen Bee, I’ll never forget you.

Then…A miracle!

This talented bartender got another job, like so many do, and brought along with him his prize-winning concoction!  What joy!  The Queen Bee is now on the menu at B&O American Brasserie in downtown Baltimore.  At this upscale spot you can sip your beverage and order their creamy mac and cheese made out of homemade gnocchi.

Juice boxes! (sans alcohol of course)

Another recent development in my love affair with the elderberry and its flower comes via every small-apartment dweller’s favorite Swedish import.  IKEA sells elderberry juice boxes.  It’s less sweet than a traditional Motts box or Welch’s grape juice, but still carries a delicious light sugary sensation without the alcohol on the cocktail list.  My four-year-old nephew approved of the flavor, as well, since he drank down the juice in about 45 seconds.

Picnic along the grapevines..somewhere north of the town

I’ve been talking and sharing about the best imbibements for…ever it seems.  This blog has been (gradually) growing over the past few months and yet it is not until now that I am writing about my “absolute very best favorite” drink: CDP red wine!!  (I’m quoting my mother, Shirley, who saves that very phrase for few passions in life.)  So my “absolute very best favorite” type of wine comes from Chateauneuf de Pape; that’s in the South of France, about an hour train ride from Aux-en-Provence.  My obsession with wine began in the Finger Lakes (as you can read about here) but my palate grew up and fell in love with CDP a few years ago.

Wine lends itself to stories.  Whenever I drink a CDP bottle (from cheapo to higher-end) I immediately picture the trip I’m about to share.  Perhaps it’s the olfactory gland that gives wine its time machine powers; like when you smell a certain cologne while walking in the mall and you immediately picture your scrawny basketball-playing high school boyfriend who doused himself in that same polo 15 years ago.  Wine reminds you of a heart-warming dinner AND it often tastes like an explosion of flavors on your tongue.

Now you can understand why my husband chose to propose in Chauteauneuf du Pape, with a backdrop of vineyards and red-nosed oenophiles, so that we’d fit in with the scenary of cork dorks.

I didn't eat any. I waited for liquid form.

Guess what the locals drink here?  Really amazing red wine!!  CDP is a blend of mostly Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes.  Up to 13 varieties of grapes can be legally included in the bottles.  My husband and I knew that we loved this wine after having it on our first date and subsequently every other special occasion during our 16-month courtship like birthdays and Tuesday nights.  Drinking wine while surrounded by its grapes, its owners, its locals and its tasting rooms cements a wine into the memory.  This wine comes from a quaint town where in the 1300s the Pope (Pape) relocated the papacy to a new castle (Chauteau Neuf).  For 70 years, the church promoted viniculture and improved the wine growing practices in the region.  You can visit the castle ruins atop the highest mountain in the village.  Also make reservations at the restaurant built at the foot of the ruins Verger Des Papes where you must order an appetizer of goat cheese ice cream on a version of bruschetta.  And bring the lactaid if necessary because you won’t want to (or be able to) turn down the cheese plate at the end of the meal.

WIne tasting in CDP consists of ringing the propreitor’s doorbell, hoping he’s home and blindly walking into a basement, bedroom, family living area or (rarely) a tasting room to experience the wine.  Bring confidence.  Practice saying “Jouvedre degustacion” (I would like a tasting).  Knowing that phrase and merci is all we needed to convince the locals that they should be nice to us.

In the barrel room of Domaine du Pegau with the owner.

The best experience was at Domaine du Pegau.  We rang the doorbell and a sleepy older gentleman opened the door.  Little did we know that this beer-bellied man in a worn-out t-shirt owned this operation; one of the most famous and successful CDP wineries.  He told us to come back in a few hours after he’d had his nap.  Merci!  When we returned it was us and Paul Feraud walking through the barrel room alone.  We switched between our broken french, english, spanish and italian to understand how he made his wine in a partnership with his daughter.  We did manage to understand that he didn’t like Robert Parker because Parker wasn’t terribly warm during his visit to the winery.  Well, that’s what his gestures of “no” and “hug” indicated to us.

The wine.  Ohhhh the wine had notes of butter, dark fruit and heaven.

I just want to hug him! Ok, I did when we left...and kissed him on the cheek. Domaine Mathieu

We had another  fabulously intimate experience with the owner of Domaine Mathieu who showed more pride in his wine than any other winery owner I’ve met.  The bottles were his children; in fact, several vintages and reserves are named after family members.  This winery has an official tasting room making it more welcoming to visitors to ask for a degustacion while walking by.  We’ve yet to find this wine in American wine stores.

We borrowed bikes from our hotel that was about 3 miles outside of the main town square and biked from winery to winery.  I would highly recommend biking because the countryside is beautiful!  I would also recommend bringing extra water.  Too much sun, cheese and Domaine

Mathieu on our last day led to debilitating dehydration and overall illness the following day.  Water would have helped.

For a shorter visit you can sample many versions of CDP in tasting rooms near the town square.  You won’t access some of the more popular brands, but you can still get a sense of the terroir and style of wine while popping into the shops.  If you buy a bottle for a picnic (you should!) the word you need to know is tirre-bouchon.  Corkscrew.  And with that last tip I just saved you two hours of wandering around misunderstood.  Cheers!

While covering the Egyptian revolution I met some wonderful middle eastern Americans in Baltimore. They gave me this amazing drink and wanted to share it with you:

It’s mango juice with bits of peaches. I don’t like pulp in orange juice—but this is delicious. Only 150 calories.

You can find this brand at other Mediterranean/middle eastern shops. There are other fruit flavors available. Serve chilled!

While skiing in the Poconos this weekend we decided to avoid the ice mountain on our second day.  (Not to dis the Pennsylvania resorts–but the icey conditions were taking a toll on our skis and our bums.)  Growing up in NJ I only remember the cheesy commercials for Poconos resorts that touted heart-shaped bath tubs for lovers—so what were we going to do with our free day?  We discovered the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail.  Our hotel concierge recommended one (her favorite!) which was actually terrible.  Some wine drinkers may enjoy the smell of baby diapers in a glass of read, but not me.  The other two we found were worth the exploration.

This area wasn’t an official American Viticultural Area (AVA) until 2008.  So my friend Meg summed it up best when saying “Wine in Pennsylvania?  Who knew?!”  There are nine family-owned wineries along the trail and we found two that you should visit.

Here we are sampling the chambourcin!  And, wow, I really need some sunshine.  February skin color with ski wind burn is EEEK!

Vyncrest Winery (http://www.vynecrest.com/) is the pleasant stop pictured above.  Great customer service.  FREE wine tasting of five wines.  I think we slipped in a few extra—maybe that’s why I liked the service so much.  The wine tends to be sweet in this region, we learned.  The local grape is Chambourcin.  Every winery we visited had a few versions of this one and I would recommend trying a few bottles to grasp what its flavor is all about.  We liked the “Turtle Rock Red” which is 100% Chambourcin (pronounced: sham-bore-sin).  Others blend this grape with cabernet sauvignon which is tasty.  This tasting room is wide-open with a “just built” feeling.  (side note: this place has a cayuga white!  Up until now I had only had this Cornell-created grape in the Finger Lakes as I mentioned in my previous blog.  What a treat to find!  It’s very good!)

Clover Hill winery (http://www.cloverhillwinery.com/) provided a rustic feel in the tasting room along with some EXCELLENT raspberry salsa.  I don’t know if salsa is what I would serve with wine—but it worked here.  Eat up!  Our group was, once again, happy to pay NADA for five tastings.  On top of the traditional reds and whites, Clover Hill makes a 100% blueberry wine and 100% cherry wine.  They’re tasted with pieces of dark chocolate, however I would pour the dessert-like liquid over ice cream and pound cake to make an impressive adult after-dinner treat.  The chamboucin here was well done—confirming that our first stop (Blue Mountain winery) butchered that grape.

Lehigh Valley is not yet making mind-blowing wine, but this is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday–exploring a new region.  We met nice people along the way on this trail and would certainly visit them again during our next ski trip.

For those looking for the nightlife in the Poconos area….we did make quite an interesting discovery  called the Pig Pen in Allentown.  It’s where the locals told us to go after dinner.  Picture a massive space filled with all (and I mean ALL) walks of life looking for a loud, good time.  The DJ’ed dance floor is surrounded by a live band/bar room, a full arcade, and a 10-lane neon-lit bowling alley.  The $3 cover and $6 Coronas are the price you pay to be surprised by middle aged break-dancers or young leopard print-clad dancers on the bar.  It’s an experience.

For great skiing we are falling in love with Blue Mountain Ski Resort.  Check it out!

Upstate New York has rightfully earned a negative reputation for bad weather.  It can be apocalyptic during most of the year.  As a morning news reporter in Syracuse I covered a huge snow storm on…April 21. (!!)

Let’s ignore the lake effect snow and focus on the WINE!  Wine touring the Finger Lakes is a great experience.

This is a fun, low-key area that  appeals to a wide range of wine drinkers including the novice.  No one will judge you if you wear your baseball cap that says in bedazzled letters “group therapy” with various pictures of sparkly wine bottles and glasses.  But cork dorks can find their own enjoyment, too.  Winery owners often serve the tastes so in between sips you can ask a million questions of the people who probably just tended to the grapes .   That one-on-one interaction is something you won’t find in Napa!

Something else you would never see in Napa is the price per tasting.  Of the dozens of wine tastings—ok, possibly 100s, can I say 100s?  Sure.  Ok, so of the hundreds of wine tastings that I have experienced in the Finger Lakes none of them has cost more than $5.  That price gives you 4 to 10 tastings off of the list.  You try 17 wines at Chateau LaFayette Reneau (Seneca Lake) for $5.  The most renowned winery Dr. Konstantin Frank (Keuka Lake) is…free.  I love free!  I also love their dry riesling.  Mmm!

This region deserves more than one blog entry because there are nearly 100 wineries sprinkled over three of the main “fingers” (Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga).  I’ve compiled the local favorites, but don’t hesitate to try other wineries along the way.  You’ll like see several party vans of all colors—use that as a guide (to either follow the crowd or avoid it).  It goes without saying that you MUST have a bus, van or a designated driver because the roads are windy and the pours are not small.  The Moms and Pops up here are serious about giving away so much wine that you’ll drunkenly buy cases of their stuff.

Places that I’ve had the best experiences mixed in with the best wine are the following:

Dr. Frank Konstantin, Keuka Lake.  Tight quarters, higher-prices for bottles, but (as I mentioned) free tastings.  It’s happened more than once that the friendly tasting manager has chugged the remainder of the dry riesling bottle in order to share in the fun.  Pretentious?  Heck no!  There is an outdoor deck where you will quickly realize that every winery has a view up here.

Fox Run, Seneca Lake.  I love the bright, airy feel to this winery.  My favorite choice has been the “sable” which is a cabernet franc/merlot blend.  It’s a good beginner red.   Typically wine drinkers start with sweet whites and eventually mature to dry reds.  This is a sweeter red than will gently take your hand from whites into the serious stuff.  Fox Run’s cafe is open daily April through December.  Food is so crucial on these all-day wine tours!  Trust me!  Eat up!  Many cafes like this one serve local produce and cheeses.

Belhurst Castle, Seneca Lake.  Some places you visit for the wine.  This place you visit for the ambiance.  Order a glass of wine from the servers; grab an adirondack chair around the firepit; and cozy up with old friends and new ones.  The historic castle is haunted–so they say—and there is a hidden tunnel leading to the lake—so they say.  (I prefer to believe it as the moon comes out and the fire flickers.  Go with it.)  There is a wedding hall and many hotel rooms in the original castle and additions.  Last time I was there my group of four turned into a group of 10 after we befriended so many hotel guests!

Glenora, Cayuga Lake.  I frequented Cayuga because I went to Ithaca College which is at the base of this lake in the city of Ithaca.  (Yes, Cornell is there, too.)  I want to mention Glenora for one AMAZING glass of bubbly.  It’s their Peach Spumante.  I can close my eyes and taste the fruity start, then the effervescence hitting the back of my throat and then the lovely drier finish.  If I were planning a wedding in the Finger Lakes I would serve this during cocktail hour.

Americana Vineyards, Cayuga Lake.  This is where I fell in love with red wine as a budding oenophile.  Of course the love affair begins with a sweeter varietal.  Sweet is what Finger Lakes does best.  Americana has two: revolutionary red (which now is a bit TOO sweet for me, but the perfect bottle for the “i only drink white wine” person) and Baco Noir.  This place also encompasses what this wine region is all about: family-owned, small town wineries that are really proud of their products.  It’s not fancy; it’s earthy.  It’s not lavish gates; it’s a muddy gravel parking lots.  Sometimes you just want to wear flipflops, hop on a bus with your buddies and taste some really interesting wine.

One last important note.  Try the Cayuga White every place you go.  You’ll also find this grape listed on every good wine list in the region.  It was created through an experiment by Cornell students in Geneva years ago and this region is, as far as I know, the only place you can find it.  Cayuga White tastes like a riesling, but a bit drier.  Some grapes are transformed into an easy-to-drink sparkling wine.  I once forced a lady seated next to me at my favorite wine bar (Just a Taste, N. Aurora Street, Ithaca) to order a glass because, like I always preach, “It’s what the locals drink!”

I think it’s clear by now that I enjoy a good adult beverage on the weekends…and weeknights after a long day.  Drinking takes a toll on your body so you have to keep it in moderation.  I found this WONDERFUL cleanse recipe in Super Cleanse by Adina Niemerow while researching a raw food/juicing cleanse last year.  (I highly recommend cleansing every three months to keep your system in check and to curb nasty cravings.  In my case I dream about chocolate too often.  I am eating a truffle as I write this.  It may be time for another cleanse.)

I like filling a large glass pitcher with this fresh-squeezed juice on Sunday night or Monday morning for my husband and I to share over the next two days.  It’s tasty.  It cleanses your liver.  It triggers a reset button.  And, when I drink it, I find my hunger is curbed.

Lemon juice makes your liver happy! yippee! Look at these happy lemons.

Enjoy!  All you need is a juicer.

Apples (10)

Lemons (5-8)

Flax Seed Oil (tablespoon)

Purified Water (a few cups to top off the pitcher)

Cayenne Pepper (sprinkle to taste)

Quarter the apples.  Cut off the rind on the lemons.  Juice all of the fruit.  Add water, flaxseed oil and cayenne pepper.  Stir.  Serve over ice.