Wine

HARVESTING SNOW

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Have you ever had a food or drink that you love so much you want to enjoy it now but also want to save some for a special occasion?
I feel that way about the Fox Hill Maple wine from Snow Farm Vineyard.

As the vineyard is located on an island, it is special to begin with. When you taste that fresh crisp wine with just enough real maple sweetness, it is special on another level!

And while I am a BIG fan of their maple wine, I have also fallen for many of their other offerings.

Snow Farm’s Seyval Blanc (which is apparently the favorite of their head winemaker- and for good reason!) balances dry and fruity flavors and mouthfeels, much like a zesty Sauvignon Blanc. Their Vidal Blanc is put through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, imparting a comforting smoothness that can be enhanced with age or enjoyed as soon as you receive (or give) it. 

While their menu of wonderful wines continues to grow, special attention has clearly been paid to Snow Farm’s recently-released Fortress Red- a fortified Port-style wine made exclusively from the Farm’s own Frontenac grapes that is aged in oak, releasing scents and flavors of chocolate, coffee, and a hint of licorice that make it ideal for accompanying a wide range of foods or being enjoyed on its own like a fine aperitif.

If you cannot choose your favorite (as I apparently have- at least for now!), Snow Farm also offers gift sets that are great for introducing others (or yourself) to their fine flights. For those in the know (or those who want to be such), there is also a Snow Farm Wine Club that gives members discojnts on what they already love and the inside track on what is coming up.

Speaking of coming up, Snow Farm is looking forward to opening their own distillery next year and to making a new line of liquors right on the island as well.

For information on all of their oenophilic and other offerings, visit www.SnowFarm.com. And the next time you are in the area of South Hero, VT (which is worth a trip for the wine and the natural beauty),  be sure to drop by and tell ‘em Matt’s Meals sent ya!

WINE, MEN and WOMEN, AND SONG

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I recently enjoyed a concert by one of the first bands I ever reviewed – The Slambovian Circus of Dreams – at City Winery in Boston and it not only brought back memories of my earliest days as a writer but also my love for live music combined with great food and drink.

Ever eager to bring such great memories and good vibes to their guests, City Winery is expanding upon the great tipple and tune combos that I mentioned recently such as the Sunday Berklee band brunches and Monday night Soul Pairings with a new offering that builds upon their already popular Vinofile Club.

While the original Vinofile membership includes 48-hour advanced access to concert tickets (with no fees!) and points that can be used toward future food and ticket purchases, as well as access to members-only events, the Plus level adds a bottle of the Winery’s monthly featured wine, a monthly wine flight in the restaurant, entrance to exclusive monthly tastings (with a guest!), access to limited-edition wines, and a complimentary entree and glass the week of your birthday! And at only $30 a month, the monthly bottle of wine alone makes it all worth wine (I mean worthwhile)!City Winery’s award-winning wines are made with world-class grapes from around the world and combine old world techniques combined with 21st-century technology. As everything from grape selection and fermentation to bottling happens in one place, there is no wine fresher or more creative than those at the Winery. When you add great food and some of the most popular musical acts around, it makes the Winery a great place to visit and revisit month after month (if not more often!).

Even if you are not a member of the clubs (at least not yet), the Winery has also prepared holiday gift baskets for those who cannot make it in all the time and for anyone who appreciates great gifts of great wine.

Holiday Cheers!

citywinery.com/boston

MORE WINE AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME

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While I remain a devoted fan and patron of the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Wine & Food Festival (which kicks off January 12 and runs through March), I am also looking forward to the return of the area’s largest weekend wine event – the Boston Wine Expo – which is scheduled to return to the Boston Park Plaza Hotel March 25 and 26.

This year’s events at the Boston Harbor Hotel include dinners featuring Chef David Daniels’s fabulous food paired with wines form such remarkable regions as Bordeaux, the Napa and Rhone River valleys, and South Africa, as well as legendary lees-leavers like like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild, Frog’s Leap, Opus One, and our own Ruby Wines. There will also be master classes and meet-the-winemaker events that will engage and entertain everyone from simple sippers to international oenophiles.

While the Harbor Hotel’s event has featured hundreds of wineries over the course of a record-breaking 33 years, the Expo gathers over 100 over the course of two days, making it the largest wine consumer event in the nation!

In addition to being able to try so many wines at once, guests of the Expo will also be able to attend Grand Tastings each day from 1-3 PM and those who participate in the VIP program (which costs about an extra $50) will also be invited to an exclusive tasting at which they can meet the winemakers and retailers in a more intimate and personal setting. These extra-important guests will also receive gift bags filled with special offers from food and wine purveyors in and around Boston.

As the event has been away for a bit, organizers are strongly suggesting that fans pick up their tickets and VIP passes soon as a sell-out is expected.

Whether you enjoy luxurious hotels, great food or an abundance of amazing wine, you cannot go wrong with either the 34rd edition of the Food & Wine Festival or the triumphant return of the Boston Wine Expo…or both!

L’chaim!

www.boswineandfoodfestival.com  www.boswineexpo.com

HOLDAYS AT HAYMARKET

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Now that we are (hopefully) visiting others for the holidays it is time once again to get gifts for them all!

As usual, our friends at Boston Public Market have everything we (and everyone we know) could ask for…and more!

From gifts to groceries and treats to trimming, BPM makes holiday prep easy. And not only will you be helping the Market’s marvelous makers, you will also be supporting area entrepreneurs through the “Market on a Mission” non-profit program as well.

As part of its December Happenings series, the Market is hosting such special events as Pine Bar tap takeover featuring Shelburne, VT’s Fiddlehead Beer on December 22, a visit from Frosty the Snowman December 18, and a Holiday CrEATor Market (with an emphasis on the “E A T”) every weekend right up until Christmas Eve! There will also be a sleigh-full of tours, tastings, and classes, including pasta ornament making with Seven Hills Pasta December 17, ornament decorating with Laurel Greenfield Art December 20, and a coffee tasting with George Howell on the 23rd that will help you power through the final shopping days and get ready for what is sure to be a great holiday (or at least better than last year)!

No matter when you visit, there are always plenty of pretty and practical pieces from the enviro-conscious crafters of Peterman’s Board and Bowls, American Stonecraft, and the ever-able artists at HOPe Unlimited. If you have already finished your holiday shopping (as if!), you can still enjoy local legends like Beantown Pastrami, Crescent Ridge ice cream, Red’s Best seafood, and the ever-popular gift-makers at Q’s Nuts (as well as bagels from Bagel Guild for those who prefer to shmear through the snow).

Whether you need gifts for others or a well-deserved treat for yourself, Boston Public Market is always ready to deliver. And as we prepare to give to others we love, a visit to the Market is a great opportunity to also give to some of our most creative our friends and neighbors as well!

www.bostonpublicmarket.org

Generally Great

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As kids go back to school and holidays lurk just around the corner many are looking for places to stock up on supplies and other good stuff.

In my town of Needham, we are fortunate enough to have most of it taken care of at the Needham General Store!

Located just across the street from the Hersey stop on the Commuter Rail, the General Store offers not only a full Dunkin’ Donuts but also great food and gifts from other local makers. They even have books from folks who have been on my TV show “The Writer’s Block” (including my book, Lions, Tigers, and…Bulldogs? An unofficial guide to the legends and lore of the Ivy League)!

One of their latest offerings is a weekly meat pick-up from Bianco’s in Medford that allows participants to trim their weekly shopping list by a few delicious pounds.

They also offer all-natural salts from Saltire Brands, a woman-owned business that took inspiration from Paris markets and now hand-harvests sea salts from Duxbury.

If you need a quick gift (or yummy snack), bags of small-batch Minute Man kettle corn are always a hit! This Worcester-based company takes inspiration and recipes from the American Revolution and is sure to change how you see (and taste) popcorn.

Another great snack that is especially popular in my house is the GIANT peanut butter cup from Swampscott’s CB Stuffers. They apparently make the largest peanut butter cups available, as well amazing bars and other sweet treats, including items with the Red Sox logo that can let you end a sour season on a sweet note.

If you need a bit of a bridge from your typical store to one that offers as much as this specifically-situated “general” store does, remember that it also has a full Dunkin’ counter so you can enjoy a “regular” while finding unique gifts.

Keep track of wine tastings, author talks, and other events by following www.facebook.com/NeedhamGeneralStore or visiting https://the-needham-general-store.business.site and have a General-ly better shopping experience!

Drink wine ANY time at City Winery

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I know that I just sang the praises of City Winery’s new weekend wine tours and tastings and their mid-week wonder Wined-up Wednesdays, but speaking of singing, they just added two new sets of events that are sure to make their already delicious food and wine taste even better!

To make it easier to ease into Sunday, City Winery is hosting the Berklee Ensemble Brunch Series during which some of Boston’s most talented music students accompany their brunch buffet from noon to 2 PM. In a growing roster of revues, the talented tunesmiths will give you music and you can give them early audience appreciation What a deal!

On Mondays form 5-7 PM, the Winery will enhance their already impressive musical offerings by combining fine wine with great Soul music in a new series called Soul Pairings. From James Brown to Steve Winder and Cabernet to Zinfandel, the evening events will encourage oenophiles, weary workers, and music lovers to come together while bringing great tastes in wine and music together as well. And as a six-wine flight is just $15, it is a hard beat to beat!

Though events like this have been hosted for their VInofile members, Soul Pairings will open up the vault to all, offering a half dozen wines that have been professionally paired with select Soul jams that will swirl and stir the senses and the soul. 

www.citywinery.com/boston