Lady Mix-A-Lot

So far the year 2014 has been full of new:  I moved into a new apartment on January first (also first time living alone!), it's my first semester of full-time work and part-time school, and it's my first attempt to succeed at a minimalist/healthy/active/zen lifestyle (hello hot yoga!).  But, my favorite new thing of all is GIRL'S DAY with Carly DeBurger.  Carly and I met on our London trip with Dr. Howarth's "London Calling" class in the summer of 2012.  With my new apartment officially a boy-free-zone, we've gone a little crazy making girly-girl mixed drinks on weekends. 

Which brings me to my next new experience of 2014: using wine as a mixer!  Okay, okay, I've had sangria but that doesn't count.  I'm talking about going to the store with a brand new drink recipe in mind and wine being one of the main ingredients.

Our concoction is so ridiculously simple and delicious (and cute!), that there's pretty much no way you can go wrong. 

One part white wine
One part Sprite (we used diet Sierra Mist--0 cal.--because, um, it's still January.  We're not giving up on ourdiets that easily!)
Throw in frozen strawberries
(Eat the strawberries when your drink is gone, and congratulate yourself on both your resourcefulness for not wasting any alcohol and on your good dietary habits for eating fruit.)

A major perk to mixing wine is that you can go very, very cheap on your wine choice because, hey, you have other flavors to drown the poor quality of your purchase (did I mention I just got a new apartment?  My budget is even tighter than usual!).  We used a box of Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio (in other words, Great Value Pinot Grigio), but we, and our wallets, were more than satisfied.

On that note, I will say that on Monday morning when I was bragging about me and Carly's wine mixed drink adventure, my coworker said it sounded "white trash."  Take that as you will, but I believe they're just jealous they didn't think of it.  And heck, isn't being "white trash" in style right now?

Our simple recipe is just a building block for other mixed drinks you can make with wine.  Perhaps try some other types of fruit?  Use blush white for a prettier appearance?  A couple days ago Carly sent me a text that read, "We should blend the wine with the berries! Wine smoothie! Ahhh!" 

She says wine smoothies?  I say why not?

Did I mention that Carly's a phenomenal chef?  Check out her cooking blog at carlymaedeburger.blogspot.com

The Keltoi Vineyard

Driving down dusty County Road 260 between Joplin and Pittsburg doesn’t have a whole lot in common with a cruise in European countryside—except for one thing: The Keltoi Vineyard.

Keltoi Vineyard started out as a hobby for Erv and LeeAnn Langan when they put in their first vines in 1998.  Erv said with a laugh that his wife calls it a hobby that ‘quickly got out of hand.’

Today Keltoi—which is Gaelic for Celtic—consists of 46 acres and includes “The Cottage” for tastings and retail, camp grounds, and an extensive production building.  In addition to grapes, the Langans have come to grow various fruits and pecans on their property.   They have been selling wine since 2005. 

The Norton wine, their driest full-bodied red, is made from the Norton grape, a Missouri state grape.  Their Irish Moondrops, a dry, floral white, is made from Catawba grapes which are also native to the Midwest.  The rest of the wines on Keltoi’s list are made from French-American hybrids.

“They’ve been bred by universities, mainly by Cornell in New York State,” said head wine maker Andrew Pennington. “I actually put in 650 vines myself this spring, and they all just come in a UPS box.”

Pennington, a Missouri Southern State University graduate, does the majority of wine production himself, from the picking to the barreling to the bottling.  He even has a laboratory to test pH, flavors and more.

The most extraordinary thing about Pennington’s job is the amount of time, patience, and diligence that goes into making wine.  He planted his first vines at Keltoi when he was 23 and is looking forward to tasting the finished product when he turns 28 next year.

Erv and LeeAnn are Southern graduates as well.  Erv began attending Southern after serving in Vietnam.  He was inspired to start making wine while stationed in Germany visiting wineries.  He graduated with a degree in business in 1977.  LeeAnn finished up at Southern in 1985 with a degree in Computer Science.  Erv went on to teach ROTC at Southern from 1983-1986 and 1991-1994.

The Langans are now retired, but their work is never done.   

“We get people who reserve wine that we won’t have for months on end,” said Pennington.

Their sparkling wines are the most popular, namely Irish Raindrops. “We cannot keep it on the shelves,” said Langan.

Any college students looking for an affordable night out should consider Keltoi.  All wines are under $15 and a full tasting is only $5 per person.

Making wine is an intricate process, and makers are at the mercy of the climate, but Erv Langan has a motto that keeps things positive if the going gets tough: “If we can’t sell the grapes, we’re going to make wine, and if we can’t sell the wine, we’ll just drink it!”


[This post was originally written for my school newspaper The Chart ]  

http://keltoivineyard.com/

A Moveable Feast: French Inspired Picnic

I recently read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, and on the title page was a copy of this quote by the author:

"If you are lucky enough to have lived

in Paris as a young man, then wherever you

go for the rest of your life, it stays with

you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

Unfortunately I haven't been to Paris, though I still have a few years to be a young [wo]man and see if Hemingway's words ring true.  The novel, which is really more a collection of short memoirs, chronicles the writer's famous years in Paris during the 1920s. It takes place pre-The Sun Also Rises (his big break) when he was in his mid-twenties, a newly-wed, and was first beginning to rub elbows with the likes of Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Much of the novel centers around eating and drinking, and Hemingway describes the refreshments of each event.  I'll admit there were times while reading I wanted to uncork a bottle of French white wine, don a straw hat, and go lie around in the park smoking cigarettes.  While this behavior was acceptable for a promising young writer in 1920s Paris, if I did the same thing at one our local parks (which are all actually playgrounds for children), I'd probably get, at best, dirty looks for puffing second hand smoke in the air, and at worst, arrested for drinking in public.

A still-life worthy of Picasso.

So I came up with another plan:  take the "moveable feast" mantra a bit more literally.  Moveable feast a.k.a. a picnic!  Now I could rustle up some french grub, get that bottle of wine I was talking about, and enjoy myself a la Hemingway in the back yard.

I knew I would buy some olives, brie cheese, and a loaf of french bread.  These items are all safe choices with any type of French white wine. I didn't have many affordable options at my local liquor store and eventually decided to purchase Barton & Guestier Vouvray of the Loire region, made with Chenin Blanc grapes for about $9.  I actually considered buying champagne since Paris is in the champagne wine-region.  If you plan to have your own moveable feast and have trouble finding a good French wine in your small town too, champagne is a good alternative.

I checked online for some easy French aperitifs and decided to attempt a ham and cheese white quiche.  Here's the link to the recipe I used:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1033991

Don't mind us...we're just having lunch.

Overall, it was easy to make, but it took me a couple of tries to get the egg whites to thicken the way I wanted them to.  Achieving "firm peaks" from egg whites is not for the faint of heart and I advise using a mixer and not attempting it by hand.  Eventually I had beaten those egg whites to a decently firm consistency and the quiche ended up turning out really well although it exuded an amateur-esque appearance.  I added red onion to mine because I had it handy, but the recipe doesn't call for it.  Even though my quiche wasn't very pretty, it was a perfect finger food for the picnic.

By the time my sister Cheyanne and I had everything packed in the picnic basket, we had to giggle at how fancy it all looked.  We were under dressed for our own picnic!  We mused over how silly it would look if we took our French-inspired picnic to the pavilion at one of our local parks.  She jokingly played Beethoven while we sipped on our wine and nibbled on the brie.  What can we say?  We enjoy the finer things in life.
  

Speakeasy

I live in the type of home town that people like to complain about.  "There's nothing to do." "Nothing new ever happens." "There's no culture."

Speakeasy, a brand new hangout in Joplin, is blasting all of those complaints to smithereens.  At least it is for me.  I'm in love.  It has elements of a speakeasy, an antique store, someone's hipster apartment, and it's all around really unique.

The Smoking Room

First of all, it's modeled after a real speakeasy (Joplin actually had a few in the 1920s).  The owner doesn't want to advertise its whereabouts but only gain patronage by word of mouth.  Since Speakeasy has only been open for about a month, it's generally the same crowd in there each time, which is cool because the decor and layout makes you feel like you're at someone's house party.  But still, I hope that word travels and the customer base keeps growing.  Like I said, there's not much to do in Joplin, but when we do get cool places like this, it's not uncommon for it to not last.

The Smoking Room, another angle

Anyway, back to the speakeasy theme.  I can't say where it's located, but I can say next time you're in Joplin, Missouri on Main Street, look for a red phone booth.  That's right.  The front door is disguised as a phone booth.  Once you step inside, pick up the phone and dial "999" and ask for "Richard's Taxi Service."  After that, one of my best friends, Josh, will let you in.  (Just to clarify, he works the door.)  The other thing that makes Speakeasy feel like an apartment is that it used to be an upstairs loft.  Most bars are one big space, but Speakeasy is divided into separate rooms.  There is the Smoking Room (pictured), which is my personal favorite.  The entire place is smoking (yes, we still do that inside in Joplin), but this room was named for smoking cigars.  Hardly anyone actually does, but the themed naming is a nice touch.  It's the coziest room in my opinion.  Another room, what would have been the living room, houses the bar.  Then there's a room that feels more like restaurant dining and is just meant to be extra seating.  Speakeasy doesn't have a menu but does serve free hors d'oeuvres sometimes. Another room has more seating and loops silent films all night on a large screen.  There is also the Poker Room complete with a traditional round poker table.  I don't know how to play poker, but I feel so darn cool hanging out in there.  Or, as my friend Pete put it, "I feel like I should be a dog right now."

I forgot to mention that the bartenders dress like flappers.  Oftentimes there will be live jazz music or a soulful singer dressed to fit the era.  Sometimes there isn't a performance, but there's always live music.  People are encouraged to bring their instruments and it's not uncommon to see a guy just relaxing in an armchair picking at his guitar as if he were at home.

On my first visit, I tasted a Cabernet Sauvignon called Silver Palm Cabernet, 2010.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the label because I had taken the last serving of the last bottle, and she'd already thrown it out.  I remember it being pretty dry, more spicey/oakey than sweet, and medium-bodied.  I've since learned that it comes from Northern California.  Many reviews have referred to it as "vintage" in flavor, so I suppose that goes with the theme.

If you've never had a reason to visit Joplin, Missouri before, the Speakeasy is definitely one to consider.

The Little Venice Lounge and Wine Bar in London

I took Spring Break a few days early this year so I could fly to London and visit my sister, Cheyanne, who is studying abroad here for the semester.  I arrived yesterday at 11:30 am, which felt like 5:30 am, so I was a little jet-lagged, but ready to hit the ground running.  We dropped my bag off at her flat, I met a couple of her roommates, freshened up a bit, and then we were off.  I didn't even change clothes.  Seriously, I'm not losing any time.  Nine days here isn't near enough!

Anyway, we grabbed a cup of coffee from her regular coffee shop down the street, Caffe Nero, and spent the rest of the day shopping in Oxford Circus and eating amazing French food.  In retrospect, I was exhausted, not to mention suffering/enjoying a severe case of sensory overload, but in my humble opinion, London is heaven on earth, so I mistook my exhaustion for wide-eyed dream-state and kept on groovin'.

We returned to her neighborhood around seven and decided to spend the evening walking around and seeing what we could find.  She lives in Little Venice, the area surrounding the Warwick underground station, or Maida Vale.  I'm not sure why it's called Little Venice.  Nothing here is particularly Italian-esque, except they have a canal, but alright.  We did see one place that acknowledged the Little Venice label:  The Little Venice Lounge and Wine Bar.  With my love of wine, I couldn't wait to check it out.  

We went in and I was charmed by the comfy atmosphere.  It was a very small place and with a "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name" vibe. At the same time, was eclectic and stylishly decorated.  The color scheme was dark purple and black.  There was a small bar, for about six people, which was full.  Along the back wall, was more seating with small tables and funky throw pillows that juxtaposed the sleek, black upholstery.  A gigantic mirror hangs on one wall.  These seats were taken as well.  Cheyanne and I shifted nervously, not knowing where to sit, when the owner, I believe it was, asked us if we'd like a seat upstairs.  Relieved, we followed her to a tiny, steep staircase you would never notice if it wasn't pointed out.

The stairs led to a loft where two couches with an abundance of patterned throw pillows awaited us.  We had this tiny loft to ourselves and it was great.  We each ordered a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Grifone.  It's an Italian wine; we thought we'd attempt to experience "Little Venice" as much as possible.

 
The wine was a good medium blend.  It had a medium level of tannins which blended nicely with the sweeter cherry flavor.  The body of the wine was medium, exactly in the middle of light and heavy.  It was served with olives, which was fine with me because I love olives, though I'm not sure olives are the most complementary flavor to a semi-dry red wine.

Our experience there was very casual (our bartender, pictured, told us to holler down from the loft when we were ready to order), but it was fun.  The staff were incredibly friendly and excited to hear that I have a wine blog and encouraged me to take photos.  It definitely seems like the type of place I'd hang out on a Friday night if I lived in London.  Plus we ate at a fantastic sushi restaurant around the corner the next night, and I've since learned that you can order sushi from that restaurant and have it delivered to the LV Wine bar.

We just stayed for the one glass, and overall, I really enjoyed my time at the Little Venice Lounge and Wine Bar.  My sister and I got to relax in a quiet, comfortable atmosphere, and it was the perfect end to an exhausting and overwhelming, but amazing, day.

Here's a link to the Little Venice Lounge and Wine Bar website.  It attempts to make the bar come across as a bit more sleek and sophisticated than it actually is, but I would still recommend a visit.

http://lvlounge.co.uk/

Photo courtesy of the Little Venice Lounge and Wine Bar website



Me (left) in all of my jet-lagged glory, and my beautiful sister, Cheyanne, at the Little Venice Lounge and Wine Bar.  

 

The Wine Pursuit is a guide...

For people who want to learn the basics of wine tasting.  This site will show that wine tasting is not a complicated event.  In other words, it is for people who want to go from beginner to proficient in skill.    

&

For people who are on a budget.  The availability of fine wines on the market for under $20 is vast.  There is no need to spend more to have an enjoyable tasting experience.

Welcome!

Welcome to The Wine Pursuit, a beginners guide to wine!  Wine is something I have always wanted to learn more about, but a few months ago I found myself wanting to go from novice to sommelier when a good friend and I were at a local tasting.  He knows a lot more about it than I do and he was explaining some of the basics to me as we sipped.  A very sophisticated and somehow whimsical older man (think Royal Tenenbaum) near us leaned over and said, "Sorry to interrupt, but once you learn wine-- the world opens."  Immediately an image of me taking a sip of wine and then soaring on a magic carpet into the Beatle's yellow submarine world came to mind.  I turned to my friend, wide-eyed, and said, "I want to go there."  Before he could say, "Huh?" I turned back to Royal Tenenbaum, but- poof!- he was gone.  I don't know who he was, but that one sentence instilled in me a strong desire to learn about all things wine.

Now, there are a few obstacles in the way.  First, wine tasting is a complicated affair.  There are the different types, the innumerable flavors, the variety of grapes, flavors by location, the food combinations-- it's enough to send anyone into a coma.  Second, wine is expensive.  At least a lot of people will say that wine worth drinking is expense.  I say, "Nay sir!"  

I have been on my wine pursuit for some time and it hasn't been easy.  Every wine vocabulary list I see is three miles long, and frankly, I don't have time to read an entire book about wine.  Another problem is that a lot of wine recommendations out there are just not in my budget.  I want to expand my collection, but seriously, there's got to be more for a poor girl than Yellowtail!  So anyway, my novice/lower-class status was making it a bit hard to become a wine snob and the internet wasn't being very understanding.  

I've decided to create this site chronicling my wine pursuit and I hope it will assist in yours.  I'm going to sift through all that vocabulary and  get down to basics.  Also, I'm on a quest to find some fabulous wines for us fabulously broke people.  I'm setting the limit at $20 for the most expensive wine I will feature.  

I don't know if The Wine Pursuit will result in a magic carpet ride to Beatles land but I hope it will be helpful in gaining knowledge on tastes and knowing what to look for in a wine.  At the very least, be able to put together an intelligent sentence or two at a wine tasting.  

Cheers!