Here's a great sangria for under $10

The best thing about not being pregnant anymore is being able to drink wine!

I’m currently reading a book about happiness. It’s titled: “Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way” by Dan Buettner. He points out that endorphin levels rise and folks feel happier when they drink a glass of wine — and the benefit is even better if you’re drinking it with friends. It’s the simple, little things...

This is a refreshing summer wine. Find it at Costco for under $10 a bottle.

I have a new favorite wine, and thanks to Costco’s liquor store, it’s very affordable. To be honest, I didn’t even pay attention to the exact cost of this wine. I just know it is under $10. After trying de la Costa Sangria at a friend’s house, I just knew I had to have more.

I love Sangria, and I’ve made it the long way many times before, from scratch starting with a strong red wine and then adding sugar, fruit and brandy. The de la Costa Sangria is a lot easier. Open it the fun swing top. Drink it.

It’s a delicious sangria. You’re not missing anything by not having fruit floating in it, but if you feel like you are, go ahead and add some to your glass and punch up the fruity flavor a little more.

Currently, this is my go-to wine during my 6-week-old’s 2-hour-or-longer crying bouts. A small glass helps relax me, and that’s pretty important during a crying jag that goes on and on. (And here I need to include this disclaimer: don’t go overboard when you’re taking care of an infant!! Drink responsibly.)

Glunz Family Wineries and Cellers out of Grayslake, Ill. makes the de la Costa Sangria. It’s part of the Glunz "Fun Wines" series. According to the web site: “These are wines we make to not take too seriously but to be enjoyed with the season. Sangria is our red wine that is flavored with all natural fruit flavors and spices. It is packed with citrus flavor a nice tang from the red wine and a clean finish with a touch of cinnamon. It is available in late Spring through Summer.” Their other seasonal wines include Sangria, Glögg, and May Wine.

Here’s to happiness!

Glunz Family Winery & Cellars

888 E. Belvidere Rd. Ste. #211

Grayslake, Illinois 60030

http://www.gfwc.com

Living without coffee and wine during pregnancy

What’s the hardest thing about being pregnant? For me, it’s giving up wine and coffee. I do it because I must, but that certainly doesn’t mean I give it up without complaining. It’s awfully hard to go an entire nine months without two of the things that make your life happy. And I’m pretty sure this kid won’t understand until she’s pregnant; and if it’s a boy, well, he’ll never understand the sacrifice. But that’s part of being a mom, right?

That’s what I tell myself when I’m in the clutches of a powerful craving for a good glass of syrrah, or pinot, or raspberry wine. Heck, I’d go for a glass of California cabernet right now!

You can guess my level of excitement when I discovered a non-alcoholic wine recently. Yep. Wine with the alcohol removed! Brilliant! 

 

My sister, who is also pregnant, bought me a bottle of Fre for my birthday. It was heavenly. The great thing about Fre is that it isn’t sugary like all those other wine substitutes. It really tastes like wine (at least to someone who has been living without for months upon months). I also recently tried  Ariel’s Cabernet Savignon, but it was not nearly as good. It tasted more like watered down juice.

Fre comes in White Zinfandel, Brut, Premium White, Premium Red, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Fre is owned by Sutter Home Winery, which has been producing wine in the Napa Valley since the late 1800s. The grapes for the alcohol-removed wine come from the 7000 acres of the Trinchero Family Vineyards. The winery produces all of its Fre alcohol removed wines at the St. Helena facility where the spinning cone is housed. 

According to its web site, Fre is produced using the revolutionary spinning cone column, which facilitates the removal and safeguarding of fragile wine aromas and flavors at low temperatures, then removes the alcohol at slightly higher temperatures. The wine essences are then reintroduced to the dealcoholized base wine and blended with unfermented grape juice. The finished product is a fresh, delicious beverage with the characteristic aromas and flavors of premium wine, yet with less than 0.5% alcohol and less than half the calories of regular wine.

ABOUT FRE

• Through the de-alcoholization process of producing Fre, less than one half of one percent of alcohol remains in the wine — an alcohol content approximately equivalent to the alcohol content of orange juice left out of the refrigerator overnight.

• Fre wines have half the caloric content of alcoholic wines.Fre wines average 70 calories per 8 ounce serving.

• Fre does not contain any gluten or gluten products. All of the natural flavors of the wine are fruit derived. They are not kosher.

 

CHICKORY INSTEAD OR COFFEE

Onto the coffee issue. I really miss my morning coffee. It wasn’t so bad during those first three months when I couldn’t eat anything. I drank my Red Raspberry tea like a good pregnant woman, and didn’t go near a coffee shop. But when I started to need a place to camp out and study for my master’s class, it got harder to stay away from coffee... And as soon as I sniffed that lovely coffee smell I realized just how much I missed my morning cup of joe. And my afternoon cup of joe. And that evening pick-me-up cup of joe. Oh, for some coffee!!

Over the years, there have been times when I’ve decided to go off coffee for one reason or another. Show myself I’m not addicted to caffeine. Save my teeth from staining. Drink something healthier. Whatever. When I studied abroad in England I was introduced to chickory. Yummy stuff without the caffeine. Apparently it was pretty popular over here, too, during the Depression, but once that lifted we went back to the more expensive coffee. Periodically I’ve checked Google for chickory, but always without any luck. You can find the coffee-chickory mix from New Orleans, or the barley-roasted carob-almonds-natural coffee flavor-chickory mixes like Teeccino from natural food coops. But I’ve been looking for just plain ground chickory.

Good news folks! I finally found some!! It’s on Amazon. And it has made me very, very happy.

What are some things you hate living without during pregnancy? What treats do you compensate with? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Visit New Ulm: Winery 2 of 4

I’m a sucker for anyplace with a winery, a brewery and links to famous authors. New Ulm has all of that — and more. Click here to read the first installment of this four-part series.

See more at morgancreekvineyard.com

MORGAN CREEK WINERY

Billed as the only underground winery in Minnesota, Morgan Creek Winery (morgancreekvineyards.com) is about 10 minutes outside New Ulm. The drive in is beautiful; turn right before the creek. The winery building is set inside the hill and spills out into a pasture. There are plenty of tables for folks to sit a spell, as well as a fire pit. Live music drifted out of the building, and folks were spending their Friday evening sipping wine and snacking on wood-fired pizza ($6.25-$7), swiss raclette ($4.75) and bruschette sticks ($6.75).

Don't you want to be sipping a glass of wine there right now?

My toddler immediately went running through the field, straight to the swing hanging from a huge tree. We chased her down there and relaxed awhile, enjoying the early evening light coming down on the vineyard.

The appetizers coming out of that European wood-fire stove looked amazing.

This was a great swing to while away a few hours.

Warm up on a cool evening with friends and wine.

Then we headed back up. I had some wine to taste!

That's what I was there for: the wine tasting. During the Friday night Winedown for the Weekend, tastings are free.

This particular evening, during the “Winedown for the Weekend” event, the tasting was free. Among the offerings were:

DRY

Puck’s Pride

St. John Researve

Colure

Redtail Ridge

SEMI-SWEET

Nova

Gerwurtztraminer

Zeitgeist

Relativity

SWEET

Fox Run

Morgan Creek Myst

Fantastic.

I love their wine names. The place produces German, French and American-style wines, including Minnesota coldhearty varietals. I would have enjoyed staying at the winery all evening, but the toddler had sat enough that day. I bought a few bottles to bring back, and off we went back to our hotel. Maybe I’ll return for the German winefest later in the summer, the Cambria Crush: The Annual Great Grape Stomp in the fall, or the Christmas Candlelight Winetasting.

Nova. Relativity. Zeitgeist. What great names!

23708 478th Avenue

New Ulm

(Four miles south of New Ulm on Highway 15, then 4 miles each on County Road 24, and south 1/2 mile on 478th to site.)

507-947-3547

www.morgancreekvineyards.com

Hours: May to October - Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.

COMING UP

Schell Brewery

Wanda Gag House

Wine of the Week

Try a South African wine this week that is sweet and juicy. Personally, I couldn’t help but grab the Jam Jar bottle to try it out when I saw it sitting on a store shelf. It has a twist-top that looks like a red-checkered picnic tablecloth. This sweet shiraz has the ripe flavors of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I loved it. The bottle label boasts that it makes a perfect partner for bacon cheeseburgers, soft cheese and desserts. It also works well to relax at the end of a hard week.

A favorite of mine is The Wine-ing Farmer’s Wife made in Morgan, Minn. (near Redwood Falls). I love the name, don’t you? It’s a semi-sweet white wine, and it’s oh, so delicious. This is one wine you can serve to anyone and they are guaranteed to love it. The Wine-ing Farmer is the red version — and I highly recommend that one, too. I stumbled upon this winery while visiting southern Minnesota a few years ago. They made their wine then at the family farm, and I took a tour through the big red barn where they make their delicious wines. These days, they’ve moved to downtown Redwood, Falls where they offer tastings Thursday to Sunday. The family-run winery offers a few fruit wines and a variety of reds and whites. I think their dessert wine, Debauchery, is next on my list!

Now, that's just fun. Cheeseheads vs. Vikings

If you’re looking for a fancy wine, Cheesehead White won’t be for you. But if you’re looking for a fun bottle to bring out on game day, you’ll love this white wine from Chateau St. Croix Winery and Vineyard in St. Croix Falls, Minn. The twist-top is covered by a piece of yellow cheese. Seriously. If you want to get conversation rolling, offer up Helga’s Red (complete with a Viking hat on it’s top). Which one will be most popular? It’s up to your friends to decide! It just so happens that the Living Social deal for today is $23 for a tour and tasting for two at the Chateau St. Croix Winery (regular $46). You even get two glasses to bring home.

In time for summer: FlipFlop wine

Put a little summer into your weekend with a glass of FlipFlop wine (flipflopwines.com).

This is a wine company that doesn’t take itself too seriously. With bottles of wine priced at $7.99, they succeed in offering wine that regular folks can buy.

Just as flipflops are instantly likable and easy-going, so are these wines.

I cracked open a bottle of Pinot Noir recently. While I typically like Pinot Noir, I don’t count on loving each type I try. I feel that way about reds in general. Many are too dry for my taste. This FlipFlop Pinot Noir was perfect. Not too sweet, not too dry. A medium-bodied wine, the company boasts that it has bright cherry, sweet spice and a supple, velvet finish with cola aromas and hints of vanilla. My palate isn’t that developed. What I know is that is was the perfect wine to sip while I put my feet up. It’s definitely going on my list of wines to serve during gatherings. I’m even going to try it on the women I know who don’t really like wine.

FlipFlop currently makes seven types of wine:

- Whites: Chardonnay, riesling, pinot grigio, moscato

- Reds: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir

Their bottles come with a convenient chart that not only gives you an inkling of the flavors in an easy-to-read way, but also states where the wine falls on the dry - medium dry - medium sweet - sweet continuum. Perfect!

Vitner David Georges became fascinated by grape growing while working at an organic vegetable farm in the Mt. Shasta region of California. After planting a small vineyard there, he was inspired to study viticulture at the University of California. His goal is to stay true to each wine’s varietal character, and to make great tasting wines that don’t break the bank. These are relatively new wines and were first released earlier this year. The grapes were harvested in September 2009.

Vintner David Georges talks about FlipFlop wines.

“To each their own.” That’s a toast I can drink to!

I love it when a business supports a good cause like Souls4Shoes. It makes me want to drink even more of their wine!

For every bottle of FlipFlop wine purchased, Soles4Souls will distribute a pair of shoes to someone in need.

Wine isn’t just for drinking! Try cooking with the FlipFlop Pinot Noir, too.

• Click here for Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

• Click here for Red-Red Velvet Cupcakes

Wine: a guide to starting out

I haven’t always loved wine, but I have always loved the idea of wine.

I don’t think that wine needs to be intimidating, but it usually is at the start anyway. The problem is that most of us don’t know what we like at first — and there are so many options.

I started my love affair with wine by visiting local wineries. Oh, I love wineries. The great thing about them is that you can sample before you buy. Many offer free samples, and I’d shimmy up to the bar to try every kind. If you give me free samples, you can be sure I’m buying at least half a case! Some wineries are silly enough to charge $5 a glass and then I usually only buy a bottle or two. I’m not going to buy what I haven’t had a chance to taste. The other great thing about wineries is that you can ask questions, take tours and learn about the wine process.

The first winery I visited was Winehaven Winery in Chisago City (http://winehaven.com) and they remain one of my favorites. I had looked all over for honey wine, and then found someone making it in my own backyard. There is only one word for honey wine (aka mead): yum. You simply have to try it. They also make a delicious raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb (contrary to popular thought, it’s not too tart), strawberry-rhubarb, and cranberry. Oh, I love their fruit wines. They make others, but I REALLY LOVE THEIR FRUIT WINES.

The tasting room at Alexis Bailey in Hastings, Minn.

Many wineries are now making a production about their wine tastings — something I’m all for. Just this last weekend I visited Salem Glen Winery in Rochester, sat in their cedar-lined room, gazed out at a scenic country scene, sampled wines and listened to live jazz. It. Was. Awesome. The girls I was with aren’t wine lovers really, but everyone found something they liked. At Alexis Bailey Winery in Hastings you can bring the kids (or the lover), spread out a blanket, have a picnic with your bottle of wine, run around the grounds, listen to music, and enjoy the sculpture. I had one of the best evenings of my life at Munson Bridge Winery in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin, sipping wine as I watched the sun set and the moon rise over a little pond.

For a few years, a group of us took a Wine Tour each fall and hit up wineries in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Oh, it was fun. If you’re interested in that, I recommend checking out the Great River Wine Trail and picking 4-5 wineries to visit over a weekend. www.greatriverroadwinetrail.org. Or, head into Wisconsin; learn more at http://www.wiswine.com/wineries.

I’m also a member of a wine club — doesn’t that sound pretentious? What it means is that I attend as many of the wine tastings held by the Cambridge Liquor Store as I can. They hold three a years (two in the fall and one in the spring) and charge only $20. Get on the mailing list by calling 763-689-2468 or email bobbi.mix@ci.cambridge.mn.us. These events are fantastic! The liquor store brings in 20-30 distributors who set up tables and pour you samples of wine. That’s where I figured out the wines I like and what I don’t. I tend to prefer wines from Australia and South America versus those from Napa Valley and France. I don’t like dry wines at all, but prefer sweet ones instead. Most liquor stores do a smaller version of wine tastings one night a weekend and set up a table or two in their stores. Take advantage of wine tastings!

There’s a great event coming up you might want to attend: The Twin Cities Food and Wine Experience (www.foodwineshow.com). It’s not cheap, but the wine is awesome and the food delicious! You’ll get lots of experience with wines there.

START WITH WHITES

Alice White Lexia is a great pick for a sweet white wine.

Start your wine journey with sweet whites like Moscato (can come bubbly!) and Riesling.

Good Choices:

- Any moscato. (They’re always sweet and delicious. The Moscato d’asti are bubbly, not as much as champange but enough to be fun.)

- Spatlese from St. Gabriel

- Alice White Lexia (Australian wine made from muscat grapes. They also have a great Red Lexia.)

- Country White from Alexis Bailey in Hastings, Minn.

- White Merlot from Gallo, Ernest & Julio in California (White merlot is completely different than the regular red merlot.)

- Riesling from Funf

- Riesling from Starling Castle (Buy it for the bottle. There’s a beautiful castle inside. Plus although the wine comes from Germany, it’s distributed by a local company in Princeton.)

- Riesling from Relax (Yes, I love riesling. What gave it away?)

GRADUATE TO REDS

The mead at Wine Haven is one of my favorite wines of all time. You can beat honey wine!

Red wine tends to be more of an acquired taste. Give yourself time to figure out what sorts of reds you like, and then stick with that variety for awhile. You’ll find lots of variation there; experiment with various wineries and parts of the world. Personally, I love wines from South American and Australia over wines from Napa Valley or France. But that’s just me, and I certainly don’t expect you to follow my path. I also tend to hate the usual varieties you find at restaurants in Minnesota, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Give me a hearty Syrah instead.

Good Choices:

- Claret from Rashi. (If you’ve never tried a red wine before, try this one. It only has 10% alcohol and is almost like grape juice; don’t leave it in your car in the winter or it’ll freeze! I have a friend who hates wine, and she loves this Claret.)

- Merlot, Two Rivers Chateau from Grand Junction, Colo. (You know how I just said I don’t usually like Merlots? This one is fantastic!)

- Sweet Red from Blaufrankisch in Hungary. (It’s a beginner’s red. When a wine lables itself just “red” that means it’s some kind of blend, and they tend to be sweeter than others.)

- GoGo Red, Cannon River Winery in Canon Falls, Minn.

- Pinot Noir from Rosemount Estates in south eastern Australia

- The Wine-ing Farmer from Fieldstone Vineyards in Morgan, Minn.

Wines I’m raving about this week

I confess that I get my best recommendations for wine from the Cambridge liquor store wine connoisseur Bobbi. And she told me I don’t need to spend over $10 these days for a great bottle of wine. My frugal soul has taken those words to heart. Occassionally I splurge, but I never feel like I have to in order to prove I have great taste. Nor should you.

Here are four wines I’m currently raving about...

• Lindemans Moscato

Moscato is my favorite wine, hands-down. Light, pairs with everthing and bubbly - what more could you ask for? At a wine sale last spring, I bought half a case of this wine. I couldn’t help myself. It was only $3 a bottle.

• Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante

Yep, it’s brand spanking new. And quite delicious. This was my pick for New Year’s Eve this year. (Hey, just because I did my toasts at 9 p.m. because I couldn’t make it until midnight doesn’t make it any less good.)

• Europa ChocoVine

I can promise you that you’re going to love this wine. Think Bailey’s Irish Creme in a wine bottle. It’s billed as the “taste of dutch chocolate and fine red wine” by the Holland-based company. I’ve heard that there is also a Raspberry ChocoVine. I have to get my hands on a bottle of that soon...

• Frisk Prickly Riesling

It’s a riesling with an attitude - a bubbly attitude. I have to confess I have absolutely no idea how much a bottle of this stuff costs; it was a gift from a friend of mine with whom I share a love of cats. I plan to pick up some more though as I loved it. Sweet bubbly wine. It sounds like moscato!