Keeping it Local – The Blonde Grape

A Whale of a Good Time—in Vail

September 15, 2016 theblondegrapeLeave a comment

“I’ve a whale of a tale to tell you lads, a whale of a tale or two…” even better when sung by Kirk Douglas (if you are wondering about the relevance of the 20,000 League ride at Disney Parks). Click here, assuming I still can’t get the video to link directly. Remember, part of the title is Blonde…now, let it go.

20000-leagues — *A Disney Film, with a very catchy tune.*

Vail, Colorado is a beautiful mountain town with a definite European influence. Covered bridges, nestled in the Gore Mountains and plenty of unique shopping and dining experiences.

Lots of statues

Would you know you aren’t in Lucerne, if I didn’t say Vail?

Covered bridges…told you.

Small, intimate and very much appreciated history of our Country and Vail. Don’t miss it.

Kintetic art, my favorite

The hills are alive in Vail…go ahead and sing…it is already in your head.

One of the better farmer’s markets around, although a little light on the natural foods, a great selection of cook to order meals, great arts & crafts and even wine. In fact, the wine caught me by surprise and ended up buying some before the wine festival even started. Bookcliff Vineyards, probably my favorite of Colorado wines so far…although admittedly, I have only tried a few. I am getting over the coastal issue but I was very pleased and bought a triple package. The packaging was very creative and really promoted Colorado wines.

See what I mean, creative and I’m a girl, it is so cute!

Yes, again boxed wine..but they are box free now.

Boxed wine, Colorado style.

Vineyards description of the Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc via Colorado

See, packaged in the box and out, it is creative and true to the vine. We purchased a triple and was able to choose the wines. We chose the Cabernet Franc, Ensemble and the Syrah. Granted, we leaned red and I am normally more balanced between the two, but I think the strength of this vineyard is in the reds and I really enjoyed the Cabernet Franc. Other very notable vineyards, use Cabernet Franc in their blends along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot…if the ratio is done just right, it is divine.

Now, to enter the wine festival. The food pairings they had were not disappointing, although some of the wines were. I can tell you The Prisoner was winning hands down, although Vail would have you feeling anything but trapped. I will also tell you,again, my favorite is sparkling wine, so I was drinking Chandon, by the bottle. Okay, a split..but I drank it from the bottle and it fit in the drink holder of all the Audi cars. Yes, they were a sponsor and my husband promised me the TT. Shown below.

Hey, it is not the size it is how you drink it 🙂

Can’t do this in public often…or at all but break the rules

I made the split pose…

My new car-sometime in the future-probably in a future dream

More pics from the Wine Festival—

A Colorado Wine from the Farmer’s Market

More Autumn Art

I love all dogs, but this wine-not so much. Sorry, but no.

Pretty good, but would not buy it for home.

I enjoyed Saintsbury, a little shy of expectations but very nice.

A nice one, worth taking a second look

Vail is one of my favorite places. It is nice and a true escape from the daily grind. This wine fest was very enjoyable and you can never go wrong with the excellent dining and outdoor activities that abound in the valley. Go shop, taste and experience Vail. But remember, your taste is your own-drink what you like. Cheers!

What’s in Your Backyard?

July 11, 2016July 12, 2016 theblondegrapeLeave a comment

When a picture says it all. The two pics are of South Catamount Reservoir as you drive up Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak is one of the pinnacles of our region and is in my backyard.

Now, it is not that long ago, that the world was shocked and awed by the fact that the USA was producing wines and damn good ones. The west coast tended to lead the way and although a few other areas tried, they were not taken too seriously. Now, that is changing. I can say first hand that I have had wines made in Texas, New York, South Dakota and Colorado. I think there is still a lot of room for growth but we are well on our way to expanding our horizons in the vinicultural world and a new way to play tourist as we travel across the states. I may even try some Florida wine soon.

On the way home after a great day of kayaking on the reservoir.

I was reminded of just how lucky I am to be living in a place where I can hike, bike, kayak, or just be lazy outside with mountains surrounding the waters. Before, we made it all the way down the Peak, we decided we would cap it off and grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant, The Wines of Colorado. This place is great! It is small, very casual so whether you are a tired tourist looking for a great souvenir for you and yours or you are a local trying to do the same, you blend in. But, the food is really good and if you thought Colorado only had a couple of wines, you would be hugely mistaken. Yes, we are better known for our microbreweries (Pikes Peak Brewing, Bristol Brewing to name but a few) and growing distilleries (3 Hundred Days of Shine) but we have some really good wineries and the Wines of Colorado is the place to sample them.

They have two decks that are creek side and although directly off of Hwy 24, you do not hear the road. Rather, you hear a babbling brook and it is really a great little escape, especially for us locals.

One of the things that make this place great is that you get to sample the wines, not just before purchase of a bottle, but before purchase of a glass. That is very cool but, be careful, your taste buds may get greedy (easy to do) and the tasting could take you a while. I suggest you sample before you sit down, remember which ones you like and then go to your table. I tried several and the ones I liked the most were Pikes Peak Chardonnay, it was a little smokey and yet smooth. I also tried Garrett Estate Cellars a very well-balanced, smooth 2011 Chardonnay that is unoaked. We ended up buying a bottle of the latter and we also bought a red blend Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from The Winery at Pikes Peak , called Parliament Blend.
Upon arriving you walk through an indoor patio and then the wine shop with a great bunch of “stuff” for the wine enthusiast. Everything from shirts, hats but also wine holders, aprons etc. I couldn’t resist taking a few pics as they show that we oenophiles have a good sense of humor. Make sure you click on that last link if you have any doubt of what the word means. Once you do, you may use it all the time just to see the reaction on people’s faces when you do.

More samples of stuff:

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it is to see if there is a local winery near you (or even in your state). Get out and explore your backyard and safely imbibe on the flavors that contribute to the fermented grape and enjoy. You may be surprised at what and how much you find when you sample what is growing in your backyard.

Cheers!