The MWC’s signal light panned across the sky like Batman’s did whenever Gotham City needed him to save the day. Ahem, okay, so I lied. I received an email from Linda saying it’s time for another council meeting.

Each of us paired one of the wines with an entree. We had before us more than a table of exquisite food, it was actually research and development. Anyway, after wiping the drool from our chins it was time to address the rules of engagement. Five points were given to the wine liked best, and one for the poor S.O.B. most resembling mouthwash.

So on with the show in the order reviewed….

The 2009 Chardonnay from Dunning Vineyards limped in at number five. It was quite soft and seemed to be your average oaky chard with muted notes of vanilla, minerality, and citrus. With the exception of the smoked gouda it appeared no one could find a pairing that brought out the best in the wine. It wasn’t over oaked, just much lighter than we had anticipated. The finish came and went like the wind. Ok, so it wasn’t exactly mouthwash.

Next at bat: 2010 Honker Blanc Sauvignon Blanc from Tudal Family Winery. Scoring in at numero uno, it produced an abundance of oohs and aahs from the group. It was very crisp, with notes of granny apple and citrus fruit like mandarins and kumquats filling my olfactory system. It went well with darn near everything; brittle was a huge hit, and amazingly enough even the ever challenging artichoke. With a price tag of $14 it’s a must have.

Scoring third was 2009 Tractor Shed Red, again from the Tudal Family Winery. A nose of bing cherries, black plums, and strawberries led me to think fruit bomb, but not true.  As a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Zinfandel, with sixty percent being Sangiovese, it was pleasantly soft with lower tannins. This wine’s tasting notes stated it possessed an impressive substance.  Good, yes. Impressive, no. Rising to the pairing challenge were shepherd’s pie, candied fruit dipped in chocolate, and spiced pecans. A shocker was how well it went with garlic mushrooms.

The 2009 Ridge Top Zinfandel from Dunning Vineyards came in like Flynn and captured the number two prize of, well, being number two.  Deep and sensuously dark, with a fruity nose loaded with raspberry and spice. Its finish could hang with the big dogs. Roast beef and candied oranges were big hits, with curry dip making the wine explode with flavor.  Topping the price list at $28, it caused a slight pucker factor. Even though it is delicious, I’m a cheap date and would think twice about buying it at that cost.

Rolling in with fourth place was the Terra D’ Oro’s Zinfandel Port. Tom said it smelled hot, and it was. Sitting at a whopping 19% alcohol you couldn’t help but smell it. Even though it was a young ruby port I still picked up raisined fruit that’s commonly associated with an aged tawny. Ports go with anything chocolate, and this was no different. The only thing missing was a good cigar out of my humidor, probably a Rocky Patel 92.

Until next time my friends here is a recap on our review.

#1 Tudal Family Winery’s  2010 Honker Blanc Sauvignon Blanc ~ $14

#2  Dunning Vineyards’ 2009 Ridge Top Zinfandel ~ $28

#3 Tudal Family Winery’s 2009 Tractor Shed Red ~ $12

#4  Terra D’ Oro’s  Zinfandel Port ~ $12

#5  Dunning Vineyards’ 2009 Chardonnay ~ $24

Roger Paige

http://socalwinenews.com ~ wine & adventure

http://rogerleepaige.com ~ photography

http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/artist%3Arogerpaige.html ~ stock photography

To start off 2012, IFWTWA wants to thank all of out hosts. You enable us to make our wonderful media trips happen. We realize it is not just the CVBs, tourism bureaus, or individual properties, that are responsible. Every representative involved provides us with grand experiences and different story angles.

As the current president of IFWTWA, I’m in the fortunate position of saying, “Thank you,” to our hosts. When a destination puts together a press trip, we attempt to gather names of those involved and present them with “Certificates of Appreciation,” as we certainly do appreciate their individual generosity.

IFWTWA member, Tom Plant, of Wineormous and Why Local Matters has been kind enough to put together a slide show of presentations he has photographed. This does not begin to cover everyone, just those where Tom attended and captured the moment. There are many more, and we appreciate each and every one of you. We hope our articles have resulted in great publicity for you. You can see some of them on our Press Trips Results Blog.

When 2013 starts, we hope to have a new video, with current activity.

Colman's Mustard

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In general, when I purchase mustard, I avoid the bright yellow type I grew up with. I’ve always liked it, but started experimenting more when I was about twenty. Recently, I received a sample of Colman’s spicy yellow mustard and a tin of the mustard powder. This iconic brand, Colman’s of Norwich, has stood the test of time, as it has been Britain’s favorite since 1814. Because it has an extra spiciness, is has also become an American favorite.

Made with a blend of brown mustard seeds (Brassica Juncea) and white mustard seeds (Sinapis Alba), Jeremiah Colman developed a mustard that is a common ingredient in the UK. The history of this product intrigued me, as Queen Victoria bestowed the seal of the Royal Warrant to it in 1866 and it still holds the seal today. So, I decided to give this bit of history a try.

My first experiment was adding a teaspoon of the mustard powder to a quart of relatively bland broccoli cheese soup. It added a flavorful kick.

Next up was to try Colman’s Barbeque Sauce.

Colman's Barbeque Wings Photo: M D Hill

Colman’s Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients:

8 teaspoons Colman’s Original English Mustard

6 teaspoons sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

½ teaspoon light soy sauce

2 teaspoons butter

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients except soy sauce and butter in a saucepan.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then remove from heat.
3. Stir in soy sauce and butter and let it all combine.

How did I use this? With chicken wings, but it would work well with any type of chicken or pork.

Chicken Wings with Colman’s Barbeque Sauce

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick product.

Brush the chicken wings with the sauce and place on foil.

If wings are frozen, bake for 28 minutes.

If wings are fresh or thawed, bake for 22 minutes.

You may want to turn and brush with more sauce half way through baking.

You could also grill these, but my grill was out of gas, so the oven was ideal.

Serve and enjoy!

MDH Note: These will have a kick. If you want to tone it down, add 2 or 3 teaspoons of honey. I also substituted Cat Cora’s Greek Olive Oil for butter, as I prefer to use a good olive oil when I can.

I can see using Colman’s in deviled eggs for that extra zing. Either the powdered or regular would work. Some of the powdered may also work well in a squash or bean soup. I’ll have to give that a try this fall and winter.

It is certainly easy to see why Colman’s is getting so many celebrity endorsements. I’m thinking about new ways to use it. If you come up with any favorites, please share them.

For more information and recipes go to: www.colmansusa.com.

 By Michelle Winner                                                             “ Ok ” you say -” how excited can one get about  another health bar?”

 Well pretty excited ;  Oatmega  3 Wellness Bar  in Darck Chocolate Peanut Butter  saved our  gravy  on a recent trip in Sitka Alaska.  We got off the  Holland America cruise ship  pretty early  in anticipation of a private   tour  of the Salmon fishery, canning plant,   local tour , native dances presentation, beer tasting and  fabulous lunch with the Mayor ( a fundraiser for  IFWTWA  Awards of Excellence and Scholarship Fund)   and  sponsored  by Sitka Convention and  Visitors Bureau  through  Dave Nevins and Exec,. Director Tonia  Rioux. 

At the dock waiting for our guide   Nic Mink of the Sitka  Conservation  Society, we were suddenly really hungry. Lunch was hours away  so  Gail,  one of our group   pulled out the bars and shared them with us.

Crunchy, chewy , yummy with  no artificial chocolate taste ,  no  dry grainola  finish and loaded with nutrition; the bars  were tasty and satisfying.  We held on  until our  fabulous meal   and  local Baranoff   Brewery beer at  Bayview Restaurant  thanks  to  Oatmega 3  Wellness Bar and Boundless Nutrition.

boundlessnutrition.com

 Michelle Winner is the    culinarytraveler.com