Connecticut's Internet Magazine
As the cool autumn air begins to sweep through New England’s trees, plucking leaves from their roots, the yearly metamorphose of color reminds us of something that the animals won’t soon forget: eat well now- for winter will be here soon. With that, it’s time to re-examine everything apple, pumpkin, roasted or baked. A particularly delicious accompaniment to a hearty meal for us New Englanders is a locally produced apple cider. Hopkins Vineyard has created a unique apple cider wine that is supple and smooth, with low acid and low alcohol at 10% ABV. The “cider” is less cider and...
This weekend brings us a special fall treat from Jonathan Edwards Winery. They will host their 11th annual Harvest Festival, which is packed with gourmet food, live music, and wine- it just doesn’t get better than that. Enjoy grape stomping contests, hayrides, pumpkin painting and more this weekend October 6 and 7 from noon to six....
Bogle Vineyards is consistently one of our favorite California value wines, and their latest offering- a 2009 called “Essential Red” is our new favorite. Released in June 2012, this juicy juice has spent the last 18 months in both American and French Oak. It’s an unorthodox blend of Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah. Blends like this are a great way for producers to pair the best characteristics of these grapes together to make a great wine. Each individual grape variety may have been undrinkable on it’s own, leaving something to be desired. The solution is to...
This weekend, July 21 and 22 brings an awesome weekend of food, wine and live music at Stonington Vineyards. Tickets are $14 in advance or $16 at the door, and promises to be a blast for all who attend. To purchase tickets now, click here. Consider this a warm up (let’s call it training) for next week’s huge Connecticut Wine Festival in Goshen taking place July 28 and 29....
The high sun and summer heat can only mean one thing for us in New England: fairs, festivals, BBQ and lots of wine. In two weeks the 2012 Connecticut Wine Festival presented by the Connecticut Wine Trail will take place offering a chance for the uninitiated to get a taste of many vineyards in one day. While you won’t be able to get your wine trail passports stamped by each vineyard here, there is a page in the book for the wine festival event itself. Visit 16 of the 32 wineries and submit your passport by November 11 to be...
Hopkins 2010 Vineyard Reserve is a blend of 80% Seyval Blanc and 20% Traminette grapes, which creates a dry wine with characteristics similar to Viognier. This white is quite acidic- and as a result- that acidity cuts through spicy dishes beautifully such as curry, Thai foods, Indian, and others where exotic peppers are used. I highly recommend chilling this wine before serving, which really tones down the high alcohol content and brings out the delicate stone fruit aroma. We love the creamy smooth mouth feel this wine provides and the hint of citrus on the finish. If you’re into acidic...
Down in the small community of Lyme, Connecticut lies a family farm nestled half way between the banks of the Connecticut River and Rogers Lake. What once was land for dairy cattle has been replaced by free range beef steer, a state of the art coffee roasting operation and a cozy neighborhood cafe with a view. [Above: Local carpenters Jason, Adam and Dave relax after work on the deck off the Cafe] Inside, local pastry chef and barista Carol Monnerat served us up a taste of the newest coffee called Cold Brew. This extra bold and concentrated brew is steeped...
On Saturday and Sunday, June 9th and 10th, Olde Mistick Village will host our Second Annual International Food Festival! Hours for the Festival will be 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday, and 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday, rain or shine. Showcasing numerous local restaurants and executive chefs, featuring: Beachside Catering, Bestemors, Chet’s Italian Ice, Gourmet Galley Catering, Harp and Dragon, Johnny’s Peking Tokyo, Meriano’s Bake Shoppe, Munchie Food Truck, The Pita Spot, Pizza Grille, Portuguese Fisherman, Rice Box, A Taste Of India, and Homeport! In addition, cultural entertainment will be provided by Amazing Face Art, April’s Balloon...
Today we came across this amazing video showing a text message enabled espresso coffee machine created by the Seattle company Zipwhip. Their cloud data texting service is the software behind the mechanics that allow a text message sent from any smart phone to trigger a robot that serves up fresh espresso. It gets better. After the coffee is brewed, a number unique to the person sending the text is printed on the frothy espresso with edible ink, so everyone will know who rightfully owns that particular coffee. Unfortunately, this machine was created to show the capability of the cloud texting...
According to a May 29th CNN Post on their food blog, Eatocracy, Anthony Bourdain is now officially part of the CNN family: “World-renowned chef, bestselling author and Emmy winning television personality Anthony Bourdain will join CNN as host of a new weekend program, creating a signature showcase for the network’s coverage of food and travel. The announcement was made by CNN Worldwide Executive Vice President and Managing Editor, Mark Whitaker.” -Eatocracy Bourdain himself confirmed the move via Twitter and it’s reported that his show No Reservations is in it’s last season. On to bigger and better things? He will host...
