Keep Your Eyes open for these upcoming Events


Check out what is happening October 27th! It's a field trip!
More Info to Come, just starting to gather info now. Plan is to rent a van and have it tote us around, stopping at Tequesta Brewing Company, Bx Beer Depot, World of Beers, Due South and do tastings at each location. Like I say, I am just starting to do the legwork now, so just save the date now.wine-making state.
Let me know as soon as you know you are interested so I can plan accordingly
the cost of this event will be in the range of $30-$35. Purchasing beer at the stops will not be included so that you can budget your flights or single pints for yourself. Your price will include a delicious "lining your bellies" lunch at the Serenity Garden Tea House and your transportation for the day. Timeline and More to come

Monday, March 28, 2011

April Gulp is Coming!!

April is going to be filled with more than Spring Showers.  We're going on a field trip!!!  No, not the Keys, we did that one already.  No, not Napa Valley, that's for some time down the road.  We're going to LAKE WORTH!!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!!  And We Won't Be Drinking Wine!!  We're going to a Brew Off at Havana Hideout!
What is a Brew Off you ask?  Well let me put in Coreen's words:


Brew Off @Havana Hideout on LAKE AVENUESaturday, April 9 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Made by undiscovered and wildly talented home brewers.  A taste of all the brewers offerings and a chance to vote on your favorite .  They will not be having the plate of food, but you can order from the menu..Chrissy is probably going to switch it from $10 tickets to FREE admission for the tastings, but capping it off at 100 people. She is holding 15 tickets for GULPERS, I have to provide a list of names by April 1. So let me know if you want on the list. Otherwise you can just take your chances on getting in at a later date. Our very own Craig McBay will be competing!! Let's show our support! These events are a blast!

There are 3 categories to win this time.  Popular Vote, Judges Favorite and best booth design!  Sam Adams is offering a prize package to the winners.  Dan Oliver the Beer Guy is our celebrity judge this round.

Must be 21 to sample all beer.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

February Component Tasting


 




Hello My Fellow Gulpers!
If you read my previous blog you know this tasting was all about flavor.  Coreen and Lebeau prepared a feast of scent and taste.  Walking into the event one might have thought it was going to be take out since Andy's table was covered in little sealed containers.  One would have been wrong.




 Each container held a an ingredient that either its scent or taste could be found in any given wine.  Coreen and Lebeau did some amazing research and planning for this event.  There were at least 50 items laid out in neat and labeled rows across the counter.  Gooseberries, strawberries and cherries were there and probably somewhat expected.  Then there were the spicy items like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and white pepper.  The earth and mineral flavors were represented in cut grass, hay, and soil. Citrus showed up in grapefruit, orange and lemon.  Butter, musk,passion fruit and lemon grass made up more of the unusual in the collection.  I know I have not mentioned every item but this should give you a good sampling of what we got to work with.

The tastings were all blind.  It wasn't until we had all smelled, tasted and discussed what we were experiencing did Lebeau reveal the actual varietal we were trying.  Coreen and LeBeau provided small hor'dourves of small quiches, philo turnovers, pigs in a blanket and kettle corn.  Deb brought some tasty spreads with crusty bread.
Before going any further Deb Knepp gets the award for most amazing palate!!! She was right more than anybody deciding what wine was what. She must be tasting a lot on the side!




Anyway, the first wine had us all guessing.  Gooseberries,peach, grapefruit, mango and yes, even a little cat urine were scented.  No Coreen did not provide cat urine in the samples.  She assumed, correctly, we all had experience with the scent of cat urine.  I guessed a Savignon Blanc, someone else guessed a Semillon but the answer was:
Gruner Veltliner - (from winepros.org) This Northern European wine, (Germany, Austria), can be astonishingly complex, full of exotic tropical fruits, white pepper and lentils. They can also show aromas of green beans or asparagus, an engaging "vegetable" smell that is seldom "vegetal", especially when grown in mineral soil.


The next wine was once again white.  This one had a perfumy aroma and made me think of Spring. 
Our intrepid band of  tasters found honey, strawberries, hay, and pear.  The guesses ranged from Chardonnay to Vouvray and we were all wrong, except for Deb!  She put it all together for the correct answer: 
Chenin Blanc This particular one is a Petit Chenin Blanc from Ken Forrester.  parkling and clean looking. The initial nose is floral but sharp; the wine is stainless steel fermented, and you can smell the natural mineral and acidity of the grape as a result. Tasting the wine, you’ll find the same blend of soft fruit (melon, pear, apple) and a crisp acidic finish, long and solid. The producer even suggests finding “honeysuckle”.




The next wine up had us sniffing hay, grass, lemongrass, grapefruit peels, orange peels, gooseberries, and I even think Jeff smelled some tobacco in this one.  The wine?  Why Sauvignon Blanc!  Yep this was a Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. 








At this point we tried a wine Deb brought.  I believe it was a Chardonnay but not positive.  Oh Debbie!?  Could you please post a comment to this blog and remind us what we tasted?  Thanks!


Now I left before really getting to try the whole component tasting round on this final wine but I did get to have a taste before I had to leave.  In a word?  Delish!   Without the components to guide I knew this was a dark berry, fruit forward, jammy, yummy wine.  It was a shiraz that goes by a very interesting and straightforward name:  The Black Shiraz from Berton Vineyards of Australia.

The next Gulp Gathering is March 20th @ Andy's house and since it has taken me so long to get this blog written and posted it's today!!!  Have a great gathering and I will see you at the next one!