We've spent a few really fun Saturday afternoons at the Easley Winery. It's where my bachelorette party started with a tour and tasting and where we took my parents one afternoon while they were in town.
It's one of our favorite wineries in Indy, and here are a few of our favorite wines there. No wonder we never leave without a case!
Dry Wines:
Vidal Blanc
Crisp with a hint of green apple
Pairing: roast turkey
2005 Governor's Pinot Grigio Reserve
Complex/smooth
Pairing: eggplant parmigiana
2004 Governor's Chardonnay Reserve
Rich and full taste
Pairing: gyros
Chambourcin
Lighter beaujolais style red wine
Pairing: juicy burger with bleu cheese
Chancellor
Medium bodied, smooth with balanced tannins
Pairing: baby back ribs
2005 Governor's Cabernet Sauvignon
Spice, ripe fruit
Pairing: beef tenderloin
Semi-Dry Wines:
Traminette
Spicy and clean, tropical fruit flavors
Pairing; orange roughy
Pink Catawba
Native fruit with a hint of red grapefruit
Pairing: baked ham
Orchestra Red
Beautiful blend of the grapes
Pairing: perfect with spaghetti and meat sauce
Warm Mulled Wine
Mulled spices, apple cider, honey!
Pairing: holiday favorites
Semi-Sweet to Sweet Wines:
Regal Crown Honey Wine
Smooth & sweet, ask about the legend!
Iced Delaware
The perfect dessert wine! A dessert that stands alone.
(All descriptions and suggested pairings are from the Easley tasting guide.)
Monday, July 6, 2009
Wine Tasting
A few months ago (I know, I'm really behind) we went to a wine tasting event at the Indy Cigar Bar. The event featured four French wines. Here are the wines we tasted, and really enjoyed!
Fincham, Red Note
A blend of mostly Grenache with Syrah kept in small barrels, is a classic Costieres de Nimes with plenty of fragrance, sweet black raspberry and cherry fruit, and some licorice, earth and spice.
Chateau Haut Beyzac, Haut Medoc
This wine exhibits attractive aromas of cedar, red currants, damp earth, and spice box. This medium-bodied, pure, soft wine should drink well for 4-5 years.
Chateau de Lancyre, Vielles Vignes
A noes of concentrated black fruits tinged with smoke and marine air, Leads to a concentrated, clean, bitter fruit skin-tinged and smoky Lapsang Tea-laced palate. This wine will be worth following for 5-7 years.
Chateau de Donjon, Cuvee Prestige
Very deep crimson in color, with some tasty aromas from oak aging, it delivers ripe fruit, vanilla and chocolate aromas. It is full and generous on the palate with a long, powerful finish supported with soft tannins. Aging potential 5-10 years.
-This one was our favorite! We bought a bottle to share at the tasting and another to take home.
Fincham, Red Note
A blend of mostly Grenache with Syrah kept in small barrels, is a classic Costieres de Nimes with plenty of fragrance, sweet black raspberry and cherry fruit, and some licorice, earth and spice.
Chateau Haut Beyzac, Haut Medoc
This wine exhibits attractive aromas of cedar, red currants, damp earth, and spice box. This medium-bodied, pure, soft wine should drink well for 4-5 years.
Chateau de Lancyre, Vielles Vignes
A noes of concentrated black fruits tinged with smoke and marine air, Leads to a concentrated, clean, bitter fruit skin-tinged and smoky Lapsang Tea-laced palate. This wine will be worth following for 5-7 years.
Chateau de Donjon, Cuvee Prestige
Very deep crimson in color, with some tasty aromas from oak aging, it delivers ripe fruit, vanilla and chocolate aromas. It is full and generous on the palate with a long, powerful finish supported with soft tannins. Aging potential 5-10 years.
-This one was our favorite! We bought a bottle to share at the tasting and another to take home.
Going Green Tip: Reduce Packaging
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Reduce packaging
Look for products without excess packaging, like concentrated detergent. In the produce aisle, skip the plastic baggies. Instead of buying individual yogurt cups, buy one larger tub.
Reduce packaging
Look for products without excess packaging, like concentrated detergent. In the produce aisle, skip the plastic baggies. Instead of buying individual yogurt cups, buy one larger tub.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Going Green Tip: Explore Bamboo
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Explore bamboo
Floors, furniture, cutting boards, and more can be made from bamboo, which is renewable and faster-grwing than trees. Bamboo also makes ultra-soft towles, sheets, and clothing.
Explore bamboo
Floors, furniture, cutting boards, and more can be made from bamboo, which is renewable and faster-grwing than trees. Bamboo also makes ultra-soft towles, sheets, and clothing.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
American Idol Audition
It was a very cool experience. Didn't turn out exactly the way I'd hoped, but still I'm really glad that I did it. There were 6,000 people there for the auditions. It was a looooooong day.
We got up at my parents house around 4am to get the 4:45 train into Chicago. We got into the city about 6am and made our way to the United Center by 6:15. The line was already pretty long- some of the people we talked to had been there since 3am. We wanted to be there early, but the tickets we got when I registered had seat numbers. Getting there earlier wouldn't have gotten us ahead in the audition line.
We waited outside until about 8:30. They started letting people in around 8, and it just took a little time for them to get to our area in the parking lot. Once we got in we made our way to our seats. That's when they do all the camera shots of the crowd and people yelling "I'm the next American Idol!" and the group singing. It took us probably an hour or so to get all the shots they needed.
The producers then gave us our instructions, where to go in line, how to stand, where to go after they've told us if we made it through or not. Then the first round of auditions began. In groups of 4, people auditioned for a table of two producer-judges. There were 12 tables set up across the arena floor. Each person in the group goes up and sings, and then steps back to let the next person go. There's no chatting or introducing yourself. THe producer-judge waves you forward, you sing, and then they stop you when they've heard enough and motion the next person forward. It goes by really fast. But it still took almost 3 hours to get through all the people in line ahead of us.
I was a little nervous and tried to convince Drew that we should just go home, but he convinced me stay. Mostly because he didn't want to think that we woke up at 4am for no reason at all. Pretty good point.
There were a bunch of people in crazy outifts or costumes. One girl in line with us outside was in a hot dog suit, there was a gut dressed in a platinum blond wig and hot pink workout pants with black stillettos and a black cowboy hat, a couple of girls dressed like pageant queens, and one girl in the group of four I sang with dresed like a pregnant bride.
So I finally get up to the table. I hand in my release form, they take my ticket and it dawns on me that I'm actually doing this. It was a lot of fun. I sang for the judge, who actually smiled at me, which I don't think they're supposed to do. After everyone in the group sang, he and another judge deliberated for a minute, a few gestures were made in my direction, which totally got my hopes up. And then they told us the results of our little group of four.
The only one who made it through to the next round was the girl in the pregnant bride costume. I was a little disappointed, but at least I can say that I did it. It really was an awesome experience.
It was a huge step outside my comfort zone- I'm really not a risk taker at all. But it was a totally unique thing to do, and I got some great pictures out of it.
We got up at my parents house around 4am to get the 4:45 train into Chicago. We got into the city about 6am and made our way to the United Center by 6:15. The line was already pretty long- some of the people we talked to had been there since 3am. We wanted to be there early, but the tickets we got when I registered had seat numbers. Getting there earlier wouldn't have gotten us ahead in the audition line.
We waited outside until about 8:30. They started letting people in around 8, and it just took a little time for them to get to our area in the parking lot. Once we got in we made our way to our seats. That's when they do all the camera shots of the crowd and people yelling "I'm the next American Idol!" and the group singing. It took us probably an hour or so to get all the shots they needed.
The producers then gave us our instructions, where to go in line, how to stand, where to go after they've told us if we made it through or not. Then the first round of auditions began. In groups of 4, people auditioned for a table of two producer-judges. There were 12 tables set up across the arena floor. Each person in the group goes up and sings, and then steps back to let the next person go. There's no chatting or introducing yourself. THe producer-judge waves you forward, you sing, and then they stop you when they've heard enough and motion the next person forward. It goes by really fast. But it still took almost 3 hours to get through all the people in line ahead of us.
I was a little nervous and tried to convince Drew that we should just go home, but he convinced me stay. Mostly because he didn't want to think that we woke up at 4am for no reason at all. Pretty good point.
There were a bunch of people in crazy outifts or costumes. One girl in line with us outside was in a hot dog suit, there was a gut dressed in a platinum blond wig and hot pink workout pants with black stillettos and a black cowboy hat, a couple of girls dressed like pageant queens, and one girl in the group of four I sang with dresed like a pregnant bride.
So I finally get up to the table. I hand in my release form, they take my ticket and it dawns on me that I'm actually doing this. It was a lot of fun. I sang for the judge, who actually smiled at me, which I don't think they're supposed to do. After everyone in the group sang, he and another judge deliberated for a minute, a few gestures were made in my direction, which totally got my hopes up. And then they told us the results of our little group of four.
The only one who made it through to the next round was the girl in the pregnant bride costume. I was a little disappointed, but at least I can say that I did it. It really was an awesome experience.
It was a huge step outside my comfort zone- I'm really not a risk taker at all. But it was a totally unique thing to do, and I got some great pictures out of it.
Going Green Tip: Repair Things
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Repair things
Pants with holes and broken toasters aren't trash. Instead of sending them to the landfill, sew, mend, and repair things when they break and continue to use them longer.
Repair things
Pants with holes and broken toasters aren't trash. Instead of sending them to the landfill, sew, mend, and repair things when they break and continue to use them longer.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Going Green Tip: Print Sensibly
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Print sensibly
If it's not necessary to print something, don't. Decrease your paper margins to save paper, and print on both sides of paper. When the ink cartridges are empty, recycle them at any office supply store.
Print sensibly
If it's not necessary to print something, don't. Decrease your paper margins to save paper, and print on both sides of paper. When the ink cartridges are empty, recycle them at any office supply store.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Going Green Tip: Try Reusable Bottles
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Try reusable bottles
Beverage bottles, cups and cans are wasteful, even if recycled. You'll save money and reduce waste by using a reusable bottel for water and drinks. Take one to the coffee shop too!
Try reusable bottles
Beverage bottles, cups and cans are wasteful, even if recycled. You'll save money and reduce waste by using a reusable bottel for water and drinks. Take one to the coffee shop too!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Going Green Tip: Hang Your Laundry
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Hang your laundry
Your clothes drier is one of the most energy-consuming appliances in your house. Try hanging your clothes on lines or racks outside (they'll smell great!) or inside.
Hang your laundry
Your clothes drier is one of the most energy-consuming appliances in your house. Try hanging your clothes on lines or racks outside (they'll smell great!) or inside.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Going Green Tip: Drive Less
This week's tip for living a greener life:
Drive less
If you can walk or bike to your destination, do it! You'll get fit, save moeny, and pollute less. Choosing public transportation (buses, subways, and trains), carpooling, or trip combining also helps.
Drive less
If you can walk or bike to your destination, do it! You'll get fit, save moeny, and pollute less. Choosing public transportation (buses, subways, and trains), carpooling, or trip combining also helps.
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