Featured Wine - Calamity Sue Riesling

It's Wine Wednesday! This week I am featuring a wine that has been a HUGE hit at tastings this summer! Calamity Sue!

Meet Calamity Sue. You may have heard of the legendary Calamity Jane, the adventurous frontierswoman with a generous streak who traveled throughout the Western Plains in the late 1800’s. Think of the fictitious Calamity Sue on our "racy" Monterey County Riesling label as her spirited little sister – just as feisty and just as sweet. "Racy" is a term you’ll often hear associated with Riesling. It refers to the lively acidity of the wine. Crisp, stimulating and refreshing, our Riesling delivers this same snappy character in an off-dry style (not quite dry, but not quite sweet, either.) As a soft white, it is also valued for its velvety texture and engaging fruitiness.

Our Calamity Sue Riesling could go up against any Alsatian or German selection and win. Compare it to selections from New York, Lake County, Lodi, Rogue Valley or even Paso Robles; you won’t find a better value. We custom crafted our Riesling to show a combination of "Alsatian acidity" and "German fruit". Alsatian Rieslings are known for their bracing acidity and cherished for the food friendliness this characteristic offers. German selections are prized for their soft pleasing flavors of pear, peach, apricot and quince. This release, the first Riesling we’ve done in quite some time, combines the best of both worlds. Adorned with a comic-book, Lichtenstein-style label, it’s a one of a kind wine you’ll find surprisingly appealing - as vivacious and sprightly as Calamity Sue herself.

Click HERE to order some Calamity Sue for Yourself!


I love sipping this delicious wine while munching on peach salsa and tortilla chips out on my back porch on warm summer nights as my kids catch lightening bugs in the backyard.  There are plenty of good peach salsas found at any grocery store, but this recipe from my old friend Betty (Crocker) is easy and yummy:
            

Mix together:

1   cup chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) peaches

2  tablespoons finely chopped red bell peppers

1  medium green onion, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)

1  tablespoon lemon or lime juice

2  teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 teaspoon salt 

 

Chill in refrigerator then serve!  It's that easy!!!!            

Cheers and Welcome!

The intention of this blog is to create a fun discussion of wine.  Topics will include season recipes, tips on food pairings, fun wine facts, information on specific wines and vineyards and so much more!  I'd love to hear from you about what you'd like to see here, so please let me know!

For tonight, I thought I would start with a recipe using a wine that has proven to be very popular at all of my tastings, Fissata, a fun, sweet and fizzy wine!  These yummy cupcakes would be perfect for a bridal shower, baby shower, brunch, cookout and more!

STRAWBERRY FISSATA CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup Red Fissata
1 box of your favorite strawberry cake mix
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 eggs
1 (16 oz) container of vanilla icing

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix together all ingredients according to the box directions, substituting the wine for the water and the Greek yogurt for the oil. Spoon batter into 24 cupcake liners and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow the cupcakes to cool and pipe with vanilla icing.

Try the recipe out, and let me know what you think! Cheers!