The state’s grape harvest increased by 25 percent last year, according to news from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. That brings total harvest to 7,000 tons, the seventh highest in the nation. Some 3,000 acres are devoted to grape production, with Chardonnay being the number one grape followed by Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Thirty years ago, according to VDACS, a mere 286 acres were devoted to grape production.

This will be my starter Cassoulet. It looks wonderful, and it seems it would pair well with a nice red.

The wines. The white will be a Sutter Home Moscato. My wife bought it at Wal-Mart. I have no idea what to expect. The red is a Mirassou Pinot Noir. I picked it up on a whim at Safeway because there was a man offering tastings in the wine department. It it wothwhile to note that Safeway has a rather considerable wine department that is well stocked – probably the best supermarket wine selection in the area. The flavor was good, with the usual fruityness but it was hot in the bad way, not hot in the good way that a Zinfindel is. I decided to take a chance, picked up a bottle, and put it straight in the decanter when I got home. It has been there for roughly 4 hours as I type this.

Owen will be handling the canine dining arrangements for the evening.

I am having a few glasses of Four Roses Kentucky Bourbon as I am cooking. I am concerned but hopeful that we will not have any accidents like the time I burned my upper forearm or the time the grill caught on fire and was billowing black smoke. Now is not the time for pessimism!

The results:my wife was very polite. She told me that I worked miracles with the cut of meat I bought. Seriously I know that a pot is an integral part of a pot roast but I was feeling bold. The meat was not as tough as I thought it was going to be, but it was tough. It was also fatty. Fatty can be good when it is marbled in the meat, but not so good when it is hanging off in great dripping globs. IT was passable. I used my workhorse rub – kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, and fresh ground red pepper.

The wine was…well, mediocre. It was not a Pinot. It was sort of like a Merlot. I mean it wasn’t bad, it was a passable example of a Merlot. This would be great if it didn’t say Pinot Noir on the bottle.

If anyone has thoughts on my next random act of cooking, feel free to drop a comment.

Central Coffee is an environmentally friendly coffee roaster in Rapphannock county, Va. When visiting this establishment I have been greeted by friendly easy conversation with the staff and what is possibly the best smelling, best tasting coffee I have had.

I have purchased bags of the Kenyan and the Panama. Both were excellent. I found the Panama to have notes of raw chocolate, not the usual refined sweetened chocolate. This was a welcome change from the candy like quality of a chocolate “flavored” coffee.

The thing that separates Central from a coffee like Starbucks is that it simply is coffee. I have always felt that Starbucks tries too hard to be a “gourmet” coffee. It loses something in that. Central Coffee Roasters is, to my palate, a coffee that doesn’t try to be good coffee. It simply is good coffee by virtue of what it is and how it is made. It’s cheaper than Starbucks…and it’s better!

This is probably your coffee stop if you are planning a trip through the Blue Ridge or are staying in a local B and B.

03/13/09 @ 06:00:00 am, by Kate Hopkins 263 views • Categories: Cookies

Cookies

• 3 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon ground cloves
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling

• 3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the vegetable oil until thoroughly combined. Then whisk in individually the pumpkin , and then the eggs, and finally the vanilla. After these have been thoroughly whisked in, add the flour mixture one cup at a time, incorporating it thoroughly before adding the next cup. Repeat until all the flour has been added.

Spoon or scoop the batter, one heaping tablespoon at a time, onto cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper, separating each cookie by one inch. Place in oven to bake between 10 to 12 minutes, or until the top of the cookie starts to crack. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Repeat until all the dough has been used.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whip together the softened butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. A hand mixer or bowl mixer will work wonders here.

After the cookies completely cool (as a heated cookie will melt the filling), place 1 tablespoon of filling on the bottom of a cookie. Top with another cookie and smoosh until filling start to leak out of the sides. Repeat until all cookies have been used.

Place cookies in refrigerator for thirty minutes.

Makes 2 dozen cookies, give or take

Wonderful Wine Cellars For Any Room in Your House

Paid:$9.99

Nose:  Chocolate, Coffee, Cherry, Blackberry.

Taste: Berries, Dirt (in a good way).

Color: Really thick red/purple.

Went to the local wine store in search of a Malbec. The wife and I have become fans of Malbecs because they seem to combine the stalwart characteristic of most reds with the fruityness of the whites that she enjoys.

We paired this wine with one of my homemade pizzas. I restrained the spices on this one and made the crust with a biga and a double rise. When we first opened this it was really too laden with tannins to drink. After about an hour it relaxed quite a bit and started to give us a peek into it. The next day (after spending the night under vacu-vin) this wine seemed to let all its barriers down.

Pair this with red meat or Italian. Decant!

This is what I want to accomplish here. I want to talk about good things. Hedonistic things. Good wine, beer, drinks, food, trips, friends, and good wine. I would eventually like to open this site up to other contributors but for now it will simply be me.

Hopefully later tonight I will post my first wine thoughts. On Valentine’s day no less!