November 27, 2013

Chateau Morriesette Winery on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Chateau Morriesette Winery is on the Blue Ridge Parkway
By Pamela O’Meara
Chateau Morrisette is the largest winery in Virgina.

Did you know that Virginia is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the nation after California, New York, Washington and Oregon? In addition, Virginia was named one of the top 10 wine travel destinations for 2012 by Wine Enthusiast magazine.
Much of the wine is produced in the southwest part of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway. This includes the French-style Chateau Morrisette Winery, which is about an hour from Roanoke and the largest winery in Virginia.

Pork tenderloin with succotash and collard greens is a specialty.
On my recent trip there, friends and I toured the wine-making facilities to see how the wine is made in huge steel tanks and aged in wooden barrels. Then we did a wine tasting of about 10 different wines, some red, some white, some fruity, and ranging from dry to sweet, including sweet mountain apple wine which I bought to take home because it was delicious and different.
Chateau Morriesette sells over 80,000 cases of wine a year of 23 uniquely different wines, including their signature wines of Our Dog Blue and Black Dog, based on the owner’s black labrador and the theme of making wine more friendly, not snobby, said general manager George Weldon.
The dining room faces the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The winery takes care in designing labels for the bottles, Weldon said, because.80 percent of all wine purchased is by women, often based on the label,
The winery’s large, wood-paneled dining room overlooking the mountains is a great place for lunch. For my relaxing lunch, I ordered cinnamon pork tenderloin with succotash and collard greens, and a duck egg roll, all delicious and unique, and served with wine, of course.
It’s not just the wine but also the spectacular view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the food, along with special events that draw visitors. It’s also a popular site for weddings. Building a hotel is in the works, too. So if you’re in Roanoke, a trip along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway south to Chateau Morriesette makes a great day trip.

See more photos on the new "Pictures" page!
Chambourcin wine featuring the "Black Dog" label and a tasting glass

November 20, 2013

Blue Ridge Vineyard Shares Recipes

Blue Ridge Vineyard’s Mulled Wine Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Bottle of Blue Ridge Vineyard Sweet Shiloh
4 cups Apple Cider
1 16 oz can of Peach Pieces, add the juice as well

The spice bag:
1 Cinnamon stick, Break the sticks into pieces
5 Whole Cloves
6 Candied Ginger
5 Allspice, ¼ teaspoon of ground, or to taste1 Nutmeg, ½ to ¾ teaspoon ground, or to taste

Method:
1. In a large pan, over medium heat, warm the wine, cider and peaches.
2. Add the bag of spices right away.
3. Bring the heat up, do not boil.
4. Test it for sweet and spice. If it is not sweet enough add sugar to taste and stir to dissolve. Not enough spice, add more, a little at a time.
5. Serve in a heatproof glass. Makes around 8 servings


Blue Ridge Vineyard’s Famous Sangria
Ingredients:
1 Lemon
1 Lime
1 Orange
1 Bottle Blue Ridge Vineyard Sweet Shiloh
6 Oz Crushed Pineapple
1 Wedge Mango, Minced.
2 Cups real Gingerale (No Cheap Stuff)
Several Fresh Strawberries

Method:
1. Cut Lemon, Lime, and Orange into small wedges.
2. Squeeze into Sweet Shiloh
3. Add Crushed Pineapple
4. Add Mango
5. Chill. Let sit overnight.
Just before serving:
6. Cut Stawberries
7. Add Strawberries and Gingerale
8. Enjoy!


Blue Ridge Mountain Burgers
Ingredients:
2 cups of Blue Ridge Vineyard Big Bear Red Wine
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 lb lean ground beef
Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce
1 medium slicing tomato, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Olive oil
3 Burger buns ("everything" buns pictured)
3 slices of your favorite cheese

Method:
1. Preheat your grill to medium-high.
2. In a medium sauce pan over high heat, combine the 
    wine and brown sugar, stirring until dissolved.
3. Let boil and reduce to 6 Tbsp (3/8 cup). 
    This will take about ~25 minutes. Let cool to 
    room temp, ~10 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, crumble ground beef and season 
    with salt, pepper, and a couple dashes of 
    Worcestershire sauce.
5. Add 1/4 cup of red wine reduction and lightly toss to mix.
6. Form 3 burger patties, handling as little as possible 
    (they'll feel really loose and fragile).
7. Drizzle tomato slices with olive oil and season 
    with salt and pepper.
8. Place burgers and tomatoes on the grill. Grill the 
    burgers to desired doneness (I typically cook both 
    the tomatoes and burgers ~4 minutes on each side).
9. Top with a slice of cheese and remove from the grill.
10. Place on a burger bun, drizzle the remaining red wine
    reduction over the burgers, and top with a grilled tomato 
    slice and the top bun.
Re-printed with permission.

Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

Colorful trees are a highlight along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
By Pamela O'Meara

Sometimes the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia meanders through a tunnel of trees and other times, it opens up for views of the distant mountain ridges, which often have a hazy
bluish tint. Occasionally just a few peaks are visible as the clouds roll
in. In the fall, the mountain ash, maples, dogwood, birches and tulip trees
turn red, orange and yellow and people come from all over for the view. In
the spring and summer, purple rhododendron and flame azalea bushes, and a
host of wildflowers including trillium, mountain laurel and pink lady¹s
slippers brighten the scenic drive and overlooks.
This 469-mile parkway follows the eastern crest of the southern Appalachian Mountains through Virginia, linking the Shenandoah National Park to the north and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the south.
Over 100 species of birds fly through during the spring migration, and
wildlife like deer, black bears and foxes might be seen along the road. Nine
campgrounds and many hiking trails and picnic areas are available in this
National Park, the longest and narrowest in the country. The famous
Appalachian Trail runs alongside part of the parkway, which roughly parallels Interstate 81.
Roaring Run furnace used to produce pig iron.
 On my recent trip to Roanoke, the largest Virginia city along the parkway, a few of us headed north through the colorful trees, past dairy farms and apple orchards, and stopped at the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest­, just off the parkway, for a hike. I walked carefully on the rocky Streamside Trail that followed Roaring Run Creek up to the 30-foot cascade of white water of Roaring Run Falls, and I stopped often to take pictures and admire the view of the rocky walls, trees, flowing water and bridges crisscrossing the creek.
Traveling along the parkway on a cloudy day.
I returned the same way, due to time constraints, but hikers can return on the Woodlands Trail through the forest. Either way, visitors can check out the old brick Roaring Run Furnace, which is listed on the National Register and was in operation from the 1847 to the 1850s. From veins of iron ore in the rocks, the furnace produced the low-grade pig iron, which was shipped down the James River to Lynchburg and Richmond for making tools or railroad tracks for the development of the nation and for the Civil War.
Then we headed farther north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Peaks of Otter for dinner at that rustic lodge. Walking down the path to the lake, I could barely see the water, due to low clouds and fog. One great blue heron stood on the shore looking for fish. It felt mysterious. Then we enjoyed a buffet dinner with locally grown food and wines before heading back to Roanoke.


Along the Blue Ridge Parkway: highlights of Boutetourt County

Along the Blue Ridge Parkway: highlights of Boutetourt County
By Pamela O’Meara

Owner of Fincastle Vineyard and Winery sets up a wine tasting.‏

Boutetourt County, VA Is where English Lord Boutetourt once owned the land as far west as the Mississippi River, including all or parts of seven present-day states. It borders the Blue Ridge Parkway, includes part of the Appalachian Trail and is home to the headwaters of the James River just north of Roanoke. ­The mighty river, which is known for good canoeing and kayaking, begins in the area and winds its way through the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains to Chesapeake Bay. A 14-mile stretch has been designated a Virginia Scenic River.
The scenic countryside includes miles of hiking trails, including the Appalachian Trail, and the small, historic towns of Fincastle, Troutville and Buchanan. Established in 1772, Fincastle was one of the first settlements west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lewis and Clark set out on their famous expedition west from here, and after returning, Clark married a local resident. The red brick courthouse was designed by Thomas Jefferson. Other historic sites and restored homes are fun to drive past.
Near Fincastle, Ikenberry Apple Orchards, have been­ family-operated for 112 years. The limestone in the soil helps make
Wine is available for sampling.
the apples sweet, said Gwen Ikenberry. The 21 varieties of apples were beautifully displayed and I discovered a new variety grown only in that area – the Mutsu. As I ate one, savoring every bite, the sweet juice ran down my fingers. It might be even better than my favorite Honeycrisp apples back on Minnesota. The orchard sold 20,000 bushels of apples last year. Gwen suggested coring an apple, adding butter and cinnamon, and baking it in the microwave for a good, healthy treat.
Pomegranate Restaurant in Troutville is the fulfillment of former school teacher Diana Dixon¹s dream, as described in the Wall Street Journal. She started it in an abandoned wine warehouse and put her personal stamp on it with delicious, unique food, and she invites jazz and bluegrass bands to perform.
In these hills, the Wine Trail of Botetourt County features the Blue Ridge Winery, Fincastle Vineyard and Winery and Virginia Mountain Winery. All three welcome visitors and offer tastings but have different characters and different wines. Fincastle Winery is small, and its old farmhouse is now a small but comfortable bed and breakfast. It used to be a cattle farm until mad cow disease ended that. A state official suggested wine. Grapes are harvested at night there when the bees go home. We sampled several wines.

A few grapes are still on the vines at Virginia Mountain Vineyards.

The Virginia Mountain Vineyards in Fincastle are on a hill with a view from the patio of rows of grapes. Specialty wines are gewurtraminer, riesling, traminette from grapes developed especially for the area, cabernet franc and pinot noir.
At Blue Ridge Vineyard in Eagle Rock, co-owner Barbara has been growing grapes for about 29 years but making wine for just six years and winning gold medals. She said they are close to organic as possible – nearly chemical-free. Weddings and other special events are held on her large patio complete with chandeliers and overlooking the mountains.
Wine bottles are set up for sampling.
Visitors are invited to picnic on the grounds and enjoy summer Sunday concerts.
Virginia is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the nation after New York, California, Washington and Oregon. In addition, the state was named one of the top 10 wine travel destinations for 2012 by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

November 9, 2013

Salmon Trumps Motion Sickness

Dawn breaks as we set out from Algoma, WI.

The fishing boat, the Grand Illusion 2.
Salmon trumps motion sickness
Pamela O¹Meara
Staff writer Lillie Suburban Newspapers

My box of flash-frozen salmon with a little lake trout thrown in was
delivered to my doorstep yesterday. As I eagerly opened it and looked at the
packages of orange salmon, my mind raced back to my fishing trip in Lake
Michigan. Besides catching the fish, the most memorable part of the trip was
the slow welling up of motion sickness and leaning over the edge of the
rocking boat to throw up.
The last time I threw up over the side of a boat was in Alaska on a boat
ride out of Seward to see glaciers and whales. That time, I at least I
discovered dolphins swimming alongside the boat so everyone came over to my
side to see them. Then the captain told me to sit in the back of the boat
outside in the fresh air to feel less sick.
And that¹s where I spent my whole fishing trip last week near the port of
Algoma close to Green Bay. But it didn¹t do any good. Josh, the captain¹s
first mate, slipped a motional sickness pill into my hand but told me it
probably wouldn¹t do any good at that point.
The boat rocked so much it was sometimes hard to focus my attention on the
Catching fish!

horizon so I concentrated on a low line of clouds instead.
The funny thing is I woke up before the fishing trip realizing that even
with my history, I hadn¹t thought about the possibility of motion sickness
on Lake Michigan ­ after all, it¹s not an ocean -- and I left at home the
extra and very effective motion sickness patch from my Gulf of Mexico
fishing trip last fall. Boy was that dumb. And the fact I had four hours of
sleep the night before probably didn¹t help the situation. We headed two to
three miles out in the big waves to fish, watching the sky lighten and then
turn pink on the horizon just before sunrise. It was beautiful.

Reeling in fish
Capt. Lee Haasch and Josh set up 14 rods around three sides of his charter
fishing boat, the Grand Illusion 2, a 34-foot Silverton equipped with all
the latest electronic gizmox and familiar fishing tackle, and we all watched
for our rod tips to bob down as we trolled. Three fellow anglers and I took
turns reeling in salmon and rainbow trout. Not surprisingly, I was the last
one to take a turn since I was preoccupied throwing up. Clenching the arms
of my chair next to the side of the boat in misery, I watched the others
reel theirs in from 150 to 200 or so feet down. Ed took the first turn,
Rebecca, the second, and Kristy, the third. They reeled and reeled and
brought up their fish. Josh expertly caught them in his net.
Then it was my turn. Seemed like I reeled a long time but suddenly my salmon
Me and Capt. Lee Haasch with a fish.

rose up in the air. I was excited. The fishing turned fun, even though I was
still feeling a bit queasy. Then the fish starting biting fast ­ two or
three caught in moments. Ed got a 10- t0 15-pound salmon, the biggest of the
six our group caught. Mine was about five to six pounds. Not too shabby.
As soon as I got off the boat, I felt better. Someone hung up our fish on
hooks the way you see halibut or salmon hanging up for viewing in Seward and
Homer, Alaska. We all took photos and felt accomplished.
We drove over to Bearcats, an old family fish house, to have our fish frozen
and prepared for shipping, and we sampled chipoltle and brown sugar smoked
salmon while we were there.
The next day, Ed and Rebecca and a couple of others went out fishing in the
rain in Lake Michigan and caught 10 fish all as big or bigger than Ed¹s from
the first day. That was impressive ­ a good reward for braving the rain on
Lake Michigan.
Ed had so much fish in his home freezer that he turned his share over to
Rebecca, Kristy and me to split three ways. So I¹ve now got a good stash in
my freezer and I¹m trying to decide if I should grill it, bake it or zap it
in the microwave. Friends offered several ideas for preparing it. I can open
my freezer door and admire the bright orange chunks of salmon.
So the moral of this story is the Green Bay area is a great place to go
fishing, but if you¹re prone to motion sickness, take precautions in case
the waves are rough. And then enjoy eating your flash-frozen catch delivered
to your door by UPS.

The catch of the day.

Raise a pint to Grand Rapids’ lesser-known culture: HOPS

Founder's Brewery sign.
by Pam O'Meara
Lilie Newspaper

I wonder if my grandparents are rolling over in their graves since their hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., was recently named “Beer City U.S.A.” and one of the “Top 10 Vacation Cities for Beer Lovers.”
The city recently celebrated with “Cool Brews/Hot Eats,” a 13-day festival of food and beer tastings.
I was born in Grand Rapids and visited annually for most of my life, but always thought of the city’s population as Protestant teetotalers. My Dutch grandparents were members of the conservative Christian Reformed Church, and the city is a center of Christian book publishing. It’s ringed by a number of church-related colleges.
Best brews - who knew?
Inside of Founder's.
So I was surprised to hear that in 2012, Grand Rapids tied with Asheville, NC, for the Beer City title thanks to its high-quality craft breweries. The “brew review” site Ratebeer.com, which boasts “hundreds of thousands of members from more than 100 countries” gave the second-largest city in Michigan the nod.
On a recent trip to see my mother and sister, I took a craft beer tour with a friend. Our first stop was Founders Brewing Co., where Janet and I shared a mug of rich, creamy oatmeal stout, and polished off a bowl of chips and beer cheese dip in the tap room before watching the whole beer making process.
Founder's beer-cheese dip.
Founders is the largest brewery in Grand Rapids and distributes its craft beer in 23 states, including Minnesota. Founders co-owner Dave Engbers said his place is not only the third-highest rated brewery in the world, according to Ratebeer.com, but is also family-friendly up until 9 p.m. After 16 years in operation, Founders now serves -- and employs -- many of the kids who used to come for the free peanuts during family hours.
When I was a child, Grand Rapids’ John Ball Park and Zoo was a favorite destination. So when I saw that the Grand Rapids Brewery has a brown ale named John Ball, I had to sample the toasty, nutty brew. Ditto with Silver Foam, a light-tasting lager that was a staple in 1912 and was reintroduced on its centennial. Memorabilia from the early days decorate the walls.
Founder's Beer tanks.
Next, we checked out HopCat. With 48 taps and 150 bottles on hand, including Michigan specialties and global offerings, HopCat was named the No. 1 craft brew bar in the U. S. by brewrate.com.
Then it was on to the whimsically-named Brewery Vivant, whose bar is housed in an old funeral chapel, complete with arched beams and stained-glass windows. Servers work behind a bar located where the altar would have been.
Take two pints and call me in the morning
It turns out Grand Rapids came by its breweries like many other U.S. towns in the 1800s. Beer-drinking was a tradition brought from Europe, and it was often served to men, women and children with meals. The first brewer in town was Englishman John Pannell in 1836. A few years later, German Christoph Kusterer set up shop.
GR Beer Week sign.
Kusterer and others advertised their beer as a healthy family drink, which in a way it was, since fresh water from rivers or lakes could be polluted. According to at least anecdotal observation, the number of people with malaria-related shaking ague in 1847 greatly diminished with increased beer drinking.
Many more breweries were established in the next few decades until in 1892, six major ones consolidated into the Grand Rapids Brewing Company to be more competitive. The company began making Silver Foam beer, which became popular around the country.
Beer production flourished in Grand Rapids when my grandparents were young adults. Then in 1918, two years before nationwide Prohibition was passed, Michigan went dry, and 160 bars closed.
However, home brewing proliferated behind closed doors until Michigan became the first state in 1933 to ratify the 21st Amendment repealing prohibition.
Legal again
Though several downtown breweries opened again, they only lasted a couple of decades before succumbing to competition from huge breweries.
Grand Rapids brewery sign.
In 1997, a few friends from Holland Michigan’s Hope College, which was established by the Reformed Church of America, ended a 46-year beer drought downtown. With the opening of Founders, Engbers and co-owner Mike Stevens brought back the old brewing traditions. Others soon followed.
“All the breweries of the Hope group are pretty nice beers due to the high standard set by Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo,” Engbers says.
Janet suggests this is part of the same entrepreneurial spirit that brought considerable downtown development by wealthy local philanthropists including the Amway founders, the Meijers family and Steelcase furniture company owners the last two decades. The new crop of entrepreneurs includes a younger generation interested in dining out and drinking craft beer.
Old Mortuary.
“Beer is a social beverage. You can drink responsibly and have a good time,” Engbers adds. In fact, Founders throws a beer fest in June when the street in front is closed off for a celebration of beer and music – a thank you to the city for its support.
Grand Rapids is no longer as conservative as it used to be, Janet tells me.
But I still wonder what my grandparents would think.


Reprinted with permission from Lillie Suburban Newspapers

Silver Foam beer.