Philly’s First Official Wine Party

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year! We are so excited for the upcoming 2nd Annual Philly Wine Week. This year the party and toasting will get started at the “Opening Corks” gala, held at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on Sunday March 22nd. Guests will enjoy a selection of premium sparkling, white & rosé wines, paired with a variety of hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are still selling for $75. Get yours before they sell out!

Philly Wine Week will continue with a long list of participating restaurants and bars celebrating all things wine with special menus and events. For more information, tickets, and a full list of participants and fun activities for the week, visit the Philly Wine Week Website. Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well. Hope to see you during Wine Week…Cheers!

For a sneak peak check out our review of last year’s festivities…

Vino & Vintage

On Sunday, March 23rd, we attended Philly’s first Wine Week inaugural celebration at Ristorante Panorama and Wine Bar. The “Bubbles & Barrels” party began at 5pm and went on until 8pm. The bubbles being served at the bar were endless and some favorite local PA wineries were there pouring the reds and whites. Ristorante Panorama featured some light bites and Di Bruno Brothers were there with some of our favorite cheeses.

William Eccleston, wine director at Panorama, and Kate Moroney, wine director at Vintage Wine Bar & Bistro, toasted the night and full week of wine events ahead. Special guest Georges Perrier, completed the toast when he “cut” open a bottle of champagne with a sabre (small curved sword!) and poured for all the guests. It was a a fun evening and great time to just relax and share some laughs with fellow wine lovers. Tickets sold for $40 with…

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Winter Sale!

It’s been way too long since our last blog post and we miss our fellow wine lovers, foodies and fashionistas! We’re sorry for leaving you hanging, but 2015 has been a crazy year in its first 2 months. After a trip to Southern California for the holidays, we’ve been busy putting new ideas and exciting plans into action. We can’t wait for the cold weather to subside so we can get back out to some local wine, food and fashion events. As we also get ready to launch some new Spring merchandise, we are happy to be offering a Winter sale on your favorite 2014 items. Visit our online boutique and get your favorite “Winette” Fashion Top or a set of all four Winette Wine Charms. Hope you’ve all had a great start to 2015 too…Cheers!

Holiday Wines

While we all have different palates, we could always use some general guidelines to make sure our wine-loving guests are taken care of this holiday season. Here are some useful tips we thought worthy of sharing on finding the right wines for the right occasion and dish…

Holiday Wines

Knowing which wines to serve can be one small battle during the holidays, but more important is making sure we have enough wine to keep our guests happy. Whether you’re hosting a small Christmas dinner or a big New Year’s Eve bash, here is a quick and simple guide from Food & Wine to make sure you stock up on enough wine…

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays. Don’t forget to take advantage of our holiday sale and shop our online boutique for the wine lovers in your life. Cheers!

Holiday Sale!

    This Black Friday through Cyber Monday only…

Get our Winette Collection at the lowest prices of the year!

Our one-of-a-kind women’s fashion tops and matching wine charms are the perfect gift for that wine lover in your life. Create a beautiful gift basket or let us do it for you. Visit our online boutique to place your order now. Limited Time offer. Happy Holidays!

Vino & Vinyasa

 

We are beyond excited to announce that the Vino & Vintage line is now being carried at The Twisted Monkey Yoga Studio in Rockledge, PA (perfectly situated in Abington Township on the outskirts of Northeast Philly)! We recently revealed the brand new window display pictured above, courtesy of Aldo Art. If you would like to come in to try on one of our popular “Winette” fashion tops for women, please email us at vinoandvintage@gmail.com to make an appointment. We also carry wine charms, magnets, jewelry and wine glasses, just in time for some holiday shopping! We would be more than happy to create a beautiful holiday gift basket for the wine lover in your life.

Yoga and wine tasting has become a pretty  popular outing in the past couple of years…and as fellow winettes and yogis it only seemed natural we get involved. For those of you who have not heard already, last year we collaborated with The Twisted Monkey Yoga Studio to bring you “Yoga in a Bottle.” This seasonal workshop-event draws in several local wine and yoga enthusiasts for 2 hours of one-of-a-kind relaxation.  Pre-sale tickets are sold for only $25. This includes a guided gentle yoga class, along with simplified Wine 101 (provided by none other than yours truly), 5 wine tastings and light snacks. The event takes place every season on a Friday evening, making it the perfect way to end a long week and start the weekend right. Having just held our 5th one, the Fall edition of “Yoga in a Bottle” took place on Nov. 7th and it was a great time. The Winter workshop will be held some time in late January or early February, and we hope you will join us. As it grows in popularity, we may have to consider the several requests to make this a monthly event!  You can get more information right here or by visiting The Twisted Monkey Yoga website and Facebook page.

Crazy for Chianti this Fall

Now that the weather is getting cooler, there’s nothing like curling up with a glass of red wine and some comfort food. Well, this Fall we are crazy for Chianti….and grilled cheese sandwiches! That’s right…we said grilled cheese. 😉 After learning about the 2nd annual “Crazy for Chianti” program, we couldn’t resist joining the fun… just in time to celebrate the Sangiovese grape harvest throughout the Chianti region too! The program offered an online build your own grilled cheese and wine pairing contest, sponsored by Banfi Wine, Cabot Cheese and Mezzetta.  Our concoction? Simply some bread, bacon and cheddar….you can’t go wrong. Even simpler? Trader Joe’s Quinoa bread with their Bacon Cheddar…awesome! Check out the 3 different Chianti styles we paired with our grilled cheeses….

Banfi

Chianti Classico

Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2012

Avg Price: $14

Winemaker’s Notes: Ruby red in color. Intense bouquet with notes of cherries, plums, and violets. Rich flavors of cherry and leather. Supple tannins and good acidity.

Our Thoughts and Pairings:  We definitely captured the cherry and plum notes, as well as some blackberry. A bit on light side but enjoyed the smooth and classic flavors. Paired well with the bacon cheddar! Our average rate was a 3 out of 5 on Vivino.

Banfi

Chianti Classico Riserva

Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2010

Avg Price: $17-18

Winemaker’s Notes: Deep ruby in color. Rich bouquet of cherries, plums, and iris. Deep cherry and leather flavors with subtle wood notes. Supple tannins, good acidity, and a lingering ‘ finish.

Our Thoughts and Pairings:  A very well-balanced, smooth and classic Chianti. Cherry, vanilla and some violet on the nose. Fruity flavors with a bit of spice and oak. Great match for some crispy bacon and cheese. Our average rate was a 3.5 out of 5 on Vivino.

Bolla

Chianti

Tuscany, Italy

Vintage: 2013

Avg Price: $8

Winemaker’s Notes: Ruby to deep garnet red in color, with characteristic intense aromas of violets and red cherry, Bolla Chianti is medium bodied with lively fruit flavors.

Our Thoughts and Pairings:  A little deceiving on the nose at first. After a little breathing, cherry and violet scents came through. On the palate it was jammy with hints of pepper. Average Chianti…enjoyed the 2012 a bit more. We have a soft spot for Bolla Wines…always a good value for such affordable prices. Our average rate was a 3 out of 5 on Vivino.

#crazyforchianti

Happy Hallowine!

 

 

In honor of Halloween and Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) weekend, we collected some of the best related internet funnies. Hope you’re having a fun and wine-filled weekend! Don’t forget to check out our Fall sale and start that holiday shopping early: Click Here. Cheers!

            

Philly’s Best Bloody Mary goes to…

On Sunday, October 19th we attended the very 1st Bloody Mary Festival in Philly held at the popular piano bar Howl at the Moon. The event brought together some of the city’s most popular bars and restaurants as they served up the best Bloody Marys on their menu. The morning of the festival we were asked to fill in as judges and we were more than happy to oblige. However, choosing the most creative as well as best bloody mary was no easy task….fun and tasty, but not easy. Everyone brought their A game on. After much debate and careful consideration we turned in our ballots. All guests were able to vote for their own favorite Bloody Mary for the coveted “People’s Choice” Award. Our votes and the majority were not too far off…

The Best Bloody Mary in Philadelphia goes to….

1st Place Winner: Jones!

2nd Place: Ela

3rd Place: Dog and Bull Brewhouse

The People’s Choice Award goes to….

Winner: Dog and Bull Brewhouse!

Runner up: Jones

While we loved all the bloodies mentioned above, we were a little surprised not to find Garces Trading Company on the list. We definitely agreed their Bloody Mary to be most creative, with best presentation and combination of flavors. Our top 3 picks….

The Bloody Mary Festival had its start this year in NYC and made its way to San Francisco and back over to the east coast in Philly. It was a great afternoon filled with live music, snacks and brunch bites, good people and great bloody mary’s. We are looking forward to see what the future holds for this unique and fun event. To keep up with future festival date and cities follow The Bloody Mary Liberation Party on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Red Wine Party

Fall weather is upon us….and the red wine is flowing! This past weekend we were finally able to get together and sample some reds, courtesy of Pasternak Wine Imports. This time, however, we decided to put our hubbies to the test with a fun Wine Party tasting game. The results were some very different opinions about the wines! Check it out….

 

Aruma

Malbec

Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2012

Avg Price: $14

Winemaker’s Notes: Deep red color with hints of purple. The nose expresses notes of red fruit, plums, strawberries and violets combined with a subtle hint of vanilla. Intense palate with silky, well-rounded tannins. Long, delicate finish. Good concentration and pleasant structure.

Our Thoughts and Pairings: The deep and dark color of this Malbec promised some intense notes. On the nose, we all agreed that the mix of jammy and earthy scents was a nice combo. On the tongue, our palates seemed to taste an array of things…cherry, cinnamon, cloves, even musty perfume. The oak was just the right amount. The finish seemed simple and nice to the boys, while we felt it was a little too tart for a Malbec. Some strong decanting recommended. Our average rate was a 3 out of 5 on Vivino.

 

 Los Vascos

Carmenere Grande Reserve

Colchagua, Chile

Vintage: 2012

Avg Price: $16

Winemaker’s Notes: Appealing violet purple robe. The nose boasts typicity and the fruit expression of cherries, blackberries and plums. Hints of black pepper and bay leaf along with mild notes of coffee, bitter chocolate, mint and nutmeg. Smooth, deep, balanced and embracing mouthfeel. The Carmenere varietal expresses its full potential in this wine.

Our Thoughts and Pairings: This Carmenere was a beautiful dark purple color and complex on the nose. While one of us caught aromas of vanilla with dark fruit, one of us smelled ripe cheese. In taste we all agreed that the black pepper presence was strong, along with jammy fruits, lots of plum, traces of vanilla and a bit of coffee. A bit too fruity on the finish. We recommend a little decanting. Our average rate was a 3 out of 5 on Vivino.

 

Dashwood

Pinot Noir

Marlborough, New Zealand

Vintage: 2012

Avg Price: $14

Winemaker’s Notes: Our Pinot Noir is bold, fresh, direct, elegant and balanced. It delivers dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit notes and soft, well-integrated tannins.

Our Thoughts and Pairings:  Obviously lighter in color than the first two, this Pinot seemed to be the only wine we could agree on. With aromas of allspice and red fruits, decanting did not seem necessary. The juicy fruit flavors made us almost wish we had chilled the wine longer, but notes of spice and cedar balanced it out. The grapefruit finish was unexpected but welcomed. Our average rate was a 3.5 out of 5 on Vivino.

Philly’s 1st Bloody Mary Fest

Next Sunday we’re switching it up! Join us for…

What: THE 1ST ANNUAL PHILADELPHIA BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL!

Philly’s 1st Bloody Mary Festival will bring you 3 full hours of unlimited tastings of some of the most innovative and tasty Bloody Marys our city has to offer. Some of Philadelphia’s finest restaurants and bars will be serving up their creative concoctions along with brunch snacks and local tastes. There will also be live music, celebrity judges, and you will get to vote for your very own favorite Bloody Mary for the coveted “People’s Choice” Award! This event recently sold out in NYC and San Francisco and will sell out here too! Get your tickets now for only $40: Click Here (must be 21+)

When: Sunday, October 19th 2014, 1pm-4pm

Where: Howl at the Moon (258 S 15th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102)

How: Visit the Facebook Events Page or purchase tickets at Event Brite

Why: Because who doesn’t love a good ass Bloody Mary on a Sunday afternoon!

Who: Sponsored by: McClures, Uber, Swiss Haus Bakery, The Drunken Tomato, and all the participating establishments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Participating restaurants/bars inccude:

• BAINBRIDGE STREET BARREL HOUSE (Queen Village)
• BAR FERDINAND (Northern Liberties)
• DOG AND BULL BREW HOUSE (Croydon, Pa.)
• ELA (Queen Village)
• FARMACIA (Old City)
• GREEN EGGS CAFE (Washington Square West)
• GARCES TRADING COMPANY (Washington Square West)
• JONES (Chestnut Street)
• NODDING HEAD BREWERY (Rittenhouse)

Hosted by: The Bloody Mary Liberation Party – Yunna Weiss and Evan Weiss

For more info follow the Bloody Mary Liberation Party on Facebook and Twitter.