Lovin' The Lager

I’m a wine lover. I do drink beer on occasion and even keep it in my refrigerator (typically to bribe male friends to do odd jobs). I've never really developed a pallet for beer but made some progress last night at a Beer Tasting at The Morgan House in downtown Fort Myers. 

We enjoyed a selection of Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Style beers that were expertly paired with appetizers. The beers were also used in at least one step of the food preparation. (Great job chef!)

I confessed my lack of lager knowledge to the beer distributor adding that I also found it too filling. He told me that if a beer is poured properly, it will not be filling. The proper pour helps release the CO2 that otherwise expands in your belly. He said if a bartender poured my Lager with a nice foamy head, I would actually drink MORE not less.

With my new knowledge I was excited to start tasting. The Pale Ale was a bit nutty and sweet (the tasting notes said citrusy). I could definitely see sipping this one on a hot day! The Brown Ale was, well, brown; and the Lager was crisp. All three of these beers had 5.4% alcohol and were 140 calories, if you're counting.

The Morgan House has several of Alexander Keith's beers on tap right now. Typically home to a wine tasting the third Tuesday of every month (mark your calendar), The Morgan House promises to mix it up a bit over the summer with a bourbon tasting and perhaps more hops!

Gaga Vino

I know what you're thinking: "Lady Gaga is now producing wine?" The pop icon is many things and entrepreneur is certainly one, however, wine maker is not on her resume; at least not yet.

The California Rose' may look like Lady Gaga's blush but it's flavors are not near as flashy; quite simple actually. The first thing I got was a mouthful of raspberry followed by a little strawberry. Although full of fruit, the wine is dry. It went well with the salty cheeses on the tasting table at The Morgan House.

You should be able to find Gaga Rose' for under $15. It's a good value for sure. I know Lady Gaga likes red wine, I wonder what she has to say about Rose'.

(The Morgan House Restaurant, downtown Fort Myers FL, has wine and tapas tastings the third Tuesday of every month.)

Spice Is Sooooo Nice

Like it or not, packaging effects our buying habits and our perceptions of products. I found that to be true even at the wine tasting I went to this week at the Morgan House in downtown Fort Myers.

The last bottle on the tasting table was a  Shooting Star Cabernet from Steele Winery. I looked at the wine rep and said "That label looks like cinnamon, does it taste like cinnamon?". He said, "See for yourself." and poured me a glass.

Sure enough, I tasted cinnamon. I was left wondering whether or not I tasted what I wanted to taste; that which I was looking for. To quenched my curiosity I went to Steele's website and looked up the winery tasting notes on Shooting Star. I found that the Lake County Cab was blended with a small percentage of Merlot and Cabernet Franc to round out the flavors.

Guess what else I found: "This wine has aromas of dark fruits with some mint and cassis."  Come on, blend mint and cassis and for sure you get a flavor similar to cinnamon! Vindication!

The Morgan House will host it's next tasting in the roof-top bar on March 15th, St Patty's Day week!

Everything Old Is New Again

You know that saying "Everything Old Is New Again"? First thing that comes to mind might be a song performed on Broadway or recorded by The Barenaked Ladies but of course I'm relating it to grapes, Carmenere to be specific.

The grape originated in the Bordeaux Region of France, is a member of the Cabernet family and centuries ago made it's way to the soils of Chile. It has been buried over the years and used mostly for blending, however, the grape is finally coming into its own.

I enjoyed a glass of Lapostolle Casa Carmenere this week during a monthly wine tasting at The Morgan House Restaurant in downtown Fort Myers. The press materials on the tasting table claim Carmenere is the second fastest growing red varietal in the U. S. Malbec is the first.

I've had this wine in the past and was looking forward to another go-round! It was full of black fruit and soft tannins. I enjoyed it on it's own and with the sausage stuffed mushroom caps on the tapas table. I like a wine that can stand up with or without food. It gets better; Casa Carmenere scored 91 points in "Wine Enthusiast", it consistently secures a top spot in "Top 100 Best Buys" list and it will cost you under $15 retail!

Consider it for your "house wine". I'm buying a case for my house!