#WineWednesday – Plotting Our Next Adventure

My daughter and I have been busily plotting our next adventure and decided to splurge on a visit to the Rosé Mansion! So what is this you may wonder? Well, the Rosé Mansion website explains itself as:

    The world looks better through rosé-tinted glasses. Join us on an ethereal journey through Rosé Mansion this summer at our brand new mansion in Midtown Manhattan.

    Sip rosé wines from across the globe as you wander through 14 new rooms that celebrate your favorite summertime wine. During this interactive experience, you’ll discover a whole new side of rosé as you learn about the culture, history and science of this magical pink drink.

    Travel back in time to ancient Egypt, hang out in a vintage airline lounge, perform a 1960’s acid test, meander through a vineyard maze, dance in a dazzling disco ball pit, and more, before you end your adventure in RoséLand, the greatest wine-themed playground on the planet.

For us it’s about the mom-daughter experience and some hopefully Instagram-worthy pictures more than the wine, although the addition of the wine doesn’t hurt. Looking forward to it already! For more info, visit https://www.rosewinemansion.com/.

#WineWednesday – Gifts for the Wine Lover

I’ve been known to have a glass or two of wine not to mention that hubby and I have a running contest: Does my under $10 wine beat his “expensive” wine? Our friends know we have this wine thing going on and over the years we’ve gotten a number of wine gadgets. Today I’m going to share some fun gifts you might like to get for the wine lover in your life!

How about some Monogram Wine Cork Holders? https://amzn.to/2Gw1cX8 (for all the letters)

And then there’s the grown-ups sippy cup! LOL!

If you’re traveling and want to bring some wine back!

What to do what to do with those empty bottles? How about turning them into some fun lighting?

For those who want to know more about wine:

Gifts for Wine Lovers
Original Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

#WineWednesday – Sweet and Refreshing Sangria

I love the summer for a number of reasons, but when heat and humidity get to me, I settle back in a comfy chair in the shade with a good book and an icy cold glass of sangria. Yum! I just love the fruitiness and sweetness of it. I could definitely see some of my peeps from ONE SUMMER NIGHT or WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER indulging in a glass as well! LOL!

Caridad’s Sweet and Refreshing Sangria

Ingredients

    1 bottle red wine (a Malbec, Rioja, Cabernet, Tempranillo, or Pinot Noir will do.)
    1/2 bottle Chilled Sparkling Apple Cider (or if you want to be decadent Prosecco or Champagne)
    2 oranges
    1 cup frozen strawberries
    1/2 cup grapes

Directions

  • Peel oranges. Cut into eighths and then cut the eighths in half. Cut grapes in half. Cut frozen strawberries in half.
  • Place fruit into a pitcher and add wine. Let fruit and wine macerate for at least 10 minutes in the refridgerator. If you can wait longer, the flavors will be better.
  • Add chilled sparkling cider to fruit and wine mixture.
  • Remove some fruit from this mix and place in individual glasses. Pour wine/cider mixture into the glass and serve.

What I like about this mix is that you get the extra fruitiness and sweetness with the addition of the cider and don’t have to add sugar to get that.

Some recipes call for lemon in the mix and also don’t ask you to peel the citrus, but I find that the lemon and the peels make the mix too acidic. For a change of pace, cube some apples and toss them in or go even more tropical with some pineapple and changing to a white wine.

For a slightly more alcoholic version, add some orange-flavored liqueurs like Drambuie, Aperol, or Cointreau.

You can find more sangria recipes at:

Delish: http://bit.ly/2UcahKe
Food and Wine: http://bit.ly/2Uc3fFo
Southern Living: http://bit.ly/2U9XVCD
Food Network: http://bit.ly/2UaPV4h
Better Homes & Gardens: http://bit.ly/2U5VBfP

#WineWednesday Gran Marnier Rosé Spritz

Many thanks to those of you who dropped by for the chat last night! We had a blast and it was wonderful getting to know you!

So I’m trying to hold onto summer a little longer since it’s my favorite time of year and what’s better in the summer than a cooling wine spritzer. This recipe was adapted from one from Bon Apétit which called for the use of Aperol. By the way, if you haven’t tried an Aperol Spritz, please do so. I had one the other day for the first time and it was delicious.

But now, picture this. You out on the beach, reading a good book. Maybe even ONE SUMMER NIGHT while you sip your Gran Marnier Rosé Spritz!

Gran Marnier Rosé Spritz

3/4 cup mango nectar, chilled
1/4 cup Gran Marnier (You could also use Cointreau or Benedictine or Triple Sec – anything orange-flavored)
1 bottle sparkling Rosé or if you’d like, Moscato Asti, chilled
2 tsp sugar
Juice of one orange

Mix all the above in a pitcher and stir! Serve chilled and garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry (only because I really like those! LOL) Or use lime wedges and berries as a garnish. You can also change out the Rosé with a nice prosecco. In fact, there are lots of tasty fruit-flavored proseccos out now that would work well in the recipe.

#WineWednesday What People Think I do as a Writer with Wine

You’ll have to excuse as I’m a little punch drunk today. No, not too much wine, just a lot of work! I was up until close to midnight finishing up a project!

But speaking of wine . . . Some wine fun for you today!

Have a great Wednesday and don’t forget to check out all the giveaways going on for ONE SUMMER NIGHT! You can find them all on my Facebook Page and on Twitter and on Instagram.

Jersey Shore Sangria #WineWednesday

With summer hopefully arriving in a few days, I love having a pitcher of sangria ready for when I come off one of the lovely Jersey Shore beaches. It’s a delightful way to cool off on hot summer days and nights. I’ve been playing with the recipe and have created this refreshing variation on the traditional mix! I hope you enjoy it. Why is it Jersey Shore Sangria? ‘Cuz that’s where I drink it the most. LOL!

Caridad’s Jersey Shore Sangria

Ingredients

    1 bottle red wine (a Malbec, Rioja, Cabernet or Pinot Noir will do. For those near a Wegman’s, their $6 Tempranillos, Malbecs and San Giovese will work great in this recipe!)
    1/2 bottle Chilled Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider (or any other sparkling cider)
    2 oranges
    1 cup frozen strawberries
    1/2 cup grapes

Directions

  • Peel oranges. Cut into eighths and then cut the eighths in half. Cut grapes in half. Cut frozen strawberries in half.
  • Place fruit into a pitcher and add wine. Let fruit and wine macerate for at least 10 minutes in the refridgerator. If you can wait longer, the flavors will be better.
  • Add chilled sparkling cider to fruit and wine mixture.
  • Remove some fruit from this mix and place in individual glasses. Pour wine/cider mixture into the glass and serve.

What I like about this mix is that you get the extra fruitiness and sweetness with the addition of the cider and don’t have to add sugar to get that.

Some recipes call for lemon in the mix and also don’t ask you to peel the citrus, but I find that the lemon and the peels make the mix too acidic. For a change of pace, cube some apples and toss them in or go even more tropical with some pineapple and mangop. Change up the recipe with a white wine which is just as tasty. A moscato would be perfect for a white sangria. You can also freeze a whole peeled orange and then toss that into the pitcher to keep the mixture cool, but not have it watered down. Thanks to my sister for that tip!

If you want an extra kick in your sangria, add a shot of either grenadine, creme de cassis, B&B, or Gran Marnier.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Wine Wednesday!