March 26 Is “Make Up Your Own Holiday” Day

Finally! A day to celebrate all those apparently forgotten wines.

Yes, there are plenty of wine designated holidays: National Wine Day, National Drink Wine Day, Chardonnay Day, Pinot Noir Day, Sauvignon Blanc Day, Champagne Day, Muscato Day…. (You get the idea.)

But if your favorite drew the short straw in the list of wine holidays then tomorrow is your chance to rectify the situation. March 26 is “Make Up Your Own Holiday” Day.

While you may not want to take the time to jump through all of the bureaucratic hoops to designate an “official” day, you can proclaim it to be whatever day you’d like tomorrow on social media.

I believe we should have a special day for my favorite dark, brooding wine, so for me tomorrow will be National Merlot Day.

Now, it's your turn. Take a moment, select your favorite (yet often ignored) wine and tell the world that you'll be celebrating tomorrow with a glass of _____________.

 

It’s time every wine had it's day!

Cheers!

~ Joy

Celebrate National Mulled Wine Day

I’ll make this short and sweet. Tuesday, March 3^rd is National Mulled Wine Day. Sipping a glass of mulled wine is the perfect way to bid winter a final farewell before spring rushes in with warmer temperatures and those wonderful crisp, white wines.

Mulled or warmed wines were first served in Rome during the 2^nd century. As the Romans traveled the continent, they shared the mulled wine recipe with other communities including what is now England, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

Mulled wine goes by many names including glögg (Sweden), gløgg (Norwegian), gluhwein (German), vin chaud (French), and vin brulé (Italian). It is usually served during the holiday season as a festive drink at parties or around a bonfire.

Mulled wine recipes abound. Most call for using red wine, usually claret or port, and adding various mulling spices which can include ginger, cloves, cinnamon and anise. Fruit may also be added; the most popular being orange slices, raisins or cranberries. The drink is then served piping hot or warm.

Here is a standard crockpot recipe for mulled wine that will keep you warm all evening as you celebrate the end of winter and anticipate the coming spring.

Mulled Wine Recipe

1 bottle of red wine (your choice)

Up to ½ cup sugar (according to taste)

Slice of ginger root

6 cloves

½ teaspoon aniseed

½ teaspoon allspice

2 cinnamon sticks + one for each mug

1 orange (peeled and sliced)

½ cup raisins or cranberries

¼ to ½ cup brandy (optional)

Pour wine into crockpot, add sugar and stir in spices. Turn dial to medium and let wine begin to simmer (20 minutes). Turn down to low and add fruit to crockpot, along with brandy, if using.  Stir well. Wait 10 minutes, pour wine in mugs (leave spices in crockpot), and enjoy by a roaring fire.

~ Joy

5 Reasons For Celebrating National Drink Wine Day

Today is February 18 and that means it is National Drink Wine Day in the U.S. This annual celebration is a way to tout the health benefits of wine, pay tribute to the ways wine enhances food and lifestyle, and it's just a great reason to enjoy a glass.

1) Wine Is Popular

Archaeological sites that relate to wine date back more than 6,000 years. Today there are over 20-million acres dedicated to grapes across the globe. That’s literally thousands of wines being crafted around the world every day. Bliss!

 

2) Wine Provides Health Benefits

A glass of wine a day has been proven to increase heart health, help in weight reduction, boost immunity, lessen blood clots and reduce forgetfulness. Ideal!

3) You Already Have a Bottle

This is one holiday where you don’t have to buy anything, cause if you’re a true oenophile, you’ll already have some wine stashed away at home ready for celebrating with. Cheers!

4) Wine is a Social Event

Go out with friends to your favorite wine bar or restaurant and celebrate with a glass of red or white, sweet or dry. Maybe a trip to a local winery is in order or a visit to your favorite wine shop. Enjoy!

 

5) Stay In Touch Through Wine

Share the day with friends by sending a “Drink Wine Day” e-card. After all, if you didn't know about it, they might not either. Share!

 Several events are planned across the country, mainly in larger cities. Check out Local Wine Events to see what’s planned for today in your region. You can also keep up with events on the Drink Wine Day FaceBook site.

If, for some reason you can’t partake today, no worries. There are actually over a dozen holidays designated for "adult beverage drinks" including National Scotch Day on July 27, National Moscato Day on May 9, National Martini Day on June 19, and National Wine Day on May 25. (Yes, it is different from today’s celebration, which is National DRINK Wine Day ;)

So pour a glass (or two, it is a celebration) and ponder those esoteric thoughts that wine always brings about ...

Here’s to wine,

Our favorite drink!

A refreshing beverage

That helps you think.

The more you think,

The wittier you feel,

So I want wine at every meal!

(Obviously, I need a glass of wine, right now!)

Cheers!

~ Joy

Celebrate Wine Tourism Day

Wine lovers, get ready – this Saturday, November 8, 2014 is officially Wine Tourism Day in North America!

Wine tourism is growing in this country as casual wine lovers and wine enthusiasts visit regional and state wineries and then share their finds with friends on social media platforms. There are so many good wineries out there but most of us will never know about them because the wines will never reach distribution. So how to get the word out?

Designate a special day for wine tourism! The first Wine Tourism Day in North America was held last year, with the idea originally coming from Europe where they’ve celebrated a European Wine Tourism Day on November 9^th since 2009. The reason for a day targeted toward wine tourism is to get people motivated to visit wineries they’ve never been to, support them, and enjoy some amazing wines.

Wine Appellations

There are over 7,500 wineries in the U.S, Canada and Mexico with 205 appellations in the United States, 40 in Mexico and 38 in Canada. The winery visiting opportunities are endless for the casual oenophile.

Founders of the event believe that by calling attention to wine tourism with it’s very own day, more people will travel to wine regions while on vacation or trips, or head out on regional wine trails for a weekend of winery hopping. That information will be shared on Facebook and Twitter, making more people aware of these little known wine regions and motivating others to visit them (or order wine from on the internet).

Events are planned at wineries, restaurants, hotels and other wine businesses throughout North America on Saturday. Many wineries and wine shops will hold special tastings to encourage customers to come out and celebrate.

But you don’t have to be a winery or a wine business to celebrate. Grab your wine-loving friends and head out to some wineries on the 8^th for a fun-filled day of tasting and exploring.  Then plan a weekend dinner later in the month and have everyone bring a bottle of wine they purchased on Wine Tourism Day. Pair it with food and enjoy the wine and ensuing discussion: a great way to celebrate wine tourism and enjoy some different wine-finds with friends.

Just be sure to pop a cork this Saturday and celebrate the day in the best possible way – with a glass of local or regional wine.

~ Joy

Wine Tourism Day is sponsored by:

 LocalWineEvents.com Touring and Tasting Magazine Wine Industry Network WineAmerica Wine Tourism Conference

Zephyr Adventures

Penticton and Wine Country

For more information, visit http://www.winetourismday.com/

Five Ways to Celebrate National Wine Day

Get ready to raise a glass this Sunday, the 25^th in honor of National Wine Day! Although it’s not quite clear how the holiday came about (Do we really need to know?), the intention is for Americans to take a day and celebrate all things wine. 

Here are five ways to get the celebration going!

1) Buy Appropriate Stemware

Red Wine Glass

Really. If you’re having a glass of wine more often than just on the holidays, then step up to a glass crafted for the type of wine you drink. Red wine glasses have a larger bowl so that you can swirl to your heart’s content and release all those luscious aromas. White wine glasses have a smaller mouth so that the wine stays cool and crisp. Champagne glasses are tall and thin so the bubbles keep coming. And clear is preferred to a colored wine glass so you can see the wine.

2) Clean Out Your Wine Cellar

Come on, this will be fun. Grab a box and start sorting through your bottles. Anything you don’t like, don’t want or don’t recognize goes in the box. This has now become your party box. Call some friends and have them over for a potluck Sunday supper; pop open some of those bottles and celebrate!

3) Visit a Winery

Take a Tour

What better way to indulge your love of wine than at a winery where they live it 24/7? Go somewhere you’ve never been before and undergo the whole “winery experience” with fresh eyes (and senses).Take the tour, taste the wines, talk to the owners, the winemaker, the bar staff to learn something you find fascinating. Then find someone to enjoy a bottle with and tell them what you learned. After all, wine (like knowledge) is better shared.

4) Celebrate the Indianapolis 500 Winner

Today is also the running of the 98^th Indianapolis 500; the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The race starts at 12:12 p.m. eastern time and will conclude after 200 laps produces a winner from the pool of 33 drivers. Toast the checkered flag and the winner of the largest single-day spectator-sporting event.

5) Drink Something Special

Back to the wine cellar, but this time pull out that special bottle of wine. (And remember, special doesn’t have to mean expensive.) Maybe it’s that Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling or Raymond Vineyards Rutherford Cabernet, or dare I say it, that Black Box Merlot you picked up last week at the grocery. It doesn’t matter about wine ratings or appellations, just make it something special that you will enjoy.

What a weekend coming up: National Wine Day; The Indy 500, and Memorial Day Weekend! Go grab a glass and salute them all!

~ Joy

5 Ways to Celebrate "National Drink Wine Day" on February 18

We have hundreds of special celebration days throughout the year, so why not a national day set aside to drink wine? Well, we have! Next Tuesday, February 18 is National Drink Wine Day in the U.S!

Ancient Greeks & Wine

Wine & Religion

This is a day dedicated to promote the health benefits of wine and acknowledge that wine has been an important element in our history, our life celebrations, and our religious events for centuries.

Dionysus

Bacchus

Wine has been produced since 6000 BC. Around 4500 BC, wine became popular with the Greeks and Romans. In fact, both religions had a god that represented wine. For the Greeks, the wine god was known as Dionysus. In Rome, their wine god was Bacchus.

Jimmy Carter

Acres of Grapes

Today over 20 million acres throughout the world are used for growing wine grapes. Several U.S. presidents have had vineyards and wine crafted from their harvests; one 20th century president made the wine himself, for years. President Jimmy Carter managed 15 acres of vines on his Georgia farm and regularly crafted over 100 bottles of wine from the harvest.

Wine has been in the news for years because of the major health benefits it provides. Especially red wine, which contains antioxidants that keep your heart healthy, help with weight loss, prevent bone loss, and boost immunity.

Although no formal proclamation, such as a congressional record or a presidential proclamation has been issued for National Drink Wine Day – don't let that stop you from celebrating.

Need some ideas on how this holiday can be commemorated?  Here are six tips for observing National Drink Wine Day!

1) Check with local wineries, wine shops, and liquor stores to see if events are being held. If not, visit Local Wine Events www.localwineevents.com for special celebrations you may not know about in your area.

2) Send your friends and fellow vino lovers a "Drink Wine Day" e-card.  Punchbowl www.punchbowl.com offers e-cards, along with someecards.com www.someecards.com.

3) Throw a virtual party and celebrate with your wine-loving friends around the country.

4) Head out to your favorite restaurant or pub, request your favorite wine and offer a toast in honor of National Drink Wine Day. Let the bartender or server know what you're celebrating. You might be surprised how many patrons want to join in the festivities.

5) Gather with your friends at home this evening for an impromptu wine party. Break out the vino and any wine game you might have like Wine-opoly, Winerd, ZinZig or Viticulture, and "party on!"

It really doesn’t matter how you celebrate, just be sure to pour a glass in honor of the day, because unfortunately, national wine days don't come along every month ...

Cheers!

Joy