Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

I’ve been on a ginger kick lately... and Canton’s Ginger Liqueur satisfies my desire. You can add it to just about any cocktail to give it a little extra oomph!

Here is a seasonal twist on the classic margarita:
1.5 parts Canton Ginger Liqueur
1 part silver tequila
1/2 part lime juice
Shake and strain over ice, garnish with lime.

Another favorite of mine is the ginger mojito:
2 parts Canton Ginger Liqueur
1/2 part white rum
3 lime wedges mint
Prepare as you would a traditional mojito, top with club soda.

Delicious!

Branchville Oktoberfest - October 15, 2011

This afternoon local businesses in Branchville took part in an Oktoberfest celebration.

At Ancona’s Wines, we hosted a German tasting introducing customers to wines from Diehl Winery. We tasted Diehl’s 2009 Riesling, 2010 Gewurztraminer, 2010 Dornfelder and 2009 Spatburgunder. All were well received by our customers and are wonderful examples of their varietals.

The Ridgefield Choaral serenaded guests with upbeat tunes from the past and present. They did a really great job and kept the crowd smiling and moving to the beat.

Ancona's Market had their grill fired up and ready by 12:00. The market had a constant flow of burgers, dogs and bratwurst on the grill with proceeds donated to the Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club.

The Little Pub hosted their 'Ghost Wing Challenge'... I’m not sure who the winner of the competition was, but my eyes are watering just thinking about how spicy those wings were!

It was a lot of fun and we can not wait for next year's celebration.

The Evolution of Beer: A Sam Adams Tasting Seminar

Yesterday Ancona’s Wines hosted “The Evolution of Beer” a Sam Adams tasting seminar. Special guest Joe Hanson from the Boston Beer Company visited our store and gave a presentation on the history of beer covering a range of topics from ingredients, styles of beer, and the emergence of craft breweries over the past 25 years. Our guests enjoyed a sampling of Sam Adams Boston Lager, Sam Adams Boston Ale, Sam Adams Latitude 48 and Sam Adams Oktoberfest.

It was a informative evening full of fun and great beer.

Discovering the Regions of Rhone: Chateau de la Selve & Olivier Richard

We had the pleasure of welcoming Olivier Richard from Chateau de la Selve to speak at our first tasting seminar. The theme for the evening was “The Regions of Rhone” and we featured 4 beautiful wines from his portfolio.

The vineyards at Chateau de la Selve are farmed in an organic and biodynamic culture. The vineyards are treated as interconnected, living organisms. The crops are planted and harvested using an astrological calendar and no chemical fertilizer, weed killer or insecticide is used. Very specific attention is paid to the balance of the soils, resulting in the production of wines with high delicacy and subtle complexity.

It was very refreshing to meet Olivier. The wines spoke volumes about his passion for the art of wine making, each with its own vivacious personality. I would love to visit the vineyard someday.

2010 Chateau de la Selve St. Regis Viognier
“The La Selve St. Regis is 100% Viognier. The color is a beautiful sunshine yellow and the aromas are so delightful. Peach, citrus, and a hint of mint move from the nose onto the palate leaving a clean, refreshing, delicate fruitiness. The limestone soil provides enough mineral tones to balance the fruit and add subtle complexity.”

2010 Chateau de la Selve L’Audacieuse Rose
“L' audacieuse rose by La Selve is a dynamic Southern Rhone blend of both Grenache and Syrah with some Cinsault and Viognier to add to its complex and vibrant flavor profile. High quality fruit and stylistic winemaking contribute to a blend that is mineral driven and food friendly!”

2006 Chateau de la Selve Beaulieu
“Cabernet, Grenache, Merlot, Cinsault blenc. Dark ruby/purple, color, Beaulieu has an expressive, nose of dark berries, spice and cassis. Long, with delicate tannins, and a graphite-tinged finish. This is an extremely versatile, food-friendly red. Great bistro wine!”

Chateau de la Selve Serre De Berty
“Maturing now, with dried sausage, mesquite and mulled spice notes taking over from the core of black cherry fruit. A smoky edge lingers on the finish. Syrah, Merlot, Grenache and Cinsault.”