With a sweet, earthy flavor, juicy texture, and beautiful ruby-red hue, beets make a salad into something sensational. The key to making them the highlight of a simple yet elegant salad is roasting, making the beets juicy and tender with a concentrated sweetness. Peeling is easier when the beets are still warm. Also, tossing the sliced beets with the dressing […]
I’m fortunate to be a member of my local book club–The Friday Book Club. This wonderful band of readers was established in 1935. And, this year, I have the privilege of being president. As such, I thought it would be fun and festive to ask Becky Ellis, author of The Bubby BEE to speak to all of us about sparkling wines and Champagne for the holidays. We enjoyed Becky’s presentation, and of course, her sparkling personality. Many thanks, Becky! , One of the best things about blogging is meeting fun people who share the same interests. At first glance Tonya, author of fourthgenerationfarmgirl.com, and I could not seem more different…she lives on a farm complete with chickens and sheep. I get nervous if I get too far from a city sidewalk. But we both love […] via Size Matters When Drinking Bubbles + A Sip Of English Bubbly — BubblyBEE.com
I absolutely love fizzy and sparkling wines! And, since New Year’s Eve celebrations are fast approaching, I thought it may be fun and helpful to share some information about Champagne and sparkling wines. I’ve also included a few of my favorites. Champagne: First, all that sparkles isn’t Champagne. Sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it’s from the Champagne region in France and made in the traditional method (méthode champenoise). The traditional method is a labor intensive, multi-step process (two fermentations) that contributes to the expense. Champagne can be made from three grapes: chardonnay and red-skinned pinot noir and pinot meunier. Sometimes the label will use the terms “blanc de blancs” meaning the wine was made from white grapes, or “blanc de noirs” indicating that the Champagne is a white wine made from the dark pinot noir and pinot meunier varieties. There are also different levels of dryness/sweetness in Champagne: Brut Nature/Brut Zero: Bone dry. No residual sugar. Extra Brut: very dry Brut: very dry to dry Extra-Sec or Extra Dry: off-dry to medium dry Sec: medium dry Demi-Sec: sweet Doux: super sweet *Special note: More Champagne houses from France are opening vineyards in California: Roederer Estate (by Champagne Louis Roederer), Domaine Chandon (by Moët & Chandon), Mumm Napa (by G.H. Mumm), and Domaine Carneros (by Taittinger) are a few of the French producers in California. Sparkling Wines: Crémant: French sparkling wine that is made outside of the Champagne […]
Originally posted on fourth generation farmgirl:
September is my birthday month, and thankfully, I’m turning another year older. I am now firmly into my fourth decade–or as my husband corrected–fifth decade, because you count 0 to 10 as your first decade…..okay—whatever! The bottom line….I am forty-something and well into the journey of my life. And, with this understanding, I started…
Originally posted on Meals With Mel:
Hi everyone and happy Monday! Things have sure been busy here in Texas recently and when we are not busy we’ve been out of town. Recently we took a lovely trip to Virginia to meet up with a good blogging friend of mine, Tonya, from Fourth Generation Farm Girl. So here’s a little peek at…
Originally posted on fourth generation farmgirl:
I absolutely love fizzy and sparkling wines! And, since New Year’s Eve celebrations are fast approaching, I thought it may be fun and helpful to share some information about Champagne and sparkling wines. I’ve also included a few of my favorites. Champagne: First, all that sparkles isn’t Champagne. Sparkling wine can only be called…
With Thanksgiving coming up next week for many of us, and the holidays just around the corner, I thought I would share one of my favorite posts about food, wine, and fellowship. This post was inspired by a dear friend, Scott Lockhart as well as his lovely family and staff. It’s truly amazing how a few people can have such […]
October is Virginia Wine Month, and I thought I would share this early post regarding a Virginia winemaker and his story. Rutger de Vink and RdV Vineyard are quickly gaining notice and for good reason: beautiful wines that are a cross between Napa and Bordeaux, characterized by the perfect balance of fruit and minerality. These boutique-style wines are becoming sought-after […]
September is my birthday month, and thankfully, I’m turning another year older. I am now firmly into my fourth decade–or as my husband corrected–fifth decade, because you count 0 to 10 as your first decade…..okay—whatever! The bottom line….I am forty-something and well into the journey of my life. And, with this understanding, I started considering the passing years and what […]
I’m not much of a mixed drink connoisseur. I usually find that I enjoy wine more: sparkling, white Burgundy, and Bordeaux styles. However, a few years ago, while visiting with friends in Yorkshire, England, I discovered a cocktail that even I realized was pretty good. I liked it enough to ask the bartender for the recipe. It’s called a Hendrick’s […]
My name is Tonya, and I grew up on a 300-acre farm in rural Virginia that has been in my family for over 100 years. After graduating from college, receiving my master’s degree in speech and language pathology, and living and working in a small city for six years, I decided to return to the place of my childhood. Here, in this rural area, on this patch of green, where for four generations my family has farmed, gardened, and lived, I, too wanted to be a part of this continuity. As a fourth generation farmgirl, I have many interests that not only include, but also go beyond the basics of farming, gardening, sheep and chicken-keeping. It is all of this and more that I plan on sharing in this blog.
fourth generation farmgirl 