Wines of the World

The question of the day should probably be "do you have enough wine stocked up for the impending Snowmageddon this weekend?" If you don't well, it's probably too late (or too crazy an idea to hit the liquor store today), but we're going to talk about wine anyway. :)

What countries are cultivating the best grape growing and also supplying some of the world’s best wines? From Bordeaux, France, known for its Petit Verdot and several other excellent beverages, to La Rioja, Spain, famed for Tempranillo, to Colchagua, Chile, renowned for its Carmenère, several places have developed reputations for producing high quality wines that generate accolades worldwide. Places that become known for winemaking generally have two characteristics that make them hospitable to the practice: proper climate and soil. The best climate for vineyards is generally temperate, and the finest soil is often rocky and boasts easy drainage. If you’d like to learn more about what and who makes the highest quality wine, check out the following infographic by Gold Medal Wine Club (www.goldmedalwineclub.com).

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Win Passes to Great Grapes

The Great Grapes Festival will be taking place June 12th and 13th at Oregon Ridge Park. On Saturday, at 1pm, I will be participating in a cook-off with fellow local bloggers Kit Pollard of Mango & Ginger (and one of my partners in crime at All Top Chef) and John Donahue of The Baltimore Snacker. The not-so-secret ingredient is bacon, so come on over and see what the three of us will be concocting with everyone's favorite porcine food product!

In addition to the blogger cook-off on Saturday, there will be a blogger panel at 3pm on Sunday the 13th, featuring Bon Appetit Hon's Wendy Mosteiko, What’s To Eat Baltimore‘s Liz Stambaugh, The Upstart Kitchen‘s Wendy Tien, Jessica Lemmo of Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants, and Dara Bunjon of Dining Dish acting as moderator.

Tickets to Great Grapes are $20, which includes a tasting glass, or $30 for a two-day pass. Non-drinkers can get in for $15 with a "designated drivers" ticket. And two of you can get in for FREE if you answer this simple question: what is your favorite wine? Leave your answer in the comments and I'll pick the winners via random drawing. Please make sure to leave your e-mail address with your comment so I can contact you if you are a winner. Tickets will be left at will call, so I'll also need your names.

Contest ends Sunday, June 6th.

Hope I see you at the festival! And good luck!