Posts from November 2012

Cranberry wine: for the holidays!

Cranberry wine: for the holidays!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Thanksgiving dinner means family, friends and oven-roasted, hand-basted turkey. And for a lot of American families, Christmas dinner means the same thing.

Even my wife who’s a vegetarian gets seriously excited about these meals. Why? Because of all the traditional fixin’s: mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, green beans, cranberry sauce and relish…. Oh man, I just sort of drooled on the keyboard. —Sorry!

Now, if you think cranberries are the perfect complement to an oven-roasted turkey, then imagine adding a bottle or four of cranberry wine to your holiday dinner setting.

It’s a unique way to make the occasion even more memorable and — shock! — even more delicious.

Now, there are a few small, family-owned wineries across the country that make small batches of cranberry wine and we list six of those wineries, who make a total of eight cranberry wines. Any one of them could be at your front door or office in a week.

Orders shipped “Ground” will arrive in time for Christmas if you order by Friday, December 14. But don’t wait. Do it now and cross it off your list.

Here are the boutique cranberry wines to consider, and where they can ship:

1 & 2. Cranberry Bog is a multi-award winning 100% cranberry wine. And Lake Effect Blush is a cranberry-apple blend, both made by Bill Martin the winemaker at Seneca Falls, New York producer Montezuma Winery. Ships to: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

3 & 4. Auntie X is an organic 100% cranberry wine and Twisted Sisters is an organic blend of cranberries and raspberries, both made by Alexia at Shell Lake, Wisconsin’s Clover Meadow Winery. These organic gems ship to: Alaska, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

5. Carl over at Century Farm Winery in Jackson, Tennessee makes a large, seasonal batch of 100% cranberry wine every year, and always sells out! So get your order in. This is a well-balanced wine. Is it sweet or is it tart? No one’s certain. Could be both! Ships to: Alaska, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

6. Earl at Texas Star Winery in remote Richards, Texas makes a 100% cranberry wine that’s slightly tart, full-bodied, and bold in flavor. Ships to: Alaska, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

7. Stephen at world-renowned Portland, Oregon producer Clear Creek Distillery uses

cranberries from the southern coast of Oregon to make an amazing no-sulfites-added cranberry liqueur. It’s sweet, it’s classy, it’s handmade. It’s also almost 20% alcohol so it can’t be shipped, but luckily is available at well-stocked wine retail locations in most states. And you don’t have to wait a week to get it! Perfect for last-minute holiday planners. Call Clear Creek at 503-248-9470 (don’t forget, they’re on west coast time) and ask where the nearest retail location is for you. And if you talk with Stephen tell him we said, “Hi.” Thanks!

Available in: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

8. John at Chico, California’s Honey Run Winery makes a cranberry honey wine, putting an extra elegant spin on the cranberry wine tradition. It’s also certified kosher (OU). Honey Run Winery ships to: Alaska, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.

And independent third-party retailers ship Honey Run wines to: Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Enjoy.

—Todd Spencer

 

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