Tag: Wine

2022 Week 18 – Cincy Wine Region?

Shorter post this week as I have a lot going on these days. I’m planning a trip to Toronto in the next couple of months and the Canadian entry requirements seem to be a moving target. As of last week, Canada now requires you to get pre-approved with an app called ArriveCAN. Hopefully, nothing else changes prior to my visit. I’m holding off on making actual reservations until the trip gets closer, just in case they lock things down again.

Have you tried ClusterTruck yet? Chris Baggott, formerly of Exact target, and founder of ClusterTruck, and Tyner Pond Farms, is on to something. In my opinion, he’s completely changed the delivery industry and has reliably, and deliciously, fed me for the past several years while working in Downtown Indianapolis.

The key to ClusterTruck’s success is technology. In a nutshell, they don’t start making the food until they know they have a driver ready to pick it up as soon as it’s done cooking. This results in hot and fresh food every time. In fact, the only issue I’ve had out of the approximately 100 orders was a Cuban sandwich that they forgot to press. It was still hot though! The delivery radius is small but they have kitchens scattered around Central Indiana and Columbus, Ohio. I’m fortunate to be in the delivery area of one of them just about every day.

If you’re curious, you can use my referral code and get a discount on your first order (Full disclosure, I get a $5 credit on my account too).

And finally, Gastro Obscura had an interesting video titled A Legacy of Wine in Cincinnati that details the history of winemaking in the Cincinnati region.

Kate MacDonald is on a mission to make wine that connects to its place, and that’s just what she’s done with Skeleton Root. This winery was created to resurrect American heritage grape varieties that filled her hometown of Cincinnati in the mid-1800s, starting with the wines that put America on the map: dry still white Catawba and Catawba bubbly.

Gastro Obscura

2021 Week 20 – Mini Road Trip Part 2

Picking up where we left off last week. After I finished checking out Spring Mill state park I headed to another item on my travel list, Hemlock Cliffs.

Located on National Forest Rd, in English Indiana, Hemlock Cliffs is a little out of the way and on this Friday afternoon the parking lot was pretty empty. I could see this place getting really busy on a weekend. The trail loop out the the cliffs is about 2 miles long and easy to moderate in spots. It’s NOT accessible buy wheel chair or stroller as it has some narrow parts and several sets of steps.

Here are some short videos I made of the various waterfalls in the area.

While heading to the next destination I saw a sign for the Winzerwald Winery in Bristow Indiana and decided to check it out. They had a nice tasting room where you could get 4 samples for $4. I chose the flight of their “dry” wines which consisted of the following:

  • Black Riesling (Red)
  • Blaufränkisch Rosé (DEEP Red)
  • Cabernet Sauvignon (Red)
  • Grüner Veltliner (White)

All were quite good but I settled on the Grüner Veltliner to purchase and enjoy at home. Winzerwald Winery also sells a Pumpkin Spiced wine that I was too scared to try this time around.

Pumpkin Spiced Wine…

I was surprised to see the number of wineries in the area. On Google maps I counted at least 12 within an hours drive of this one.

Next we’re headed to one of the reasons for the trip. The 18-hole Disc Golf (DG) course at the Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana.

Unfortunately this is where the trip goes south. After 9-holes of DG the skies opened up and there was no end in sight. Between the rain and lightning I decided to cut the trip short and head back to Indy. I’m glad I did as the rain continued into the evening and setting up all your camping gear for a single night is just not worth the effort (or the cleanup afterwards). I already have a return trip planned and hope to finish out my round of DG and get a night of camping in the books.

That’s it for now, enjoy the warmer temps this week. I think summer is finally making an appearance!

Happy New Year & 2018 Blogging Challenge!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and started 2018 off in a positive way.  Things have been busy around IndyScan HQ and the Blog has suffered a bit by lack of activity.  This post is sort of a catch up post summarizing some of the events in 2017 and, hopefully, setting the stage for 2018 entries.

I’m going to challenge myself to post a minimum of 1 entry a week detailing the things going on around me and the new things I’m discovering and/or enjoying.  I’m going to harness the power of ToDoist to keep me from slipping.  It’s one of my favorite task managers and when combined with Evernote helps keep my life organized and commitments met.

I had a lot of fun posting images on Instagram this year and viewed some amazing photography.  Most of it was from cell phones that have evolved to a point where they could replace the SLR for all but the serious photographers.  I still love my SLR but you just can’t beat the convenience of a good cell phone camera.

I really enjoyed the new road bike I purchased in early 2017.  It took me a while to get back into the groove and I still have a way to go to get back to the distances I used to ride when I was younger.  I have a few trips planned for 2018 that should prove to be challenging as well as rewarding.  One of my favorite rides of 2017 was the Monon Trail from Westfield to Indy and back.  It was a little longer of a ride than I was expecting but it was a great accomplishment that sets a base for my 2018 riding goals.

I found the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy to be an awesome resource for identifying places to ride around the US.  I’ve already found some rides I want to do in Ohio as well as a great looking 2-day loop in Iowa.  Stay tuned for trip reports and photos from the trail.  It has to be above freezing though before I even think about the bikes…

We’re trying our hand at making wine this year too.  We purchased a kit at Great Fermentations as a joint Christmas gift and have been brewing up 6-gallons of Pinot Grigio (30-bottles) the past month.  Hoping to start the bottling process by the end of January and, after a little more aging, start sampling in April or May.

2017 was a great year full of its share of challenges but overall we had a lot of fun and tried some new things.  I’m already expecting 2018 to top last year and I hope to share some experiences with all of you on the blog.

Until next time…

 

Herbed Mushrooms with White Wine

This is a great side dish for chicken or beef dishes.  It’s quick, simple & delicious!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place mushrooms in the skillet, season with Italian seasoning, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix the wine and garlic into the skillet, and continue cooking until most of the wine has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chives. Continue cooking 1 minute.