Classes at Ridgefield's 109 Cheese & Wine

Ridgefield's best source for artisinal cheese and wine, 109 Cheese & Wine has recently expanded its footprint and education offerings. The shop, located at Ridgefield's Marketplace, has posted an impressive and fun line-up of events throughout the summer. Advance reservations are recommended as class size is limited, call 203-438-5757.

Exploration into Italy: Cheese and Wine 

Friday, May 17 @ 7pm, $55
Explore a great evening of Italian Cheese and Wine, their relationship and how to pair them. Class will start with some wonderful small bites and a glass of Prosecco, then continue with a tasting and comparison of 5 cheeses and wines. Something sweet will end this evening.

Sarah Wine Bar & 109 Cheese and Wine Dinner Sunday 

May 19 2013 at 5:30 pm
Special Guest Henryk Teraszkiewicz, Director of the Woodcock Nature Center
Menu

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Reasons to Love Winesday: Wine Wednesdays at Mohegan Sun

It seems that Wednesdays are officially becoming synonymous with wine!  In addition to our “Winesday” column, you can now enjoy an array of vino-based festivities at Mohegan Sun’s latest weekly event, “Wine Wednesdays.”  The evenings embrace the acclaimed restaurants and lounges already present within the casino, but present them with an emphasis on wine.  Four course pairing dinners unfold every Wednesday at both Bobby Flay’s Bar American and Todd English’s Tuscany.  Casino guests can also relax with a glass of champagne and smooth jazz rifts at the Vista Lounge starting at 8pm.  The first Wednesday of every month, though, has a special offering: “Tasting and Tapas” at Todd English’s Tuscany.  I had the pleasure of experiencing the affair (which has an impressively alliterate title, I might add) earlier this month.

Tasting and Tapas unfolded on the beautiful “patio” in the front of Tuscany.  Tuscany has an indoor restaurant with the kitchen, bar, and tables, as well as a front portion looking out on the casino.  Mohegan adopted the motif of a night sky, so guests sitting in that area feel the illusion of eating dinner under twinkling stars on a summer’s evening. 

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Winesday: Elm Restaurant Rhone Wine Dinner

“Are you here for the wine dinner?” asked a smiling gentleman as I entered Elm Restaurant in New Canaan, shaking snow flurries from my coat.  Before I knew it, he was whisking us away behind the bar, past a few tables, and into a smaller dining room tucked away in the back.  The area felt cozy and intimate.  Four glossy walls framed the small space and a table set for eight sat in the center.  Nearby stood a countertop, where a few more guests could perch while looking into the bustling kitchen.

“We want people to feel like they are at our homes,” explained Chef Brian Lewis. “It’s like the feeling of having close friends over for dinner.”

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Winesday: When It Rains, It “Pours”... Wine & the Weather

“What’s going to come next- a sandstorm?” asked my friend as we stared out at the never-ending expanse of snow in front of us.

This season certainly has seen its share of weather anomalies from Hurricane Sandy to the recent blizzard that hit some parts of Connecticut with more than 30 inches of snow.  As I assessed the damage and tried to get my daily routine back in order, I couldn’t help but consider how these extreme storms have affected the wine industry.  A wine’s quality depends on a host of climate factors including the length of the growing season, temperature, and composition of the soil.  Even a small deviation can alter an entire bottle.  What happens to production in the wake of such monumental weather upheavals?

In order to find the answer to my question, I turned to Andie Martin, Tasting Room Manager, and Chris Moore, Vineyard Manager, at the Jonathan Edwards Winery. 

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Winesday: Best Wines from the Mohegan Sun Winefest

There’s a lot to wine about at the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest.  I watched in horror as my printer spewed out 16 pages of wines that would be featured over the course of the weekend.  The annual event is an exercise in diversity; exhibitors bring everything from the commercial to the exclusive, the traditional to the innovative.  There are wines with long-lasting legacies and bottles that haven’t even hit shelves yet.

Fortunately, I carefully siphoned through all of the offerings to bring you a report of the very best the event had to offer.  Armed with my 16 page list, I diligently worked my way through the tables, asked questions, and sampled the wines.  (Don’t worry, there was a significant amount of spitting involved!)

It’s difficult to compare wines, especially with such an extensive range available.  How can one compare an expensive Napa Valley Cab to a fruity white made for casual drinking?  To solve the predicament, I broke my explorations down into categories.

In this first installation, I feature Robust Reds, Wonderful Whites, and Wines to Watch.  In Robust Reds and Wonderful Whites, my aim is to focus on quality.  Some of these wines might come off as a bit of a monetary splurge, but they drink beautifully.  Wines to Watch also hinges on quality.

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Sun Winefest Recap: One Woman's Search for the Best Bottles

It was the calm before the storm.

As I strolled into the SunWineFest before the doors opened to the public, the ballroom appeared almost peaceful.  Exhibitors casually erected their stands and freely moved about the space.  Within an hour, that all changed.  People stood packed shoulder to shoulder and attempted to elbow their way through the throng for tastes of wine.  The crowd surged with energy, and my heart raced with excitement.

For some, the Mohegan SunWineFest is one giant party: an excuse to get buzzed with friends, blow off steam, and sample as many wines as physically possible.  For others, the event is a valuable opportunity to find exceptional bottles. 

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Nutmegger Cheese & Wine Festival September 23

Calling all cheese lovers! The Working Lands Alliance will proudly host the inaugural Nutmegger Cheese and Wine Festival, a fundraiser to protect Connecticut’s farmland and to support quality childhood nutrition.  The Festival will be held on Sunday, September 23 from noon-4 p.m. at the Jones Family Farms, located at 120 Beardsley Road in Shelton, CT. It will feature samples of Connecticut’s best cheeses and wines, vineyard tours, hayrides, cheesemaker talks and book signings, and include special guests who will talk about cheese. Participating Vendors Include:

Cheesemakers: Arethusa Farm & Dairy, Beltane Farms, Butterfield Farm Company, Cato Corner Farm, Ladies of Levita Road, Meadow Stone Farm, Sankow Beaver Brook Farm.

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Amuse Bouche: The All Beverage Issue

Stew Leonard’s Wines is getting into the Olympic spirit. They will also be hosting a “Wide World of Spirits” on Friday, July 27 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, July 28 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. featuring four drinks from four continents.

Westport's new wine shop, BottleRocket will host several events this weekend. If you haven't stopped by yet, this top notch wine haven is worth a taste. Thurs, July 26:  Magic Hat Elder Betty beer (seasonal, weiss-style and super refreshing), 4-7pm: Fri, July 27:Mer Soleil Chardonnay from California, 4-7pm & Sat, July 28: Laxas Albarino (refreshing summer sipper from Spain), 1-4pm

Hartford's City Steam brew pub, already distributing their Naughty Nurse pale ale in bottles at retail, is rolling out bottles of their Innocence IPA in the coming weeks. We've asked, and we'll update you when we know Ffld. Co. locations. 

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Dutch Henry Winery Wine Dinner @ Dressing Room

Dressing Room in Westport is hosting a few events this Spring that are worth that cost of that baby sitter. The first is a special wine dinner with Dutch Henry Winery on Wed April 18th featuring guest speaker Deborah Bazzano-Banhos of DoValle Wines. Dutch Henry Winery specializes in small lots of Handcrafted wines producing 5,000 cases annually, and was named one of the “top five” wineries to visit while in Napa by the Wall Street Journal. These wine dinners are informative and the pairings are impeccable. Check out the delicious menu below courtesy of Chef Jon Vaast:

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Cheers to CAVA Wine Dinner @ Barcelona Restaurant

If you're in the neighborhood and like your bubbles, don't miss the "Cheers to CAVA Wine Dinner" on Thursday, April 12th at Barcelona Restaurant in West Hartford, 7pm.

Champagne is one of the world’s most profound and expensive wines, usually only drank in times of celebration. However, Spain has its own popular sparkling wine created in the exact same style as its French counterpart, called Cava. While never bearing the generally high price tag as to Champagne, Cava is just as enjoyable and inspiring. As a self-declared “bubble head,” Gretchen Thomas, Wine & Spirits Director for the Barcelona Restaurant Group, is throwing a wine dinner showing off her favorites from several Spanish regions and their uncanny ability to pair well with even the heaviest and most flavorful dishes - a good thing since their Executive Chef, Adam Greenberg, is known for his creativity. This promises to be one of the most eye-opening food and wine pairing event of the season.

$45 per person, plus tax and gratuity.  

For reservations, email gretchen@barcelonawinebar.com 

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