KAS Krupnikas: Baltic Spirit from the Hudson Valley

Posted on September 30, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

Quality. Authenticity. Versatility. Highly desirable traits for most any product, not least spirituous beverages, but often elusive as a trifecta.

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One such excellent potation that I recently covered for Edible Hudson Valley Magazine is KAS Spirits’ Krupnikas, a traditional spiced honey liqueur from the Baltic region (dating back to  the 16th century!) that most Lithuanian-American families make at home on stove tops – from carefully guarded recipes – and bring out for celebratory occasions. This includes the family of Kestutis J. Katinas (a.k.a. Kas), the founder of KAS Spirits. He is taking this Eastern European tradition to a wider audience via a former auto repair shop in Mahopac, NY. Call him the Lithuanian liqueur garagiste. Continue reading →

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2016 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition: Fjord Vineyards Sweeps Top Awards

Posted on September 15, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

hvwga_emblemRelative newcomer Fjord Vineyards made quite the statement at the recent 2016 Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition. Not only did its 2015 Albariño win Best in Show, Best Overall Hudson Valley Wine (made w/HV fruit) and Best White Wine, but it also won Winery of the Year, the first time ever that this award hasn’t gone to the HV’s perennial flagship, Millbrook Winery and Vineyards.

 

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Hopping Up Hudson Valley Cider

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

With its tradition of apple-producing excellence — and aided by the New York Farm Cidery license option — the Hudson Valley (HV) has become an epicenter of the burgeoning (hard) craft cider scene, supported by the Hudson Valley Cider Alliance.

And as a cider enthusiast (and maker!), I keep tabs on what is appearing in the local HV cider market place. In recent months, I’ve noticed a positive trendlet from the region’s craft producers: offerings of dry-hopped cider.

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Killer Bordeaux Bargain: Chateau Carbonneau

Posted on May 17, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

It’s no secret that Bordeaux represents a great source of wine value, despite the outsized focus on the Grand Cru chateaux and hallowed First Growths (which certainly have their place, too). Value, of course, is a very relative thing, but sometimes the Bordeaux bargains can border the ridiculous.  Such is the case with the 2014 Chateau Carbonneau Classique, a complete knockout for…$11.00!

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A Winning Home-Brewed Cider

Posted on March 21, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

Apples have long been a touchstone here at Upstate-Downtown, whether via our farmhouse, where we “inherited” three productive Empire apple trees — a great window into the growing season — or in the Hudson Valley more broadly, through its apple-growing traditions and excellence. Part of that tradition, now experiencing a local revival, is hard cider, a topic I have covered.

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Our bountiful Empire apple tree

This past fall, despite an always crazy autumn work schedule — and because of an amazing 2015 apple harvest — I finally succeeded in making some hard cider with (mostly) our own apples, realizing a long-held intention (Michael Pollan, one of my heroes, would be proud!). And after years of writing about fermented beverages — wine, beer, spirits and yes, cider — I produced something not only that was drinkable the first time out, but a blue-ribbon winner to boot!

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A Minervois “Reunion”…with Sainte Eulalie

Posted on February 13, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

This past weekend I had a reunion of sorts. Not with college or grad school classmates, mind you, but with one of my favorite French producers from the Languedoc, Chateau Sainte Eulalie, located in the rugged, herb-laced hills of the Minervois La Livinière appellation.  

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Bordeaux Braves Yet Another NYC Blizzard

Posted on February 1, 2016 by

By Christopher Matthews

For the second year in a row, the annual NYC tasting of the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux was affected by a blizzard — winter storm Jonas — this time the weekend preceding the January 25th tasting; last year’s was during! While most of the wines had arrived well before the storm, many chateau owners and reps were held up by horrendous travel delays, missing the event altogether. But in true New York spirit, the show went on, with industry volunteers pitching in for the pouring. And Jonas’ aftermath did little to dissuade the wine trade from attending the show, which focused on Bordeaux’s 2013 vintage.

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Jonas at work

On the following day, the Wine Media Guild of New York (WMG) held its annual Bordeaux lunch, drafting off the Grand Cru tasting (the lunch had to be cancelled last year…due to the snow storm!), featuring the Chateaux of Malescot St. Exupery (Margaux), Prieuré-Lichine (Margaux), Phélan Ségur (St. Estephe) and Siran (Margaux).

Both events yielded valuable insights.  Continue reading →

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