Brookstone Wine Pump

There are a number of ways to preserve a bottle of wine for later use. The simplest is to recork the bottle, but this method only buys one a couple of days. At the other end of the spectrum are devices which insert inert gas into the bottle before sealing, By replacing the oxygen with a gas which will not react with the wine, the wine's taste is preserved.

Another option is to create a vacuum inside the bottle by removing the oxygen altogether. There are a number of Wine pumps on the market. While not as expensive as inert gas devices, these devices can get pricey. But one such wine pump I found was cheap, and modestly effective.

Brookstone, a company which makes various gift items for Christmas and year round markets a Wine Pump that I found one day. For about $10, this is a manual wine pump. To operate, one firmly places the wine pump on the bottle and pushes down repeatedly to remove the air from the bottle. There is also a slot with number intended to be used to indicate the day the bottle was opened, but I have found this difficult to accomplish.

For a few dollars more than a normal wine stopper, one can have a wine stopper which can help preserve the wine. It's hard to gauge how much the wine pump helps, but with my last bottle, I noticed little difference in the taste during the first week or so the bottle was opened. As a present for a wine lover, or as a new wine gadget to test out, at around $10, there's not much to lose with this device.

What I'm Drinking: Brown County Winery Vista Red

Hidden away in the forest of Brown County lies Brown County Winery. Their most popular Red wine is the Vista Red.

In the spectrum of Semi-Sweet Red wines, this one is a little more complex than Oliver Wineries Red, yet a little more simple than French Lick's Table Red. Its a balanced wine with the tones of acid, alcohol, sweetness, and tannins all at about the same level. As with most other Red Table wines from the Midwest, this is made with Concord grapes and has the distinct grape jam aroma to it.

This bottle was a delight to drink. As a sub $10 bottle, it's a nice every day bottle of wine. I'd rate it as similar Semi-sweet Reds I've tasted at 75/100.

Acid: 2/5

Alcohol: 3/5

Sweet: 3/5

Tannins: 2/5

What I'm Drinking: St. James Winery - Velvet Red

On a cool, summer afternoon, with scattered showers in the area, I picked up a bottle of Velvet Red from St. James Winery to enjoy at a picnic at Symphony on the Prairie. In the same vein as other Midwest wineries, this House wine is a semi-sweet. While not as sweet as Oliver Wineries offering, this wine is more complex and fragrant. 

The aroma is fruity, with a slight earthy quality to it. 

The wine itself is sweet, but not overly so like other wines. The Acids and Tannins in the wine play a nice 1, 2 to the sweetness. The alcohol level is low (at 10%), leaving a fairly clean after taste with little bite.

The wine has a light-body with a deep violet hue.

Perhaps it was the setting when I first opened this bottle, but the wine has this bright, summer like air to it. For a sub $10 bottle of wine, I'd rate the bottle 80 out of 100.

Acid: 3/5

Alcohol: 2/5

Sweet: 3/5

Tannins: 3/5

Symphony on the Prairie

Each Summer, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra puts on a number of shows at an outdoor museum called Conner Prairie. The Museum itself is quite amazing, featuring outdoor areas with employees in period costume from the early Pioneer days to the Civil War. But the symphonies are what I really enjoy. About half of the concerts are performed by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra while the other half are performed by other groups, such as the River City Brass Band.

This year, I was fortunate enough to attend 3 concerts. At these concerts, outside food and drinks are permitted, including alcohol. At each of the three concerts, I've tried a different wine. First was St. James Velvet Red. Second was Forbidden Fruit - Moscato from St. Julian wineries. The final wine was Raggae Red from Easley Winery.

The stores at Conner Prairie sell a number of picnic and wine accessories in case while there's a beer and wine tent at the symphony itself for those who forget the wine (or run out).

In the Midwest, 2013 was a mild summer with only a few days above 90 this year. The evenings on the lawn were cool and the bugs were surprisingly inactive. But why is it that a glass of wine in my house can be out for 5 minutes and attract a bug, yet I can drink 2 full glasses of wine before a bug finds my drink?

What I'm Drinking: French Lick Red Table Wine

One of a number of wines I received for Christmas was French Lick Red Table Wine. As a table wine, its jammy flavor works well with some of the simple dishes I make during the week after work.

This wine is clear, un-aged, and has a light purple hue. It has a strong aroma of grape jam, so I was unsurprised to find on the back label that the wine is made from Concord grapes. It has a low acidity and a medium-low alcohol content from what I can taste. The wines body is dominated by its sweetness, which is semi-sweet, and the tannins, which are present, yet far from overwhelming.

The wine is made at the French Lick Winery in French Lick, Indiana. Despite the odd name, French Lick and its sister town, West Baden, have a rich history. Its heyday was in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it was known for its mineral waters and catered to the well-to-do with spas and other amenities, including a casino. Today, French Lick and West Baden are still a destination, but of a different sort with Train Rides, bowling, horseback riding, go karts, hiking, an indoor water park, and of course, a casino. My wife and I have made a few trips to French Lick and while it might not have the glitz of Las Vegas, it also doesn't come with the big price tag.

I've found the 'French Lick Red Table Wine' a refreshing wine. And at the sub $10 price range, this wine offers simple yet pleasant tastes. Overall, given the price range, I'd rate this wine a 70 out of 100.

 

Sweet: 4/5

Alcohol: 2/5

Tannins: 2/5

Acidity: 1/5