entertaining

Wine Tasting |Tips for Hosting & Celebrating #NationalWineDay w/ @MercerEstates @Orrmanscheese

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This past Sunday, May 21, we celebrated National Chardonnay Day with friends. And since tomorrow is National Wine Day, I am dedicating today’s #WineWednesday post to sharing with you tips on How to Host a Wine Tasting at Home.

There was 5 of us ladies, with my husband serving as our private Sommelier. We had an amazing experience and learned so much about Mercer Estates Winery, who were kind to send four of their wines for editorial sampling.  I am happy to share some tips for hosting your own wine tasting at home along with my review of Mercer Estates wines. CHEERS! 🍷

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How to Host a Wine Tasting

  • Keep Guest List small <6 people 

      For me, keeping the guest list small allows for a more intimate gathering where we could all have fun sharing each others wine notes. Plus, there was more wine to go around. Each guests got a pen/notepad for tasting notes, a goodie bag with a Chardonnay scented candle (both from Dollar Tree!) and a Guide to Wine which is available for free at our local Total Wine.

      • Decorations 

        I kept it simple and used wine corks (that we collect for fun) as a centerpiece, along with fun finds from the Dollar Tree and Ross. Everyone loved the chalkboard table runner I used which I purchased from World Market. It allowed me to easily label the wine /cheese.

        • Food ..well cheese mostly!

        We recently picked some strawberries at a local farm (check out this video I made of that family fun day), so I had those available along with other berries and grapes. I picked up an assortment of jams from Ross, crackers from World Market, and kept the menu light with hummus, bread, assorted nuts, and shrimp cocktail. 

        Because this was a wine and cheese party, I did not have to do much food prep. I opted to look to Orrman’s Cheese Shop, located in Lafayette Village here in Raleigh,NC and also in Charlotte,NC, where Rachel assisted in selecting some great cheeses to pair with the wines. I picked it up the day before the party and offered the following to guests:

        “Tome Chebris” ~It’s a firm cheese made from goat and sheep’s milk. It has a grassy, tangy, nutty flavor with a sweet finish and hints of olive, hazelnut and fig. This one was everyone’s fave!

        “Sofia”~This goat cheese won 1st Place, American Cheese Society 2014. I enjoyed it with the berries and crackers with preserves.

        “Florys Truckle”~ it’s a hard cheddar cheese with a dry texture and these flavor notes: buttery, caramel, fruity, grassy, nutty
        I loved the rich aroma.

        “Roquefort Gabriel Coulet”~This Roquefort is a creamy, delicious blue cheese made from raw sheep’s milk and aged in special caves in the Roquefort region of France. We put this on some bread and it was great!

        • Wine

        Mercer Estates Winery from the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington state provided SobeSavvy.com with an assortment of wines for tasting. This family owned and operated winery are eco friendly and operate sustainable farming for their vineyards.

        The four types of wine being featured at our tasting were Mercer Estates white wines: Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc and Mercer Canyons red wines: Red Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon. We pointed out that the red wines are in newly designed bottles and have new, expressive labels but same great wine inside! We also shared that the 2 whites we were sampling are the first white wines to hail from the Horse Heaven Hills appellation and are great spring/summer wines.  

        We had our guests take their own tasting notes after sampling each wine so they could actually take home a sort of scorecard of their own for them to use when they buy their own Mercer Wine for their homes. Eager participants always make a wine tasting even more fun. Before long folks were yelling out their notes as if we were on a game show!

        After tasting each wine, my husband read them the official tasting notes of each to see how close they were with the REAL notes. We served from white to red in the following order:

        Mercer Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2015 – Horse Heaven Hills, $12.99 SRP, 12.5% alcohol, 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is bursting with aromas of grapefruit, lychee, passion fruit and boxwood.  The voluminous aromatics carry through in the mouth with flavors of gooseberry and citrus.  Capturing the fruit at its peak ripeness has resulted in a wine with both bold fruit and racy, mouth-watering acidity.  Clean, crisp, light-bodied and refreshing.   

        Mercer Estates Chardonnay 2015 – Horse Heaven Hills, $12.99 SRP, 13.9% alcohol, 100% Chardonnay.  This elegant Chardonnay opens with notes of fresh pineapples and lemon meringue pie with hints of lemon-lime zest.  Ripe orchard fruits surrounded by notes of sweet vanilla and honey flavors create a lush, juicy mouth feel.  The restrained ML fermentation has produced a wine that has bright acidity with clean fruit on the finish.  

        Mercer Canyons Red Blend 2014 – Horse Heaven Hills, $13.99 SRP, 13.9% alcohol.  Blend:  59% Merlot, 16% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 7% Sangiovese, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Viognier. Individual vineyard lots of Merlot and Syrah were fermented separately and barrel aged in a combination of French and American oak.  The resulting wine is bursting with ripe black cherry and plum with notes of caramel, coffee and smoke.  A balance of plush fruit and powdery tannins in the mid-palate lead into a long lingering finish with notes of bing cherry and spice.
        Mercer Canyons Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 – Horse Heaven Hills, $13.99 SRP, 13.9% alcohol.  Blend:  77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Viognier.   This warm vintage gave us ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of ripe black fruit with a hint of cassis.  The voluminous fruit carries through in the mouth.  Barrel aging the wine brings hints of warm baking spices and adds depth and complexity.  Powdery tannins give structure to the wine while maintaining an elegant, balanced mouth feel.  This wine shows great expression of the Horse Heaven Hills terroir.

        We all agreed that Mercer Wines were delightful and delicious as a cocktail and quite enjoyable with food. It is no wonder that Mercer Wines was awarded 2026 Washington Winery of the Year! 

        SobeSavvy Tip: Sign up for their “Carma Club” member program >> They offer case discounts and special access to twice a year releases!
        All 4 wines are available nationwide and if you would like more information, check out their website: http://www.MercerWine.com

        I hope you found some helpful hosting tips for your next wine tasting party at home as well as some new wines and cheeses to try!

        Until next time,  🍷Cheers🍷

        Prepping for Game Day? Here are some #Recipes for your #SuperbowlParty snack spread !

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        Next week is Superbowl Sunday and althought my team (GO Baltimore Ravens) is not playing,  I still look forward to Game Day fun with family & friends and let’s not forget the snacks! 

        I got the opportunity to sample Jarlsberg® Cheese®, Moore’s Marinades and Sauces and Farm Rich easy -to-make snacks (#gotitfree, thanks to BzzAgent). As you know from prior posts, I love entertaining and hosting Happy Hour at home. So I put these products to the test last night to see if it would be game day worthy to serve to family and friends. Here are the tasty appetizers I served:

        Cheese Nachos with Jarlsberg Cheese

        Jarlsberg® Cheese®, the nationally recognized premium brand of cheese famous for its characteristic mild, sweet and nutty taste and its large round holes,  wants you to celebrate the Big Game with their array of cheeses that are perfect for any palate, and what better way to enjoy it than with winning recipes for your party like some delicious, mouthwatering cheese Nachos! I made some with Jarlsberg® Cheese , paprika, cilantro, black beans, sour cream and salsa. We enjoyed the unique, nutty mild flavor of the cheese and thought this cheese would go great in any nacho recipe. Enjoy this special Jarlsberg® Cheese Nacho recipe for your Big Game party, and let the games begin!

        Jarlsberg® Cheese Nachos
        Ingredients:

        2 cups shredded Jarlsberg® Cheese

        1 bag tortilla chips

        1 Broccoli head, grated

        2 green chilies, diced small

        2 garlic cloves, diced small

        2 tablespoons olive oil

        2 limes – juiced

        Fresh pepper to taste

        Dash of coriander

        How to Bake:

        Spread tortilla chips on flat pan (use parchment paper to avoid clean up). Top with cheese, and baked for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. While chips are cooking, toss all other ingredients in bowl.  Remove from oven and top with all tossed ingredients.  

        #MooreFlavor Wings

        February 5th brings football, the best commercials and of course, WINGS! This year,  Moore’s Marinades and Sauces wants you to go easy on yourself and do the work for you. They have a ton of delicious flavors (and recipes!) to get those wings going. If you want seriously delicious wings on game day, Moore’s Sauces and Marinades offers the best tasting sauces to kick off Super Bowl Sunday like a champion. 

        Based in Alabama, Moore’s is a family owned business that pours their heart into their marinades and sauces to give football fans a taste of true southern flavor. Whether you crave a sweet, sticky taste or a hot, tangy flavor, Moore’s has a stellar lineup of products for you to indulge in the best half-time wings you’ve ever had.

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        As seen on Instagram, I made some #MooreFlavor Wings by simply marinating the wings in their Creamy Ranch Buffalo sauce and baking it in my oven. It definitely is a winning game-day snack that is super easy to make and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. Once your finger lickin’ wings are beautifully glazed don’t forget to garnish your plate with celery, carrots, and EXTRA dipping sauce.

        Be sure to follow Moore’s Marinades on:
        Facebook

        Instagram

        YouTube

        Pinterest

        The company is continually expanding its line and has recently added Spicy Habanero Wing & Hot Sauce, and Zesty Garden Herb Marinade to their collection. Check out their website at www.mooresmarinade.com for tons of yummy recipes that only require 30 minutes or less !

        Barbeque Chicken Bites/Loaded Potato Skins by Farm Rich

        Need a simple football party snack or something quick to eat anytime? Then try Farm Rich’s line of easy to make appetizers. I first heard of this brand by participating in a campaign with BzzAgent and was impressed by their snack products. 

        Yesterday,  I chose to combine two of my favorites from that line: Barbeque Chicken Bites and Loaded Potatoe Skins …and served as one amazing appetizer !

        I recommend visiting their website to see other recipe hacks like putting a fried egg on top of the potato skin or serving the barbeque chicken bites on a toothpick with mini cornbread squares! 

        I hope you are inspired to include  any or all of these quick, easy and tasty items on your Super Bowl Sunday snack spread or anytime you host your next gathering. Let me know what you have planned to eat/serve on Game Day ?! 

        Holiday Dinner Made Easy with @KreuzMarket Smoked Turkey + Side Dishes from @CityBarbeque #NC

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        Christmas is a few days away and New Year’s is around the corner!  Whether you are celebrating with family or friends, chances are there will be alot of food involved. But for those of us who don’t feel like cooking a feast for the holidays, let me share with you two great options for making your for your holiday meal easy! This year, don’t stress. Instead, impress your guests by serving a smoked turkey from Kreuz Market with some delicious sides from City Barbeque. 

        I have never had smoked turkey before, let alone have one delivered to my door. So when I learned that Kreuz Market makes whole smoked holiday turkeys and can ship it, I had to try it! In Texas, Kreuz Whole Smoked Turkeys are a seasonal fave available November and December. It’s cooked low and slow in brick pits over post oak sealing in that smokey goodness. Hot Turkeys are available for pickup while Cold turkeys can be ordered online and shipped to you fresh and ready to prepare. The turkey arrived vacuum sealed and comes with some simple reheating instructions. After a hour and a half of having your home smelling like the best Texas barbeque, it’s ready to be carved and served.It was so moist, full of flavor and I could taste the devotion to the tradition of barbeque. Hats off to the Pit Boss and everyone at Kreuz Market for making this a holiday meal to remember !

        Photo Credit: Kreuz Market

        You can’t have a tasty turkey without delicious side dishes and I knew just where I wanted to order from. My favorite barbeque place here in the Triangle, City Barbeque. Whether you need a foolproof dish to take to a potluck or hosting a holiday dinner , they have a lot of options available for catering or takeout. Because our dinner was for a small group we opted to go to the Durham, NC location and pick up some quart sized sides which serves 5-6 folks! 

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        Here is what was served:

        Gumbo for the first course of course. It comes with a side of brown rice and has just the right amount of spice.I loved it! It’s perfect for when you want something delicious to warm you up on a cold, winter’s evening.

        Photo Credit: City Barbeque

        Mac and Cheese, Green Beans w/Bacon (which are prepared by City Barbeque’s employees throughout the day from scratch in the restaurant. These classic side dishes were so good and easy to serve. Just reheat in the microwave and Voila! )

        ..and last but not least, aseasonal item, which was everyone’s fave: Sweet Potato Casserole   If I had to choose one word to describe it: YUM ! There are nuts in it but also a whole lot of deliciousness. Try some before the season ends.

        Photo Credit: City Barbeque

        While the adults had my homemade rum cake (check out recipe), I was happy to learn that City Barbeque offers their own homemade desserts made daily from scratch and served my daughter her own big girl piece of their Triple Chocolate Cake. 

        It was a sweet ending to a wonderful holiday dinner with family & friends! I highly recommend letting both City Barbeque and/or Kreuz Market take care of you this holiday season and make your holiday dinner easy & delicious! 

        Happy Holidays!

        Add some #RumFun to your #HolidayDrinks with @GubbaRum ~ #GubbaRum

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        Raise your glasses and let’s make a toast to being here to celebrate another Thanksgiving! This year, we decided to throw a pre-thanksgiving fete also known as Friendsgiving at our home. We here are so grateful for our friends at Gubba Rum who sponsored our Rum Fun ! 

        As I have shared in a past review , Gubba Rum is one of my favorite artisinal rums made with pure cane sugar instead of molasses. I wanted to share my love of this rum with a few of our close friends and have them sample their two amazing offerings from this unique rum maker. 

        We put on some Holiday Reggae tunes, had a few snacks and it was time to have our guests try Gubba Rum Silver infused with natural coconut and Gubba Gold, which is infused with natural vanilla. Their infusions are so authentic Gubba Rum advises consumers to actually shake the bottle a bit due to settling ! No extract or science inspired syrups here, real coconut and real vanilla.

        We decided to make a cocktail from Gubba Silver first. We wanted something we were sure that none of guests were familiar with. We made an obscure classic called Gregorio’s Rx {Prescription} This cocktail was the invention of Ernest Hemingway’s {Iconic author and iconic rum aficionado!} boat captain named Gregorio Fuentes.

         1 1/2 ounces Gubba Rum Silver                          2 Tbsp. honey                                                         2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice               1 mint leave

        Put in shaker 3/4 full of ice and shake until outer shaker has light coat of ice frost and strain into Martini Glass with a mint leaf .This was a magical cocktail that my guests simply could not stop drinking !

        Next up was the Gubba Rum Gold. This is infused with vanilla. One sniff and it instantly reminded me of some warm humid nights I have spent in the French West Indies, where at the end of a meal it is customary to put a self serve bottle of Rhum Vanille at the table to enjoy. I decided this was so exquisite I wanted to serve it up neat in shot glasses. Salud ! and down it went. Warm and smooth. Because Gubba Rum uses Cane sugar instead of molasses it has no harsh afterburn of so many rums. Everyone agreed they did not want anything interfering with this one, so we kept it simple..and neat for the evening. It was so wicked smooth !

        After everyone left I decided to try Gubba Gold with eggnog. It was amazing! The vanilla and eggnog married perfectly. Just a touch of nutmeg on top made this the perfect, classic holiday drink.

        Be sure to follow Gubba Rum on Twitter / Instagram @GubbaRum ! Gubba Rum for the holidays or any day is just a great choice. All your guests will thank you for it ..and I thank you all for the fun memories! 

        https://www.instagram.com/p/BNNz3FJDu2-/
        *Special Thank You & Photo Credits Barry Heigh for SobeSavvy.com

        and Mario Daye, @daye_and_knight


        What’s your favorite way to enjoy RUM ?

        #WellnessWednesday Skincare Review @LOrealParisUSA #PureClayMask #gotitfree

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        ​

        It’s that time of year again..time to prep your skin for Winter and I have just tried a series of masks that I definitely will be adding to my skin care regimen:  L’Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Masks. I got the opportunity to try the products for free thru BzzAgent.com and enjoyed the masks so much that I wanted to let my beauties know ! 

        At the beginning of the year, I shared how I did a detox to tranform my skin from within. In case you missed it, you can read about it here. I ended the article sharing a DIY mask recipe I loved for my eczema flareups. I discovered I needed masks that could mutitask and treat other skin issues like dryness & dullness while not irritating my skin. The NEW L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Masks are made with three mineral clays to absorb impurities and oils, and include specific ingredients to care for each area of your face or skin type. If you need to reduce shine and mattify your skin, then Eucalyptus treatment mask would be your choice. For a mask that can refine pores and smooth imperfections , try the treatment with the Red Algae mask enhanced with natural volcanic particles. Or recover from all the holiday indulging while detoxifying with some help from the Charcoal treatment mask. For a retail price of $12.99, a little goes a long way. 

        I hosted a #WellnessWednesday morning gathering with a couple of friends where we enjoyed Coffee, Conversation and Clay! When it was time to let our masks set we meditated on our yoga mats and let the benefits soak in. I shared that mult-masking while multi-tasking is a L’Oreal Paris beauty trend and encouraged them to apply whatever mask to whatever area needing detoxing,mattifying and exfoliating. In just ten minutes, we had glowing skin. Here are some pics from my at home event:

        This Wellness Wednesday treat yourself to a mask that can multitask and get your skin prepared now for the winter  …your skin will thank you for it. Now get glowing!

        Throw a ladies only #HappyHour at home with #SXchachacha #tequila @SXLiquors #yourdrinksexier

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        DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post, however 100% of the opinions are my own. 
        When I hear the term ” Cha Cha Cha” , I think of dancing to a Cuban Mambo beat. Not anymore. Sx Liquors have teamed up with R&B sensation Trey Songz in promoting a line of their spirits. Check out his interview with Forbes Magazine as he explains why he wanted to partner with this brand

        Their SX Cha Cha Cha is a premium reposado Tequila. They blended it with touches of honey and lime. Last Friday I decided to throw a happy hour for some of my girlfriends at my house and serve some crafted cocktails to see what they thought about it. My guests also commented on how beautiful and sexy the bottle was ! 

        Makeup Artist @neelyglamstudios_mua ready for her closeup with SX ChaChaCha

        One of my hubby’s many talents includes bartending. He loves to take fresh ingredients and play around with recipes that make sure the base liquor remains the star. I cannot tell you the number of times I have ordered a cocktail, only to have my favorite liquor lost in some bizarre high fructose syrup concocotion.

        Throwing a happy hour can be simple as long as you stay on course. Happy hour does not equal dinner party. One or two appetizers in a casual stand up atmosphere with a signature spirit, beer or wine. Friday’s spirit was Sx Cha Cha Cha. I had some sweet & spicy wing bites and meatballs marinara sitting on our bar counter for guests to help themselves. Some billboard top twenty R&B streaming on my soundboard and voila ! Happy hour is all set.

        We started with a simple shot. Shots may be a frat or sorority favorite way to drink, but honestly a shot is where a liquor either sinks or swims. There is simply nowhere for it to hide. As Trey Songz hit song says, it was “Bottoms Up” time. The ladies agreed it was smooth and a touch sweet. ” Wow” ! was the most common reaction
        “Who wants a cocktail” ?, said our own personal happy hour “bartender”

        First up was a Paloma cocktail. A classic recipe of tequila, red grapefruit juice with fresh squeezed lime juice. It was a magical drink. So simple and pure. The Cha Cha Cha really mixed effortlessly with the grapefruit juice.

        Next up was what he called ” Strawberry Smash”. He muddled fresh strawberries with a little simple syrup. Put in the shaker with Cha Cha Cha, fresh lime juice , fresh squeezed juice from one orange and a teaspoon of grenadine. It was delish beyond description.
        I looked up and it was time for our guests to depart. A great time at happy hour. A great time with SX Cha Cha Cha .

        You can purchase SX ChaChaCha online at https://www.reservrbar.com/buysx and get ready to drink sexier! 

        #Cheers to #NationalRumDay With @GubbaRum #GubbaRumSilver #Cocktail #CoconutRum #Recipe

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        Today is National Rum Day {Yes, it really is. Google it if you don’t believe me !} So we here at SobeSavvy decided to come up with the perfect cocktail to celebrate this annual Rum holiday. We always use Gubba Rum for life’s celebrations big or small! There are a lot of choices but Gubba stands out for their quality and amazing smooth taste.

        This bottle is currently on a 2nd production run, which is even smoother and richer tasting than the original !
        Per their website http://gubbarum.com/,Gubba Rums are inspired by using a technique that dates back to the 1800’s. These artisanal, organic and naturally infused rums are made from pure cane and the finest fruits, spices and herbs the world has to offer.

        We chose their Silver which is infused with coconut. Coconut and lime is a great marriage. See our cocktail receipe below. It is carribean in a glass { Pineapple} !

        Coconut Rum Spiked Ginger Beer in a Pineapple
        Fill Freshly cored Pineapple with ice :

        4 parts Gubba Rum Silver
        Squeeze Fresh Lime Juice
        4 Parts Ginger Beer Soda
        2 part simple syrup

        Feet up, put on Wailers Playlist and enjoy a Gubba Rum cocktail !