Coming soon to Nashville Aficionado

We will be doing an interview with Chef Deb from restaurant ZOLA next week and it will be posted soon after. I'm working to get more interviews with the chefs of Nashville and to let you know about local food growers and providers as well.

If you love Nashville and good food, you don't want to miss this.

Thanks to Arrington Vineyards for the information about wine laws

Are Tennessee's wineries really threatened with closure and if so..why?
This is a "Constitutional" problem. A Federal Court is demanding that Tennessee change its winery laws. If TN does not change its winery law, then closing the TN wineries is an option the Federal Court may choose to enforce its demands.

Why can't the Federal Court change the law themselves?
Because the Courts can only affirm or strike down laws, they cannot change or CREATE laws.

Why is a Federal Court demanding that Tennessee change its "Grape and Wine Law"?
Because a wine shipping lawsuit was brought before the US 6th Circuit Court - Jelovsek v. Tennessee. While the Federal Court was reviewing the TN laws that regulate wine, it discovered that parts of the "TN Grape and Wine Law" discriminated against wineries and vineyards outside TN.

How does TN law "discriminate" against out-of-state wineries and vineyards?
The TN "Grape and Wine Law" includes wording that says: a TN winery can ONLY be owned by a current TN resident, TN wineries MUST to use TN grapes, and ONLY TN wineries can hold wine festivals in TN. A Federal Judge declared these rules unfair. Why isn't Oprah allowed to buy a TN winery? Why can't a Kentucky vineyard sell grapes to a TN winery? Why can't wineries located outside TN hold wine festivals inside TN?

But why does it matter if TN laws are unfair to those outside TN?
Because the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution prohibits a state from passing legislation that improperly burdens or discriminates against interstate commerce...and that is why a FEDERAL Judge is demanding the change to a TN law.
So what can be done to fix this?
The TN "Grape and Wine Law" has to be changed to meet the Federal Court's demands.

How does the law get changed?
TN wineries are working with TN legislators to change the law. House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 0944 will change the wording in the "Grape and Wine Law" so it won't discriminate against out-of-state vineyards and wineries.

Does House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 0944 do anything else, like allow wine to be sold in grocery stores or allow wine to be shipped to my house in TN?
HB1549 and SB0944 only change the wording in the TN "Grape and Wine Law" so that TN wineries can keep doing what they have been doing for the past 30 years while following the Court's demands. However, keeping the TN wine industry alive is another positive step for wine in TN, which will hopefully lead to more positive steps, like wine shipping and wine in grocery stores.

What happens if the TN Legislature does nothing?
Then a Federal Court will decide the TN wine industry's fate. Because the Court cannot "create" new law, they will not be able to change the laws regulating the TN wine industry..only strike them down...perhaps closing TN wineries.

How would closing the TN wineries affect the state of TN?
In a report done by MKF Research in 2007, the TN wine industry supports over 1600 full time jobs and has a positive economic impact in TN worth over $140 million! Closing the wineries would result in a huge negative ripple effect of lost jobs and lost revenue.

So, the TN Legislature wants to fix this, right?
We hope so! However, when it comes to passing new legislation, NOTHING is ever easy or "taken for granted". This issue seems easily fixed, but we have to get the word out and explain to our legislators why they have to pass these bills SOON!

Why are there TWO bills - HB1549 and SB0944?
Both bills say the same thing. The bills must pass by a majority vote of BOTH the TN House of Representatives and the TN Senate, then signed into law by the Governor. Thus, bills get introduced to both governing bodies, but not usually with the same number.

If this issue is so critical, why is the general public just now hearing about it?
This situation began with the Court decision on October 24, 2008. Elections then occurred Nov. 4, and the current TN General Assembly (Legislature) did not begin session until last month. Thus, it took until now for the TN wine industry to decide how to address the problem, propose legislation, find sponsors in the TN House and Senate, and get the bills introduced. Now comes the most critical step: getting the bills passed into law (i.e. getting TN legislators to vote "yes")!

Why isn't this getting much coverage in the Tennessee media?
The word is just now getting out - now that the winery bills have been filed and the issue is high priority. There has been some recent media attention, including last week on Nashville's WKRN News2 , and the lead story last night on Nashville's 10pm WSMV Channel 4 news. TN winery websites will soon be posting this info...and you are welcome to join this "cause" on facebook.com. Search facebook causes for "Save TN Wineries".

How can someone like me help?
TN legislators represent the people of Tennessee...so make your voices heard! If you don't already know your State Representative or State Senator, go to www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators to find them. Then contact them (via phone or email) and ask them to support TN wineries by voting yes on House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 0944.

Also, please contact Gov. Phil Bredesen's office and ask him to support these bills as well. Govenor Bredesen can be reached at 615-741-2001 and phil.bredesen@state.tn.us

Could Tennessee Wineries get shut down?

The STATE of TENNESSEE was sued in Federal Court over direct wine shipping rights.

The 6th Circuit Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on shipping wine. However, while reviewing Tennessee’s wine laws, the Court declared parts of the Tennessee Winery Law unconstitutional. The Court is demanding changes to the TN Grape and Winery Law.

The Tennessee Farm Wineries Association (TFWA) has introduced bills in the TN Legislature to fix the unconstitutional language in Tennessee's Grape and Wine Law per the US 6th Circuit Court ruling. House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 0944 will fix these constitutional problems and allow TN wineries to continue operating just as they have for the last 30 years.

Without this new legislation, TN wineries will probably be forced to close their doors by the Federal Court, leading to the loss of over 1600 jobs and the loss of over $140 Million of positive economic impact in TN.

PLEASE contact your TN Representative and TN Senator and ask them to CO-SPONSOR HB1549/SB0944. This is CRITICAL for the survival of the TN Wine Industry!

Also, PLEASE contact Gov. Phil Bredesen's office and ask him to speak up and support TN Law and Tennessee's response to the US 6th Circuit Court decision.

Your expediency is crucial! These bills are moving QUICKLY through the TN Legislature.

To find out who your state legislators are, go to:
www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators
or
www.votesmart.org.

Gov. Bredesen can be reached at:
Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711
Email: phil.bredesen@state.tn.us

Faint and Fall Over at the goat festival in Lewisburg, Tennessee Oct. 10-12

Friday, OCTOBER 10
7 am- 5K Goat Run
9 am- Food & Craft Booths Open
9 am- Children’s Activities
10 am- World Champion Fainting Goat Show
10am-4pm- Karaoke
5 pm- Dee Reilly
6 pm- Lee Roy Parnell
7 pm- Delbert McClinton

For more information visit the Goats and music website.

Watermelon salsa recipe from Pick Tennessee Products

Watermelon Salsa

You will need:
1/4 cup Smucker's Orange Marmalade
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups seeded watermelon, coarsely chopped
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
1 cup orange sections, chopped

Stir together first 6 ingredients. Add watermelon, onions and orange sections, tossing until coated. Chill at least 1 hour before serving with Frito Lay Tostidos Gold chips. Yield: 4 cups. To can, heat all ingredients in a large saucepan and allow to simmer 10 minutes. Pour into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on wire rack (untouched for 12-24 hours) away from drafts. Do not tighten lids. Store at room temperature.

~

This recipe comes from the Pick Tennessee Products website.

Blackberry cheesecake ice cream

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 quart Purity buttermilk
Fresh blackberries

Combine sugar, juice, zest, salt and buttermilk in a large bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. When ready to serve, scoop into parfait glasses and top with fresh blackberries.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Find more good Tennessee recipes for summer at Pick Tn Products recipes.

Strawberry lemonade recipe for those hot days of summer

1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups sugar
Cold water
Lemon slices and whole strawberries for garnish

Place berries in a large saucepan with lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool. Strain, pressing with the back of a large spoon to extract juice. Strain again and transfer to refrigerator and chill. Mix 1 part strawberry syrup with 3 parts water, Pour over ice and garnish.

Yield: 10 servings.

Find more great Tennessee recipes at Pick Tn Products.

Merlot Brownies recipe from Tennessee Wineries

MERLOT BROWNIES

1 cup Tennessee Merlot
3/4 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup White Lily all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9-inch baking pan. In a small saucepan, simmer wine over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. In top of a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate over simmering water. Pour into wine and whisk until smooth.

In top of double boiler, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla over simmering water until very light and thick. Pour into chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in flour and ½ cup of pecans. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Tammy Algood
Pick Tennessee Products Spokesperson
~~~
Remember how amazing treats tasted when you were eight? How sweet and perfect every cookie, every cupcake was?

“Well, those days are over,” says Tammy Algood. “Lots of things have changed since way back then, including the number of active taste buds you have and how each taste center in your mouth now experiences food. You’re likely to be a little disappointed when you try sweets from your childhood and they seem a little too much, or just don’t taste the way you remember.”

“But don’t despair,” says Algood, a food expert. “With age, you come to have a deeper, richer understanding of life. You see that things are a lot more complex than when you were young.

“In the same way, adults tend to be able to appreciate tastes that are much more complex. You can still be sent over the moon with a great dessert, just like when you were a kid— it just needs to be as complex and grownup as you.

“Merlot brownies are the perfect remedy for a palate that craves surprise along with sweet.”
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Read more at Tennessee Wineries.
~
Visit the Pick Tennessee Products website.

Visit Threadventures for Custom Embroidery this Christmas

Do you want a unique gift to get someone for christmas or you have something but you want a name or design added to make it that one-of-a-kind gift? Here is your source for quality work that is made in America.

Check out the Threadventures Embroidery website and contact them for more information tell them you heard about them from Webbspun Ideas.

Grand Opening of the Arrington Winery and Vineyard

This past Saturday night we went out to Arrington Winery and Vineyards for the grand opening. They were offering all sorts of tastings and Pat McLaughlin did a concert with Kix Brooks jumping on stage to jam with him towards the end of the concert. It's a beautiful place with a friendly staff and some really good wines. It is located in a nice, rural area outside of Nashville which makes the drive out there beautiful.

It was a really great experience.



Some of the wines we tasted:

Syrah 2004- This was my favorite, it was outstanding and just was a delightful experience for my tastebuds.

Merlot 2005- A really nice delicious wine.

Red Fox Red (non-vintage)- A fun wine that tasted so good.

Sweet Liberty (sweet wine Muscat)- Really nice wine with a nice taste of honeysuckle in it.

Gewurztraminer (semi-sweet)- A white wine with a delicious taste and finish.

Desert Rose (dry rosé non-vintage)- A nice wine.

Raspberry (sweet)- Another good wine.


Arrington Vineyards
6211 Patton Road
Arrington, TN 37014
(615) 395-0102

Tennessee Winery Directory

Apple Barn Wineries
230 Apple Valley Road, Sevierville, TN, 37862

Arrington Vineyards
6211 Patton Road, Arrington, TN, 37014

Beachaven Vineyards & Winery
1100 Dunlop Lane, Clarksville, TN, 37040

Beans Creek Winery
426 Ragsdale Road, Manchester, TN, 37355

Century Farm Winery
1548 Lower Brownsville Road, Jackson, TN, 38301

Chateau Ross Winery, Inc.
5823 Fulton Road, Springfield, TN, 37172

Clinch Mountain Winery
1335 Bullen Valley Road, Thorn Hill, TN, 37881

Countryside Vineyards
658 Henry Harr Road, Blountville, TN, 37617

Highland Manor
2965 South York Highway, Jamestown, TN, 38556

Holly Ridge Winery
486 O'Neil Road, Livingston, TN, 38570

Keg Springs
361 Keg Springs Road, Hampshire, TN, 38461

Long Hollow Winery
665 Long Hollow Pike, Goodlettsville, TN, 37072

Mountain Valley Vineyards
2174 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN, 37863

Old Medina Winery
2894 Old Medina Road, Jackson, TN, 38305

Old Millington Vineyard and Winery
6748 Old Millington Road, Millington, TN, 38053

Red Barn Winery and Vineyard
1805 Tanyard Road, Lafayette, TN, 37083

Savannah Oaks Winery and Gift Shop
1817 Delano Road, Delano, TN, 37325

Smoky Mountain Winery
Winery Square, Suite 2, 450 Cherry Street, Gatlinburg, TN, 37738

Stonehaus Winery, Inc.
2444 Genesis Road, Suite 103, Crossville, TN, 38558

Strikers' Premium Winery
480 County Road 172, Athens, TN, 37303

Sumner Crest Winery and Vineyard
5306 Highway 52, Portland, TN, 37148

Tennessee Mountain View Winery
385 Union Grove Road, Charleston, TN, 37310

Tennessee Valley Winery
15606 Hotchkiss Valley Road East, Loudon, TN, 37774

Tri-Star Vineyards and Winery
168 Scales Road, Shelbyville, TN, 37160

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

You will need:

2-1/2 cups half-and-half

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

Pour half-and-half into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and half cup of sugar until pale and smooth. Stir one-quarter of hot half-and-half into egg mixture, stirring well. Then pour yolk mixture into warm saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature and cover with plastic. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

An hour before making the ice cream, in a bowl, combine berries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and let sit for one hour. Then mash berries with a fork until they are bite-sized. Stir into chilled custard mixture and pour into ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer’s directions. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 6 servings.

Fresh Strawberry Storage Tips
Strawberries do not continue to ripen after harvest. Therefore, make sure you pick berries that are completely red.

Store the berries unwashed in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
Just prior to using, rinse berries under a gentle spray of cool water. Do not cap until after washing.

Get more recipes from the Pick Tennessee Products website.

Fresh Corn Cakes

You will need:

3/4 cup salsa or chopped, seeded and peeled tomatoes, divided

1 cup sweet corn, fresh or frozen

1-1/4 cups Martha White cornbread mix

1 cup sour cream, divided

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Tops of green onions or green bell pepper strips

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup of corn. Mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining salsa and corn, cornbread mix, 1/2 cup of sour cream and egg. Mix well. Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with remaining sour cream and salsa-corn mixture. Sprinkle with pine nuts and green onions.

Yield 12 servings.

Note: corn cakes can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven until serving time.

Get more delicious, Tennessee recipes on the Pick Tennessee Products website.