Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from Torii Mor. May your day be spent with your nearest and dearest and plenty of delicious food and gorgeous wine. 

Cheers!

The Team at Torii Mor

Nov 24, 2016 at 8:05 AM Permalink

Red Wine Hot Chocolate

Temperatures have dropped and evenings spent curled up in front of the fire are now the norm. For today's blog post we have a quick recipe for a delicious evening indulgence: red wine hot chocolate.

All else that's required is a cozy fireplace. 

Red Wine Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

2 Cups 2% or whole milk or milk substitute of your choice (we recommend almond or soy, as these froth up the most!)

1/2 dark chocolate chips or a dark chocolate bar finely chopped

1 cup to 1 1/3 cup of red wine (use a fuller body wine, like a Cabernet or a Syrah)

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not let it boil. Once the milk steams add the chocolate and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in red wine to taste. Remove from heat and pour into mugs. Garnish with marshmallows and/or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Alexis Truitt

Social Media and Marketing Assistant 

Nov 17, 2016 at 7:42 AM Permalink

Gift Guide Round Up

Can you believe it's getting to the holiday season? Before you know it, Christmas carols will be playing malls, we'll be bustling about finding gifts for our nearest and dearest, and we'll be planning our holiday soirees. 

Over the past year, we've published several wine-themed gift guides, so today we're sharing all of them with you here. Be prepared for ideas galore for gifts for your family, friends, and associates. Just click on the photo to be taken to the original blog post for all the details!

Cheers!

Alexis Truitt

Social Media and Marketing Assistant

Nov 10, 2016 at 8:05 AM Permalink

Tasting Room Experiences

A trip through wine country is a precious experience. Not only do you get to taste fantastic wine, eat delicious food, and see an area of the world that is famed for its beauty, but you get a peek into the inner workings of the daily life of a winery. 

No matter which wine country you visit (especially here on the West Coast) you'll encounter a variety of tasting experiences. Here are a few of the most popular tasting experiences you can encounter in your journey through wine country. 

1. A stand-up tasting

This is the most common tasting experience you'll encounter in wine country. Most tasting rooms have a bar, where you'll stand during your tasting, chat with your server, and enjoy the wine. Most every winery offers this experience. It offers you the freedom to walk around the tasting room, stroll through the deck or patio (if there is one), and get photos with points of interest. These tasting fees are generally on the lower end of the spectrum, although some wineries will offer a "reserve" tasting of higher priced, upper-tier wines. 

2. An informal seated tasting

This sort of tasting is becoming more and more common. Similar to a restaurant environment, a host will seat you in the tasting room for your tasting. These are very similar to the stand-up tasting experience in that you can enjoy your flight, explore the tasting room and deck, but different in that you can relax at a table or in a comfy couch while you taste through your flight. The price point of these is generally the same as the stand-up tasting.

3. A formal seated tasting

Normally appointment only and slightly more expensive, these tastings offer you a more intimate experience. You get to taste through a special flight of wine and get the undivided attention of your server. We host these every Thanksgiving Weekend at our winery in Dundee and they're such a treat. Very often you'll get served a charcuterie board alongside your wine. 

4. A tour and tasting

Whether it's a tour of the vineyard, the winery and production facility, or all of the above, a tour and tasting is a premier experience. While enjoying the winery's wines, you also get an inside peek at the vineyard, production, and barrel rooms of the winery. Oftentimes, this experience will include barrel tastings and/or a charcuterie board to pair. Before you go, check the websites of the wineries you'll be visiting and see if they offer any special tours. They're the highest end tastings you can get, but the experience is well worth it. 

Regardless of what tasting experience you go for, your time in wine country will be full of memories you'll treasure. Be sure to take lots of pictures!

Cheers!

Alexis Truitt

Social Media and Marketing Assistant

Nov 3, 2016 at 7:45 AM Permalink