Lincoln Journal Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • D3

LincoLn JournaL Star Wednesday, February 22, 2017 D3 00 1 FOOD One region where I have always found incredible wines and very reasonable prices is the Rhone Valley of Southern France. Located in the southeast corner of France close to the Mediterranean Sea, the relatively warm climate of the Rhone Valley typically produces red wines with a fair amount of extraction, dark fruit and spice. My focus for this tasting was Cotes du Rhone wines, produced in southern Rhone Valley, where the wines are primarily gre- nache, with syrah and numerous other grapes po- tentially blended in. I started my tasting journey this month at Bin 105, 105 N. 8th No.

100. Lincoln is blessed with some terrific wine shops and Bin 105 is a great place to find an exciting bottle. The store just added a gourmet food section, so you can get a tasty slab of cheese or artisan sausage to enhance your wine tasting in the store or at home. The owner, Steve Blazek, is meticulous in his wine selections and has a wealth of knowledge about each one. He has a pleasant sense of humor and knows many great facts and anecdotes about the wines he carries.

I started my tasting at Bin 105 while noshing on an ap- plewood-crusted cheese and imported hard salami to go with my first selection Anne So- phie Pic Michel Chapout- ier Cotes du Rhone 2015, Rhone, France, $15. Made by an iconic producer, this wine is garnet in the glass and of- fers scents of dark plum, warm earth, and a hint of spice. The wine is warm and pleasant with dark fruit, cher- ries and bright acidity. It offers spice notes on a lengthy finish. Nice wine.

Score: 85 points. Next, I tried Seigneur de Lauris, Cotes du Rhone 2014, Rhone, France, $16. Garnet in the glass, the nose is pleasant and sweet with hints of plum, vanilla extract and black pepper. Flavors of dark fruit, spice, black licorice and bold tannins envelope the palate. The wine finishes firm, warm and pleasant.

Score: 86 points. The last wine I tried was Stephane Ogier, le Temps Est Venu, Cotes du Rhone 2014, Rhone, France, $21. Produced by another winemaking legend from this region, the wine is garnet in the glass with aromas of black cherry, plum and nut- meg. The wine is lean and an- gular with gritty tannins, black fruit, spice, and blueberry. It has a nice balance of fruit, tannin and acidity.

Lingering dark fruit finish. Score: 87 points. The last two wines I tasted at home with a homemade beef roast with potatoes and car- rots in a soothing beef broth. I imagined this as a dish one might eat during the cold win- ter months in the French coun- tryside. I found that while these wines were nice on their own, they were even better with the food.

It seemed as if these bold, spicy wines were made for this hearty dish and specifically de- signed to be enjoyed together at this time of year. The pursuit of interesting wines is an adventure. a chance to learn about the geog- raphy, history and culture from where the wine comes from. When you find a great wine shop, all of this is even closer to your finger tips. Mark Mcdonald and his wife Kim own The Italian Vine, a Lin- coln-based wine distributorship.

They recently lived in Italy for several years and studied and developed a passion for wine that inspired them to open their own enterprise. LINCOLN UNCORKED Finding wine of great value, quality in Southern France LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR Dorothy quilt, the Land and the won the Nebraska State Quilt sesquicenten- nial quilt competition, Nebraska 150 Celebration: Inspired by Ne- Diversity. The guild announced winners on Feb. 18. Thirty-five 24-by-24- inch quilts were submitted to the competition.

For her creation, Heide- mann-Nelson of Lincoln received a $1,000 purchase award from the International Quilt Study Center and Museum. Her quilt will be- come part of permanent collection. is my Heide- mann-Nelson wrote in describing her design. is the land of sky and earth. My four sets of great grandparents settled in Seward County in the early This is where my parents and I were born and raised.

I love the subtlety of the colors in the winter months. I love the empty space and the vastness and variety of land in our state. I love that you can see forever on a clear day, and most days are clear. I love the creativ- ity and the determination of the people. Although lived and worked other places, Nebraska remains my home by Lynn Greer of Edgar finished second for her quilt, Beginnings and and third went to Marilyn Rembolt for her quilt, Only the Bugeaters Could See Ne- braska Honorable mentions were awarded to: Linda Syverson Guild, Bethesda, Maryland, for for the Katy Coleman, Seward, for about Peg Pennell, Ashland, for Ne- Kristie Jarchow, Lincoln for and Shelly Burge, Lincoln, for Spirit Takes Laura Lenzen, Lincoln, for Our Heri- All 35 entries are on display in the Beavers Gallery of the Inter- national Quilt Study Center and Museum through Saturday.

After that, the three winning and five honorable mention quilts will go on a cross-state tour. The sched- ule is as follows: Feb. 16 Ne- braska History Museum, Lincoln. March 18 IQSCM in honor of National Quilting Day. April 20-22 Seward Civic Center for the Nebraska Federa- tion of Club State Con- vention.

May 1-31 Prairie Art Center, North Platte June 22-24 Confer- ence Center for the Omaha Quilt Show. July 1-22 Seward Civic Cen- ter for 4th of July celebration. July 27-30 Kearney, for QuiltNebraska. Aug. 4-6 Wilbur for the an- nual Wilbur Czech Festival.

Aug. 8-25 Wilson Public Library, Cozad Aug. 26-Sept. 3 Stuhr Mu- seum, Grand Island, for the Ne- braska State Fair. Sept.

8-29 Morton-James Public Library, Kimmel Gallery, Nebraska City. Oct. 12-14 Kearney for Threads Across Nebraska, Ke- arney. Oct. 21-22 Seward for the Seward Quilt Show Oct 26-28 Elkhorn for the Cottonwood Quilt Show.

Lincoln woman wins Nebraska 150 quilt contest COURTESY PHOTO dorothy Heidemann-nelson stands with her first-place quilt: the Land and the Her quilt was selected from 35 entries in a competition celebrating sesquicentennial. MARK MCDONALD Heater sale! sunHeat Infared Heaters Where Customers, Quality Service are Since 1973 www.huskersewvac.com Limited to quantities in stock, Layaway payments aVaiLaBLe w.a.c. Like us on FaceBook 402-466-45501309 No. 48th TW1500 MSRP $32999 Now $19999 Safe Cannot Start a Fire Portable All Wood Finish Lowers Heating Costs Heats up to 1,000 sq. ft.

Digital Display timer Two Heat Settings Remote Control 3 Year Parts Labor Warranty Made in the USA SH1500 All Wood Cabinet Heats up to 1,000 sq. ft. Whisper Quiet Fan Appliance Grade Cord and Plug in Safe Cannot Start a Fire 5 Years Warranty USA SH1500 Reg. $59999 SALE $39999 JOURNAL STARDestinations Taste of Italy Vino Italiano! WINE TOURWITHWINE EXPERT JOURNAL STAR CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST, MARK MCDONALD Experience the flavors, culture, art, literature and wine of Italy. October 15 24 RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! 402.435.8888 or journalstar.com/destinations Package Includes: Truffle hunt and tasting in Alba.

Visit to four wineries with tastings. Visits to Coliseum and Vatican Museum. Ferry tickets to Bellagio. Plus so much more! PARKINGDOWNTOWN just got easier Public parking available downtown at 9th Starting at Reserve your spot today! Call 402-473-7387 not available on home football game days. month increments only..