Recipe: Best Skillet Steak
The key to this mouthwatering steak is the flipping technique. While it requires more attention than a traditional method, the results are more than worth it!
Goes great with LE23 Bobal Cab Sauv.
2024 Wine Tasting Competition
The WBD Wine Tasting Competition is returning!
We had a great time at last year’s Wine Tasting event!
You’ve worked hard perfecting your wines here at Wines By Design and once again, you have a chance to show it off. Enter your personally made (Wines By Design) wine.
Coming soon: (Saturday, April 13 from 12p – 4p to be exact)
The store will be closed for “normal” business, the day is devoted to the event!
We will have 3 entry categories: Red, White, and Dessert/Fruit. Your wine will be moved into numbered bottles and you will be the judge in the blind tasting. The highest scored wines will be the winner in each category and the highest scoring of those will be named Best of Show. Best of Show wins a $100 gift certificate at WBD and the other two winners will each receive a $50 gift certificate to WBD.
You are allowed to submit up to 1 bottle per person (or 2 per couple).
To enter, turn in your bottles at the store before Friday, April 12 (contest closing time is 6p).
Note: This is limited to wine made in the Wines By Design store (from our kits). This does not include wine made from fresh juice.
For the day of the event: there will be a $5 fee for those not contributing a bottle of their finest vino. (Contest entrants are free!)
Special bonus: All attendees will receive an Owners discount of 15% off all wine kits during the event. (Is limited to current stock on hand and excludes the “limited edition” wine kits.)
A quick recap (TL;DR):
- Drop off up to 1 bottle per person by Friday, April 12 at 6p.
- Join us for wine judging on April 13 beginning at 12p.
- See how your wines stack up against all the WBD competition!
WBD will provide palate-cleansing crackers, appetizers, snacks, and more!
2023 Wine Tasting Competition Results
Another one in the books!
The WBD Wine Tasting Competition (2023) is complete!
We would like to start off by thanking everyone who contributed their wines to this year’s wine-tasting event. There was a great selection of wines this year and they were all delicious!
One of the best parts of this event (for us) is not the great wine, not the laughs, not the wonderful folks we get to meet, but it’s the fact that we don’t have to judge! Thanks to all of you who attended, it was YOUR job to judge!
We had three categories this year: Red, White, and Dessert/Fruit. As a quick reminder, each category wins a $50 gift certificate to WBD, with the winner with the highest number of votes receiving an additional $50 gift certificate.
OK… we know why you’re REALLY here… you want to know the winners. So, without further ado:
2023 WBD Wine Tasting winners ($50 gift certificates)
- Red: Carm Allesandra – Carménère
- White: Marianna Obrien – RQ Sauvignon Blanc (La Cueca)
- Fruit/Sweet: Luke Bernier – Fortified Coffee Port
2023 WBD Wine Tasting overall winner ($50 gift certificate)
- Overall: Marianna Obrien – RQ Sauvignon Blanc (La Cueca)
Congratulations to all!
We haven’t posted this before, but a number of you have asked for it, so here’s a list of this year’s entries!
2023 Wine Tasting Entries
| Style | Entry | Name | Wine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | R1 | Mark Pietrantoni | Bordeaux |
| Red | R2 | Vickee Allesandra | Toscana |
| Red | R3 | Gina & Pat Capozzi | Primo Rosso |
| Red | R4 | Cathy Pestle | Selection Amarone |
| Red | R5 | Kyle & Shaili Zess | LE Pinot Noir Shiraz |
| Red | R6 | John Speckgoore (Kinesella) | EP Malbec |
| Red | R7 | Bob Rejewski | Eclipse Old Vine Zinfandel |
| Red | R8 | Jim & Kim Vangelder (Caliri) | Passport Cab Shiraz Montepulciano |
| Red | R9 | Carm Allesandra | Carménère |
| Red | R10 | Tif & Jay | Chateau Du Pays |
| Red | R11 | Jim & Jill Kinsella | PR Bordeaux |
| Red | R12 | Rick Kurtelawicz (Maher) | Amarone |
| Red | R13 | Peter & Gloriella Burns | Nero D' Avola |
| Red | R14 | Cittadino | LE Cape Blend |
| Red | R15 | Mary Meng. (CE-2) | Primo Rosso |
| Red | R16 | John & Jan Blodetts | Vineco Nebbiolo |
| Red | R17 | Arcarese. (Maher Grp) | Wine Makers Trio |
| Red | R18 | Rick Flanagan | Amarone |
| Red | R19 | Bob Rejewski | Eclipse Nocturnal |
| Red | R20 | Mark Pietrantoni | Barbaresco |
| Red | R21 | Doug Caliri | LE Nerello |
| Red | R22 | Tif & Jay | Montepulciano |
| Red | R23 | Mark Maher | Malbec |
| Red | R24 | Heather Bean | Bordeaux |
| Red | R25 | Cittadino | Amarone |
| Red | R26 | Steve Elensky | LE Black Cab |
| White | W1 | Marianne O'Brien | RQ Sauvignon Blanc (La Cueca) |
| White | W2 | WBD | Dry Riesling |
| White | W3 | Lauren & Paul Lysiak | Liebfraümilch |
| White | W4 | Natalie Gerber | Sauvignon Blanc |
| White | W5 | Cece & Dan Crawford | EP Pinot Noir Rosé |
| White | W6 | Tim & Diane Peter | Cru Select Gewürztraminer |
| White | W7 | WBD | RQ Semillion / Sauvignon Blanc |
| White | W8 | Carina Terry (CE-2) | Traminer Riesling |
| White | W9 | Tiffany Burgen | EP Chardonnay |
| White | W10 | WBD | Bourbon Chardonnay |
| White | W11 | Terry Fisher | EP Pinot Noir Rosé |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD1 | Steve Elensky | Strawberry |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD2 | K & S Zess | Pomegranate Zinfandel |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD3 | WBD | TM Hurricane |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD4 | Steve Elensky | White Pear |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD5 | Dave & Tammy | Green Apple Riesling |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD6 | Bob Rejewski | White Chocolate Port |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD7 | Cittadino | Vanilla Bourbon |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD8 | Luke Bernier | Fortified Coffee Port |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD9 | Dave & Tammy | Fortified Black Forest |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD10 | Lysiak | Fortified Vanilla Bourbon |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD11 | Rejewski | Fortified Black Currant |
| Fruit/Dessert | FD12 | Elensky | Fortified Vanilla Bourbon |
Recipe: Lasagna Bolognese
Even with a few clever shortcuts lasagna is a labor of love – but so worth the effort. So, take your time, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy the process as you make this beloved dish to share with family and friends. Goes great with LE22 Aglianico Barbera.
2023 Wine Tasting Competition
The WBD Wine Tasting Competition is returning!
The Wines By Design Wine Tasting event is making a comeback!
We had a great time at our (Fall) Wine Tasting event in September!
That said, we DID hear feedback that some people missed the event because it wasn’t in Spring as it traditionally has been. (Folks were busy, leaving town, etc.)
We heard you, we listened, and here we go!
You’ve worked hard perfecting your wines here at Wines By Design and once again, you have a chance to show it off. Enter your personally made (Wines By Design) wine.
Coming soon: (Saturday, April 15 from 12p – 4p to be exact)
The store will be closed for “normal” business, the day is devoted to the event!
You are allowed to submit up to 3 bottles per person for the 3 entry categories: Red, White, and Dessert/Fruit. Your wine will be moved into numbered bottles and you will be the judge in the blind tasting. The highest scored wines will be the winner in each category and the highest scoring of those will be named Best of Show. Best of Show wins a $100 gift certificate at WBD and the other two winners will each receive a $50 gift certificate to WBD.
To enter, turn in your bottles at the store before Friday, April 14 (contest closing time is 7p).
Note: This is limited to wine made in the Wines By Design store (from our kits). This does not include wine made from fresh juice.
For the day of the event: there will be a $5 fee for those not contributing a bottle of their finest vino. (Contest entrants are free!)
Special bonus: All attendees will receive an Owners discount of 15% off all wine kits during the event. (Is limited to current stock on hand and excludes the “Red Dot” sale rack wine kits.)
A quick recap (TL;DR):
- Drop off up to 3 bottles per person by Friday, April 14 at 7p.
- Join us for wine judging on April 15 beginning at 12p.
- See how your wines stack up against all the WBD competition!
WBD will provide palate-cleansing crackers, appetizers, snacks, and more!
Recipe: Peanut Chicken Satay
Nutty, sweet and a little smoky, these skewers can be served as an appetizer or weeknight main course and are delicious with our juicy and citrusy LE22 Pinot Grigio Gewürztraminer.