Photo Credit: Jerry Search

Now that she’s off the ice, you can find Erin in our wine cellar Hostile Grape. There’s always something new to try with our selection of over 160 wines available to be sampled by the glass. Gleason helps each guest navigate our vast wine selection with knowledge, passion and enthusiasm.  She enhances the overall experience by suggesting and providing individually tailored wine pairings to accompany any meal or palate.

A wine vineyard Gleason visited in Aquileia, Italy.

In addition to managing the Hostile Grape, Gleason oversees the entire resort’s wine storage, procurement, and wine cellar rotation. Her current personal favorite is Le Plus de la Fleur de Boüard 2005, a 100% Merlot wine from Bordeaux’s right bank, atop the coveted plateau of Pomerol and close to Saint-Emilion. Le Plus reveals itself in an Indian ink hue infused with purple tinges and rich nose of blackberry liqueur, port, baking spice, and milk chocolate fudge. The palate delivers an immense layer of seductive concentration across flavors of blackberry jam, vanilla, and hints of vintage port across an assertive finish. Le Plus delivers an exceptional wine that you are certain to enjoy!

Gleason at the Taj Mahal.

With over a decade of professional experience, Erin developed her business experience and wine stewardship internationally. She has traveled all around the world racking up more than one million miles in air travel and upwards of 600 nights in luxury four and five star hotels – Through these experiences, she understands first-hand the importance of delivering exceptional service and experiences to our guests.  Gleason is also fluent in Italian, having studied Italian Constitutional Law and International Marketing at the Università degli Studi di Genova in Genoa, Italy.

Gleason is a professional member of the Guild of Sommeliers, the International Sommelier Guild. She has also captured many of her experiences in her wine blog Swinging by the Vines. Stop in and visit Erin at Hostile Grape during your next time at M!  She’ll recommend the perfect wine for your evening!

For my roasts, I marinate them for a day in a mixture of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, or any other dry red wine with thinly sliced onions, crushed garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper prior to roasting. Sometimes, I will roast meat in the oven, in this marinade, basting it frequently. The baste can also be turned into a wine-based gravy by combining it with a little flour.

For my sweeter recipes, I like to use Shiraz. It can easily be incorporated into my cake, cupcake, and cookie dough recipes. I usually replace some of the liquids (like milk or water) with an equal portion of Shiraz, to give the dough a more robust flavor.

I like to add a tablespoon or two of sweet dessert wines or sweet tawny ports to my pancake syrup, warm slightly without boiling, and pour it over my pancakes or waffles. This one is probably not for kids, but delicious for adults!

Do you have some of your own favorite recipes for leftover wine? Share them with us below!