Out of the Fire Connection

Fall 2024

We have always focused on supporting small, mostly local and like minded businesses such as ourselves. It is important to us, for many reasons, but the relationship piece is the most gratifying. We became intrigued with Carol Shelton wines when they were introduced to us via the wine distributor, Artisans and Vines. Carol’s foray into her wine making venture started at a young age. Carol was six when her mother would play a game with her called “identify the scent” using herbs and spices out of the kitchen cabinet. Carol would have to identify what she was smelling and as a result she uncovered she possessed an uncanny sense of smell. This is one of the most important skill sets of a winemaker. At age six she had no idea how large the barriers were for women wanting to make a career in a male dominated industry, but nothing could stop her and her passion. She attended UC Davis as an undeclared major in 1974. At a serendipitous tour of Sebastiani Winery she inhaled the complexity and power of the scent of red wine and oak in the barrel room. The result of this encounter was her declaration of her major as Fermentation Science under the strong guidance of Ann Noble who is the author of Aroma Wheel. She threw herself into her enology studies. One of her early research projects involved yeast strains and their influence on different flavor characteristics the yeast imparts on the wine. Her early obsession with different yeast strains is reflected in the delicious, full-flavored wine that she produces.

After working for Rodney Strong and Windsor Vineyards, Carol’s husband convinced her to set out on her own in 2000. She has been going strong ever since. She has forged a successful path for herself winning winemaker of the year on five occasions, countless gold medals and was named one of eight Pioneer Women Wine Makers of Sonoma County in 2005.

At this point our relationship with Carol has only been through her wines. We hope we have the opportunity to meet her in person!

Spirits in the House!

As many of you know we only offer spirits that are distilled by small, independently owned distilleries. For those of you who are accustomed to the mainstream spirit houses, our offering may be confusing and definitely unrecognizable. For those that strictly stick to the brand name spirits we are asking you to trust us! We are happy to recommend the alternative to your mainstream spirit of choice and provide a taste to restore your confidence in our mission.

The two distilleries that we think deserve attention are Denning's Point Distillery in Beacon, New York and McClintock in Frederick, Maryland. Both distillery’s choose only the highest quality grains from local farms and both houses strive to create classic spirits of unique character and depth. The production is small so they may carefully monitor the integrity of their creations.

Denning’s Point located in Beacon, New York is the source for Viskill Vodka. Viskill Vodka is an exceptionally smooth vodka of the highest quality. Distilled from New York State Winter Wheat, Viskill Vodka is the ideal sipping vodka. Distilled four times and filtered continuously for three days with carbonized coconut shells, this spirit is deliciously clean and highly sought after by vodka aficionados and purists. In addition to their vodka, we also offer their Great 9 Gin. Great 9 Gin is a celebration of the rich, verdant Hudson Valley and the original land patent for which it was named, the Great 9 Partners’ Patent. It also represents the 9 fragrant and exotic botanicals that infuse this spirit. Bright notes of lively botanicals on the nose and palette, this gin is an infusion of young juniper berries, sour orange, grapefruit, coriander, sweet almond and five other proprietary herbs.

McClintock Distilling, located in Downtown Frederick, MD, is renowned for its exquisite organic spirits. Their devotion to excellence is evident in every drop of their organic gin, whiskey, vodka, cordials, and liqueurs. We currently offer their Forager Gin, Epiphany Vodka, Matchstick Bourbon and Bootjack Rye. Please ask us for a taste!

Have you ordered your Thanksgiving turkey?

We will have a limited number of fresh Broad Breasted White turkeys available for purchase from Springfield Farm located in Sparks, Maryland - our trusted source for chicken and eggs year round. These fresh whole birds will range in size from 15-20 lbs at $6.00/lb. There will be a $25 deposit to reserve your bird. Hit the link above, order in person during our normal business hours or call 410-770-4777 to reserve your bird. Your turkey will be available for pick up Wednesday, November 27th.

Our Garden

Eric Wittman is the steward, creator and inspiration of the Out of the Fire garden. If you see him tending to the garden he will passionately and enthusiastically share his vast botanical knowledge. We asked him to share his favorite plants that are currently growing in the garden. His top two are Fuzzy Bolivian Sage and Savannah Sunset (perennial with an orange blossom). He likes these plants because they are drought resistant, fall blooming, and reach a height of 4-7 feet. We are repeating this horticulture highlight because they are currently in bloom. When we sent out the last newsletter they were not yet emerging. We have one plant whose home is by the porch and the others are happily blooming in the front garden on Washington Street. We are happy to point them out to you, but with the amazing pictures that Colleen took of these beauties you should be able to easily identify them without our help! Feel free to walk the brick pathway to see all the wonderful work that Eric, Kaitlin and Peter have put into making it the garden paradise that we are fortunate to admire every day.

Aleppo Anyone

Named after the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, this spice is now largely sourced from Turkey and elsewhere, due to the challenges of growing and exporting from the war-torn Syrian region. It comes from a burgundy chile also known as the Halaby pepper. Once ripened, the peppers are semi-dried, de-seeded, and coarsely ground. Aleppo is a common Middle Eastern condiment, traditionally used to season meat, beans, salads.

Chris and Jed are is drawn to the pepper because, like salt, Aleppo-style pepper is a flavor enhancer. It marries slow-building heat with earthy, cumin-y undertones and a little hit of fruity tang—and yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds.

About Us:

What We Listen To, Read, and Watch in our free time

Alan-Listening to: Things Don’t Always Go the Way You Plan by Flume on Spotify

Amy-Reading: The Last Ride of the Pony Express by Will Grant. Listening to:Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari on Audible

Blake-Watching: Menendez Brothers on Netflix

Chris- Watching: The Penguin on HBO

Caleb- Listening to: Watching The Joker on DVD

Colleen- Listening to: Vampire Weekend on Spotify

Devin- Reading: Into the Wild by John Krakauer

Elena- Listening to: Gracie Abrams on Spotify

Heather-Listening to: Rachel Yamagata on Apple Music

Jed- Reading: The Deficit Myth by Stephanie Kelton

Joe-Listening to: Two Star and the Dream Police by Mk.Gee on Spotify

Jonathan- Watching: Dinner Time Live with David Chang on Netflix

Justin- Listening to: Bhagavad gita on Audible

Matt- Watching: : The Penguin on HBO

Marianne-Reading: Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Marybeth- Reading: Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage by Dr. James Mally

Mitchell-Watching: The Sopranos on HBO

Peyton- Watching: The Big Bang Theory on HBO Max

Sedat-Listening to: Business Wars: Fox News vs. CNN by Wondery on Apple Podcast

Taylor-Listening to: The Morning Brew Daily on Spotify

Trey- Watching: Mr. In Between on Hulu

Click the link below to peruse all of our curated and housemade items available on our

on-line market. We offer our focaccia, naan, and sourdough breads, ice cream, sauces, meze dips and more!

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