Focusing on the world of wines, beer, and spirits that we experience through our travels at WineCompass.com and theCompass Craft Beverage Finder.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Beer and Wurst on the Outer Banks
A few years ago I read an article called 50 beers to drink before you die and recognized a brewery I'd seen while driving to the Outer Banks, the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery. Their Black Radish (Schwarzbier) was listed and I had tried this dark German styled lager before and had always enjoyed that beer as well as that style. Last week I had a chance to visit the brewery while heading down to OBX. The facility is located in Jarvisburg NC, eleven miles north of the Wright Memorial Bridge leading into Kitty Hawk.
Weeping Radish brews primarily German styled lagers and keeping with the Purity Law of 1516 (Reinheitsgebot), they utilize just water, hops, malt and yeast in the brewing process.They offer a range of styles from though out Germany, from Munich and Cologne (Kölsch) to Marzen and Weizen. During our visit we sampled their entire portfolio (seven beers) and all were spot on for their style. The OBX Kolsch was light and refreshing, the Corolla Gold (Munich Helles) was a little sweeter, and the Fest and Black Radish were right on. I definitely think a Schwarzbier is a style everyone should sample before they die - so why not the Black Radish - basically a milder form of Porter. The most interesting brew was the Radler - based on the Biermischgetränk (beer mixed with Lemonade or cola) - with this version mixed with Lemonade. The citrus flavor was mild and really was only apparent at the finish. It received mixed reviews with our crowd one pro and one preferring others.
As the name applies, the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery is also a working farm. Goats range in front of the brewery and they provide a range of sausages and liverwurst. My favorite was the sweet potato wurst - with onions and bread - and paired with the Weizen - some sweet and sour flavors. All in all, this is a great place to stop on the drive down. The main complaint, the vessels sold to hold the beers are not very compatible for beach or pool drinking - 22oz bottles. Where are the cans? :) Cheers.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The United Grapes of America - Maine's Savage Oakes Vineyard and Winery Maréchal Foch Rosé
Savage Oakes Vineyard and Winery opened almost a decade ago as Elmer and Holly Savage looked for ways to augment income from their Barrett Hill Farm. While principally raising Belted Galloway cattle, the couple also sold blueberries that grew wild in their fields. Since they had a natural source of fruit, Mr. Savage spent 4 years researching wine making and grapes that excel in northern climates. The family toured several wineries throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York to determine which grapes were suitable to Maine’s climate. They chose Seyval Blanc, Cayuga, Frontenac, St. Croix, St. Pepin, Leon Millot, and Maréchal Foch.
Ironically, when the winery opened in May 2006, there were not enough wild blueberries to produce blueberry wine, which was the original impetuous for the winery. Instead the winery opened with five grape wines, with almost all produced from grapes grown in their vineyard. One of these was the Maréchal Foch Rosé. The grapes were cold pressed with little skin contact, then aged in stainless steel tanks. The result is a rather tasty wine that has the flavor profile and texture of the Foch grapes as well as being light and refreshing. Your summer picnic or pizza wine.
Ironically, when the winery opened in May 2006, there were not enough wild blueberries to produce blueberry wine, which was the original impetuous for the winery. Instead the winery opened with five grape wines, with almost all produced from grapes grown in their vineyard. One of these was the Maréchal Foch Rosé. The grapes were cold pressed with little skin contact, then aged in stainless steel tanks. The result is a rather tasty wine that has the flavor profile and texture of the Foch grapes as well as being light and refreshing. Your summer picnic or pizza wine.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The United Grapes of America - Delaware's Nassau Valley Vineyards Indian River Red
StarChefs.com: The United Grapes of America |
Monday, July 9, 2012
Lake Erie Meets the Delaware Shore
While driving along Rt54 into Fenwick Island Delaware, I noticed a parcel of vines planted in very sandy soils about 3 miles from the ocean. Looking around I saw a sign for Fenwick Wine Cellars across the street in a small shopping center. Could this be Delaware's third winery? Yes and no. Yes, the proprietors have planted Concord, Niagara, and Reliance on their farm; but no, the heavy work occurs in the family winery in Lake Erie, PA - Arrowhead Wine Cellars.
Adrian Mobilia was raised on a 200-acre farm growing grapes, apples, cherries, and peaches. After graduating from Penn State with a degree in Horticulture he helped his father Nick plant vinifera grapes and launch to accompany their existing labrusca and hybrid vineyards and launch Arrowhead Wine Cellars. He eventually met an Ocean City native and he and Shannon decided to replicate the family business on the Delmarva coast. They planted the estate vineyard in 2010 and will soon be able to determine if the fruit will tolerate the salt laden sandy soil. In the meanwhile the current Arrowhead wines are getting a makeover with Fenwick Wine Cellars labels. And that's quite a range of wines.
There is a wine for every taste from sweet to dry; red to white to blush, fruit wines, and even slushies. Yea, that's a product I'm really not a fan of - but evidently the tourists that flock to the seashore have other thoughts. I really enjoyed tasting through their entire portfolio - not a bad deal either - $5 to sample 23 wines. And that included plenty of labrusca and hybrids like the aforementioned Concord and Niagara plus Steuben, Catawba, Fredonia, and Vignoles. Each of these wines were exactly what you would expect from that grape and brought back many memories of Pennsylvania wine festivals. My favorite reds where the Chambourcin and Reilly's Red (Lemberger) - right on again with these grapes. For whites, the Riesling was made in a very drinkable semi-dry style; but I couldn't resist the Reflections of Fenwick (Vidal-Chardonnay) housed in the Italian made commemorative lighthouse shaped bottle. That's the Fenwick Island Light, built in 1859. Yet the most fascinating wine is the High Tide/Port - produced exclusively from Concord (double fermented). First, you would never guess Concord was involved. No jammy grape flavors at all. Then, there is absolutely no burn because there was no fortification with grape brandy or grain spirits. Instead it has all the characteristics of a port - silky with plum flavors with a nutty finish. This wine alone is reason to return. Cheers.
Adrian Mobilia was raised on a 200-acre farm growing grapes, apples, cherries, and peaches. After graduating from Penn State with a degree in Horticulture he helped his father Nick plant vinifera grapes and launch to accompany their existing labrusca and hybrid vineyards and launch Arrowhead Wine Cellars. He eventually met an Ocean City native and he and Shannon decided to replicate the family business on the Delmarva coast. They planted the estate vineyard in 2010 and will soon be able to determine if the fruit will tolerate the salt laden sandy soil. In the meanwhile the current Arrowhead wines are getting a makeover with Fenwick Wine Cellars labels. And that's quite a range of wines.
There is a wine for every taste from sweet to dry; red to white to blush, fruit wines, and even slushies. Yea, that's a product I'm really not a fan of - but evidently the tourists that flock to the seashore have other thoughts. I really enjoyed tasting through their entire portfolio - not a bad deal either - $5 to sample 23 wines. And that included plenty of labrusca and hybrids like the aforementioned Concord and Niagara plus Steuben, Catawba, Fredonia, and Vignoles. Each of these wines were exactly what you would expect from that grape and brought back many memories of Pennsylvania wine festivals. My favorite reds where the Chambourcin and Reilly's Red (Lemberger) - right on again with these grapes. For whites, the Riesling was made in a very drinkable semi-dry style; but I couldn't resist the Reflections of Fenwick (Vidal-Chardonnay) housed in the Italian made commemorative lighthouse shaped bottle. That's the Fenwick Island Light, built in 1859. Yet the most fascinating wine is the High Tide/Port - produced exclusively from Concord (double fermented). First, you would never guess Concord was involved. No jammy grape flavors at all. Then, there is absolutely no burn because there was no fortification with grape brandy or grain spirits. Instead it has all the characteristics of a port - silky with plum flavors with a nutty finish. This wine alone is reason to return. Cheers.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Beer in Berlin - Burley Oak Brewing Company
On the 4th I took time off from the beach to visit a new micro-brewery - Burley Oak Brewing Company - located in Berlin, Maryland only a few miles from the beaches in Ocean City. The brewery takes its name from local history. The name of the town is a shortened version of a local tavern "Burleigh
Inn" - derived from the Burley Plantation - and the building housing the facility was once a cooperage - hence Burley Oak. Since opening in August 2011, owner Bryan Brushmiller has kept a continual supply of about a dozen beers on tap where consumers can sample by the pint or take home with growlers. I was a bit confused by this situation since the brewery isn't a restaurant and thought selling by the pint was illegal in Maryland. And yes it still is; except Brushmiller was able to get the Worcester County in Annapolis to carve out an exemption for Burley Oak so they could operate as a pub and not a restaurant. Nicely played.
On my visit the brewery was pouring nine beers, plus a root beer, and was immediately impressed with the diversity of the offerings. There was a Kolsch, Pale Ale, Belgian Ale, IPA, Saison, Wit, Imperial Red, and a Milk Stout. Wow. And two of the beers, Pale Ryeder and SummaRye utilize local rye from Snow Hill. I included the later, a farmhouse saison, to my sample of four along with the Port d'Orange Wit, Cherry Poppins (Belgium Cherry Ale), and Black Cow Milk Stout. Through previous encounters I've found that milk stouts are excellent beach beers - the lactose infusion creates a creamy brew very compatible with excessive heat. The downside; the Burley Oak version is nitrogenized in the cask so is not available for growler sales. The SummaRye and Port d'Orange were each good examples of their respective styles and with low IBUs - another example of refreshing beach brews. But continuing my trend this summer, my favorite was the Cherry Poppins - a smooth ale with subtle hints of cherry - not overpowering so like a lambic - just nicely integrated. It reminded me of a concoction a bartender created for us at Fireworks Arlington, who blended the Allagash White with a small amount of Kasteel Rouge. Thus, I think we will be hitting Burley Oak two times each trip to the beach, once to fill growlers for our stay and then again on our return home. Cheers.
On my visit the brewery was pouring nine beers, plus a root beer, and was immediately impressed with the diversity of the offerings. There was a Kolsch, Pale Ale, Belgian Ale, IPA, Saison, Wit, Imperial Red, and a Milk Stout. Wow. And two of the beers, Pale Ryeder and SummaRye utilize local rye from Snow Hill. I included the later, a farmhouse saison, to my sample of four along with the Port d'Orange Wit, Cherry Poppins (Belgium Cherry Ale), and Black Cow Milk Stout. Through previous encounters I've found that milk stouts are excellent beach beers - the lactose infusion creates a creamy brew very compatible with excessive heat. The downside; the Burley Oak version is nitrogenized in the cask so is not available for growler sales. The SummaRye and Port d'Orange were each good examples of their respective styles and with low IBUs - another example of refreshing beach brews. But continuing my trend this summer, my favorite was the Cherry Poppins - a smooth ale with subtle hints of cherry - not overpowering so like a lambic - just nicely integrated. It reminded me of a concoction a bartender created for us at Fireworks Arlington, who blended the Allagash White with a small amount of Kasteel Rouge. Thus, I think we will be hitting Burley Oak two times each trip to the beach, once to fill growlers for our stay and then again on our return home. Cheers.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The United Grapes of America - Hawaii's Tedeschi Vineyards Hula O'Maui
4th of July Hula O'Maui.- Ocean City MD |
Although Tedeschi Vineyards\Maui's Winery grow and produce grape wines, we would expect a Hawaiian winery to utilize fruit indigenous to the islands. So we weren't surprised that they offered a pineapple wine - the surprise was the sparkler. And as expected, this wine is all pineapple - the tasting notes mention other fruit characteristics - but let me tell you, this is pineapple - from nose to tail. Many readers might be thinking that the wine must be sweet; and yes there is inherit fruitiness that may be misinterpreted as sweetness.. But the wine is fermented brut - completely dry. And talk about refreshing - who needs Chardonnay (at least when dreaming of the Tropics); in the words of Andrew Stover, "a fun wine". Happy 4th of July.
StarChefs.com: The United Grapes of America |
Update: Evidently my family has a more sophisticated palette than me because many in our group picked up citrus flavors as well as some clove.
Monday, July 2, 2012
A Monticello Collaboration - "3"
One aspect of the wine and beer industry we find fascinating is the close collaboration between winemakers and brewers. This collaboration is manifested in several ways, such as the second vintage of "3". This wine consists of three grape varieties (Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc) grown on three different vineyards, and made into wine by three acclaimed winemakers. The Merlot was crafted by Matthieu Finot from King Family Vineyards, the Petit Verdot by Emily Pelton from Veritas Vineyards, and the Cabernet Franc by Jake Busching from Grace Estate Winery. Each winemaker selected two barrels and the "resulting blend is a
wine with full proportion and balance which highlights the
ripeness of the vintage".
Tomorrow (July 3rd), King Family is hosting the official release party but each winery will have 45 cases for sale at $33.33 per bottle.
Tomorrow (July 3rd), King Family is hosting the official release party but each winery will have 45 cases for sale at $33.33 per bottle.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Addicted to Netflix - How Beer Saved the World & Absinthe
A year ago I finally succumbed to family pressure and subscribed to Netflix - and today utilize the on demand feature (what a horrible implementation of splitting the rental and on demand divisions). The first two videos I watched were the popular documentaries Blood Into Wine and Beer Wars.If you haven't seen either of these, I highly recommend them - learn about Arizona wines and the competition between craft brewers such as The Samuel Adams Brewery and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and basically Budweiser - now Anheuser-Busch InBev.
The former is a light-hearted story where "Scientists and historians line up to tell the amazing, untold story of how beer helped create math, poetry, pyramids, modern medicine, labor laws, and America." Yes, they cover all these subjects. And the latter tells the interesting life of Absinthe "from its birth in Switzerland in 1787, through its rise in the chic cafés of Belle Époque Paris, to its prohibition, and its recent worldwide revival". Now its time to plan a trip to Philadelphia Distilling to sample their Vieux Carre Absinthe - the first legal absinthe to be distilled, bottled and sold on the east coast of the United States in nearly 100 years. Or grab some Lucid.
How Beer Saved the World
ABSINTHE documentary film trailer from absinthe on Vimeo.
Friday, June 22, 2012
#SauvBlanc Day with St. Supery 2011 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc
Yesterday was #SauvBlanc Day and one of Napa's best producers, St. Supery Vineyards & Winery held a reception at the winery in order to celebrate the day. Being almost 3,000 mile away on the East Coast, St. Supery sent us a bottle of their 2011 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($20.00) to sip and tweet.
St. Supery Vineyards is an interesting winery, located in Rutherford California, but owned by a French family - the Skalli's. The family has been making wine in the south of France for several generations and Robert Skalli recognized the potential for Napa to produce world class Bordeaux styled wines. Besides reds, these Bordeaux grapes included Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. And today St. Supery is recognized as an excellent producer of white Bordeaux.
Lately, many of the Sauvignon Blancs I've tasted has been very one dimensional - either all citrus and acid or all grass. On the other hand, the St. Supery was a nice balance of citrus and grass with low acids - the later thanks to the hotter Napa climate. But I enjoy lower acidic Sauvignon Blanc so this fit perfectly into my palette. And the mouthfeel of grass and citrus (both grapefruit and lemon) mingled together nicely, neither claiming superiority.And priced at $20 - this is a wine worth considering for any summer night. Cheers to St. Supery and #SauvBlanc Day.
St. Supery Vineyards is an interesting winery, located in Rutherford California, but owned by a French family - the Skalli's. The family has been making wine in the south of France for several generations and Robert Skalli recognized the potential for Napa to produce world class Bordeaux styled wines. Besides reds, these Bordeaux grapes included Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. And today St. Supery is recognized as an excellent producer of white Bordeaux.
Lately, many of the Sauvignon Blancs I've tasted has been very one dimensional - either all citrus and acid or all grass. On the other hand, the St. Supery was a nice balance of citrus and grass with low acids - the later thanks to the hotter Napa climate. But I enjoy lower acidic Sauvignon Blanc so this fit perfectly into my palette. And the mouthfeel of grass and citrus (both grapefruit and lemon) mingled together nicely, neither claiming superiority.And priced at $20 - this is a wine worth considering for any summer night. Cheers to St. Supery and #SauvBlanc Day.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Am I an Over-aged Millennial? We Enjoy Similar Wine
Yesterday I received this press release announcing the results of the 4th annual NextGen Wine Competition for Millennial Wine Drinkers and what caught my eye was that the winery awarded Best Rosé is a wine we have discussed often the last few months: the Canyon Wind Cellars 2011 47-Ten
Rosé. This wine first shown on my radar while visiting the winery during a 2012 DinkLocalWine.com pre-tour. In fact, check out our Facebook page where the view from the winery is our cover picture. Then the rosé was provided as a gift in the media package and I was able to compare it to another nice local option, the 2011 Boxwood Winery Topiary
Rosé. Both are very good wines and available at very reasonable prices ($12 for the Canyon Wind Cellars and $15 for the Boxwood). For me, the Canyon Wine Cellars closely resembles the Provence style - light and dry; whereas the Boxwood is bigger. The millennial judges also enjoyed several "other 46" wines such as the Apple Barn Winery 2011 Apple Cranberry and the Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery 2010 Vidal Blanc. Galer Estate calls their Vidal an "Icebox" wine because the grapes are frozen in a commercial freezer. Two other local wineries that fared well and received Best of Class awards was Maryland's Detour Winery 2011 Alpine Frost and Virginia's Gray Ghost Vineyards 2011 Gewurztraminer. I've tried this Gewurtz - it is tasty.
Here is the official release that we received:
Vineyard & Winery Management has announced the conclusion of the 4th annual
NextGen Wine Competition for Millennial Wine Drinkers, held June 5-6, 2012. The
competition is designed specifically with this exciting and important consumer
group in mind, and is judged by qualified and knowledgeable wine industry
millennials aged 21-35.
Produced by Vineyard &
Winery Management, NextGen is one of the fastest growing and most exciting wine
competitions in North America today. Judges included high profile NextGenners
such as Jessica Altieri, “America’s Social Wine Ambassador.” Altieri, 27, is a
leading online wine social media and video pioneer, traveling the world to
spread the conversation about wine in an unpretentious way. She is the founder,
CEO and Certified Sommelier for WineChannelTV and has worked with some of the
world’s leading wine brands, governments and trade
associations.
“I would have to say that the
results from our lineup of millennial judges mirror very closely what is
trending in the marketplace today,” said Bill Traverso, Director of Wine
Competitions for Vineyard & Winery Management. “That is why a competition
with millennial judges helps wineries in making plans for which variety to plant
and which type of wines to make for the next wave of wine consumers.”
“The 2012 NextGen Wine
Competition was an incredible success,” declared Chief Judge Giovanni
Balistreri. “Judges were flown in from all over the country to join local
industry professionals; their combined wine expertise and knowledge contributed
to making this competition shine. A big thank you to our sponsors! I look
forward to the 2013 NextGen Wine Competition.”
Riedel glassware was used to assess
all of the wines, which were judged from a field of 750 entries. Judges awarded
a total of 17 Double Gold, 63 Gold, 253 Silver, and 249 Bronze medals.
The full results are available in this pdf. The sweepstakes awards are as follows:
Best of Show
Lago di Merlo Vineyards and Winery
2009 Sangiovese Lago di Merlo Vineyard
Lago di Merlo Vineyards and Winery
2009 Sangiovese Lago di Merlo Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley,
California
Best of Show Dessert/Late
Harvest
Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery
2010 Vidal Blanc
Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery
2010 Vidal Blanc
Chester County,
Pennsylvania
Best of Show Fruit
Apple Barn Winery
2011 Apple Cranberry
Apple Barn Winery
2011 Apple Cranberry
Tennessee
Best of Show Rosé
Best of Show Rosé
Canyon Wind Cellars
2011 47-Ten Rosé
2011 47-Ten Rosé
Grand Valley,
Colorado
Best of Show Sparkling
E & J Gallo Winery
Barefoot Bubbly NV Moscato Spumante
Best of Show Sparkling
E & J Gallo Winery
Barefoot Bubbly NV Moscato Spumante
California
Best of Show White
White Tie Wines
Best of Show White
White Tie Wines
2011 Moscato
California
Friday, June 8, 2012
Ballparks & Brews: Fenway Park
With a group of a dozen Nationals fans we visited the historic Fenway Park for a weekend series between the RedSox and Nationals. The games were great, but the craft beer choices were disappointing. Predictably Boston Beer Company's Sam Adams and Harpoon Brewery were available randomly the only real option I found was at the State Street Pavilion where they were serving Wachusett Brewing Company Green Monsta IPA, Cisco Brewers Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, and Magic Hat Brewing Company #9. I stuck with the two IPAs - good beers, just wish there were more choices.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
#WineChat: For the Love of Wine! What inspired your passion for wine?
Tokaji Wine Bar in Central Market Hall |
My route into the winosphere started like many other's - tasting wine at a local wine festival. Through college and my early professional career I was a craft beer drinker. Wine was what we drank when there wasn't any beer available. Then we started attending the Seven Springs Wine Festival in Somerset, Pennsylvania; where I sampled local wines for the first time. I don't remember much about the wines we drank, only that the whites were tasty and many of the reds sweet. For some reason Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery registers in my memory. But I came away from these annual pilgrimages with the knowledge that local wines do exist, even though I had no clue what we were drinking: Catawba, Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, Niagara, Chambourcin, or DeChaunac. Concord, of course, was grape jelly.
Wine Cave - "Valley of Beautiful Women" |
Outside Wine Cave - Eger |
That's how they roll |
Wines Still Around from Hungary 1997 |
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The History of Virginia and Maryland Wines - from Jefferson and Adlum
I've always been fascinated by history, and the textbook-like A History of Wine in America, Volume 1: From the Beginnings to Prohibition
was one of the first books I read when researching early wine making. This volume allocates several chapters to discussing the role of vineyards and wine making in colonial America and gives the reader a basic introduction to early Mid-Atlantic wine making. My summer reading list has now been augmented by two books that expands this introduction for both Virginia and Maryland respectively: Beyond Jefferson's Vines: The Evolution of Quality Wine in Virginia and Maryland Wine: A Full-Bodied History Richard Leahy, a former East Coast Editor for Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, has been covering the Virginia wine industry for the past 25 years so is well suited to describe the transition of the Commonwealth's wine industry from a few pioneers to today's vinifera revolution. Best of all, Leahy covers all geographic regions in Virginia, so don't expect just a Monticello-centric dissertation. This summer the author will be conducting book signings at various wineries and festivals starting this weekend at the Vintage Virginia festival. You can also find him at DuCard Vineyards - Father’s Day Celebration June 16, 2012, 12pm to 5pm; Paradise Springs Winery - June 22, 2012, 3pm to 5pm; Potomac Point Winery - July 19, 2012, 6pm to 9pm for Wine Club Members only; Williamsburg Winery -July 22nd, 2012, 12pm to 4pm; The Winery at Bull Run - August 25th, 2012, 12pm to 4:30 pm; and the Reston Grape Grape Festival - September 8th & 9th 2012 (all day). Regina McCarthy is currently the marketing coordinator for the Maryland Wineries Association and researched the evolution of the Maryland wine industry from the first plantings in 1648 to the 50 or so wineries today. Everyone should be particularly interested in the role of Philip Wagner, founder of Boordy Vineyards, in igniting the post-Prohibition wine industry in the Mid-Atlantic through the adoption of hybrid grapes. Regina might have a few book signings planned during Maryland Wine Week but you can catch her this weekend at the Hunt Valley Great Grapes. On June 9th 2012 she will also be signing books at Nicks of Calvert from 1–4 p.m.; then June 23: Barnes & Noble, Bel Air from 2–4 p.m.; and finally, June 23: Barnes & Noble, Power Plant, Baltimore from 5–7 p.m. |
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Wine Blogging Wednesday #77: “A Glass (of cider) After A Bad Day At Work”
Our friend, Alleigh at A Glass After Work hosts Wine Blogging Wednesday #wbw77 this month and the topic, “A Glass After A Bad Day At Work”. Normally, after a particularly bad day at work I hit the whiskey or rum when I return home. But since the weather has warmed and I've been commuting by bicycle, the hard stuff isn't as satisfying. I tried beer and yes that can be a thirst quencher - but it doesn't alleviate the tensions from a tough day. Then, one day I reached for a Foggy Ridge Cider First Fruit cider. Immediately the apple flavors calmed my nerves, while the acidity was as refreshing as a malt beverage. I instantly relaxed - who cares about work? The next week I tried the Foggy Ridge Cider Serious Cider. This cider is lighter than the First Fruit but produced similar results. I'm now stocking up on ciders: Albemarle CiderWorks and Applewood Winery now in the fridge; and will be adding cider from Castle Hill Cider, Distillery Lane Ciderworks, Great Shoals Winery, and planning trips into New York and Pennsylvania. Any suggestions?
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Virginia Wine at The Tribute to the Wounded Warrior
If you have to pick one fundraiser to attend this year, then choose the Beethovenfound Memorial Day Tribute to Wounded Warriors held this May 27th 2012 at the Great Meadow Event Center (5089 Old Tavern Rd, The Plains VA). This event will be the largest event ever staged in this country for Wounded
Warriors. Members of the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra,
Baltimore Symphony, and National Symphony and other professional
symphony musicians will come together to create a 200 member orchestra
with a 500 strong chorus conducted by Maestro Ulysses James. More than 6
Major bands will perform on a specially constructed stage surrounded by
risers for the chorus and 2 Jumbotrons will show the action and carry
messages from our sponsors, patrons, and performers. There will also be an air show, polo show, classic car show and a Childrens area with moonbounces, rock climbing, pony rides and more! Plus there will be cigars (CigarVolante), beer and Virginia wine courtesy of Mattaponi Winery, Horton Vineyards, Unicorn Winery, Miracle Valley Vineyard and Winery, Lost Creek Winery, Goose Creek Farms and Winery, & Potomac Point Winery. The cost is $45 per person (children Under 12 are admitted free!).
Here is an interview with H. David Meyers and General Bugsy Forsythe for Memorial Day Tribute to Wounded Warriors
Here is an interview with H. David Meyers and General Bugsy Forsythe for Memorial Day Tribute to Wounded Warriors
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
More Opportunities to Drink Local Wine: Maryland Wine Week
Opportunities to Drink Local Wine continue next month as the Maryland Wineries Association announces Maryland Wine Week, running June 8-17. During this week several Maryland restaurants and wine shops will "celebrate local wine and produce by hosting a range of events themed around Maryland wine, including wine maker dinners, tastings, wine flights, and more!"
Never tried a Maryland wine? Don't know much about the industry? Then check out a few videos featuring Maryland wineries (Black Ankle Vineyards, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, and Old Westminster Winery. Or better yet, check out the 20th Wine in the Woods festival this weekend (5/19-20) in Columbia and sample wines from over thirty Maryland wineries. That will prepare you for the Annapolis Arts & Crafts Festival held June 9th and 10th. Here are the restaurants and wine shops participating in Maryland Wine Week. Hope to see you at one of their events or follow along on Twitter and Facebook.
Wine Shops
Annebeth’s Specialty Shop • Annapolis
College Square Liquors • Carroll County
Frederick Basket Company • Frederick
Friendship Wine & Liquor • Abingdon
Mill’s Fine Wine & Spirits • Annapolis
Nick’s of Calvert • Calvert County
Wine Loft • Baltimore County
Restaurants
Alexandra’s Restaurant • Ellicott City
Beans in the Belfry • Brunswick
Clementine • Baltimore
Drovers Grill & Wine Co. • Mount Airy
Patrick’s Retaurant & Pub • Cockeysville
The County Cork Wine Pub • Eldersburg
The Gourmet Goat & GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar • Hagerstown
RANAZUL Tapas Wine Bistro • Howard County
Never tried a Maryland wine? Don't know much about the industry? Then check out a few videos featuring Maryland wineries (Black Ankle Vineyards, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, and Old Westminster Winery. Or better yet, check out the 20th Wine in the Woods festival this weekend (5/19-20) in Columbia and sample wines from over thirty Maryland wineries. That will prepare you for the Annapolis Arts & Crafts Festival held June 9th and 10th. Here are the restaurants and wine shops participating in Maryland Wine Week. Hope to see you at one of their events or follow along on Twitter and Facebook.
Wine Shops
Annebeth’s Specialty Shop • Annapolis
College Square Liquors • Carroll County
Frederick Basket Company • Frederick
Friendship Wine & Liquor • Abingdon
Mill’s Fine Wine & Spirits • Annapolis
Nick’s of Calvert • Calvert County
Wine Loft • Baltimore County
Restaurants
Alexandra’s Restaurant • Ellicott City
Beans in the Belfry • Brunswick
Clementine • Baltimore
Drovers Grill & Wine Co. • Mount Airy
Patrick’s Retaurant & Pub • Cockeysville
The County Cork Wine Pub • Eldersburg
The Gourmet Goat & GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar • Hagerstown
RANAZUL Tapas Wine Bistro • Howard County
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The #DLW12 Nomacorc Twitter Taste-Off: "Where's the Gewürztraminer?"
One of the highlights of all DrinkLocalWine.com conferences is the Twitter taste-off, where participates sample wines from the host state and immediately share their impressions online. This year was no exception with the
Nomacorc-Colorado Twitter Taste-off where we tasted and tweeted using the #colwines and #drinklocal hash tags. And at the end of the tasting the media and general public voted on their favorites.
This is actually a grueling affair, speeding drinking (spitting) 42 wines from 21 Colorado wineries. Initially I tried to stick with just whites, then roses, then reds; but eventually I felt like a novice festival attendee and just stuck out my glass and asked "what do you got?" My first impressions were that there were several very good wines, and conversely, several not so good wines exuding volatile acidity or shrouded in oak. My second impression, "Where's the Gewürztraminer?". For all the talk we heard previously that this may be Colorado's - or at least the Western Slope's - signature grape variety - not a single winery chose to pour a Gewürz.
Oh well, here are my favorites of the day. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed both offerings from Canyon Wind Cellars, the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps influenced from our pre-tour visit. Boulder based Settembre Cellars was pouring the identical varietal wines and continued to impress. Another winery that I really enjoyed both offerings was Snowy Peaks Winery, who were pouring a Petite Sirah and the Elevee Blanc (60% Viognier & 40% Roussanne). Once again, kudos for evening producing this Rhone blend. Finally, another favorite were the wines from Denver based The Infinite Monkey Theorem. Their white was a local alcohol refreshing IMT Riesling whereas their red, the IMT 100th Monkey is a unique blend of 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Syrah and 20% Petit Sirah. The catch, $42 - now I know why some locals complain about price points.
Now for the winners. For whites, not only was the Four Corners based Guy Drew Vineyards Pinot Gris voted best White Wine, but also the Media's favorite wine. Wrong. How could my colleagues completely mess this up. In fact, the best White Wine, was the Guy Drew Vineyards No Oak Chardonnay. Seriously, Guy can make some quality wine. And with both of these wines priced at $16, this shows why I think Colorado has several excellent value wines. For reds, the Ruby Trust Cellars Smuggler, a Cabernet Franc blend, was voted Best Red; but I preferred the 100% varietal Cabernet Franc from Creekside Cellars. I mean, this was Cabernet Franc - it smelled like CF, it tasted like CF, and the peppery finish lingered like CF. And it was better than most Virginia Cabernet Francs I've tasted. The downside, need to get over the $35 retail price. Finally, I agreed whole-heartedly with the People's Choice Award - the best wine - wasn't even a wine; but a dry-hopped mead from Redstone Meadery: "Nectar of the Hops". No longer called a Braggot since there's no malt, this style makes a a fun, refreshing beer-ish beverage that contains the clean finish of many dry-hopped IPAs with the sweetness of honey instead of malt. Nicely done. And it may be available in the DC area.
There you have it. Looking forward to next year's DLW Twitter taste-off; wonder where it will be???
This is actually a grueling affair, speeding drinking (spitting) 42 wines from 21 Colorado wineries. Initially I tried to stick with just whites, then roses, then reds; but eventually I felt like a novice festival attendee and just stuck out my glass and asked "what do you got?" My first impressions were that there were several very good wines, and conversely, several not so good wines exuding volatile acidity or shrouded in oak. My second impression, "Where's the Gewürztraminer?". For all the talk we heard previously that this may be Colorado's - or at least the Western Slope's - signature grape variety - not a single winery chose to pour a Gewürz.
Oh well, here are my favorites of the day. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed both offerings from Canyon Wind Cellars, the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps influenced from our pre-tour visit. Boulder based Settembre Cellars was pouring the identical varietal wines and continued to impress. Another winery that I really enjoyed both offerings was Snowy Peaks Winery, who were pouring a Petite Sirah and the Elevee Blanc (60% Viognier & 40% Roussanne). Once again, kudos for evening producing this Rhone blend. Finally, another favorite were the wines from Denver based The Infinite Monkey Theorem. Their white was a local alcohol refreshing IMT Riesling whereas their red, the IMT 100th Monkey is a unique blend of 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Syrah and 20% Petit Sirah. The catch, $42 - now I know why some locals complain about price points.
Now for the winners. For whites, not only was the Four Corners based Guy Drew Vineyards Pinot Gris voted best White Wine, but also the Media's favorite wine. Wrong. How could my colleagues completely mess this up. In fact, the best White Wine, was the Guy Drew Vineyards No Oak Chardonnay. Seriously, Guy can make some quality wine. And with both of these wines priced at $16, this shows why I think Colorado has several excellent value wines. For reds, the Ruby Trust Cellars Smuggler, a Cabernet Franc blend, was voted Best Red; but I preferred the 100% varietal Cabernet Franc from Creekside Cellars. I mean, this was Cabernet Franc - it smelled like CF, it tasted like CF, and the peppery finish lingered like CF. And it was better than most Virginia Cabernet Francs I've tasted. The downside, need to get over the $35 retail price. Finally, I agreed whole-heartedly with the People's Choice Award - the best wine - wasn't even a wine; but a dry-hopped mead from Redstone Meadery: "Nectar of the Hops". No longer called a Braggot since there's no malt, this style makes a a fun, refreshing beer-ish beverage that contains the clean finish of many dry-hopped IPAs with the sweetness of honey instead of malt. Nicely done. And it may be available in the DC area.
There you have it. Looking forward to next year's DLW Twitter taste-off; wonder where it will be???
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Colorade Wine - Made from grapes with altitude and attitude
That's the slogan for the Canyon Wind Cellars 47-TEN series which, after spending four days in the Centennial state for the 2012 DrinkLocalWine.com Conference, we learned is applicable to the entire Colorado industry. Not only was I fortunate to attend the conference, but the folks at the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board included me on a pre-tour of the state's two American Viticultural Areas (AVA): the West Elks and Grand Valley. These AVAs are located on the Western Slope of Colorado with the former lying south of the Grand Mesa and the latter to the west.
We started our tour in the West Elks AVA and quickly learned about altitude - this AVA hosts the highest vineyard in the Northern Hemisphere, Terror Creek Winery, which sits at 6,417 feet above sea level. You would think this is the land of cold climate hybrids, but no, vinifera is the norm - specifically Alsatian grapes such as Gewürztraminer and Riesling as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The high altitude induces higher acidity in the grapes and less sugar - resulting in lower alcohol wines. And most interesting, phylloxera is basically non-existent so that vines are not grafted to rootstock.
Located just below Terror Creek is Stone Cottage Cellars, the 2nd highest vineyard and our first stop of the tour. Proprietors Karen and Brent Helleckson explained to us the hazards and difficulties in cultivating grapes at this altitude. The growing season is extremely short, 150 days, which can be shortened - as frost sometimes occurs as late as June. Since bud break normally occurs in early May (late April this year), a late season frost can decimate a vineyard. Another hazard is pests, all American vineyards battle birds and deer, but for Colorado, include Elk, Raccoons, and wild Turkeys. Because of these weather and animal hazards, Helleckson prunes to 6 buds, because any less could result in zero fruit.
During our visit, Stone Cottage Cellars was pouring a dry Gewürztraminer, a Chardonnay, a Grand Valley Syrah, and a dessert wine - the Alpine - a Gewürztraminer based wine fortified with grape spirit. We were also able to sample two wines in the tank, the soon to be released 2011Gewürztraminer and the 2009 Pinot Noir. Ironically, my favorites were these last two. Their dry Gewürz was good, but the extra residual sugar (.6%) in the 2011 vintage lifted the aromatics and exuded stronger flavors - all balanced by the grape's natural acidity. This 2011 Gewürztraminer will be a very good wine. As for the Pinot, it is a very fruit forward red with somewhat of a silky mid-palette leading to the smooth finish. That evening we revisited their Chardonnay during a dinner hosted by the Smith Fort Ranch. The Burgundy styled wine - really held its own during the initial course (of course I can't recall the actual pairing). I also enjoyed the Alfred Eames Cellars Collage (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend) at the ranch. Eames was one of Colorado's earliest winemakers - and seems to specialize in red wines. One day I want to sample his local favorite - Carmena (a blend based on the Carmine grape with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Although lower in elevation and more temperate, wineries in the Grand Valley AVA - and in our case the wineries within Palisades - face constant weather challenges. For over 30 years, Carlson Vineyards has been producing wine from Colorado grown fruit, but with cold-weather induced low yields the past two years, the winery had to source fruit from Washington State this year. And these were my favorite wines, wines that I've ordered online in the past: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Lemberger. Since Carlson possesses a large portfolio, there were about a dozen of Colorado wines that we were able to sample, including a few rather nice fruit wines. But the biggest surprise was their version of a White Zinfandel or Blush wine, the Prairie Dog Blush - a kitchen sink blend of Lemberger, Gewürztraminer, Seyval, Muscat Canelli, and Orange Muscat. This is a fun wine, particular when hanging out - listening to Parker Carlson describe his operation. Another bonus, all Carlson wines are priced under $13.
Located near Carlson is High Country Orchards and Vineyards, a new winery which augmented their famous peach orchard into producing wine from Bordeaux grapes: the Colterris (from the Colorado land) series. After a short orchard and vineyard tour we sampled their two wines - the varietal Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. These were both decent wines, particularly from such a young winery and I would love to revisit to see how the wines mature over time.
Canyon Wind Cellars and Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery are situated not far from Carlson and High Country, but because of the multiple mesoclimates within Palisades, they might as well be in different AVAs. The vineyards at Canyon Wind Cellars receive frequent and larger bursts of wind (hence the name) and even at similar altitudes, bud break normally occurs first at Canyon Wind than at Garfield Estates. Regardless both of these wineries produce very solid wines. Canyon Wind offers three brands, the lower end - but nicely done 47-TEN series, a varietal series, and a newly launched high end label Anemoi. The Anemoi wines are blends named after the mythological Greek Gods of wind, and my favorite was the Boreas - 100% estate grown comprised of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Petit Verdot. The 47-TEN wines are excellent values at the common $13 price point as are the varietal wines, priced from $15 (whites) up to $25.
As much as I liked the wines from Canyon Wind Cellars, the wines from Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery proved that wineries in the Grand Valley can produce elegant wines. This outlook started with their S² (S-squared) a white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. I mean, major kudos for just creating this blend. Even better, its all fruit - no oak as in the companion Fumé Blanc - with the grapefruit flavors evolving into a refreshingly acidic mouth bath. We then tasted a barrel sample of their soon to be released Vin Rose - made from Cabernet Franc. This wine had more texture than most roses perhaps resulting from 5-6 months aging in neutral oak. I will be buying this wine online when released. Then there's the 2009 Estate Syrah, a creamy and silky wine with a slight white pepper finish. This may be my favorite wine of the entire trip - and priced at $18 - a super bargain. It was also a hit a couple nights later at Row 14’
during a dinner hosted by our friends at Nomacorc.
I think what makes Garfield so special, is that proprietor Jeff Carr understands that Colorado has an infant wine industry. He acknowledges he doesn't yet know what grapes grow best. But he doesn't plan on forcing grape varieties that may be recognizable, but not acclimated to the soil or climate. And even with the better known grapes, such as Cabernet Franc, he doesn't want to manipulate it into a big Bordeaux styled red - but rather allow the grapes to produce a softer Chinon style.
Despite the excellent wines that we tasted, we noticed a few deficiencies within theses two AVAs. First, there appears to be an absence of cooperation and critiquing among the wineries. Yes the wineries encourage visitors to seek out neighboring wineries and there are shared events - there doesn't seem to be regular meetings to discuss common issues and to sample and critique each others wines. In Northern Virginia, winemakers meet monthly to share wines and all must be prepared for Jim Law's analysis. This elevates each winemaker's game which in turn improves the wines made in the entire region.
Second, there appears to be a trend to plant grapes that are popular and not what may grow as best in the environment. Yes, they plant grapes associated to that elevation, but not once did we hear, "Before establishing the vineyard, I consulted a viticulturist to determine which grapes to plant in the vineyard and in which specific plot". Where are the Lucie Morton's of Colorado. Just take a look at Maryland's two best wineries, Black Ankle Vineyards and Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, both who consulted with Morton before planting their respective vineyards. Give Horst Caspari a call.
Despite these trends and the altitude, wineries in the Grand Valley and West Elks are producing wines with attitude. The many excellent wines elevate Colorado into a respectable position in the drink local movement. Thanks again to the great hospitality provided by Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, the Smith Fort Ranch, Delta County, Grand Junction VCB, and the host wineries. Now on to the Front Range and Four Corners.....
Update:
I should have noted that Colorado winemakers in the Front Range Winemakers Association do meet to discuss issues and critique wines. As far as I know, winemakers in the Grand Valley and West Elks AVAs so not.
We started our tour in the West Elks AVA and quickly learned about altitude - this AVA hosts the highest vineyard in the Northern Hemisphere, Terror Creek Winery, which sits at 6,417 feet above sea level. You would think this is the land of cold climate hybrids, but no, vinifera is the norm - specifically Alsatian grapes such as Gewürztraminer and Riesling as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The high altitude induces higher acidity in the grapes and less sugar - resulting in lower alcohol wines. And most interesting, phylloxera is basically non-existent so that vines are not grafted to rootstock.
Located just below Terror Creek is Stone Cottage Cellars, the 2nd highest vineyard and our first stop of the tour. Proprietors Karen and Brent Helleckson explained to us the hazards and difficulties in cultivating grapes at this altitude. The growing season is extremely short, 150 days, which can be shortened - as frost sometimes occurs as late as June. Since bud break normally occurs in early May (late April this year), a late season frost can decimate a vineyard. Another hazard is pests, all American vineyards battle birds and deer, but for Colorado, include Elk, Raccoons, and wild Turkeys. Because of these weather and animal hazards, Helleckson prunes to 6 buds, because any less could result in zero fruit.
During our visit, Stone Cottage Cellars was pouring a dry Gewürztraminer, a Chardonnay, a Grand Valley Syrah, and a dessert wine - the Alpine - a Gewürztraminer based wine fortified with grape spirit. We were also able to sample two wines in the tank, the soon to be released 2011Gewürztraminer and the 2009 Pinot Noir. Ironically, my favorites were these last two. Their dry Gewürz was good, but the extra residual sugar (.6%) in the 2011 vintage lifted the aromatics and exuded stronger flavors - all balanced by the grape's natural acidity. This 2011 Gewürztraminer will be a very good wine. As for the Pinot, it is a very fruit forward red with somewhat of a silky mid-palette leading to the smooth finish. That evening we revisited their Chardonnay during a dinner hosted by the Smith Fort Ranch. The Burgundy styled wine - really held its own during the initial course (of course I can't recall the actual pairing). I also enjoyed the Alfred Eames Cellars Collage (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend) at the ranch. Eames was one of Colorado's earliest winemakers - and seems to specialize in red wines. One day I want to sample his local favorite - Carmena (a blend based on the Carmine grape with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Although lower in elevation and more temperate, wineries in the Grand Valley AVA - and in our case the wineries within Palisades - face constant weather challenges. For over 30 years, Carlson Vineyards has been producing wine from Colorado grown fruit, but with cold-weather induced low yields the past two years, the winery had to source fruit from Washington State this year. And these were my favorite wines, wines that I've ordered online in the past: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Lemberger. Since Carlson possesses a large portfolio, there were about a dozen of Colorado wines that we were able to sample, including a few rather nice fruit wines. But the biggest surprise was their version of a White Zinfandel or Blush wine, the Prairie Dog Blush - a kitchen sink blend of Lemberger, Gewürztraminer, Seyval, Muscat Canelli, and Orange Muscat. This is a fun wine, particular when hanging out - listening to Parker Carlson describe his operation. Another bonus, all Carlson wines are priced under $13.
Located near Carlson is High Country Orchards and Vineyards, a new winery which augmented their famous peach orchard into producing wine from Bordeaux grapes: the Colterris (from the Colorado land) series. After a short orchard and vineyard tour we sampled their two wines - the varietal Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. These were both decent wines, particularly from such a young winery and I would love to revisit to see how the wines mature over time.
Canyon Wind Cellars and Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery are situated not far from Carlson and High Country, but because of the multiple mesoclimates within Palisades, they might as well be in different AVAs. The vineyards at Canyon Wind Cellars receive frequent and larger bursts of wind (hence the name) and even at similar altitudes, bud break normally occurs first at Canyon Wind than at Garfield Estates. Regardless both of these wineries produce very solid wines. Canyon Wind offers three brands, the lower end - but nicely done 47-TEN series, a varietal series, and a newly launched high end label Anemoi. The Anemoi wines are blends named after the mythological Greek Gods of wind, and my favorite was the Boreas - 100% estate grown comprised of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Petit Verdot. The 47-TEN wines are excellent values at the common $13 price point as are the varietal wines, priced from $15 (whites) up to $25.
As much as I liked the wines from Canyon Wind Cellars, the wines from Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery proved that wineries in the Grand Valley can produce elegant wines. This outlook started with their S² (S-squared) a white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. I mean, major kudos for just creating this blend. Even better, its all fruit - no oak as in the companion Fumé Blanc - with the grapefruit flavors evolving into a refreshingly acidic mouth bath. We then tasted a barrel sample of their soon to be released Vin Rose - made from Cabernet Franc. This wine had more texture than most roses perhaps resulting from 5-6 months aging in neutral oak. I will be buying this wine online when released. Then there's the 2009 Estate Syrah, a creamy and silky wine with a slight white pepper finish. This may be my favorite wine of the entire trip - and priced at $18 - a super bargain. It was also a hit a couple nights later at Row 14’
during a dinner hosted by our friends at Nomacorc.
I think what makes Garfield so special, is that proprietor Jeff Carr understands that Colorado has an infant wine industry. He acknowledges he doesn't yet know what grapes grow best. But he doesn't plan on forcing grape varieties that may be recognizable, but not acclimated to the soil or climate. And even with the better known grapes, such as Cabernet Franc, he doesn't want to manipulate it into a big Bordeaux styled red - but rather allow the grapes to produce a softer Chinon style.
Despite the excellent wines that we tasted, we noticed a few deficiencies within theses two AVAs. First, there appears to be an absence of cooperation and critiquing among the wineries. Yes the wineries encourage visitors to seek out neighboring wineries and there are shared events - there doesn't seem to be regular meetings to discuss common issues and to sample and critique each others wines. In Northern Virginia, winemakers meet monthly to share wines and all must be prepared for Jim Law's analysis. This elevates each winemaker's game which in turn improves the wines made in the entire region.
Second, there appears to be a trend to plant grapes that are popular and not what may grow as best in the environment. Yes, they plant grapes associated to that elevation, but not once did we hear, "Before establishing the vineyard, I consulted a viticulturist to determine which grapes to plant in the vineyard and in which specific plot". Where are the Lucie Morton's of Colorado. Just take a look at Maryland's two best wineries, Black Ankle Vineyards and Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, both who consulted with Morton before planting their respective vineyards. Give Horst Caspari a call.
Despite these trends and the altitude, wineries in the Grand Valley and West Elks are producing wines with attitude. The many excellent wines elevate Colorado into a respectable position in the drink local movement. Thanks again to the great hospitality provided by Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, the Smith Fort Ranch, Delta County, Grand Junction VCB, and the host wineries. Now on to the Front Range and Four Corners.....
Update:
I should have noted that Colorado winemakers in the Front Range Winemakers Association do meet to discuss issues and critique wines. As far as I know, winemakers in the Grand Valley and West Elks AVAs so not.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
2012 Finger Lakes Wine Virtual Tasting Series for Finger Lakes - Gewurztraminer
On Wednesday April 18th, I participated in the first 2012 Finger Lakes Wine Virtual Tasting Series for Finger Lakes white wines, sponsored by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. And not Riesling white wines, but a mixture dominated by Gewurztraminer but including other grape varieties that demonstrate they diversity of the Finger Lakes region. There was the Austrian Gruner Veltliner, Alsace Pinot Blanc, and staples such as Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. The samples were also representative of the three largest lakes: Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka. And, most importantly, all the wines sampled are low in alcohol and priced until $20. Earlier in the week, I discussed the non-gewurztraminers here - so now its time for the Gewurz.
Apparently this is a popular grape among the Finger Lakes wineries and is becoming just as prevalent as Riesling. This is perhaps a bit of an over-statement, but a guess of 50 producers in the region was thrown out. It is produced in all lakes, and I asked the winemakers if there are any lake-induced differences. The consensus was that there is a difference between wineries - as is the case with Riesling - but this difference results more from production methods and not "terrior". And these production methods create both dry and semi-dry versions.
Started with the dry, the grapes for the Sheldrake Point Winery 2011 Gewurztraminer were not harvested until mid-October. This allowed the fruit to gain traction and the final product is balanced with nice acidity. The aroma falsely imply sweetness, but there's actually only 0.4% rs.
The grapes for the Seneca Shore Wine Cellars 2010 Dry Gewurztraminer were harvested a full month earlier and made to a similar 0.43% rs; but is a completely different wine. It portrays more of the grape's inherent spiciness.
Moving to the semi-dry styles, Gewurztraminer contains enough acids to balance this style. The Rooster Hill Vineyards 2010 Estate Gewurztraminer was my favorite gewurz for the evening. It is produced from a single vineyard - Catherine Vineyard - on the east side of Keuka Lake. Even with 1.8% rs, this is a refreshing wine, lycee flavors and spice. Very nice.
The Wagner Vineyards 2010 Gewurztraminer Semi-Dry contains similar sugar levels (1.75%) and the grapes were grown surrounding Seneca Lake. This wine also portrays how extra sweetness imparts more flavors than the dry versions; with enough acid to generate a balanced mouth feel.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/finger-lakes-wine-virtual-tasting-series
Apparently this is a popular grape among the Finger Lakes wineries and is becoming just as prevalent as Riesling. This is perhaps a bit of an over-statement, but a guess of 50 producers in the region was thrown out. It is produced in all lakes, and I asked the winemakers if there are any lake-induced differences. The consensus was that there is a difference between wineries - as is the case with Riesling - but this difference results more from production methods and not "terrior". And these production methods create both dry and semi-dry versions.
- Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars 2011 Gruner Veltliner
- Glenora Wine Cellars 2011 Pinot Blanc
- King Ferry Winery 2010 Reserve Chardonnay Cayuga Lake
- Goose Watch Winery 2011 Pinot Grigio
- Sheldrake Point Winery 2011 Gewurztraminer
- Seneca Shore Wine Cellars 2010 Dry Gewurztraminer
- Rooster Hill Vineyards 2010 Estate Gewurztraminer
- Wagner Vineyards 2010 Gewurztraminer Semi-Dry
Started with the dry, the grapes for the Sheldrake Point Winery 2011 Gewurztraminer were not harvested until mid-October. This allowed the fruit to gain traction and the final product is balanced with nice acidity. The aroma falsely imply sweetness, but there's actually only 0.4% rs.
Vibrant yellow gold in color, with a sensuous and silky weave of acid and mineral on the palate. Flowered perfume of rose and passion fruit flow to silky red grapefruit on the finish. – Winemaker’s Notes
The grapes for the Seneca Shore Wine Cellars 2010 Dry Gewurztraminer were harvested a full month earlier and made to a similar 0.43% rs; but is a completely different wine. It portrays more of the grape's inherent spiciness.
This big, unctuous and full bodied white wine has a thick, creamy texture and fruit galore. The nose is reminiscent of fresh tea roses with a palate filled with juicy lycee fruit, finished with spicy pepper. – Winemaker’s Notes
Moving to the semi-dry styles, Gewurztraminer contains enough acids to balance this style. The Rooster Hill Vineyards 2010 Estate Gewurztraminer was my favorite gewurz for the evening. It is produced from a single vineyard - Catherine Vineyard - on the east side of Keuka Lake. Even with 1.8% rs, this is a refreshing wine, lycee flavors and spice. Very nice.
This single vineyard Gewurztraminer from the Catherine Vineyard is aromatic with soft, pretty rose petal, accented by hints of citrus, grass and Asian spice. A bright and refreshing wine with a delicate spicy finish. – Winemaker’s Notes
The Wagner Vineyards 2010 Gewurztraminer Semi-Dry contains similar sugar levels (1.75%) and the grapes were grown surrounding Seneca Lake. This wine also portrays how extra sweetness imparts more flavors than the dry versions; with enough acid to generate a balanced mouth feel.
A mouthfilling wine, full of spicy fruit flavors & an orange blossom bouquet. – Winemaker’s NotesIt's time to plan a trip to the Finger Lakes Wine Country. There is a diverse wine world that we need to check out. And here's the link to the recorded live stream. Cheers.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/finger-lakes-wine-virtual-tasting-series
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