Focusing on the world of wines, beer, and spirits that we experience through our travels at WineCompass.com and theCompass Craft Beverage Finder.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Wine 101 - Chokecherry Wine
The first winery to vinify chokecherry commercially and perhaps privately was Prairie Berry Winery in South Dakota. The Vojta family had been creating wine from chokecherry ever since the first family members immigrated to South Dakota from Moravia in the late 1880’s. The recipe was passed to succeeding family members up to the present, where current winemaker Sandi Vojta (the 5th generation) decided to share the family wine. And why not, she grew up knowing how chokecherry wine should taste and was certain the public would accept this unique product. She first, though, had to convince the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Agency to allow production of commercial wines from the fruit. Once this was accomplished, other wineries were able to follow suit. Prairie Berry Winery’s “bread and butter” chokeberry wine is their Great Grandma’s Chokecherry, a wine made almost exactly from the original family recipe. This wine is made semi-dry and has a strong fruity flavor. The winery also creates a port-style chokeberry wine in their Great Grandma’s Chokecherry Bliss. In this wine, the chokecherry wine is fortified with cherry Kirsch which produces a great dessert wine. The chokeberries are also blended with grapes to create the Pheasant Reserve and with honey to make Chokecherry Honeywine. The Vojta family deserves our recognition for paving the path for the general public to enjoy this fruit wine.
In neighboring North Dakota, Chokecherry wine is one of Maple River Winery’s top sellers. According to Greg Kempel, Chokecherry wine is popular in North Dakota because “Everyone that grew up in the Midwest on a farm either made or knew someone that made chokecherry wine”. And since traditional vinifera grapes do not fare well in the Dakota’s harsh climate, fruit wines, such as chokecherry, must truly stand out to grab the public’s attention. Maple River Winery’s version is semi-sweet and they recommend serving with red meat dishes. Even though the wine is popular locally, the winery is seeking to alleviate the national "Grape" obstacle, i.e. the belief that all quality wine is produced from grapes. Mr. Kempel sees that, “with education, our chokecherry wine is gaining tremendous popularity...even in wine country”.
Further west, in Mt. Pleasant Utah, Native Wines specializes in creating wines from wild fruit. Chokecherry is one of their products, not only from its flavor, but also from its healthy side effects. Each year the winery sends samples of their red wines to a laboratory for antioxidant testing and chokecherry wine always tests near the top in its antioxidant scores. Chokecherry also has a long tradition in Utah, from the Native Americans and early pioneers to the present. Mr. Bob Sorenson, Native Wines owner\winemaker, says that many middle-aged and elderly customers are pleasantly surprised to find Chokecherry wine available. Mr. Sorenson’s Chokecherry wine is rather unique in that he adds a few pits of the fruit, which creates a “warm spicy/nutty” aspect to the flavor. He admits that since the pits contain a certain amount of cyanide some people may be worried about drinking the wine. However, Mr. Sorenson reply’s that “many old recipes include the nuts of the stone fruits and as long as the products are consumed in reasonable quantities there will be no adverse effect”. We for one will take him at his word and look forward to trying his version of Chokecherry wine.
Traveling north into Manitoba Canada, D.D. Leobard Winery started making Chokecherry wine in 2005 after three years of trials. The winery is located in Winnipeg and specializes in producing wines from locally grown or wild fruit. Their Chokecherry wine is made from wild berries and made off dry, with a strong cherry flavor. Although the wine has been well received by critics (it was awarded a bronze medal at the 2006 All Canadian Wine Championships) it has been demanding to produce commercially. First, the winery has found it troublesome to find someone to pick their supply of wild berries. Second, Chokecherry wine is difficult to produce. The berries are small and initially highly acidic and quite tart. The winemaker must reduce these properties while simultaneously extract the natural cherry flavor of the fruit. Finally, although Chokecherry wine is very popular in Manitoba, it is difficult to sell because of this popularity. Many people either make their own Chokecherry wine or know some family member or friend who makes it; thus, according to Denis d'Eschambault, one of the winery’s co-owners, “why pay for it!”
Chokecherry wine is produced by a little over a dozen wineries in North America, most likely from wild berries and family recipes. The styles range from the semi-dry version offered by Colorado Cellars Winery to the sweet, port-style Chokecherry wine offered by the Lil' Ole Winemaker Shoppe in Wisconsin. We are certain, regardless of the style, that the majority of wine consumers will appreciate this wine, once the opportunity to taste one, presents itself.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
September Wine Festivals
Arkansas
Weinfest - Chateux Aux Arc :September 28th-30th
Wiederkehr Village Weinfest - Wiederk Wine Cellars: September 29th
British Columbia
Okanagan Fall Wine Festival – Okanagan: September 29th-October 7th
California
Millbrae Art and Wine Festival – Millbrae: September 1st-2nd
26th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration - Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association: September 2nd-3rd
L.A. County Fair – Los Angeles: September 7th-30th
Mountain View Art and Wine Festival - Mountain View: September 8th-9th
West Fest 2007 - Hwy 46 West Wineries: September 8th
Lodi Grape Festival and Harvest Festival - Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape
Commission: September 13th-16th
Santa Clara Art and Wine Festival - Santa Clara: September 15th-16th
Lafayette Art & Wine Festival - Lafayette: September 15th-16th
Paso Robles Taste of Downtown - Paso Robles: September 15th
Art Bark Fest - Animal Art, Wine & Music Festival - Olympic Valley: September 15th-16th
5th Annual Montclair Jazz & Wine Festival – Montclair Village: September 16th
American Wine & Food Festival – Los Angeles: September 29th
Colorado
16th Annual Colorado Mountain Winefest - Palisade: September 13th-16th
Great American Beer Festival – Denver: September 28th-30th
Florida
6th Annual Miami Intl Wine Fair – Miami: September 8th-10th
Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Festival - Lake Buena Vista: September 28th-November 11th
Georgia
Wine South Atlanta - Atlanta: September 28th-30th
Illinois
Windy City Wine Festival – Chicago: September 7th-8th
Naperville Wine Festival – Naperville: September 14th-15th
Festival of the Vine – Geneva: September 14th-16th
Illinois Wine Festival – North – Chicago: September 29th-30th
Maine
4th Annual Lakes Brew Fest - Casco: September 29th
Maryland
Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival - McHenry: September 8th
The Maryland Wine Festival – Westminster: September 15th-16th
2007 Wine Fest at the Beach – Ocean City: September 28th-29th
Michigan
Hopps of Fun Beer & Wine Festival - Mackinaw City: September 7th-8th
Annual Wine At The Harbor - Pentwater: September 8th
Minnesota
Minnesota Wine & Food Festival - Carlos Creek Winery: September 7th-9th
Missouri
The National Norton Wine Festival – St. Louis: September 8th
St. Louis Wine Festival – St. Louis: September 28th-29th
New Jersey
"Jazz it Up" - Allaire: September 1st-2nd
Annual Cape May Food and Wine Festival – Cape May: September 18th-23rd
Great Grapes – Princeton: September 22nd-23rd
New Mexico
Wine and Lifestyle Expo - Balloon Fiesta Park, Albuquerque: August 31st-Sept 2nd
Santa Fe Wine and Chile Festival – Santa Fe: September 26th-30th
New York
Saratoga Wine & Food Festival – Saratoga: September 6th-8th
Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival – Red Hook: September 8th-9h
North Carolina
Third Annual North Carolina Muscadine Harvest Festival – Kenansville: September 28th-29th
Nova Scotia
Third Annual Autumn Food and Wine Festival - Gaspereau Vineyards : September 22nd-23rd
Oklahoma
Grape & Wine Festival - Slaughterville: September 28th
Ontario
Shores of Erie International Wine Festival – Amherstburg: September target="new"7th-9th
Niagara Wine Festival – Niagara: September 21st-30th
Pennsylvania
Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival – Gettysburg: September 8th-9th
Wine Country Harvest Festival – North East: September 28th-30th
2007 Harvest Festival – Brandywine Valley Wine Trail: September 29th-30th
Rhode Island
Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival – Newport: September 27th-29th
South Carolina
Groovin' in the Grapes Harvest Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: September 8th
Autumn Magic Blues & Jazz Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: September 22nd
Texas
21st Annual GrapeFest - Grapevine: September 13th-16th
Virginia
Discover Virginia Food and Wine Festival – Ruckersville: September 1st
Herndon Jazz and Wine Festival – Herndon: September 3rd
13th Annual Rockbridge Wine Festival – Lexington: September 8th-11th
Annual Neptune Festival Wine Tasting – Virginia Beach: September 15th-16th
19th Annual Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival – Moneta: September 29th-30th
Washington
Lake Chelan Wine Festival - Lake Chelan: September 15th
Kiwanis Wine Country Trek – Yakima: September 29th-30th
Wisconsin
Lake Geneva Wine Festival - Lake Geneva: September 6th-9th
Monday, August 20, 2007
Cove Point Winery
Cove Point Winery produces over twenty wines from viniferia, native labrusca, and hybrid grapes. We were able to taste some of our favorite lesser known varieties are included, such as Blaufrankisch (Lemberger), Symphony, Isabella, Landot Noir, De Chaunac, and Chancellor, to name a few. At this tasting, I concentrated on their semi-dry white and dry red wines. Plus their port. I started with perhaps their best wine, the semi-dry Symphony, a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. The wine has the fragrance of a Muscat and the fruitiness of the Grenache. Throw in a refreshing acidity and you have a great drinking wine. Next was the Isabella, or sipping wine, as it is marketed. This wine doesn’t have the heavy foxiness normally associated with labrusca grapes – but possesses the grapiness of the fruit. This wine may not be for everyone – but for those who like labrusca made wine – this is an excellent version. I next tried their Riesling and Gewürztraminer, both contained the aromas and flavors you would expect from these grapes. Their Cayuga White was also very typical of that variety – although they do an excellent job extracting the flavors of the Riesling parent. I ended the semi-dry tasting as I started, with one of my favorite choices – the Peach Chardonnay. This is a blend of Peach wine and Chardonnay wine, where the chardonnay provides a fruit forward grape flavor and the peaches provide a lasting finish. Of all the fruit wines, I usually avoid the peach, but this wine is a perfect blend.
We moved on the reds, where I tried one of my favorite red viniferia grapes, Blaufrankisch. This wine is full-bodied with string black berry flavors. The finish is only slightly spicy – unlike the heavily-oaked Austrian styles. This is a great wine, both for dinner and sipping. I then tried their Pinot Noir, a medium bodied wine that had cherry flavors and a finish as smooth as the Blaufrankisch. I still preferred the Blaufrankisch. They were pouring two vintages of their Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2004 and 2005. The 2004 was a little spicier, whereas the 2005 was more fruit forward. I still preferred the Blaufrankisch. The final red was the Very-Berry Port - a Port blend of Chancellor and Landot Noir fermented with Blackberries and Raspberries and aged in French oak. These were obtained in nearby St. Mary’s County, which is fast becoming a valuable resource in the Maryland wine industry. The port has an amazing nose – where the aromas move generously into the cherry flavors and last into the tail. Besides having the opportunity to purchase a wine with Chancellor and Landot Noir, the wine is well worth the price.
Not only does Cove Point Winery make excellent wine from dozens of grapes, but they are minutes away from several of southern Maryland’s best tourist attractions. I’m referring to Calvert Cliffs, Cove Point Lighthouse -Maryland's oldest operational lighthouse – and Solomons Island. Each is worth a visit, singularly, and as a group along with Cove Point Winery.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mountain Cove Vineyards
I started with the Tinto, a blend of Norton and Cabernet Franc. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and extremely smooth. The Cabernet Franc introduces a cherry flavor that moderates the grapey flavor of the Norton. This is an excellent blend. Next was the Mountain Cove Chardonnay, a dry wine made from grapes grown from the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge in Bedford County. The wine was aged partly in stainless steel and partly in oak - which produced a refreshing wine with a silky finish. Mountain Cove offers two semi-dry wines – the Skyline White and the Skyline Rose. The Skyline White is a blend of Villard Blanc, Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, and Muscat made in the Vouvray style (think of Loire Chenin Blanc). The Skyline Rose is basically the Skyline White blend with Norton added for color and CO2 added in the bottle. This provides a nice acidic feeling on the tongue. Both these wines are refreshing, great sellers, and perfect for an afternoon in Mountain Cove. Finally, I tried their two fruit wines, Blackberry and Apple. The Apple wine is made from Winesap apples harvested from neighboring Mountain Cove Orchard. The apples are prevalent from the aroma to the finish. CO2 is also added in the bottle, giving the wine a bit of a sparkling-wine feel. The Blackberry wine is slightly sweeter, but not gritty. It has a full blackberry flavor – just like shoving the fruit into your mouth when picking directly from the vine. But this time, no worries about staining your fingers or clothes.
Mountain Cove is a great attraction – from the views of the surrounding mountains to the excellent wines – made from local fruit. The winery is only a short drive from Charlottesville and only a few couple of hours from Washington D.C. and Richmond. I hope to visit again in the fall, maybe during their October Blues Festival, to hike the Fortunes Cove Preserve.
You can view pictures of the winery at the Compass Tours section of wine-compass.com.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A Secret Garden & Chatham Hill Winery
This past weekend I was able to visit two very good, but completely different wineries near Raleigh, North Carolina. The first, A Secret Garden Winery, is located a few mile east of Route 95, in rural Pikesville. The winery makes organic muscadine wines, from grapes grown in their local vineyard - just across the street from where the proprietor, Linda Hall was born and raised. Along with her husband, Gerald, she has turned a family hobby into a small, but growing winery. Not only do the Hall's not use pesticides, but they do not add sulfite or yeast to the wines. Instead, the Carlos and Noble grapes are allowed to ferment naturally. The winery offers several dry to sweet wines, and my favorite was right in the middle: the semi-dry Golden Harvest made from Carlos grapes at 2.5% r.s. This wine wasn't too sweet and allowed the grapey flavor of the muscadine to flow from the nose to the tail.
I then traveled along route 70 to Raleigh in order to visit Chatham Hill Winery. This winery is one of the increasing number of urban wineries, in this case, the owners purchase grapes from various vineyards and vinify the wine in an industrial warehouse in the city's suburbs. In fact, the winery is located less than a mile from Raleigh's beltway and a steady stream of visitors attested to the accommodating location. Chatham Hill makes several styles of wines from full-bodied vinifera wines to fruit wines. The winery purchases 80% of their grapes from North Carolina vineyards, and only supplements these grapes when local sources are not available. Thus, the Zinfandel, Syrah, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling are purchased outside the state - from California. At this tasting I tried four of their whites and liked the 2005 Chardonnay the best. The wine was aged half in steel and half in oak which produced a silky, slightly buttery wine, but one with a nice, refreshing acidity. Chatham Hill's reds were even better; the 2005 Merlot has a full cherry flavor sandwiched between a spicy nose and finish. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2005 Zinfandel were also smooth, with strong berry aromas and smooth finishes. Finally, I tried a very interesting a refreshing fruit wine, the Sweet Carolina Pomegranate. The wine is not especially sweet, but the tart finish is very refreshing. Imaging eating cherries, then granny smith apples. I am truly jealous of the Raleigh resident's who can try and purchase excellent wines right in their backyard.
We will have more information and pictures of these trips in our Compass Tours section of Wine-compass.com.
Monday, August 6, 2007
2007 National Norton Competition Winners
In total 67 wines were awarded medals, representing Norton produced in ten states. Predictably Missouri made Norton won the majority of medals, followed by Norton's native state Virginia. But other states were well represented. Every Kansas winery that entered a wine were awarded medals, with Holy-Field Winery winning two and Kugler's Vineyard and Davenport Winery winning Bronze medals. Spirit Knob Winery and Piasa Winery joined Mary Michelle Winery as Illinois medal winners and neighboring French Lick Winery, from Indiana won Bronze for their 2002 Heaven's View Port. Finally, medals were awarded to our friends at Hinnant Family Vineyards (NC), Tiger Mountain Vineyards (GA), Summerside Vineyards (OK), and Stone House Winery (TX). Congratulations to all.
We look forward to attending the grand tasting on September 8th to try several of these medal winning wines. And check back later for more articles on the Missouri and Virginia winners.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Target® Wine Cubes
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Chrysalis Vineyards - Norton
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wine 101 - Ortega
The first instances of wine-making in British Columbia occurred when Oblate missionaries, who settled in the Okanagan Valley in the mid 1800s, cultivated grapes for sacramental wine. These were Vitis Labrusca and Vitis Riparia grapes since Vitis Vinifera vines usually succumbing to diseases induced by hot, humid summers and severely low winter temperatures. For the next 100 years, the Canadian and British Columbian wine industry was focused around these grapes as well as any hybrids that good withstand the Canadian environment. Whereas the number of smaller wineries had increased through prohibition – because the law allowed producing wine for personal use – the number of wineries decreased sharply after Prohibition as the industry consolidated and provinces restricted the establishment of new wineries. In the mid 1970s, the provinces relented and began to issue new licenses to produce and sell wine. The number of new wineries increased dramatically, however, protected against foreign competition, the quality of the wine remained poor. After the passage of GATT and NAFTA treaties, the wine industry undertook a major program to replace native grape varieties with vinifera grapes. New investments in technology and updated wine techniques have allowed these wine makers to produce world class vinifera wines.
However one hybrid that survived the transition to vinifera grapes is Ortega, a cross between the German Muller Thurgau and Siegerrebe. It was originally developed to enhance the quality of Riesling in poor vintages in the Rheinhessen region in Germany. Since the grape possesses the ability to excel in cold-winter conditions, it has been successfully grown in British Columbia, and with limited success in a couple of eastern provinces. This grape produces rich, flowery, peachy wines, with high natural sugar levels.
One B.C. winery that cultivates Ortega is Recline Ridge Vineyard and Winery, a family-owned and operated winery which is located in the heart of the Shuswap Lake area of British Columbia. Mike Smith, the winery’s owner-operator, lists several factors that persuaded him to vinify Ortega. First, the grape is extremely winter hardy and actually develops better character in the cooler zones. In warmer environments the grape ripens too early to develop proper character. Second, Ortega’s parent grape, Siegerrebe, is very aromatic and flavorful and these characteristics are passed down to its “offspring”. And finally, Ortega generally provides good yields per acre – so the grape is very cost affective. Recline Ridge’s Ortega has been well received by the Canadian wine public – it is the winery’s second best white wine seller. In addition, the 2002 vintage won a Bronze medal at the 2005 Northwest Wine Summit after the 2001 vintage wine "Peoples Choice" award and "Best White Wine" at the 2004 Kamloops Wine Festival. Mr. Smith attributes Ortega’s success to the Shuswap Lake terrior, in which he believes provides the conditions necessary to yield the greatest flavor potential. In addition to having a great taste, Ortega wine is very versatile wine with regards to the food it complements. Mr. Smith notes that Ortega finds many friends on the patio in summer with sea foods and cheeses or a crisp fruit salad, the kitchens and dinning rooms presenting a spicy curry dish, Cajun chicken, and Chinese food or simply to quench the thirst of a group of friends around a beach fire and a pot of Dungeness crab.
One of the first wineries to emerge after the British Columbia province began to issue commercial license to produce wine was Domaine de Chaberton Estates. The winery is located very close to the Washington border in the Fraser Valley and was started by Claude Violet, a ninth generation French wine maker. Today, it is the 4th largest estate winery in B.C. The winery cultivates Ortega because of the favorable climate conditions and they enjoy favor. They produce two types of Ortega wine, a vintage wine that tastes similar to a Muscat flavor wine and a Botrytis affected dessert wine that resembles a Sauternes wine. Sometimes called Noble Rot, Botrytis is a mold that causes grapes to lose nearly all of their water content – but not the sugar. The result: an extremely concentrated and sweet grape juice with honeyed, aromatic characteristics. Both wines have been accepted by the general public and wine officials: they have won over 30 medals\awards throughout the years, most notably a Silver Medal at Vinandino '97, an O.I.V. competition held in Mendoza Argentina.
Finally, Zanatta Winery, cultivates Ortega not only because it is reliable, excels in their climate, and is resistant to disease, but more importantly, because they like the wine. They have found that translating their appreciation of the grape to the general public has been a long and slow process. People are reluctant to buy what they do not know and a common question they hear is “Is it like Chardonnay?” Over time, as wine drinkers become more daring, this question will no longer be raised.
Friday, July 27, 2007
August Wine Festivals
California
Vine 2 Wine - Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association: August: 4th
15th Annual Winemakers' Celebration - Custom House Plaza, Monterey: August 11th
Celebrate Milpitas! - Milpitas Boulevard at Calaveras Boulevard: August 18th-19th
Mammoth Wine & Jazz Festival - Mammoth: August 18th
Bodega Seafood, Art and Wine Festival - Bodega: August 25th-26th
Colorado
Boulder Wine Festival - Downtown Boulder: August 12th
10th Annual Wine, Jazz, and Art Festival – Keystone: August 25th
Denver Food and Wine Classic - Pepsi CenterGrounds: August 26th
Georgia
Corks & Forks - A Fine Food and Wine Event - Atlanta: August 25th-26th
Idaho
4th Annual Idaho Wine Festival - Boise: August 25th
Illinois
Taste of Roselle – Roselle: August: 3rd-5th
Illinois Wine Festival - South: August 25th-26th
Indiana
Vevay Wine Festival – Vevay: August 23rd-26th
Iowa
Iowa Wine & Beer Festival - Indianola: August 25th
Maryland
Crossin Into Cuuntry - Linganore Wine Cellars: August 12th-13th
18th Annual Wine, Jazz & Art Festival – Fiore Winery: August 18th-19th
Michigan Leelanau Peninsula Food & Wine Festival - Northport at the Harbor: August 11th
Vin Voyage - Oakland County Int'l Airport: August 25th
Wine & Food Festival - Rochester Hills: August 25th-26th
Wine Days of Summer - Pioneer Wine Trail Wineries: August 25th-26th
Mississippi
Natchez Food and Wine Festival - Natchez: August 3rd-5th
New Jersey
Jersey Fresh Wine & Food Festival - Pennington: August 11th-12th
New Mexico
Wine and Lifestyle Expo - Balloon Fiesta Park, Albuquerque: August 31st-Sept 2nd
New York
Benmarl’s 50th Anniversary - Benmarl Winery & Vineyard: August 18th
45th Anniversary - Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars: August 26th
Ohio
Vintage Ohio Wine Festival - Kirtland, Ohio: August 3rd-4th
Pennsylvania
Seven Springs Mountain Resort Wine & Food Festival - Seven Springs Mountain Resort: August 25th-26th
South Carolina
Whole Lotta Shakin' Oldies Music Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: August 18th
Texas
2007 Harvest Wine Trail - Texas Hill Country Wineries: August 17th-19th
2007 Harvest Wine Trail - Texas Hill Country Wineries: August 24th-26th
Virginia
Tarara's 7th Annual Blackberry Days Wine Festival - Leesburg: August 4th-5th
Beach Party Wine Festival - James River Cellars: August 4th-5th
Black Dog Wine and Jazz Festival - Chateau Morrisette: August 11th
Wine, Cider, and Mead on the Blue Ridge Wine Trail - AmRhein Wine Cellers: August 25th-26th
Washington
Prosser Wine & Food Fair – Prosser: August 11th
Taste of Hood Canal - Downtown Belfair: August 11th
Leavenworth Wine Tasting Festival – Leavenworth: August 18th
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
2007 National Norton Wine Festival
I am very interested to see how the east coast Norton fairs against the Midwestern wines. While traveling to the Midwest last year I became a huge fan of Kansas and Missouri Norton - such as Davenport Winery, Kugler's Vineyard, Holy-Field Winery, Stone Hill Winery, Röbller Vineyard Winery, Mount Pleasant Winery, St. James Winery, Stonehaus Farms, and Augusta Winery. There are dozens more Norton producers that I haven't tasted spread throughout Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Arkansas. Many of these wineries will be participating in the competition. From the east coast, New Jersey's Valenzano Winery is sending their Cynthiana which won the NJ Governors two years in a row. Most of Virginia's Norton producers have entered; the country's largest Norton grower Chrysalis Vineyards, Rappahannock Cellars, Cooper Vineyards, The Winery at La Grange, Veramar Vineyard, Keswick Vineyards, and Horton Vineyards. I've tasted the Norton from all these Virginia producers and believe they will be very competitive. Finally, several smaller Norton producers are also participating, including Jones Cabin Run Vineyards (West Virginia), Grove Winery (North Carolina), and Crane Creek Vineyards (Georgia).
We will post the results of the competition when they become available and look forward to trying several of these wines at the general tasting.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Fruit Wine Article
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Potomac Point Winery
Monday, July 16, 2007
IronWine
Here's a completely new concept. Wine in a can. Yes, that's right, wine in a can. Produced by a Dutch company, Horeca Europe International (HEI), IronWine is made from Argentinian grapes and there are currently two offerings: a Chenin Blanc and a Malbec\Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Worried about tasting the can that happens with some lite beers? The cans contain a liner that separates the can's interior and the wine. HEI markets the wine to those "on the go" - for picnics, hiking, or for those just interested in a single serving such as business travelers. Ironwine is currently being served in the Buenos Aires Hilton and Sheraton hotels. What do you think? Would you buy a can?
Friday, July 13, 2007
New Jersey Governor's Cup
Last year we visited Alba Vineyard and posted a review here. In short we loved their wines and location; their Delaware Dolce was our favorite. The are now recipients of two Governors Cup medals, one for their Blueberry wine and one for their 2005 Chambourcin. The chambourcin "is a good example of this grape's potential in our New Jersey vineyards. It exhibits strawberry and Bing cherry nuances in the perfumed aroma and rich flavors. Aging in small oak barrels gives this wine attractive overtones of mocha, vanilla and roasted nuts. Serve with full flavored dishes; we especially like it with grilled beef or roasted lamb." The Blueberry wine "is produced from only the highest quality fresh berries and fermented in a way that maximizes color and flavor concentration. No grape juice, flavoring, or distilled spirits are used. It is delicious as a dessert wine or it can be served as an aperitif or a fruit wine cordial."
Finally, another of our favorite New Jersey wineries, Silver Decoy Winery, was named winery of the year. We hope to be able to taste these wines the weekend of August 11/12 at the Jersey Fresh Wine & Food Festival.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Yadkin Valley Wine Bar - Charlotte Airport
Monday, July 9, 2007
L.A. Cetto Vineyards
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Wine 101 - Mustang
When Spanish missionaries arrived in Texas in the 1600’s, wild grapes were flourishing in the Texas countryside. By 1650, Father Garcia de San Fancisco y Zuniga, the father of present day El Paso, had begun cultivating Spanish black grape (Lenoir) into sacramental wine. During the next hundred years, the wine industry surrounding El Paso expanded as a result of irrigation projects developed by the Franciscan's. However, the Texas wine industry deteriorated in the early 1800’s because of the failure to increase the wine’s quality and the outbreak of the war with Mexico. In the late 1800’s the region received a large influx of European immigrants who brought with them wine making skills handed down by distant generations. These immigrants then started to vinify the local grapes that inhabited the region. One of these grapes still cultivated today is the Mustang grape.
The Mustang Grape belongs to the Vitis Mustangensis species of grape and grows wild throughout Texas and can also be found in northern Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Mustang grapes are very acidic, tart and according to Mustang expert Jack Keller, “almost impossible to eat with any degree of enjoyment.” Because of these characteristics, making wine from Mustang grapes is extremely challenging. Many are surprised that it is even possible to produce quality wine from this grape.
As European immigrants entered Texas in larger numbers, wine making expanded throughout the state. At the same time, T.V. Munson, a horticulturist from Illinois arrived in Texas, an event which changed wine history. Mr. Munson was a renowned expert on grape species and he developed numerous grape hybrids suitable for the Texas environment. After phylloxera destroyed more than 6 million acres of vineyards, the French wine industry requested Munson to send rootstock developed during his studies, where it was grafted with European vinifera. Munson's work along with another horticulturist, Hermann Jaeger, helped to save the European wine industry.
As the end of the 19th century approached, wine making was succeeding in most Texas regions. In 1883, the Qualia family established Val Verde Winery, growing Spanish black grape. The winery is the oldest continuing operating winery in Texas today. At the same time the wine industry was slowly perishing in El Paso. Nature played a part with numerous extended wet and dry periods. Economics also had a part; it became more profitable to raise truck crop produce than viticulture. Finally, the great flood of 1897 washed away a majority of the vineyards in the El Paso area, forcing many to give up the struggle. Though grapes would continue as a crop into the 20th century, this area would never regain its viticulture prominence.
During the early 20th century the Texas wine industry rose and fell depending on economic and weather conditions. However, Prohibition sent Texas wineries into extinction. Val Verde Winery was the only winery to survive this period, subsisting by growing table grapes. From the end of Prohibition until the mid 1970’s the wine industry never recovered with Val Verde Winery the sole commercial producer. In the late 1970's vineyards at A&M's Experimental Station in Lubbock began showing promising results for growing vinifera in Texas. This encouraged the emergence of a new generation of wineries, such as Guadalupe Valley Winery and Fall Creek Vineyards. In the 1980’s the Texas Legislature supported this trend by easing the rules required to establish small wineries. During the next two decades, the law of “Creative Destruction” exerted itself on the Teas wine industry as some wineries failed at the same time that new wineries were succeeding. Currently there are over 80 bonded Texas wineries, making Texas the 5th largest wine producing state. With many wineries awaiting permits and the increased number of Texas wineries winning international quality awards, the Texas wine industry appears extremely healthy.
The Mustang grape was also able to survive prohibition. Currently two Texas wineries vinify the grape: Lehm Berg Winery and Poteet Country Winery. Lehm Berg Winery is located in the central Texan town of Giddings and originated after father and son, Carl and Ben Droemer, collected wild mustang grapes and made 42 gallons of mustang grape wine from an old family recipe. After sharing their wine with friends and neighbors they were persuaded to open a commercial winery, which they finally completed in 2001. Today the winery sells three types of Mustang wine - Weiss, Rosa, and Rot – still using wild Mustang grapes and the old family recipe. They hope to encourage more people to use wild mustang grapes, which is quite possible – since the general public has responded positively to their Mustang offerings. Poteet Country Winery is located 30 minutes south of San Antonio. The winery currently produces a Mustang blend and a vintage White Mustang wine.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Linganore Wine Cellars - Swingin’ Blues Wine Festival
Today we attended one of
When we arrived at the festival, we realized we were too late to grab a good seat near the stage. We were already being directed to the back parking lot and we could see a literally a thousand people already picnicking, playing volleyball, and tasting wine. When we entered we stood near the stage to hear the last set of Kelly Bell, and then took the winery tour. The tour is highly recommended; you hear how Linganore started from a home wine making operation with a hand crusher to today’s automated processes. In between Mr. Aellen encourages his audience to drink what they enjoy – you either like a particular wine – or you don’t. The tour ends with a wine tasting in the new Chambourcin Tasting Room with a sampling of several wines not available in the main tasting tent. At this tasting, we tasted for the first time their Chambourcin, Traminette, and May wine. The Chambourcin is a good full bodied dry red wine that has a slightly spicy finish. The fact that Linganore makes a good Chambourcin is not a surprise since the grape thrives in the mid-Atlantic region. The Traminette is a much sweeter white wine that was a favorite at this outdoor event. The wine is also spicy – both in aroma and flavor – as compared to its Gewürztraminer “offspring”. Finally, the May wine was a pleasant surprise. This is a semi-sweet wine (4%RS) flavored with Woodruff. Like the German tradition, this wine is recommended for spring drinking, but like other seasonal wines, is worth drinking whenever.
During the Nighthawks session break, we ventured into the grand tasting tent to try their remaining wines. The Black Ravin is a good lighter style dry red wine whereas the Steeple Chase Red is an interesting sweet red wine that has hints of chocolate at the finish. Finally we liked two of their fruit wines; the Strawberry tastes exactly like biting into a large ripe berry, while the Raspberry was a little less pronounced, but more satisfying.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Witch Creek Winery; Carlsbad, California
Friday, June 22, 2007
July Wine Festivals
Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food –
Central Coast Wine Classic –
Friday Night Wine and Cheese - Hwy 46 West Wineries: July 13th
The Long Beach Grand Cru –
4th Annual Apple Hill Wine Fest – Apple Hill Growers Association Wineries: July 28th
A Taste of
Delaware
Terrace Lakes Wine & Art Festival -
Indiana
Reggae Wine Festival - Linganore Wine Cellars: July 21st-22nd
Great Grapes -
Michigan
Beer and Wine Festival - Mission Point Resort,
Sunrise Side Wine and Food Festival -
Missouri
Very Berry Wine Trail - Hermann Wine Trail: July 28th-July29th
Summerfest '07 - Alba Vineyard: July 21st
Shrimp & Chardonnay - Keuka Lake Wine Trail: July 14th-15th
Cool Whites, Hot Nights - Niagara Wine Trail: July 14th & 21st
Finger Lakes Wine Festival – Watkins Glen: July 20th-22nd
Grapehound Wine Tour - Cayuga Wine Trail: July 28th-29th
12th Annual "Bounty of the
2nd
Wine on the Mountain - The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail: July 28th-29th
South Carolina
Summer Parrot Head Festival - La Belle Amie Vineyard: July 21st
L'Eté du Vin -
Texas
WOW
Virginia
10th Wine Down the Music Trail - Floyd: July 7th-8th
Horse and Hound Wine Festival –
Daylily and Wine Festival –
Killington Wine Festival – Killington: July 12th-15th
Washington
Celebrate Hoodsport - Hoodsport Winery: July 2nd-4th
4th Annual Art Walk & Wine Gala – Prosser: July 21st
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Swedenburg Estate Vineyard
Furiocity.com - Screwcaps
Monday, June 11, 2007
Furiocity.com - Tasting Fees
Thursday, June 7, 2007
2007 Vintage Virginia Festival
But first, we said hello to several friends at northern Virginia wineries and for the first time we tasted wines from Fabbioli Cellars, a winery that before this summer was only open on a limited basis. Douglas Fabbioli took his 25 years experience working in the wine industry in California, New York, and Virginia and started his winery just north of Leesburg. He grows or sources several different varieties of grapes for his wines, including Chambourcin, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. A central theme of the festival was the outstanding Cabernet javascript:void(0)
Save NowFranc that is being made in Virginia, and Fabbioli’s is no exception. Theirs is a medium bodied wine with cherry flavors and a smooth finish. We also enjoyed their Fratelli, a Chambourcin-Tannat blend and the Tre Sorelle – a blend of Merlot, Tannat and Petit Verdot. Luckily, starting this summer the winery will be open on Saturdays.
We spent time at two other Northern Virginia wineries, Village Winery and Chrysalis Vineyards. Village Winery is one of the smallest wineries in the state, but makes in outstanding array of wines. We were always big fans of their Cabernet Franc and Elderberry (one of the only dry Elderberry wines you will find in the country), but this year they also introduced a Viognier and Apple wine. Not surprisingly the Apple wine is their new best seller – it is dry, but very flavorful. Kent Marrs told us that red wine customers are purchasing the apple wine as much as the white wine drinkers. We are also big fans of Chrysalis and large Norton and Viognier offerings. Since the Viognier is sometimes too pricy for our budget, the festival is a good chance to try the wine – several times. Chrysalis has the largest planting of Norton in the country and the quality continues to rise. Their latest Norton estate won a double gold (unanimous selection) at this year’s Riverside International. Ms. McCloud is very enthusiastic about Norton as well as her winery’s chances in the National Norton Competition. And for good reason, their Norton’s are full bodied and smooth – with little signs of acidity that are often present in Norton wine.
From Chrysalis, we went out to taste the Norton offerings of
Horton Vineyards, Burnley Vineyards, Cooper Vineyards, Keswick Vineyards, Peaks of Otter Winery, and Valhalla Vineyards. Of these are favorites were Keswick’s and Valhalla’s. The Keswick Norton was the best; theirs is aged 5 months in French Oak that produces a full-bodied wine with the normal grapey flavor, but a slight spicy finish. This wine will fare well against the Missouri Nortons. Valhalla’s Norton is also full-bodied but made as more an every day dinner wine. The finish is smooth and tasty. Valhalla also makes an interesting Alicante Bouschet. This grape is a sibling of Grenache and is usually used to add color to blends. Valhalla has managed to create a wine with incredibly dark color, “the darkest red wine you are likely to enjoy”, but that also has a flavorful taste and a long spicy finish. This is the type of wine to have on hand when you get bored with the everyday varietals.
We also tasted good wines from a couple neighbors of Valhalla, Fincastle Vineyard & Winery and Rockbridge Vineyard. Fincastle was pouring two very good red wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Cab Franc was worth buying. It is a medium bodied wine with a great cherry aroma and flavor. The finish is slightly spicy – but smooth – very smooth. Fincastle also operated a bed and breakfast, so if your travels take you to Lexington or Roanoke – Fincastle is a great option. Traveling north, past Lexington would bring you to Rockbridge Vineyard and one of our favorite everyday summer wines, St. Mary’s Blanc. This off-dry Vidal based wine is fermented in oak, and for $10 is perfect for summer afternoons, dinner, you name it. Rockbridge also makes a good Riesling and this year’s vintage won a Silver medal in the Finger Lakes, not too shabby – entering the Lion’s den and coming home a winner. Two other Rockbridge wines deserve attention. Their Cabernet Franc is a good representation of the vinifera wine being produced in Virginia and it won a Gold medal at the 2006 Governor’s Cup Competition. Another Gold medal winner at this event was Rockbridge’s Vd’Or, an ice-wine styled wine made from late harvest Vidal. The grapes are frozen, and then pressed; the result is a Sauterne type wine with orange-honey flavors.
It is well apparent that Virginia wineries can produce excellent wines from vinifera grapes. The days of using solely hybrids are gone. One of the first pioneers in growing vinifera grapes in modern day Virginia was Gabriele Rausse, who first worked at Jefferson Vineyards, but now owns and operates his winery that bears his name. We never pass an opportunity to try his wines and today we sampled 14 of them, all made from vinifera grapes grown in Virginia. For whites Rausse offers your standard Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, but it was the Viognier that stood out. This wine is aged 1 year in French oak, which provides a slight buttery taste that you don’t expect – or would expect with a Chardonnay. However, this process works for Viognier and this wine would be perfect with a meal. Rausse makes two rose styled wines, the Rosso from Cabernet Franc and the Dry Rose, made from juice bled from several red varietals. This is a great wine and perfect for those who are looking for something new. For reds, Gabriele Rausse offers something for everyone. They have a full-boded Merlot, an excellent Cabernet Franc, a Cabernet Sauvignon aged in stainless steel, a spicy Shiraz made from Orange County grapes, and two excellent reserve wines, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005 and the Nebbiole Reserve 2005. Both of these reserves wines are pricy ($35) so the festival provided a great opportunity to taste wines that we normal would not have purchased. Of the two, the Nebbiole was awesome, full bodied with light tannins. Gabriele Rausse wines are only available in retail outlets in Charlottesville, so if you are in the area…..
There are several more Virginia wine festivals scheduled for this summer and fall. Check the Virginia Wine Compass page to find one close to you.