2007 National Norton Competition Winners

Today, the winners of the 2007 First Annual Norton Competition were announced with Missouri's Sugar Creek Winery & Vineyards winning Best in Show and Best of Class – Dry Norton. Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery, also from Missouri, won Best of Class – Port Norton for their 2002 Missouri Red Port. A handful of other wineries were awarded Gold medals. Virginia's Chrysalis Vineyards won two golds, one with their 2005 Barrel Select 100% Virginia Norton and the other for their 2004 Locksley Reserve Norton. Mary Michelle Winery was the other non-Missouri winery to win Gold, this from their 2006 Illinois Norton. The other gold medals were awarded to Missouri's Bethlehem Valley Vineyards, Sugar Creek Vineyards & Winery, and Westphalia Vineyards.

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.

Target® Wine Cubes

At a recent birthday party, the hosts served Target® Wine Cubes, produced exclusively for Target® by Trinchero Family Estates. These wines are made from California grown grapes and the offerings consist of Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, and a Cabernet/Shiraz. We had the Cabernet/Shiraz, a 50/50 blend that was really good - a dry, full bodied wine with berry flavors and a slightly spicy finish. In the past the major advantages of boxed wines has been their convenience and price: Wine Cubes are currently available in two sizes: 3-liter (4 bottle equivalent) for $15 and 1.5-liter (2 bottle equivalent) for $10. But as the quality of these wines improve, they are becoming much more competitive to their bottled cousins. And Trinchero has come full circle from their Sutter Home heritage - producing bulk wines close to the quality of their Napa Reserve wines.

Chrysalis Vineyards - Norton

One of the participants of this week's Norton competition is Virginia's Chrysalis Vineyards, the largest grower of Norton in the world. Jennifer McCloud, the owner of Chrysalis, intends to "restore Norton to its position of eminence among fine wines". In doing so, the winery offers several types of Norton, from the whole clustered Sarah's Patio Red to their flagship wine - Locksley Reserve. In between, Chrysalis also produces an estate bottled as well as a barrel select Norton. The 2003 Chrysalis Vineyards Norton - Estate Bottled is our everyday table wine - full of grape flavors - and with a smooth finish. Their Norton - Barrel Select is a bit smokier with a heavier finish. Finally, their Locksley Reserve is the best, but a bit pricey at $35 a bottle. The grapes are grown from the home vineyards at Locksley Estate. The result: a strong grapey flavor balanced with a smooth smoky finish. I recently spent an hour at the winery savoring and analyzing every taste of this wine. Chrysalis should be very competitive this week.

Wine 101 - Ortega

“The purveyor of mostly forgettable plonk.” This is how renowned wine critic Anthony Gismondi once described the British Columbia wine industry. Protected by legislation from international competition and cultivating mostly Vitis Lubrusca and hybrid grapes, wine produced in British Columbia were considered poor alternatives to European and American wines. However, after the implementation of NAFTA and GATT, Canadian wine producers where forced to improve their wine's quality in order to survive in this new environment. Today, British Columbia wines are considered world-class, particularly newly planted Vitis Vinifera varieties.

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.

August Wine Festivals

The Wine-Compass.com event database contains over 1,980 upcoming events in the United States and Canada. For those looking for wine festivals in August, here is a short list of events in several states:

California
Vine 2 Wine - Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association: August: 4^th
15th Annual Winemakers' Celebration - Custom House Plaza, Monterey: August 11^th
Celebrate Milpitas! - Milpitas Boulevard at Calaveras Boulevard: August 18^th-19^th
Mammoth Wine & Jazz Festival - Mammoth: August 18^th
Bodega Seafood, Art and Wine Festival - Bodega: August 25^th-26^th

Colorado
Boulder Wine Festival - Downtown Boulder: August 12^th
10th Annual Wine, Jazz, and Art Festival – Keystone: August 25^th
Denver Food and Wine Classic - Pepsi CenterGrounds: August 26^th

Georgia
Corks & Forks - A Fine Food and Wine Event - Atlanta: August 25^th-26^th

Idaho
4th Annual Idaho Wine Festival - Boise: August 25^th

Illinois
Taste of Roselle – Roselle: August: 3^rd-5^th
Illinois Wine Festival - South: August 25^th-26^th

Indiana
Vevay Wine Festival – Vevay: August 23^rd-26^th

Iowa
Iowa Wine & Beer Festival - Indianola: August 25^th

Maryland
Crossin Into Cuuntry - Linganore Wine Cellars: August 12^th-13^th
18th Annual Wine, Jazz & Art Festival – Fiore Winery: August 18^th-19^th

Michigan Leelanau Peninsula Food & Wine Festival - Northport at the Harbor: August 11^th
Vin Voyage - Oakland County Int'l Airport: August 25^th
Wine & Food Festival - Rochester Hills: August 25^th-26^th
Wine Days of Summer - Pioneer Wine Trail Wineries: August 25^th-26^th

Mississippi
Natchez Food and Wine Festival - Natchez: August 3^rd-5^th

New Jersey
Jersey Fresh Wine & Food Festival - Pennington: August 11^th-12^th

New Mexico
Wine and Lifestyle Expo - Balloon Fiesta Park, Albuquerque: August 31^st-Sept 2^nd

New York
Benmarl’s 50th Anniversary - Benmarl Winery & Vineyard: August 18^th
45th Anniversary - Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars: August 26^th

Ohio
Vintage Ohio Wine Festival - Kirtland, Ohio: August 3^rd-4^th

Pennsylvania
Seven Springs Mountain Resort Wine & Food Festival - Seven Springs Mountain Resort: August 25^th-26^th

South Carolina
Whole Lotta Shakin' Oldies Music Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: August 18^th

Texas
2007 Harvest Wine Trail - Texas Hill Country Wineries: August 17^th-19^th
2007 Harvest Wine Trail - Texas Hill Country Wineries: August 24^th-26^th

Virginia
Tarara's 7th Annual Blackberry Days Wine Festival - Leesburg: August 4^th-5^th
Beach Party Wine Festival - James River Cellars: August 4^th-5^th
Black Dog Wine and Jazz Festival - Chateau Morrisette: August 11^th
Wine, Cider, and Mead on the Blue Ridge Wine Trail - AmRhein Wine Cellers: August 25^th-26^th

Washington
Prosser Wine & Food Fair – Prosser: August 11^th
Taste of Hood Canal - Downtown Belfair: August 11^th
Leavenworth Wine Tasting Festival – Leavenworth: August 18^th

2007 National Norton Wine Festival

In September, MissourWineCountry.com is hosting the first National Norton Wine Festival in St. Louis Missouri. The festival consists of a tasting competition held August 4th and a general tasting of 25 of the top Norton producers on September 8th. The results of the tasting competition will be announced the night before the general tasting and at the general tasting there will also be an opportunity to taste vertical Norton offerings for those who purchase a Norton VIP. The sponsors invited Norton producers from 12 states to the competition and currently there are 93 wines entered, representing 43 wineries from 10 states. Not a bad turnout. These wines will be judged by eight highly respected wine experts, such as Doug Frost (one of only three individuals who passed the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine examinations) and Bob Foster (Chief Judge of the Riverside International Wine Competition).

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.

Fruit Wine Article

There is a good article called Ripe Time for Fruit Wine published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Author, Derrick Schneide, briefly describes the history of fruit wines in the United States, the difficulties producing quality fruit wine, and highlights a few wineries: Hawaii's Tedeschi Vineyards, Illinois' Lynfred Winery, and California's Bargetto Winery. It's nice to see a California publication printing an article that includes wineries in other states.

Potomac Point Winery

On Saturday, July 14th we attended the second day of Potomac Point Winery's three day Grand Opening event. The winery is located in Stafford County Virginia and currently offers a wide range of excellent wines from grapes grown mostly in Orange County Virginia. There are wines for everyone. Their Norton, Viognier (gold medal), Vidal Blanc dessert wine, and Cabernet Franc are great examples of how these grapes thrive in Virginia. They also offer excellent Bordeaux, Italian, and Portuguese styled red wines, as well as a gold winning Chardonnay. These wines are impressive and for an initial release, outstanding. The winery itself is also impressive with meticulously designed metalwork throughout the Mediterranean-style building. This building is worth a visit itself - let alone the desire to "hang out" for a few hours. You can red the full account of our visit at Compass Tours.

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?

New Jersey Governor's Cup

While browsing the Garden State Wine Growers Association website, I noticed that they had posted the winners of the 2007 Governor's Cup competition. Congratulations are in order to Unionville Vineyards and Alba Vineyard for winning the Governor's Cup for their Unionville's NV Port and Alba's Blueberry wine and Chambourcin wine. According to the winery, the Unionville Port "...was produced from Marechal Foch (92%) and Chambourcin (8%) grapes. Aged grape brandy was added to stop fermentation and to bring the alcohol level up to 18.5%. After pressing, the wine was left to age quietly for at least three years in old oak barriques. This traditional dessert wine tastes of ripe raisins with hints licorice and dark cherries.".

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.

Yadkin Valley Wine Bar - Charlotte Airport

This past weekend, while wondering between concourses at the Charlotte Airport, I came upon the Yadkin Valley Wine Bar. The wine bar is sponsored by the Yadkin Valley Winegrowers Association and carries the wines of Hanover Park Vineyard, RagApple Lassie Vineyards, RayLen Vineyards, Round Peak Vineyards, Shelton Vineyards, Stony Knoll Vineyards, and Westbend Vineyards. I was relieved to seeing the wine bar, because I was treading spending an hour at the food court, or a crowded restaurant, or at the gate. There was a wide array of wines available from dry Cabs to Chardonnays to Blush wines. I decided on two chardonnay wines, Stony Knoll's 2003 Chardonnay and RayLen's Barrel Chardonnay. Stony Knoll's Chardonnay was aged 10 months in French oak which provides the buttery finish - but the chardonnay fruit is still prevalent. RayLen's Chardonnay was very similar with even a stronger buttery finish. I was tempted to purchase a few bottles, but was already loaded down with carry on items. The wine bar does make it easy to ship wine; they will pay the shipping for orders over a case. Not a bad idea. And I no longer tread extended layovers in Charlotte.

L.A. Cetto Vineyards

On a recent trip to southern California, I stumbled upon an awesome wine shop in the middle of San Diego's GasLight District: The Wine Bank. The retailer had a large selection of domestic wines, but an even more interesting collection of Mexican tequilas and wine. One of the largest selections of Mexican wines was from L.A. Cetto Vineyards. The winery is located in Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, but the grapes are harvested from vineyards located in the Guadalupe, San Vicente, and Redondo valleys - all in Baja California. L.A. Cetto produces a wide variety of vinifera wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, and Nebbiolo. Interestingly, all of their wines had won awards in International Competitions and I decided to purchase a bottle of their Nebbiolo Private Reserve after seeing that in 2005 it had won Gold and the Best Red Wine Trophy at the Vinalies Internationales in Paris. The wine was made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes grown in the Guadalupe Valley. The wine was aged a year in French oak and then two additional years in the bottle. The result: an incredibly smooth wine with a vanilla nose, a strong cherry flavor, and a smooth balanced finish. At $15, this wine was also an amazing bargain. For those living on the east coast, I am searching for an east coast retailer that carries L.A. Cetto's wines. I will let you know when I find one.

Wine 101 - Mustang

Texas is a grape paradise? Yes, insist many Texas wine growers. And considering that the state currently produces over 50% of the known species of grape in the world, they may be right.

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.

Linganore Wine Cellars - Swingin’ Blues Wine Festival

Today we attended one of Maryland’s best wine events, Linganore Wine Cellars’ Swingin’ Blues Wine Festival. This event included music by local legends the Kelly Bell Band and The Nighthawks as well as tours of the winery, crafts, seafood, and wine. Linganore is Maryland’s oldest and largest winery, growing from 6,000 bottles in 1976 to 600,000 today. They produce a wide array of wines (31 total), from dry reds – sweet whites – fruit wines. In 2005 their Merlot, made from grapes grown in southern Maryland, won the Governors Cup as the best wine made in the state that year. The Aellen family is also moving into its third generation, as the current winemaker Anthony is starting to pass over tour responsibilities and future winemaking to his daughter.

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.

By this time, the Nighthawks had started playing, so we quickly grabbed a bottle of Terrapin White, an off-dry Riesling and our favorite from Linganore, and found a seat in the terrace adjacent to the old tasting room. The Nighthawks have been a Washington D.C. favorite since the early 1970’s when the band was formed by front man\harmonica player Mark Wenner and guitarist Jimmy Thackery, and joined early on by bass player Jan Zukowski and drummer Pete Ragusa. After Thackery moved on to a successful solo career, Pete Kanaras finally joined the band in 1995 and the same players have been performing over 200 shows a year since. For the rest of the afternoon, the Nighthawks entertained the crowd with their Chicago Blues and James Brown styled soul.

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.

Besides the music and wines, Linganore is a great place to spend an afternoon. The volunteers are extremely friendly and enthusiastic in introducing the visitors to their wines. The Aellen family and staff are also wonderful hosts and provide an excellent service to local music lovers. Linganore has three other festivals this year, including the wildly popular Reggae fest in July; just plan on arriving early to get a good spot under the shady trees.

Witch Creek Winery; Carlsbad, California

While driving along scenic Highway 101 we noticed the Carlsbad tasting facility for Witch Creek Winery. After a quick u-turn, we entered the tasting room to discover that the winery makes several excellent wines from grapes grown throughout California. Out of close to 20 wines available, we sampled six. The reds were outstanding, smooth yet full bodied. Our favorite was the Tre Amici, a blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Syrah. The wine is spicy up front with a smooth low-tannic finish. Another good blend was the 2005 Dave’s Pretty Good Red, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Brunello. This wine is more than pretty good now, and the winery recommends aging a few more years, when the wine should peak. The final blend was the 2004 Guadalupe Full Monty – made from Montepulciano and Aglianico grapes grown in Mexico. Like the Tre Amici, this wine is initially spicy and then finishes smooth. We also tasted two vintage wines the 2004 El Dorado Merlot and the 2005 Nebbiolo. While each was good, we preferred the blends – they just seemed to have more texture. We finished the tasting with their awesome Muscat Love (Orange Muscat) and Hard Apple Cider. These sweet wines are both recommended, especially the Muscat with its floral aroma and vanilla finish. On our next trip to southern California we plan on visiting Witch Creek’s Julian tasting facility in the San Diego County Mountains.

July Wine Festivals

The Wine-Compass.com event database contains over 2,450 upcoming events in the United States and Canada. For those looking for wine festivals in July, here is a short list of events in several states:

Arkansas
Altus Grapefest - Chateux Aux Arc: July 28^th-29^th

California
Sonoma County Showcase of Wine & Food – Sonoma: July 12th -15th
Central Coast Wine Classic – San Luis Obispo: July 12th -15^th
Friday Night Wine and Cheese - Hwy 46 West Wineries: July 13th
California Wine Festival - Chase Palm Park, Santa Barbara: July 20^th-21st
The Long Beach Grand Cru –Long Beach: July 21st-22^nd
Livermore Valley's Wine & Food Experience – Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association: July 27th
4th Annual Apple Hill Wine Fest – Apple Hill Growers Association Wineries: July 28th
A Taste of Camarillo Food & Wine Festival - Historic Camarillo Ranch House, Camarillo: July 29th

Delaware
Delaware Arts & Wine Festival - Nassau Valley Vineyards: July14th-15^th

Idaho
Terrace Lakes Wine & Art Festival - Garden Valley: July 28^th-29^th

Indiana
Indiana’s Annual Midsummer Celebration - Lanthier Winery: July 21^st

Maryland
Reggae Wine Festival - Linganore Wine Cellars: July 21^st-22^nd
Great Grapes - Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, Annapolis: July 28^th-29^th

Michigan
Beer and Wine Festival - Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island: July 1^st
Sunrise Side Wine and Food Festival - Harrisville Harbor: July 21^st

Missouri
Very Berry Wine Trail - Hermann Wine Trail: July 28^th-July29th

New Jersey
Summerfest '07 - Alba Vineyard: July 21^st

New York
Shrimp & Chardonnay - Keuka Lake Wine Trail: July 14^th-15^th
Cool Whites, Hot Nights - Niagara Wine Trail: July 14^th & 21^st
Finger Lakes Wine Festival – Watkins Glen: July 20^th-22^nd
Grapehound Wine Tour - Cayuga Wine Trail: July 28^th-29th
12th Annual "Bounty of the Hudson" Food & Wine Festival - Shawangunk Wine Trail: July 28^th-29th

Pennsylvania
2nd Annual Brandywine Valley Big Bang BBQ - Brandywine Valley Wine Trail: July 7^th-8^th
Wine on the Mountain - The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail: July 28^th-29^th

South Carolina
Summer Parrot Head Festival - La Belle Amie Vineyard: July 21^st

Tennessee
L'Eté du Vin - Nashville, Tennessee: July 12^th-14^th

Texas
WOW Picnic Road Trip - Way Out Wineries of Texas – July 6^th-July 8th

Virginia
10th Wine Down the Music Trail - Floyd: July 7^th-8th
Horse and Hound Wine Festival – Bedford: July 14^th
Daylily and Wine Festival – Augusta County: July 21st-22^nd

Vermont
Killington Wine Festival – Killington: July 12^th-15^th

Washington
Celebrate Hoodsport - Hoodsport Winery: July 2^nd-4^th
4th Annual Art Walk & Wine Gala – Prosser: July 21^st

Swedenburg Estate Vineyard

Sadly, we just read about the passing of Juanita Swedenburg, owner of Swedenburg Estate Vineyard. She was the lead litigant in the 2005 Supreme Court ruling overturning many state regulations regarding wine sales. The Loudoun Times Mirror provides a concise obituary.

Furiocity.com - Screwcaps

This week's peeve involves screw caps. Why the hysteria? We recently had a few wines that were closed by screw caps; the wines were excellent and the caps were much easier to close compared to trying to jam the cork back into the bottle. Plus there is no chance of TCA contamination that are possible with natural corks nor oxidation problems associated with synthetic corks.

Furiocity.com - Tasting Fees

I have started using a new site to open threads on things in the wine industry that bother us. Today I posted a peeve on the excessive price wineries charge for merely tasting their wines. Lately we've had to pay $10 and the fee wasn't even waived when we purchased a bottle. For now on, we are no longer visiting wineries that charge more than $5 and don't waive the fee after purchase.

2007 Vintage Virginia Festival

On Saturday June 2nd, we attended the 2007 Vintage Virginia festival, which featured wines from over fifty wineries from throughout the state. We wanted to use this event to sample the latest vintages of Norton and find out which wineries were going to participate in the first annual National Norton Festival in September. This event also enabled us to sample wines from wineries we had not visited, particular those in central and southwestern Virginia.

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.