Focusing on the world of wines, beer, and spirits that we experience through our travels at WineCompass.com and theCompass Craft Beverage Finder.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Wine Gifts
For instance, why not try an Argentinian Alamos 2006 Malbec, a Spanish Mano a Mano 2005 La Mancha, a South African Beyerskloof 2006 Pinotage, or an Oregon Bridgeview 2004 Black Beauty Syrah. For whites or rose try an Austrian Velt. one 2005 Gruner Veltliner, an Italian Falesco 2004 Vitiano Bianco, or a Washington Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Neillie's Garden Dry Rose.
I also like giving dessert wines, although you will have to splurge a bit more. Try the California Quady 2005 Elysium Black Muscat, Hungarian Royal Tokaji Wine Company 2000 Red Label, or the Canadian Inniskillin 2006 Riesling Icewine.
For those looking for accessories the Riedel 'O' Series stemless wine glasses are becoming more popular. We've been using a similar style European wine tumbler for years. And everyone needs a proficient corkscrew, we use both the Rabbit 6-Piece Wine Corkscrew and the Insta-pull Lever Corkscrew.
Finally CelebrationCellars.com provides many gift ideas including personalized wine labels and celebrity sketches. I hope this list helps.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Grapes of Galilee
* Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Deep royal purple, showing herbal and black olive flavors backed up nicely by currants and wild berries. Soft tannins and good balance make the wine fun to drink.
* Merlot 2005 - Medium bodied, with soft tannins and generous berry and black cherry fruits; very pleasant.
* Chardonnay 2006 - Light gold, medium bodied, with citrus and tropical fruits on a lightly earthy background. Good balancing acidity keeps the wine lively and fruity.
The labels depict Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and his walking on the Sea of Galilee. Haroz Vintners has received mostly positive reviews for simply producing the wines; while some believe the idea is distasteful. The wines are available online and at several retail outlets in selected states. Check their website for locations. I look forward to giving the wines a try, particularly as Israeli wines improve in quality.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Kokomo Winery 2005 Zinfandel, Perotti Vineyards
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Miracle Valley Vineyard
Miracle Valley produces wines from traditional vinifera grapes and their red wines are classic Bordeaux. The 2005 Cabernet Franc is medium bodied - very fruit forward and a smooth finish. This wine joins the crowded competition among quality Virginia Cabernet Franc. The 2006 Merlot is full bodied with a strong berry flavor and a long spicy finish. This was our favorite red, but the wine maker's favorite is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is aged 11 months in American oak that produces a strong fruity bouquet and a very spicy finish.
Miracle Valley currently offers three Chardonnay wines. The 2006 Chardonnay is fermented and aged in stainless steel, which produces a fresh crisp wine with nice acidity and citrus flavors. There are two 2006 Reserve Chardonnay wines, one fermented and aged in Hungarian oak and the other fermented in stainless steel, then aged in American oak. The later is spicier and more complex - which made it our favorite of their chardonnay. The final white wine is their Sweet Michelle - but don't let the name fool you. This is more of a semi-dry wine at 2% residual sugar and made from one of our favorite grapes: Rkatsiteli. It has the familiar spicy flavor and a somewhat dry finish. For those looking for something different, this is it.
This next Sunday on November 11th, Miracle Valley is hosting a children's fishing tournament from 1:00-3:00. We will have to wait until the Spring for our next visit - perhaps when their Viognier will be ready for sale.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Merlot Murders: A Wine Country Mystery
Thursday, November 1, 2007
November Wine Festivals
The Wine-Compass.com event database contains over 566 upcoming events in the
Eureka Springs Food and Wine Weekend -
Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival -
Wine and Food Celebration – Whistler: November 8th-11th
11th Annual Great Wine Escape Weekend -Monterey
San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival - San Diego: November 14th-18th
Denver International Wine Festival -
Dover Downs Wine and Jazz Festival -
Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Festival -
17th Annual Holiday Open House - Lakeridge Winery: November 9th-11th
Suncoast Winefestival - Lakewood Ranch: November 10th
Our First Anniversary Celebration - Sharp Mountain Vineyards: November 30th
Iowa
Holiday Food & Wine Weekend- Upper Mississippi Valley Wine Trail: November 3rd-4th
Holiday Open House - Smith-Berry Winery: November -24th
Waterfowl Festival - Easton: November 9th-11th
New Wine Festival - Chester Hill Winery: November 3rd-4th
Wine and Apples Festival - Russell Orchards Winery: November 10th-11th
Michigan
Holiday Cheer - Southwest Michigan Wine Trail: November 10th-11th
The Big Grape Tour - Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail: November 10th-11th
Toast the Season - Leelanau Peninsula Vintners: November 10th-11th
Toast the Season - Leelanau Peninsula Vintners: November 17th-18th
Mac and Cheese Bakeoff - Old Mission Peninsula: November 24th
Missouri
Holiday Fare Wine Trail - Hermann Wine Trail: November 17th-18th
Holiday Wine Trail Weekend - Garden State Wine Growers Association: November 23th-25th
Holiday Wine Weekends – Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail: November 3rd-4th
Holiday Wine Weekends – Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail: November 10th-11th
Keuka Holidays I – Keuka Lake Wine Trail: November 10th-11th
Keuka Holidays II – Keuka Lake Wine Trail: November 17th-18th
Deck the Halls – Seneca Lake Wine Trail: November 17th-18th
"Taste the Season" – Niagara on the Lake Wineries: November 10th-11th
Gourmet Food & Wine Expo- Toronto: November 15th-18th
"Taste the Season" – Niagara on the Lake Wineries: November 17th-18th
"Taste the Season" – Niagara on the Lake Wineries: November 24th-25th
Northwest Food and Wine Festival – Portland: November 10th-11th
2007 Wine Country Thanksgiving - Willamette Valley Wineries Association: November 23rd-25th
Holiday Wine Weekends – Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail: November 3rd-4th
Holiday Wine Weekends – Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail: November 10th-11th
The Pennsylvania Food and Beverage Show - York: November 17th-18th
Nouveau Weekend - Go "NuVo" – Lehigh Valley Wine Trail: November 17th-18th
South Carolina
Blessing of the Vines - Irvin-House Vineyards: November 10th
Island Fever Music Fest
Holiday Spirits Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: November 24th
Wine Down Main Street –
Texas
Art & Wine Trail - Texas Hill Country Lake Region: November 17th-18th
Harvest Passport Weekend - Heart of Virginia Wine Trail: November 3rd-4th
Deck the Halls Weekends & Wine Tasting - Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association: November 17th-18th
Grand Opening
Deck the Halls Weekends & Wine Tasting - Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association: November 24th-25th
Washington
Thanksgiving in the Wine Country - Yakima Valley: November 23rd-25th
Autum Barrel Tasting - Columbia Cascade Winery Association: November 30th-December 2nd
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Fincastle Vineyard & Winery: Cabernet Franc 2004
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Christensen Ridge; Madison, Virginia
Christensen Ridge offered four wines during our tasting; but they plan to offer a larger selection as the winery expands. Their vineyard includes some of the oldest vinifera vines in Virginia as well as newer plantings of Viognier, Petite Verdot, Petite Manseng, and Norton. The first wine was the 2002 Viognier, the Virginia specialty. This wine is very good with an apricot flavor and a refreshing, slightly acidic finish. Next we tried their 2002 Chardonnay, which we liked more than the Viognier. Normally, we pass on the Chardonnay, but this wine is good. It was even better drinking on their patio. The reds did not have an effect on us as much as the whites. Their medium bodied 2002 Merlot has a nice cherry flavor and a smooth finish; whereas their 2002 Proprietors’ Tuscan Blend is stronger with a spicier finish. This wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon – primarily because a few years back a vineyard owner visited Christensen Ridge trying to sell these grapes. Feeling sorry for the man, the winemaker purchased the fruit and a wine was born. A few years in the cellar should really bring out the cherry flavors.
Christensen Ridge is not far from Route 29, so we plan on making the winery a stop on our trips to Charlottesville, particularly if they continue to serve their homemade barbecue on the weekends. The winery closes from late November to early February – so you don’t have much time to visit this year.
Monday, October 22, 2007
MyJoog.com
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Anton Bauer
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Boxwood Winery
And their wines are excellent. I missed including the dry Rosé in our blog posting of local rosé wines by a day. This rosé has a great fruit aroma with a strawberry flavor and a smooth, refreshing, dry finish. The Topiary is a full bodied blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The nose is amazing - the exact same as many of the Bordeaux wines we recently tasted at the Bordeaux 100 event. The rest of the wine is smooth - from the black cherry flavor to the long finish.
Visiting Middleburg has also been a worthwhile en devour. Now you have one more reason to visit: a chance to sample extraordinary Bordeaux style wines.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Rosé Wines
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Beyerskloof Pinotage
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Bluemont Vineyard
Currently the winery sources its grapes from other local vineyards, including Chrysalis Vineyards award winning Viognier and Norton. They hope to start producing wines from the Bluemont Vineyard in a couple years. There were four offerings today - two whites, a rosé styled wine, and a dry red: Norton - "The Pig". This is a solid wine for a first time Norton. The grapes are from the 2005 and 2006 vintages and aged in oak. The fruity nose is followed by a fruit forward flavor and slightly spicy finish. The beauty is the Bluemont was able to remove the acidity from the wine and showcase the grape itself. On the other side, their 2006 Viognier - "The Goat" is the winery's dry white wine. It has a nice citrus flavor with a mild acidic finish. Another great alternative to your standard Chardonnay. The 2006 Vidal Blanc - "The Cow" is semi-dry even at 3% residual sugar. It has a citrus nose and flavor like the Viognier, but more acidity at the finish. This wine should find a balance between dry wine drinkers and those who prefer a sweeter wine. Finally, our favorite was the "wine stew", their 2006 Rosé- "The Donkey". This wine is a blend of five varieties - Tannat, Tinta Cao, Nebbiolo, Viognier, and a splash of Norton for color. It is a full, dry wine at 1/2 percent sugar, and has a balanced structure. This is just a good wine to sip slowly on their deck - enjoying the amazing views of Loudoun County.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
October Wine Festivals
The Wine-Compass.com event database contains over 1,029 upcoming events in the
Scottsdale 5th Avenue Fine Art & Wine Festival -
Okanagan Fall Wine Festival – Okanagan: September 29th-October 7th
23rd Annual Food, Wine, and Micro-Brew Fest –
Loose Goose Wine Festival –
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival -
Paso Robles Harvest Wine Tour - Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance: October 19th-21st
Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Festival -
The Biltmore Great South Florida Wine Festival –
18th Annual Stone Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival – Longboat Key: October 25th-28th
4th Annual Smyrna Hops & Barley Beer Tasting -
All-American Wine Celebration - Three Sisters Vineyards: October 6th-7th
Annual Harvest Festival - Crane Creek Vineyards: October 20th
Riverside Winefest at Sotterley -
Vintage Jazz Wine Festival – Linganore Wine Cellars: October 20th-21st
St. Mary's County Oyster Festival –
Autumn Wine Festival –
Michigan
Food, Wine and All That Jazz -
Agora Greek Food and Wine Festival –
Cape May Wine Festival –
Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival –
Grand Harvest Festival – Alba Vineyard: October 13th-14th
Blues & Pumpkin Festival - Alba Vineyard: October 27th-28th
BeerFest 2006 "Beer on the Pier 3" –
Sanborn Winetique Festival – Sanborn: October 14th
Great Grapes –
World Beer Festival –
Lighthouse Beer & Wine Festival –
Guthrie Art & Wine Festival - Guthrie: October 6th-7th
Grand Wine Country Fall Festival – Grand Wine Country: October 13th
Wine by the River 2007 –
VintnerÃs Post-Harvest Celebration – Brandywine Valley Wine Trail: October 27th
1st Annual Food & Wine Festival – Groundhog Wine Trail: October 6th
South Carolina
Big Band Sounds & Tastes of the
Rock Back The Clock Music & Wine Fest - La Belle Amie Vineyard: October 27th
Tennessee Wine Festival –
11th Knoxville Brewers Jam –
Manchester-Coffee County Wine Festival –
Texas
The Heart of Texas Wine & Food Festival -
South Shore Dockside Food & Wine Festival -
Katy Stomp & Wine Fest -
Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest -
Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour –
Fredericksburg Area Wine Festival –
The 2007 Monticello Wine Trail Festival – Monticello Wine Trail: October 7th
Oktober Brewfest –
Mount Jackson Annual Apple and Grape Harvest –
17th Annual Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival - Rebec Vineyards: October 13th-14th
Black Dog Wine and Beach Music Festival - Chateau Morrisette: October 13th
Taste of Culpeper – Culpeper: October 14th
Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon & Wine Festival – Millwood: October 19th-21st
Cingular Wireless Town Point Virginia Wine Festival –
Washington
West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship –
Hallowine in Rattlesnake Hills - Rattlesnake Hills: October 27th-29th
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Wine Fest at the Beach - Ocean City Maryland
The New York contingent includes America's oldest continually operating winery, Brotherhood Winery. Make sure you sample their Catawba and Pinot Noir. There will also be excellent Riesling from the three Finger Lake wineries: Goosewatch Vineyards, Swedish Hill Winery, and Hazlitt Vineyards. Hopefully these wineries will bring samples of their labrusca wines made from the Diamond, Delaware, and Isabella grapes.
There will be one winery representing Pennsyvania: Chaddsford Winery. Red wine drinkers should enjoy their Chambourcin and Due Rossi - made from Sangiovese and Barbera - while white wine drinkers will enjoy their Chardonnay.
Maryland will be represented by the 2005 and 2006 Governors Cup winners, Linganore Winecellars and Frederick Cellars. These wineries will probably not bring their award winning Maryland Merlot and Frederick Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, but will provide excellent alternatives. Linganore also makes a great Chambourcin wine as well as their Terrapin White and several great fruit wines. Frederick Cellars should be pouring their Riesling and Eye of the Oriole, which are great summer wines - perfect for those trying to hang on to a few more weeks of warm weather.
Two of Virginia's better known wineries will be attending, Williamsburg Winery and Horton Vineyards. Not too long ago Horton was listed as one of America's top 40 wineries and is one of the best vinifera wine-makers in the state. Hopefully they will provide samples of their Viognier, Malbec, Tannat, Nebbiolo or Marsanne. Plus they may have on hand their excellent Norton and fruit wines. Williamsburg Winery is best know for their Chardonnay and hopefully the will bring their Blackberry Merlot.
Finally, two little known, but excellent wineries from West Virginia will make the trip to the shore. West-Whitehill Winery makes excellent wines from the hybrid grapes: Aurore, Chambourcin, and Seyval Blanc. Make sure you don't leave the festival without trying their Aurore wines. Then there's Forks of Cheat Winery, from picturesque Morgantown. The Deal family has won us over with their colorful labels, charming personalities, and of course - good wine. They make wine from many interesting varietals including Van Buren, Villard Blanc, Villard Noir, Leon Millot, DeChaunac, Marechal Foch, Catawba, Chambourcin, and Niagara. This list doesn't include their vinifera and fruit wine offerings. From this large selection there is a gift waiting for anyone.
We are looking forward to this year's Wine Fest at the Beach. The weather may even be warm and with the excellent wine and beer - so what if it's a little chilly. Plus, this may be you last opportunity for summer crabs.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Wine and Dine Radio
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Fox Meadow Winery Cabernet Franc
Monday, September 10, 2007
National Norton Festival
We made it a point to visit the Gold medal winners first, and after tasting, agreed with the judges decisions; these were excellent wines. Best in Show Sugar Creek Vineyards & Winery's 2006 Cynthiana was smooth and fruity and somewhat similar to Westphalia Vineyards' 2006 Norton Reserve. Mary Michelle Winery's 2006 Norton was fruity with a little more spiciness at the finish. Bethlehem Valley Vineyards' 2004 Norton and Chrysalis Vineyards' 2005 Barrel Select 100% Virginia Norton and 2004 Locksley Reserve Norton where fruity, but possessed a little more character at the finish. Finally, we tasted the best dessert wine this side of Tokaji, Bommarito Estate Almond Tree Winery's 2002 Missouri Red Port. This may have been our favorite wine of the day.
Besides tasting these wines, we enjoyed tasting wines we normally would not be able to try such as Stone House Vineyards' (TX) 2005 Claros Norton, Tiger Mountain Vineyards' (GA) 2002 Mountain Cynthiana, Mary Michelle Winery's 2006 Illinois Cellars Norton, and Stone Hill Winery's (MO) 2005 Norton, Cross J Vineyards. The last was made from grapes from one of the winery's oldest vineyards. Plus, there were excellent wines from some of our favorite Missouri producers: Crown Valley Winery, Montelle Winery, St. James Winery, Les Bourgeois Winery, Baltimore Bend Winery, Cave Vineyard, Augusta Winery, Hermannhof Winery, Chaumette Vineyards & Winery, and the previously mentioned Stone Hill Winery. We will definitely be planning a trip Herman and Saint Genevieve next year.
We will post pictures and a longer description of this event at Compass Tours and a review of Chrysalis Vineyards and other Virginia Norton producers in the October edition of Virginia Wine Lover.
For those who are familiar with Norton or Cynthiana we strongly recommend this event. For those who have never tasted a Norton, try to find one in your area. You will soon learn why it is referred to as the Cabernet of the Ozarks.
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.