Wine & Beer on the Outer Banks

When traveling to the northern Outer Banks there are several wine and beer attractions worth visiting. The region includes three working vineyards, two breweries, and several excellent wine shops that provide several wine events.

Somewhat off the main thoroughfare is Knotts Island, home to two little known wineries: Moonrise Bay Vineyard and Martin Vineyards. The island can be reached directly from Virginia Beach or from the free ferry in Currituck . In the early 1980s, Martin Vineyards planted peaches and Scuppernong grapes, and then moved on to viniferia grapes in the late 1980s. It surprised many that viniferia grapes would thrive on the coastal plain and for quite some time Martin Vineyards was the only successful viniferia grower on the coast. It appears that the surrounding waters warm the grapes in the winter and the constant breezes cool the grapes in the summer. A visit to the winery will offer opportunities to taste estate grown Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, and Chardonnay as well as muscadine and fruit wines. Their Bay Orchard Apple Wine is awesome. Ten years after Martin Vineyards planted their first viniferia grapes, less than a mile away, the proprietors of Moonrise Bay Vineyard did the same. What began as a hobby turned into an incorporated winery which produces an array of wines from their estate grown grapes. Once again, viniferia grapes are the main focus, with smaller quantities of Norton, Chambourcin and muscadine. Their Grand Ole Osprey table wines are perfect for the summer. Besides the wines, Moonrise Bay provides a few music events in the summer; the best: An Evening with Jesse Chong on July 18th.

After crossing the ferry or just traveling south on Route 158, slow down when nearing Jarvisburg (about 10 miles north of the Wright Memorial Bridge) before you miss Sanctuary Cellars and the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery. Sanctuary Cellars is located next to the Cotton Gin on the east side of the road and produces a selection of vintage, blends, and fruit wines, mostly from grapes grown directly from their estate. These vines are easily viewable from the road so you shouldn’t miss it. Currently these wines are bottled at the Moonrise Bay facility, but visitors can see another example where viniferia varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon grow fairly well in the coastal environment. In fact the Sanctuary Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon has been rated by national wine magazines. Their medium bodied Chambourcin is one of the sellers as is their two proprietary blends Coastal Collage (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah) and The Lightkeeper (Sangiovese, Vidal and Chardonnay). Finally, they produce two sweet fruit wines, a Blueberry and a Blackberry made from juice acquired from New York. If you miss Jarvisburg or need to replenish their wines are available (as well as the Moonrise Bay and Martin Vineyards) at the Cotton Gin stores in Corolla and Nags Head and at Tommy's Gourmet Market and Wine Emporium in Duck.

On the west side of Route 158 look for the Weeping Radish Farm Brewery, which recently moved to this location from Manteo. The brewery is North Carolina’s oldest micro brewery and follows the “Reinheitsgebot Bier” code where only hops, malt, yeast and water are included in the mash. Their most popular brew is The Black Radish, a Schwarzbier (dark beer) that was listed as "one of the 50 beers to try before you die" by TheBrewSite.com. We also like their Fest beer which also is a great souvenir with a picture of the Ocracoke Lighthouse on the label. The remaining beers encompass the German beer tradition from the Altbier style Farm Brew® made from organic barley, throught the Kölsch, Maibock, Märzen, Weizen beers, to the sweet and malty Corolla Gold lager. Besides brewing beer, Weeping Radish is truly a farm brewery. The complex includes a 14 acre farm that produces vegetables, eggs and herbs that are either sold for retail or used in the brewery’s restaurant. In addition, Weeping Radish signed a joint venture with Gunther Kühle to create their “Farmer to Fork” program. Kühle is a German Master Butcher, who works with local farms to ensure that the animals are raised naturally – grass fed beef and free range pork. He uses his own equipment to produce sausages, hams, roasts and steaks which are vacuum-packed and labeled with the farm of origin. Self-guided brewery tours are available daily and the 30-minute guided tour is scheduled at noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Passing over the Wright Memorial Bridge, in Kill Devil Hills, look for the Outer Banks Brewing Station near the entrance to the Wright Brothers Memorial. This brewpub became the only wind powered brewpub in the United States when its 10kw wind turbine became operational on April 22nd of this year - after a six year zoning battle with the local government. The turbine provides 10% of the brewpubs energy and was specifically designed to accommodate bird life. The turbine helps produce one of our favorite beers, the Bourbon-Barrel Barley Wine, which is aged in used Bourbon barrels. The beverage has a heavy alcohol content (10.2% abv.) so it is served in 8 ounce snifters. Outer Banks Brewing Station also produces a wide array of other beers: 10 KW Pale Ale – dedicated to their new 10 kilowatt wind turbine, the Golden Rogallo Ale – made with Belgian Trappist yeast, a Hefeweizen, a Nut Brown Ale, a Kölsch styled lager, and an Oatmeal Stout. With the addition of nightly live music and an excellent restaurant – this is one of the shore’s top attractions.

Only a couple miles from the Outer Banks Brewing Station sits Chip’s Wine Market & Wine University. As the name suggests, this retail outlet sells local, national, and imported wine as well as Weeping Radish and other craft beers. It also operates weekly wine classes. The basic class is “Wine Tasting 101: Untangling the Vines”, where for $20, dispels some of the common myths -- about wine. They also provide classes on region specific wines and in June and July look for classes on South American and New Zealand wines.

There are other excellent wine shops that provide tasting opportunities. In Corolla, check out Corolla Wine, Cigar & Gourmet, located in the TimBuck II Shopping Village. This shop provides a nice selection of North Carolina wines and a daily tasting of a different wine.

The two locations of Native Vines both provide several tasting events. Just before the Wright Memorial Bridge, Native Vines I hosts daily tasting of North Carolina wines for $5 and a Reserve Tasting on Fridays at 6:30 PM (reservations required). In Nags Head across from Jockey’s Ridge - Native Vines II hosts the same $5 tasting of North Carolina wines plus a free Friday tasting of 5 wines from around the world from 6:00 PM to 8 PM.

Finally, from June 25 through September the historic Whalehead Club hosts a weekly Wine Festival. Each Wednesday, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the public can sample wines from North Carolina and other appellations and listen to live entertainment, all for $20. Arrive early to climb the Currituck lighthouse – you don’t want to make the climb after a few glasses of wine.

Blanquette de Limoux

History tells us that Blanquette de Limoux, the world's first sparkling wine, dates as far back as 1531. At the time, the monks of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Limoux, were producing a somewhat unusual white wine in their cellars. Inside its glass flask, with a cork top - very rare for wines at this time - it acquired a natural sparkle. This was the forefather of the brut which is tasted today at the world's most prestigious tables.

Since they first started cultivating vines, the growers of Limoux have aimed at maintaining the originality of the Blanquette de Limoux growth and developing its quality. The region's surrounding hills protect it from the extremes of the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates, with the area enjoying a microclimate particularly suitable for making quality white wine. The vines classified in the appellation are always planted at the top of southern-facing slopes, giving the best exposure. The soil here is shallow and sparse, full of chalk and stone. The surface area of the vineyards is restricted by quota, the yield is limited, and the grapes are picked manually only, in sections, at the ideal stage of ripening.

Two exclusively white grape varieties: Mauzac and Chardonnay form the basis of the blend for Blanquette de Limoux. Mauzac, the growth's traditional variety, gives body and aroma. Chardonnay, its irreplaceable partner, reinforces the bouquet, the freshness and the finesse.The result is a dry, creamy-textured, full-bodied wine with a fine yeasty character present in the aroma. Subtly fruity, with toasty green apple and lemon flavors. Tastes very clean yet with a long full finish.

Barrel Oak Winery - Grand Opening

For those staying in town for Memorial Weekend, Virginia's newest winery, Barrel Oak Winery (BOW), is hosting their Grand Opening Celebration. Located in Delaplane, it is one of the closest wineries to Washington D.C. with easy access from Route 66. We have not been fortunate enough to visit the facility, but our pal Dezel at My Virginia Vine Spot visited BOW this spring and from his review - we are looking forward to another excellent addition to the wine family. Expect traditional Bordeaux (Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc) Rhone (Viognier) and Burgundy (Chardonnay) wines from their estate and surrounding vineyards; but also expect more intriguing varieties such as Petit Manseng, hybrids Traminette, Seyval Blanc, and Chambourcin. And we can't forget the Norton. And for those traveling this weekend, BOW hosts several "TGISunsets" On The Patio throughout the summer and fall. We'll see you there.

Virginia Wine Lovers Magazine

This weekend we received the inaugural Summer 2008 issue of the Virginia Wine Lovers Magazine and this is truly a fascinating publication. We read the entire issue in one sitting. The guts of the magazine is the Grapevine section which is a listing of Virginia wineries by region plus the upcoming events and festivals - functionality very similar to the Wine-compass.com website. But what made the magazine interesting were the well written articles concerning the history of Virginia wine making, Environmental practices at various wineries, A Fork in the Road which discussed wineries in Fauquier County and the Northern Neck, and Popping the Cork - short articles about food and wine. More publications like this will put sites like Wine-Compass.com out of business. We look forward to the next issue and congratulations to Frank Britt, Randy Thompson, Patrick Evans-Hylton and the remaining staff that assembled such an excellent premier issue.

Gadino Cellars

While travelling home on Route 211, we realized we had time to visit Gadino Cellars, located just outside historic Washington Virginia, the oldest of the 28 cities\towns with the name of Washington in the United States. In fact, the town’s current layout was surveyed by then 17 year old George Washington in 1749. Gadino Cellars is owned and operated by the family and their story is very familiar to many other winery proprietors. While living in California, they had become infatuated with California wines and the industry and decided to try their hand in making wine. After making wine as amateurs and moving back to Virginia, the next logical progression was growing their own grapes, which they first planted almost 20 years ago. With the assistance of Lindon Vineyard’s Jim Law – and the partnership of their daughter and son in law, they eventually expanded into the current operation: Gadino Cellars.

The winery is another example that viniferia wines can be grown successfully in the state of Virginia. They offer two styles of Chardonnay, a Premium Chardonnay fermented in Franch Oak and a Barrel Select Chardonnay, made in the sur-lie style and aged in French oak for 9 months. The 2006 Premium Chardonnay has an amazing fruity aroma where you could actually taste the chardonnay grape through the nose. It has a refreshing acidic finish that makes it appropriate for meals or after a hike or bike ride. The 2005 Barrel Select Chardonnay is more of a dinner wine, with strong vanilla notes on the nose and palette. No respectful Virginia winery would be without a Viognier offering and Gadino Cellars produces two. The 2006 Viognier is fermented in Hungarian oak for four months and the result is a good wine with a strong floral nose and an orange-citrusy flavor. The 2005 Reserve Viognier is aged in French Oak and has a similar nose but a more vanilla feel from the barrel. This wine also remains on the tongue for a long finish. The final white was the semi-dry Sunset that has a Traminette base with portions of Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc. This wine has citrus flavors, nice acidity, and the usual spicy finish associated with “traminer” grapes.

For red wines, there was a collection of Bordeaux styled wines – that were impressive. The 2005 Reserve Merlot was our favorite – full bodied, with cherry flavors and a long vanilla flavored finish; a result of 22 months in French Oak. The grapes for this wine were grown near the Chesapeake Bay where the water warms the winter nights allowing the vines to sustain themselves the entire year. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is a medium bodied wine that has been aged in French Oak. Both the nose and finish contain hints of pepper, but don’t think that the fruit is lacking. This is a fruit forward wine with soft tannins that produce a smooth finish. The 2006 Cabernet Franc - Antiche Viti Reserva is a special wine since it is made from the first vines planted at the estate – over 19 years ago. For Virginia standards these are ancient grapes. It is a medium bodied cherry flavored wine with a long smooth finish. Another fine Cabernet Franc from Virginia. Finally, their Moonrise is a dry, strawberry flavored rose-styled wine made from Cabernet Franc. At less than 1% residual sugar, it is dry – but also contains nice acidity with a somewhat cherry finish. The winery recommends this as your picnic wine and says that it is very popular with hikers and bicyclists after a day in the hills.

Gadino Cellars is well worth a visit. The spacious tasting room enables freedom of movement even with large crowds and the outdoor porch area provides a relaxing environment to enjoy an afternoon. The winery will be a regular sojourn along our Route 211 travels.

Smokehouse Winery

In conjunction with our article on Honey Wine and CCD we traveled to Sperryville Virginia in order to taste the Mead products of Smokehouse Winery. The winery is located at the Blue Ridge Foothills and the drive along Rt. 211 is one of the most scenic that you will find in central Virginia. Upon arriving at the winery and entering the historic log cabin we regretfully found that they only had samples of their Traditional Mead and not the wide array of concoctions we had anticipated: Metheglin, Melomel, Cyser, and Braggot. The later is only a week away - but this served as a valuable lesson to call ahead of time. Our regret was easily overcome. The Traditional Mead is outstanding - possibly the best we tasted on the east coast. Truth be told, the only non-east coast honey wine we've tasted is from Missouri's Pirtle Winery. Smokehouse's Traditional Mead is labeled as semi-sweet, but this is more dry than sweet. It is made from honey fermented with champagne yeast and well water. These ingredients produce an awesome honey wine - one that we enjoyed the whole bottle later that evening.

The second factor which alleviated our regret, was that we learned that owner, John Hallberg, is a musician and hosts several concerts at the winery. On Memorial Weekend Saturday (May 24th) he hosts the Shenandoah Shindig which includes local bluegrass favorites the Woodshedders and Furnace Mountain. He will also host a similar concert in August; but look out for October, when Larry Keel is scheduled. This is one show we will not miss.

Wine 101: Honey Wine

"Imagine a world without honeybees. Now imagine the world without tasty pears, luscious raspberries, and juicy strawberries…" So reads the opening page at Haagen Dazs Help the Honey Bees website. Honeybee pollination is directly responsible for over 30% of our food supply – that’s over 100 crops and does not include indirect contributions to beef and dairy production through alfalfa and other feed products. Alarmingly, the population of honeybees is decreasing rapidly in the United States (37% in 2007). Scientists site several factors, one being Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), where bees simply leave their hive and die. These scientists are not sure the specific cause for CCD, but they site a few possible causes: viruses, mites, chemical exposure, and poor nutrition. After reading several articles on CCD, we decided to contact several honey wine producers to see how this crisis is affecting their operations.

Honey wine, and in particular Mead, is often considered merely a cult beverage served at Renaissance Festivals or Medieval fairs. Yes, honey wine has an ancient history and has been produced in all corners of the globe, from Africa, and Asia, to the more familiar, Medieval Europe. Meads history is fascinating reading and most Meadery websites contain a history page – one of our favorites is at Medovina. However, those that dismiss this beverage are missing out on several tasteful and interesting concoctions. Traditional Mead is made from three ingredients: honey, water, and yeast and can be made into many different styles – no different from grape wine – dry, semi-dry, or sweet. Plus the mead can be produced from different honey varietals, such as clover, wildflower, orange blossom and buckwheat. Honey wine can also take several different forms. Metheglin is mead made with herbs and spices. Melomel is mead that contains fruit, whereas Cyser is mead fermented with apples. Pyment is a fermented combination of honey and grape juice while Melomel is mead blended with fruit. Tej is an Ethiopian version of honey wine augmented with domestic spices. Finally, we learned about Braggot, where mead is blended with malted grains and sometime hops to create a close relative to beer. Quite a variety of styles and in the appendix of this article you can view the large array of products made by the meaderies contacted for this article.

Fortunately the current CCD crisis is not affecting the vast majority of honey wine producers that we contacted, although they are fearful of the future – particular rising honey prices. Most mead producers either extract honey from their own colonies or procure it from local beekeepers. These local sources have not been affected by CCD primarily because their bees avoid several known stress factors. New Mexico’s Falcon Meadery and Winery is typical when they state that “Our bees forage on diverse wild plants; there are no large mono culture crops nearby, no genetically modified plants, no exposure to pesticides, the bees are not trucked to farms for pollination and are therefore not exposed to additional parasites, stress and diseases. Plus half of the honey is left in the hives for the winter food source. We take good care of our bees.” This does not mean that small beekeepers do not lose bees. According to Medovina, they can lose 50% of their bees even though their bees are immune from known stress factors. And in Indiana, New Day Meadery’s supplier, Wildflower Ridge Honey, lost several hives in 2007 due to wild fluctuations in the weather.

On the other hand, it appears that bees used for crop pollination are more susceptible to CCD. We learned from Medovina that bees are transported across the country in order to pollinate specific crops. For instance, bees must be transported to California to pollinate almonds. Think of the stress on these bees: shipped hundreds of miles in tractor trailers, feeding on one pollen source that has been sprayed with pesticides, at the same time being exposed to mites and viruses from a new territory. And in Colorado, Australian honeybees are being imported to pollinate crops. These non-indigenous bees contain a new source of mites and viruses in which our native bees must build immunity. Unfortunately we don’t seem to have other short term choices in order to pollinate fruits and nuts we savior: almonds, pears, cherries, raspberries, and strawberries.

In the long term, this problem is exacerbated by the loss of beekeepers. The number of beekeepers that produce 6000 lb or more of honey annually has decreased from 3,000 to less than 1,000. No wonder bees must be shipped across country – there are simply not enough in California – and elsewhere - to pollinate crops. As beekeepers lose honeybees from CCD or other factors, they must decide whether the cost of purchasing new hives justify staying in business, and unfortunately, in recent years, it has made more economic sense to cease operations. Without relying on government bailouts - which create their own problems - any solution must increase the demand for honey products. With increased demand, at the very least, the rate of beekeeper loss will slow and quite possibly the number of beekeepers may even increase. How to increase demand? The average American consumes one and a half pounds of honey annually. A bottle of honey wine requires two pounds of honey. The math is simple – drinking two bottles of honey wine annually more than doubles the average consumption. We at Wine-Compass.com are striving to drink one bottle a month – not only to support the bees but as Medovina states, “Our honey wine is natural - the honey is made from 45 different types of wild pollen, sulfites are not added to the mead, and the operation is completely sustainable – no tractors or pesticide use.”

Mead Producers:

Medovina – Niwot, Colorado
Classic Mead; Sweet Melissa; Stinging Rose; Ancient Mead; Harvest Cyser; Paonia Peach

Linganore Wine Cellars – Mt. Airy, Maryland
Medieval Mead; Tej

Sky River Mead - Sultan, Washington
Sky River Sweet Mead; Sky River Semi-Sweet Mead; Sky River Dry Mead

Falcon Meadery and Winery – Sante Fe, New Mexico
Mountain Mead; Strawberry Mead, Blackberry Mead, Cherry Mead, Peach Mead, Raspberry Mead, Dry Peach Mead, Dry Blackberry Mead

Blacksnake Meadery – Dugspur, Virginia
Wildflower Honey Wine; Tupelo Honey Wine; Sourwood Honey Wine; Meloluna; Sweet Virginia; Cyser; Melomel; Pyment; Bee Brew with Hops; Bee Brew with Lime

New Day Meadery - Elwood, Indiana
Dry Mead; Dry Peach Honey Wine; Dry Blueberry Honey Wine; Dry Red Raspberry Honey; Semi-Dry Mead; Semi-Sweet Black Raspberry Honey Wine

Long Island Meadery – Holbrook, New York
Strawberry Mead; Peach Mead; Black Raspberry Mead; Strawberry/Raspberry Mead; Traditional Mead (Wildflower); Traditional Mead (Clover); Blueberry Mead; Pear Cyser; Pineapple Mead; Vanilla Mead; Apple Cyser; Red Raspberry Mead

White Winter Winery - Iron River, Wisconsin
Dry Mead; Sweet Mead; Black Harbor (Black Currant Honey Wine); Strawberry Mead; Black Mead; Cyser Apple Mead; Raspberry Mead; Blueberry Mead; Braggot (made with malt)

Earle Estates Meadery – Himrod, New York
Honey Mead Semi-Dry; Pear Mead; Traditional Honey Mead; Creamy Apricot; Cherry Charisma; Strawberry Shadows; Blackberry Blush; Apple Cyser; Honey Mead Semi-Sweet

Land Rover America’s Polo Cup

On Friday May 9th we attended the opening celebration for the Land Rover America’s Polo Cup in historic Morven Park, Leesburg Virginia. The main event featured the American and Italian Polo teams competing on Saturday, followed by a concert by the Gypsy Kings and Huey Lewis and the News. On Friday night, attendees were introduced to the polo teams, viewed a fashion show of Americana and Italian models, sampled food prepared by American and Italian chefs, as well as heard the results of the First Annual America’s Polo Cup Wine Competition – the primary focus of our visit. The proceeds of this event benefited Journey for the Cure, a nonprofit, organization created to support research and grants for the MS Society and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In addition, a portion of the proceeds will be allocated to help preserve Morven Park, which consists of the historic mansion, museums, and equestrian center.

This charitable affair is the labor of Tareq Salahi, who not only is the captain and chairman America’s Polo Cup, but also the owner of Oasis Winery, one of Virginia’s most established wineries. While growing up in the Virginia horse country, Salahi developed an appreciation for polo and wine, particularly since his family owned and operated Oasis Winery. Oasis is one of Virginia’s most established wineries; in fact, it was one of the first wineries to recognize the potential for agri-tourism and providing not only the vineyard setting, but the transportation to attract visitors from the metropolitan D.C. suburbs. Thus it is a perfect match for Salahi to combine his love for polo and wine to assist his favorite charity.

After two days of rain, the skies cleared long enough for us to enjoy Friday night. The ground was not surprising soggy, but the valets and grounds crew did a wonderful job shuttling attendees around the mud or covering it as much as possible. The event started with a parachute show by the Spectacular Air Parachute Team, BlackWater USA and continued with food and beverages: our favorites being Breaux Vineyards Meritage and beer from Moretti and Yuengling (America’s oldest continuing operated brewery). Even our friends at Makers Mark attended, dipping whiskey glasses into their trademark red wax.

The Wine Competition was sponsored by The Virginia Wine Lovers Magazine, which publishes its inaugural issue this month. The competition was open to all Virginia wineries and the wines were judged by a number of factors: Appearance/Clarity, Color, Aroma/Bouquet, Total acidity, Sweetness, Body, Flavor, Bitterness, Astringency, and Overall quality. The judging occurred April 9th by a distinguished panel of specialists, headed by Dr. Andrew Waterhouse: Chair of the Viticulture and Enology Department at University of California. The beauty of this competition was not necessarily the results, but that it introduced us to new wines and vintages from our favorite wineries. For instance, in the Blush Wine category, we never knew that Breaux Vineyards produced a Syrah Rose (the gold medal winner in this category) or that Chatham Vineyards produced a blush styled wine – the silver winning Church Street Rose. Some of the wines we were very familiar with, particularly the Pearmund’s Pearmund Cellars Ameritage and Cabernet Franc and Winery at La Grange Chardonnay (gold winning White Wine). We’ve also enjoyed the other two white wine winners, Lake Anna Winery’s Totally White (bronze) and Villa Appalaccia’s Simpatico (silver). Our favorite category was the Dessert Wine, in which there were five winners, with one of our favorites, the Gray Ghost Adieu winning Bronze. We plan to seek the remaining medalists this summer: Winery at LaGrange Snort (bronze), First Colony 1607 Edicao Limitada (bronze), Breaux Vineyards Soleil (silver), and the gold winning Williamsburg Winery Late Harvest Vidal.

The best surprise was the winner of the Best Red Wine and Best in Show: Potomac Point Winery’s Petit Verdot. Potomac Point opened just last year and makes an impressive array of viniferia wines as well as Virginia’s native Norton. We visited the winery last July and our account is posted here. Since our visit the winery has grown in popularity; for instance Southern Living Magazine listed it as one of the “Best Exits of I95!”. The winery lost a few vines from their estate vineyard last year due to the drought – but their other vineyards are producing fine grapes – particularly the Crozet source for the Petit Verdot. This wine had not been released by the time of our visit and actually, we had no idea it was forthcoming. Fortunately, the Causey’s brought a bottle along and it is an awesome wine – full bodied and fruity. Even after aging 14 months in new French oak, the finish is smooth with low tannins. It was difficult returning to the California table wine that was all that remained by the end of the night.

We had to leave a little early before the Gypsy Kings performed and because of family obligations, could not attend the polo match Saturday. We will update this post with other accounts particularly if Dezel's Virginia Vine Spot posts an article. The Land Rover America’s Polo Cup not only supports a worthwhile charity in the Journey for the Cure, but is also an entertaining event – at least the Friday night show. We look forward to attending the entire two days next year.

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard

After a nice hike up Sugerloaf Mountain, we headed quickly to the mountain's base to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. We have visited this winery on numerous occasions - always after hiking or picking fruit at Butler's Orchard. The writeup of our first visit is available at Compass Tours. We tried two new wines, their Dry Rose and the 2006 Circe. Of the two, we enjoyed the Circe more. This wine is a blend of five Bordeaux grapes and is only aged 5 months in oak. Thus the wine does not absorb much tannins from the wood and is extremely smooth with a short finish. It has a jammy cherry flavor and almost a whole cluster feel; that means intense fruit flavor. The Circe was a nice drinking wine for the afternoon.

St. Michaels Winery

At the St. Michaels Wine & Food Festival I was able to taste a few wines from St. Michaels Winery and since the winery, itself was within walking distance, we visited the winery afterwards. I had actually heard about the winery the night before when Joe Ely drank a glass of their Gollywobbler Red while performing and we enjoyed this concord wine at the festival.

St. Michaels Winery is relatively new, having opened in 2005, and operates in the historic Old Mill complex. Most of their grapes are sourced from outside Maryland, but their Wye Mills vineyard produces Chardonnay and Seyval grapes for their dry Long Splice and Cabernet Sauvignon for the Maryland Cabernet Sauvignon - a lighter styled wine.

The winery offers a large array of wines, from the aforementioned dry Long Splice to the sweet Chocolate Zinfandel (this was a crowd favorite at the festival). Besides native and hybrids, they produce a number of good vinifera based wines: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel. I told you they produce a large selection of wines. Of the vinifera, we liked the Pinot Blanc - this is a good wine to drink while eating; but overall, the Gollywobbler Red and Gollywobbler White were our favorites. Neither of these wines were overly sweet and I can definitely see their suggestion of serving the Gollywobbler Red over ice and mixing the White with club soda - then with crabs.

St. Michaels Wine & Food Festival

On Saturday, April 26th we attended perhaps the best wine festival in terms of location and presenters, the St. Michaels Wine & Food Festival. Held in the small harbor village of St. Michaels, the festival encompasses several days of wine dinners, cooking demonstrations, wine and spirits presentations, and of course, three days of tasting. The festival’s organizers are congratulated for inviting several winemakers and wine growers such as Jim Bernau from Willamette Valley Vineyards, Hank & Linda Wetzel from Alexander Valley Vineyards, and Margo Van Staaveren from Chateau St. Jean. Then there was Even Cattanach, Master Distiller Emeritus, discussing Scotch, Lynne Tolley discussing Jack Daniels, and Robert Kacher discussing Burgundy. Not to mention the dozen of chefs giving cooking demonstrations. We stumbled upon one of these demonstrations when we walked over to a local farmers market before the main tasting event. While tasting pastries, a cooking presentation broke out in the park’s small pavilion. Similar events were planned throughout the town.

The grand tasting was located at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Besides the wine and presentation tents, attendees could climb the lighthouse, tour the museum exhibits, or as we saw throughout the day, picnic with the family among the grounds. Our first stop was to the Biltmore Estate booth. Located near Ashville, North Carolina, the Biltmore estate was built by George Vanderbilt, grandson of Cornelius, and although still family owned, is now a resort – and winery. The wines are made through the talents of Bernard Delille and Sharon Fenchak from estate grown grapes or grapes sourced from several Californian appellations. We had tasted several of their wines previously, but never their sparklers, which were quite good. The Château Reserve Méthode Champenoise Blanc de Blancs – 2004 North Carolina – Brut is made from locally grown chardonnay - aged three years on lees - and is awesome – dry, citrus flavors, and subtle carbonation. Then we tried the sweeter, Méthode Champenoise Pas de Deux – Sec, made from Muscat Canelli grapes. The aromas stood out, then blended with the unique muscat flavor. In 2007 both these sparkling wines received Gold medals at California wine competitions.

We turned next to Alexander Valley Vineyards, where we met owners Hank & Linda Wetzel. The Wetzels are in the middle of a three week tour across the United States which you can follow at their blog. Hank Wetzel started Alexander Valley Vineyards over three decades ago, and along with their family, makes several of our favorite Zinfandel and Bordeaux styled red wines – particularly their CYRUS. The Sin Zin and Redemption Zinfandel brands are jammier and less spicy than the Lodi – made versions. We had never tasted their whites so we tried their New Gewurz (Gewürztraminer) and Viognier as well as their dry Rosé of Sangiovese. These are three excellent summer choices, the dry Rosé our favorite. The Wetzels were also conducting a seminar later that day, discussing Old World Grapes - New World Style.

We wanted to make sure we said hello to Jim Bernau, owner of Willamette Valley Vineyards, who besides pouring his wines was presenting a seminar on Terroir Influence, the Dirt in Oregon. His booth was located in the Navy Point tent, which was the most scenic surrounded on three sides by water. Mr. Bernau was pouring several brands of Pinot Noir as well as Pinot Gris and Riesling. The winery had just released its 2006 Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir which is awesome – full of raspberry texture and a smooth finish. We couldn’t think of another wine to sip in the evening sitting on the docks. He also mentioned that their Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir was very popular the previous day. For whites, their Riesling is by far one of our favorites.

Turning around from Willamette Valley’s booth, we noticed Even Cattanach, kilt in all, standing alone behind several bottle of Scotch. We did not want to waste this opportunity. During the next 20 minutes, Mr. Cattanach poured us several Scotch brands while explaining the difference between highland and lowland scotch (the water) and the influences of the wind and sea on west coast scotch. He also suggested cutting the scotch with a few drops of water in order to enhance aromas and sweeten the whiskey. We also learned where he was the master distiller when each of his children was born and how to actually drink scotch. Don't "chew" the whiskey by swirling it in your mouth like wine; instead let it move from the lips to the tongue on its own, then swallow. We tried several single malt Scotch brands and all which were remarkable. The 14 year old Oban is distilled on the west coast and the influence of the seas create a sweet citrus flavor; yet the finish is long & dry. The 10 year old Talisker, from the Isle of Skye, was smokier with a more peaty flavor. The two Dalwhinnie 15 year old brands were our favorite. These highland whiskeys - actually the highest water source in Scotland - were aged 15 years in used bourbon casks with the black label getting another 6-9 months in sherry casks. This produces flavor similar to a fruit cake - and once again, a smooth finish.

Sticking to whiskey, we stopped at the Jack Daniels booth and met Lynne Tolley, who not only works as an official taster at the distillery, but is also the great grand niece of Jack Daniels. After meeting her, we decided to attend her afternoon presentation on "A History of Tasting at Jack Daniels". Ms. Tolley is one of twenty or so tasters for the traditional black label brand and one of only five for the single barrel brand. She has also just written a cook book, Cooking With Jack The New Jack Daniel's Cookbook, and based on the long lines waiting for her to sign it, was hugely popular among the attendees. Basically, Jack Daniels can be used in most recipes, particularly as a replacement for vanilla. The book is also filled with stories about the nation's oldest registered distillery and Jack Daniels himself. Ms. Tolley’s presentation was fascinated, not only the stories and myths concerning the distillery, but also because she brought alone samples of whiskey to show us the affects of their unique charcoal filtering process. Jack Daniels is a Tennessee whiskey and not bourbon and their Black Label is now the largest selling whiskey in the world. The distillation and aging process is exactly the same as bourbon – they use over 51% corn (actually 80% corn, 12% barley and 8% rye) and the corn liquor is aged in new charred oak barrels. The reason Jack Daniels is a whiskey is that the distilled product is filtered through layers of charcoal 12 feet deep. This process mellows the whiskey even before aging. For this presentation we sampled the corn whiskey just after distillation and then after filtering. The transformation was amazing. The original corn whiskey tasted like the locally produced Virginia Lightening – sweet, but a rough finish. The filtered product was more like vodka – smooth at the finish. Then the liquor is aged usually 4 years, sometimes longer in the new charred oak barrels. We next sampled the Gentleman Jack, which is filtered twice, so you can imagine the smoothness of this product. Then we tasted the traditional Black Label brand – old No 7. This whiskey is spicier and is ready to mix - either as the popular Jack and Coke or in a Lynchburg Lemonade. Finally we tasted the Single Barrel made from whiskey stored in barrels in the upper floors in the warehouse. Each bottle tasted slightly different, but in general this whiskey is slightly bolder, but smoother than the Black Label. Ms. Tolley also informed us how they dispose of the used barrels. Some are sent to Jamaica to age Appleton rum, some to Scotland to age Scotch, and some to Louisiana to age and store Tabasco. Consumers can purchase the barrels for planters or if you are willing, you can purchase a single barrel of whiskey and have the bottles plated with your name or organization. Nice, if you have $9,000 to spend.

Switching back to wine, we visited with Chateau St. Jean Winery, whose winemaker, Margo Van Staaveren was tasked to present Cinq Cepages Cabernet Sauvignon Blending
Merlot. Their Fume Blanc is a very refreshing sauvignon Blanc, but our favorite was their Sonoma Merlot. This wine is full of fruit flavors – blackberry and cherry – with low tannins at the tail. And close by was the Robert Kacher Selections of South American and French wines. These were awesome wines. The Domaine Du Tariquet Classic - Ugni Blanc-Colombard was a refreshing citrus flavored white wine whereas La Font Du Vent Notre Passion is a light, earthy red wine. An interesting wine was the Inacayal Carmenere - possibly the best Carmenere we've tasted with a big cherry flavor. Inacayal also produces a Malbec which is even better with an interesting vanilla and chocolate finish. The best wine in this collection was the Domaine Font de Michelle Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This is an earthy full bodied red wine with raspberry flavors and a smooth-smooth finish.

While searching for food, we noticed an interested product, potato vodka from Maine. Not normally interested in vodka, but intrigued about its origin, we discovered an amazing spirit: Cold River Vodka. The ingredients are simple, Maine grown potatoes and water - nothing else. John Arsenault, the distiller's representative first had us try the vodka neat - where it tasted similar to other potato vodkas - but nothing special. Then he added a splash of water and ice and the spirit transformed into one with an amazing aroma - how many vodkas even have an aroma - with a smooth sweet tail. Don't bother mixing, this vodka is fine with just a little water and ice. Don't just take our opinion. This product won a double gold at the 8th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition and was listed as the 47th Best Spirit in the World and Best North American Vodka of 2008 by F. Paul Pacult in his book Kindred Spirits 2. What a find.

In total, there were hundreds of wines to sample from and obviously we couldn't try all. We skipped over several that we normally flock to, such as Trefethen Vineyards, Lockwood Vineyard, Tablas Creek Vineyard, JanKris Winery, Beaulieu Vineyard, and J. Lohr Winery. Some new ones we recommend you exploring are Zaca Mesa Winery Syrah, Anton Bauer's Gmork (Gruner Veltliner); Cline Cellars Rhone styled wines: Cashmere, Carignane, and Mourvèdre, plus their nice Zinfandel; Sipp Mack Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner; Silverado Vinyards Cabernet Sauvignon; Girard Winery Artistry; Firesteed Cellars Cayalla; and Zinfandel from Bonterra Vineyards and Mariah Vineyards.

We finished the day, feet dangling in the water, drinking a glass of Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling – which we confiscated when Mr. Bernau left for the day - with some Kerrygold cheese and a sweet olive oil cake from Cakewalk Confections. We couldn’t think of anything better, relaxing on the pier, watching the boats come in for the evening.

Wine 101 - Madeleine Angevine

Can you guess the flagship white grape for the Puget Sound region in Washington? Chardonnay? No. Pinot Gris? No. Gewürztraminer? Close, but no again. The correct answer: Madeleine Angevine. This is a Riesling-type vinifera from the Loire Valley in France that is also popular in the United Kingdom and Germany. The early-ripening grape is a cross between Madeleine Royale and Précoce de Malingre grapes and grows well in cooler climates - much like the Puget Sound AVA.

One Puget Sound winery, Bainbridge Island Vineyards & Winery, produces a dry Madeleine Angevine wine, with a trace of sweetness, and a sweeter "Ferryboat White" blend. The winery decided to cultivate this grape after the winery’s winemaker, Gerard Bentryn, worked in vineyards in England where Madeleine Angevine thrives. Since Seattle is actually dryer than the Isle of Wight and the Devon areas in England, Mr. Bentryn thought that the grape would do even better in the Puget Sound AVA than in England. Ironically, they were able to purchase vines close to home on Vashon Island, but the vines were sold as "Early Muller Thurgau" because the nursery did not know the true nature of the vines. After vinifying the grape, the winery has had no problems gaining public acceptance. The Madeleine Angevine wines sell out every year and the Ferryboat White is their best seller. They have a far more difficult time getting wine shops in the Seattle area to stock these wines. Mr. Bentryn also comments that wine writers and judges like to dwell on the endless repetitions of Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot. “They seem to be cognitively unable to enjoy the almost endless "uncommon" grape varieties out there.” Once again it appears that the general wine public is in the forefront. Finally Mr. Bentryn believes that “Madeleine Angevine is truly a wine for the Puget Sound region. For those discerning few who seek the full spectrum of the "qualities" of wine, landscape, culture, spirituality of time and place; wine grown where you live, not just manufactured where you live; Madeleine Angevine and all of the wines that are grown here are the keys to becoming an integral part of this wonderful place we live”.

Another Puget Sound winery, San Juan Vineyards, also cultivates Madeleine Angevine and in their case, produce a dry wine that they market as oyster wine. The winery opened in 1999 after planting the Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrebe vines three years previously. The winery’s tasting room is situated in a historic one-room schoolhouse built in 1896. According to Yvonne Swanberg, the winery’s General Manager, their estate Madeleine Angevine wine has a devoted following from visitors to their tasting room or other public tasting. The wine sells out every year and the winery announces the release of their latest vintage to their Wine Club members so that they get first crack. The wine’s peach and apple flavor apparently goes very well with oysters; considering there is an oyster farm on San Juan Island - San Juan Vineyards has become a destination spot for wine and shellfish.

Lopez Island is one of the many islands in the Puget Sound and is home to Lopez Island Vineyards. This is a small family owned and operated winery that produces wines from organically grown grapes. Brent Charnley, the wine maker, became interested in Madeleine Angevine, while working as the wine maker for Mount Baker Vineyards in the 1980s. Mount Baker Vineyards grew 30 different varieties so Mr. Charnley was able to see firsthand which varieties ripened well and what kind of wine they made. When planning which grapes to plant for the Lopez Island Vineyards, the grapes had to meet two criteria: (1) early ripening and (2) match well with food – especially seafood. Not only did Mr. Charnley feel strongly that Madeleine Angevine met these requirements based on his past experience with the grape, but also it is a wine he personally enjoys to drink. The Lopez Island Vineyard Madeleine Angevine is a complex, dry, estate grown wine that is 100% barrel fermented and according to the tasting notes, “complement the flavors of grapefruit, tropical fruit and herbal qualities that are the characteristics of this grape.” Mr. Charnley recommends serving the wine with seafood and shellfish, in particular Dungeness crab and raw oysters “due to its sharp acidity and citrus (grapefruit) character, but it is a great match for oysters with a mango and grapefruit salsa on top!” Even though this wine has won numerous awards since the winery’s inception (at the San Diego National Wine Competition, Enological Society of the NW, Indiana International Wine Competition, Riverside CA International Competition - among others), people are reluctant to try the wine unless it can be compared to one of the 2-3 best known white wine grapes. Once people taste the wine, they are generally pleased with it.

Finally, Greenbank Cellars, located on Whidbey Island, cultivates Madeleine Angevine because the grape thrives and produces larger yields in their climate. The winery resides in a 100+ year old barn – which is the featured on their wine labels. Madeleine Angevine, as well as all their other white wines, are vinified in the Alsatian style, meaning dry, fresh, crisp, citric flavors, and no oak. The result is a food-friendly wine that the winery recommends with seafood. The winery is very proud of their Madeleine Angevine and has compared it favorably to other white varieties vinified in warmer regions. Like the other wineries mentioned, Greenbank Cellars must struggle with the general public’s lack of familiarity with the grape.

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival - Beer

While half the team sample the various bourbons at the 2nd Annual Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival, the other half focused on the large array of craft and imported beers being served. There were almost 60 different brands to choose from, so we started at an unusual booth that was serving local favorite National Bohemian along side German Warsteiner Dunkle and Belgium Chimay. The latter is rather pricey, so anytime the opportunity presents itself for a free tasting, take advantage. Chimay is also one of only 6 beers able to carry the title 'Trappist" - since it is brewed within a Trappist monastery, completely under the monastery's control. What a beer - powerful but with subdued bitterness.

Since we were planning to attend Hugh Sisson's presentation on "Brews and Barbeques" we heading over to Clipper City's booth where Mr. Sisson is the founder and general partner. The Maryland beer renaissance quickened in 1989 when Hugh Sisson opened Sisson's Pub in the Inner Harbor Baltimore. After a few years he left the brewpub to establish a larger brewery, Clipper City and in 1998 he acquired the Oxford Brewing Company, Maryland's first craft brewery. Before today, this brewery produced two lines of beer, the Clipper City brand - made in classic styles focusing on Maryland traditions (McHeny and BaltoMärzHon) and Heavy Seas, a more robust and heavier style of beer. But, today saw the introduction of a third brand, the Oxford Organic Ales: Oxford Class Organic and Oxford Organic Raspberry Wheat Beer. The amber styled ale Oxford Class Organic was available for tasting and this is a great beer - possible the best we tasted all day. It has caramel flavors with a slight "hoppy" finish - but very refreshing - great for summer. Also on hand was the BaltoMärzHon a Marzen styled beer that is light and smooth with little hops in the finish. In contrast, their Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale is produced using three pounds of hops per barrel and where hops are added in three ways - in the kettle, in the hop back, and dry hopped. The final beer was the Peg Leg Stout, a dry Imperial stout made in the English tradition. In other words, the tail is smooth and milky instead of bitter. Even during the daytime, this is a refreshing dark beer.

Next to Clipper City was another Baltimore brewery, The Baltimore-Washington Beer Works, makers of Raven Lager. This beer is rather unique in that it was first brewed in Germany and competed in the European market before being produced locally. The Raven Lager is another example of a good locally produced beer. The same could be said for Backfin Pale Ale a balanced and refreshing ale made by the Clay Pipe Brewing Company in Westminster. Rounding out the Maryland contingent was Frederick based Wild Goose Brewery and Flying Dog Brewery. Wild Goose beers are well known, from their Cambridge days up to their move the the Frederick facility. Their Wild Goose IPA is a favorite. Flying Dog Brewery originated in Denver, but recently purchased the brewing facility from defunct Frederick Brewing Company, where Wild Goose beers were also brewed. Although we didn't spend too much time at Flying Dog's booth, the Flying Dog Snake Dog, an India Pale Ale was good. I can envision a future trip to Frederick in order to learn more about the Flying Dog beers.

By this time Mr. Sisson's presentation was ready to commence so we headed over to hear why beer is the best choice to pair with BBQ. Besides running Clipper City, Mr. Sisson is extremely interested in the wine industry and hosts a local radio show which focuses on wine. From this background he has immediate credibility in contrasting beer and wine pairings. He started the session by stating the obvious - although not obvious to all - that if you like a pairing then you are right. Eat and drink what you like. But he wanted to introduce us to the three C's to help us choose: Compliment, Contrast (say, a stout with oysters), and Cut - to refresh the palate. For example he served the group a crab quesadilla paired with the BaltoMärzHon in order to compliment the dish. The pairing was scale to scale in that the beer did not over power the quesadilla that would have happened with a hoppier beer. Also, when eating summertime crabs, who wants to drink a bitter beer in 90 degree humidity? He then served the more hoppier - that's an understatement - Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale with a North Carolina styled barbecue where the bitterness stood up to the vinegar flavored sauce. Scale to Scale. Finally he served the Peg Leg Stout with a beef brisket. This was awesome - much better than a Zinfandel or other red wine. The stout both complimented the beef, but also refreshed the palette. Hugh Sisson provided a very strong argument why to choose beer over wine for ant style of BBQ.

After the session we decided to hit three out of state craft brewers starting with the king: Sierra Nevada Brewing. Located in Chico, California, Sierra Nevada are available most everywhere and their Pale Ale is almost becoming a brand name. Besides this beer they had Sierra Nevada Summerfest and the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot available for tasting. The Summerfest is a pilsner-style lager, very light in color - but packed with flavor. This is a refreshing beer. The Bigfoot is even more flavorful - think chewy malt - with a hoppy finish. Sierra Nevada is at the top of their game. We also learned how the current hop crisis is not necessarily harming larger brewers such as Sierra Nevada. Instead, the rising coast of diesel is having a tremendous affect on their transportation costs, moving their produce from one coast to another. San Diego based Stone Brewing Company has the same problem. They were pouring three beers: the IPA, Arrogant Bastard, and Smoked Porter. The latter was really good - you don't find many porters these days and this one had a nice chocolate flavor.

The final brewery we will discuss was very impressive: Erie Brewing Company. This Pennsylvanian brewery had a constant crowd surrounding their booth despite being tucked away in the corner. Out of their beers, the two that stood out, at least to use, were the Pilsner and Railbender Ale. These beers were very similar to Sierra Nevada's; the Erie Brewing Pilsner, light and refreshing like the Sierra Nevada Summerfest and the Erie Brewing Railbender Ale, malty and bitter like the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. I'd say they're in good company.

There were still dozens of good beers that we tried but didn't take sufficient notes to describe each beer. These omitted beers are from quality producers such as Widmer, Redhook, Magic Hat, Dogfish Head, and Wolaver to name a few. Our suggestion: attend other beer festivals to sample a wide array of beer styles, find your favorite, and pair with the appropriate style of BBQ. This should guarantee a great summer.

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival - Bourbon

On Saturday April 5th 2008, we attended the 2nd Annual Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival held at the Timonium Fairgrounds, Maryland. We intended to spend a day away from wine and sample various craft beers and America's native spirit: Bourbon. Our first task was to learn more about this spirit so we headed immediately to the first seminar of the day: "The Wonderful World of Bourbon" - hosted by Wild Turkey Distillery's Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. Mr. Russell has worked at the distillery since 1954 and humorously and honestly guided the audience through the definition of Bourbon - to government regulations - to sampling 5 different Wild Turkey brands.

Bourbon was first distilled in Bourbon County Kentucky in the late 1700s. Elijah Craig is considered the inventor of bourbon, since he was probably the first to age the whiskey in charred oak barrels. Today, this whiskey is the most restricted spirit in the United States in which the government regulates its definition and receives 65% of the retail price in taxes. At one time, Federal Agents even possessed the keys to the distilleries and opened and locked the doors before and after working hours. By definition, a whiskey can be called bourbon when

• It is made in the United States.
• It is made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.
• It is distilled to no more than 160 proof.
• It is aged to no more than 125 proof.
• It is 100% natural (nothing other than water added to the mixture).
• It is aged in new, American White Oak, charred barrels. Once used, the barrels are sold for other uses - primarily whiskey aging.
  

At Wild Turkey, Mr Russell attempts to create a consistent flavor with each batch. This consistency is evident in the Wild Turkey 101 - made from a blend of 6, 8, and 10 year old bourbons. Each bottle has virtually the same caramel and vanilla notes with a sweet tail. We next tried the Russell's Reserve Bourbon made from batch of 100 barrels 10 years to proof. This was good - but there's something about the flagship 101. Mr. Russell fought the idea of producing a single barrel product because it was incompatible with his goals to produce a consistent bourbon. After reluctantly agreeing to work with market forces, every year he designates barrels with a similar taste and uses these for their Single Barrel Bourbon. Their Rare Breed is an interesting bourbon, its made to barrel proof - in that no water is added - from a blend of 6, 8, and 10 year old bourbons. This was our favorite - and since it has a touch of tobacco - would be great with a cigar. Finally we tried their American Honey Liquor, basically the same Wild Turkey 101 with honey and spices added. This aperitif is popular as an after dinner drink or as Mr. Russell uses it: with lemonade or over ice cream.

Upon leaving the seminar we found ourselves at the lone whiskey booth: Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. While sampling their excellent Single Barrel 94 Whiskey - we learned about sour mash, charcoal filtering, and the historical tradition of America's oldest registered distillery. Jack Daniel's whiskey is unique because the whiskey is filtered - drop-by-drop - through ten feet of hard sugar maple charcoal. Along with the sour mash process (where a portion of the previous batch is added to the next batch) this filtration mellows the whiskey before it is aged in the barrel.

Directly across was a display of several well known Jim Bean brands: Knob Creek, Bookers, Bakers, and Basil Hayden. The Basil Hayden bourbon is unique in that it consists of just over 51% corn, whereas most distillers use over 70% corn. Basil Hayden uses more rye to offset the lower amount of corn which produces a lighter bodied bourbon. This profile was popular among the beer drinkers at the event. The Basil Hayden bourbon also has a tie to the state of Maryland because the brand is named after Basil Hayden, a Maryland Catholic who, in the late 1780s, led a group of pioneers from Maryland into what is now Nelson County, Kentucky (near Bardstown). There Hayden founded the first Catholic church west of the Allegheny Mountains.

We made sure we visited Maker's Mark next, and while waiting for our souvenir baseball dipped in wax, learned what makes this bourbon popular, besides the distinctive red wax seal and drip marks. Maker's Mark is made without rye. Instead barley and winter wheat is combined with corn to produce a smoother spirit - even before aging. The barrels are rotated from top to bottom in the warehouse, which helps create a different flavor profile. As a result, this spirit does not require a long aging process and can be bottled by taste, not age.

At this point in the day, after two hours of not spitting, we decided to be a little more discriminatory in our tasting. We skipped the Buffalo Trace booth since we are very familiar with their Blantons, Ancient Age, and Buffalo Trace brands and headed to the small batch booths. To our surprise the first we tried was a Buffalo Trace brand: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon. This is a great bourbon - somewhat nutty - almost chewy - but still smooth throughout. The next was the Ridgemont Reserve 1792 Small Batch Bourbon. This is a lighter bourbon with a honey and vanilla aroma and soft finish. Coming after the Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel probably didn't help its cause. The final table contained small patch brands from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. These were all excellent bourbons and we recommend trying all. Our favorite was the Kentucky Vintage and this may become our everyday bourbon. Sorry Ancient Age 10 Year. It is made in the Sour Mash fashion (although I guess almost all straight bourbons are made in this fashion) and has a medium body with caramel flavors. Those who prefer a more potent drink, try their Pure Kentucky XO aged to 107 proof or their Noahs Mill aged to 114 proof. After the initial burn, these bourbons are loaded with the usual vanilla and caramel flavors and a long-long sweet finish. It may even be advisable to add a touch of water to these last two brands to reduce the tannins. The final bourbon tasted for the day was their Rowan’s Creek, a 100 proof bourbon that is a little more fruitier than its cousins. It also has the most flavorful aroma. Why did I prefer the Kentucky Vintage?

For bourbon lovers, this was a great opportunity to sample various styles without having to pay for the entire bottle. Our hope for next year is that more corporate representatives will be available to discuss their brands - but thanks to Jimmy Russell and the reps from Makers Mark and Jack Daniels for spending time with us. Bourbon truly is "America's Native Spirit".

International Rum Championship

On March 27-29, almost 148 sugar-cane based spirits were judged at the 3rd Annual Polished Palate International Rum Festival. Held at the Don Vicente Inn, in the heart of Ybor City, Tampa, this event is the only only such recognized competition for sugar cane-based spirits in the United States. Besides the rum competition, the festival included a dinner and rum tasting on the 27th, the Rum on the Bar B (Q) dinner on the 28th, and the grand tasting on the 29th.

The rums were divided into several categories whereas the cachacas where divided into three categories. Several spirits that we tasted at this year's South Beach Food & Wine Festival did quite well. The Moleca Double Distilled Cachaca won Gold in the Unaged Cachaca category and the Moleca Double Distilled Gold Cachaca won a Silver in the Aged Cacahaca category. The Vizcaya VXOP Cask 21 Rum won Gold in the Dark Rum category; the Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum won Best in Category for Rum Aged Less Than 8 Years, and the Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum won Best in Category in the Rum Aged 9-15 Years. Here are the results for categories that included a Best of Category:

• White Rum: Mount Gay Eclipse Silver Rum
• Dark Rum: Temptryst Reserve Rum
• Rum Aged Up To 8 Years: Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum
• Rum Aged Up To 9-15 Years: Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum & Pyrat XO Reserve Rum
• Rum Aged +15 Years: Ron Millonario Solera Reserva Especial & Ron Zacapa 23
• Rum Liqueres/Cream: Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur & Santa Teresa Araku Ron Y Coffee Liquer
• Spiced Rum: Montecristo Spiced Rum
• Aged Rhum Agricole: J.M. V.S.O.P Rhum & Madras Rhum
• Rhum Agricole Liqueur: Madreas Prune Liquer
• Flavored Cachaca: Ypioca Red Fruit Cachaca

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival - Timonium Fairgrounds, Maryland

On Saturday we will be venturing out to the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival at Timonium Fairgrounds, Maryland. This is a very unique event which includes bourbon and beer seminars, unlimited tasting of over 60 brews and 40 bourbons,and barbecue provided by local establishments. Plus, semi-local rock band - Mr. Greengenes - will provide musical entertainment from 2:00 PM-6:00 PM. What more do you need.....

The bourbon and beer exhibitors are extraordinary. Our bar is always stocked with staples such as Booker's, Baker's, or Blanton's Single Barrel, but also attending are several I've never tasted such as Parker's Heritage, Kentucky Tavern, Jefferson's Reserve, Rock Hill Farm Single Barrel, and Raven's Run. For a truly unique experience stick to the single barrel bourbons and see why bourbon is as much a sipping drink as Scotch.

For beers, there are a wide array of styles. Vermont's Magic Hat, California's Stone Brewing Company, as well as Pennsylvannia's Erie Brewing Company have several good varieties. Watch out for the Belgium Chimay. Whereas this is an amazing beer- it's potent. Then there's National Bohemian. This often maligned Pilsner beer was once brewed locally in Baltimore but is now owned by Pabst - and brewed by Miller in North Carolina. An interesting arrangement. "Natty Boh" is underestimated and along with Schlitz is a great summer time beer that I'm convinced will compliment barbecue.

Finally, the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival provides several interesting seminars. Jimmy Russell, the Master Distiller at Wild Turkey Distillery will describe "The Wonderful World of Bourbon" and then see Kirk and Mark of the WHFS Morning Show will sample and educate from their favorite bourbons. Hugh Sisson, Founder and General Partner of Clipper City will discuss his brewery's operation and will pair several Clipper City brews with barbecue. Finally, Monyka Berrocosa, Food & Wine Journalist & Educator, will discuss several styles of beer - from light lagers to porters.

Land Rover America’s Polo Cup Wine Competition

In early May the American Polo team will host Italy in the The Land Rover America’s Polo Cup held at Historic Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia. As part of the event, the Virginia Wine Lover Magazine will coordinate a wine competition among Virginia wineries which will occur Wednesday, April 9th at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Conference Center. Eight judges will evaluate the wines based on Appearance/Clarity, Color, Aroma/Bouquet, Total acidity, Sweetness, Body, Flavor, Bitterness, Astringency, and Overall quality. The winners will be announced Friday May 9th at the The Land Rover America’s Polo Cup Black Tie Cocktail Party. This "party" will also include a Fashion Show hosted by Paul Wharton and a culinary challenge between each country’s best chefs. The evening concludes with a live concert from the always entertaining Gipsy Kings.

On Saturday May 10th the festivities include military demonstrations, followed by a competitive polo match featuring the Italy challenging the United States for the America’s Polo Cup. In the evening expect live performances by Huey Lewis & the News, the Gipsy Kings, and Italian sensation Vittorio Grigolo. Proceeds from the America’s Cup of Polo will benefit the Journey for the Cure Foundation, a not for profit public charity foundation. Tickets for both Friday and Saturday's events are available here.

Over the next month we will post interviews with officials coordinating the wine challenge as well as a preview of the initial release of the Virginia Wine Lover Magazine.

April 2008 Wine Events

The Wine-Compass.com event database currently shows over 1,500 upcoming wine\beer events in the United States and Canada. For those looking for wine festivals in April 2008, here is a short list of events in several states:

Aizona
Litchfield Park Fine Art & Wine Festival – Mill Avenue and 7th Street, Tempe: April 4th-5th

California
Passport Weekend - El Dorado Wineries: April 4th-5th
Passport to the East Bay Wine Trail - Dashe Cellars: April 5th
Festival of Wines - Calaveras Winegrape Alliance : April 19th
Passport To South West California Wineries 2008 - Southwest California Vintners: April 26th-27th

Colorado
Taste of Vail - Vail: April 2nd-5th
Barrel Into Spring - Grand Valley Winery Association: April 26th-27th

Florida
13th annual Miami Wine and Food Festival - Miami: April 3rd-5th
Ocean Boulevard Art and Wine Fair in Siesta Key - Siesta Key (Sarasota): April 5th-6th
The Florida Wine Festival - The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, Tallahassee: April 10th-13th
Tiburon Wine Festival - SideBern’s & Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirit's, Tampa: April 11th-13th

Georgia
Atlanta Toast of the Town 2008 - Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta: April 17th

Indiana
Toast To Spring - Indiana Uplands Wine Trail: April 19th-20th

Iowa
Go Grilling with Iowa Wines - Iowa Wine Trail: April 26th-27th

Maryland
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival – Timonium Fairgrounds, 4H Building, Timonium: April 5th
St. Michaels Food and Wine Festival – St. Michaels: April 24th-27th

Massachusettes
Taste of the Nation – LHynes Convention Center, Boston: April 10th

Michigan
Spring into Summer Wine Trail Event – Lake Michigan Shore Wineries: April 19th-20th
Michigan Wine Celebration – Pioneer Wine Trail Wineries: April 19th-20th

New Mexico
La Vina 2008 Blues and Jazz Festival - La Vina Winery: April 26th-27th

New York
The Greater New York Wine & Food Expo – Westchester County: April 4th-6th
World Tour of Food and Wine II – Keuka Lake Wine Trail: April 19th-20th
Spring Wine & Cheese – Seneca Lake Wine Trail: April 26th-27th
Wine & Herb Festival – Cayuga Lake Wine Trail: April 26th-27th

North Carolina
Blue Ridge Wine Festival – Blowing Rock: April 10th-13th
Great Grapes - Wine Arts & Food Festival – Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park, Cary: April 19th
Beaufort Wine and Food Festival – Beaufort: April 23rd-27th
Taste Carolina Wine Festival – Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, Greensboro: April 26th
World Beer Festival Raleigh – Moore Square, Raleigh: April 26th

Ohio
Spring Fling – Canal Country Wine Trail: April 4th-5th

Oklahoma
Bartlesville Spring Wine Festival - LaQuinta Inn in Bartlesville: April 26th

South Carolina
April Music & Wine Festival - La Belle Amie Vineyard: April 5th
Blues & Jazz Festival - La Belle Amie Vineyard: April 19th

Texas
Highland Lakes Fine Art & Wine Festival – Marble Falls: April 4th-6th
Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival – Austin: April 10th-13th
New Vintage Jazz Wine Train – Grapevine Cotton Belt Depot, Grapevine: April 18th-19th
New Vintage Wine Trail – Grapevine: April 19th
Dallas Wine and Food Festival – Dallas: April 23rd-27th
Grand Wine and Food Affair – Sugar Land, Houston: April 23rd-27th

Virginia
2008 Monticello Wine & Food Festival – Monticello Wine Trail: April19th-20th
Northern Neck Wine Festival – Rice's Hotel - Hughlett's Tavern,Heathsville: April 19th
Great Grapes Wine, Arts & Food Festival – Reston Town Center: April 26th-27th
17th Annual James River Wine Festival – Pavilion at Innsbrook, Glen Allen: April 26th-27th

Washington
Taste Washington - Qwest Field, Seattle: April 4th-5th
"Chelan Nouveau" New Wine Release Tour – Lake Chelan Wineries: April 18th-27th
Pre-Barrel Tasting – Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail: April 19th-20th
Pre-Barrel Tasting – Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail: April 25th-27th

Live Music @ Wineries

One of the most overlooked venues to listen to live music is usually in one's backyard; there is an increasing trend for wineries to include live music in their events, whether through annual concert series, Sunday jazz parties, or incorporated into a grape stomp. The wineries book national acts or promote local artists - either way when you combine good wine and good music - you can't go wrong. Close to our headquarters, Tarara Vineyard & Winery in Leesburg Virginia hosts a Summer Concert Series from July through September. This summer they've booked rising local artist Shane Hines and the Trance as well as Derek James, Melanie Mason, the Grandsons, and the Junkyard Saints. What a schedule.

Across the river in Mt. Airy Maryland, Linganore Wine Cellars hosts annual Caribbean, Jazz, Blues, and Reggae festivals. Our favorite is usually the Blues festival where for the past two years we've seen the Nighthawks and The Kelly Bell Band on the same stage. Following Route 15 north into Pennsylvania, Adams County Winery, near Gettysburg, hosts free Saturday afternoon concerts and they've been able to book the Skyla Burrell Blues Band twice this summer. And "neighboring" Mount Hope Estate & Winery hosts a few unique festivals this spring where you can hear Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Hot Buttered Rum, Gaelic Storm, and Enter the Haggis. These are just a few examples out of the numerous wineries who host music within an hour 1/2 drive from Washington D.C.

There are other excellent examples in other states. La Belle Amie Vineyard in North Myrtle Beach South Carolina provides a music festival every other Saturday throughout the year. In Boonville North Carolina, RagApple Lassie Vineyards hosts a Saturday Shindig. Then there's Lakeridge Winery in Clermont, Florida; Grande River Vineyards in Palisade, Colorado; Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery near Kansas City; Haak Vineyards & Winery in Santa Fe, Texas and Warwick Valley Winery in Warwick, New York. Perhaps the best lineup is at California's The Mountain Winery - located in Saratoga - near San Jose. They have weekly concerts with mostly well known artists. Wine-Compass.com and MyJoog.com have many of these events posted - just take a look there or the winery's websites.