The Wine Grapes of Maryland

We recently posted on The Wine Grapes of Virginia based on a discussion of Viognier being named the Signature Grape of Virginia. We were then asked to provide the same information for Maryland which, due to its smaller number of wineries, was easier to compile. This data is obviously not official and does not designate the appellation where the grapes were grown; just the grape varieties that were used to craft Maryland wines. The first four were not surprising, and probably not Vidal either as seen in Virginia. However the sixth, Riesling, was a surprise. I wonder if the grapes are harvested in state or sourced from the Finger Lakes.

24 Cabernet Sauvignon
24 Chardonnay
22 Merlot
22 Cabernet Franc
18 Vidal Blanc
15 Riesling
13 Chambourcin
12 Seyval Blanc
10 Pinot Grigio/Gris
9 Zinfandel
8 Syrah
8 Sauvignon Blanc
6 Pinot Noir
6 Traminette
5 Sangiovese
5 Gewürztraminer
4 Chancellor
4 Malbec
4 Viognier
4 Vignole
3 Cayuga
3 Concord
3 Mead
3 Petit Verdot
3 Barbera
2 Albarino
2 Muscat
2 Niagara
2 Montepulciano
2 Dolcetto
2 Chenin Blanc
2 Traminer
1 T'ej
1 Tocai Friulano
1 Vincent
1 Symphony
1 Reliance
1 Colombard
1 Malvasia
1 Marechal Foch
1 Dutchess
1 Fredonia
1 Gamay
1 Gamay Noir
1 Muller-Thurgau
1 Melody
1 Norton
1 Pinot Blanc
1 Blaufrankisch
1 Chardonel
1 Catawba
1 Grenache
1 Gruner Veltliner
1 Isabella
1 Johannisberg Riesling
1 Landot
1 Landot Noir
1 Leon Millot

The Wine Grapes of Virginia

There's an interesting discussion occurring over at Drink What YOU Like regarding the Virginia Wine Board's decision to designate Viognier as the Signature Grape of Virginia. Yes, Virginia wineries craft very nice Viognier, but what I found interesting was that there is no clear idea how many of Virginia wineries actually make wine from the now signature grape. At Wine-Compass, representatives from wineries can add their portfolio and we had a decent representation from the Commonwealth. When adding a wine, the representative can also select one or more grape varieties which comprise the wine. I decided to break a personal pledge and updated the varietal information for each winery. The description and price of the wine may be outdated, but they at least, all have the varietal designations. The table below show the estimated number of wineries that use each grape variety. Each count doesn't mean a winery crafts a single varietal wine for that variety. In many cases the grape is used in a blend and a Meritage could have five grape varieties. I believe that is one reason the use of Petit Verdot is higher than I had expected. As for the Viognier, I would expect that about 90% of these are single varietals so its use is quite common in Virginia. Welcome to the signature grape.

135 Cabernet Franc
127 Chardonnay
112 Cabernet Sauvignon
106 Merlot
82 Viognier
80 Vidal Blanc
74 Petit Verdot
53 Chambourcin
38 Riesling
31 Traminette
30 Norton
27 Pinot Grigio/Gris
25 Seyval Blanc
23 Tannat
23 Pinot Noir
21 Syrah
20 Sauvignon Blanc
19 Muscat
18 Petit Manseng
17 Malbec
15 Touriga Nacional
14 Sangiovese
13 Gewürztraminer
11 Concord
10 Chardonel
10 Traminer
7 Zinfandel
7 Mourvedre
7 Nebbiolo
7 Niagara
6 Mead
6 Cayuga
5 Rkatsiteli
5 Shiraz
5 Tinto Cao
4 Albarino
4 Marechal Foch
4 Johannisberg Riesling
3 Barbera
3 Chancellor
3 Tempranillo
3 Pinotage
2 Roussanne
2 Sauterne
2 Steuben
2 Symphony
2 Melomel
2 Catawba
2 Blaufrankisch
2 Alicante Bouschet
2 Cyser
2 Vignole
1 Villard Blanc
1 Villard Noir
1 Trebbiano
1 Verdejo
1 De Chaunac
1 Dornfelder
1 Fer Servadou
1 Corot Noir
1 Cynthiana
1 Grenache
1 Gruner Veltliner
1 Jurancon
1 La Crosse
1 Lemberger
1 Marsanne
1 Malvasia
1 Cascade
1 Brunello
1 Buffalo
1 Aglianico
1 Colombard
1 Mission
1 Muscat Blanc
1 Muscat Canelli
1 Muscat Ottonel
1 Optima
1 Pinot Blanc
1 Scheurebe
1 Primitivo

Craft Beer Week: Corcoran Brewing Beer Dinner at Magnolias

Quick Question. Why do we like best the festivals that serve both beer and wine? Obvious, right? More choices for everyone. Well now our friends at Corcorcan Vineyards, Waterford Virginia, have brought that concept to their winery by opening Corcoran Brewing. Want to taste wine, turn right; taste beer, turn left. It's that easy. Now the new operation is a true nano brewery; that means its small, very small. They brew just once a week in an old barn next to the winery. Yet for such a small operation they are crafting a large selection of beers. Six beers in total - supplying beers from the entire rainbow of styles: Wheat, American Ale, English Ale, Irish Red, IPA, & Stout. Proprietor Jim Corcoran hopes to eventually have an all Virginia range of beers using Virginia grown barley and hops from their farm. Commendable since he has to ship the Virginia grown barley to a facility in the Midwest to have it processed into malt, then re-shipped back to the brewery. Brewer Kevin Bills has been home brewing for over a decade. Now's his chance to brew professionally.

Now the brewery is not officially open since their inventory is understandably in low supply. Yet on May 19th at 7:00 pm, smack in the middle of Craft Beer Week (May 16-22, 2011), they are providing an opportunity to sample these beers paired with the excellent culinary dishes from Magnolia's of the Mill in Purcellville Virginia. Five courses of food paired with the Corcoran Brewing beers for $80 - all inclusive.

2011 Wine and Food Festival at National Harbor

Besides the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, perhaps our favorite festival is the Wine and Food Festival at National Harbor, which occurs this coming weekend, May 14th & 15th. First, the event is held in a really cool location - on the docks at National Harbor - not even in the parking lot. Then there's the 150+ different wines, beers, & spirits in an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE affair. Care for a BIER GARTEN serving Stella Artois, Lefe, Hoegaarden, Kona, Redhook, Heavy Seas, Starr Hill, & Magic Hat. I personally am looking forward to the The Jim Bean sponsored Whiskey-Bourbon Experience offering whiskeys and bourbons from some of the greatest distilleries around. How about a beach party with a steel drum band. Or the local musicians performing at the Live Music stage. Plus there's a kid's area with moon bounces and activities. Oh yea, I almost forgot you foodies out there. Yes, there will be plenty of cooking demonstrations and seminars by Chefs Katsuya Fukushima, Elizabeth Falkner, Billy Strynkowski, Dave Zino and many more. What's the price? Just $35 for general admission or $75 for a VIP package. Plus other affordable options. Like I said, this is one of our favorite annual events. And while you are at National Harbor, check out Boxwood Winery's new satellite tasting room.

WineCompass Event Engine

This morning we noticed that there are over 1,450 upcoming events listed at WineCompass. More half of these are occurring in Virginia. So for those in other regions and states, go ahead and add your wine, beer, or spirits event. Its free and goes out to 10,000 monthly visitors.

A Tale of Two Wine Regions II - Languedoc & Ribera del Duero

Reading this article how Spain lost their 'Rioja' name battle with Argentina reminded me that I had failed to post on a trade tasting of Ribera del Duero wines. I guess them being neighboring Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) sharing Tempranillo as the major grape tickled the brain.

In any case, the Drink Ribera tasting was on the same day as this same day as the 2011 Les AOC du Languedoc Ambassador Tour, so we had to split our time between the two. According to its wiki page, "Ribera del Duero is located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also one of several recognized wine-producing regions to be found along the course of the Duero river. Ribera del Duero is home to the world-famous and highly-prized Vega Sicilia and Tinto Pesquera wines and is dedicated almost entirely to the production of red wine from the Tempranillo grape."

We learned this information plus much more during a short seminar in the region. For instance, the grapes benefit from Diurnal temperature variation which produces "high acid and high sugar content as the grapes' exposure to sunlight increases the ripening qualities. Then the sudden drop in temperature at night preserves the balance of natural acids in the grape". Also, grapes have been harvested in the region for over 2,000 years and like France, the area was devastated by the Phylloxera epidemic in the late 1800s. Finally, red grapes are the norm with Albillo, the only white variety grown.

Yet the most enlightening part of this seminar was the chance to sample two Vega Sicilia wines, perhaps Spain's most notable winery. These were the Cosecha 2000 "Unico" and the Tinto Valbuena 5° Cosecha 2006. What an opportunity. The Unico is only produced in choice years and then released after a minimum of ten years aging - in this case twelve years. The Valbuena brand is crafted during non-Unico years after 5 years' aging. This explains the "5°" part of the name. These are serious wines at serious prices. And way out of my league in terms of coinage and sophistication. Theses wines are full bodied monsters, but simultaneously elegant and refined: soft tannins and balanced acidity. Savored each glass for quite a while - it may have been my last chance in quite a while.


There were dozens of other Ribera wines to sample and after the previous trade tasting, we were in no mood to receive the drunken attendee award. Those we stuck to a couple tables. What a complete difference from the Languedoc from earlier. Not too say either were better; just completely different. The Ribera were more full bodied with bigger tannins; the Languedoc softer in both tannins and body. Love them both. And besides the Vega Sicilia most of the Ribera del Dueros are very affordable. That's a characteristic that both wine regions share.

Have You Declared Your Independence?

No, not from England and watching the Royal Wedding?

We are talking about Craft Beer and independence from bland mass produced rice laced lagers. Help celebrate Craft Beer Week, May 16-22, 2011, and sign the pledge:

I declare that these are historic times for beer, with today’s beer lover having inalienable rights, among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of hops and malt fermented from the finest of U.S. small and independent craft brewers with more than 1,600 of them brewing today, and,

the beer I choose to enjoy is not a commodity, but more importantly an artistic creation of
living liquid history made from passionate innovators. The beer I drink furthers our culture and
teaches us geography and helps to nurture a sense of community, and helps to make the world a
better place, and,

I declare to practice the concept of “Informed Consumption,” seeking and deserving to know if my beer comes from a small and independent brewer or if it is owned by a large brewing company. I want

to know why so many of my local beer brands are not available in many of my favorite restaurants, bars and beer stores, and I encourage beer sellers to offer a wide selection of beer styles and beer brands that includes beer from my local and regional breweries, and,

I declare American craft brewers provide flavorful and diverse American-made beers in more than 100 distinct styles that have made the United States the envy of every beer-drinking nation for the quality and variety of beers brewed. I declare that beer made by American craft brewers helps to reduce dependence on imported products and therefore contributes to balanced trade, and, I declare to champion the message of responsible enjoyment of craft beer, the beverage of moderation,

as the makers of these beers produce libations of substance and soul that are sincere and authentic, and the enjoyment of them is about savoring the gastronomic qualities including flavor, aroma, body and mouthfeel, while practicing responsible appreciation.

I therefore declare to support America’s small and independent craft brewers during American Craft Beer Week, May 16-22, 2011, and beyond…

Sip Your Way Through the Civil War Sesquicentennial

New wine trails are being created all through the Commonwealth, but one you may have missed is situated right here in Northern Virginia. The General's Wine and History Trail combines wonderful wines, Civil War history, and beautiful country - all just outside of Washington D.C. The trail includes a passport which not only describes each winery, but also historical events that occurred in the vicinity. Ever visited the historical towns of Bluemont, Sperryville, Washington, Hume, Berryville, Waterford, Aldie, or Upperville? Ever heard of the Battle of Balls Bluff? The Battle of Cool Spring? The Battle of Front Royal? The Battle of Thoroughfare Gap? Visit the General's Wine and History Trail and you will. Combine this information with the Civil War Traveler and you have all the information you need to relax and tour wineries and history.

Bluemont Vineyard www.bluemontvineyard.com 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd Bluemont, VA 20135 540 554 8439	Sunset Hills Vineyard www.sunsethillsvineyard.com 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane Purcellville, VA 20132 540 882 4560
Gadino Cellars www.gadinocellars.com 92 Schoolhouse Road Washington, Virginia 22747 540 987 9292	Swedenburg Estate Vineyard www.swedenburgwines.com 23595 Winery Lane Middleburg, VA 20117 540 687 5219
Lost Creek Vineyard & Winery www.lostcreekwinery.com 43277 Spinks Ferry Rd Leesburg, VA 20176 703 443 9836	Three Fox Vineyards www.threefoxvineyards.com 10100 Three Fox Lane Delaplane, VA 20144 540 364 6073
Philip Carter Winery www.pcwinery.com 4366 Stillhouse Road Hume, Virginia 22639 540 364 1203	Veramar Vineyard www.veramar.com 905 Quarry Rd Berryville, VA 22611 540 955 5510
Fox Meadow Winery www.foxmeadowwinery.com 3310 Freezeland Road Linden, VA 22642 540 636 6777	Winery at La Grange www.wineryatlagrange.com 4970 Antioch Road Haymarket, VA 20169 703 753 9360

Linganore Cellars - A Happening Place

This has already been a busy year for Linganore Wine Cellars. First, in February they retro-fitted the winery so that 100% of the electricity used at the winery will be generated from wind power. Then last week they were awarded the “Green Business of the Year” Award in the small to midsize business category, from the Baltimore Business Journal. Obviously the wind power contributed to receiving this award, but so did their practice of recycling, using fruit pulp for deer feed and vineyard compost, and the use of organics for fertilizers in the vineyard. Congratulations. And finally, the winery is gearing up for festival season. On Mother's Day, May 8th, they release their traditional wine of spring, May Wine. This wine is flavored with the herb Sweet Woodruff from the Black Forest region of Germany. That day also includes music from Rob Thorworth. Later in May, Linganore hosts their annual Carribean Festival, followed by the Beach Party, and two Reggae festivals. I guess no Blues Festival this year.

• May 28 -29 - Caribbean Festival
• June 25 – 26 – Beach Party Wine Festival
• July 16 – 17 - Reggae Festival
• August 27 – 28 - Cool Beats’n The Summer Heat
• October 16 – 17 Reggae Wine Festival II

Creative Destruction at Virginia Wineries

Joseph Schumpeter‎ referred to it as "Creative Destruction" - the fact that even in growing economic conditions, companies cease operating - for many reasons. Sometimes companies make unsound business decisions. In others, the owners simply retire. And although the number of Virginia wineries is growing from year to year, a couple wineries will be closing in 2011. And this doesn't include Sweely Winery Estate and Kluge Estate Winery, who's futures are uncertain because of foreclosure proceedings. Sure Trump purchased Kluge, but there is no telling if the winery will resurface.

A few years back, the very first Virginia winery we ever visited, Oakencroft, closed as the owners retired. This year, MistyRay Winery (Harrisonburg) and White Fences Vineyard & Winery (Irvington), are closing for similar reasons. MistyRay will close on June 30thso that Phil can dedicate more time for golfing. At White Fences, Bill & Susan Westbrook are closing as soon as the entire inventory is liquidated. No more Meteor. So here's your last chance to grab these wines and we wish the owners a long & healthy retirement.

Great Grapes Wine, Arts & Food Festival

Its not often that a wine festival pops up in virtually your back yard, but that is the case next weekend when the Great Grapes Wine, Arts & Food Festival pops the cork in the Reston Town Center. There will be over 200 Virginia wines being poured, representing each region of the commonwealth:

• Willowcroft Farm Vineyards
• Williamsburg Winery
• Unicorn Winery
• Stone Mountain Vineyards
• Rosemont Vineyards and Winery
• Rebec Vineyards
• Prince Michel Winery
• Potomac Point Winery
• Philip Carter Winery of Virginia
• Montdomaine
• Mattaponi Winery
• Loudoun Valley Vineyards
• Lake Anna Winery
• James River Cellars
• Horton Vineyards
• First Colony Winery
• Fabbioli Cellars
• Democracy Vineyards
• Davis Valley Winery and Vineyard
• Cooper Vineyards
• Chateau Morrisette
• Belle Mount Vineyards

There will also be plenty of music and live food demonstrations. Music will be provided by The School of Rock,Junkyard Saints, The Jack Diamond - Jim Steed Band, & The Broadcast on Saturday and The School of Rock (again), 8 Ohms Band, & Bull City Syndicate on Sunday. Need culinary help? Come see Chef Bo Palker, Diane Eblin, Maria Liberati, Lauren DeSantis, Laurie Bell, and Jim Benson.

Capital Vineyards - The Youth Movement Continues

While in Delaplane filming some live music for Virginia Wine TV, we stopped into the grand opening of yet another new northern Virginia winery, Capitol Vineyards. This winery is significant for two reasons. First, it is owned and operated by a pair contributing to the Youth Movement in Virginia Wines. Lauren Shrem and Matthew Noland are both in their twenties and juggle professional jobs in D.C. while starting a winery in the country. Second, the winery, like many others are contributing to retain the commonwealth's heritage. The winery itself is off the beaten path - at the base of Red Oak Mountain along a gravel road off Route 55, but like many other less traveled roads, this one leads to history. Their tasting room is housed in a structure built in the 1800's that was once the home of the first black-owned Postmaster General in Virginia. Later the building was converted into a general store, but became vacant in 1950. Shrem and Noland must have needed many a weekend to renovate it into their new tasting facility and they did an outstanding job - particularly by retaining the wood counter tops and flooring. It feels like walking into history when entering.

While their vines are being planted and maturing, Capital Vineyards crafts their wines with Michael Shaps at his facility south of Charlottesville. The grapes are from the Monticello AVA and are your traditional Bordeaux varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. While bottling single varietals of each of these, they also blend a Meritage. And for white wine they produce a Traminette - a hybrid that doesn't get enough love. In fact, this was probably my favorite, as it exhibited the aroma and flavor of a dry Gewürztraminer (one of its parents).

Eventually Shrem and Noland plan on opening a Bed and Breakfast on the property making this a unique weekend destination. For now though, put Capital Vineyards on your list of northern Virginia wine destinations.

A Tale of Two Wine Regions - Languedoc & Ribera del Duero

Last week we were invited to two wine tasting events scheduled for the same day, the 2011 Les AOC du Languedoc Ambassador Tour and Drink Ribera. Drink Spain. These two wine regions may be in two different countries, but are not terribly far apart. Yet the wines crafted in each region differ remarkably.

Languedoc is located in the south of France adjacent to the Mediterranean sea. Wine has been produced in the region for two and a half millenia - starting with the Greeks, then the Phoenicians and Romans. In fact, the Roman historian Titus Livius was lauding "wines of light" from Limoux two thousand years ago. And sparkling wines from Limoux were the first wines we had tasting from the region. Based on the Mauzac grape, these are some of the best sparklers we have ever tasted. Getting back to Languedoc, the region is divided into many AOCs, with almost a dozen represented on the Ambassador Tour. And as expected, the wines differ by AOC because of terrior and the grapes planted. Besides some indigenous grapes, the most popular grape varieties are Rhone varieties: Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvedre for reds and Rousanne, Grenache Blamc, Marsanne, and Muscat for whites. Not too surpising since Languedoc and Rhone border each other.

The Ambassador Tour was comprised of 31 wines selected in a blind tasting by American panelists from over 120 wines submitted. Most of the wines should retail between $15 and $25, although there were a few higher end wines that were priced closer to Grand Cru Bordeaux. And almost all the wines were were made from hand picked grapes, grown in small lots, using organic farming practices, and by family estates that span generations.

The best part of the tasting was listening to the winemakers or their representatives discuss their passion for wines made in the region. The region's history, the AOCs, the grapes, food pairings - all contributed to fabulous discussions.

• The region's popular wine grape, Carignan, has the second largest planting in France. Can you guess the first?
  
• The traditional method of sparkling wine production, "méthode champenoise", where the bubbles are produced by a second fermentation in the bottles, may have originated in Limoux before it was utilized in Champagne.
  
• The La Clape AOC was once an island - now connected to the mainland by the runoff of sediment. And the Château des Karantes Grand Crus Rose and Rouge from La Clape are quite good. These wines as well as the Château des Karantes Blanc, based on Bourboulenc grape, are available locally at Cobblestone Cellars.
  
• The vines used by the Domaine la Croix Chaptal, a small winery in the Terrasses du Larzac - an AOC, have been tended by Monks for over 12 centuries. The vines were ravished by the Phylloxera epidemic almost 150 years ago; thank God for American rootstock. The present owners restored the original cellar from the Abbey and are now making very good wine - as evident by the Les Terrasses Rouge and Cuvee Charles - each differing blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan.
  
• Château la Dournie is owned and operated by one of the oldest families in the region - going back almost 140 years of continual production. What's even more interesting is that the gender relationships are reversed and the winemaking has been handed down from mother to daughter for 6 generations, with the males acting as hunters and gatherers. Oh yea, there Syrah based wines are quite good.
  
• The oldest continually owned property was Château du Donjon, which has stayed in the same family for 500 years. For Americans, this length of time is unimaginable. When Columbus was sailing the seas, this family was plowing the same soil they do today. And not to be outdone, wine has been made at the estate of Chateau de Lancyre going back to 1550. These wines as well as the highly recommended Château Saint Baulery Rouge are available from Hand Picked Selections out of Warrenton VA.
  
• Organic farming -Agriculture Biologique (AB) - was proudly on display at Gilles Louvet Vineyards. They are the largest AB producer in France and the second largest in Europe. What differs from most organic wines made in the States is the price, $15 for the Vignobles Gilles Louvet Rouge. This blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan is not only excellent but priced in our ballpark. Their Esprit de Sud is a sparkling wine from the Blanquette de Limoux that also fits our budget. A perfect expression of Languedoc sparklers - dry, aromatic, and flavorful.
  
• Still wines are also crafted in Limoux by the Château Rives Blanques using Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Mauzac. Whereas they produce 100% varietal wines from the first two grapes, my favorite was the La Trilogie a blend of the three with 50% Mauzac.
  
• The most interesting white wine was the Domaine Félines Jourdan Blanc made from 100% Piquepoul in the Picpoul de Pinet AOC. I know, Piquepoul - never heard of that grape - but it makes a good wine in this case.
  
• And the one person you would want to spend time with the most is the unofficial Ambassador for the Languedoc region, Gerard Bertrand. Besides making excellent wines, he's a professional rugby player. Most of his wines are made in Corbières but he owns or sources from vineyards in other AOCs including Monervois la Liviniere - the source for the Gerard Bertrand La Viala Rouge. Along with the Gerard Bertrand La Forge Rouge from Corbières Boutenac, these wines are made from old, low yield vines. The La Viala is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan whereas the La Forge is a 50/50 blend of Carignan and Syrah. Interestingly we learned that Carignan is the second largest planting in France. Can you guess the first? These wines are outstanding, full bodied - balanced between tannins and acidity. And they are priced for the quality - $75.

There you have it, a short guide to Languedoc. No longer just a source for sparkling wine; this region will provide us with plenty of excellent red and white still wines.

Live Music on the Virginia Wine Trail

This past Saturday we visited three Virginia wineries that host live music for a feature on Virginia Wine TV. We've been to wineries when they hosted live music before, but like many clubs, the music was an added attraction to a social engagement. Today we focused entirely on the music and really appreciated the talent of these musicians. The videos are available at the MyJoogTV YouTube channel and this week at MyJoogTV. The day started at Delaplane Cellars where Gary Smallwood was performing. Smallwood combines a clear acoustic picking with a soulful voice. After a few songs we had to move on, and the next stop was Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn, which had booked Mike Bowers. And Bowers was the biggest surprise. The background noise is atrocious, but listen to his voice in these videos. Unbelievable. And like Smallwood, Bowers regularly performs at several Virginia wineries. There is no excuse not seeing him. The final stop was at Quattro Goomba’s Winery where Andre Fox was playing the "party" room. Fox is more engaging with the audience and had groups of people dancing around the fermenting tanks. Besides being charismatic, Fox has another beautiful soulful voice, from Percy Sledge to Otis Redding. You get the idea. As you can hear, another reason to visit your local winery - support local music.

Rockin' Out at Wineries

As the weather warms, it's time for our annual sermon on hidden gems that host live music - our ever expanding collection of wineries. Farm wineries are unique in that they perform three different types of economic activity. They are agricultural entities, growing and harvesting grapes and other fruit. They engage in manufacturing by turning the juice from these fruit into wine and bottling the fermented beverage. And finally, farm wineries participate in the service economy, by hosting events in their tasting rooms in order to attract consumers. And it seems one of the most popular events is hosting live music.

The style and facilities differ among region and winery. Some may offer local musicians; other regional artists or national touring acts. Right here in Northern Virginia it seems that almost every winery in Loudoun County and along the Route 66 corridor provide regular live music. Last year we filmed our inaugural episode of MyJoogTV at the summer concert series at Tarara Vineyard & Winery and filmed more sessions at three other wineries that host local and regional acts: Adams County Winery, Black Ankle Vineyards, and Veritas Vineyards. But basically, for those living near Washington D.C. and Baltimore, there is a plethora of musical opportunities within a short drive in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

This phenomenon is not limited to the Mid-Atlantic. Wineries exist in every state of this country, and the same holds for live music hosted at these establishments. Some are full fledged concert halls such as Mountain Winery or Wente Vineyards in California. Others, such as Pend d'Oreille Winery, La Vina Winery, Schnebly Redland's Winery, and McLaughlin Vineyards may seem remote - but they provide plenty of music. And as expected, wineries near music meccas like Nashville and Austin, leverage those musical communities. Check out Arrington Vineyards, Pedernales Cellars, and Landon Winery as examples.

We and the wineries are constantly adding these events to the Wine-Compass and MyJoog event listings - with the later providing more information on the musicians. Regardless on how you find these events; go out and support local wine and local music. That's a great combination.

Virginia Wine Week Kickoff with Virginia First Lady Maureen McDonnell

This episode features First Lady Maureen McDonnell and several media guests at a Kickoff Celebration for the 2nd Annual Virginia Wine Week at The Wine Loft in Glen Allen Virginia. Virginia Wine Week is a government imitative to encourage retailers, restaurants, and consumers to support Virginia wine, obviously by selling and purchasing the many excellent wines crafted in the commonwealth. The music is provided by Charlottesville based Sons of Bill; if you like Americana - Rock, then you will like this band.

Peruvian Pisco – A Proud Tradition

You never know when the opportunity presents itself to learn more about wine. A month ago, while in Las Vegas, I asked our Peruvian driver about wines in his country. Fifteen minutes later I was a certified expert on the Peruvian national spirit, Pisco, and its companion drink the Pisco Sour. When the Spaniards conquered South American, they carried with them Quebranta grape vines and found a suitable climate to plant these in the Ica Valley. Eventually, the recently fermented grape juice or musts from these grapes were distilled into a clear brandy: Pisco. The name “Pisco” most likely derives from the port city of Pisco, 250 km south of Lima.

There are 4 recognized types of Pisco:

· Pure: distilled only from Quebranta grapes. Other non-aromatic varieties are officially accepted (non-aromatic Normal Black and the Mollar), but our driver warned, only Pisco from Quebranta grapes can be called Pure. It’s easy to see why the Quebranta grape is beloved by the Peruvian people. Its vine is so hardy that, today, the stocks are used as graft bearers for other grape varieties.

· Aromatic: distilled from aromatic grapes derived from the family of muscatels.

· Green Must: originated from the distillation of grape musts in fermentation process (this refers to the musts in which sugar has not been transformed into alcohol)

· Acholado: results from the distillation of musts of different grape varieties.

Our driver also warned us about Piscos made from outside of Peru. He informed us of five main features which distinguish true Peruvian Pisco from those distilled outside the country. For this list, he recommended an article in which I am quoting directly: “Peruvian Gastronomy - The Pisco - Differences between Pisco and other grape “aguardientes” made outside Peru” made available by the Peruvian Embassy.

1. The grape variety: One of the most important differences between the genuine Pisco and foreign aguardientes is that the grape used for its preparation –artisan and industrial- is not limited to the aromatic grape “Moscatel”. Actually, the emphasis is put on the flavor or in the aroma. This is why the most common grape types are “Quebranta” (a typically Peruvian mutation) and, in less percentage, the Normal Black and the Mollar, which are non-aromatic varieties.

2. Non-rectification of steams: The distillation process used for preparing Pisco is carried out in distilleries or small stills of non-continuous operation, not in continuous distilleries. Thus, the constituting elements of the genuine Pisco will not be removed at the time of rectifying steams produced at its distillation.

3. Time between fermentation of musts and distillation process: According to the definition of Pisco, this beverage is obtained from the distillation of recently fermented “fresh” musts. This type of process avoids recently fermented musts to remain stagnant for several months before being distilled or used for mature wines. Nowadays, distilleries for preparing Pisco should meet the requirements required by the Committee of Supervision of Technical Regulations, Metrology, Quality Control and Tariff restrictions of the National Institute for the Protection of Intellectual Property and Free Competition (INDECOPI).

4. No aggregate is included: In Peru, the distillation process is not suspended until obtaining the alcoholic Pisco at levels of 42° - 43° degrees Gay-Lusac. No distilled or treated water is added with the purpose of changing its consistency, color and other features that make it a distinctive product.

5. Process to obtain the established alcoholic content: When distillation of fresh musts starts, the alcoholic contents of the distilled product is high, reaching 75° degrees Gay-Lusac approximately. As the process continues, the alcoholic content decreases, thus, allowing other constituting elements of Pisco to make up the brandy. According to the skills and tradition of the Peruvian “pisquero”, this process lasts until the alcoholic content decreases to about 42° or 43°, sometimes decreasing to 38° degrees Gay-Lusac.

They obviously take their Pisco seriously in Peru. In fact, our trip to Las Vegas coincided with a special Peruvian holiday, National Pisco Sour day, which occurs annually the first Saturday in February. So, the moral of this article is to engage your driver in a conversation on drinks from their homeland and to raise a glass to a Pisco Sour. You will not be disappointed. Below is a simple recipe.

Pisco Sour recipe
3 parts pisco brandy
1 1/2 parts lemon juice
1 - 2 tbsp sugar

The Discover Virginia Food and Wine Festival

The Discover Virginia Food and Wine Festival is Greene County’s spring party and kick off of the Virginia Wine Festival season. The 6th annual festival will offer its unique atmosphere of family friendly festival entertainment, food vendors and wine tastings. For the first time, the Discover Virginia Wine festival will partner with Buy Fresh, Buy Local which helps consumers find local products while building relationships between growers, food artisans, farmers’ markets retailers, restaurants, and institutions. The festival will spotlight Virginia Wineries as well as many local restaurants and artisans. Whether you are there to taste wine, enjoy the bounty or fresh food, purchase unique local merchandise – the Virginia Food and Wine festival is a fun family environment – including the family dog!

Aside from raising money for Greene Co. public schools, there will also be a donation to the nursing scholarship fund of Adriane Neumeister, widow of Dan Neumeister, former winemaker at Sugar Leaf Vineyards who was tragically killed last fall by a drunk driver, and had no life insurance.

The event will feature wine and food matching seminars as well as bands and a variety of food vendors, as well as children-dedicated activities.

Blackwater Distilling Releases Eastern Shore's First Vodka Since Prohibition

Maryland’s first distillery in nearly 40 years set to contribute to explosive growth of super-premium spirits market

Stevensville, Md. – March 28, 2011 – Blackwater Distilling™, Inc. today announced the launch of its flagship spirit, Sloop Betty vodka, a wheat- and sugar cane-based craft product. Part of an elite group of just 200 craft distilleries in the entire country, Blackwater Distilling is Maryland’s first federally and state-licensed beverage alcohol distillery in more than three decades. The initial distribution area for its spirits covers Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

Sloop Betty, the fictional pinup character that graces every bottle, is a hot addition to the local distilled spirits scene. Crafted on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Sloop Betty’s got the goods…in more ways than one.

“Betty is more than a pretty face,” said Christopher Cook, CEO of Blackwater Distilling. “In 2005, after coming across an archive of long-forgotten spirits, my brother, Jon, and I have made it our passion to hand craft spirits made from Maryland-sourced and other select ingredients.”

Though widespread distribution is set to launch April 1, Sloop Betty vodka has already been spotted on select restaurant and store shelves, such as Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen and Kooper’s Tavern. Initial supplies are limited; remember to ask for Sloop Betty by name at bars, restaurants and stores offering fine spirits. Though price will vary at individual retail outlets, Sloop Betty will be available for around $32.

“Over the past five years, we’ve perfected the recipe for a smooth and balanced wheat- and sugar cane-based vodka,” said Jon Cook, Blackwater Distilling’s COO, who developed the company’s production and quality assurance process. “We use exceptional raw sources of wheat and sugar cane to craft Sloop Betty because that combination yields the cleanest, balanced spirit of the highest quality. Our proprietary process weeds out undesirable elements, such as burn from the wheat and excess sweetness from the cane.”

Superior taste is just one factor that distinguishes Sloop Betty. Maintaining the integrity of the land from which products are crafted is a cornerstone of Blackwater Distilling’s values. Dubbed the “Everglades of the North,” the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge that is the distilling company’s namesake will receive a percentage of proceeds through the organization Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Vodka, the nation’s most popular spirit, makes up more than 24 percent of sales volume in Maryland and Washington, D.C., or approximately 1.2 million 9-liter cases. About 300,000 of those cases are super-premium, and sales of such quality spirits grew an impressive 90% from 2003 to 2009, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). Statistics from the Beverage Journal show that vodka overall grew by nearly 5 percent last year, and premium vodkas, like Sloop Betty, grew 12 percent.
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Based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Blackwater DistillingÔ, Inc. handcrafts super-premium spirits, such as its flagship product, Sloop Betty vodka. Made of the finest ingredients, Sloop Betty is best served over ice or in a glass neat. Any way she’s poured, we encourage adults to savor Sloop Betty and enjoy our products responsibly. Learn more about the company at www.SloopBetty.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@sloopbetty).

Stacey Viera
for Blackwater Distilling
press@sloopbetty.com
(202) 905-2430

Virginia Wine TV - Talking Norton and DLW with Jennifer McCloud

To celebrate this year's DrinkLocalWine.com conference - scheduled for St. Louis, Missouri April 2nd-3rd - ourselves, Virginia Wine TV, and My Vine Spot organized a couple sessions tasting Kansas and Missouri Norton wines along with Jennifer McCloud from Chrysalis Vineyards. The first session was a filming of a Virginia Wine TV episode released today showing McCloud and Ms. Ballard discussing the history of the grape as well as its migration west and then its return to Virginia via Dennis Horton. During the episode they sampled wines from several highly regarded wineries in the Midwest. You have to watch the video to see their thoughts.

A week later Dezel and I organized a bloggers tasting of Norton wines at Chrysalis Vineyards with Jennifer McCloud leading the tasting once again. Along with several that I had accumulated while traveling to Kansas City, McCloud pulled a couple from her cellar as well as several older Chrysalis wines. The result of the tasting shows that, handled with care and aged, Norton wines are very drinkable and can exhibit the same complexity as wines made from viniferia grapes. We also found that the wines needed to be decanted before tasting as many had some reductive characteristics - but after several violent shakes of the glass - the aromas and flavors were properly released. Each of us had our favorites, and with McCloud's dedication to the grape there was no surprise that her wines were very good - whether the high end Locksley Reserve, the Estate Bottled Norton, or the fruity Sarah's Patio Red. The Westphalia Vineyards Norton was my favorite from the Midwest - this was a full bodied where the acids had been tamed and the wine mellowed to a smooth and very drinkable wine. And as expected the Stone Hill Winery Norton was quite nice. In neighboring Kansas, the grape is often referred to as Cynthiana and Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery releases a version that stands up to both time and being opened for over a week. The flavor profile from this wine most closely resembles those from Chrysalis - bigger than many of the Missouri wines but tame in its acidity.

During this tasting, Hump Astorga, Director of Culinary Operations at Chrysalis, showed how Norton is also a very food friendly wine. We set aside our favorites and paired them with two
of his creations: Bouches with Thyme-scented Goat Cheese and Applewood Smoked Bacon and Garlic Crostini, Locksley Estate Venison Pate and Norton-laced Cranberry Chutney. He explained how to pair wine and food and the idea to balance the acidity in the wine with the flavor and acidity in the food. Obviously us mortals don't have the culinary skills to craft these items, but the idea is the same: wine is meant to be to enjoyed with food - Norton included.

Take a peak at the DrinkLocalWine.com website and think about heading to St. Louis this weekend. You will earn why Norton is truly the "Great American" grape - the only indigenous grape variety that can be vinified into a full bodied comparable to the noble European grapes.

Thanks to Jennifer McCloud for hosting these events; Hump Astorga; and all the participants; included Michael, Dezel of My Vine Spot, Chris Parker from New Horizon Wines, Raelinn from Wine Ophelia, and Alleigh from A Glass After Work.

Wines we tasted from:

• Chrysalis Vineyards
• Adam Puchta Winery
• Stone Hill Winery
• St. James Winery
• Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery
• Stonehaus Farms Winery
• Les Bourgeois Vineyards
• Davenport Winery
• Kugler's Vineyard
• Westphalia Vineyards