Friday, July 6, 2012

Beer in Berlin - Burley Oak Brewing Company

 On the 4th I took time off from the beach to visit a new micro-brewery - Burley Oak Brewing Company - located in Berlin, Maryland only a few miles from the beaches in Ocean City. The brewery takes its name from local history. The name of the town is a shortened version of a local tavern "Burleigh Inn" - derived from the Burley Plantation - and the building housing the facility was once a cooperage - hence Burley Oak. Since opening in August 2011, owner Bryan Brushmiller has kept a continual supply of about a dozen beers on tap where consumers can sample by the pint or take home with growlers. I was a bit confused by this situation since the brewery isn't a restaurant and thought selling by the pint was illegal in Maryland. And yes it still is; except Brushmiller was able to get the Worcester County in Annapolis to carve out an exemption for Burley Oak so they could operate as a pub and not a restaurant. Nicely played.

On my visit the brewery was pouring nine beers, plus a root beer, and was immediately impressed with the diversity of the offerings. There was a Kolsch, Pale Ale, Belgian Ale, IPA, Saison, Wit, Imperial Red, and a Milk Stout. Wow. And two of the beers, Pale Ryeder and SummaRye utilize local rye from Snow Hill. I included the later, a farmhouse saison, to my sample of four along with the Port d'Orange Wit, Cherry Poppins (Belgium Cherry Ale), and Black Cow Milk Stout. Through previous encounters I've found that milk stouts are excellent beach beers - the lactose infusion creates a creamy brew very compatible with excessive heat. The downside; the Burley Oak version is nitrogenized in the cask so is not available for growler sales.  The SummaRye and Port d'Orange were each good examples of their respective styles and with low IBUs - another example of refreshing beach brews. But continuing my trend this summer, my favorite was the Cherry Poppins - a smooth ale with subtle hints of cherry - not overpowering so like a lambic - just nicely integrated. It reminded me of a concoction a bartender created for us at Fireworks Arlington, who blended the Allagash White with a small amount of Kasteel Rouge. Thus, I think we will be hitting Burley Oak two times each trip to the beach, once to fill growlers for our stay and then again on our return home. Cheers.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The United Grapes of America - Hawaii's Tedeschi Vineyards Hula O'Maui

4th of July Hula O'Maui.- Ocean City MD
We are going to expand on a great article by Jeff Harding at StarChefs.com on the The United Grapes of America and attempt to taste a wine from each state once per week. And why not on this 4th of July feature a wine from our most recent state - the Tedeschi Vineyards Hula O'Maui. This is a sparkling wine made in the Methode Champenoise style from 100% Maui pineapples. The wines are available in the East Coast courtesy of Vino50 Selections and I purchased at Wholefoods for $23.99.

Although Tedeschi Vineyards\Maui's Winery grow and produce grape wines, we would expect a Hawaiian winery to utilize fruit indigenous to the islands. So we weren't surprised that they offered a pineapple wine - the surprise was the sparkler. And as expected, this wine is all pineapple - the tasting notes mention other fruit characteristics - but let me tell you, this is pineapple - from nose to tail. Many readers might be thinking that the wine must be sweet; and yes there is inherit fruitiness that may be misinterpreted as sweetness.. But the wine is fermented brut - completely dry.  And talk about refreshing - who needs Chardonnay (at least when dreaming of the Tropics); in the words of Andrew Stover, "a fun wine". Happy 4th of July. 

StarChefs.com: The United Grapes of America

Update: Evidently my family has a more sophisticated palette than me because many in our group picked up citrus flavors as well as some clove.

Monday, July 2, 2012

A Monticello Collaboration - "3"

One aspect of the wine and beer industry we find fascinating is the close collaboration between winemakers and brewers. This collaboration is manifested in several ways, such as the second vintage of "3". This wine consists of three grape varieties (Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc) grown on three different vineyards, and made into wine by three acclaimed winemakers. The Merlot was crafted by Matthieu Finot from King Family Vineyards, the Petit Verdot by Emily Pelton from Veritas Vineyards, and the Cabernet Franc by Jake Busching from Grace Estate Winery. Each winemaker selected two barrels and the "resulting blend is a wine with full proportion and balance which highlights the ripeness of the vintage".

Tomorrow (July 3rd), King Family is hosting the official release party but each winery will have 45 cases for sale at $33.33 per bottle.


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Addicted to Netflix - How Beer Saved the World & Absinthe

A year ago I finally succumbed to family pressure and subscribed to Netflix - and today utilize the on demand feature (what a horrible implementation of splitting the rental and on demand divisions). The first two videos I watched were the popular documentaries Blood Into Wine and Beer Wars.If you haven't seen either of these, I highly recommend them - learn about Arizona wines and the competition between craft brewers such as The Samuel Adams Brewery and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and basically Budweiser - now Anheuser-Busch InBev
But there's more. In the past week, I have watched two new documentaries which are just as informative and entertaining: How Beer Saved the World and Absinthe.
The former is a light-hearted story where "Scientists and historians line up to tell the amazing, untold story of how beer helped create math, poetry, pyramids, modern medicine, labor laws, and America." Yes, they cover all these subjects. And the latter tells the interesting life of Absinthe "from its birth in Switzerland in 1787, through its rise in the chic cafés of Belle Époque Paris, to its prohibition, and its recent worldwide revival". Now its time to plan a trip to Philadelphia Distilling to sample their Vieux Carre Absinthe - the first legal absinthe to be distilled, bottled and sold on the east coast of the United States in nearly 100 years. Or grab some Lucid.


How Beer Saved the World

ABSINTHE documentary film trailer from absinthe on Vimeo.

Friday, June 22, 2012

#SauvBlanc Day with St. Supery 2011 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Yesterday was #SauvBlanc Day and one of Napa's best producers, St. Supery Vineyards & Winery held a reception at the winery in order to celebrate the day. Being almost 3,000 mile away on the East Coast, St. Supery sent us a bottle of their 2011 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($20.00) to sip and tweet.

St. Supery Vineyards is an interesting winery, located in Rutherford California, but owned by a French family - the Skalli's. The family has been making wine in the south of France for several generations and Robert Skalli recognized the potential for Napa to produce world class Bordeaux styled wines. Besides reds, these Bordeaux grapes included Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. And today St. Supery is recognized as an excellent producer of white Bordeaux.

Lately, many of the Sauvignon Blancs I've tasted has been very one dimensional - either all citrus and acid or all grass. On the other hand, the St. Supery was a nice balance of citrus and grass with low acids - the later thanks to the hotter Napa climate. But I enjoy lower acidic Sauvignon Blanc so this fit perfectly into my palette. And the mouthfeel of grass and citrus (both grapefruit and lemon) mingled together nicely, neither claiming superiority.And priced at $20 - this is a wine worth considering for any summer night. Cheers to St. Supery and #SauvBlanc Day.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Am I an Over-aged Millennial? We Enjoy Similar Wine

Yesterday I received this press release announcing the results of the 4th annual NextGen Wine Competition for Millennial Wine Drinkers and what caught my eye was that the winery awarded Best Rosé is a wine we have discussed often the last few months: the Canyon Wind Cellars 2011 47-Ten Rosé. This wine first shown on my radar while visiting the winery during a 2012 DinkLocalWine.com pre-tour. In fact, check out our Facebook page where the view from the winery is our cover picture. Then the rosé was provided as a gift in the media package and I was able to compare it to another nice local option, the 2011 Boxwood Winery Topiary Rosé. Both are very good wines and available at very reasonable prices ($12 for the Canyon Wind Cellars and $15 for the Boxwood). For me, the Canyon Wine Cellars closely resembles the Provence style - light and dry; whereas the Boxwood is bigger. The millennial judges also enjoyed several "other 46" wines such as the Apple Barn Winery 2011 Apple Cranberry and the Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery 2010 Vidal Blanc. Galer Estate calls their Vidal an "Icebox" wine because the grapes are frozen in a commercial freezer. Two other local wineries that fared well and received Best of Class awards was Maryland's Detour Winery 2011 Alpine Frost and Virginia's Gray Ghost Vineyards 2011 Gewurztraminer.  I've tried this Gewurtz - it is tasty.

Here is the official release that we received:

Vineyard & Winery Management has announced the conclusion of the 4th annual NextGen Wine Competition for Millennial Wine Drinkers, held June 5-6, 2012. The competition is designed specifically with this exciting and important consumer group in mind, and is judged by qualified and knowledgeable wine industry millennials aged 21-35.

Produced by Vineyard & Winery Management, NextGen is one of the fastest growing and most exciting wine competitions in North America today. Judges included high profile NextGenners such as Jessica Altieri, “America’s Social Wine Ambassador.” Altieri, 27, is a leading online wine social media and video pioneer, traveling the world to spread the conversation about wine in an unpretentious way. She is the founder, CEO and Certified Sommelier for WineChannelTV and has worked with some of the world’s leading wine brands, governments and trade associations.

“I would have to say that the results from our lineup of millennial judges mirror very closely what is trending in the marketplace today,” said Bill Traverso, Director of Wine Competitions for Vineyard & Winery Management. “That is why a competition with millennial judges helps wineries in making plans for which variety to plant and which type of wines to make for the next wave of wine consumers.”

“The 2012 NextGen Wine Competition was an incredible success,” declared Chief Judge Giovanni Balistreri. “Judges were flown in from all over the country to join local industry professionals; their combined wine expertise and knowledge contributed to making this competition shine.  A big thank you to our sponsors! I look forward to the 2013 NextGen Wine Competition.”  

Riedel glassware was used to assess all of the wines, which were judged from a field of 750 entries. Judges awarded a total of 17 Double Gold, 63 Gold, 253 Silver, and 249 Bronze medals.

The full results are available in this pdf. The sweepstakes awards are as follows:

Best of Show
Lago di Merlo Vineyards and Winery
2009 Sangiovese Lago di Merlo Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley, California

Best of Show Dessert/Late Harvest
Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery
2010 Vidal Blanc
Chester County, Pennsylvania

Best of Show Fruit
Apple Barn Winery
2011 Apple Cranberry
Tennessee

Best of Show Rosé
Canyon Wind Cellars
2011 47-Ten Rosé
Grand Valley, Colorado

Best of Show Sparkling
E & J Gallo Winery
Barefoot Bubbly NV Moscato Spumante
California

Best of Show White
White Tie Wines
2011 Moscato
California

Friday, June 8, 2012

Ballparks & Brews: Fenway Park

With a group of a dozen Nationals fans we visited the historic Fenway Park for a weekend series between the RedSox and Nationals. The games were great, but the craft beer choices were disappointing.  Predictably Boston Beer Company's Sam Adams and Harpoon Brewery were available randomly the only real option I found was at the State Street Pavilion where they were serving Wachusett Brewing Company Green Monsta IPA, Cisco Brewers Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, and Magic Hat Brewing Company #9.  I stuck with the two IPAs - good beers, just wish there were more choices.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

#WineChat: For the Love of Wine! What inspired your passion for wine?


Tokaji Wine Bar in Central Market Hall
This week's Wednesday  #winechat is hosted by Red Wine Diva who poses an interesting question: For the Love of Wine! What inspired your passion for wine?  A very timely topic since it was posed to a few of us in a van ride across the Grand Valley during the 2012 DrinkLocalWine conference. And the answer occurred exactly 15 years ago next weekend.

My route into the winosphere started like many other's - tasting wine at a local wine festival. Through college and my early professional career I was a craft beer drinker. Wine was what we drank when there wasn't any beer available. Then we started attending the Seven Springs Wine Festival in Somerset, Pennsylvania; where I sampled local wines for the first time. I don't remember much about the wines we drank, only that the whites were tasty and many of the reds sweet.  For some reason Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery registers in my memory. But I came away from these annual pilgrimages with the knowledge that local wines do exist, even though I had no clue what we were drinking: Catawba, Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, Niagara, Chambourcin, or DeChaunac. Concord, of course, was grape jelly.
Wine Cave - "Valley of Beautiful Women"

Outside Wine Cave - Eger
Then I had my "Ah ha" moment.  My wife and I decided to spend three weeks traveling through Hungary and Romania for our honeymoon. Our base was an apartment in Buda near Gellert Hill, but we started every day in the Central Market Hall just across the Danube into Pest. While lollygagging through the enormous building I stumbled upon the "Fountain of Youth" in the remote left corner of the market -  The Tokaji Wine Bar - specializing in dry Furmint. Every morning I would order a nagy pohar bor and watch old women stroll through filling empty two liter containers while the men loitered sipping and conversing over their pohar bor. One day we traveled to Eger and the wine caves dug into the "Valley of Beautiful Women", so named because after visiting 30 caves... Here we tasted big reds of Bulls Blood as well as Kékoportó (Blauer Portugieser). While visiting Lake Balaton we visited several "nano"
That's how they roll
wineries - basically home wine makers offering wine for sale in small plastic jugs - just like kids selling lemonade. Whites rule here - particularly Szürkebarát (Pinot Gris) and Olaszrizling (Welschriesling). Then off to Sopron, home to Kékfrankos, no surprise since the region borders Austrian Blaufrankish vineyards.

Wines Still Around from Hungary 1997
Through this unplanned wine adventure I learned that there was no real mystery about wine, just a lot of different wine grapes. Like other European countries, wine was an integral part of the Hungarian lifestyle meant to be consumed daily either from plastic containers or wicker flasks. I still had much to learn, like not aging already five year-old whites meant to open immediately; but that's another lesson. But I was no longer scared off by wine.  On our return, we soon discovered that there were local wineries in Virginia; although in the late 1990's not that many. Remember Farfelu Vineyards?  As we traveled throughout the northeast we realized it wasn't easy searching for local wineries. I couldn't find a central directory to my liking. At the time I needed to train myself in .net; so within a short time WineCompass.com was born and has been running off that 10 year old code since. And from its conception, our the focus has been to visit local wineries and broaden our exposure to new wine regions and grapes. Cheers to your next wine adventure.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The History of Virginia and Maryland Wines - from Jefferson and Adlum

I've always been fascinated by history, and the textbook-like A History of Wine in America, Volume 1: From the Beginnings to Prohibition was one of the first books I read when researching early wine making.  This volume allocates several chapters to discussing the role of vineyards and wine making in colonial America and gives the reader a basic introduction to early Mid-Atlantic wine making. My summer reading list has now been augmented by two books that expands this introduction for both Virginia and Maryland respectively:  Beyond Jefferson's Vines: The Evolution of Quality Wine in Virginia and Maryland Wine: A Full-Bodied History

Richard Leahy, a former East Coast Editor for Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, has been covering the Virginia wine industry for the past 25 years so is well suited to describe the transition of the Commonwealth's wine industry from a few pioneers to today's vinifera revolution. Best of all, Leahy covers all geographic regions in Virginia, so don't expect just a Monticello-centric dissertation. This summer the author will be conducting book signings at various wineries and festivals starting this weekend at the Vintage Virginia festival. You can also find him at DuCard Vineyards - Father’s Day Celebration June 16, 2012, 12pm to 5pm;  Paradise Springs Winery  - June 22, 2012, 3pm to 5pm; Potomac Point Winery -  July 19, 2012, 6pm to 9pm for Wine Club Members only; Williamsburg Winery  -July 22nd, 2012, 12pm to 4pm; The Winery at Bull Run - August 25th, 2012, 12pm to 4:30 pm; and the Reston Grape Grape Festival - September 8th & 9th 2012 (all day).

Regina McCarthy is currently the marketing coordinator for the Maryland Wineries Association and researched the evolution of the Maryland wine industry from the first plantings in 1648 to the 50 or so wineries today. Everyone should be particularly interested in the role of Philip Wagner, founder of Boordy Vineyards, in igniting the post-Prohibition wine industry in the Mid-Atlantic through the adoption of hybrid grapes. Regina might have a few book signings planned during Maryland Wine Week but you can catch her this weekend at the Hunt Valley Great Grapes. On June 9th 2012 she will also be signing books at Nicks of Calvert from 1–4 p.m.; then June 23: Barnes & Noble, Bel Air from 2–4 p.m.; and finally, June 23: Barnes & Noble, Power Plant, Baltimore from 5–7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wine Blogging Wednesday #77: “A Glass (of cider) After A Bad Day At Work”

Our friend, Alleigh at A Glass After Work hosts Wine Blogging Wednesday #wbw77 this month and the topic, “A Glass After A Bad Day At Work”. Normally, after a particularly bad day at work I hit the whiskey or rum when I return home. But since the weather has warmed and I've been commuting by bicycle, the hard stuff isn't as satisfying. I tried beer and yes that can be a thirst quencher - but it doesn't alleviate the tensions from a tough day.  Then, one day I reached for a Foggy Ridge Cider First Fruit cider. Immediately the apple flavors calmed my nerves, while the acidity was as refreshing as a malt beverage. I instantly relaxed - who cares about work? The next week I tried the Foggy Ridge Cider Serious Cider. This cider is lighter than the First Fruit but produced similar results.  I'm now stocking up on ciders: Albemarle CiderWorks and Applewood Winery now in the fridge; and will be adding cider from Castle Hill Cider, Distillery Lane Ciderworks, Great Shoals Winery, and planning trips into New York and Pennsylvania. Any suggestions?

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Virginia Wine at The Tribute to the Wounded Warrior

If you have to pick one fundraiser to attend this year, then choose the Beethovenfound Memorial Day Tribute to Wounded Warriors held this May 27th 2012 at the Great Meadow Event Center (5089 Old Tavern Rd, The Plains VA). This event will be the largest event ever staged in this country for Wounded Warriors. Members of the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, and National Symphony and other professional symphony musicians will come together to create a 200 member orchestra with a 500 strong chorus conducted by Maestro Ulysses James. More than 6 Major bands will perform on a specially constructed stage surrounded by risers for the chorus and 2 Jumbotrons will show the action and carry messages from our sponsors, patrons, and performers. There will also be an air show, polo show, classic car show and a Childrens area with moonbounces, rock climbing, pony rides and more!  Plus there will be cigars (CigarVolante), beer and Virginia wine courtesy of Mattaponi Winery, Horton Vineyards, Unicorn Winery, Miracle Valley Vineyard and Winery, Lost Creek Winery, Goose Creek Farms and Winery, & Potomac Point Winery. The cost is $45 per person (children Under 12 are admitted free!). 


Here is an interview with H. David Meyers and General Bugsy Forsythe for Memorial Day Tribute to Wounded Warriors

 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

More Opportunities to Drink Local Wine: Maryland Wine Week

Opportunities to Drink Local Wine continue next month as the Maryland Wineries Association announces Maryland Wine Week, running June 8-17. During this week several Maryland restaurants and wine shops will "celebrate local wine and produce by hosting a range of events themed around Maryland wine, including wine maker dinners, tastings, wine flights, and more!"

Never tried a Maryland wine? Don't know much about the industry? Then check out a few videos featuring Maryland wineries (Black Ankle Vineyards, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, and Old Westminster Winery. Or better yet, check out the 20th Wine in the Woods festival this weekend (5/19-20) in Columbia and sample wines from over thirty Maryland wineries. That will prepare you for the Annapolis Arts & Crafts Festival held June 9th and 10th. Here are the restaurants and wine shops participating in Maryland Wine Week. Hope to see you at one of their events or follow along on Twitter and Facebook.

Wine Shops
Annebeth’s Specialty Shop • Annapolis
College Square Liquors Carroll County
Frederick Basket Company Frederick
Friendship Wine & Liquor • Abingdon
Mill’s Fine Wine & Spirits • Annapolis
Nick’s of Calvert Calvert County
Wine LoftBaltimore County

Restaurants
Alexandra’s Restaurant • Ellicott City
Beans in the Belfry • Brunswick
Clementine Baltimore
Drovers Grill & Wine Co. • Mount Airy
Patrick’s Retaurant & Pub • Cockeysville
The County Cork Wine Pub Eldersburg
The Gourmet Goat & GG’s Restaurant & Martini Bar Hagerstown
RANAZUL Tapas Wine Bistro Howard County

Saturday, May 5, 2012

The #DLW12 Nomacorc Twitter Taste-Off: "Where's the Gewürztraminer?"

One of the highlights of all DrinkLocalWine.com conferences is the Twitter taste-off, where participates sample wines from the host state and immediately share their impressions online. This year was no exception with the Nomacorc-Colorado Twitter Taste-off where we tasted and tweeted using the #colwines and #drinklocal hash tags. And at the end of the tasting the media and general public voted on their favorites.

This is actually a grueling affair, speeding drinking (spitting) 42 wines from 21 Colorado wineries. Initially I tried to stick with just whites, then roses, then reds; but eventually I felt like a novice festival attendee and just stuck out my glass and asked "what do you got?"  My first impressions were that there were several very good wines, and conversely, several not so good wines exuding volatile acidity or shrouded in oak. My second impression, "Where's the Gewürztraminer?". For all the talk we heard previously that this may be Colorado's - or at least the Western Slope's - signature grape variety - not a single winery chose to pour a Gewürz.

Oh well, here are my favorites of the day. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed both offerings from Canyon Wind Cellars, the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps influenced from our pre-tour visit. Boulder based Settembre Cellars was pouring the identical varietal wines and continued to impress. Another winery that I really enjoyed both offerings was Snowy Peaks Winery, who were pouring a Petite Sirah and the Elevee Blanc (60% Viognier & 40% Roussanne). Once again, kudos for evening producing this Rhone blend. Finally, another favorite were the wines from Denver based The Infinite Monkey Theorem. Their white was a local alcohol refreshing IMT Riesling whereas their red, the IMT 100th Monkey is a unique blend of 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Syrah and 20% Petit Sirah. The catch, $42 - now I know why some locals complain about price points.

Now for the winners. For whites, not only was the Four Corners based Guy Drew Vineyards Pinot Gris voted best White Wine, but also the Media's favorite wine. Wrong. How could my colleagues completely mess this up. In fact, the best White Wine, was the Guy Drew Vineyards No Oak Chardonnay. Seriously, Guy can make some quality wine. And with both of these wines priced at $16, this shows why I think Colorado has several excellent value wines. For reds, the Ruby Trust Cellars Smuggler, a Cabernet Franc blend, was voted Best Red; but I preferred the 100% varietal Cabernet Franc from Creekside Cellars. I mean, this was Cabernet Franc - it smelled like CF, it tasted like CF, and the peppery finish lingered like CF.  And it was better than most Virginia Cabernet Francs I've tasted. The downside, need to get over the $35 retail price. Finally, I agreed whole-heartedly with the People's Choice Award - the best wine - wasn't even a wine; but a dry-hopped mead from Redstone Meadery: "Nectar of the Hops". No longer called a Braggot since there's no malt, this style makes a a fun, refreshing beer-ish beverage that contains the clean finish of many dry-hopped IPAs with the sweetness of honey instead of malt. Nicely done. And it may be available in the DC area.

There you have it. Looking forward to next year's DLW Twitter taste-off; wonder where it will be???

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Colorade Wine - Made from grapes with altitude and attitude

That's the slogan for the Canyon Wind Cellars 47-TEN series which, after spending four days in the Centennial state for the 2012 DrinkLocalWine.com Conference, we learned is applicable to the entire Colorado industry. Not only was I fortunate to attend the conference, but the folks at the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board included me on a pre-tour of the state's two American Viticultural Areas (AVA): the West Elks and Grand Valley. These AVAs are located on the Western Slope of Colorado with the former lying south of the Grand Mesa and the latter to the west.

We started our tour in the West Elks AVA and quickly learned about altitude - this AVA hosts the highest vineyard in the Northern Hemisphere, Terror Creek Winery, which sits at 6,417 feet above sea level. You would think this is the land of cold climate hybrids, but no, vinifera is the norm - specifically Alsatian grapes such as Gewürztraminer and Riesling as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The high altitude induces higher acidity in the grapes and less sugar - resulting in lower alcohol wines. And most interesting, phylloxera is basically non-existent so that vines are not grafted to rootstock.

Located just below Terror Creek is Stone Cottage Cellars, the 2nd highest vineyard and our first stop of the tour. Proprietors Karen and Brent Helleckson explained to us the hazards and difficulties in cultivating grapes at this altitude. The growing season is extremely short, 150 days, which can be shortened - as frost sometimes occurs as late as June. Since bud break normally occurs in early May (late April this year), a late season frost can decimate a vineyard. Another hazard is pests, all American vineyards battle birds and deer, but for Colorado, include Elk, Raccoons, and wild Turkeys.  Because of these weather and animal hazards, Helleckson prunes to 6 buds, because any less could result in zero fruit.

During our visit, Stone Cottage Cellars was pouring a dry Gewürztraminer, a Chardonnay, a Grand Valley Syrah, and a dessert wine - the Alpine - a  Gewürztraminer based wine fortified with grape spirit. We were also able to sample two wines in the tank, the soon to be released 2011Gewürztraminer and the 2009 Pinot Noir. Ironically, my favorites were these last two. Their dry Gewürz was good, but the extra residual sugar (.6%) in the 2011 vintage lifted the aromatics and exuded stronger flavors - all balanced by the grape's natural acidity. This 2011 Gewürztraminer will be a very good wine. As for the Pinot, it is a very fruit forward red with somewhat of a silky mid-palette leading to the smooth finish. That evening we revisited their Chardonnay during a dinner hosted by the Smith Fort Ranch. The Burgundy styled wine - really held its own during the initial course (of course I can't recall the actual pairing).  I also enjoyed the Alfred Eames Cellars Collage (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend) at the ranch. Eames was one of Colorado's earliest winemakers - and seems to specialize in red wines. One day I want to sample his local favorite - Carmena (a blend based on the Carmine grape with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Although lower in elevation and more temperate, wineries in the Grand Valley AVA - and in our case the wineries within Palisades - face constant weather challenges. For over 30 years, Carlson Vineyards has been producing wine from Colorado grown fruit, but with cold-weather induced low yields the past two years, the winery had to source fruit from Washington State this year. And these were my favorite wines, wines that I've ordered online in the past: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Lemberger. Since Carlson possesses a large portfolio, there were about a dozen of Colorado wines that we were able to sample, including a few rather nice fruit wines. But the biggest surprise was their version of a White Zinfandel or Blush wine, the Prairie Dog Blush - a kitchen sink blend of Lemberger, Gewürztraminer,  Seyval, Muscat Canelli, and Orange Muscat. This is a fun wine, particular when hanging out - listening to Parker Carlson describe his operation. Another bonus, all Carlson wines are priced under $13.

Located near Carlson is High Country Orchards and Vineyards, a new winery which augmented their famous peach orchard into producing wine from Bordeaux grapes: the Colterris (from the Colorado land) series. After a short orchard and vineyard tour we sampled their two wines - the varietal Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. These were both decent wines, particularly from such a young winery and I would love to revisit to see how the wines mature over time. 

Canyon Wind Cellars and Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery are situated not far from Carlson and High Country, but because of the multiple mesoclimates within Palisades, they might as well be in different AVAs. The vineyards at Canyon Wind Cellars receive frequent and larger bursts of wind (hence the name) and even at similar altitudes, bud break normally occurs first at Canyon Wind than at Garfield Estates. Regardless both of these wineries produce very solid wines. Canyon Wind offers three brands, the lower end - but nicely done 47-TEN series, a varietal series, and a newly launched high end label Anemoi. The Anemoi wines are blends named after the mythological Greek Gods of wind, and my favorite was the Boreas - 100% estate grown comprised of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Petit Verdot. The 47-TEN wines are excellent values at the common $13 price point as are the varietal wines, priced from $15 (whites) up to $25.


As much as I liked the wines from Canyon Wind Cellars, the wines from Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery proved that wineries in the Grand Valley can produce elegant wines. This outlook started with their S² (S-squared) a white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. I mean, major kudos for just creating this blend. Even better, its all fruit - no oak as in the companion Fumé Blanc - with the grapefruit flavors evolving into a refreshingly acidic mouth bath. We then tasted a barrel sample of their soon to be released Vin Rose - made from Cabernet Franc. This wine had more texture than most roses perhaps resulting from 5-6 months aging in neutral oak. I will be buying this wine online when released. Then there's the 2009 Estate Syrah, a creamy and silky wine with a slight white pepper finish. This may be my favorite wine of the entire trip - and priced at $18 - a super bargain. It was also a hit a couple nights later at Row 14’
during a dinner hosted by our friends at Nomacorc.

I think what makes Garfield so special, is that proprietor Jeff Carr understands that Colorado has an infant wine industry. He acknowledges he doesn't yet know what grapes grow best. But he doesn't plan on forcing grape varieties that may be recognizable, but not acclimated to the soil or climate. And even with the better known grapes, such as Cabernet Franc, he doesn't want to manipulate it into a big Bordeaux styled red - but rather allow the grapes to produce a softer Chinon style.

Despite the excellent wines that we tasted, we noticed a few deficiencies within theses two AVAs. First, there appears to be an absence of cooperation and critiquing among the wineries. Yes the wineries encourage visitors to seek out neighboring wineries and there are shared events - there doesn't seem to be regular meetings to discuss common issues and to sample and critique each others wines. In Northern Virginia, winemakers meet monthly to share wines and all must be prepared for Jim Law's analysis. This elevates each winemaker's game which in turn improves the wines made in the entire region.

Second, there appears to be a trend to plant grapes that are popular and not what may grow as best in the environment. Yes, they plant grapes associated to that elevation, but not once did we hear, "Before establishing the vineyard, I consulted a viticulturist to determine which grapes to plant in the vineyard and in which specific plot". Where are the Lucie Morton's of Colorado. Just take a look at Maryland's two best wineries, Black Ankle Vineyards and Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, both who consulted with Morton before planting their respective vineyards. Give Horst Caspari a call.

Despite these trends and the altitude, wineries in the Grand Valley and West Elks are producing wines with attitude. The many excellent wines elevate Colorado into a respectable position in the drink local movement. Thanks again to the great hospitality provided by Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, the Smith Fort Ranch, Delta County, Grand Junction VCB, and the host wineries. Now on to the Front Range and Four Corners.....

Update:
I should have noted that Colorado winemakers in the Front Range Winemakers Association do meet to discuss issues and critique wines. As far as I know, winemakers in the Grand Valley and West Elks AVAs so not.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

2012 Finger Lakes Wine Virtual Tasting Series for Finger Lakes - Gewurztraminer

On Wednesday April 18th, I participated in the first 2012 Finger Lakes Wine Virtual Tasting Series for Finger Lakes white wines, sponsored by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. And not Riesling white wines, but a mixture dominated by Gewurztraminer but including other grape varieties that demonstrate they diversity of the Finger Lakes region.   There was the Austrian Gruner Veltliner, Alsace Pinot Blanc, and staples such as Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. The samples were also representative of the three largest lakes: Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka. And, most importantly, all the wines sampled are low in alcohol and priced until $20. Earlier in the week, I discussed the non-gewurztraminers here - so now its time for the Gewurz.

Apparently this is a popular grape among the Finger Lakes wineries and is becoming just as prevalent as Riesling. This is perhaps a bit of an over-statement, but a guess of 50 producers in the region was thrown out. It is produced in all lakes, and I asked the winemakers if there are any lake-induced differences. The consensus was that there is a difference between wineries - as is the case with Riesling - but this difference results more from production methods and not "terrior". And these production methods create both dry and semi-dry versions.

Started with the dry, the grapes for the Sheldrake Point Winery 2011 Gewurztraminer were not harvested until mid-October. This allowed the fruit to gain traction and the final product is balanced with nice acidity. The aroma falsely imply sweetness, but there's actually only 0.4% rs.
Vibrant yellow gold in color, with a sensuous and silky weave of acid and mineral on the palate. Flowered perfume of rose and passion fruit flow to silky red grapefruit on the finish. – Winemaker’s Notes

The grapes for the Seneca Shore Wine Cellars 2010 Dry Gewurztraminer were harvested a full month earlier and made to a similar 0.43% rs; but is a completely different wine. It portrays more of the grape's inherent spiciness.
This big, unctuous and full bodied white wine has a thick, creamy texture and fruit galore. The nose is reminiscent of fresh tea roses with a palate filled with juicy lycee fruit, finished with spicy pepper. – Winemaker’s Notes

Moving to the semi-dry styles, Gewurztraminer contains enough acids to balance this style. The Rooster Hill Vineyards 2010 Estate Gewurztraminer was my favorite gewurz for the evening. It is produced from a single vineyard - Catherine Vineyard - on the east side of Keuka Lake. Even with 1.8% rs, this is a refreshing wine, lycee flavors and spice. Very nice.
This single vineyard Gewurztraminer from the Catherine Vineyard is aromatic with soft, pretty rose petal, accented by hints of citrus, grass and Asian spice. A bright and refreshing wine with a delicate spicy finish. – Winemaker’s Notes 

The Wagner Vineyards 2010 Gewurztraminer Semi-Dry contains similar sugar levels (1.75%) and the grapes were grown surrounding Seneca Lake.  This wine also portrays how extra sweetness imparts more flavors than the dry versions; with enough acid to generate a balanced mouth feel. 
A mouthfilling wine, full of spicy fruit flavors & an orange blossom bouquet. – Winemaker’s Notes 
It's time to plan a trip to the Finger Lakes Wine Country. There is a diverse wine world that we need to check out. And here's the link to the recorded live stream. Cheers.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/finger-lakes-wine-virtual-tasting-series

Thursday, April 19, 2012

2012 Finger Lakes Wine Virtual Tasting Series for Finger Lakes Whites

On Wednesday April 18th, I participated in the first 2012 Finger Lakes Wine Virtual Tasting Series for Finger Lakes white wines, sponsored by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. And not Riesling white wines, but a mixture dominated by Gewurztraminer but including other grape varieties that demonstrate they diversity of the Finger Lakes region.   There was the Austrian Gruner Veltliner, Alsace Pinot Blanc, and staples such as Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. The samples were also representative of the three largest lakes: Cayuga, Seneca, and Keuka. And, most importantly, all the wines sampled are low in alcohol and priced until $20. 

We started the tasting with the non-gewurztraminers, appropriately with the Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars 2011 Gruner Veltliner. Dr. Frank's pioneered the growing of vinifera grapes in the Finger Lakes and the GV is the latest in their portfolio. This was an enjoyable wine, balanced between fruit and acids, plus a nice texture that guides you from the head to the tail.
The 2010 Grüner Veltliner fits perfectly within the Dr. Frank family of wines. The wonderful nose is a treat of floral, melon and honeysuckle while the mouth has subtle herbal notes and balanced layered textures in the background that finish off with the typical Grüner Veltliner white pepper heat. It is food friendly wine and pairs well with everything from scallops and roasted vegetables to grilled pork tenderloin.” – Winemaker’s Notes

The Glenora Wine Cellars 2011 Pinot Blanc was lighter, but had a similar balance and hits home when paired with food. The wine was barrel fermented, but the oak adds texture and doesn't overshadow the fruit.
Pinot Blanc shows finesse and elegance, with a full, lingering finish. Barrel fermentation allows a balance of oak and fruit on the palate. – Winemaker’s Notes

The King Ferry Winery 2010 Reserve Chardonnay Cayuga Lake was produced in true Burgundian style, inoculated with yeast and malolatic cultures, then barrel fermented, and finally aged "sur lees". For my palate, this processed introduced too much oak and butter into the wine which seemed to overwhelm the fruit. I know its a style many enjoy, just not my taste

Aromas of fresh-baked bread, cheese, and honey, followed by a smooth yet substantially oaked body with a creamy texture and hints of vanilla. Finishes long with toasted almond and a tahini tang.  – Winemaker’s Notes 

I normally avoid Pinot Grigio as much as possible, basically being extremely indifferent to this varietal wine. Why drink it when there are so many other more interesting whites available? That thought process was shaken by the Goose Watch Winery 2011 Pinot Grigio. There was nothing boring about this wine, it had flavor, texture, and yes, some creaminess. The secret may be that the wine is not 100% Pinot Grigio, but 75% - enough to label the wine as a single varietal. In addition, it contains 10% Riesling and Chardonnay as well as 5% Vignoles. Maybe this 25% adds the necessary attributes to elevate the Pinot Grigio above dullness.
Ripe yellow apple and pear aromas with a hint of dried fruit and clove. Broad mid palate with hint of cream in the finish.  – Winemaker’s Notes 
I will follow up later with my thoughts on the Gewurztraminer, but in the meantime, here's the link to the recorded live stream. Cheers.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/finger-lakes-wine-virtual-tasting-series

Friday, April 13, 2012

Are You Ready for Some Colorado Wines During DLW12?

The 4th annual Drink Local Wine Conference is almost upon us, scheduled for Saturday April 27th at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. After stops in Texas, Virginia, and Missouri the conference will focus on the wines produced by the 100 wineries in The Centennial State. Not familiar with Colorado wines, then check out the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board as well as this historical briefing on the industry.

The Drink Local Wine conferences and the associated Regional Wine Week results arose in order to compensate for the lack of coverage by the larger wine media outlets on locally produced wine. We all have access to local wine - even those living in Florida. And the goal isn't to encourage people into drinking local wine exclusively. No, the goal, is to encourage everyone to educate themselves about the wines made in their own backyard and at a minimum include local wine in your overall wine consumption. So, how are they doing?





DENVER (February 1, 2012) - Wine enthusiasts who want to explore Colorado terroir and learn more about the state's signature grape varieties are invited to attend the fourth annual DrinkLocalWine Conference on April 28 at the Metropolitan State College of Denver.

Open to the public, the conference attracts top national and regional wine writers who regularly cover local wines and “locapour” trends. Colorado’s approximately 100 wineries that grow European-style, cool-climate varieties, such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Cabernet Franc, will be center stage showcasing their wines during the all-day conference, which includes sessions, tastings and competitions.

The Colorado Wine Industry Development Board is the conference’s primary sponsor; the conference kicks off at 9 a.m. with three seminars: Colorado’s Terroir and the Challenges of High Altitude; Local Food, Local Wine and Why They Don’t Like Each Other; and Consumer Perception of Colorado and Regional Wine. At lunch, guests will participate in the Colorado Blind Challenge, a blind tasting between Colorado and California wines.

Confirmed speakers include Wayne Belding, Master Sommelier; Horst Caspari, Colorado state viticulturalist; Rene Chazotte, Pacific Club; Dave McIntyre, Washington Post; Richard Leahy, East Coast wine consultant; Stephen Menke, Colorado state enologist; Jeff Siegel, freelance wine writer and the Wine Curmudgeon; and Kyle Schlachter, Colorado Wine Press.

After lunch, more than two dozen Colorado wineries will pour wines during the Colorado Twitter Taste-Off, where guests will taste and share their thoughts on Twitter, eventually selecting their favorite wines in various categories.

The conference costs $35 for the seminars and lunch, and $35 for the Colorado Twitter Taste-Off, or $65 for both.

Colorado’s modern wine history dates to the late 1970s, when the forerunner of Colorado Cellars opened. The number of wineries has increased 20-fold since 1990, reflecting the surge in enthusiasm for regional wine in the state. Colorado’s two AVAs include the Grand Valley, in and around Grand Junction, and the West Elks, along the North Fork of the Gunnison. However, the largest concentration of wineries is along the Front Range in and around Denver, expanding to many other parts of the state.

DLW 2012 follows the success of the first three conferences -- in Dallas featuring Texas wine in 2009, in Loudoun County featuring Virginia wine in 2010, and in St. Louis featuring Missouri wine in 2011. DLW also holds an annual Regional Wine Week in October, in which more than 40 wine bloggers, writers and columnists from the U.S. and Canada write about their favorite regional wines, ranging from Ontario to New York to Florida to Texas to Colorado.

DrinkLocalWine.com's goal is to spotlight wine made in the 47 states and Canada that aren't California, Washington, and Oregon. It's the brainchild of Washington Post wine columnist Dave McIntyre and wine blogger Jeff Siegel, the Wine Curmudgeon.

Other conference sponsors include the Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology, Metropolitan State College, Westword, Colorado Tourism, Amtrak, Visit Grand Junction, and Delta County, Colo.

Registration for the conference opens February 1. Go to DrinkLocalWine.com to buy tickets.

To reserve a room in the DrinkLocalWine.com hotel block, contact the Sheraton Denver Downtown at (303) 893-3333.
For information, call (469) 554-9463 or go to DrinkLocalWine.com.

Media Contact:
Denise Clarke
512.899.0004