Taste Live: Discover Beaujolais & Discover Virginia Wine (The Monticello Wine Trail)

In the next few days we are participating in two tasting events at Taste Live. Tonight is Discover Beaujolais: The Feminine Side of Beaujolais - A Focus on Lighter Style Crus. We will be tasting four wines in you can follow alone on twitter using the handles: #beaujolais, #ttl. The wines are Domaine Cheysson, Chiroubles; Henry Fessy, Brouilly; Charly Thevenet “Grain et Granit”, Règniè; and the Alain Coudert, Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie, 2009. The event is sponsored by Inter Beaujolais, the official wine-trade organization of the region, working to promote Beaujolais wines and raise awareness of the region.

On Monday October 25, we are participating in the Discover Virginia Wine (The Monticello Wine Trail) tasting. Information about this tasting is available here; but check these handles on twitter: #WW #ttl #vawine @keswickvineyard @benatmountfair @MfVvinotweets @th_jefferson @KlugeEstate @BlenheimWines @AftonMountain @vawine.

Loudoun Farm Tour: 8 Chains North & Corcoran Vineyards

On the second day of the Loudoun Farm Tour, we were able to escape to the country in attempt to visit Corcoran Vineyards. We had heard rumors that Jim and Lori had released two new wines during Virginia Wine Month. However, while traveling on Route 9 we were sidetracked after seeing the Open sign for 8 Chains North Winery. We have intended to visit this new winery for sometime now, first knowing that well known and respected grower Ben Renshaw was the proprietor and second, after reading many positive reviews. Renshaw manages two of Loudoun County's most respected vineyards, Nevaeh and Tranquility and viewers of Episode 1 of MyJoogTV with filmed at Tarara Winery may recall that the NoVA series wines we tasted were made primarily from grapes harvested from these vineyards. And please visit their website to learn the history of 8 Chains North.

Upon entering the tasting room I immediately became exciting when finding a very rare species on the tasting sheet. A Virginia grown Blau Frankisch - from what I know, they only one if its kind. This is a very popular grape in central and eastern Europe and we actually covered it in our Wine 101 series so long ago. We discovered it in Hungary, near Sopron, where its called Kékfrankos and makes full bodied, tannic, spicy wines. In the United States, its planting is limited to the Northwest, the Finger Lake, and pockets here and there. But now in Virginia, hurray, and not just at any vineyard, the famed Tranquility vineyard. The Otium Cellars Blau Frankisch was recently bottled and will mellow with age; currently its not as tannic as most and quite smooth already. But there's plenty of fruit, as expected - from the nose to the tail. I still can't get over the thought of having a Blaufränkisch so close to home.

We took our Blaufränkisch and headed to our final destination, Corcoran Vineyards. For Virginia Wine Month, Lori Corcoran had aged her traditional Cabernet Franc in Red Oak. Once again, the first of its kind in Virginia; and not just any Red Oak - Virginia Red Oak. The wine is very fruit forward; of course, since that is Lori's style. The finish is interesting, hard to get a handle on how it differs from the traditional CF. A smarter person would have conducted a comparison tasting - maybe next time. The other wine was the Hunter's Run Rosé. Their summer Rosé is made from Chambourcin; while this version is composed of Cabernet Franc. They must have a lot of this juice. It is a dry rosé, nice acidity, with strong, strong Strawberry flavors. This was my choice for the day and until their Viognier returns, perhaps my choice on our next visit. Now its time to tudor Jim on Blaufränkisch .

The Patuxent Wine Trail Goes Local!

On the weekend of October 23 & 24, each winery along the Patuxent Wine Trail will feature local products from Southern Maryland vendors. Visit the wineries from 12 pm until 4 pm to try and buy these local products.

Join the wineries as they present:

Cove Point Winery
David Wardrup—The Happy Turner, fashioning antique pepper mills, cheese platters, nutcrackers and wine bottle stoppers, Owings, Calvert County

Fridays Creek Winery
Heavenly Chicken Catering, menu to include local produce items.
Local entertainer Joe Norris
Tons of pumpkins, sweet potatoes, turnips
Local artists
Local beef

Perigeaux Winery
Ch'Naca Fiberworks, Prince Frederick, Calvert County
Bag-O-Beads, Prince Frederick, Calvert County
Wild Willow Soaps, Huntingtown, Calvert County

Port of Leonardtown
Saturday: Cafe des Artistes, Leonardtown, St. Mary's County
Sunday: Thompson's Corner Café

Running Hare Vineyard
Saturday: Heavenly Chicken & Ribs / Rustic River Restaurant
Pax River Alpacas - Live Alpacas and yarn
Live acoustical guitar by Darrell Noyes
Sunday: Heavenly chicken & Ribs / Rustic River Restaurant
Live acoustical guitar by Gerry Swarbrick

Slack Winery
Ruddy Duck Brewery, Solomons, Calvert County
Blue Wind Gourmet, California, St. Mary's County
and Just in Time Antiques.

Solomons Island Winery
Art from Joan Humphreys (www.joanhumphreys.com)

A Weekend in Nelson County (Day 2)

We followed Day 1 in Nelson County by started Day 2 by hitting three wineries located on the north end of Route 101. We had a scheduled appointment to film an episode of MyJoogTV at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company at 1:00 PM, and fortunately we were able to start the day off early since Afton Mountain Vineyards accommodated our schedule by opening at 10:00 AM. And we were not the only visitors that early. This winery is the second oldest in the county and is currently owned and operated by Elizabeth and Tony Smith. Upon acquiring the enterprise, the Smith family relocated the tasting facility to the former's owner's residence - providing an expansive view of the valley below. Almost all the grapes are estate grown and with the estate's long history, they have been able to test and cultivate several non-traditional Virginia grapes: Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Gewurztraminer and Muscat. During a tasting there are two alternative routes, a regular or reserve tasting. We chose the Reserve tasting we allowed us to enjoy a sparkler to start the day - the 2006 Tete' de Cuvee - a traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay disgorged after aging two years on its lees. This was followed by their Estate Chardonnay and a single varietal Pinot Noir that is only produced in years when yields can accommodate both the sparkling and still wines. Single varietals Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon followed - although the cab includes some Merlot. The finale was the Super-Tuscan 2008 Festa di Bacco comprised of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. This wine is the bomb and shows why we seem to prefer blends over single varietals. There are plenty of tannins from the Cab and PV; but the majority Sangiovese provides enough smooth red cherry flavor to make this one drinkable now. If its not included in our October 25th tasting of Monticello Wines - I'm bringing a bottle with me.

After a short drive directly across Route 151 we arrived at Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery, home to the wines of Tim Gorman. Before starting the winery in 2002, Gorman was an acknowledged grower in the region - sourcing grapes to several area wineries. This experience provided Cardinal Point with a clear advantage when opening - an established estate vineyard. Combined with several interesting blends, this may become one of our favorite destinations. We started off with the Cabernet Franc based Rosé, followed by several other easy drinking whites: The 2008 A6, 2008 Barrel Select Chardonnay, 2009 Viognier, and 2009 Quattro. The common ingredient to most of these wines was Viognier - which showcases this grapes versatility from the dry single varietal to the semi-dry Quattro. These are the type of wines you want to keep stocked in the cellar to bring out on any occasion. The reds were just as good. The Rockfish Red is an easy drinking light-bodied Cabernet Franc. The Cab F. + Vio. (yes that's the actual name of the wine) is an interesting concoction since the Cabernet Franc and Viognier are co-fermented; not blended. This means that the grapes were dumped together and fermented instead of the traditional approach of fermenting and aging the varietal separately and then tasting different percentage of each to craft a blend. The result is an incredibly smooth and drinkable wine. The vineyard designate Clay Hill Cabernet Franc followed which comes from the vineyard located near Ivy in which Gorman helped plant the vines. This is a full bodied wine and was my favorite until trying the CS+PV+CF - yes another screwy name. This is a master Bordeaux blend, on the one hand fruity, but also earthy and peppery - plus plenty if tannins for aging. That's what ours is doing. And their Oyster Roast scheduled for November 13th & 14th looks very enticing.

By this time we were running very close to our scheduled appointment at DBCC, but chose to stop off at the tasting facility for Flying Fox Vineyard since it as right off the road. The estate is located closer to Afton Mountain Vineyards with some wine made from grapes grown at a family vineyard (Ridge Run Vineyard) in Stuarts Draft - near Stanton. Two wines made from this vineyard's grapes were very good, the single varietal Viognier and Cabernet Franc. This is another example how these two grape varieties excel in most corners of the state. Our favorite however, was easily the Trio, their Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Balanced, texture, tannins for aging - this wine is the complete package. Maybe we will forget about aging and taste along with the super blends accumulated from the previous visits. Now that would be a tasting event.

We had to rush out in order to meet Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters, his wife Sarah Siskind, and DBBC's brewer Jason Oliver for an episode of MyJoogTV. This also allowed us to sample the beers from the Devil's Backbone Brewing Company - many that were awarded medals at the 2009 & 2010 Great American Beer Festival as well as the 2010 World Beer Competition. For our tasting we started with the Gold Leaf Lager, which could be Oliver's most prized brew. Why, because in a lighter style lager and there is nothing to hide mistakes - it is what it is. he must be doing something right since it repeated this year as a Gold Medal winner at the GABF. Next was the beer of the weekend, The Stringduster, made specifically for The Festy. Most musicians aspire for fame and Grammys, but not many can claim a beer brewed in their honor. This beer is a harvest styled ale combining barley and wheat malt with flaked oats. The beauty with this beer is that it really does pair well with music. Sometimes festival beers are too hoppy or too malty for the heat of the day - this one has the perfect balance. We finished with the gold winning Baltic Coffee which combines the Danzig Baltic Porter and locally roasted coffee beans. However, the beer exudes just a hint of the coffee which meshed well with the chocolate overtones of the porter. I had to return later in the day for another one of these - and next time I'm bringing a growler. DBBC provides several other styles - so there is something for everyone and although we didn't indulge - the locals inform us the food is really good. We will be back.

This weekend showed why Nelson County is becoming our favorite Virginia destination. Next time we will venture further south into Lovingston to visit Democracy Vineyards, Lovingston Winery, and return to Virginia's oldest continually operated winery, Mountain Cove Vineyards. Plus there's the new Virginia Distillery Company that will be producing Scottish styled single malts sometime in 2011. There is something in the water down there.

And thanks again to the Acorn Inn for the hospitality and for promptly mailing my cell phone charger. As usual, more pictures are available at the WineCompass Gallery.

A Weekend in Nelson County (Day 1)

The weekend of October 9th-10th was a very entertaining weekend. We had planned to attend the inaugural music festival, The Festy, held at the fairgrounds at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company. At this event we filmed most of the performers, particularly Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters, his wife Sarah Siskind, and DBBC's brewer Jason Oliver for an episode of MyJoogTV. But just as importantly, we used the visit as an excuse to soak in the wineries located in Nelson County Virginia. Of the dozen located in the county, we had visited Veritas Vineyards and Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery, previously, so concentrated on the remaining field. And what we learned is that this little stretch of land adjacent to Route 151 is a mini-Napa Valley - a true micro-climate providing excellent Virginia wine.

I started off with the closest winery to the festival fairgrounds, Wintergreen Winery. This is the oldest winery in the county, owned and operated by Jeff and Tamara Stone since 1999. We had enjoyed their Cabernet Franc and festival whites (The Thomas Nelson White and Three Ridges White) at previous festivals. The Cab Franc was just as nice as before, a lighter bodied wine with plenty of cherry, but it was their Merlot which was really nice. Maybe has a point. For whites, the Viognier was what you would expect from a Virginia winery now a days but I really enjoyed their use of Petit Mengseng, both as a 100% varietal in the new Thomas Nelson White and as a replacement to Vidal in the Three Ridges White. Much more aroma and flavor than Vidal. This is another white wine grape that appears to work in the state.

While driving to check-in to our room at the Acorn Inn (highly recommended), I noticed a homebrew shop that advertised growlers for sale. Making a quick detour I learned that Mary Wolf and her son Danny Wolf were planning on opening the third brewery in the county, Wild Wolf Brewing Company. For the moment they provide local brewer's with quality homebrew supplies and will soon be selling growlers of their own production beer out of the store. The eventual plan is to build a full production facility nearby, complete with a brewpub. And to show how its done, every Saturday afternoon Danny gives a demonstration outside the store, complete with crushing the grain, boiling the mash, and kegging. Like I say, this area is a nice place to spend the weekend. We will be back for a brewery tour to include Wild Wolf, DBCC, and Blue Mountain Brewery.

After checking into the hotel, I took a shortcut to the one winery not located off Route 151, DelFosse Vineyards & Winery. The winery was having their own party - live music and food - which also proves that there are plenty of opportunities for fun - even with a large music festival nearby. I didn't stay long since I had plans for interviews at The Festy, so I sampled a few wines, starting with their Viognier Reserve. This is a classic, full flavored (apricots) with low acidity and a mid palette to boost. Nicely done. They also pour a 100% Petit Manseng - note to self; need to start studying wines from Jurancon. This wine is more acidic than the Viognier and has a peach flavor - a nice afternoon wine. For reds, there is no need to talk about any other but the 2007 Grand Cru Olivier. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga, and Petit Verdot is full bodied, low tannins, raspberry flavors and very drinkable. Yes, their Meritage is the big guy; but I enjoyed this one more.

After this visit, it was back to the music. Check back for Day 2 and few pictures at the WineCompass Gallery.

American Wine Consumer Coalition

Tom Wark, from Fermentation and lead voice on the effort to defeat HR 5034 sent us a link to a new source for wine consumers: American Wine Consumer Coalition. Their motto: The AWCC is a Coalition of Americans Giving Voice To the Unique Interests of Wine Consumers. JOIN THE MOVEMENT to raise the voice of wine lovers so politicians and policy makers hear you!

If you are worried about government regulators, the new Temperance Movement, and Wholesalers restricting your access to hand crafted wine, beer, and spirits - join this organization.

My Wine Story « WineSur

Like Argentinian wines? We do; who doesn't enjoy an Argentinian Malbec or Torrontes. Perhaps a Chardonnay ,Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Tempranillo. Yes, plenty of old world wines made in the new world. If you answered Yes, then check out this contest over at WineSur.

WineSur created this contest with the aim of spreading Argentinian wines through the web around the world. The idea is that Argentinian wineries present the story of their wines, telling something new, amusing and original in less than 100 words. For instance, how the wine arose, the origin of its name, its meaning, etc. These stories will be published in our website www.winesur.com and in our social networks (Facebook and Twitter). Moreover, the stories will be also spread by wine blogs, specialized journalists and media from all over the world. Readers themselves will vote the story they like most.

Just send the story of your wine together with the picture of the bottle or label to valonso@areadelvino.com.

For further information, please check here.

October: Virginia Wine Month

October is Virginia Wine Month and the winery's are hosting numerous events throughout the month. We kicked off the month at Boxwood Winery's Reston satellite tasting bar for their 2008
Topiary Release Party. Rachel Martin, Executive Vice President, was on hand to pour the new release and explain how it differs from the previous vintage. In brief, 2007 was hot and dry - thus allowing the vines to produce full flavor grapes; while 2008 was cooler and wetter, resulting in a more European style, earthy wine. The Topiary is made in the right bank Bordeaux style - thus a Cabernet Franc based wine and the 2008 vintage provides a greenish, peppery, food friendly wine. What's nice about the Boxwood tasting bar's is the enomatic system - where you can sample vertical tastings of the Topiary as well as Bordeaux wines crafted by wineries where Stephane Derenoncourt consults.

Next weekend we are heading down to Nelson County for The Festy music festival - held at award winning brewery Devil's Backbone Brewing Company. In between we plan on visiting a few of the area's excellent wineries and the other brewery in the county: Blue Mountain Brewery. Let us know which wineries you suggest we visit.

• Afton Mountain Vineyards
• Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery
• DelFosse Vineyards & Winery
• Democracy Vineyards
• Flying Fox Vineyard
• Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery
• Lovingston Winery
• Mountain Cove Vineyards
• Veritas Vineyards
• Wintergreen Winery

State Attorney General Submits Testimony on HR5034 Drafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff testified before the House Judiciary Committee this week in support of HR5034 and it now surfaces that his testimony was drafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. How do we know? Check out this article by the Salt Lake Tribune. The electronic MS Word document he submitted unfortunately for him contained "ppisano” as the author. Who's "ppisano”. None other than Paul Pisano, general counsel for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. While Shurtleff is ranting that we need to minimize lawsuits or perhaps to "protect the children" by passing this law, he is just covering up his affiliation with the NBWA. And that begs the question, "why is a state Attorney General so close to a wholesaler organization"? Does Congress need anymore evidence that this legislation is just a power grab by wholesalers? Not when the wholesalers are dropping $10k into their campaign funds - regardless of party affiliation.

Paradise Springs Winery Wins 2010 Governor's Cup for White Wine

For those who pay attention to the Virginia Wine scene, this is already old news, but for those of you who don't, last night Paradise Springs Winery was awarded the 2010 Governor's Cup for their 2009 Chardonnay Reserve! That is the white wine version. (The red wine version was awarded to King Family Vineyards for their 2007 Meritage last winter.) This is a notable achievement for Paradise Springs, not only because they are such a young winery, and because it the first time since 1991 that a Chardonnay has won the award, but more importantly its redemption for the painful process they endured when opening the winery. We will let them re-tell that story or read about our previous visit here. Congratulations to Ms. Knicheloe, Kirk, and the rest of the crew.

Hearing for HR5034 Today

The House Judiciary Committee responsible for voting on the anti-consumer, anti-winery HR5034 occurs today. You can watch live here (RealPlayer), or check out the Twitter feeds for #5034.

New Jersey Wineries Coming of Age

Check out this article on the state of New Jersey wineries. Apparently they are flourishing; time to head to the Garden State.

Jack Tomasello checks Cabernet Sauvignon grapes Sept. 8 at Tomasello Winery in Hammonton.

Photo by: Michael Ein

Wine Club Zone

A new wine social networking site called, Wine Club Zone, has just launched. By registering with the site you can keep informed of activities in your region, rate wine clubs, and view various blog postings. This site is the first we are aware that allows users to rate wine clubs - not a bad option considering the amount of money people spend at these sources.

MyJoogTV Episode 4: soihadto & Brewer's Art

Next door at MyJoogTV, we just released Episode 4 which features the band soihadto in a discussion of beer and music while sipping beer from Brewer's Art. Never heard of soihadto? For you Foodies over at FoodBuzz, this band includes Chef Duff from Charm City Cakes and the Food Network's Ace of Cakes. However, the band is just not Duff; it includes several talented musicians that play a blend of funky, jamming, psychedelic, rock - whatever that is. Nevertheless, its music worth listening to - and Resurrection Ale merely enhances the sound and doesn't compensate for it (watch the intro). During the episode we discussed beer, Baltimore, touring, and much more. The video is available at MyJoogTV or by download at Tunes and for Windows Media Player.

Virginia wineries back liquor privatization proposal (?)

So says the title to this article regarding the proposed privatization of state liquor stores. But do they? Privatization was a major campaign plank for Governor Bob McDonnell (R) and he hopes to generate anywhere between $300 million and $500 million for the state’s transportation coffers. Now the Governor and First Lady have been outspoken advocates for Virginia wineries, so it is reasonable to conjecture that the The Virginia Wineries Association endorsement of the plan was a political decision rather than a decision on whether the plan actually benefits its members. On the contrary, I would suggest that individual wineries would prefer stability over the instability caused by privatization - particularly when privatization enhances the power of the - already too powerful - wholesalers oligopoly. In addition state liquor stores may be the only retail outlets (beyond the tasting room) for some Virginia wineries; now these wineries will have to rely on the three tiered market.

Now we at the libertarian WineCompass would normally endorse a decline in government's role in private industry; but not in this instance, when the government is simply transferring power to a government created oligopoly. And with HR 5034 resurfacing, the wholesalers may get even more powerful.

2010 Great American Beer Festival Winners List

For those like us who couldn't attend the 2010 Great American Beer Festival, here is the list of winners. A special shout out goes to two Nelson County breweries we plan on touring for MyJoogTV during The Festy - held October 9th-10th. Blue Mountain Brewery (Afton, VA) was awarded a Gold in the American-Style Wheat Beer category for their Sandy Bottom and a Bronze in the German-Style Kölsch category for their Kölsch151.

Neighboring Devils Backbone Brewing Co. (Roseland, VA) was awarded a Gold in the Coffee Flavored Beer category for their Baltic Coffee; another Gold in the American-Style or International-Style Pilsener for their Gold Leaf Lager; a Bronze in the English-Style Mild Ale category for their Ale of Fergus; and a second Bronze in the South German-Style Hefeweizen for their Wintergreen Weiss. Now that's a showing. Can't wait to try these beers next month.

Vincent's Vineyard - Lebanon Virginia

While attending the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, I noticed one winery present among the various craft vendors: in Vincent's Vineyard from Lebanon Virginia. The vineyard is located on a 6 generation family farm that previously cultivated tobacco. In 2001 vines were planted (mostly hybrids, Traminette, Chardonel, Chambourcin) and the fruit sold to neighboring wineries. In 2008, a winery was constructed and completed so that the estate fruits could now be converted to wine on the premise.

In Bristol, their booth was usually busy as festival goers wither sampled the wines or lounged in recliners after purchasing a bottle. We started with the 2009 Cabernet Franc - yes a very young wine, but one they wanted to get out early. It was a little light, but had enough cherry flavor to make it drinkable. And for fruit grown in that location, it probably is a very good wine. The hybrids are the winery's strength. The Angler's Choice is an off-dry wine made from Chardonel. It is flavorful,which isn't the case with most wines made from this grape. The Traminette was even nicer, slightly spicy but with even more fruit flavor. This may have been my favorite. Even though its made semi-sweet, you can't really tell. You can tell with the semi-sweet, Chambourcin based Make Me Blush. Lots of cherry flavor, but too sweet for my taste. The sweetest wines are the Shepherd's Red and Shepherd's White. The later is a blend of Chardonel and Vidal, while the red is pure Chambourcin. And that one was quite good - not over the top sweet. For a young winery and for making wines to fit a sweeter palette, these were decent wines. And nice to see them in Bristol.

Mountfair Vineyards - Crozet, Virginia

Our friend Dezel, from My \Vine Spot has been touting Mountfair Vineyards for a year now so we finally took his advice and visited the winery during a trip to Afton. The drive to the winery was quite interesting as we bailed out of route 29 and took the back roads from Madison, twisting and turning along country roads, past pastures, and the Walton Homestead, and into north Crozet. It was construction day as the staff was building and painting a patio for special nuptials planned for next week. But fortunately they had time for visitors.

The winery and tasting room at Mountfair are located in an old horse barn, adjacent to a row of Tannat. The Blue Ridge Mountains are clearly visible, not only from behind the winery but on the wine's label. The estate vineyards are planted with classic Bordeaux varieties as are the other fruit they source. For this winery makes wine not only just from these grape varieties, but only red wines from the classics. And excluding a soon to be released series, the wines are classic blends. In honor of next weekend, we started with the 2008 Engagement - a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot aged in neutral oak. This is an easy drinking wine - smooth and fruity. The interestingly named Wooloomooloo 2008 was next and this Petit Verdot dominate wine is a much bigger wine, from the nose to the tail. Yea, its also aged a little longer, but even with the extra tannins, its still relatively smooth. Two nice Bordeaux blends, Dezel is right - this is what makes wines from the Monticello AVA so appealing.

Being in the trade, they graciously brought out three upcoming releases. The 2008 Indigenous is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot harvested from the estate. This is a special wine, only 75 cases available, and believe me, they will go fast. Even with the bottle shock, this is already a delicious wine - give it a couple months - and..... - buy it now. The final two are single varietals (Cabernet Franc and Merlot) especially made for the restaurant market but will be available at the winery - think UVA tailgates. The wines are prices slightly lower than the blends and, are actually blends themselves (80-20) - although state law allows then to be designated single varietal. These are nice wines, obviously not as complex as the other brands - but still good wines. This entire portfolio and the easy going style of the team makes this a destination worth the crazy drive. Actually, if one starts from Charlottesville, the drive is quite easy - just be prepared for a slow trek coming from the north. By either direction, we will return.

MyJoogTV Release Day: Thursday, September 9th

Thursday morning, the first two episodes of MyJoogTV will be released. MyJoogTV is a collaboration between Wine-Compass and MyJoog where we pair our favorite musicians with makers of fine wines, brews, spirits, or anything else that is fermented. The first two episodes feature Cadillac Sky at Tarara Vineyard & Winery and Holy Ghost Tent Revival visiting Flying Dog Brewery. The episodes will be available at MyJoogTV.com using the MyJoogTV tag as well as on iTunes. The iTunes podcasts can be downloaded to any ipod or viewed using the iTunes desktop application.

2010 Maryland Governor's Cup Competition

The Maryland Wineries Association just released the results of the 2010 Maryland Governor's Cup Competition with the cup going to Fiore Winery for their Sangiovese 2007. Plus their apple wine must be pretty good. Congratulations. The official presentation will occur during The 27th Anniversary Maryland Wine Festival®, September 18-19 at the Carroll County Farm Museum, Westminster, Maryland.

Best of Class Awards
Best Red: Fiore Winery • Sangiovese 2007
Best Rosé: Knob Hall Winery • Rosé Reserve
Best Red Blend: Serpent Ridge Vineyard • Basilisk 2008
Best Off-Dry: St. Michaels Winery White • 2009
Best Fruit: Fiore Winery • Apple-luscious

Gold Medalists
Black Ankle Vineyards • Crumbling Rock 2008
Black Ankle Vineyards • Rolling Hills 2008
Cygnus Wine Cellars • Blanc de Blanc 2008
Dove Valley Vineyard & Winery • Gold 2008
Fiore Winery • Apple-lucious
Fiore Winery • Sangiovese 2007
Knob Hall Winery • Chambourcin 2009
Knob Hall Winery • Rosé Reserve 2009
Knob Hall Winery • Semi-dry Rosé 2009
Little Ashby Vineyards • Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Little Ashby Vineyards • Super Talbot 2007
Serpent Ridge Vineyard • Basilisk 2008
St. Michaels Winery • "Martha" Chambourcin 2008
St. Michaels Winery • St. Michaels White 2009
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard • EVOE! 2007

Cruising in Adams County Pennsylvania

For the past couple years we've been following the Skyla Burrell Blues Band - seen them in Florida and Baltimore - but never at a regular stop in their touring schedule: Adams County Winery. Perfect for MyJoogTV; an awesome blues band and a venue that produces wine; but not the wine we are accustomed to in northern Virginia. Since 90% of their customers prefer sweet wines, that is the style the winery produces. There are some dry and off-dry wines to appease the owner's palette - as well as any other dry wine drinkers who visit - but the majority of wines range from semi-sweet to sweet. The grapes are not your typical vinifera varieties either. Yea, there's a Cabernet, a Chardonnay, and a Riesling; but most wines are made from native labrusca (niagara, concord, catawba, cayuga); hybrids (vidal and traminette); or fruit. For our tasting with the Skyla Burrell Blues Band, owner John Kramb chose their three best selling wines: Tears of Gettysburg (majority Niagara); Rusty's Red (Concord and Niagara) and Scrapple - a sweet cranberry\apple wine. Yes the wines were sweet; but not sickly so - just enough to enhance the fruit flavors. We also learned the production process in order to make sweet wines and we discussed the blues. Then we sat and listened to a great set - all original rockin' blues.

Since we don't make it out to Adams County too often we left before the second set to explore two other wineries in the region. The first was Reid's Orchard & Winery - new to the wine business but an operating orchard for the past 35 years. Some of the grape varieties were similar to those at Adams County Winery - but there was more viniferia - Pinot Noir Syrah, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese. And better yet, Mr. Reid blends these - not many single varietal reds available. That's what we like to see. And they are not bad al all - try the Trioka or the Reid's Red. And like Adams County Winery - they have a satellite tasting facility in downtown Gettysburg.

We intended to head to Appalachian Brewing Company in downtown Gettysburg - but saw a sign for Hauser Estate Winery. Why not. This is another new winery which we were vaguely familiar since the Skyla Burrell Blues Band plays at the venue on some Friday nights. And these must be fun nights - the view is fantastic - overlooking the historic Round Barn and the rolling hills into Gettysburg. Since we had one more stop, we limited our tasting to the ciders and lower end wines; the premiums will wait another day. The ciders were excellent - particularly those blended with multiple apple varieties. The wines - a little disappointing. Most were single varietals that lacked flavor and depth. Maybe we should have gone directly to the premium list. But we will be back one night when Skyla's on the patio.

We finally made it into Gettysburg and rolled in right next to General Lee's Headquarters. That's the location for the Appalachian Brewing Company. We had intended to head north into Harrisburg to their main brewery - but decided a shorter trip was more prudent. And the beers are the same - brewed in Harrisburg and shipped south. We chose a sampler - eight beers - which gave us a good representation of the brewery's portfolio. Interestingly we enjoyed all but the seasonals - threw them back. But the main line is good - just what you would expect from each style - except for the Pale Ale. That beer has subtle hops - which allows the malt flavor to dominate - no west coast pale ale here. But their IPA is the hop bomb and really cleans the palette. If trying multiple beers - be warned - drink this last or else the lighter beers will taste bland. When in fact, the lighter beers are perhaps the strength of their styles. The lager has more flavor then any lager we've had previously and the hefe - is quite nice. We look forward to heading all the way into Harrisburg - that's where the music is - and a hotel.

Poor, Poor Wine Corks

Boy, have times changed when screw caps were the ugly duckling. Take a look at this BBC report: Putting the screw on wine corks

Harvest Hosts: Something New for RV Vineyard Travelers

Courtesy of the Norton Travelers:

Disclaimer: The writer is a member, but not associated with the Harvest Hosts organizers.

Do you travel by RV (recreational vehicle) and enjoy visiting vineyards? This is the case for us. There have been long trips made bearable with vineyard tour breaks along the way. And there have been trips made specifically to visit vineyards in only one geographical area or state. Over the years we have stayed overnight at vineyards with the permission of the owners. This has been usually because of vineyard events, literally getting lost, or waiting for next day winery opening hours. Now there is a new RV vineyard travel venue provided by Harvest Hosts.

Already in Harvest Hosts? first year of operation, there are over 160 vineyards (with new additions each month) belonging to a winery organization that allows you to stay overnight with them at no cost. Sure, there are wineries sporting full service fee camping with water and electricity in Arkansas, Idaho, Virginia, etc., but with a Harvest Hosts annual membership you get a downloadable listing of select vineyards that will let you stay without hookups FREE. Since most RVs are self-contained units, the possibilities of wine tour travel is unlimited from Florida-to-Maine-to-Washington State-to-California and almost every state in between.

FREE does not come without some very easy to live with restrictions and a simple Harvest Hosts membership Code of Conduct which includes: courtesy; calling ahead for confirmation space; arriving during business hours; checking if the host allows pets; staying no longer than 24 hours; take all trash with you; etc. Realize that these selected vineyard sites are not campgrounds, but are hosts that invite you to stay onsite and visit their winery. Required calling ahead secures if an overnight site is available. Most vineyards are limited to 1-to-4 vehicle and not available during special events as reunions, weddings, business receptions, or when they may be seasonally closed.

Benefits have included sitting quietly at a closed vineyard by yourself viewing sunsets with wine in hand, meeting some truly interesting vintners after winery hours, sharing with others lovely wines and travel ideas, or eating evening gourmet meals at the vineyard?s restaurant and retiring comfortably to your nearby RV. If you can live without RV hookups, a few common sense rules, and enjoy visiting vineyards, let me encourage you to look into Harvest Hosts (http://www.harvesthosts.com/).

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company 30th Anniversary Jack & Ken's Ale

It's hard to believe but the pioneering craft brewer, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is celebrating it's 30th Anniversary. To commemorate this longevity the brewery is offering a few anniversary beers - including the one I purchased: Jack & Ken's Ale. The beer was made in honor of and with participation from Jack McAuliffe, who was the first American "micro" brewer. "His tiny New Albion Brewery in Sonoma, California inspired countless dreamers to start small-scale breweries of their own" - including Ken Grossman and Sierra Nevada. "This Black Barleywine Ale is a nod to the legendary ales New Albion served at their legendary summer solstice parties". This is a barley wine, made strong (over 10% abv), dark and full bodied. It is extremely smooth however, and I finished the bottle after a 15 mile bike rode. Very refreshing for a strong dark beer. The reason - a nice balance of malt and hops.

Virginia First Lady visits several Northern Virginia Wineries

For the first two days of this week, First Lady Maureen McDonnell will conduct a series of wine tours in Northern Virginia as a part of The First Lady’s Initiatives Team Effort. The group will visit Chrysalis Vineyards, Breaux Vineyards, Tarara Vineyards, Pearmund Cellars, Rappahannock Cellars, Philip Carter Winery. No doubt she will be able to sample some excellent Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot - grape varieties that do very well in the region.

MyJoogTV:Uncle Dave Huber @ Black Ankle Vineyards

Last night we filmed our third episode of MyJoogTV, where we pair musicians with makers of wine, beer, and spirits. This show featured Ed Boyce, co-owner of Black Ankle Vineyards in a discussion of wine and blues with Uncle Dave Huber, a local blues musician. Specifically, we discussed terrior, Black Ankle wines, markets, and the blues. We then filmed a couple songs performed by Uncle Dave. The video podcast should be available at the end of the month.

Sunset Hills Vineyard: Cabernet Franc Tasting

Yesterday I escaped the suburbs for a taste of wine in Loudoun wine country by visiting Sunset Hills Vineyard. I had intended to sample some wine along with our friend, Jim Corcoran from neighboring Corcoran Vineyards, but instead participated in a wine tasting class hosted by Sunset Hill's winemaker, Nate Walsh. Sunset Hills is now known for their fabulous Viognier, but this class was an introduction to their Cabernet Franc offers through a vertical and horizontal tasting. Mr. Walsh lead us through five cabernet franc wines, some styles within the same year (horizontal) and others from differing years (vertical).

He first explained why Cabernet Franc is well suited for the Virginia climate. First, the grape seems to thrive in the clay soils. Second, the grape ripens early and is thus relatively unaffected by late season rain. Yes, Virginia can receive abundant late summer or early fall rain thanks to hurricanes or tropical storms moving north. Since the grape ripens early, this excess rain will not result in the plant generating more juice, thus diluting the overall concentration. And finally, Cabernet Franc grows in loose clusters, which enables air to move between the individual grapes - reducing chances of mold or rot that normally would result from the regions high summer humidity.

Now for the wines. We started with a dry rose, which actually contains a hint of sweetness from not allowing all the grape's sugar to ferment. However this sweetness is nicely balanced with an acidic finish - a nice summer wine. We then sampled a vertical tasting from grapes harvested from Benevino Vineyards. This estate lies higher in elevation and with more limestone soils, thus producing a different flavor composition from Sunset Hill's estate grown Cabernet Franc. The 2008 was made in a lighter style whereas the 2009 was given extended maturation which means after fermenting the juice sat with the skins and seeds for a few additional weeks. The result of yearly differences and this winemaking technique is a fuller wine. Even though this wine will remain in the barrel for another year, I liked it a lot more than the 2008.

We tasted the last two wines out of order - accidents happen - starting with the 2007 Reserve Cabernet Franc. It is well known the 2007 was an incredible growing season in Virginia, and this wine reflects the year. The winery also reduced yields, resulting in even more concentrated fruit. The result is an outstanding wine - full bodied, tannins suitable for aging - but not overpowering. Today may have been the last time tasting this one - supplies are very limited. We then retreated to the 2008 Cabernet Franc which wasn't bad; but after the '07, any comparison would be unfair. But it was a nice exercise in the difference that a single year can make. While not as full bodied, it has more pepper and spices than the preceding year and less tannins. Overall, not a bad wine.

After the class I did get a chance to share a bottle of the 2007 Reserve Cabernet Franc with Jim and a couple new friends. With Patty Reese playing in the background it was the best possible example why its worthy to drive an hour into the country: good wine, music, and friends.

New Brewery in Northern Virginia: Mad Fox Brewing Company

We've always lamented the lack of brewpubs in Northern Virginia. Yes there are a few, but with traffic, they might as well be two states away. However, that situation was alleviated this July with the opening of Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church. The brewpub\restaurant is owned and operated by Bill Madden and Rick Garvin, the former a well known brewer, the later a Master Beer Judge in the Beer Judge Certification Program. Nice pedigrees. In fact Madden is mostly known for his work at Capitol City Brewing in Washington DC and Vintage 50 in Leesburg, Virginia. Now he has his own place. The brewpub is located in the middle of Falls Church on Broad Street and features several German beer styles that Madden has mastered.

We arrived this past Saturday to a packed bar - but the brewpub is spacious enough to allow us to grab a seat. There were several families in attendance which was good to note for future outings. Plus the kitchen cooks every meal from scratch - event the cucumbers are pickled in house. However, instead of a food, we stuck to the beers and tried five brews: Altbier, Kolsch, Lindy's Weisse, 80 Shilling, and Wee Heavy. The first and last were our overall favorites - but don't ignore the middle. In order to mimic the flavors from those made in the German Dusseldorf region, Madden uses Munich and Chocolate wheat malts along with Spalt hops to create a perfectly balanced beer. Flavorful and smooth with a slight hop tail. The Kolsch will be our beer of choice when coming off the bike path. It is hoppier than most Cologne versions but the extra hops adds just enough refreshing characteristics to make this more than just a "light" beer. We were glad to see a hefeweisen offered and their Lindy's Weisse is a true Bavarian style Hefe. It is unfiltered, yeasty, and full of wheat flavor that includes an interesting mix of citrus and banana. Next up was the 80 Shilling served from the cask and this was actually a little disappointing. Just no real flavor - and we usually enjoy beers from the cask because the lower carbonation and higher serving temperatures usually enhance the flavor. This beer was soon forgotten when we sipped the Wee Heavy, a Scottish Ale and served in a sifter (8.6% abv). This is a sweet beer - some toffee flavors and is lightly hopped - just a full styled beer. Nicely done.

There is no doubt that the Mad Fox Brewing Company will become a regular stop in our beer adventures. Plus living so close and being less than a mile from the Old Dominion bike path makes it all too easy to become a regular. See you there.

Forgotten Grapes

When Wine-Compass.com first started we published a regular Wine 101 series featuring relatively unknown grapes - primarily of the labrusca variety, but also some hybrids, muscadine, norton, and viniferia grapes. Over time we fell behind posting new articles on the subject and eventually the series fading away. However, this week we discovered a wine writer who has created a similar series - albeit way more robust than anything we published. The writer is Chris Kern and the website, ForgottenGrapes.com. Mr. Kern spends more time on "forgotten" viniferia varieties than our series - which is a good thing - since many of these grapes are popular in other parts of the world. Based out west, Kern has scheduled several “Getting Friendly with Forgotten Grapes” seminars at wineshops along the east coast. Prices vary for each event, but each include generous pours of each of the five Forgotten Grape wines, and a cheese plate paired with the wine. If you are unable to attend one of these events, we most definitely recommend visiting ForgottenGrapes.com to increase your knowledge and appreciation of these grapes.

• Tues., August 17th Baltimore, MD V-NO Wine Bar in Fells Point
  905 South Ann Street in Baltimore
  First wine poured at 6:30pm. $29 per person includes the show and pours of all five Forgotten Grape varietals. For reservations call V-NO at (410) 342-8466
  
  
• Wed., August 18th Arlington, VA Twisted Vines Bottleshop & Bistro
  2803 Columbia Pike in Arlington
  First wine poured at 6:30pm. $35 per person includes the show and pours of all five Forgotten Grape varietals. Food will also be available for purchase at Twisted Vines. For reservations call Twisted Vines at (571) 482-8581
  
  
• SPECIAL FIVE-COURSE FORGOTTEN GRAPES-PAIRED GOURMET DINNER
  Fri., August 20th Wilmington, NC Temptations Everyday Gourmet
  3501 Oleander Drive, Suite 13 in the Hanover Center
  Dinner begins at 6:30pm. $75 per person includes the show, pours of all five Forgotten Grape varietals, and five specially prepared culinary creations from two of Wilmington’s Top Chefs, Michael Comer and Virginia Thompson, paired with each Forgotten Grape wine
  For reservations call Temptations at (910) 763-6662
  
  
• Sat., August 21st Wilmington, NC The Seasoned Gourmet
  1930 Eastwood Road, Suite 105 in the Lumina Commons
  Dinner begins at 6:30pm. $45 per person includes the show, pours of all five Forgotten Grape varietals, and five unique “tapas-style” bites created by The Seasoned Gourmet owner and culinary mastermind Susan Boyles to complement each Forgotten Grape wine. For reservations call The Seasoned Gourmet at (910) 256-9488

Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival

Anyone looking for a great festival at the end of August, take a look at the Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival. This festival is produced by the same company who brings us Das Best Oktoberfest and The Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival. The event occurs August 21st from noon-7:00pm at National Harbor. Here's the link for the beer vendors; plenty of Heavy Seas and Brewery Ommegang on tab. And get ready to listen to Looking for Lester and Junk Food. Besides loads of beer and crabs, here's what to expect:

* Lots of Summer Time Fun For The Whole Family
* THOUSANDS of CRABS and other great foods on-hand.
* There will be over 50 beers, wines and a few spirits. All of your favorite craft beers and perfectly paired wines will be served to highlight the seafood on-hand.
* Enjoy The Heavy Seas Beer Experience
* Enjoy The “Soon To Be World Famous” Chilled Tequila Tasting Bar. Margaritas and Wine-A-Ritas available for additional purchase.
* Taste The Great Food. There is Great Crabs and MORE CRABS and MORE CRABS and even MORE CRABS.
* Other great food options will be on-site as well for an additional purchase - summer favorites like hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, pit beef, barbecue and other options.
* Live Music on The Main Stage! Enjoy the Sounds of local and regional favorite bands as they rock the waterfront.
* Special Kids Area and Family Fun Zone. Come and enjoy the moon bounces, activity centers and other great options so that the little ones can come out and enjoy too.
* Thousands of Tables and Chairs and Huge Tents for crackin’ to your heart’s content undercover with the beautiful summer breezes from the water. We’ve even ordered enough crab paper to stretch all the way across The Potomac and back.
* All the show features are undercover- so Rain or Shine- you should be fine.

MyJoogTV:Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ Flying Dog Brewery

Tonight we film our second episode of MyJoogTV, where we pair musicians with makers of wine, beer, and spirits. This show will feature Holy Ghost Tent Revival in a discussion of beer and music with Abby Casarella, from Flying Dog Brewery. We plan on discussing touring, beer labels, Frederick, and anything else that comes to mind. We will then follow HGTR to Cafe Nola where they will be performing this evening. The show starts at 9:00 and best of all, it's FREE; come on out to see a great show. Plus Flying Dog beer is served at the cafe. And the video podcast should be available at the end of the month.

Zwack Maximilian

As a small country, Hungarian produces an abundant assortment of beer, wine, spirits, and liquors. One that I have always shied away from is the very popular Zwack Unicum - a licorice-flavored digestif liquor that was first produced in 1790 during the Habsburg dynasty. However, when Mrs. WineCompass returned with a bottle containing the Zwack label, I took a deeper interest in the distillery and found a very adventurous and enduring family history. The bottle in question was the recently released Zwack Maximilian, a brandy made in Kecskemet from late-harvest Furmint grapes grown in the Tokaj region. Great grape, great growing region - a nice start. Then the brandy is aged in oak barrels and bottled by hand, and the result is a fine, fine brandy. And it has an interesting story - made from a long-lost family recipe first concocted in 1912. From 1790 to the second world war, the Zwack distillery operated continually in Budapest under several forms of government - mostly unopposed. However, WWWII was different and the distillery was destroyed along with the rest of the city by American bombers and Soviet troops. The rest is from the company's history page:

• "After the war, during which the family lived in a cellar with two unexploded bombs, which they nicknamed Rózsa and Zsuzsa, over their heads, Mitzi's two brothers, János and Béla, completely rebuilt the factory using the most modern technology available at the time. When, in 1948, the firm was finally ready to resume production at pre-war levels, the newly instated Communist government confiscated everything the family possessed with no compensation and "the world as I knew it", to quote Péter Zwack the present heir to the Zwack Company, "came to an end". János fled to the West sitting on his shooting stick under an upturned barrel with the Unicum recipe in his breast pocket, having bribed the Russian drivers to take him across the border. Béla chose to remain in Hungary and was deported, together with thousands of other "class enemies", to eke out a miserable existence on the Great Hungarian Plain. Péter Zwack took a train to the Yugoslav border and then walked his way to Trieste where, with an overwhelming surge of joy and relief, he saw the British fleet at anchor in the bay.
• Péter Zwack returned to Europe in 1970. By then Unicum was already being successfully marketed and distributed in Italy, while Péter Zwack's role became that of opening up new markets and reviving old ones. As the winds of change swept over the whole Eastern bloc, Péter started to receive overtures from Hungary inviting him to return and take over the running of this old family factory.
• In 1987, while Hungary was still a Communist country, he took a gamble and returned home together with his family.
• Initially, he entered into a Joint Venture with the Hungarian State, and then in 1991, together with his partner, Emil Underberg, also a family company, he repurchased the entire State-owned conglomerate incorporating thirteen factories and thirteen hundred workers."

Today the distillery operates out of Kecskemet, a plant I must visit on our next trip overseas. And as for Unicum, maybe I was sampling the communist version and not the family version. The Zwack Maximilian - may last another week.

HR 5034 - CNN

Our friend Dezel from My Virginia Wine Spot was featured in this CNN clip regarding H.R. 5034. The battle is ongoing, contact your rep today.

MyJoogTV: Cadillac Sky @ Tarara Winery

Last night we filmed our inaugural episode of MyJoogTV, where we pair musicians with makers of wine, beer, and spirits. This show featured bluegrass sensation Cadillac Sky in a discussion of wine and music with Jordan Harris, the winemaker at Tarara Vineyard & Winery. Specifically we discussed the similarities with winemaking and composing music as well as the shared experience of facing critics - consumers, experts, and within the industry. During the discussion we sampled three yet to be bottled wines in Tarara's new "Nova" series. These wines are made from the best grapes grown in specific vineyards or appellations and the futures are actually already sold out. The episode also includes a songs from Cadillac Sky's performance that evening at the winery and should be ready for download in two weeks. Thanks also to Echo Propp, from WAMU Bluegrass Country, for participating as well.

Episode 1: Cadillac Sky @ Tarara Winery