Demarest Hill Winery & Distillery - The Everything Store for Craft Beverages

Francesco Ciummo is a pioneer - yes they still exist. He learned how to graft vines at 17, moved to Belgium at 20 to work as a coal miner, then emigrated to Venezuela and learned the auto body trade. In 1961, at 26 years old, he came to the United States eventually purchasing a body shop in Bergenfield, NJ. Ciummo retired at 55, and soon afterward purchased 135 acres in Warwick, NY where he planted a vineyard. He opened Demarest Hill Winery in 1998 then started tinkering in other craft beverages such as distilled products in 2006 and hard cider more recently. Not satisfied with a limited portfolio, Ciummo has explored the boundaries of wine, spirits, vinegar, and flavorings currently offering over 90 distinct products for sale - 33 of which are distilled spirits and liquors.

During a Christmas Break visit, we sampled many of these offerings with a keen interest in the unique distilled products. For instance, Ciummo distills a rather tasty Clear Grappa but also sells versions augmented with honey, raisins, or figs. He follows a similar pattern with grape brandy, selling versions aged in Cherry Tree wood and our favorite the Triple Tree Plus Brandy ($22) – aged from maple, oak, apple, cherry and cedar trees from his property. I also enjoyed the Dandelion Brandy ($22) distilled with a dandelion flower mash and serves as a suitable digestif. The Sherry is suggestive of Jerez and the Tropical Liquore - a version of the Dominican drink "Mamajuana" is a blend of rum, red wine, and honey aged in the bottle with tree bark and herbs. And his fruit brandies, Cherry and Peach are sweet - but loaded with flavor.

As for wine, a majority of the products are on the sweeter scale but there are several dry offerings that are pleasant. The estate Dry Aurora - a white hybrid grape variety produced by Albert Seibel - is complex and interesting. And the off-dry Riesling comes across drier as the acids enable a crisp and clean finish. For reds, the Bacchus Noir made from Baco Noir was our favorite followed by the Warwick Black Pearl and Warwick Red Deer composed of De Chaunac and Marechal Foch respectively. For a final, try the Apple Cider and Rum ($14) which is only 2% alcohol but provides a delicious and deep apple flavor.

USBevX 2018: #Wine Writers, What Are They Looking For?

Photo Courtesy of  Kathy Lang Wiedermann -Virginia Made

A huge thanks to Jenn Nelson of Wine Antics for live blogging the Wine Writers, What Are They Looking For? session at the 2018 US Wine & Beverage Conference. This two-day conference in Washington D.C. is targeted towards wineries to provide education in the fields of vineyard management, wine-making, and marketing.  The Wine Writers session was one of a few that were very relevant to content providers and fortunately I was able to watch the proceedings live via Jenn's video.  This session was moderated by Eric Guerra, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer Terravant Wine Company, and featured Carlo DeVito Owner Hudson-Chatham Winery  plus three wine writers: Lenn Thompson, Frank Morgan, and Paul Vigna. A stellar cast.  I would strongly encourage interested readers to watch the entire video, but here are my comments on what was discussed and what was omitted. Cheers.

Educate Tasting Room Staff
This dictum should be obvious but even the organizers of USBevX realized it's lacking since they created a session on this very topic. Perhaps, turnover is a contributing factor, but I continue to witness this irritating display of ignorance.  On one extreme, I remember Dezel Quillen's (MyVineSpot) story how he mispronounced Virginia's signature grape Vee-og-ney for a substantial period because that's how a staff member pronounced it during his introduction to the grape. On the lesser extreme I've engaged staff who are unfamiliar with where a vinifera grape originated, a blend composition, or even what grapes are planted in the estate vineyard.  Simply unacceptable. And staff should be honest if they do not know the answer to a question. Do not guess. One tip that Lenn Thompson suggested was not only sending writers technical sheets, but post that information on your website. I would expand that and suggest having technical sheets available at the tasting room. At the very least, it would assist educating the staff and more importantly it can be distributed to wine geeks who ask more probing questions.

Tell a Story
How can wineries differentiate their brand from the hundreds or even thousands of competing options? That question not only was raised during this session, but has been overarching dilemma of the craft wine explosion.  In addition to producing the best wine possible, a common answer is to create compelling stories behind your establishment. Frank Morgan mentioned Old Westminster Winery as an example with their family story and social media engagement.  However, the story doesn't have to revolve solely around the family.  The region's history can be stressed as is the case at The Winery at Bull Run who display Civil War artifacts in their tasting room.  Another option is highlighting a particular grape variety. Hudson-Chatham's story revolves around Baco Noir -- although their Chelois is just as intriguing.  If you produce an Albarino, focus on the grape's Galicia home as well as how your wine differs from those from Riax Baixas - perhaps through annual comparative tastings. Even normally pedestrian grapes such as Pinot Gris can be a focal point. Recently I tasted a rather noteworthy Pinot Gris from Boordy Vineyards. When I mentioned this to Dr. Joe Fiola, his eyes gleamed as he enthusiastically discussed the specific vineyard block that produced that wine. Boordy should share that knowledge - perhaps present samples of dirt in the tasting room and explain how the soil and sunlight affect the wine. Provide us a reason to visit.

Expand Beyond Experienced Content Providers
A valid question was raised during the seminar on how to differentiate between the bloggers, particularly when new content providers seem to be appearing overnight. The panelists gave two equally valid responses. First, look for content providers who have organically written about your area as this demonstrates a degree of excitement towards your location. Paul Vigna's Penn Live is a nice example of an outlet that reports on winery tours in underrepresented locations. At the very least any state or regional winery board worth their salt should have a list of content providers that have written about that area.  The second response was to seek content providers who have large audiences. Now in some instances, these audiences may simply be the result of longevity, but at least the blogger\writer has sustained a passion for covering the wine industry.

However, I would caution about relying solely on these more experienced bloggers. You could easily overlook many talented and engaging content providers with small but growing readership. Being in the longevity camp, it is refreshing to encounter younger and perhaps more enthusiastic content providers who are not just seeking free samples. And in the DMV region there is no shortage of groups that you can contact to locate these individuals. A few Facebook examples are the Young Wino's of DC, Black Wine Lovers, and I have to include the more senior Virginia Wine Mafia.

Finally, the discussion was exclusively focused on print.  Yet there's a large array of media that are covering  craft beverage industries. Wine Antics is one example of live video blogging. There are also podcasters, social media providers, and others outside my realm. Try something different such as Winemaker's Drinking Beer. There are numerous outlets beyond experienced print bloggers.

In Defense of Red Hybrids - Vermont's Lincoln Peak Marquette

During the very first panel discussion at the 2015 Wine Bloggers Conference Madeline Puckette, the Content Director, Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine, generated controversy by asking the Introduction to the Finger Lakes Wine Country panel "Why do hybrids suck?". Many of us east coast and cold climate drinkers were taken aback. Too bad Doug Frost wasn't available, but the panel did an excellent job responding, particular MS Christopher Bates. He focused on winemaking and mentioned that there are lousy wines made from vinifera grapes as well as lousy wines made from other grape species. However, he continued, there are plenty of examples of excellent wines made using non-vinifera species. He then suggested we sample several white hybrids such as Vidal, Seyval, Traminette, and Vignoles. But notice the absence of any mention of red hybrids. A couple days later during the post conference excursion to Cayuga Lake, Jon Crupp owner of the Thirsty Owl Wine Company mentioned that he preferred white French Hybrids over their red counterparts. So where's the love for red hybrids*? Fortunately several of us at the conference where able to taste wines from two excellent red hybrid grapes, Hudson-Chatham Winery Baco Noir (courtesy of Elizabeth Smith, the TravelWineChick) and Marquette from Shelburne Vineyard and Lincoln Peak Winery  - provided by Todd Trzaskos (author of Wines of Vermont).  The Baco requires it own post, so for now let's examine the Marquette grape.


It was released by the University of Minnesota in 2006 and "originated from a cross of MN 1094, a complex hybrid of Vitis riparia, Vitis vinifera, and other Vitis species; with Ravat 262". One of it's grandparents is Pinot Noir and a great grandparent is Carmine (an offspring of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). According to Trzaskos, Marquette came to Vermont before its official release and Chris Granstrom, owner of Lincoln Peak, was one of its first proponents. The grape is hardy at 36 degrees below zero and is resistant to "downy mildew, powdery mildew, and black rot". One shortcoming, the grape has an early bud break leaving it vulnerable to late spring frosts.

The 2013 Lincoln Peak Marquette is a big wine; particularly when noting it's cold climate source. It starts with a bit of jamminess in the aroma which blows off which leads to a full bodied, dark cherry, gummy bear flavor. It finishes strong with soft tannins, plenty of acids, and a bit of spice. At the conference I recall discussing this wine with Luiz Alberto (The Wine Hub) and we agreed that it was an excellent wine, not just as simply a Marquette wine, but for any wine. Carlo Devito, proprietor of  Hudson-Chatham, is also a fan responding "Immense achievement. Almost has a warm climate feel. Lovely". And Todd Trzaskos states, "Marquette is like Zweigelt in its lighter more bramble form, while bigger versions more like Mencia or Grenache... Any way around, a wine this big from cold climate vines is a real achievement".

Interestingly I had an email exchange with Puckette after the conference regarding her question and she mentioned Zweigelt, along with Seyval Blanc and Pinotage, as hybrids that have a poor reputation. She continued that hybrids are just a little misunderstood. Noting the irony of her first statement, I concur immensely with her second. Cheers to hybrids, both the red and white varieties.

* I'm referring to both French Hybrids and American cold climate grape varieties when using the term hybrids.

The United Grapes of America - New York - Warwick Valley Winery's Black Dirt Red

Black Dirt Red Overlooking Greenwood Lake

New York State is the 4th largest producer of wine in the The United Grapes of America and most readers already are familiar with the popular wine regions of the Finger Lakes and Long Island. Less well known are the wineries of the Hudson Valley - specifically those on the Shawangunk Wine Trail. One of these wineries is a personal favorite, Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, with their portfolio of wines, ciders, brandies, and Gin. On every trip to Greenwood Lake, we stock up on their Doc's Draft Ciders (Apple, Pear, and seasonal) as well as some wine - like today's feature - the Black Dirt Red.

StarChefs.com: The United Grapes of America

The wine is composed of 100% Baco Noir, a French-American hybrid grape produced by crossing Folle Blanche, a French wine grape, and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia indigenous to North America. The grape is cold tolerant so does well in the Northeast and Canada - and particularly the Hudson Valley. The wine's name refers to the agriculture area centered in Warwick, New York - the Black Dirt Region. This area is comprised of very fertile black soil,  "left over from an ancient glacial lake bottom augmented by decades of past flooding of the Wallkill River".

Doc's Draft Ciders

Warwick Valley Winery's Black Dirt Red has all the standard Baco Noir attributes: medium bodied, cherry flavors, and easy drinking - but his seems to have a more powerful flavor profile as well as a slight spicy - almost leathery - finish.  Plus, the wine fits squarely into our budget for a nice table wine, $10.99. So give Baco Noir a try and specifically, check out the wines from New York's Hudson Valley.

Note: the Doc's Draft Ciders are also highly recommended. I tried the Apple, Pear and Sour Cherry - all have great fruit - which produces a fuller flavor profile than most dry ciders.

Glades Pike Winery

While driving from Somerset to Seven Springs Mountain Resort we've always passed Glades Pike Winery on Route 31, but have never stopped in. Until this past weekend. We won't pass the winery without stopping in again. Glades Pike has been open for almost 15 years and makes unique wines that are very characteristic for Pennsylvania wineries.

We started with the 2008 Norton made from grapes grown at famed Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg Virginia. The wine was one of the best young Norton wines we've tasted. It wasn't acidic or overly jammy - like many Nortons that haven't had a chance to age in the bottle. Instead it is very smooth with a cherry flavors and an honest chocolate finish. We also discovered an interesting note on Pennsylvania labeling laws while examining the bottle. Even though the grapes for this wine were sourced from Virginia, Glades Pike can label it Pennsylvania wine since more than 85% of the grapes came from within a 380 mile radius from the winery. Interesting.

Since Glades Pike offers nearly twenty wines, we skipped the vinifera reds (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) and chose instead two hybrid reds: the Baco Noir and DeChaunac. Might as well try something different. Both of these wines are very smooth with low tannins. We preferred the Baco Noir, with its fuller flavor and where the tasting notes were completely accurate. We tasted each fruit listed: the black cherry, raspberry and red currant. In order to satisfy the market, the winery produces a few semi-sweet and sweet red wines. The Glades Pike Red is a semi-sweet blend of the Baco Noir and Concord. The Concord contributes the strong grapey aroma whereas the Baco Noir provides the full bodied flavor. Probably without attempting, they've created a nice eastern European styled wine. For those with even a sweeter tooth there is a varietal Concord. And the best selling wine is a sweet blush - the Bicentennial Blush - made from Concord, Niagara, Cayuga and Vidal.

Turning to whites, Glades Pike produces a dry Chardonnay and dry Seyval Blanc but we preferred their off dry Riesling and Vidal Blanc. Both have nice acidity that provides a refreshing finish. The Vidal is more citrus while the Riesling possesses the standard flavor associated with the grape. Another off-dry option is the Mountain Mead, made from local honey. We liked this style - not too sweet and can envision blending with Apple wine to produce our own cyser. The winery also produces a varietal wine from one of our favorite labrusca grapes - Diamond. Theirs is made sweet and contains a hint of the labrusca foxiness - but more citrus. There's another sweet labrusca - Niagara - which reminds us of the white grape juice our son guzzled years ago.

Finally, Glades Pike wouldn't be a Pennsylvania winery without an assortment of fruit wines. Spiced Apple seems to be a state favorite, but the Black & Blue is ours. Just Blackberries and Blueberries. On occasion the winery produces a Raspberry wine, but currentlythey offer a Montmorency Cherry - served with chocolate.

For those traveling to ski from the West or who don't want to drive the 15 minutes from the resort, Glades Pike opened a tasting room a hundred yards from the Seven Springs entrance. This could be a perfect break from the slopes or when the kids are participating in Tiny Tots. We enjoyed the Norton, Baco Noir, and Vidal after skiing. With twenty wines to choose, we are sure there's something for everyone.