WineCompass: Drink Local

Friday, May 1, 2015

Reminiscing about #DLW12 & #COWine with the Garfield Estates 2011 S²

Facebook happened to remind me last week that three years ago I (somehow) joined a prestigious group of wine writers and bloggers on a field trip to Colorado Wine country. The trip was planned in conjunction with the 2012 DrinkLocalWine.com conference being held in Denver. Before the conference, our group visited the western wine regions of Colorado, specifically the Grand Valley AVA centered between Grand Junction and Palisades and Delta and Montrose counties. One of our stops on this trip was Garfield Estates Vineyard & Winery, located in Palisade at the base of Mt. Garfield. At the time the winery was owned and operated by Jeff Carr and the 2010 S² (S-squared) ($15) white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon was a major hit. Last month, while visiting with Dezel at My Vine Spot, he gave me an extra bottle of the 2011 vintage from his collection. The wine is very reminiscent of the 2010 that I had noted on that visit, a noticeable grapefruit profile, creamy texture, finishing with vibrant acids. This is fantastic wine at an attractive price. In August 2013, Carr sold the winery to the Barratt family, with daughter Allison soon taking over the wine making responsibilities. Let's hope she continues the good work. Cheers.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

NFL Super Bowl XLVIII - Where to Drink Local

Are you ready for some football. As you are aware this is Super Bowl week as game XLVIII kicks off this Sunday February 2nd at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Yes a cold weather venue so attendees should be prepared to stock up on warming wines, brews and spirits. Since the game features two teams whose host cities (Seattle and Denver) are well versed in the local craft wine, beer and spirits movements, here is where these fans can find their equivalent in New Jersey and New York. Better yet, theCompass Alcohol Locator mobile application can navigate you to any of these destinations as the image to the left depicts.

The closest establishments to the stadium in New jersey are the New Jersey Beer Company in North Bergen followed by the Bolero Snort Brewery in Ridgefield Park. I've never tried their beers, but I'm sure there are flavors for everyone. Furthermore west there are a plethora of breweries plus two distilleries, the Black Prince Distillery and Jersey Artisan Distilling. Distillery tours are now allowed in New Jersey, but contact the distillery before visiting to ensure that they are open and offer tours.

For those visiting or staying in New York City, there are a host of establishments in almost all of the boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. The most well known would be Brooklyn Brewery and the brewery offers a nice tour and tasting experience. Another well known Brooklyn brewery, Sixpoint Brewery, has put their tours on temporary hiatus while they renovate the distillery. While in Brooklyn schedule a weekend tour at New York Distilling Company or The Noble Experiment NYC and see why craft distilleries are popping up in the "City of Churches". Across the East River, in Manhattan there are several new brewpubs that have serviced and from previous visits we recommend the Chelsea Brewing Company.

Looking forward to a great Super Bowl and if you plan to visit one of these establishments beforehand, call ahead to verify hours. Cheers yo drinking local and an entertaining Super Bowl.

New Jersey Breweries & Distilleries near East Rutherford

Brewery