The United Grapes of America - Minnesota's Alexis Bailly Vineyard Voyageur

Minnesota wine was present last month at the annual Wine America Congressional Tasting through the Alexis Bailly Vineyard Voyageur ($29). The wine is a blend of Minnesota grown Marechal Foch, Leon Millot, and Frontenac. The first two grapes are French hybrids whereas the later was developed by the University of Minnesota in 1996 as an extreme cold hardy wine grape for northern growers. The wine itself, as well as the winery, is named after their 4th great grandfather, Alexis Bailly, who along with a handful of other French/Canadian pioneers (voyageurs) paddled their way through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Hastings, Minnesota. And the Marechal Foch and Leon Millot were part of the original vineyard when, in 1973, David Bailly planted the fist modern vineyard in the North Star State.

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The vineyard was inspired by not only Bailley's interest in wine but also a desire to start a business where he could deduct wine trips to Europe. I can relate to that sympathy. In 1967 he tasted the Boordy Vineyards Red from the historic Maryland winery and realized European styled wines could be made in the east. Further research lead him to Millot and Foch and over time he concluded that "the Léon Millot has made the best wine and the Maréchal Foch has been the most winter hardy".

The Voyageur is dark, both in color and black fruit forward flavors; stressing the fruit forward nature of this wine. Ten months of oak treatment comes in play during the mid-palate and outweighs the fruit, whereas the wine finishes with plenty of acids and a slight tannic coating. This wine shows well, a bit pricey in the world market, but more reasonable in the drink local market. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Kentucky's StoneBrook Winery Vidal Blanc

The annual Wine America Congressional Tasting delivered once again with a new state wine, in this case, Kentucky and the StoneBrook Winery Vidal Blanc ($13). The winery is located in the western part of the Bluegrass state, just south of Cincinnati, in the Ohio River Valley AVA. This viticultural area is the second largest in the U.S. spanning portions of four states (Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky) and encompassing 26,000 square miles. (The Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA is the largest at 29,914 square miles.) This region also possesses a long history of grape growing reaching back to the early 1820s with Catawba and Isabella being the featured grapes.  In most cases French hybrids have now replaced these native Labrusca grapes.

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StoneBrook Winery is a 5th generation farm composed of two farmsteads dating back to the 1870s and 1890s. Their tasting room is located in the remodeled Kool House originally constructed in the 1890s. Their Vidal Blanc was the winery's first estate wine and is fresh and floral on the nose, transitions to a sweet pear and grapefruit flavor finishing with decent acids to balance the sugar.  I'm sure this is their best seller. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Nebraska's Mac's Creek Vineyards & Winery Poncu

Mac's Creek Vineyards & Winery came through with another interesting wine at the annual Wine America Congressional Tasting. This was their Poncu ($25) port styled wine. The weather is too extreme in the Cornhusker state for vinifera grapes so Mac's Creek specializes in cold hardy hybrids, many created at the University of Minnesota such as Edelweiss, LaCrescent, and Frontenac.

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Founder Max McFarland explained how the Poncu is made.  They ferment Frontenac and then send the wine to a distillery where it is distilled into grape brandy. The winery then purchases the brandy, ages it in oak barrels, and then use it to fortify batches of semi-dry Frontenac. As you can see, Frontenac all the way.  The label and name honors the McFarland Family cattle brand and Max's father Dale "Bud" McFarland. Bud enjoyed Stetson hats and Poncu is what 3rd generation and co-owner Barry McFarland called his grandfather as a little boy.

The Poncu is very nice. The nose is cherry, wood, and a bit ethanol.  The oak character persists throughout and with the alcohol dampens down the sweetness.With this wine, Mac's Creek proves with a little ingenuity and working within the state regulations, a winery can produce a unique and tasteful wine - in this case a highly recommended port styled dessert wine. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Rhode Island's Greenvale Vineyards 2015 Albariño

theCompass view of
Greenvale Vineyards

It's been difficult procuring wines to continue the United Grapes of America series, but them comes along the annual Wine America Congressional Tasting featuring dozens of wines from across the United States. This event included several interesting wines with one being the Greenvale Vineyards Albarino. This Rhode Island winery is located along the Sakonnet River in Portsmouth, RI, five miles north of downtown Newport and is a member of the Coastal Wine Trail. Apparently "Greenvale is a farm that has been in the same family since 1863. It is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places". 

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For the past two months I've sipped plenty of Rías Baixas Albariño through #WineStudio's Rías Baixas sessions and the 2015 Greenvale Vineyards Albariño ($15) matches most of the characteristics I've come to expect in this style. It starts with tropical flavors with some lemon then transitions to a saline-mineral character before finishing with decent acids. Since the grapes are estate grown in the Ocean state (very close to an estuary), they share some similarities to their Galicia grown brethren. Cheers to American wineries producing wine from interesting grapes.

The United Grapes of America - Ohio's Firelands Winery 2012 Isle St. George Pinot Noir

This The United Grapes of America feature focuses on an excellent wine from Ohio, the Firelands Winery 2012 Isle St. George Pinot Noir ($16). Firelands is currently the largest winery in Ohio and is located in the northeast part of the state almost at the midpoint between Toledo and Cleveland.  Firelands refers to the "region of north central Ohio which was allotted to Connecticut citizens whose homes were burned by the British during the Revolutionary War. As they resettled, they brought with them their wine making heritage, and a love for fine wines."

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The Isle St. George AVA is the only island appellation in North America and is located on North Bass Island in western Lake Erie. The island is quite remote as it requires two ferry crossings to reach from the mainland and has only a dozen full time residents. The location is ideal for red vinifera which are unable to ripen on the mainland as Lake Erie warms the island in the fall - prolonging the growing season. It also contains limestone - perfect for Pinot Noir.

As mentioned early, this wine is excellent, light bodied with raspberry-cherry flavors, some silk and a smooth herbaceous finish. And at the price, and exceptional value. Thanks to Dave Nershi from Toledo Wines and Vines for trading this wine.

The United Grapes of America - Colorado - Creekside Cellars Franc

During the 2012 Drink Local Wine Conference, I finally met Michelle Cleveland, winemaker at Creekside Cellars. We had communicated frequently through twitter, but this was the first chance I had to sample her wine; specifically a Cabernet Franc and Viognier during the event's live twitter tasting. As I recall, both were quite pleasing and nailed the varietal character of each grape variety.  This week I had another chance to sample her wine, this time through our friends at Protocal Wine Studio and their informative #WineStudio Tuesday twitter sessions. Michelle had donated the Creekside's 2011 'Franc' Colorado Cabernet Franc ($35) for July's The Independent Spirit | Wines of the USA. 

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Colorado is a unique region for grape growing. Most of the vineyards are located in the western part of the state in the Grand Valley and West Elk AVA's in addition to the Four Corners region in the southwest.  In general, as you would expect, these are cold climate vineyards - with vineyards in the West Elk AVA the highest in the northern hemisphere. The Grand Valley AVA is a warmer micro-climate, providing over 300 days of sunshine per year  and Creekside owns a vineyard in Palisade, aptly called The Vinelands.  Here, right next to the Colorado River,  they grow Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Muscat.

The winery itself was started by Bill and Anita Donahue with their son, Tim in 1996 and is located in Evergreen - a little southwest of Denver. Michelle started working for the winery in 2005 and became the head winemaker in 2008. Once the grapes are harvested at The Vinelands, they are trucked east to Evergreen to be processed.  2011 was a cold year, even by Colorado standards: thus the yields were low, and acids high. After fermentation, the wine for the 2011 'Frank' Colorado Cabernet Franc spent 24 months in half American oak and half French oak - providing more depth, tobacco, and spices to the already black cherry character. This is a ripe Cabernet Franc, meaning little traces of herbal or green peppery character. My kind of Franc. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Wisconsin - Wollersheim Winery Domaine du Sac

It's difficult to procure wines from across the United States; you either need to travel or pay shipping fees. But fortunately through the virtues of Protocol Wine Studio's #WineStudio twitter forum (focusing on The Independent Spirit | Wines of the USA), I was able to receive a Wisconsin wine from Wollersheim Winery. This was their 2013 Domaine du Sac ($14), a blend of French-hybrids Marechal Foch (90%) and Leon Millot (10%) from the Lake Wisconsin AVA. There are actual two AVAs (Lake Wisconsin and Wisconsin Ledge) within the Badger state as well as parts of the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA which spans parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin,  Illinois, and Iowa.

Wollersheim has a compelling history. The land was orginally planted with vines by Agoston Haraszthy in the 1840's. You may recall that Haraszthy would become the Father of California Viticulture by introducing more than three hundred varieties of European grapes and founding Sonoma's Buena Vista Vineyards - with Charles Krug as the winemaker. According to wikipedia, Haraszthy is also "remembered in Wisconsin as the founder of the oldest incorporated village in the state. He also operated the first commercial steamboat on the upper Mississippi River". One fact I never knew is that he died in Nicaragua while trying to develop a sugar plantation and rum distillery.

In 1972 Bob and JoAnn Wollersheim purchased the former Haraszthy Wisconsin property from the Kehl family who had possessed the land since Haraszthy sold it to Peter Kehl, his original vineyard manager. In 1899, a bitter frost destroyed the grape vines and the farm was converted to dairy and livestock. The Wollersheim's replanted grape vines immediately, soon opened the winery, and in 1985, hired the current winemaker Philippe Coquard. In the 1970's, Wollersheim experimented with viniferia varieties based on advice from Dr. Konstantin Frank and Hermann J. Wiemer - with no long term success. Today the winery has 27 acres of hybrids and native labrusca grapes - mostly Marechal Foch, as well as Leon Millot, St. Pepin & La Crosse. 

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The  2013 Domaine du Sac is made in the Beaujolais style - cold soak and whole berry fermentation in order to express the grape character without the stem and seed tannins. The wine spends five months aging in American or French oak before bottling. The result is a juicy blackberry-blueberry flavored wine with a wet barnyard earthy aroma; finishing with a spicy, acidic character. And there are still a few tannins to balance the wine - and it is balanced. To a few of us, the wine resembled an Austrian Zweigelt - not bad for a Foch wine. Pair with Wisconsin's Bon Iver. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Oklahoma - Canadian River Vineyards and Winery Merlot

Since the annual Wine Bloggers Conference draws participants from across North America, one major benefit is the chance to taste wines from inaccessible states. During this year's conference,  Mika and TomJoe from The Vineyard Trail brought along an Oklahoma wine: the Canadian River Vineyards and Winery NV Merlot ($17).  The Sooner state is home to about 50 wineries, with the largest number of vineyards located in central Oklahoma where CRV is located. The Merlot is estate grown and is a jammy fruit forward wine that races to the finish quite quickly.  There are very little tannins and it's fruit character is most likely popular in the local Oklahoma market.  Cheers to drink local wine and The Vineyard Trail for sharing.

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Bedford Pennsylvania's Briar Valley Vineyards & Winery

Since no trip is complete without stopping into a local winery or brewery, while heading to Seven Springs Mountain resort for a short Father's Day break, I stopped in the historic town of Bedford to visit Briar Valley Vineyards & Winery. The winery has been operating for the past 7 years under the leadership of Jean and Tod Manspeaker. Jean is the winemaker with Tod as the vineyard manager. The grow a wide selection of grapes from Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling as well as Lemberger, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. And at times, they need to supplement from other Pennsylvania vineyards but these are truly local wines.

Even though they are a small operation (2,000-3,000 cases annually), they have established a very nice tasting room in the heart of Bedford on Pitt Street. Almost all there wines are sold from here, with the remainder sold through various restaurants in Western PA.  And I'll start off immediately by saying I was quite impressed with both the consistency of their portfolio and the overall quality. I could quibble over whether I wished their were more acids in a few, but overall, these were the nicest PA wines I have tasted. The 2013 Riesling ($17) and 2012 Pinot Gris ($15) were my favorite whites and I think I'm beginning to come around to the later. I was even more impressed with the reds, which have been very inconsistent with my experience in Pennsylvania wine. Starting off, they produce a Lemberger ($20) - how cool is that. Their 2010 is medium bodied, nice acids, and a slightly spicy tail. Pretty good. This was followed by a 2009 Merlot ($20) - fruity and jammy and then the 2009 Proprietors Red ($25), a blend of the later with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This is a big wine, nice black fruit throughout with a smooth ending. Very nice.  I finished the tasting with the 2009 Cabernet Franc ($20) which was just as pleasant as one made in Virginia.  I think what makes these reds so nice, is that the winery ages them in the bottle for a few years before release. 

Take some time to stroll through Bedford as well. The Bedford Fort Museum is close by as well as several historic buildings. You can also learn about George Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion. Disputes like that never change. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Georgia - Butterducks Estate Winery Viognier

Georgia has a burgeoning wine culture with most of the wineries situated northeast of Atlanta. One exception is Butterducks Estate Winery ($17), located in the northeast corner west of Savannah. See theCompass profile on the right.The winery just celebrated their 8th anniversary and based on their location and wine list, I would guess that they grow muscadine grapes and perhaps blueberries and blackberries. They also produce a selection of Georgia vinifera with one of these being a Viognier. I was able to procure a bottle at Coastal Spirits - in Peeler - just a mile of Rt 95.

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The Viognier grapes were sourced from Blackstock Vineyards in Dahlonega. The wine has a sweet honey-sickle aroma; the flavor, creamy with hints of apricot and finishes with decent acidity and some sugar. Seems very close to a Viognier profile and I found it very likeable.  The one issue is the slight sugary finish at 2.5% R.S.. Otherwise a very nice wine. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - West Virginia - Forks of Cheat Winery Chambourcin

After several years of home wine making, recognition in amateur competitions, and the support of his friends, Jerry Deal decided to turn his hobby into a business by establishing Forks of Cheat Winery in July of 1990. The winery releases a range of wines made from estate, West Virginia, and American grown vinifera, French hybrid, and American grape varietals. Their estate is particularly advantageous as the slopes allow cold air to pass and settle below and thus rarely do they loss crops to frost. Their Dry Chambourcin ($13) is made from a blend of estate and West Virginia grown fruit and is very reminiscent of the style for that grape. There are noticeable cherry fruit and spicy characters as well as decent acids and modest tannins. A very drinkable wine from the Mountaineer state. Cheers

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The United Grapes of America - North Carolina - Shelton Vineyards Riesling

One of the many benefits of attending the annual conferences is exchanging wine with friends from other states. One of the wines I received was from our friends at Nomacorc, who brought along a wine from their Tar Heel state - the Shelton Vineyards 2011 Yadkin Valley Riesling ($12.99).   The Yadkin Valley is Carolina's premier wine growing region, located just south of Virginia along Highway 77 and has successfully transitioned from tobacco to grapes.  Closing in on their 15th anniversary, Shelton is "the largest family-owned estate winery in North Carolina" and a popular Yadkin Valley destination. The Riesling is made off-dry and exudes a flavor profile of apricots and peaches. The one area lacking is acidity, would like to see more acid to balance the sugar. Maybe the valley is a bit too warm. In any case, this is a decent wine, affordable, and one I'd quaff down again. Cheers.
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The United Grapes of America - South Dakota - Valiant Vineyards Wild Grape Wine

One of the most interesting wines I sampled at this Spring's Wine American Congressional Reception, was the Wild Grape Wine from South Dakota's Valiant Vineyards Winery. As the name suggests, the wine is produced from wild grapes - ative vitis riparia (riverbank grape) that grow along the Dakota's rivers and streams.  Being native grapes, they are innately very cold-hardy and disease resistant. During the reception, proprietor Eldon Nygaard informed me that his property is located on the Vermillion River which is a tributary of the mighty Missouri River and that Lewis & Clark camped on his site. Looking at a map, one sees the influences left by the explorers, particularly the Lewis and Clark Lake and Recereation Area not far away.

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Valiant Vineyards Winery is South Dakota's first post-prohibition winery, and like compatriots inother states, Nygaard helped draft South Dakota's Farm Winery Act in 1996. The Wild Grape Wine itself is quite good, somewhat jammy as are many native grapes, but with a chocolate texture and a smooth tail. And the wine has international appeal. Nygaard showed me pictures of the wine on display in Paris wine shops selling for over 70 Euro. You don't have to pay that much in dollars - it's closer to $30 domestically. I hope my paths cross with the Wild Grape Wine one day in the future. Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Connecticut - Jones Winery Woodland White

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One of the many wines tasted at the “Taste the Wines of America” Congressional Wine Reception were two from Connecticut, both from the Jones Winery - a Chardonnay and Woodland White ($14.95). The later left a more lasting impression and is made from all Connecticut grown Cayuga White, Vidal Blanc, and Seyval Blanc. It is slightly sweet,more off-dry, aromatic with some weight and enough acidity to balance the sugar. Very pleasant. The winery itself is located in Shelton (not far from the Long Island Sound) and is currently operated by the 6th generation of Joneses - currently Philip Jamison Jones (see the wine's label). They must be doing something right; for the past three years Connecticut Magazine recognized the Jones Winery for producing the Best Connecticut Wine.

The United Grapes of America - Iowa - Tassel Ridge Winery Brianna

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Tassel Ridge Winery in a previous WineAmerica Congressional Tasting and I was impressed with their Iowa Brianna ($15). It was sweet and clean - obviously well made - with stone and tropical fruit characters. The wine is one of their best sellers and is recommended with spicy foods. The cold climate white grape was created by pioneering grape breeder Elmer Swenson in 1983 at his farm near Osceola, Wisconsin. It is technically an interspecific hybrid (V. labrusca and V. riparia) that "yields medium to large size berries, thick-skinned and greenish-gold". Cheers.

The United Grapes of America - Massachusetts - Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery Pinot Noir

One of the benefits of attending the annual DrinkLocalWine.com conference is the after party where attendees bring wine local to their region for all to sample. I struck out totally with four rather pour east coast Lembergers, but a pleasant surprise were two Massachusetts wines contributed by Richard Auffrey. And the producer that really caught my attention was also mentioned in the original StarChefs.com article: Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery. Now you may ask, how can a winery in The Bay State produce quality wine? Too cold? Nope - the gulf stream provides the warmth. Soil? Don't be surprised to learn that apparently the owners, Bob and Carol Russell, found favorable soils in southern Massachusetts - "rich New England loam on well drained gravel". Add in a a family history in producing wine and you have the conditions for a nice wine. And that was just what we decided at #dlw13 - the 2010 Pinot Noir. As I recall, the wine was very smooth, more plum than cherry, with an earthy-dirty character in the mid. Very pleasant, but at $30 - be prepared to pay for local.

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