Finding the Finger Lakes at the Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival

Last week we attended the 13th annual Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival primarily because friends from the Finger Lakes Wine Country were pouring. In addition, this is always an opportunity to find interesting and unique wines and spirits from regions throughout the globe.

But let's start in New York. The Finger Lakes is home to Riesling and each winery usually had samples of both dry and off dry styles. Each have their place and the off-dry is usually balanced by refreshing acidity. The flavors differed amongst each winery - some apple, some peach - but all solid representations of the grape. Two of the wineries, Anthony Road and Fox Run, were also pouring Lemberger, one of our favorite wine grapes - probably because they traditionally exude blackberry flavors. The first was pouring a 50/50 blend of Lemberger and Cabernet Franc where the latter adds a little green pepper to the mix. Fox Run's was a 100% varietal Lemberger - that blackberry smoothness with with a slight peppery finish. Finally a few wines to mention were the Dr. Franks Rkatsiteli, Ravine Pinot Noir, Glenora Pinot Blanc, and Wagner Niagara. These represent the diverse grape plantings in this region. Please take a look at these wineries:

• Anthony Road Wine Company
• Casa Larga Vineyards
• Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars
• Fox Run Vineyards
• Glenora Wine Cellars
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
• Lucas Vineyards
• Ravines Wine Cellars
• Red Newt Cellars
• Wagner Winery

I also spent a considerable amount of time with a Pisco producer. Pisco Portón was concocting a few tasty cocktails like their Portonero, Mohito, and Peruvian Strawberry Margarita - but this spirit is worthy consuming neat. It is fermented from grape must (partially fermented grape juice) and distilled to proof. That means no water is added to the distilled spirit to bring the percent alcohol down to the regulated amount. And since it is fermented using the must, the spirit contains more grape sugars and flavors. Fifteen pounds of grapes go into every bottle. Ever wonder which grapes are used in Pisco? The Pisco Portón uses three. Cheers to Pisco

• Quebranta is a non-aromatic varietal that evolved on the Peruvian coast. It is the most popular pisco grape in Peru and gives body and fullness of flavor to Pisco Portón.
  
• Albilla is a fragrant green grape with a soft and fruity taste structure. It is prized for its smooth finish in pisco.
  
• Torontel grapes have a strong citrus and peach aroma that lingers on the hands and clothing of workers who handle them. Its expression in the glass is alive with heady aromatic complexity.

There were several other spirits we enjoyed tasting. Philadelphia Distilling was pouring a new 100% corn whiskey - straight spirit - no oak aging. The sweetness from the corn was prevalent with no noticeable burn. Blue Star Beverages Czarskaya (czars gold) Vodka and completely smooth wheat based vodka distilled 15 times - yes fifteen - and filtered 20 times through a 22 carat gold mesh. Not sure what that process beings to the table - but the end result is a nice vodka. And then there was the iichiko Shochu - a spirit I had never heard of before. iichiko was pouring several styles - all made from Australian grown barley. The barley is polished and then made into a mash which is then distilled into a relatively low alcoholic spirit - starting at just 30%. Each was also extremely smooth. Interesting - but not sure I'm willing to commit to a long term relationship. Need to explore a little more.

As for the other wines, there were many, many interesting wines. Strong reds from Wild Horse Winery, Charles Krug Winery, and Franciscan Oakville Estate; Pinotage from many South African Wineries; Rhone wines; and plenty of Spanish Tempranillo and Albarino. Explore these wineries and regions. There's plenty for all of us to learn. Cheers.

13th annual Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival Is One Week Away

We always look forward to the Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival and its just around the corner. The Grand Tasting is held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Avenue) on February 11^th and 12^th 2012 from 2-6PM. There will be over 500 wines from all over the globe to sample including those from the Finger Lakes Wine Country, Spain, South Africa, Rhône Valley, and New Zealand. Tickets for the the Grand Tasting are $80-85 a person. See you there.

Eastern European Wines Shine at the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival

This weekend we attended the 12th Annual Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival and spent the majority of time tasting wine produced in Eastern Europe and the Finger Lakes. Yes, other wine regions were well represented, but on the heels of our article, Blue Frankish - A Great Wine By Any Name, we decided to taste the wines we described in the article. Our day started comparing Hungarian Kékfrankos and Finger Lakes Lemberger; although they weren't exact comparisons because the Finger Lakes versions were 50/50 blends with Cabernet Franc. On the Hungarian side we tasted the Heumann Villany Kékfrankos and the Pfneisxl Sopron Kékfrankos. The latter is lighter, made organically, but with the same smoothness and cherry flavors as the Heumann. On the Finger Lakes side, Fox Run Vineyards and Anthony Road Wine Company were both pouring Lemberger\Cabernet Franc blends. These wines reflect the natural balance that occurs with blending these two grapes - the fruit forwardness and spiciness of the Lemberger and the green fullness of the Cab Franc. We actually experimented, creating our own 50/50 blend of
Heumann Kékfrankos and Heumann Cabernet Franc - and this mixture was easily more enjoyable than each as a single varietal. Just remember, whether Hungarian Kékfrankos or Finger Lakes Lemberger, all are very good, affordable, every day drinking wines.

We also tried several other Hungarian wines, from dry reds and whites to the famous Tokaji Aszu. We tasted the Eszterbauer Szekszárd Kardaka Nagyapám, a dry, medium bodied wine with some similar characteristics as the Kékfrankos - without the complexity. Kardaka is a traditional Hungarian grape that was once the dominate grape in the famous Egri Bikaver - Bull's Blood. Its nice to see a single varietal Kardaka make the journey West. There was also plenty of dry Furmint available, another traditional Hungarian wine grape that is normally vinified into Aszu. Made dry, it is a refreshing wine, balanced between fruit and mineral characters. And we had to sample the sweet Furmint displayed in two wines: Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos and the 6 Puttonyos Aszu. Both had the powerful apricot flavors - definitely strong - but not gritty or syrupy. The "Dessert Wine of Kings". Check out the Blue Danube Wine Company more more information about these wines.

After tasting the various Hungarian wines, we moved to neighboring wines produced in Croatia and Slovenia. We are more familiar with Croatian wines, particularly those made from Crljenak Kastelanski - better known as Primitivo and Zinfandel. Another familiar grape is the indigenous Babić as well as its parent Placac Mali. Both of these were available today: Babić Piližota and the Lirica Plavac Mali Peljesac Dalmatia. Both these wines are produced in the warmer climates in the Dalmatia coast. The Babić was smooth and silky, balanced between fruit and earthiness. The Plavac Mali featured more red fruits and seemed more tannic and spicy. Both were very good and extremely affordable. Check out Fine Croatian Wines for more information.

Even with a visit to Slovenia, we are not very familiar with Slovenian wines, but after tasting the wines made by Ptujska Klet, that will change. This winery is the oldest in Slovenia with its cellars dating back to 1239. We started with the Pullus Pinot Grigio Ptuj. Normally not fans of wines made from this grape, this wine was more than drinkable - fuller than most of its kin with an actual tail. Not bad. But the second we tasted was the bomb; the
Pullus Sauvignon Blanc. This wine had everything you would expect from that variety - refreshing acidity, tropical flavors - this wine just exploded in the mouth. Will definitely give some New Zealanders a run. Wow. Once again, check out Fine Croatian Wines for more information.

We did try other wines, in particular several Pinotages from the large contingent of South African wines. The best trend was that most lacked the strong tobacco - smokey characteristic that repelled us from consuming more of wine varietal. In fact, most resembled its parent, Pinot Noir, with silky bodies and creamy texture. These were nicely done and very affordable. Time to re-evaluate these wines.

Then, of course, we had to sample the Finger Lakes dry Rieslings and the Rhatiselli from Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. Combined with the reds we tasted earlier - we must include a trip north this summer. Too much good wine being made in that region to miss.

And finally, there were a few spirits. It was nice to see our friends from St Lucia Distillers Group, producers of Castries Crème, rolling out a new line of rum under the Chairman's Reserve brand - Chairman’s Reserve and Chairman’s Reserve Spiced. The spiced rum was very interesting - with the spices and botanicals contributing like a fine gin rather than a chemical additive as with many spiced rums. And Philadelphia Distilling returned, pouring their Vieux Carré Absinthe and Bluecoat American Gin. We didn't sample today, but expect a future episode featuring these spirits from MyJoogTV.com.

In sum, another enjoyable wine festival with enough diversity to keep us interested. Until next time....

Reminder - Weekend Wine Festivals in D.C. Area

Just a reminder that this weekend brings two major wine festivals to the Washington D.C. metro area. At the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, over 100 domestic and international wineries will be pouring more than 600 wines during the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival. Hours are from 2:00pm-6:00pm both days.

And out west, the Virginia Wine Showcase is being held at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly where 37 Virginia wineries will be pouring wine. Tickets are very reasonable $45 for a tasting; $20 for non-tasting; and children under 11 are free.

11th Annual International Wine & Food Festival

Saturday the 13th, we attended the 11th Annual International Wine & Food Festival held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center and quite frankly it was a it disappointed. The primary deficiency was that there was not nearly as many participants as previous years; there was so much open space where wine vendors should have been. I guess the economy has taken its toll.

The main attraction were wines from the Kingdom of Navarre and while decent, they weren't anything to knock your socks off. Their best quality was their affordability - most brands were under $15. In contrast there was one Spanish collection that peaked our interest - the wines from Galicia. Both the red and white wines from this region had character - probably because winegrowers there were still using mostly indigenous grapes in which history has suggested flourish in that geography. In particular the Coto de Gomariz have been in the forefront using these indigenous grapes, most which we had never heard of. Yes, of course, Albarino; but not, Treixadura, Loureira, Godello and Sousón, Ferrol, Mencía, Brancellao and Caiño Longo. We were most intriqued with Treixadura - both in blends and as a 100% varietal. For reds, the Cuvée Primo - a blend of Sousón and Caiño Longo - was very nice. Wines from Galicia will be on our horizon for quite sometime.

As in years past, the festival included wines from Maryland, Virginia, and New York through the Monticello Wine Trail, DC Wine Country, Maryland Wine, and Finger Lakes Wine Country.We didn't spend to much time sampling their products since we regularly have chances. However, what is notable is that this year saw a larger contingent of Maryland wineries and the promotion of several new wine trails: Chesapeake Wine Trail , Patuxent Wine Trail, and Piedmont Wine Trail. The proprietors of Thanksgiving Farm were on hand pouring their excellent Meritage as well as wines from Bordeleau Winery. Bordeaux wine styles were also available through Black Ankle Vineyards and a couple from Elk Run Vineyards. The former is one of our favorite Maryland wineries - they provide great wine and music.

There were a few California wineries in attendance, but the main focus was on international producers. the Côtes-du-Rhône graced us with their presence once again and we sampled several affordable Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre blends. Love these grapes. France was also represented by Alsace Wines; although known for their Reisling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, our favorites were their Pinot Blanc - the Dopff & Irion and Jean Baptiste Adam. In years past, there would be several eastern Europe wineries, but this year the sole brand was Alana-Tokaj from Hungary. They of course were pouring some Tokaji Aszú and similar late harvest wine made from Furmint, but I've always liked the dry Furmint by itself. They also were pouring a dry Hárslevelü which was nice. We tried several New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir which were quite nice. Tarras Vineyard poured two Pinot Noirs which were completely different even though the vineyard was the same. They showed the difference that just one year can have on the grape's character. Oyster Bay also poured an excellent Pinot Noir as well as Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay. The Sauvignon Blanc was not your standard version - it had a mid palette not just the typical grapefruit acidic explosion at the first sip. Finally, we learned about the International Society of Africans in Wine which sells South African wine owned and operated by black South Africans. The organization will return to Washington D.C. on May 14th and 15th for their "Drink Well, Do Good" tour. Dates for other cities are available on their website. Looking forward to tasting wine made from the Bukettraube grape.

Usually this festival provides a few beers or spirits, but this year saw just one entry - Philadelphia Distilling. I'm glad they came - their appearance made our visit. Master Distiller Robert John Cassell crafts three spirits: Penn 1681 Rye Vodka, Bluecoat American Dry Gin, and Vieux Carre Absinthe. Now, we have never been fans of absinthe - although we love the paraphernalia associated with dispensing the beverage. However, their vodka and gin are outstanding. Funny how we can drink practically anything, but like absinthe, gin is usually not in that list. There are always a few that force us to adjust our preferences and the Bluecoat American Dry Gin is one of these. It's probably the citrus peels that are added to the juniper berries and the other organic botanicals. Or maybe that it is distilled five times in a custom-built, hand-hammered copper pot still. Whatever, this gin is excellent neat or with the grapefruit juice - as they were providing this day. Their vodka is even better. It may be the first we tasted using rye and distilled four times using a column still. But what makes it so smooth - absolutely zero burn must be the charcoal filtering. Penn 1681 Rye Vodka may have supplanted Maine's Cold River Vodka as our favorite American vodka.

Discovering the wines from Galicia and tasting the spirits from Philadelphia Distilling made it worth attending this event - even with the reduced number of wineries pouring. Let's hope next year is back to normal.

11th Annual International Wine & Food Festival

For those in the Washington D.C. area who want to dig out of the blizzard, the 11th Annual International Wine & Food Festival is being held from Thursday February 11th through Sunday the 14th. We will be attending the Grand Tasting held from 2:00-6:00 Saturday and Sunday at
the The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It looks like the tasting theme revolves around Spanish wines. You can also always count on local wines from Maryland, Virginia, and the Finger Lakes.

Participating Wineries

KINGDOM OF NAVARRA REGION

BODEGA 1877 www.swd.es
BODEGA OTAZU (GABARBIDE) www.otazu.com
BODEGAS ARTAJONA www.bodegasartajona.com
BODEGAS CAMILO CASTILLA www.bodegascamilocastilla.com
BODEGAS CAMPOS DE ENANZO www.enanzo.com
BODEGAS CASTILLO DE MONJARDIN www.monjardin.es
BODEGAS CHIVITE www.bodegaschivite.com
BODEGAS OCHOA www.bodegasochoa.com
BODEGAS PRINCIPE DE VIANA www.principedeviana.com
BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS ALZANIA www.alzania.es
HACIENDA QUEILES www.haciendaqueiles.com
INURRIETA www.bodegainurrieta.com
LICORES BAINES www.licoresbaines.com
ROMERO & MILLER www.romeromiller.com
BODEGAS PAGO DE LARRAINZAR www.pagodelarrainzar.com

A Cellar Full of Noise
Alexander Valley Vineyards
Alsace Wines www.justaddfood.com
Barboursville Vineyards
Bodegas del Palacio de los Frontaura y Victoria
Bodegas Ramirez SL
Cape Wine Ventures,LLC
DC’s Wine Country
Ethica Wines
Côtes du Rhône Wines www.rhone-wines.com
Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism
First Vine Wine Imports & Sales
Four Vines Winery
Fulcrum Wines
GP Imports
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards
Hentley Farms
Horton Vineyards
Interprofesion Del Consejo Regulador D.O. La Mancha
Joseph Carr, Napa Valley
Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard
La Face Cachee de la Pomme Inc.
Maryland Wineries Association
Michael-David Winery
New Zealand Winegrowers
Oyster Bay Wines USA Limited
Piera Martellozzo S.P.A.
Red Ink Imports
Rias Baiexas Albarifio
Seven Hills Trading Company
Tarras Vineyards
Tricana Imports
Underdog Wine Merchants
Value Trading Network
Washington Wine Academy
Weingut Fritz Windisch Gmbh & Co. KG
Wineinc
Wines of Hungary
ZenZen Wines

Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival

On Saturday and Sunday, March 1^st and 2^nd we attended the 2008 Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival held at the Ronald Reagan Int’l Trade Building. The organizers of this event do a tremendous job presenting wines from across the globe. In the past three years we have tasting wines from Napa, Sonoma, Lodi, Paso Robles, South America, South Africa, the Finger Lakes, Long Island, and Virginia; and wineries from these regions were again represented. The organizers also featured two local wine trails, the Loudoun County Wine Trail and Frederick Wine Trail, as well as wines from Cote du Rhone and Oregon. There were also several complimentary food and wine seminars in the tasting areas as well as private seminars at reasonable prices. On Sunday I took the A Beginner's Blind Tasting with the Master/Master seminar presented by Doug Frost. But on Saturday, the day was spent sampling the wines, beers, and spirits.

Upon entering the festival, we preceded immediately to the Oregon Wine Board section where we were able to sample excellent Pinot Noirs and Rieslings from this area. We found it odd that the same region excelled in making a Burgundy wine (Pinot Noir) and Alsace\German wines in Riesling. In fact, some of our favorites were Anne Amie Vineyards soon to be released Muller Thurgau, Sokol Blosser Vineyards Evolution (9 varietals including Riesling, Muller Thurgau, Gewurztraminer, and Sylvaner) and Amity Vineyards’ 2002 Late Harvest Riesling – a true 100% botrytis wine. But Pinot Noir was what we were interested in and each of the nine Oregon wineries had excellent samples, with the 2006 vintages being outstanding. It was also interested that the wines came from several appellations - the Willamette Valley, the Eola Amity Hills, the Chehalem Mountains, Carlton, Dundee Hills – and since I hadn’t taking Doug Frost’s couse yet- I could not discern a difference in terrior. It’s difficult to designate one over the others without doing justice to the rest, but one unique bottle was Willamette Valley Vineyards’ Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir. This wine is fruitier than the other’s and I can see serving chilled in the summer. A second unique wine is Coelho Winery’s 2006 Divertimento Pinot Noir Rosé - another nice summer wine.

We also had several good conversations with Jim Bernau, founder of Willamette Valley Vineyards about the history of Oregon wine making. He should know, he’s been growing grapes in the Willamette Valley since 1983 and was keen enough to see the enormous potential of the region by naming his winery after the future appellation. Instant brand recognition. He informed us how Pinot Noir is well suited to the region because of the clay soils, long growing season, and cool climate. We also learned that Pinot Gris was grown first in Oregon before any other state. Finally we learned of Jim’s fondness for chocolate as we either bumped into him sampling the wares or spied him bringing bars back for his neighbors.

Finally, we learned from Jim, the Redford’s from Amity Vineyards, and the other winemakers how Oregon is leading the nation in sustainable viticulture. Amity’s estate vineyard is certified by Low Input Viticulture and Enology, Inc. (LIVE) and produces the region’s first Organic, Sulfite-Free Pinot Noir. Willamette Valley Vineyard is the first winery in the world to use cork certified through the Rainforest Alliance to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards – and we kept one to show others the FSC label. Resonance Vineyard was Biodynamic® certified in 2006 certified. We found, humorously, that sustainability is an everyday vocabulary word, as in, "Kim, you’re so sustainable". And here are a list of the sustainable Oregon wineries that poured this day: Adelsheim Vineyard, Amity Vineyards, Anne Amie Vineyards, A to Z Wineworks, Coelho Winery, Olsen Family Vineyards, Resonance Vineyard, Rex Hill Vineyards, Sokol Blosser Vineyards, Willamette Valley Vineyards.

We next moved east to the contingent from New York where we wanted to try this year’s vintage of Finger Lake Riesling. To our surprise and pleasure we found that Rob, Finger Lakes Weekend Wino, was representing the region. We read his column regularly and suggest anyone traveling to this region do so as well before you leave. While tasting the New York made Riesling it was interesting to note the differences between the Oregon versions. The latter versions were slightly sweeter and more acidic, whereas the New York Riesling being poured seemed drier. This was probably more a result of the specific wines being poured and not anything resulting from the different appellations. Dr. Frank's consistently pours a great Reisling and Standing Stone Vineyards was also available to pour their Reisling and Gewurztraminer. We also tried for the first time Standing Stone’s Cailloux, a dessert wine made from eight different grapes. Some in our contingent liked it more than their Vidal Ice Wine.

After spending some more time saying hello to our friends at the Virginia wineries and planning a trip to Tomahawk Mill Winery, we set out to try some California wines. There is always a large contingent of Lodi based wineries and in the past we had tasting excellent Zinfandel from Jessie's Grove Winery and JanKris Winery – so today we tried some new wines. One of the first were the excellent wines from Vino Con Brio. They had both excellent whites and reds, particularly their Old Vine Zinfandel. We kept hearing about Opolo Vineyards from several attendees so we had to see what the commotion was about. This central coast winery had large crowds around their booth and we saw why since they came with a large selection of wines and the entertaining representative kept the crowd laughing. We liked their reds, particularly the Fusion and Maestro blends. Another central coast winery where we spent a lot of time was Edward Sellers Vineyards, makers of Rhone styled wines. We liked their vintage Grenache and Syrah, but once again our favorites were the blends, the Vertigo (Grenache based) and Cuvee des Cinq (5 varieties of course). It was also interesting to learn how these Rhone grapes thrive in the hot central coast, since the nighttime temperatures plummet, cooling the grapes from the hot day. Other California wines we’d like to remember are Valley of the Moon Winery’s 2006 Pinot Blanc; Lake Sonoma Winery’s 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; Peltier Station’s Zinfandel; Chateau Julien Wine Estate’s Black Nova; Kiamie Wine Cellars 2005 Kiamie Kuvée; Spring Mountain Vineyard’s 2003 Elivette; and Donati Family Vineyard’s Pinot Blanc. That’s quite a list.

In addition to the spirits that we tasted, Dogfish Brewery was pouring a few styles of beer, with the most interesting being their Chateau Jiahu. We’ll let Dogfish tell the story; but we drank their stand dry. Jiahu is not only unique – but it’s a good beer – similar to a cloudy wheat ale.

For one of the first times we took a break from the drinking and actually browsed the venders. And there were actually some very practical accessories. VineyardFresh has always been one of our favorites since we seem to open many bottles and return a week later to an oxidized wine. Anything to preserve wines is useful. We also liked the Bottleneck Wine Cards – basically cards that fit on the wine’s neck when giving the bottle as a gift. Plus, they are cheaper than Hallmark. And our favorite food – for some reason either it was a great location next to the Dogfish stand or peanuts go with wine, but we returned often to sample and purchase the several styles sold by Belmont Peanuts. These are Virginia grown peanuts – just south of Richmond – and we argued incessantly which was better among their plain, barbecue, honey-roasted, and chocolate. I liked the plain and barbecue, but in any case – these large and meaty peanuts put the ballpark versions to shame.

Even though these festivals seem a little pricy, the wide array of available wines and seminars make it worthwhile. Where else could you try a South African Pinotage, Spanish Muscat, Chilean Carmenere, Rhone Grenache, compare Horton’s and Dr. Frank’s Rhatiselli, not to mention the many wines we didn’t try.

Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival - Doug Frost

One of the better decisions I've made in the last few weeks was to attend "A Beginner's Blind Tasting with the Master/Master" seminar given by Doug Frost at the Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival. I had had numerous email exchanges with Doug over the past few years concerning Midwestern wineries and Norton and tried to find a time to say hello during the weekend. Since he was very short on time - giving two seminars each day - I decided to forgo my usual drinking routine and attend a session. What an enlightening and entertaining class. First something about Doug. He is one of only a few individuals who are both a Master Sommelier and Master of Wine. He is also the author of several wine books, notably On Wine: A Master Sommelier and Master of Wine Tells All, is the director of the Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition, judges numerous competitions, etc. Let's just say he's knowledgeable about the subject he teaches.

The purpose of a blind tasting, according to Mr. Frost, is to remove any preconceived opinions about a wine or discriminating preferences toward a wine region. We all have biases and tasting blindly removes these as a factor in evaluating the wine. Then throughout the session, Doug informed us how to reduce the number of possible wines by the deduction method - that is, by analyzing the wine and deciding what it is not. Then, after you've narrowed the possibilities - you have a better chance of guessing the type of wine. Out of the seven wines we tasted we discovered how to notice when a wine's aroma changes with the taste - say, from a red cherry nose to a black cherry flavor. How to distinguish whether a wine has been aged in American or French Oak - or the gotcha when French Oak has a large buildup of tartaric crystals. Is the wine from the old or new world? Is the wine herbal, earthy, dusty; are there fruit or vegetable aromas? Sensations and questions I hadn't really thought about before the session. He also gave us the general characteristic of specific grapes - are they in general floral, spicy, herbal, fruity, etc. With this information we could eliminate most types of wines and narrow to a few possibilities - and at this point in our education - guess.

Mr. Frost is also an outstanding speaker - blending humor and self-deprecation with his knowledge of wines and regions. He also encouraged the audience to evaluate a wine's purpose such as how a generally bland Italian wine comes to life when drunk during a meal. Or similarly, how a wine with a strong tannic finish changes with a meal. We learned that a Shiraz can be made that isn't overbearing and too spicy and that a zinfandel can be made to taste like a merlot or cab. At the end of the session the old adage surfaced - "the more you know, the more you realize you don't know". I have a lot to learn. But, I have an improved basis on how to evaluate a wine - and thus hopefully enjoy the experience a little more. If only I had time for his next presentation on "Rioja: Where Old Meets New - A Reserve Spanish Wine Seminar". Maybe next time.

Washington D.C. Wine & Food Festival - Spirits

In our never ending quest for new and exotic spirits, the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival delivered brilliantly with two spirits from neighboring South American countries. From Peru, we discovered pisco, a brandy made from grapes. If you've never heard of this spirit, don't be disappointed, Pisco Ku is the first pisco sold in the United States and has only been available for the past three weeks. This brandy is made from a blend of several indigenous grapes which means its made in the Acholado (Half-breed) style. Pisco made from a single grape variety is called Pure, whereas pisco made from the muscat grape is called Aromatic. Ten pounds of grapes are used to make a single bottle. The Pisco Ku is similar to grappa but without the tannic finish. That is because only the grape must is fermented; the stems and skins which are included in Italian and Chilean grappa must are removed. The result - a spirit that is extremely smooth like a good Vodka, but with a slight grapey flavor similar to grappa. Another interested note about pisco is that by Peruvian law, pisco must be made to proof in a single distillation - i.e. the fermenting grape juice must be distilled exactly at 40 proof the first time - no second or third distillations are permitted.Plus no additives may be added to the pisco that could alter its flavor, odor, appearance or, of course, alcoholic proof. Pisco Ku is marketing their brand as an alternative to Vodka - suggesting it as a mixer with orange juice, cranberry juice, or lemons. I think it's perfect neat or I plan to try it how I like my grappa, adding it to an espresso.




The second discovery comes from neighboring Ecuador and is a brand of rum: Zhumir Seco Soave and Zhumir Aguardiente. Each brand is made from a different rum making style. The Seco Soave is made in the traditional fashion, by turning the sugar cane into molasses and then distilling the syrup. The Aguardiente is made by distilling the sugar cane juice directly and reminded me a little of cachaca. Even though neither are aged in wood - they are smooth and ready for sipping. The most popular brand on Saturday was their pre-mixed Zhumir Pina Colada and on Sunday their flavored Zhumir Limon - the Aguardiente mixed with lime juice. We went a step further with a few daring souls and mixed the Pina Colada with the neighboring Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur Liquor that we discovered in south beach the previous weekend. Now that was a cocktail.

The next step is to determine if these brands are the best spirits Peru and Ecuador have to offer........possibly the Zhumir Reposado Reserva Especial or Zhumir Reposado.

2007 Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Expo

On Saturday and Sunday, March 10 & 11th we attended the 2007 Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Expo, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The sponsors of the Expo promised that the 280 wineries on hand, pouring over 1,100 wines would provide loads of fun for everyone. Based on the size and positive assessments from the participants – I think they succeeded.

These 240 wineries represented wine regions from North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. For the United States, there were wineries from California, Washington, New York, Virginia, and even Maryland (our good friends from Linganore Cellars). Strategically located next to the entrance and wine glass booth, Linganore had a steady crowd tasting their popular Terrapin White, Traminette, Merlot, and Bacioni wines. The Virginia wineries were represented by Orange County’s Horton Vineyards and Barboursville Vineyards as well as the Shenandoah Valley’s Rockbridge Vineyards. New York Finger Lake wineries were represented by Bully Hill Vineyards, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, and Standing Stone Vineyards. Appearing for Long Island were Wölffer Estate and the Long Island Meadery, who spent two days explaining the difference between mead and cyser. For those who don’t know, expect a Wine 101 series on Mead later this spring. Covey Run and Domaine Ste Michelle represented Washington wineries, while several Napa, Sonoma and Lodi based wineries represented California.

As expected, we tasted several excellent California wines. Our first was the Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir from Sonoma’s Foppiano Vineyards. This is the second oldest continually operating winery in California; the winery survived prohibition by selling grapes to home wine-makers (which was still legal) and by outright bootlegging. Foppiano’s website contains photos of police officials destroying barrels of wine – what a shame. Next, we really liked Alexander Valley Vineyard’s Cyrus, a full bodied Bordeaux blend aged 24 months in oak and 9 months in the bottle. We also found that Four Vines Winery’s 2004 Paso Robles Peasant (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Counoise), was much fruitier and fuller-bodied than similar wines offered by the French wineries.

Then there were the Zinfandels - like last year, we particularly enjoyed tasting the diverse selection of these wines. Our favorites were from Lodi’s Abundance Vineyards and Jessie's Grove Winery, Paso Roble’s JanKris, and a couple zins from Four Vines Winery. Four Vines offered Zinfandel made from grapes grown in Sonoma, Paso Robles and Amador County and was interesting to notice the distinct differences in each wine. The best in the group was The Maverick made from 100 year old vines in Amador County and then The Biker -made from Paso Robles vines.

For the international wineries we concentrated on the European visitors and are favorites were from the republics of Georgia and Moldova, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Austria, and a new winery from Liechtenstein, Hofkellerei des Fursten Von Liechtenstein. Although based in Liechtenstein, the grapes and winery are actually located in Austria where the winery has a very unique history. The Princely House of Liechtenstein has been growing grapes in their Austrian vineyards since the early 1400s where the wine was used primarily for entertainment in the family’s castles in Austria, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein. Immediate before the Second World War, the family fled Austria to neutral Liechtenstein, but retained ownership of the vineyards. Although displaced from Austria, wine production continued and today Hofkellerei des Fursten Von Liechtenstein is owned by Prince Hans-Adam III – Liechtenstein’s head of state. Our favorite wine was their 2003 Merlot-Zweigelt blend, which displays the depth of the merlot and the fruitiness of the Zweigelt. These wines are available through their distributor, Dionysos Imports (571-437-4490).

Another Austrian wine we liked even more was Anton Bauer’s Wagram Reserve, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, Merlot, and Syrah. This is a full-full-bodied wine with spicy – piney aromas and a long smooth finish. If this wine is too strong for your tastes, try their fruitier Zweigelt 2005.

Traveling East from Austria we tried several wines from Hungary, Moldova, and Georgia. The Törley sparkling wines, produced from a 125 year old winery, were better than the French Champagne we tasted that day. To add insult, Törley even advertises that they had become a popular drink in Paris as well. The other Hungarian wines poured at the Expo were from the Craftsman™ Series from Hilltop Neszmély Winery. These wines included the light-bodied Királyleányka (think Chenin Blanc), Cserszegi Füszeres (think Muscat- Gewürztraminer), Pinot Noir Rose, medium bodied Cabernet Franc, and the Bordeaux-ish blend Falconer’s Cuvee. All are worth a try. Graystone Wine Imports provided excellent examples of Moldovian wine which effectively explained why Moldovia is one of the top 10 grape-wine producing countries in the world. Moldavian winemaking dates back 2,000 years, starting with the early Greek and Roman settlements. The wines provided at the Expo were familiar vinifera varietals with our favorites being the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Two sets of Georgian wines rounded out this region. We discussed Georgian wines last year, so for now we will just reiterate that you should visit the Dozortsev & Sons and Georgian House websites to learn more about these great wines.

We also tasted several excellent Italian and Portuguese wines. From Italy, we tasted a very good Montepulcoano-Sangiovese blend called Saraceno provided by Iatesta Imports. We also liked the Meron (Primitivo) from the same importer. From Portugal, we are fans of Touriga Nacional, and we tasted a few excellent versions from Quinta D’Aguierira and Encostas de Estremoz. Then the port became too tempting. World Shippers & Importers provided two excellent bottles from Quinta da Peca, a Reserva and 2000 Late Bottled Vintage. These were followed by two Royal Oportos provided by Admiral Imports, a standard Tawny Port aged 3-5 years and their 10 Year Old Tawny. This last was awesome, with nutty and caramel flavors and an orange finish.

After tasting the several ports, we ventured back into the domestic arena to try a few dessert wines. Maryland’s Linganore Winecellars offered an excellent Abisso, made from Maryland grown Cabernet Sauvignon and naturally fermented to 18% alcohol. No fortified spirits were added to this wine. Rockbridge Vineyards and Standing Stone Vineyards each offered a Vidal Ice Wine, although the Rockbridge version is actually a late harvest wine whereas Standing Stone’s is an actual ice wine. In any case, both were excellent with apricot flavors and a balanced finish. Another good dessert wine was provided by Covey Run’s Semillon Ice Wine. Whereas most ice wine is made from Vidal or Riesling, this was the first Semillon that we had tried. It is different in that with the previous grapes you usually get an apricot flavor; this wine displayed a more citrus flavor. There is also a strong vanilla aroma that continued to the finish. Nicely done. After finishing these wines, we realized that there was a German ice wine being offered by Hauck Winery. This was a 2000 Riesling Icewine that showed that Germany continues its historic role in producing this type of wine. This ice wine had a strong apricot flavor balanced with a nice sweet, acidic finish.

Once again we failed to visit the South American, Australian, New Zealand, and South African booths. With so many quality wines it is difficult to stay sober and make it through each winery. Next year we will begin with these wineries in order to broaden our knowledge of new world wines. We hoped everyone had as much fun as we did and we look forward to next year’s festival.

Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Expo

Just a reminder for those in the Washington D.C. area. Its time for the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Expo from Thursday, March 9 to Sunday, March 11. The Grand Tasting is where you want to be. Over 280 wineries are on hand to pour over 1,100 wines for you to sample in the elegant surroundings of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It’s easy to find your favorites as you navigate through the various countries and wine regions grouped together on the show floor. Taste the wines you know and love and find new favorites to add to your repertoire. Meet the "who's who" of the wine and food industries. Learn about the latest trends as you visit over 280 exhibitors who are at the show to meet and educate you. With over 1,100 wines being poured, a variety of food being sampled, and a selection of wine and wine related products on hand, there is something for everyone at the Festival!