The 2013 World Series of Wine, Craft Beer, & Craft Distillers

Besides being two great baseball cities, St. Louis and Boston are also great craft beer, wine, and craft spritis cities.  Budweiser and Sam Adams are easily recognizable; but there are several new rising stars in these competitors. Starting with wine, St. Louis is the base camp for journeys into Missouri Wine Country - particularly west into the Hermann and Augusta AVAs and south along the Mississippi River. The Norton grape rules here and Missourians recognize its virtues along with Vignoles, Chardonnel, Chambourcin, and other hybrid grapes.  There are fewer local wineries surrounding Boston, but you just got to find them - usually south through the Coastal Wine Trail. One surprising good find is Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery. In Massachusetts the trail also includes Coastal Vineyards, Running Brook Vineyards, Travessia Winery, and Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod.

As for spirits, both cities are deeply involved in the craft distillers market. In Cardinal country, Square One Distillery, Still 630 and a little west, Pinckney Bend Distillery are producing various whiskeys, vodka, gin, and even rum for the local market. In Red Sox territory, Bully Boy Distillery and Nashoba Valley Distillery are distilling on Boston proper while Turkey Shore Distilleries and Ryan and Wood Distilleries are operating slightly north.  Rum is a bigger player in New England, more reflective of the colonial experience; but there is also plenty of locally produced whiskey, vodka, gin, and brandy.

Finally, St. Louis and Boston are quite obviously associated with beer.  Obviously there's Anheuser-Busch; but Cardinal fans drink plenty of local craft beer with over a dozen operating in the region. My personal favorite is Schlafly Bottleworks and their canned line of Session beers.  Boston and beer are practically synonymous and as the documentary How Beer Saved the World suggests, the Revolutionary War was argued over a few pints.  And the contemporary east coast craft beer revival originated in Red Sox land with the Boston Beer Company, Harpoon Brewery, & Ipswich Ale Brewery. There's plenty more craft brewers who have followed in their footsteps Trillium Brewing, John Harvards Brew House, Cambridge Brewing Company, Somerville Brewing Company, and others.

And as always information concerning these establishments are listed at WineCompass and theCompass mobile app.

My Belated and Redundant - "What Are The Best Pumpkin Beer" Post

I know it's already late in the pumpkin beer season and am sure people have tired of pumpkin beer reviews; but I'll beat a dead horse and release mine. And mine tastes are definitely skewed towards less spices and more pumpkin. During the last month I've tasted about 15 different pumpkin beverages and found almost all tilted to the spicy-sweet side - sort of like biting into a store brought pumpkin pie with loads of nutmeg or clove.  Instead I prefer a beer with either a balanced ratio between spices and pumpkin or one that leans completely towards pumpkin.

That being said, my habitual favorite is the King of pumpkin beers, the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Punkin Ale. Probably the first I ever sampled and ever since I've counted on this beer to deliver a consistent and equal balance between spices and meat. And every year Dogfish Head delivers. Another beer I crave during the Fall is the Epic Brewing Company - DC Brau Brewing collaboration -- Fermentation Without Representation Imperial Pumpkin Porter. This is another balanced composition of coffee, chocolate, pumpkin, and spices blended to form a perfect morning brew. The newest surprise was the Uinta Brewing Punk'n, a beer that displays very little spicy character, but instead a strong and tasty pumpkin flavor. There is no doubt I could consume many of these in our sitting. Finally, the one beverage that breaks my profile generalization is the Ace Cider Hard Pumpkin Cider. This is a sweeter cider with plenty of spices and it does taste exactly like apple pumpkin pie. Treat it like a slice of pie - I could only consume one pint at a time, but those with a sweater tooth - go for it.

Blind Tasting Grower Champagne at MacArthur Beverages

Last week I was fortunate to be invited to a blogger's tasting at arguably the best wine shop in the District of Columbia, MacArthur Beverages. Not only does the store have a tremendous wine and spirits inventory, its also a nice commute - traversing Key Bridge, Georgetown University, the Reservoir, and returning on Chain Bridge. The topic for this evening's tasting was Brut Grower Champagne - aka - estate driven champagne focusing on a particular estate or vineyard.  And we tasted blind so that we weren't influenced by a particular Champagne house's reputation. This mode made that tasting quite interesting. The first list are my tasting notes; followed by the revealing.

1. Yeasty aroma citrus and grassy
2. Funky aroma - celery
3. Easy drinking - reminds of Furmint - balanced
4. Oaky green apple, longer finish even some citrus
5. Fruity aroma - acidic sweeter aroma & finish
6. Punch in the face - intense. But, finish falls off.
7. Easy drinking; doesn't jump out
8. Jammy cherry plum dried fruit toasty 

1. nv Dosnon & Lepage Brut ($40)

2. nv Louis Roederer Brut Premiere ($40)

3. nv L. Aubry Fils Brut Premier Cru ($40)

4. nv Pierre Peters Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvee de Reserve ($50)

5. 2007 Vilmart & Cie Brut Grand Cellier D'Or ($70)

6. 2010 Cedric Bouchard (Inflorescence) Brut Blanc de Noirs Val Vilaine ($60)

7. nv Dosnon & Lepage Brut Rose ($45)

8. nv Pascal Doquet Brut Rose ($50)

My favorite was #4 the Pierre Peters Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvee de Reserve and I found #3 the  L. Aubry Fils Brut Premier Cru very interesting - perhaps because of the 50% Pinot Meunier. Many of my associates preferred #5 the 2007 Vilmart & Cie Brut Grand Cellier D'Or but there was enough funkiness that threw me off.  The rest were generally tasty and easy to drink, except for the  Louis Roederer Brut Premier which had a strong vegetable - celery profile that forced an early dump.

Thanks to Phil and the MacArthur staff for the hospitality and also for a nice tasting of Highland Park Scotch - the 15 year was smooth, lightly peaty, sherry-ish finish -> basically pretty awesome. 

Football & Beer at Fire Station 1 Brewing Company

This weekend I met my parents at their Silver Spring office and we decided to watch a few football games at a new brewpub that opened down the street: Fire Station 1 Brewing Company.  The operation is the work of retired firefighter Jeremy Gruber, who incidentally started his career at Fire Station 1, then purchased the old firehouse when the department moved across Georgia Avenue. As you would expect, there are plenty of historical information about the Silver Spring fire department as well as fresh Maryland brewed beer.

On this day there were two Fire Station 1 brews on tap, the Daily Crisis IPA and Something Red. Neither of these were flashy or extraordinary; the IPA was paler than most and contrarily the amber ale could have used a little more hops. (My Father had no problems with either - so maybe my beer geekiness is showing.) But supplemented with a few beers from Baltimore's Heavy Seas Brewing Company there was more than enough local beers for me - plus plenty of television sets to watch every football game - sort of like being in Vegas. The photo on the right show's their page on theCompass. Cheers to Gruber and Fire Station 1.

2007 Imagine Wine Pearl Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

Perfect timing, the day I received the November 15th Wine Spectator, which includes an article on Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon , I received a bottle of the 2007 Imagine Wine Pearl Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($39) as part of the Imagine Wine 2007 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah Release Night.  As further evidence of winemaker Ross Rankin's belief in long oak treatments, before bottling, this wine was aged 36 months in a combination of French, Hungarian, and American oak. The result is actually a much smoother wine than anticipated, full of dark fruit , velvety texture, and the light tannins indicate a very smooth finish. An extremely pleasant wine.

Ace Pumpkin Hard Cider - Apple Pumpkin Pie in a bottle

Apple Pumpkin Pie in a bottle; that's the Ace Cider seasonal offering: Pumpkin Hard Cider. The cider is made moderately sweet with plenty of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.  Yet it is quite balanced between apple and pumpkin flavor  and the apple's inherent acidity subdues the sweetness. Quite tasty, although even at only 5% alcohol, one glass was enough per sitting. Cheers.

Imagine Wine 2007 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah Release Night

This past Friday night, October 13th, I was fortunate to participate in a special #winechat featuring Imagine Wine and their '07 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah ($80). While proprietor Ross Rankin hosted a release party at the Santa Ynez tasting room, about a dozen bloggers from across the U.S. joined Twitter and\or Skype to taste and discuss the wine. During the evening we learned more about Rankin, and his wife Lyn Dee; the Paradise Mountain Vineyard and Syrah; as well as Rankin's transparency in describing his winemaking process.

Paradise Mountain Vineyard looking North
- photo courtesy of Imagine Wine

The Rankins started the winery in 2004 and Ross received wine-making experience through stints at several Santa Ynez wineries.  Eventually they purchased the land that would become Paradise Mountain Vineyard (just off Highway 154 in the Rancho San Luis Rey), which is now planted with 7 acres of Viognier and 12 acres of Syrah. And to produce Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah, Rankin utilizes several unorthodox techniques. The grape is harvested with low acidity (high PH) which  would normally be problematic during fermentation because it leads to increased risk of oxidation and bacterial

Syrah grapes looking East
- photo courtesy of Imagine Wine

growth. Yet, Ross is able to ferment this Syrah for almost a month, whereas normal fermentation usually occurs within one to two weeks. Because of the high PH, the wine does not get bitter during this longer fermentation and instead, according to Rankin, "pulls flavor, color, and also macerates the grapes in such a way that it produces an unfiltered wine that is 'heavy' and particle laden". The fermented wine is then aged in a combination of oak treatments and remained in barrel until the recent bottling. This multi-year storage added $12,000 to the production costs and accounts for much of the $80 price tag.

07 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah
- photo courtesy of Imagine Wine

I opened the 07 Winged Paradise Mountain Syrah about 30 minutes prior the release party, an act I could have conducted even earlier. The Syrah definitely needed time to breathe, and over the course of the night exuded different characteristics in the nose and finish. It started out a fruit forward wine in the nose in the palette with a dark berry (blueberry & blackberry) characters and a hot finish (16% alcohol) with plenty of acid - even with the high PH - and plenty of spices. Over time, chocolate flavors emerged in the nose and palette and the alcohol and acids receded in the tail, although the spicy finish remained. Some of us agreed that the finish resembled a Paso Robles styled Zinfandel, and from a previous #winestudio chat, the finish seemed to me to resemble a Croatian Plavac Mali.  In total, this is a well made wine and in the words of MyVineSpot: "Good concentration of fruit, depth and length. Round around the edges and handles the 15.5% well."

"Winged Series 2" Sculpture
- photo courtesy of Imagine Wine

The label is also worth mentioning as it is based on the “Winged Series 2” sculpture created by Rankin's son Blake in his Santa Barbara Rankin Sculpture studio. Pretty cool; made from marble imported from Carrera Italy.  Cheers to the wine making and sculpting Rankin family. Oh, and thanks for the 2007 Imagine Wine Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (review coming later).

Crispin - The Saint: A Trappist Cider

I was pleasantly surprised with the Crispin - The Saint. The Trappist beer yeast masks the apples in the nose; with the apple flavor appearing in the mid palette. The maple syrup makes its presence known in the finish - balanced with  rustic apple flavors. Would like a little more effervescence, but great value cider.

Salta, Argentina: more grapes (Torrontés) with altitude and attitude

Recently I enjoyed this Yauquen Torrontés from Bodega Ruca Malen and didn't recognize the Salta region of Argentina. Mendoza yes, Salta no.   The area is located in the northwestern portion of the country bordering Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay and consists of three main viticulture areas: Cafayate, Santa María and Colomé. In the valleys, olives, maize, and tobacco dominate the landscape, yet vineyards appear once the elevation produces cooler nights to offset the brutal daily heat. And eventually, these mountainous regions hosts some of the highest vineyards in the world, ranging from 5,000 to 6,500 feet above sea level - similar to some of the highest vineyards in Colorado. However, for the most extreme, head to Bodega Colomé and their Altura Máxima vineyard which resides at 10,027 feet above sea level. Oxygen mask anyone?

As the picture suggests, Torrontés is the jewel of Salta - and represents its largest planted grape variety - although in total - this area produces less than 2% to total Argentinean wine production. Because of it's elevation, Torrontés from Salta are known for their inherent acidity as well as what a read, a "perfumed" aroma. The Yauquen displayed this acidity with less "perfume" and more citrus aroma and flavor. Great value at $12 particularly when acknowledging the transportation costs down the mountains. Looking forward to visiting one day. Cheers.

What are the Best Wine, Beer, & Distillery Mobile Applications?

While designing theCompass Alcohol Locator, we downloaded several other similar Android mobile apps to research the strengths and deficiencies of the current market. These mobile apps can be divided into two categories; (1) those that function as cellar inventories and tasting notes repositories and (2) those that are a compendium of wineries, breweries, or attempt to locate wine or beer in a specific area or establishment.

Some applications attempt to provide functionality within both categories, but often fail to provide adequate service in both. For instance, I utilize Untapped, an application that does well in letting users review beers but suffers in locating craft beers in your area. This is a result of utilizing crowd sourcing, where their data is populated by users and not the establishments. The crowd sourcing option is easy to implement on the application side, but for the user the result is incomplete or outdated information. On the other hand, establishment applications, such as Lost Dog Cafe or World of Beer provide real time tapped information.

Many of the best locator applications are specific to a region or establishment - such as the two listed above. Many states, regions, and enterprising companies have created applications designed for a specific geographic area that provide comprehensive information on their wineries or breweries. Two examples are Virginia Wine In My Pocket and Finger Lakes Wine Country. For me, the deficiencies in these applications are the result of their greatest strength -> they focus on one region, so if you plan on traveling to multiple regions, you must install multiple applications on your device. The one comprehensive wine application that we found was the America's Wine Trail app that provides excellent information by state, but not by geo-location. Thus if you are visiting Washington D.C., the application will provide information separately for Maryland and Virginia but not a combined view.  Our video on traveling to Bristol Virginia\Tennessee for the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion illustrates this concept.

And finally, these applications are segregated by industry - there are wine apps and there are beer apps. But do any combine wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries into a single app? Hence, theCompass. As we keep developing and improving theCompass we hope that it alleviates the deficiencies found in the mobile application wine and beer locator market. Cheers

Here's a few to checkout:

Beer

• Untappd
• Lost Dog Cafe
• Bootlegger Nation
• Beerby
• Brewery and Craft Beer Locator

Wine

• Vivino
• Delectable
• Hello Vino
• Vinowine
• Virginia Wine In My Pocket
• Finger Lakes Wine Country
• Visit Monterey Wine Country
• America's Wine Trail

October is Wino Month: Virginia Wine Month - DC Wine Week - Regional Wine Week

Yes it is, especially if you live in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. First, it's Virginia Wine Month. And as the Virginia is For Lover's site reminds, "Virginia is a wine destination unlike any other,  with more than 200 wineries surrounded by lavish scenery, breathtaking views, quaint small towns and monumental historic sites."  And you can choose from over a hundred different events throughout the state to enjoy a nice lass of Virginia Wine.

October also coincides with DC Wine Week, scheduled for October 12th-19th, that is a "week long celebration dedicated to enjoying wine, wine education and an opportunity to support the area’s growing number of local wineries, wine shops, wine bars, restaurants and merchants". In preparation the celebration, the organizers are planning the DC Wine Week On the Road: The Grape Escape on October 5th and a visit to The Winery at Bull Run for their Fall Crush Festival on October 12th. The Grape Escape will hit Loudoun County and Fabbioli Cellars, Lost Creek Winery, and 8 Chains North Winery. Like the DC Wine Week 2013 Facebook page to stay updated on the week's activities.

Finally, there's my favorite: Drink Local Wine's Regional Wine Week. From from October 6th to 12th, "wine writers, bloggers and enthusiasts share information about wine from lesser known wine regions throughout the country — providing a one-stop shop to see what’s cutting edge in regional wine. ... Regional Wine Week is open to anyone –- from professional wine writers to wine enthusiasts with Facebook pages or Tumblr sites. You can submit stories about anything related to wineries, winemakers and wines from anywhere in North America (though we prefer not to include areas like Napa and Sonoma, since they already get enough attention)". 

To encourage this effort DLW is Regional Wine Week Photo Contest and encouraging all wine lovers to submit photos, starting now, to their Facebook page."It can be a photo from a visit to one of your favorite local wineries or a bottle of regional wine you recently enjoyed. And since fall is upon us, we would love to see some of your local wine country’s beautiful colors (hint hint). Just snap a picture, describe it in less than 100 words, and post it to our Facebook wall for all of our friends to view, like, share, and comment on. Please include Facebook hash-tag #DrinkLocalWine with each entry so everyone can easily find your post."

My favorite regional wine photo is from the DLW12 Colorado of the view from Canyon Wind Cellars. And for a little marketing, that's why its the first photo embedded in our theCompass mobile app. Cheers.

Update: I also learned that October is Texas Wine Month. Virginia and Texas seem to be side-by-side in all things wine related. For all those in Texas or planning to visit - particularly during ACL Season, here is a list of Texas wine events.

And of course, theCompass Winery & Brewery Locator can guide you to your local winery whether in Virginia, Maryland, Texas, or any other state and province. 

Using #theCompass at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion

In a couple days we are heading to Bristol Virginia for the annual Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. On our travels south, we normally visit a winery or two. In the past we've explored Coltsfoot Winery, Shenandoah Vineyards, Corey Ippolito Winery, and Countryside Vineyards & Winery. This year we hope to tackle Abingdon Vineyard & Winery. Cheers.

The Unique Wines of Uruguay Tasting Tour 2013: Tannat and Whites Impress

Tannat is a red wine grape, historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". - Wikipedia

Very prominent in Uruguay and to prove it, the Wines of Uruguay set out on The Unique Wines of Uruguay Tasting Tour 2013: "Fifteen of Wines of Uruguay's (WoU) member wineries will pour many of their finest wines in a 3-city, U.S. trade tasting tour in Washington, DC, Austin, and San Francisco. Each winery will pour up to six wines with an emphasis on Tannat."

I attended the Washington D.C. session and was immediately impressed with not only the quality of the wine but also the long wine making tradition in that country. Many of the families were immigrants from Spain and Italy, and as usually the case, brought their wine making tradition with them. And with no roadblocks such as Prohibition, many of these wineries have been operating for several generations.

Uruguay resides in the same parallels as its neighbors Argentina & Chile, but also South Africa, Australia, and New Zeland. The soils are mostly clay, there's plenty of sunshine,  and the vineyards are mostly situated near the Rios de la Plata (across from Beunos Aires) or the Atlantic Ocean - thus cool from coastal breezes. A perfect environment for producing balanced and structures wines.

Tannat was introduced into Uruguay in 1870 by Basque immigrants and now represents one third of all wine produced in that country. Tannat is normally ages at least one year in oak and sometime blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Sirah. However, I was not a huge fan of these blends, particularly the Tannat-Merlot blends. It seemed that the Merlot added some fruitiness but took away from the finish, making the tannins even softer which had the result of a a wine falling off the palette. However there were really no complaints of the single varietal Tannats. They were most likely red cherry flavor, with a chewy structure, and nice soft tannings - dripping down the throat. Since alcohol levels are generally low12-14%, there was never a hot finish.

There were several that soon became favorites. The Bodegas Carrau Ysern Tannat-Tannat is a blend from two different vineyards - one from the north, the other in the south. The northern vineyard contains more sandy soils leading to structured tannins, whereas the clay soils in the south produce a more rusty wine. Blended together, the wine gains the benefits of each soil type. The Bodega Garzon Reserva Tannat was very similar and I was very fond of the Gimenez Mendez Las Brujas Tannat. Bouza Bodega may have been the most interesting as the representative explained that in one vineyard, the winery stacks red colored rocks along the base of the vines in order to reflect even more sunlight to the grapes. The Tannat A8 wine from this vineyard was slightly smoky, full of dark cherry fruit and smooth tannins. Another smoky wine was the Toscanini Reserva Tannat, who also produced a nice entry level Tannat - the Classic Tannat 2011. Familia Irurtia's Grand Reserve Tannat was spicier than most, a very agreeable wine; as were the Narbona Tannat Luz de Luna, Traversa Vina Salort Tannat Roble, and Pizzorno Tannat Reserva.



As for non-Tannat reds, the most impressive was the Antigua Bodega Stagnari Prima Donna Cabernet Franc. This wine was creamy, chewable cherry balanced with smooth tannins and nice acids. Artesama offers a range of Zinfandel and a tasty Tannat-Zinfandel-Merlot blend. Both display that characteristic spicy flavor that prompted me to put Zinfandel back on the tasting calendar. Finally Gimenez Mendez produces the Alto Reserva Malbec that is similar to the Antigua Bodega Stagnari CF, my notes read chewy cherry smooth tannins, acidic finish - and only 13% alcohol.
 

What also impressed me was the quality of the few white wines. No consensus yet for the white version of Tannat such that there were a couple Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and even a Viognier and Marsanne. Some of these were produced perhaps because of the individual tasting preferences of the winery or  a linkage to their family history.  Regardless, they were all simply delicious and bargains (talking about $10-$15 when available in the U.S.).  Both Bouza and Garzon produced Albariño to honor the family's Spanish
 heritage.  Bodegas Carrau offers a heavy, but refreshing Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie that oscillates between yeasty and lemongrass. Their Chardonnay is also a little grassy and with nice structure and acidity. The Gimenez Mendez Reserve Sauvignon Blanc was light, lemon sea-grass throughout and completely effervescent. The same can be said for both the Narbona and Toscanini Sauvignon Blancs.  All very tasty. Finally there was the Familia Irurtia Gran Reserva Viognier - with twelve months in oak - a deep buttery wine exuding floral aromas and nice acidity.  And staying regionally, De Lucca was pouring an excellent Marsanne Reserva.

All in all, a successful day or exploring and sampling wine from Uruguay. I have a completely new understanding of the country's wine-making tradition as well as it's vineyard geography.  I plan to continuing this learning process. Cheers.

#Winechat featuring 2012 Finger Lakes Riesling

Last night during our weekly Wednesday #winechat, we tasted through a quintuple of Riesling wines from New York's Finger Lakes. These wines ranged from practically bone dry to frozen iced styled; and its mighty clear that the Finger Lakes delivers quality wine with each style.  When examining the label of a Finger Lakes Riesling be sure to peek at the back label which should include a Riesling Taste Profile. The profile is designed to make it easier for consumers to "predict the taste they can expect from a particular bottle of Riesling" and according to the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance (@FLXWine), there is almost unanimous compliance with the member wineries. Pretty cool.

We also learned about the age-ability of Reisling, in some instances they can maintain themselves for over a decade.  According to Red Newt Cellars (@FLXnewt), "The acid holds on cleanly, the sweetness mellows.  Great Riesling ages better than most red wines could dream of!"  And Fulkerson Winery (@FulkersonWinery) finds "that aging softens them. Brings out the petrol and honey notes." Who knew?

We started the evening with the Swedish Hill Winery (@SwedishHillWine) 2012 Dry Riesling at 0.8% RS and 12% alcohol, the driest of the bunch.  This wine uncorks with powerful floral aromatics which the winery explained in a tweet - is partly due to the season, site, and wine making. The grape itself is clone 90, in which I learned there are approximately four Riesling clones planted in the Finger Lakes. And the site is on Cayuga Lake, one of the right fingers.  The wine itself continues with floral, green apple flavors and nice acidity.

Next up was the single vineyard Standing Stone Vineyards (@SSVNY) Old West Block 2012 Riesling at 1.4% RS and 12.2% alcohol.  The grapes were harvested from the old Gold Seal Vineyards, first planted  in 1972.  The wine has plenty of acidity to balance the additional sweetness and displays a more peaches and honey flavors intertwined with some stoney earthiness.

Moving further along the Riesling Taste Profile, the Red Newt Cellars Circle Riesling 2012 comes in at 3.2% RS and only 11% alcohol. Easy to get carried away with this one. According to @FLXnewt the Circle Riesling is here to remind people that the words "everyday" and "Riesling" DO belong together. And "the RS worked out naturally for us in 2012 to this level; ripe fruit aromas boost the sweet impression instead." During the chat, many of our fellow bloggers recommend spicy foods with the wine or as we dined - spicy pork sausages. The wine itself swayed from apricot to honeyed pear - with the refreshingly balanced acidity.

The Wagner Vineyards (@WagnerVineyards) 2012 Riesling Select is in a similar ballpark  at 4.2% RS and 11.2% alcohol. This wine is made from grapes grown from the winery's oldest block of Riesling, planted in 1979, with the original vines still yielding fruit. Once again, balance. The sweet pineapple flavors blended seamlessly with the effervescent finish. 

Last was from the far right on the Tasting Profile, the Fulkerson Winery 2012 Riesling Iced Wine.  They had wanted to leave the grapes on the vine to produce a true ice wine, but Mother Nature interfered so they grapes were harvested at full ripeness and then frozen. After fermentation, the wine was then aged six months in new oak. The result is a honeyed fig flavored wine coming in at 19.7% RS, but, once again, only 11% alcohol. But even with the intense sweetness the inherent acidity comes through again. The winery tells us that the "Riesling Iced Wine is fantastic with an apple tart or rich cheeses (sharp cheddar, Danish Blue, etc.)". I also want to sample their 0.2% bone dry Riesling as well as their true 2008 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine. Nice range of offerings.

For the past decade, I've said I'm going to visit the Finger Lakes, I need to get on that promise. Look how many there are to choose from. Cheers.

Cider 101: Hops and Cider

We've learned over the years that hops are not just used to balance the malt in beers. It can also be used to balance the honey sweetness in mead and also the sweet apple flavors in cider. A couple weeks back we first sampled the Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Anthem Hops at our local Whole Foods. And this week we discovered it at our local beer store. The cider is produced from Washington grown Red Delicious, Gala, and Granny Smith apples and dry hopped with a dose of Oregon grown Cascade hops. This procedure enhances the aroma from the hops, all the while avoiding the heavy bitterness when added earlier in the process. The result is a cider with apple-grapefruit aromas with a subtle dry lemon-grass finish. And at 5.5% ABV, had no problems biking the rest of the day. 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

StarChefs.com: The United Grapes of America

Maryland Wine Announces Results of 2013 Governor's Cup Competition

These are exciting times for the Maryland Wine industry and based on the results of the 2013 Governor's Cup Competition the recent expansion has augmented the supply of excellent wine. Both new and old wineries shared in the haul of awards. And how do I know the quality? Fortunately the 2013 Drink Local Conference was held in Baltimore and we were able to sample many of these vintages - particularly the Governor's Cup winner: Black Ankle Vineyards Crumbling Rock 2010. And no surprise from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard; but check out the haul from Port of Leonardtown Winery. Looks like I have some traveling to do for DCWineWeek.  The full results are listed here; but I've listed the the major awards below. Cheers to Maryland Wine.

BEST IN CLASS

Best Sparkling: Great Shoals Winery • Sparkling Vidal Blanc 2012
Best White Varietal: Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard • Chardonnay 2012
Best White Blend: Black Ankle Vineyards • Bedlam 2012
Best Rosé: Crow Vineyards & Winery • Barbera Rosé
Best Red Varietal: Cascia Vineyards • Nebbiolo 2009
Best Red Blend: Black Ankle Vineyards • Crumbling Rock 2010
Best Off-Dry Varietal: Boordy Vineyards • Vidal Blanc 2012
Best Off-Dry Blend: Royal Rabbit Vineyards • Chatelaine 2012
Best Mead: Orchid Cellar Winery • Archer
Best Dessert: Port of Leonardtown Winery • Autumn Frost 2010
Best Fruit: Port of Leonardtown Winery • McIntosh Run 2011
Best Fortified: Serpent Ridge Vineyard • Slither

DOUBLE GOLD MEDALISTS

Black Ankle Vineyards • Crumbling Rock 2010
Cascia Vineyards • Nebbiolo 2009
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard • Chardonnay 2012

GOLD MEDALISTS

Big Cork Vineyards • Chardonnay 2012
Black Ankle Vineyards • Bedlam 2012
Boordy Vineyards • Veritas Port 2008
Boordy Vineyards • Vidal Blanc 2012
Bordeleau Winery • Pinot Grigio 2012
Crow Vineyards & Winery • Vidal Blanc 2012
Crow Vineyards & Winery • Barbera Rosé
Dejon Vineyards • Festivus 2012
Great Shoals Winery • Sparkling Vidal Blanc 2012
Layton’s Chance Winery • Oaked Chambourcin 2011
Linganore Winecellars • Indulgence
Loew Vineyards • Apples & Honey
Loew Vineyards • Viva Vidal 2011
Orchid Cellar Winery • Archer
Port of Leonardtown Winery • Chardonnay 2011
Port of Leonardtown Winery • Captain’s Table 2010
Port of Leonardtown Winery • Autumn Frost 2010
Port of Leonardtown Winery • Chaptico Rosé 2011
Port of Leonardtown Winery • McIntosh Run 2011
Royal Rabbit Vineyards • Chatelaine 2012
Serpent Ridge Vineyard • Slither
Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard • Cabernet Franc Reserve 2011

Jack's Hard Cider - Original vs Helen’s Blend

I've found a new friend, hard cider in the can, courtesy of Jack's Hard Cider located in the Adams County - apple country - just west of Gettysburg. Jack's is the companion to Hauser Estate Winery and the apples are harvested directly from the property, fermented at the winery, and then canned for easy transportation. The brand is named for the patriarchs of the Hauser family, Jack and Helen Hauser. Jack was the driving force behind Musselmans - where we still purchase their 100% freshly pressed apple juice - not concentrated - and apple sauce.  Back to Jack's, they produce two styles of hard cider - the dry Original (green) and the sweeter Helen's Blend (red).  Both are produced from a medley of the almost twenty apple varieties grown on the property.  Both provide a mouthful of baked apple flavors, approximately three apples per can, with a refreshing acidic finish.  The only difference is the sweetness, choose which you prefer. Cheers to hard cider.

A Tasting of Four Corn Whiskeys

This weekend my brother-in-law expressed a new interest in whiskey - without his normal tendency to mix anything with cola. Thus I subjected him to a lecture on the various types of whiskey (i.e what is bourbon, Tennessee sour mash, Scotch, moonshine....). We then sampled a few styles from Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia that I had open on the bar: two moonshine styled whiskeys and two bourbon styled whiskeys. The Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit was a clear favorite, followed by the Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon. Tasting notes are below. Cheers.




Piedmont Distillers (Madison, NC)- Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon ($25)
Aroma - weak neat, but opens to dirty corn after a few drops of H2O
Mid - very smooth, corn sweet
Finish - clean finish; very, very short burn

Stillhouse Distillery (Culpeper, VA) - MOONSHINE - The Original Moonshine from Stillhouse ($40)
Aroma - very weak neat, but opens to dirty corn after a few drops of H2O
Mid - smooth, some sweetness
Finish - clean finish; short burn -> works best in a cocktail

Thirteenth Colony Distilleries (Americus, GA) - Southern Corn Whiskey ($30)
Aroma - honey nut cheerios
Mid - kerosene
Finish - mid level burn

A. Smith Bowman Distillery (Fredericksburg, VA) - Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit ($40)
Aroma - burnt honey
Mid - candied walnuts
Finish - coats mouth; smoothest, slight burn

A #VirtualVines Tasting with Old York Cellars

Last night Old York Cellars hosted their second Virtual Wines online tasting where consumers can watch and/or participate in a tasting of two wines from one New Jersey's oldest wineries - active since 1978. The winery encourages consumers to participate at the winery, by hosting their own tasting party, or follow along via the Virtual Wines Livestream site, Facebook, or Twitter.  For me, I was fortunate to receive a complimentary sample. On June 20th, I participated in Old York Cellars' in inaugural online tasting focusing on their new What Exit Wines brand - where consumers can actually customize the label of every purchased bottle. Pretty cool. Last night's tasting was hosted by winemaker Scott Gares and featured two vinifera wines: the 2011 Chardonnay ($17) and Cabernet Sauvignon ($21).

We started with the  2011 Old York Cellars Chardonnay and during the webcast, winemaker Scott Gares described the vineyard and winemaking practices for this wine. Because of New Jersey's hot and humid summers, they pull leaves off the vines in order to help the grapes dry from the moist humidity. The grapes are then fermented in stainless steel, undergo a secondary malolatic fermentation and then ed four months in medium oak.  The result is a wine that balances between the "naked" and buttery spectrum. The nose and initial flavors are a creamy pear-apricot whereas it finishes with green apple and nice acidity.  This is a decent wine, low in alcohol (12.2%) and right in the drink local priceline. The winery also recommends several pairings - basically anything with creamy butter - but also includes crab - old bay; risotto; Gruyere or creamier cheeses; Caesar salad; pork loin; apple, pecan, or key lime pie; and pound cake with strawberries. The final touch is that the sample pack we received included chocolates from Laurie's Chocolates - and the I really liked the pairing with the milk chocolate caramel.

Moving to the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine spent 16 days on skin and after fermentation, aged 6 months in medium oak. The result is a fruit forward, medium bodied wine with ripe cherry flavors. The finish is easy, with soft tannins.  This is not your California cab or even a Bordeaux, but a very tasty option.  As for food pairings, the winery suggests burgers, beef stew, pizza, Italian seasoning, short ribs, dark chocolate, aged cheddar, or colby. As for Laurie's Chocolates, the Cabernet truffle was spot on - a truffle made from the very wine.

I look forward to visiting Old York Cellars. You got to respect a winery that takes the time to create a virtual tasting. Plus they host live music.