Below are list of events from wineries who advertise with Wine Trail Traveler. Discover a winery event to attend perhaps in your own backyard. Enjoy discovering local wines and support your community.

Cheers, Kathy

Friday, June 1

Cava Winery, New Jersey
Event: Sample wines at festival at Meadowlands Racetrack
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Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Music: Trifecta Rockin Blues
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Serpent Ridge Winery, Maryland
Event: First Friday
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The Winery at LaGrange, Virginia
Event: Wine Down
Website Information

The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, Ohio
Music: Tim and TJ Gang
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Saturday, June 2

Cava Winery, New Jersey
Event: Boom into June Weekend
Website Information

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, Virginia
Event: VIP Wine Club Appreciation Day
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Music: 4-Kings
Event: Craft Show in the Vineyards
Website Information

McKinley Springs, Washington State
Event: BBQ Cooking Classes
Website Information

The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, Ohio
Music: John Stipe
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: VinOlympics
Website Information

Sunday, June 3

Cava Winery, New Jersey
Event: Boom into June Weekend
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: 8th Annual Dinner with the Winemakers of Old Mission Peninsula at Trattoria Stella
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Music: Stan Miller
Event: Craft Show in the Vineyards
Website Information

McKinley Springs, Washington
Event: BBQ Cooking Classes
Website Information

On June 8, 9, and 10, 2012 a major festival takes place in West Virginia close to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park.

The Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival is large and the focus is on quality arts, crafts and bluegrass. What makes this particular festival so great is a combination of things:

• Six West Virginia wineries will be participating
• The arts and crafts are judged before selection
• Live bluegrass music groups will be playing on Saturday and Sunday
• Numerous arts and crafts demonstrations take place
• Ticket prices are great! Ticket prices at the gate are Adults – $7.00 Children 6-17 – $4.00 Children under 6 are free. Parking is included in the ticket price. Ticket prices are even better in advance.
• Plus a $1. coupon is available at: http://www.jeffersoncountywvchamber.org/festival/coupon.html

Arts & Crafts Categories

• Art Glass
• Bands
• Baskets
• Clothing & Accessories
• Decorative Painting / Folk Art
• Dolls & Stuffed Animals
• Dried Flowers / Herbal Products
• Food
• Furniture
• Graphic / Fine Arts
• Jewelry
• Leather / Sheepskin
• Metals (Other than Jewelry)
• Musical Instruments
• Other Media
• Photography
• Pottery
• Quilts
• Rugs
• Toys
• Winery
• Wood Accessories

West Virginia wineries to be included are

• Fork of Cheat Winery
• Kenco Farms
• Kirkwood Winery
• Potomac Highland Winery
• Watts Roost Vineyard
• West-Whitehill Winery

A year ago in June we attended the Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival in West Virginia, close to Harpers Ferry National Park. We discovered it to be a wonderful experience with so much to see and experience. This is a family friendly event.

Cheers, Kathy

On June 5 celebrate Texas wines by participating in TXwine Twitter Day. The time is 7pm Central Time.

In Texas wine supporters have developed a different twist to Twitter tastings. Anyone with a story or photos of Texas wineries can participate. If you are in Texas visit a winery, take photos, taste wines and write tweets about the wine or the winery experience. Use the hashtag #TXwine. If you live in another state consider purchasing a bottle of Texas wine and join the discussion on Twitter about Texas wines and wineries.

Texas is considered to be one of the top wine producing states  in the US. Many of the wineries are located on one of the 11 Texas wine trails. In 2012 Texas has more than 220 wineries. The history of Texas wine goes back to the missionaries who began growing grapes near the current city of El Paso. Settlers from Europe brought grapevine cuttings with them and began vineyards from these cuttings. The oldest bonded winery in Texas, Val Verde Winery located in Del Rio, was started in 1883 and is in operation today.

“If you’re new to Twitter, just sign up for a free Twitter account at www.twitter.com. To make it easy to follow and participate in the discussion, go to the Tweetchat room set up for TXwine Twitter Tuesdays: http://tweetchat.com/room/TXwine. No registration is required; you can login using your Twitter account info.”

Enjoy a Texas Twitter tasting on Tuesday, June 5. Use hashtag #TXwine.

Cheers! Kathy

Today is National Wine Day!

If you think we’ve already celebrated this year, it could be because we celebrated National Drink Wine Day back in February.

Many of you had a Chardonnay yesterday for the Twitter event with the hashtag #ChardDay. So today why not do some grilling after you get home from work? Or even easier stop by a store and pick up some appetizers. At home open up a bottle of red wine to enjoy with your dinner or appetizers.

While drinking the wine decide what it is that impresses you about the wine. Is it the aroma, taste or finish – perhaps all three.

Cheers to National Wine Day!

Kathy

Since this is worldwide Chardonnay Day we decided to have a Bourgogne for lunch. Some people prefer the Chards from the Burgundy region of France over the Chardonnays made elsewhere in the world. The 2010 Bourgogne by Domaine Matrot poured almost clear with a golden-yellow tinge. The wine was yellow in the glass. There was apple on the aroma and taste and the finish was crisp with a hint of citrus. With the wines crisp finish it certainly matched well with our lunch fare. I had Quesadillas Poblanas filled with a mix of chicken, poblano chilies and Monterey Jack cheese. While Kathy had a Tuna Salad Sandwich that included the house tuna salad, lettuce, and tomato on grilled pannini bread.

For five generations Domaine Matrot has been a family estate. More information is available on the Domaine Matrot website. After returning home from the restaurant it was interesting to browse the website, where we noted that “Decanting the whites will allow them to breathe, to develop their complex aromas and to express their finesse and the personality of their terroir.” The restaurant offered a very nice experience but did not decant the wine. Would it have been even better if it had been decanted?

Cheers,
Terry & Kathy

The Twin Pine Lake County Chardonnay is a surprising Chardonnay that offers a complexity not often associated with a house wine. Even the venue that offers this Chardonnay is unique. The wine had an aroma of pineapple and caramel. The taste was ever changing with hints of pear, pineapple apricot and caramel. there was a smooth mouthfeel and fruity finish. The wine is a good stand alone wine or paired with food.

Twin Pine is a casino in  Middletown, California. They have two of their own wines, the Chardonnay and a Petite Sirah. Both wines were bottled and produced by Langtry Estate & Vineyards. Visitors to the casino will notice the wine theme throughout. The gift shop has a nice selection of wines, including those under the Twin Pine label. They also offer wines from the “Winery of the Month.” Each month the casino spotlights an area winery. Visitors can participate in a wine tasting while at the gift shop. The wine theme continues in the restaurants with large prints of wine-related paintings. Vineyard-themed chandeliers hang over the casino gaming area.

Whether you go for the wine or go for the games, Twin Pine Casino offers their own labeled wines to enjoy.

Cheers,
Terry

Tomorrow is Chardonnay Day. A day where thousands if not tens of thousands of tweets will be made worldwide about this noble grape. Some people seem to have a love/hate relationship with the grape, myself included. Seldom do I find myself wanting a Chardonnay. I frequently want a Cabernet Sauvignon, Sagrantino or Petite Sirah. For whites I will frequently want a Sauvignon Blanc, Orange Muscat or Riesling. But when it comes to Chardonnay I never seem to want it.

I’ve discovered that if I haven’t tasted a Chardonnay for several weeks to several months, I enjoy it more. On the reverse, if I’ve had several Chardonnays within a few weeks or over a couple months, I’ll tend to shy away from it. For me it doesn’t seem to matter whether the wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel or oak. My opinion is the same. When it comes to caramel or butter, I still have a take it or leave it attitude.

On a recent trip to Napa and Lake County wineries, I did discover some Chardonnays that had some noticeable tannins. Those I liked. For tomorrow, I have two or three Chardonnays from different parts of the country. I’ll then stay away from this grape for several months, other then tasting it at wineries visited.

Do you like Chardonnay/ How often do you like to drink a Chardonnay?

Cheers,
Terry

DelMonico Winery & Vineyards in Tennessee

Memorial Day Weekend is seen as the beginning of summer. Celebrate the weekend at a winery event or at home with a barbecue and a glass of wine! Visit the recipe section of the Wine Trail Traveler website for recipe ideas from appetizers to desserts.

Events scheduled for this weekend are listed below. Check with the winery in advance in the event of any changes.

Make plans to have a wonderful weekend!

Cheers! Kathy

Thursday, May 24

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: Gruner Veltline
Event: Wine Release Party
Website Information

Laurello Vineyards, OH
Event: Pasta for the Cure
Website Information

Friday, May 25

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: 4-Kings
Website Information

Serpent Ridge Winery, MD
Event: First Friday
Website Information

The Winery at LaGrange, VA
Event: Wine Down
Website Information

The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, OH
Music: Scott Paris
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: Memorial Day Weekend
Website Information

Saturday, May 26

Cava Winery, NJ
Event: Memorial Day Weekend Celebration
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: Yesterday & Today
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The Winery at LaGrange, VA
Event: Book Signing
Website Information

The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, OH
Music: Ryan Humbert (Duo)
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: Memorial Day Weekend
Website Information

Sunday, May 27

Cava Winery, NJ
Event: Memorial Day Weekend Celebration
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Sunday Jazz Session
Website Information

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, VA
Event: Memorial Day French Crepe Celebration
Website Information

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Music: 4-Kings
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: Memorial Day Weekend
Website Information

Monday, May 28

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: Memorial Day Weekend
Website Information

With summer getting closer and Memorial Day Weekend coming up, are you ready for a short excursion to a wine region?  Wine Trail Traveler offers two to three-day suggested itineraries to get you started.  A map is also available giving you an idea of where wineries are located. The itineraries are at http://winetrailtraveler.com/itineraries/tripitineraries.php.

Currently itineraries include the United States – North East, Mid West, South and West. States included are California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. Itineraries are also available for Canada and New Zealand.

These itineraries are meant as suggestions and give you the address, phone number and a link to an article review.

If you are making plans for a trip this summer check out these short itineraries from Wine Trail Traveler, LLC.

Cheers, Kathy

Lake County in one of California’s growing wine regions has created the Lake County Quilt Trail. Visitors to the area can look for these painted quilt squares located on the outside of large buildings. While we traveled to many of the Lake County wineries, we noticed several of these delightful quilt squares. More than 20 buildings are adorned with a quilt block. Below are two of the quilt squares we discovered in our travels. The first is on Steele Wines facility and the second is on the Lakeport English Inn Bed & Breakfast.  Steele winery’s quilt block is the Fifty-Four Forty or Fight. This was the campaign slogan for for James K. Polk. The owner of the Lakeport English Inn chose the quilt block Double Wedding Ring.

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight Quilt Block at Steele Wines

Lakeport English Inn Bed & Breakfast with Double Wedding Ring Quilt Block