Drink Local Wine Conference 2013, Baltimore, Maryland

When we learned that the 2013 conference for Drink Local Wine was to be held in Maryland, our home state, we were happy that we didn’t have to travel far for the conference. We had just returned from Europe for a conference so distance was on our minds. I did wonder how Maryland wines would be seen by the media core that would attend the conference. Wine media can be an anxious group of individuals, some with impressive credentials while others are just beginning. A media group can have quite individuals as well as overly loud individuals. Some in the media can be mean spirited toward each other and towards the wineries and wine. Some in the wine media only want to bash wines, winemakers, growers and regions. So I wondered how Maryland would be perceived by the DLW13 media group.

After two days with this group, I would use the word “respectful.” This has been the first time I was with a group of wine media where this term could apply. They were respectful toward each other and towards the winemakers, owners and wines. Sadly this wasn’t case in my previous media group appearance a month earlier, nor was it the case with the DLW12 media group last year.

What happened to gain their respect and gentle handling? I believe the Friday media trip to three Maryland wineries sealed the fate for this group of writers. The Maryland Winery Association organized the trip, and quite frankly, blew them away. Our first visit was to Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. There was a beautiful food spread and wine served by Sugarloaf Mountain and Elk Run Vineyards. One activity was to taste four wines and choose the one the group liked. Sugarloaf Mountain was going to use the media group’s input to determine the blend to make. Our second winery stop was Blank Ankle Vineyards. The Black Ankle wines were paired with a multi-course lunch that was perhaps the best meal we all have had in quite awhile. Lame, done three ways, was barbecued outside the tasting room. There were oysters on the shells presented two ways. The food just kept coming. You know you captured a group when they comment on how good the potatoes were in addition to the other foods. At this point, Maryland could do no wrong.

Our third stop was Boordy Vineyard where they served their wines along with Fiore and Cygnus. There was such a diverse selection that everyone tried several items. Boordy also had 2012 barrel samples for the group to try. Fiore brought their grappa, some of the best in the country, and limoncello. If there was a small distraction for the day, it would have been the wine glasses used at our first stop. After that, everywhere else used fine stemware. That evening the media group had another meal in Baltimore at the  Waterfront Kitchen.

The next day we had conference sessions and the Twitter Taste-Off. The conference was held at the Tremont Suites in Baltimore. Although undergoing construction of the reception area, the conference room, breakfast room and room for lunch were the most elegant of any Drink Local Wine Conference sites. The site of the Twitter Taste-Off was the warehouse at Camden Yards. We had marvelous views of the ballpark that included a game, not the Orioles, and a wedding. The room the wines were served was long and well lit. The brick walls gave a sense of the oldness of the area. If we had to search for a negative, Internet access was spotty at times.

Maryland did the conference right. The state should become the poster child for the Drink Local Wine Conference and provide a blueprint for future conferences. They calmed a potential beast of a wine media group.

Cheers,
Terry

I’ve spent many an evening at Oriole Park at Camden yards watching a ball game. Where ever I sat I noticed the warehouse that stretches along South Eutaw St. I didn’t imagine the site of the stadium from within the warehouse though. On Saturday, the Drink Local Wine Conference held the Twitter Taste-Off of Maryland wines in the warehouse. Although the Orioles were not playing at home, there was a ball game going on followed by a wedding. The view of the field and stadium from the warehouse was great. This was an excellent choice for the setting for Maryland wines. Conference attendees arrived before the general public and had an hour to discover and taste wines from 21 Maryland wineries. Then at 4:00 there was a steady stream of traffic arriving for the tasting. The 300 tickets to the event were sold out days ago. Everyone appeared to have a good time.

Keeping with conference grad tasting tradition, I wrote haikus for the wines I tasted. I didn’t taste many wines since I was in the lobby hoping to sell and sign a copy of our book A Wine Journey. However, here are a few haikus from the event.

Twitter Taste-Off Haikus

Dodan Sauvignon Blanc

Dodon Sauvignon
Hint of tropicals, lemon
Light acid finish.

Linganore Chardonnay

Smooth Chardonay light
Linganore’s newest label
Bring on the seafood.

Royal Rabbit The Viscount

Royal Rabbit blend
Petite Verdot, Sauvignon
Dark fruits meeting oak.

Basignani Sinistra

Basignani port
Sinistra shocases Cab
Dried fruits, delicious.

Knob Hall Prestige

A Merlot based blend 
A Kiss of dark fruits slight oak 
Admiration red.

Catoctin Breeze Dolce Vita

Dolce Vita sweet
Raspberries, blueberries, and
Marionberries.

Cheers,
Terry

Session III: Maryland’s New Guard

Ed Boyce of Black Ankle Vineyards

The “Maryland’s New Guard” session was introduced by Kevin Atticks, Executive Director of Maryland Wineries Association and followed by Ed Boyce of Black Ankle Vineyards, Tom Shelton of Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery and Dave Collins from Big Cork Vineyards.

Kevin Atticks gave an overview of what he has seen over the past 10 to 12 years. He mentioned there are wines from all over the world that have faults. Where does Maryland need to go?

Ed Boyce mentioned that the challenge isn’t quality; it is consistency as Maryland can make quality wines. Through his research he discovered the models of grape growing on the East Coast do not follow what is done around the world. He noted that Maryland winery/vineyards cannot follow California. Instead Maryland should look to Europe. California has different weather. In a bad weather year Black Ankle will pull what would go into a higher-level wine and put it into a lower level wine. Therefore the lower level wines are always consistent. There may not be a higher-level wine each year. Ed thinks that the one thing in the industry that will change over the years will be the grower.

Tom Shelton from Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery agrees that consistency is important. Tom has seen a positive change in the image of Maryland wine. He mentioned that Pinot Gris and Chambourcin do well on his Eastern Shore vineyard. His philosophy is that every time they bottle a wine it has to be better than the one they ran out of (sold out of.) Tom likes using blending as a means to establish consistency.

Dave Collins of Big Cork Vineyards helped to plant 22 acres of vineyards in Washington County. His experience in growing grapes in Virginia has taught him that the more acres of vineyards that people drive past the more likely people will search out the winery. People come to the property for the experience not necessarily for the wines.

The third session, “Maryland’s New Guard,” provided information and inspiration for Maryland winemakers, wine growers and wine enthusiasts. It is obvious that the Maryland wine industry is growing both in size and in quality and will continue to rise.

Dr. Joe Fiola, University of Maryland

Session I: Creating Maryland’s Wine Identity

This panel presentation began with an introduction of panel members including Marguerite Thomas, author of Touring East Coast Wine Country, Robert Deford, owner of Boordy Vineyards, and Dr. Joe Fiola, from the Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Maryland.

According to Robert Deford, Boordy Vineyards really began during Prohibition but it was not civil disobedience.  Current owner Deford noted that Wagner wanted to re-introduce wines to Americans. He also introduced hybrid grapes.

Deford talked about the state identity including marketing the state. He mentioned that political lines don’t have any meaning. He went on to mention the difficulties of the wine industry in Maryland. Maryland should do research on vineyards and wineries. Maryland’s wineries need to develop a political voice and continue marketing. He noted that in Maryland if something is not mentioned in the laws it implies that means it cannot be done. Deford ended by asking “Is wine too fancy for Maryland?”

Marguerite Thomas started by saying that Maryland wines as far back as 1990 were not very good.  She did not back up her statements. She also mentioned the use of hybrids but said that wasn’t bad.  She also so noted that in 2001 Kevin Atticks was the start of an increased interest in Maryland wine.

Dr. Joe Fiola followed Marguerite’s brief presentation. In Dr. Joe Fiola’s opinion Maryland is not going to be known for unique varieties. Instead Maryland can do a lot of varieties well.  Success for the Maryland wine industry will include people who evolve with the industry, leadership to get positive legislation, a new breed of wineries, better understanding of vineyards and site selections.  Dr. Fiola educates about the differences depending where the grapes are grown in the state. Many vineyards are using current research as well as conducting their own research.

Dr. Fiola believes that the future of the Maryland wines lies with the Bordeaux varieties, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino. In the past it was shocking that European vitis vinifera could be grown on the East Coast.

This session, “Creating Maryland’s Wine Identity” took a look at the Maryland’s wine industry and offered encouragement that Maryland’s wine industry is growing and will continue to grow.

Dr. Joseph A. Fiolo from the University of Maryland likes to look at the future. He wonders what varieties will be the best for different parts of Maryland in the future. He has research vineyards around the state and harvests the grapes to make wine.

Three flights of two wines each were tasted to give the Drink Local Wine Conference attendees an idea of what is in store for Maryland’s future. The first flight looked at two white wines. The first was a 2012 GRV and the second was a 2009 Diamond Back. The GRV is a blend of four grapes including Verdejo, Albriano, Colombard and Marsanne. The wine had a floral aroma especially rose petals and orange blossoms. There was also grapefruit on the aroma and taste. The 2009 Diamond Back was also a blend of grapes with no names, just numbers. It was very aromatic especially floral. It taste had rose petals and lychee. There was a long floral aftertaste.

The second flight was two red wines. 2010 Barbera Reserve was a dark ruby with dark fruits and licorice. Mild tannins and the crisp finish was fruity. The 2012 Teroldego was a very dark ruby. Chocolate was on the aroma with prunes and chocolate on the taste. The finish had tannins and was fruity.

For our third flight there were two dessert wines. The 2009 Linaé Ice (SC-128) was a gold color with an orange hue. It had apricots and pineapple on the aroma. A 2009 Apple Ice Wine was a dark gold color. The wine was made from a variety of apples. It had apples on the aroma and taste. Those that like sweet wines will like this wine.

Vineyard research is a vital step in the process of creating excellent wines. Not all of Maryland has the same weather or terroir. It is important to discover the grape varieties that do well consistently in an area.

Cheers,
Terry

The second session looked at the topic of drinking local. Dave McIntyre spoke of the founding of the Drink Local Wine Conference. Dave raised the issue of eat local and drink local. He asked, if you are eating Maryland lamb, why are you think of pairing that with a California wine? He then introduced the panel and asked them to speak about the eat local/drink local theme and the image of Maryland wine.

Jerry Pellegrino, chef at Waterfront Kitchen, mentioned his first case of wine was from Woodhall Wine Cellars. His restaurant has about twenty Maryland producers with wine on his restaurant’s wine list. Jerry noted that the eat local movement can grow faster than the drink local movement. The wine industry is lagging a bit behind, but things are changing just as they did with the eat local movement. Today the eat local farmers can supply the restaurant’s needs. He sees a similar thing with Maryland wineries. However he hasn’t noted that many local people visiting the restaurant are requesting Maryland wines.

Jerry cautioned that just because it is local doesn’t mean that he will want to put it on his menu. The food as well as the wines still need to be good and have people want to eat and drink them.

Jade Ostner, director of events for the Maryland Winery Association, spoke of wine events in Maryland. She noted that the customer has changed over the years. People attend events for the events rather than the wines. Jade is creating events such as “Eat, Drink and Go Local” that has a different format than festivals. Other events include events that may emphasize a Maryland’s winery library wines. Jade mentioned that there are still wine festivals. But a turning point includes additional formats other than festivals. Jade also spoke of Maryland Wine Week where many Maryland restaurants will serve Maryland wine that week.

Al Spoker, co-host of Cellar Notes/Radio Kitchen WYPR Radio, stated that we do not have a wine culture in Maryland and as such the wine industry does not have the benefits of a several hundred years wine culture. The image of eat local is growing; farmers’s names are known. On the other hand this is not the case for winemakers and wine growers. Al mentioned the importance of a new Maryland law that will permit the sale of wine at farmers markets. He noted that there is nothing that will stop the making of good wine in Maryland.

Cheers,
Terry

Anthony Aellen explains how a tornado ripped the roof of the winery as Terry and Whitney listen to the fascinating story.

Yesterday we started the Drink Local Wine Conference early by picking up Whitney Rigsbee at BWI and heading out to a couple Maryland wineries. Whitney works for Nomacork, one of the sponsors of the conference. Our first winery stop was Linganore Wine Cellars in Mt. Airy. There we met Anthony Aellen, one of the most enthusiastic and entertaining wine makers we have encountered over the years. Anthony likes to talk about his story of making wine from the beginning to today. Anthony has made wine in Maryland for decades. He noted some of the changes in the Maryland wine industry over those years.

One change he discussed was the importance of making wine more accessible to the people. Festivals gets the wine out to the people. Consumers need to be aware that your winery exists. Many years ago, Linganore was know for making sweet wines. At the same time they also made dry wines. Other wineries in the state would send customers to Linganore that asked for sweet wines. Now, many Maryland wineries have added semi-sweet wines and/or sweet wines to their portfolio.The Maryland wine industry has come to realize that you have to make the kinds of wines that the local communities want to drink. Another change in the industry is the number of varieties of wine grapes grown in the state. The planting of different vinifera has increased along with hybrids. There are also planting of experimental grapes that have numbers and no names.

We then visited Elk Run Vineyards. Fred Wilson also spoke of the changes in the Maryland wine industry over the years. He noted that many years ago, the state had a certain hostility towards the wine industry. Today they are accepting and helpful to the industry. This can be noted in the numbers of wineries when compared to Virginia. About 40 years ago Maryland and Virginia had approximately the same number of wineries. Now Maryland has over 60 wineries while Virginia has over 200 wineries. Many of Maryland’s 60 plus wineries have opened over the past couple years and more are scheduled to open this year and in the near future.

Today we are off with the media group to explore Sugarloaf Mountain, Black Ankle and Boordy.

Cheers,
Terry

On Thursday morning, people were already arriving at the BWI airport for the Drink Local Conference in Baltimore. While not everyone can attend the Drink Local Wine Conference this weekend for a variety of reasons be sure to check out the wineries in your region. When visiting wineries in your region ask about terroir, grape varieties, vineyard management and wine/winery history. Also discover which states have designated wine months.

Wine lovers who want to celebrate drink local wine and not attending this 2013 conference can choose this weekend to visit a local winery in their local area or ask for a local wine when visiting a restaurant. While drinking local wines look for similarities and differences. Wine varies depending on the weather, terroir, vineyard management and winemaking techniques. Enjoy the similarities and differences.

We encourage you to describe the wines and to use the techniques that many sommeliers use. Describe the wines as you find them. To use a generic turn like good or bad does not help anyone. If you like a wine describe why you like the wine; if you don’t like a wine describe why you do not like it or if it has a fault what is the fault.

Cheers,
Kathy

2012 Drink Local Wine Twitter Taste-Off in Denver, Colorado

Kathy and I are preparing for the Drink Local Wine Conference that will take place on Saturday in Baltimore. There will be a number of people attending from around the country and I’m interested in discovering what they think of Maryland wine. Many of those visiting will be writers and they will certainly add their voice to the discussion of Maryland wine. Tomorrow we are picking up Whitney at the airport and taking her to two Maryland wineries. Since we are on a time limit, we will visit Linganore Winecellars and Elk Run Vineyards. Both wineries have been in operation for a few decades and have seen the growth of the Maryland wine industry.

On Friday the media group and guests will visit three Maryland wineries: Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, Black Ankle Vineyards and Boordy Vineyards. Boordy is the oldest Maryland Winery. Black Ankle and Sugarloaf are much younger, but have helped to raise the standard of Maryland wine. Friday night we will have dinner with other media and guests and drink Maryland wine paired with Maryland foods.

The conference begins Saturday morning. Three seminars are in the morning and another seminar is in the afternoon. Maryland now has over 60 wineries with over 50 open to the public. This number doubled in just the last couple years. What is happening in Maryland to give rise to the wine industry? The seminar sessions will touch on this and perhaps give an answer. From 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm on Saturday there will be a grand tasting of 21 Maryland wineries’ wines. The event is open to the public; however, is now sold out. There is a lot of interest in Maryland wine. At the grand tasting, media and others who wish will tweet about the wines. I suspect that an hour or so into the tasting #DLW13 the hashtag for Drink Local Wine will be trending on Twitter. From the thousands of tweets generated on Saturday afternoon, we should get an idea of how others are reacting to Maryland wine.

Cheers,
Terry

In April, The Drink Local Wine Conference is held in a state. The first four conferences brought attention to the wine industries in Texas, Virginia, Missouri and Colorado. This year the conference will be held in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday April 13th. Wine enthusiasts from around the state and wine writers and wine bloggers from around the country will descend on Tremont Suites Hotel and Camden Yards to attend sessions and taste Maryland wines.

Since Maryland is our home state we decided to emphasize Maryland this month. MarylandWine.com lists 53 wineries for the state. We have visited and written about 40 of them. Part of our monthly blog posts and articles will center on Maryland. Today we have an article dealing with some of the misconceptions about Maryland wine. We tackle some of the touchy misconceptions:

Maryland wine isn’t very good.
All Maryland wines are sweet.
Maryland makes mostly fruit wines.
Maryland wines are expensive.
All Maryland wineries are making the same mediocre wine that was made decades ago.

Read the entire article Some Misconceptions about Maryland Wine.

Since the above topics come under an article titled “Misconceptions” you can probably tell where our opinions lie. These misconceptions are not unique to Maryland. Most of the states in the United States have the same misconceptions to overcome. Education is one of the primary tools to combat misconceptions. Having the Drink Local Wine Conference in different states each year helps to educate the consumer and wine writer.

Discover more about Maryland wine. If you live near a Maryland winery, visit the winery and find out what they are making. Registration for the conference is still open. Check out the MarylandWine.com website for information.

Cheers,
Terry