January 10 is the start of the Niagara Icewine Festival that begins with the 25th Niagara Icewine Gala.
Reif Estate Winery participating in 2020 Niagara Icewine Festival
Niagara icewines rival other sweet dessert wines including: late harvest wines, ice ciders, Port, Hungary’s Tokaji, France’s Sauternes, and Italy’s Vin Santo.
If you haven’t tasted an icewine from Niagara, Niagara is a great place to visit and discover icewines.
This year in 2020, Niagara Icewine participants can purchase a Icewine Discovery Pass for January 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26. The Snow Globe Soirée takes place January 16 – February 16. Wineries participating in the Niagara Icewine Festival are located in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Twenty Valley.
Tickets are available online as well as at Ontario Tourism Centres, Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and participating wineries.
Niagara Icewine Gala (January 10) includes:
Icewine from more than 30 producers
Culinary treats paired with the icewine
Ice sculptures
Interactive icewine activities
Video of the past 25 years of Canada’s icewine story
General admission tickets are still available for $199 +HST
Discovery Pass includes:
The Discovery Pass is good for the specified nine days (January 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26)
Includes 8 wine and food pairings at the participating wineries
36 participating wineries
Tickets are available for $45 +HST. Special driver’s tickets are $35 +HST.
Snow Globe Soirée Experience includes:
Pre and post dinner welcome in the Snow Globe Lounge with Niagara VQA wines available and includes a view of the Falls.
A 90-minute dining experience in a heated Snow Globe furnished with blankets and twinkling lights
A 3-course meal with a curated Niagara VQA wine list
A Snow Globe concierge
The Snow Globe Experience takes place Thursday through Sunday between January 16 and February 16. Price: $999 per Snow Globe dome (includes dinner for six and two bottles of premium VAQ wine.)
Wine Trail Traveler visited many of the wineries located in Niagara. Articles and photos are available online.
2020 may be just the year to discover icewines in Niagara!
The Willamette Valley AVA is the location of many of Oregon’s wineries. More than 500 wineries are located in Willamette Valley. The valley spreads from near Portland to south of Eugene. The Willamette Valley includes seven sub-AVAs: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and Van Duzer Corridor.
Sweet Cheeks Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley
During November 2019 we visited eight wineries close to Eugene and Corvallis. In size, the wineries ranged from large such as King Estate with 150,000 cases to the small, boutique wineries such as Tyee Wine Cellars producing 2,000 cases of estate wines.
During our November visit to Willamette Valley we traveled to:
King Estate Winery (Eugene) Silvan Ridge (Eugene) Sweet Cheeks (16 miles from Eugene) Iris Vineyards (Eugene) Civic Winery (Eugene) Benton-Lane Winery (Monroe) Broadley Vineyards (Monroe) Tyee Wine Cellars (Corvallis)
Many of these wineries are family owned and operated with some wineries now operated by the second-generation who have chosen to continue the work of their parents. It is the lifestyle that causes some younger generations to return to the winery.
Each winery offers a warm welcome with different stories, different facilities and numerous wines, although the predominant wines seemed to be well-made Pinot Gris and Pinot Noirs.
Civic Winery in Eugene
We wrote and published articles about each of the wineries we visited in November. Check out the Oregon reviews on Wine Trail Traveler.
With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching, have you decided what kind of wines you may want to serve your family and friends?
If you want to prepare any of the Thanksgiving traditional recipes with wine, check out the Wine Trail Traveler Thanksgiving recipe suggestions that use wine as an ingredient. Usually wine used in a recipe also pairs well with the meal.
Some wine writers suggest that it is hard to pair Thanksgiving foods with wine; however, we believe that it’s a good idea to have both a red and white wine available. Sparkling wines are also good. You just can’t go wrong with favorite wines either. Oh, sure there’s one in every crowd who thinks they want to be a know-it-all, but overall if a well-made wine is served, it will be enjoyed.
A week ago we visited some wineries in the Southern area of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. As we were tasting predominantly Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, we thought that both would pair well with the various foods on a Thanksgiving Day dinner table.
If you have any doubts about what to serve, ask at your favorite winery or wine shop. Cheers, Terry and Kathy
Pond Hill Farm Winery vineyard with view of Lake Michigan
Last week we traveled to Michigan where we visited nine of the thirteen wineries located in the TIp of the Mitt AVA. Along the way the foliage was brightly colored with orange, red and yellow. This American Viticulture Area, the newest AVA in Michigan, was established in August 2016. The AVA is in Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula. Most of the Tip of the Mitt wineries are located near Little Traverse Bay which leads into the magnificent Lake Michigan.
The other AVAs in Michigan, located south or west of the Tip of the Mitt, are Lake Michigan Shore, Fennville, Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula.
The climate throughout the Tip of the Mitt AVA is significantly cold and therefore the wineries in the region concentrate on growing cold weather grape varieties. In fact, as we traveled into the Petoskey wine region we spent the night in Gaylord; the next morning we awoke to a light snowfall (October 15.)
Some of the grape varieties we encountered in the Tip of the Mitt AVA included the hybrid varieties such as Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Blanc, Marquette, Vignoles, Lemberger and Traminette. A few brave wineries have added a few vinifera varieties to their vineyards including Riesling.
In the middle of October, grapes were in the process of being harvested. In particular we saw Petite Pearl and Marquette grape clusters ready and waiting to be harvested. The Petite Pearl variety is a newer hybrid grape.
The Tip of the Mitt wineries we visited included: Seasons of the North Rudbeckia Winery and Brewery Crooked Vine Vineyard & Winery Pond Hill Farm Winery Brewery Cafe Market Mackinaw Trail Winery & Brewery Maple Moon Sugarbush & Winery Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery Royal Farms Farm Market and Winery Walloon Lake Winery
In addition to producing grape wines, some of the wineries are producing fruit wines as well as hard ciders and beers. Maple Moon is producing maple syrup wine and also has maple syrup Grade A and B plus produces bourbon-aged maple syrup.
The next time you are traveling in the Petoskey region of Michigan, consider stopping by wineries in the Tip of the Mitt AVA.
Visit the Wine Trail Traveler website to discover reviews of wineries in Michigan. The Tip of the Mitt reviews will be added quickly.
Recently we traveled into Washington, DC to attend a wine tasting featuring Trentodoc wines. The Trentodoc wine region is located north of Lake Garda in Italy. The DOC features sparkling wines but also produces still wines. Our Trentodoc wine tasting consisted of all sparkling wines. While we had our favorites, the best part of the tasting was that all of the sparkling wines were well made.
The tag line for Trentodoc wines is “Sparkling Wine from the Mountains.” Trentodoc is the only wine region allowed to use this tag line. A paper we received at the wine tasting quotes Lord Byron, “Up here I live not in myself, but I become portion of that around me. And to me, high mountains are a feeling.”
After the short and concise presentation and wine tasting, a gourmet lunch was served. We were asked to choose our favorite sparkling wine to pair with the impressive lunch. Lunch finished with a light berry fruit dessert.
Delicious dark bread topped with fresh veggies
A luscious fresh berry dessert
The Trentodoc wines would be suitable as an aperitif or paired with a variety of cuisines. Trentodoc suggests the following pairings with its sparkling wines.
Fall Seasonal Dishes
Roasted chicken
Roasted vegetables
Potato and leek soup
Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout Gratin
Butternut Squash Hash
Roasted squash and Kale Salad
Minestrone soup
Traditional Trentino Dishes
Canederli – bread dumpling with speck
Polenta
Cheeses: Trentingrana, Casolet, Vezzena, Puzzone di Moena
Speck- smoked and dry cured pork
Luganega sausage
Carne salada
Tortel di patate
Gnocchi di patate alla retina
Bro brusà – a soup that gets its name from brewing flour in olive oil and butter and then adding water for a dense broth. Smoked pancetta or beans can be added.
Maxwell Park Wine Bar
Maxwell Park Wine Bar in Washington DC
The Maxwell Park Wine Bar was the location of the Trentodoc wine tasting. The wine bar is located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington DC. This is a small boutique wine bar with seating available at a counter or one of several tables. A small corner nook offers a cozy spot to enjoy wine with friends. There is also outdoor seating.
Artistic grape bunch
Unusual artistic drawings show grape clusters with faces drawn on individual grapes. These werequite unique.
The next time you are looking for a sparkling wine, you may want to consider trying a Trentodoc sparkling wine from Italy.
In late September, we had an opportunity to travel to Washington DC for a tasting of sparkling wines from the mountainous region of Italy around Trento. These classic method sparkling wines were impressive and the first wines from this region that we tasted. The event was put on by Colangelo & Partners, an integrated communications agency based in New York and San Francisco. We have attended wine events arranged by Colangelo & Partners in the past and they are always superb. The tasting and lunch took place at the Maxwell Park Wine Bar, just a couple blocks from the Convention Center.
Sabrina Schench from Trentodoc
We met Sabrina Schench from Trentodoc who explained that they are here in Washington DC to introduce the sparkling wines from their high elevation vineyards in Northeastern Italy. During the short, ten-minute presentation we learned that the region has done well in an international sparkling wine competition. Trentodoc sparkling wines led the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Competition (CSWWC) with 27 gold medals and 19 silver medals. In addition, a Trentodoc producer was awarded the Sparkling Winery of the Year.
The sparkling wine area is predominated with plantings of Chardonnay. Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) plantings are on the increase. To a lesser extent there are also plantings of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier. These grape thrive in the mountains where diurnal temperature swings help preserve the grapes acidity and phenols. The soils are mostly a combination of limestone, alluvium soil and rocks. The vineyards in the Dolomites Mountains give the wines a signature terroir influence.
Sparkling Wines
Placas from the 11 sparkling wines
We tasted 11 sparkling wines and then had lunch. We were asked to pair the lunch with our favorite sparkling wines tasted. Four wines were served in the first flight. The Trentodoc Cantina D’isera 1907 Brut NV was made entirely from Chardonnay. The sparkling wine, with 12.5% alcohol had a light yellow color. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed a central mousse on the wine’s surface. Apple and pear notes were met with racy acidity and a lively mouthfeel. There was some chalk on the aftertaste. This sparkling wine retails for $26.
The Moser 51,151 Brut NV was also crafted with 100% Chardonnay. The light yellow colored wine had multiple columns if tiny bubbles forming a circumferential mousse on the wine’s surface. The 12.5% alcohol sparkling wine had apple on the aroma and taste. The mouthfeel was creamy and a tad heavier than the previous wine. There was chalk on the aftertaste for this wine that retails for $35.00.
At a retail price of $40, the Maso Martis Brut Bio NV was made with 100% Chardonnay. With 12.5% alcohol, this light yellow colored sparkling wine had multiple columns of tine bubbles forming a central and circumferential mousse on the surface. Apple and freshly baked bread were on the aroma and taste. The wine had a creamy mouthfeel.
The last sparkling wine in this first flight was the Revi Dosaggio Zero Millesimato 2015. This vintage sparkling wine had 12.5% alcohol and was a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero. The yellow colored wine had a golden hue. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed several circles on the wine’s surface. Apples and flowers were noticed on the aroma and taste. The wine had racy acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. The aftertaste had some mineral and freshly baked bread. This was my favorite sparkling wine of the flight and retails for $34.
The Endrizzi Piancastello Riserva 2014 was my favorite and paired with lunch.
The second flight also had four sparkling wines with a bit more aging on the lees than the first flight. The flight began with the Endrizzi Piancastello Riserva 2014. This vintage sparkling wine was one of my favorites of the day and the one I paired with lunch. The yellow colored sparkling wine was a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero and had 13% alcohol. There were multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming several circular mousse on the wine’s surface. Freshly baked bread, apples and pears were on the aroma and taste. The creamy mouthfeel was accompanied with lively acidity. Mineral and freshly baked bread were on the aftertaste.
The Altemasi Brut Millesimato 2013 was made entirely of Chardonnay. The 12.5% alcohol wine had a yellow color. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed a circumferential mousse on the surface. Apple and freshly baked bread were noticed on the aroma and taste. The wine had a racy acidity and retails for $30.
The Ferrari Perlé 2013 was also made entirely with Chardonnay. The yellow colored wine had 12.5% alcohol. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed a circumferential mousse on the surface. Freshly baked bread and apple were on the aroma and taste. The mouthfeel was extremely creamy. The aftertaste had mineral and freshly baked bread. The wine was aged on the lees for 60 months and retails for $40.
The last sparkling wine in this second flight was the Letrari Brut Riserva 2013. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, was aged for 60 months. The dark yellow colored sparkling wine had a gold hue, and had 12.5% alcohol. The wine had multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a central mousse on the surface. Freshly baked bread, apple and pear were on the aroma and taste. The creamy mouthfeel had racy acidity. The aftertaste offered freshly baked bread, pear and mineral. The retail for this sparkling wine was $43.
The third flight had three wines to taste. Retailing for $50, the yellow colored Monfort Riserva 2012 was a blend of mostly Chardonnay with a bit of Pinot Nero. Multiple columns of tiny bubbles formed a small central mousse. Apple, pear and freshly baked bread were on the aroma and taste for this sparkling wine that spent 60 months aging on the lees. The creamy mouthfeel had lively acidity.
The Cesarini Sforza Riserva 1673 was made entirely with Chardonnay. With 12.5% alcohol, this yellow colored wine had multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a several central and a circumferential mousse. Freshly baked bread, apple and pear were on the aroma and taste for this sparkling wine that spent 60 months on the lees. The creamy mouthfeel was accompanied by racy acidity. The aftertaste offered mineral, freshly baked bread and apple. The wine retails for $36.
Our last wine of the flight was the Rotari Brut 40th Anniversary 2011. This 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine retails for $40. The yellow colored wine with a gold hue had 12.5% alcohol. Columns of tiny bubbles formed a circumferential mousse. Freshly baked bread and apple were on the aroma and taste for this sparkling wine that aged for 50 months. The mouthfeel had racy acidity and the aftertaste offered freshly baked bread, mineral and apple.
These sparkling wines from TrentoDOC were eye opening. This region of Northeastern Italy is producing approachable sparkling wines ready for the world’s stage.
Pearmund Cellars located in Broad Run, Virginia is hosting a special dinner this Saturday, October 5. This is a unique combination of food stations and cocktail party. Winemakers will be attending this fun event.
Wines available will include: the 2017 Petit Verdot, 2016 Chardonnay, 2017 Vidal Blanc, 2017 Cabernet Franc, 2016 Petit Verdot, 2017 Viognier, 2015 Late Harvest Tannat, 2015 Tug’s Cuvee.
Begin the evening at 6pm with hors d’oeuvres and Brian’s wine ‘cocktail’. Later move to the following vineyard stations for delectable foods and wines.
Station One: Grilled Kabobs Beef Tenderloin with bell peppers Chicken with Bacon and Pineapple
Station Two: Argentine Plowing Disc (Seafood and garden vegetables with rice and sauces)
Station Three: Flatbreads with:
spinach
cranberry chutney
Brie and walnuts
tomato pesto
artichoke hearts
eggplant
Mozzarella
Station Four: Fire Grilled Mini Burgers Lamb with feta, cucumber and Balsamic Turkey with avocado corn salsa, lettuce and tomato
Dessert: Apple Crisps Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pralines Chocolate torte with mixed berries S’mores by the fire
The cost is $79 (plus tax) per individual. Wines will also be available at special prices. If you are interested in what promises to be a delightful evening call for reservations at 540-347-3475.
Navarro Vineyards is located in Mendocino County in Northern California. We traveled there several years ago and discovered a heartwarming welcome and a delightful one of a kind visits at numerous wineries and homes. We’ll always treasure our time visiting there where kindness and goodwill seem to predominate.
Babydoll sheep are used for controlling vineyard weeds at Navarro Vineyards.
Mendocino County wineries came to mind today, when I read a short article about Navarro Vineyards, one of the delightful wineries we visited. The winery is located in Philo and when we visited we learned about their extensive interest in using babydoll sheep to control vineyard weeds.
The news regarding Navarro Vineyards involved cameras that they have set up in the vineyards. In August one of the cameras caught sight of wildlife including fox and a large bear trotting or trudging past Navarro Vineyards. Later in September, a bear is caught on camera munching on the almost ready for harvesting Pinot Noir.
Beautiful landscaping at Navarro Vineyards in Mendocino County, California
On the Navarro Vineyard Facebook page for one of the videos, “Navarro’s taste-tester is back to “get it when the gettin’ is good.” As we’re continuing our harvest, our nighttime friend continues to munch on Pinot Noir from our high-elevation vineyards. We’ll be ready to harvest these grapes in the next few weeks, so hopefully this big guy leaves some for us.” Check out the photos on Navarro Vineyard’s Facebook page.
Check out the Wine Trail Traveler reviews on Mendocino wineries. When you have time travel to and discover the wineries of Mendocino County including Navarro Vineyards.
Recently we enjoyed two wines from the Netófa Estate Winery in Israel. Both of the wines were labeled Non Mevushal. The wines were sent to us by a Royal Wine Corp. in New York City.
The Tel Qasser 2017 was a red wine with 13.5% alcohol. The wine was a blend of Grenache and Syrah. The wine was a dark ruby color. The aroma was aromatic with abundant fruit. It was reminiscent of a red and black fruit salad. Aroma notes included black raspberries, blueberries, black cherries, plums and leather. The full-bodied wine offered black cherry and plum accompanied by silky tannins. The aftertaste was fruity with baking spices and leather. The Tel Qasser 2017 would pair well with many foods including grilled hamburgers.
The back label of the Tel Qasser 2017 adds, “The Tel Qasse wines tell the story of the land, of the Mediterranean Sea, but even more so of people who truly love to create.”
The Netófa White 2017 was produced with 100% Chenin Blanc and aged in French oak for 10 months. The wine was a yellow color with slight green hue. The tropical aromas were accompanied with taste notes of hazelnuts, lemon grass, melon, pineapple, citrus and white raisins. The wine was dry and had a velvety mouthfeel. The finish was crisp and fruity yielding to a chalky minerality.
About Netófa Estate Winery
The Netófa Estate Winery has a wine room that their website describes, “Our intimate wine room offers guided wine tastings, sumptuous meals, workshops, romantic encounters, big celebrations and a lot of fun. Hospitality isn’t a decision, it’s an inborn quality that grows stronger with the years. We love to host.” The winery is open for visitors every Friday.
Located in Lower Galilee, the Netófa vineyards have numerous grape varieties growing on 30 acres. Varieties include: Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Chenin Blanc and Roussane.
For more information and photos of Netófa Estate Winery, be sure to visit the winery website.
It’s appropriate to highlight the Grenache grape variety today, as September 20, 2019, is International Grenache Day. Today is the 10th annual celebration of Grenache Day. International Grenache Day is celebrated every 3rd Friday in September.
Many other names exist for Grenache, a few include Garnacha, Alicante and Cannonau. In addition to the Grenache Noir variety, other Grenache varieties include Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Hairy Grenache.
Granache red wines may offer raspberry and strawberry with hints of white pepper.
Serving temperatures: for red Grenache serve at 55 to 65 degrees F; whites and rosés should be chilled but not less than 45 degrees F.
Grenache can be found growing on six continents.
“Grenache can be found everywhere,” comments Grenache Association US Ambassador Andy Abramson. “Wherever I travel around the world from Australia and New Zealand to Spain, Italy, France, Algeria, Greece, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and China, I know I can find a bottle of local Grenache wine to explore.”
Winemakers frequently use Grenache when blending wines and also also produce 100% Grenache wine.
In the vineyard Grenache is drought resistant and is considered eco-friendly.
Lovers of Grenache are also known as Grenachistas.
Food Pairings for Grenache
The Grenache Association which was established in 2010 offers a detailed list of food pairings depending upon the style of wine produced with Grenache.
“Red Varietal: Light Poultry or pork, salmon or trout, barbecue
Red Varietal: Full-bodied Meat, grilled foods, important meals
Red Blend: Light Grilled foods, works both with meat & fish
White / Blanc / Gris Summer truffles, salad, barbecue, white fish with lemon, Al fresco dining
Rosé (Dry) Versatile with food: Salads, including raw tomatoes, vinaigrettes Fish: especially salmon, and seafood Light meats: paprika-spiced chorizo Particularly good with spicy, Thai, Vietnamese & Chinese food
Fortified Grenache: Pale Colour: White, Amber, Tawny. Rabbit terrine with onion marmalade, roasted figs, dried fruits, almonds/nuts
Fortified Grenache: Fruity Colour: Red. Roasted black fruits with dark chocolate, blue cheese
Recently we received a bottle of wine from NETÓFA, an estate winery in Basse Galilee, Israel. This wine was a blend of Grenache and Syrah. The wine offered notes of raspberries, strawberries, spices, leather and soft tannins. We enjoyed a glass of the wine on a small deck overlooking the gardens. This blend of wine would have been excellent with grilled hamburgers.
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Niagara Icewine Festival
January 10 is the start of the Niagara Icewine Festival that begins with the 25th Niagara Icewine Gala.
Niagara icewines rival other sweet dessert wines including: late harvest wines, ice ciders, Port, Hungary’s Tokaji, France’s Sauternes, and Italy’s Vin Santo.
If you haven’t tasted an icewine from Niagara, Niagara is a great place to visit and discover icewines.
This year in 2020, Niagara Icewine participants can purchase a Icewine Discovery Pass for January 10-12, 17-19 and 24-26. The Snow Globe Soirée takes place January 16 – February 16. Wineries participating in the Niagara Icewine Festival are located in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Twenty Valley.
Tickets are available online as well as at Ontario Tourism Centres, Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and participating wineries.
Niagara Icewine Gala (January 10) includes:
General admission tickets are still available for $199 +HST
Discovery Pass includes:
Tickets are available for $45 +HST. Special driver’s tickets are $35 +HST.
Snow Globe Soirée Experience includes:
The Snow Globe Experience takes place Thursday through Sunday between January 16 and February 16. Price: $999 per Snow Globe dome (includes dinner for six and two bottles of premium VAQ wine.)
Wine Trail Traveler visited many of the wineries located in Niagara. Articles and photos are available online.
2020 may be just the year to discover icewines in Niagara!
Cheers!
Kathy