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Focus on West Virginia Wineries

August 13, 2014 – 3:35 pm

 

Historic Dunbar Cellars in West Virginia

Historic Dutch Hollow Wine Cellars in West Virginia

Virginia is a beautiful state with dynamic views of mountains and rough terrain, Travelers  and tourists will discover great views even along the state’s main highways.

The West Virginia wine industry began before the Civil War near Charleston. The first winery, Dutch Hollow Wine Cellars, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the site is no longer an active winery but West Virginia does have wineries that are producing wines with West Virginia grown fruit.

The determination of wine growers and winemakers producing wines is evident. West Virginia does have wineries producing wines with West Virginia grown fruit.

Although there are not many West Virginia wineries most likely due to the climate conditions, the TTB has authorized three American Viticultural Areas for the state.

The Kanawha River Valley AVA is located only within West Virginia. The Shenandoah Valley AVA is also in Virginia while the Ohio River Valley AVA also includes Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

Wine varieties include French hybrids, Native American, and fruit wines. Grape growers discovered that planting grapes on the mountain sides works. If planted in the valleys or on the tops of the mountains the vines will not thrive due to the cold temperatures.

French hybrid grapes growing in West Virginia include Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Aurore and Marechal Foch. American Native grapes include Niagara, Fredonia, Delaware and Concord. Visitors to West Virginia winery tasting rooms are likely to discover a variety of fruit wines including apple, peach, blueberry, blackberry and strawberry.

West Virginia is a large state and the wineries tend to be spread out from north to south.

Today the state’s wineries include:

(The highlighted West Virginia wineries provide links to the articles and photos we visited.)

Cascarelli’s Old Country Wine
Daniel Vineyards
Forks of Cheat Winery
Jones Cabin Run Vineyards
Kenco Farms
Kirkwood Winery
Lambert’s Vintage Wines
Martin’s Mist Winery
Mountaineer Winery
Potomac Highland Winery
Roane Vineyards
Robert F. Pliska and Co. Winery
Stone Road Vineyard
Toscano in Appalachia
Vu Ja De Vineyards
Watts Roost Vineyard(Due to the severe weather of 2013/2014 they will close the vineyards but keep the winery open until they have sold their wine. Their focus will be on their Cotswold Sheep Project for meat and artisan wool.)
West-Whitehill Winery
WineTree Vineyards
Wolf Creek Winery

Below is an easy and yummy recipe from Daniel Vineyards that uses BlackBerry Wine. If you are looking for a dessert recipe give it a try.

Blackberry Wine Cake

Blackberry Wine CakeIngredients

Ingredients for Cake
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1 c Daniel Vineyards Blackberry Wine
1 box (3 oz) blackberry or black cherry Jell-O
½ c oil
½ c chopped pecans

Ingredients for Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
½ c butter
½ c Daniel Vineyards Blackberry Wine

Directions

Directions for Cake
1. Grease and flour bundt pan.
2. Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of the pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and Jell-O. Add eggs, oil, and wine. Mix well.
4. Pour into pan and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Directions for Glaze
1. Mix all ingredients for the glaze.
2. Bring to a boil, and pour half over warm cake.
3. Let it rest for 30 minutes, and pour remaining glaze over the finished cake.

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary, Wine/Food/Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Bellview Winery’s 10th Annual Seafood Festival Ticket Pre-Sale Ends Tomorrow (Wednesday)

August 12, 2014 – 3:56 pm

 

Bellview Winery, NJ

Bellview Winery, NJ

Bellview Winery’s 10th Annual Seafood Festival takes place this weekend August 16 and 17. Pre-sale tickets are available for $10 per person until August 13.  After that the tickets are $15. Tickets are available for designated drivers for $10 and those under 20 are free. The entry fee includes wine and cheese tasting, live music (“To the Max Band”) and parking.

In addition, the Annual Seafood event includes:

  • Seafood Vendors
  • Raw bar
  • Craft vendors
  • Sangria

Outside food in coolers is permitted but do not bring your own alcohol. Bringing outside alcohol to any winery is forbidden. During the festival you will want to enjoy what Bellview Winery produces and perhaps purchase a bottle or more to take home.

We visited Bellview Winery a few years ago and had a delightful time. Please check out the article we wrote about the winery.

Belleview is located in Landisville, New Jersey.

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary, Winery Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Two Pinot Grigio Wines from Attems

August 12, 2014 – 9:01 am

I attended a wine conference in Virginia a few years ago. A panel of winemakers were discussing the grapes that do well in Virginia. When the name Pinot Grigio was introduced, each of the panel’s four winemakers said that Virginia Pinot Grigio wines are boring. We received two bottles of Pinot Grigio from Attems a winery in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of north-east Italy. These Pinot Grigios were not boring.

081214aThe 2013 Pinot Grigio, Venezia Giulia IGT was a light yellow translucent color. The 12.5% alcohol wine has a suggested retail price of $19.00. The wine was aged in a combination of stainless steel as well as new and used oak barrels. Aromas and tastes reminded me of grapefruit, lemon and mineral. The body was light and the wine had a crisp finish. The wine makes a good aperitif or paired with poultry. This wine was in a green bottle.

The Attems 2012 Pinot Grigio Ramato was in a clear bottle to showcase its light gold with an orange tint color. This Pinot Grigio was also at 12.5% alcohol and has a suggested retail price of $19.00. The deeper color of the Ramato version of the Pinot Grigio is derived by extended skin contact. The winemaker had an extended maceration of 12 hours. During this time the juice picked up color from the Pinot Grigio skins. The wine was aged in a combination of stainless steel and oak barrels. The aroma and taste featured strawberry, yellow stone fruit and citrus. The light-bodied wine was dry and there was no hint of tannins even though the wine had some skin contact.

081214bBoth of these Pinot Grigios were not boring. I especially liked the Ramato, in part because I am searching for white wines that have had some skin contact. My experience is that these wines are more complex and have more to offer the wine enthusiasts as well as being more food friendly. It would be interesting for Attems to craft a Pinot Grigio that has skin contact through fermentation. Currently, Kathy and I are preparing a small qvevri for burial. We plan to make a white wine in qvevri this fall. The wine will have skin contact for six months.

About Attems

The winery estate consists of 79 hectares (195 acres.) The winery has 40 hectares of vines that include Ribolla Gialla, Friuliano, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Merlot and Picolit.

It is interesting to note that while the number of hours of sunlight are talked about by wine growers, not many mention refraction. For Attems refraction is important. According to the Attems website, the vineyards are near to the sea about 15 kilometers from the Adriatic. “The refraction of sunlight off the Gulf of Trieste gives the Collio an intense light. This generous luminosity ensures optimal ripening of the fruit.“

While many wineries face difficulties due to their proximity to large expanses of water, Attems’ vineyards do not have that problem as they have good airflow, which keeps the humidity low.

Cheers,
Terry & Kathy

By Terry | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Five Steps to Enjoying a Visit to a Winery and Tasting Room

August 11, 2014 – 12:02 pm
Cambria Estate Winery Santa Maria, California

Cambria Estate Winery
Santa Maria, California

Below are five suggested steps to feeling comfortable when visiting a winery and tasting room.

1. For anyone planning to visit a winery tasting room, be sure to checkout the winery’s website. However, a substantial number of wineries do not have a website but put their efforts into a Facebook page, so if you don’t find a website check other social media sites.

Why? Most winery websites have hours and days open; but many also offer the background of the winery, the owner and the winemaker. Websites also frequently have the wines listed with a description of the wine and sometimes pairings for the wine. By learning a little about the winery, you can take part in some stimulating conversations with staff and other visitors.

2. To avoid disappointment, check ahead to find out if you need an appointment.

3. So you don’t get caught by surprise, find out if there is a tasting fee. Some wineries have tasting fees but if wine is purchased they waive the tasting fee.

4. Almost any kind of dress wear is acceptable.  With all of the wineries we’ve been to we have seen everything from business casual to shorts and t-shirts. If you are planning on touring the winery or vineyard, wear comfortable footwear.

5. Many wineries have an area where visitors can enjoy a picnic basket from home. According to the law, wineries are not allowed to have any other alcohol on their property, so keep this in mind when packing your picnic and plan to buy a bottle of wine.

If you want to know more about tasting room etiquette, purchase a copy of our book, A Wine Tourist’s Guide: Visiting Tasting Rooms. 

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Sea Mercy Brings Health Care to Remote Islands

August 10, 2014 – 3:31 pm

Discover how Pearmund Cellars, a Northern Virginia winery is helping Sea Mercy, a floating medical care clinic. The clinic is a very special program designed to help people of isolated islands. The program benefits the islanders who do not receive help from their local governments due to their isolation. According to the Sea Mercy website, “With over 20,000 islands spread across 11,000,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean, there are no roads, power lines, or phone systems to connect the smaller, less populated remote islands to the same health care services offered on the larger islands. Sadly, these more remote islanders are left without even the most basic of health care services.”

According to the Sea Mercy brochure, the program seeks to bring medical care to the remote islands of 11 island nations. These island nations include:

The Kingdom of Tonga
The Republic Of Fiji
Solomon Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Palau
Vanuatu
The Marshall Islands
Kiribati
The Cook Islands
The Mariana Islands
Tuvalu

Sea Mercy provides medical care to the remote islanders who have no access to treatment. It is hoped that eventually the island governments will able to provide help to the remote islanders. Can you imagine having a family member or friend very sick with no medical treatment available?

Sea Mercy needs volunteers and supplies. Everyone can help and Pearmund Cellars is helping in a very special way. The winery has a private label Sea Mercy Chardonnay. Wine lovers can purchase the $20 bottle of wine and the profit will benefit Sea Mercy. Or purchase a $100 bottle of Sea Mercy Chardonnay and be entered for the chance to win a wine education class with owner Chris Pearmund while enjoying dinner at Café Torino.

Check out the Sea Mercy website which is filled with lots of information and you may want to help by donating or purchasing a bottle of Pearmund Cellars’ Sea Mercy Chardonnay.

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The Oxford Wine Festival – August 23-24

August 8, 2014 – 3:47 pm

The Oxford Wine Festival takes place August 23 to August 24. This special wine festival takes place in areas of the Oxford Union that include the courtyard, debating chamber and historic rooms.

The plans for the Oxford Wine Festival have the festival divided into different zones. Four of the zones include The English Wine Tasting Room, Emerging Regions, Old World Wines and New World Wines.

Events will include wine talks and tutored wine tastings led by wine writers, educators and merchants. Special master classes and wine tastings will be available but spaces are limited and an additional fee is required for masterclasses.

Master classes and wine tasting sessions include:

  • Italian Masterclass
  • Wine Blind Tasting by the authors of The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting
  • Bordeaux Tasting
  • The Top Swiss Wines with Alpine Wines
  • Australian Masterclass
  • Burgundy tasting with Flint Wines – SOLD OUT
  • Madeira Wine Tasting
  • Grand Cru Champagne Tasting
  • Croatian Wine Tasting
  • Red Squirrel Wines – “Well Known Countries, Unknown Regions.”
  • Sherry Tasting
  • Winety Boutique Wines- “The Best of France (in Chile)”
  • English Wine
  • Saint-Emilion Tasting
  • California Tasting: The Wines of the Francis Ford Coppola Vineyard
  • Georgian Wine Tasting with The Georgian Wine Society

The Oxford Wine Festival will donate funds to the local charities and ticket purchasers can choose from the selected list.

If you have an opportunity to attend the Oxford Wine Festival, try some of the wines that you may not have tried before. If you haven’t already done so sign up for the free Century Wine Club application.

Cheers!
Kathy

 

 

 

 

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Bottling Our Wine at Tin Lizzie Wineworks

August 7, 2014 – 12:40 pm
Bottling Cabernet Sauvignon at Tin Lizzie Wineworks

Bottling Cabernet Sauvignon at Tin Lizzie Wineworks

This past Sunday, early in the morning, we drove to Tin Lizzie Wineworks where we have been making a wine in a French oak barrel. We had purchased the Tonnellerie Taransaud oak barrel in 2012 and filled it with Cabernet Sauvignon wine sourced from Stagecoach Vineyard in the Atlas Peaks AVA in Napa Valley.

On Sunday it was time to bottle the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. After aging in oak for 21 months, the wine should continue  to age in bottle even though it is drinkable now. In a couple of years it will be even better.

Bottling wine at Tin Lizzie Wineworks begins with sanitizing and hanging them on a bright red bottle tree. We actually have one of those bottle trees at home that we use for our small production of experimental wines. The bottle tree is quick and easy to use and allows the bottles, sprayed with potassium metabisulfite, to drip dry. After the bottles have drained for a short time it was time to fill them with wine. Dave Zuchero, owner of Tin Lizzie Wineworks, has an automatic bottle filler that fills four bottles at a time. The machine, which we have seen at many boutique wineries, has a sensor that automatically stops filling the bottle at the right level leaving room for the cork and a tiny bit of space. Terry was in charge of adding the empty bottles to the bottling machine and removing them and passing them to two of us who used a Portuguese floor corker to cork the bottles. The next step was to add the capsules. Normally the final step is to add the label to the bottle but on Sunday the humidity was high and the labels would not have adhered to the bottles.

We returned home with 24 cases of unlabeled wines. The cases needed to be kept right side up for a day or two. This allows the cork to adjust to the bottle neck.  Then it was time to label the bottles and lay them on their sides. Terry has developed a great system for putting the labels perfectly on the bottles. It’s quick and easy. Maybe he should consider patenting his labeler method!

Anyhow, our expectation is that this 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon will be very, very good in a few years. Winemaking is all about patience.

Cheers!
Kathy

 

 

 

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

About Wine Trail Traveler

August 5, 2014 – 8:03 am
Wine Trail Traveler authors and writers

Wine Trail Traveler authors and writers

We often receive email inquiries from PR firms, the wine industry, travel agencies and wine lovers who want to know more about Wine Trail Traveler.  Much of this information is described on our About page on the Wine Trail Traveler website. To make it easier for everyone to know more about us, I’ve added a description of Wine Trail Traveler below. If you have any questions, please send me an email or give us a call.

About Wine Trail Traveler

Terry and Kathy Sullivan are wine travel writers and authors. We own Wine Trail Traveler LLC, a winery and vineyard virtual visitor center. We travel to wineries throughout the world and write articles about the experiences on the website http://winetrailtraveler.com. The website was developed in 2007. Since late 2006 we have visited and written about over 1,000 wineries in North America, Europe and Oceania.

Our first book, A Wine Journey was published in November 2012. The book explores what interested wine enthusiasts can do to learn about wine, make wine and travel to wine regions. Our second book, A Wine Tourist’s Guide: Visiting Tasting Rooms was published in September 2013. This book is about visiting tasting rooms, expectations, etiquette, common international grapes and more. Our third book, Georgia, Sakartvelo: the Birthplace of Wine was published in March 2014. This book looks at the wonderful wine story of what is now the country Georgia. Wine grapes were cultivated and wine continuously made in Georgia for 8,000 years. This is thousands of years prior to viticulture and winemaking in Western Europe. We are very interested in book signings as well as presentations.

We have been making wine since 2008 deciding that since we were writing about wine we should start making it. Over that time we have made wine at home (where we tend to be more experimental), at a Virginia winery and at a Maryland winery. We recently bottled a barrel of 2012 Stagecoach (Atlas Peak AVA) Cabernet Sauvignon at Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Clarksville, Maryland. With the 2013 harvest, we made a qvevri-wine in the country Georgia. We helped to harvest Rkatsiteli, a white grape, in September 2013 and destemmed the grapes and placed them in a small qvevri buried in the ground at Twins Wine Cellar of Napareuli. We opened the qvevri in April 2014 when we returned to Georgia for the International Wine Tourism Conference. We presented at the conference and were a part of a media group covering the conference and visiting wineries in Georgia.

Much of our present time is devoted to book signings and writing our fourth book. We attend several wine conferences a year. In January 2012 we attended and presented at the International Wine Tourism Conference (IWINETC) in Perugia, Italy. Terry presented at the Eastern Winery Exposition in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in March 2013. A week later we presented in Zagreb, Croatia at the International Wine Tourism Conference. In March 2014 Terry presented in Tiblisi, Georgia at the International Wine Tourism Conference. In April 2014, Terry presented to several members of the New Jersey wine trade including tasting room staff.

We have also written about olive oil, grape seed oil, vinegar and cheese. These articles are featured on our food site at http://food.winetrailtraveler.com. Our winemaking site, http://winemaking.winetrailtraveler.com, explores our efforts of making wines at home and at wineries. Our lodging site reviews some of the lodging facilities on or near wineries/vineyards http://lodging.winetrailtraveler.com.

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Comments (0)

Chateau Ste. Michelle Supports Communities with Summer Concert Series

August 3, 2014 – 1:44 pm
Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA

Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, WA

Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville just outside of Seattle, Washington is one of the numerous wineries that feels a responsibility for their community and helps a variety of area charities in a very special way. Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of several winery tasting rooms we visited and wrote about while visiting the area. View the online article.

Each summer, Chateau Ste. Michelle hosts a Summer Concert Series. The net proceeds of these concerts is donated to the local charities. Summer 2014, the Concert Series is scheduled to continue until September 14.

This summer the Summer Concert Series includes some renowned names in the music industry. The winery has a 4,300 seat outdoor amphitheatre. The onsite winery store is open before the concerts begin and wine and picnic supplies are available for purchase. Guests are also welcome to bring a picnic basket and can include non-alcoholic beverages.

Tickets are available at Chateau Ste. Michelle’s wine shop and through Ticketmaster. Reserved seating and lawn seating tickets are available.

Washington state organizations that can benefit from the Summer Concerts at the winery include: Seattle Children’s Hospital, scholarships at state universities, funds for the Washington State University’s Viticulture & Enology Program. Chateau Ste. Michelle also supports funds to many groups around the United States focusing on Arts and Culture, community service, environment, diversity and more.

Summer Concert Series Remaining Schedule (Several of these concerts are already sold out. If you plan to attend one of the concerts purchase your tickets soon.)

August 9                          ZZ Top and Jeff Beck

August 22                        Gipsy King’s 25th Anniversary Tour

August 23                        Earth, Wine & Fire

August 24                        Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus

September 5                    Boston

September 12                  An Evening with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

September 13                  Crosby, Stills & Nash

September 14                  Crosby, Stills & Nash

Congratulations to Chateau Ste. Michelle for supporting their community!

Cheers!

Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Calistoga’s First Harvest Table Event Coming Soon

August 1, 2014 – 12:49 pm

On Sunday, September 7 Calistoga will be celebrating harvest with it first Harvest Table event. More than 30 wineries and 14 restaurants will be participating in this first time event.

Harvest Table will take place in the center of Calistoga as an alfresco dining experience. Guests can choose from different cuisines depending on their palate. Prices listed on the website include taxes and gratuity. Wine and beer will be available for purchase.

Participating restaurants:

  • All Seasons Bistro
  • Barolo
  • Boskos Trattoria
  • Brannan’s Grill
  • Buster’s Southern BBQ
  • Café Sarifornia (sold out)
  • Buster’s Southern BBQ
  • The Calistoga Inn
  • Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
  • D’amici
  • Hydro Grill
  • Kopio
  • Calistoga Kitchen (sold out)
  • JoLe (sold out)

Tickets are selling  out quickly. The price for the event depends on the restaurant. Prices ranged from $68 to $135. As noted three of the restaurants have already sold out, so if you plan to attend order your tickets soon.

More than 30 wineries will be participating. Some of the wineries include Chateau Montelena (known for winning the 1976 Judgment of Paris with their 1973 Chardonnay,) Schramsberg (on the registered list of historic places in California, ) Storybook Mountain Vineyards (originally started by two brothers with the last name of Grimm.) and Summers Estate Winery. However be sure to check out what all the participating wineries are offering. When planning your visit to Calistoga try to include visits to some of the area wineries.

Chateau Montelena 1976 Judgment of Paris

Chateau Montelena
1976 Judgment of Paris

Cheers,
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

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