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Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail Spring Event

February 19, 2013 – 12:01 am

As spring approaches more wine trails have plans for wine trail events. Check out the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail annual March festivities.

On each March weekend, the wineries that are part of the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail will offer food and wine pairings. Currently 12 Pennsylvania wineries belong to the Susquehanna Wine Trail.

Wineries include:

  • Armstrong Valley Winery
  • Benigna’s Creek Winery
  • Brookmere Winery
  • Buddy Boy Winery,
  • Fero Vineyards & Winery
  • Happy Valley Vineyard & Winery
  • Hunters Valley Winery
  • Mount Nittany Winery
  • Red Shale Vineyards
  • Seven Mountain Wine Cellars
  • Shade Mountain Vineyards
  • Spyglass Ridge Winery

We have had the opportunity to visit and write about the winery experience at several of these wineries. Articles and photos are available online.

To discover what each winery is offering on each weekend during March visit the Susquehanna Wine Trail website.

Tickets for this wine trail includes all of these wineries and is only $20. Purchase your ticket and take it with you to each participating winery. Have the ticket stamped and if you get to all of the wineries during March, enter your ticket for a drawing that includes stays at bed and breakfasts and dining.

Scavenger Hunt

According to a recent press release, ‘A separate and optional opportunity is to do a scavenger hunt for information about the wineries; correct entries will be included in a lottery to win a refrigerator full of Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail wines!”

Enjoy welcoming spring 2013 by participating in the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail Spring Event.

Cheers, Kathy

 

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Events | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Insignia at Iridescence

February 18, 2013 – 9:07 am

Last evening we had dinner at Iridescence in Detroit’s Motor City Casino. In addition to the beautiful setting on the 16th floor of the hotel, we had a wonderful wine from Joseph Phelps Vineyards. The 2008 Insignia was mostly a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Petit Merlot and even less Merlot added. The wine was a dark purple color and had black fruit and a hint of flowers on the aroma. The fruity taste and easy to drink wine made this a good wine to drink by itself. We did have it during our meal and it paired well with salmon, lobster and chicken, even though one usually would not pair it with those wines. Prior to our entrées, we were served a passion fruit sorbet. The Insignia was put on hold for a moment. The sorbet reminded me of a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and would have matched well with the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc I made a couple years ago. However there were only a couple teaspoons of sorbet so we were soon back to the Insignia.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Potato Mushroom Pie with Caramelized Onions with a Splash of Wine

February 16, 2013 – 12:01 am

This recipe for Potato Mushroom Pie with Caramelized Onions, from Idaho® Potato Commission, would be extra delicious on a cold winter day. Since the recipe calls for a splash of dry white wine, enjoy the leftover wine with dinner.

Potato Mushroom Pie with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients for Potato Mushroom Pie

3C Prepared mashed Idaho® potatoes
1C Button mushrooms (stems intact), sliced 1/3 inch thick
1/2C Portobello mushrooms, cut 1/3 inch thick
1/3C White onion, grated
1 t Fresh lemon juice
3 T Butter
1/2 to 3/4C Sour Cream
1/4C + 1/4C Grated parmesan cheese
To taste salt and pepper

Ingredients for Caramelized Onions

1 Large sweet yellow onion
1 T Olive oil
1 t Light brown sugar
Splash Dry white wine
To taste salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Saute mushrooms and onion in butter. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper. Place 1/2 the prepared potatoes in a buttered casserole dish, top with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, the entire mushroom mixture, the sour cream, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, in that order. Cover with remaining potatoes. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. While the pie is baking, prepare caramelized onions.

Caramelized Onions:

  1. Peel and slice onion. Place onions with olive oil into a heavy duty saucepan, cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, (or until softened).
  2. Toss often while cooking. Sprinkle onions with sugar and wine and saute until onions are caramelized, as desired.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with Potato & Mushroom Pie.

Recipe provided to Wine Trail Traveler by Idaho® Potato Commission

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

Winter Spotlight on Croatian Wine

February 15, 2013 – 7:27 am
Croatian wine tasting at the 2012 IWINETC

Croatian wine tasting at the 2012 IWINETC

A 2,500 year old wine region will take center stage at two events this winter. The Ancient Greeks brought vines and winemaking to the coastal region of Croatia while the Ancient Romans forged through the mainland with their vines and winemaking. For thousands of years, wines were crafted by families for families. Recently, Croatia is becoming noticed by wine enthusiasts around the world.

Two upcoming events will spotlight Croatian wines. New York City’s Astor Center will house the Vina Croatia 2nd Annual Grand Portfolio Tasting on February 26th from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm. Members of the wine trade and media are encouraged to attend. On March 15th and 16th, Zagreb, Croatia will be the host city for the 5th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference, IWINETC. The conference reaches out to members of the wine industry, wine tour operators, tourist industry and media.

Matoševi?

Matoševi?, one of the producers at Vina Croatia

Close to thirty Croatian producers will have wines for tasting at the Astor Center in New York City. Attendees will notice some international varietal wines including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However it will be the common Croatian varieties that may leave a mark. Attendees can look for wines made from Grk, PošipTrnjak, Babi?, Plavic Mali, and Teran. Participating producers include: Badel 1862, Bakovi?, Belje, Bibich, Bodren, Bolfan, Boškinac, Damjani?, Franc Arman, Gospoja, Grgi?, Ilo?ki Podrumi, Ivan Katunar, Korta Katarina, Kozlovi?, Krauthaker, Kutjevo, Matoševi?, Meneghetti, Mokalo, Nada, Pelješki Vinogradar, Roxanich, Šipun, Škegro, St Hills, Trapan, Vinoplod and Zlatan Otok. A Masterclass seminar will be held at 11:00 am and repeated at 2:00 pm. Registration details are at: http://vinacroatia.eventbrite.com.

International wine tourism groups, winery owners, winemakers, importers and distributors as well as media representatives descend on Zagreb, Croatia in March. The two-day conference has 30 sessions offering education, issues, and hot topics revolving around wine and culinary tourism. The conference will be held at the Regent Esplanade Hotel, an iconic Zagreb architectural landmark that has been a resting place for travelers for nearly nine decades, some making a stop off the Orient Express. In addition to the sessions, participants may attend special events such as a Croatian Cooking Class, Wines from the Balkans Grand Tasting, and Blues and Wine at Bolfan Winery.

The International Wine Tourism Conference does have an international appeal. Of the attendees, 15% are from the United States, 14% from Italy, 12% from Portugal, 10% from the United Kingdom, 9% from Germany and 5% from Spain. The remaining 35% of attendees hail from Europe, Africa, South America, North America and Australia. For information and registration visit: http://www.iwinetc.com.

Wine Trail Traveler staff is pleased to announce that we will be covering both events. We look forward to learning more about Croatia and Croatian wines. We are looking forward to visit wineries in Croatia and participate and present at the International Wine Tourism Conference.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Upcoming Wine Events

February 14, 2013 – 12:01 am

Lots of wine events are coming up from today, Valentine’s Day, thru Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day.) Below is a list of select winery events from today through Monday, February 18. Some of these events require reservations, so check with the individual winery.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Cheers! Kathy

February 14

Grand River Cellars, OH
Event: Valentine’s Dinner Special
Website Info

Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, CA
Event: Dinner, Wine Pairing & Live Music
Website Info

Messina Hof Winery, TX
Event: Valentine’s Day Dinner
Website Info

Pearmund Cellars, VA
Event: Valentine’s Dinner
Website Info

Friday, February 15

Grand River Cellars, OH
Event: Valentine’s Dinner Special
Website Info

The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, OH
Music: Acoustic
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: George and Abe Sale
Website Info

Saturday, February 16

Cava Winery, NJ
Event: Valentine’s Day Dinner
Website Info

Chateau Chantal, MI
Event: WOMP Romancing the Riesling
Event: Valentine’s Wine Dinner
Website Info

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, VA
Event: Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner
Website

Grand River Cellars, OH
Event: Valentine’s Dinner Special
Website Info

Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, California
Music: Live Music in Wine Country
Music: Live Music in Old Town
Website Info

Messina Hof Winery, TX
Event: Sweetheart Dance Party
Website Info

Slack Winery, Maryland
Event: Valentine’s Weekend
Website Information

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: George and Abe Sale
Website Information

Sunday, February 17

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

Grand River Cellars, OH
Event: Valentine’s Dinner Special
Website Info

Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, CA
Music: Live Music in Wine Country
Website Info

Pearmund Cellars, VA
Event: Soup-er Sundays
Website Info

Slack Winery, MD
Event: Valentine’s Weekend
Website Info

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: George and Abe Sale
Website Info

Monday, February 18

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: George and Abe Sale
Website Info

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Events | Comments (0)

Camelot Wines – What Winery Name Could Be More Romantic?

February 12, 2013 – 12:55 pm

In December, we received four bottles of Camelot Wines to taste and write about. We did our research and discovered that Camelot Wines was established in 1993 and produces wines from grapes sourced from several vineyards in different areas of California. Vineyard locations include Lodi, Central Coast, North Coast, Sacramento Delta and Clarksburg.

Camelot’s delightful mythical name adds a hint of romance and quality to the anticipation of what is in the bottle. The head winemaker who creates these wines is Mark Rasmussen. We discovered that these wines deliver appropriate nuances and yet the low price point allows more people to be able to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. Camelot Wines produces four varietal wines: Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Camelot Merlot

The first bottle we opened was the Camelot Merlot. The grapes for this inexpensive wine ($7) were sourced from three areas of California – Central Coast, Lodi and North Coast. The wine color was a translucent red. This light bodied red wine was smooth with notes of red cherries and black pepper. The Merlot was fermented in stainless steel and aged for a short period of time in oak. Pairing suggestions include hard cheese, grilled meats, pork roasts, and pastas with red sauce. Information for consumers is easily obtained as a QR code is on the label. In addition, this red wine is soothingly balanced and may be considered a good wine for transitioning from white wines to red wines.

Camelot Chardonnay

The Camelot Chardonnay NV was a light yellow with some oak influence on the aroma. The smooth, crisp taste offered notes of apple, tropical fruit and citrus. The winery suggests pairing this Chardonnay with seafood, chicken, pork roast and cream sauce pastas.

Camelot Pinot Noir

The Camelot Pinot Noir was a blend of grapes from Lodi and Clarksburg vineyards. Fermentation was with stainless steel. This is an easy to drink wine with a smooth taste and medium body. Suggested pairings included herb-marinated lamb chops, grilled salmon and mushroom pizza.

Camelot Cabernet Sauvignon

A translucent ruby, the Camelot Cabernet Sauvignon, offered notes of black fruits on the aroma. The taste had black berries, black raspberries, black cherries and a faint hint of tobacco on the taste. The wine finished with mild tannins and was fruity.

At only seven dollars for a 750ml bottle and nice taste, you can’t go wrong by checking out the Camelot Wines. Looking for a wine for Valentine’s Day and with only a little money in your pocket, a Camelot wine may be what you want.

Cheers! Kathy

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

Winery Tasting Rooms and Children

February 11, 2013 – 12:01 am

Recently Jo Diaz in her blog, Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz tackled the question of children in the tasting room. “How do you feel about children in tasting rooms?” is an excellent blog post.

Jo’s blog post includes a description of a wine tour she led with four lively children and how at the end of the tour everyone was happy. Jo explains how she successfully included the children. People who lead winery and vineyard tours would do well to read Jo’s blog.

However, the blog did not mention what some wineries are doing to create a delightful experience for all visitors. While a few wineries prefer not to have children visit with their parents, many others are happy to have parents bring their children with them. Earlier this year while at Osprey Dominion Vineyards on Long Island, we discovered that they have an area set aside for outdoor games including volleyball and kite flying. On the West Coast, Vigilance Winery & Vineyards has a bocce court. Occasionally we have seen special areas set aside with toys for younger children.

Note to parents: If you do not want to receive eye-rolling looks from other adults, do supervise your children. Everyone will have a great time and your children may just learn something about chemistry and biology. Maybe someday you will hear them say, “I want to be a winemaker” or “I want to be a viticulturist.” I even recall visiting a tiny boutique winery and while waiting to talk to the owners, a Boy Scout was interviewing the winemaker for a project.

Now that many families have two working parents, it’s great that wineries can provide an opportunity for families to spend time together. Winery visits can be fun for everyone.

Cheers! Kathy

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

Save the Date: March 8, 2013 for the 6th Annual Corks for Kids Path

February 10, 2013 – 1:12 pm

The Annual Corks for Kids Path includes wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres. This event supports Kids Path, a program by Hospice and Palliative Care in Greensboro, North Carolina that benefits children.

This 6th Annual wine event will include wines, local beers, chocolates, gelatos, and hors d’oeuvres. In addition participants can take part in a silent auction.

The wines are to be handcrafted wines from small wineries and will be selected by Zeto wine and cheese shop. More information about the Annual Corks for Kids Path and about Kids Path are available online. “Zeto generously donates 100% of the profits from any of the completed wine orders.”

Tickets are available online.

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

Sparkling Wine for Valentine’s Day

February 8, 2013 – 12:01 am

Sparkling Pointe on Long Island

While sparkling wine makes a delicious wine to have with meals, it also makes a delightful drink for special occasions. While visiting Long Island, we visited Sparkling Pointe, a unique and elegant winery that concentrates on producing only sparkling wines.

Last night we enjoyed one of their sparkling wines with dinner.  Sparkling Pointe Brut, produced using the methode champenoise, offered apple and pear nuances. Many wine enthusiasts would enjoy this wine. Consider enjoying it in celebration of Valentine’s Day or enjoy it with dinner. This sparkling wine would be great as an aperitif, with sushi or caviar. Currently Sparkling Pointe has five different sparkling wines available for purchase.

The winemaker at Sparkling Pointe is Gilles Martin who is enthusiastic about producing sparkling wines. He has worked at wineries in France, on the West Coast and East Coast.

To find out more about visiting Sparkling Pointe winery, a review article is available on Wine Trail Traveler.

Cheers, Kathy

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

Valentine’s Day Gift

February 7, 2013 – 9:36 am

There are many great Valentine’s Day gifts. Wine is a perfect gift that can be shared and makes a moment rememberable. A gift that lasts longer and can be enjoyed more times is a book. Consider the book A Wine Journey. This book is ideal for wine enthusiasts. Do you know someone who likes to make wine? Several chapters in the book look at winemaking experiences both at home and at wineries. Do you know someone who enjoys traveling to winery tasting rooms? There are a number of chapters that look at wine travel on three continents. The book includes several anecdotal stories we gathered while visiting wineries.  Do you know someone who just wants to learn about wine? A couple of chapters discuss options for learning about wine.

A Wine Journey will inspire people to discover the fascinating world of wine. Purchase this book, tie it with a red ribbon and say, Happy Valentine’s Day to someone you love.

A Wine Journey is available in several formats: a paperback, a hard cover and ebook. The ebook editions will work on a Kindle, Nook and a Sony Reader. It will also work on ipads that have a Kindle, Nook or Sony Reader app. Check out A Wine Journey website for information about the book and purchasing.

Cheers,
Terry

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

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