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What Do Wineries Have to Hide?

July 29, 2010 – 7:03 am

Wine blogger Hunter Kangas raised the question on Twitter of why aren’t wineries upfront about where they source their grapes. He then asks, “What do they have to hide?” First, I’d like to pose the argument that many consumers are not that concerned about where the grapes are sourced. They are concerned about whether they like the wine or not. Those that are concerned about where the grapes come from can simply ask.

Some wineries are upfront about where grapes are sourced. We noticed that many Washington wineries produce single vineyard wines and mention the vineyard where they acquired their grapes. Golden Vineyards in Mendocino County, California requires wineries that source their grapes to list their vineyard on the label.

However, the practice of listing vineyards where grapes are sourced is not common. A consumer can look for an AVA, however TTB rules make listing an AVA not always possible. I am making a barrel of Cab at a Virginia Winery. We sourced the fruit from Paso Robles, California. I am not allowed to list Paso Robles or California on the wine label. In my case, it isn’t a matter of hiding information; it is a matter of following rules.

Many consumers are unaware that wineries and vineyards are two separate businesses. These consumers assume that a winery walks out to their surrounding vineyards and harvests their grapes. They should visit wineries in Woodinville, Washington. There is a plethora of wineries that would take days if not weeks to visit. They will not see vineyards. If these consumers were more aware that wineries do source their grapes they may be more inclined to ask a winery where their grapes came from.

There is much information that wineries do not reveal. For example what strain(s) of yeast they use to ferment the grapes. Did they add enzymes to the fermentation? Did they add winemaking additives to the wine during fermentation or aging? Where did they purchase their barrels? Where did the cooperage source the wood used for the barrel? What substances did they use to fine the wine? How did they filter the wine if they filtered it? Perhaps these questions are not answered because they aren’t being asked.

Cheers!
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay

July 28, 2010 – 6:14 am

On a flight back from Seattle, Washington we enjoyed a wine served on Continental Airlines. The flight to Houston featured a grilled chicken salad so I decided to go with a white wine. They were serving Arniston Bay 2008 Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay. Arniston Bay is a South African winery. Grapes were sourced from the Western Cape. This wine is in the Original – Duals portfolio. The wine was a blend of Chenin Blanc 72% and Chardonnay 28%. The wine offered a fruity aroma and taste of pears and melons with citrus notes. The crisp finish had lingering fruit with the melon and pear yielding to apple on the aftertaste.

Where is Arniston? Arniston is a small village at the southern tip of South Africa. The coastal town was named after an East-India British ship called “The Arniston”. The ship sank in 1815; there were only six survivors. The Arniston Bay Company and Cellar Door is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Stellenbosch.

Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

Wine Festivals: Weekend of August 7 – 8

July 27, 2010 – 1:05 am
Below are a few wine festivals for the weekend of August 7 and 8. Check out the details at the links provided and think about making plans to attend one of them. Looking for a smaller wine event check with your neighborhood winery and discover what events they may be planning. I included one music festival as there will be wine tasting in the afternoon.
Cheers! Kathy
Vintage Ohio Wine Festival
Lake Metroparks Farmpark
Lake County, Kirtland, Ohio
August 6-7, 2010
http://www.visitvintageohio.com/
Petaluma Music Festival
(also wine tastings in the afternoon)
Petaluma, California
August 7, 2010
http://www.pwjb.org/
Woodland Park Wine, Food & Jazz Festival
Woodland Park, Colorado
August 7, 2010
http://www.vinoandnotes.com/
Wine under the Pines
Nebraska City, Nebraska
August 7, 2010
http://www.wineunderthepines.org/
Taste of New York
Sackets Harbor, New York
August 7, 2010
http://www.tasteofnewyorkmarket.com/
The Bite of Oregon
Waterfront Park, Portland
August 6-8, 2010
http://www.biteoforegon.com/
Cortland Arts and Wine Festival
Cortland, New York
August 7, 2010
http://www.cortlandartsandwine.com/
-end-
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Semillon 2009 from Amavi Cellars

July 26, 2010 – 10:02 am

Saturday night we enjoyed a white wine paired with a shrimp and rice pilaf. The shrimp and rice pilaf was excellent. We were visiting family in Oregon after spending a week visiting wineries in Walla Walla, Washington.

The white wine from Amavi Cellars paired well with the meal. While at Amavi we purchased a bottle of the Amavi Semillon 2009. The wine was a straw color with citrus and floral notes. Semillon 2009 would also be a good white wine to have on a warm, lazy afternoon.

Amavi Cellars tasting room opened April 30, 2010. A review of the winery is at http://winetrailtraveler.com/washington/amavi.php.

Cheers! Kathy

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Domaine Berrien Cellars 6th Annual Festival and Recipe

July 24, 2010 – 12:15 pm

Domaine Berrien Cellars is located along Lake Michigan Shore. This boutique winery offers a good selection of wines to taste and purchase. Their specialties are red wines. They are estate grown and bottled wines. They also sell grapes to other wineries.

Recently learned that Domain Berrien Cellars will be holding its 6th Annual Art, Wine and Music Festival on Saturday July 31.
Visitors to the festival will be able to enjoy artists and craftspeople who will be selling their handmade and crafted work. Categories will include hand woven baskets, woodcarvings, painting, photography, metal sculptures and pottery.

Throughout the day several music groups will provide live music. The event includes prize raffles all day. Grilled sandwiches will be available for purchase.

While visiting Domaine Berrien Cellars be sure to consider purchasing a bottle of their estate grown and bottled wine.

Recipe:

Domaine Berrien Cellars contributed Gorgonzola Cheese Dip recipe to the Wine Trail Traveler website. The link to this recipe is: http://lodging.winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/appetizer4.php Suggest wine pairing is Wolf’s Prairie Red or your favorite Domaine Berrien Cellars red wine. The recipe follows:

Title: Gorgonzola Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 c sour cream (low fat is ok)

2 t chopped shallots (chopped scallions in a pinch)

3-5 oz of Gorgonzola

1/8 t of kosher salt (more if you like)

1/8th to 1/4th t dry mustard, depending on taste. (Colemans preferred)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soften cheese (2-25 secs. In the microwave, or ½ hour at room temp).

2. Combine with other ingredients and stir.

3. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

Serve with bread sticks or crackers and your favorite Domaine Berrien Cellars red wine, especially Wolf’s Prairie Red.

Recipe provided by Domaine Berrien Cellars, Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Walla Walla Limited Amount of Rain – Wheat and Grapes Thrive

July 23, 2010 – 11:09 am

Walla Walla, Washington is located in an area where wheat and grapes thrive. Despite the fact that Walla Walla’s average rainfall varies between 12 to 20 inches annually, both wheat and wine grapes do well.

This lack of rainfall does not seem to be a problem for the residents of Walla Walla. They talk about water rights and wells as if it is easily accomplished and part of daily life.

Being from the East Coast, I am amazed with the ease that the Walla Walla residents seem to deal easily with so little water. At Pepper Bridge Winery, the water used in the winery is reclaimed and used in the vineyards.

As we visited the Walla Walla wineries, I kept thinking about how where we live in the Middle Atlantic states, it seems everyone complains if we are told to use water on even/odd days or to water outside only in the evenings, don’t wash your car and the like. Maybe more of the residents on the East Coast should think about adopting limited use of water individually before Big Government steps in and forces us to do it year round.

In other Winery notes:

Today at Laurello Vineyards in Geneva, Ohio Jim Volk will perform. On Saturday All 4 One a Cleveland band will perform Motown, Soul and more. It is suggested visitors arrive early to find a place on the covered patio. For more information about Laurello Vineyards, you can find the Wine Trail Traveler review article at http://winetrailtraveler.com/ohio/laurello.php

The Laurello Vineyards website is http://www.laurellovineyards.com/. Check the website for event details.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers! Kathy

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

Winery Events for July 23-25

July 22, 2010 – 11:39 am

This week’s special wine and winery events are from Wine Trail Traveler’s  featured winery partners.If you will be in the area of one of these wineries, check out these events for this weekend.

Thornton Winery
Temecula, California
July 25th; 5:00 pm

Brian Culbertson with Special Guest
General Admission
$65.00; Gourmet Supper Package 3 Course Meal $130.00

Chateau Chantal
Traverse City, Michigan
Tapas Tours 12:30 to 2:30 – everyday

Winemaker’s Dinner
July 24, Saturday from 6-9
Time: Optional Winery Tour at 6:00pm; Dinner Seating at 6:30pm Cost: $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity Reservations are required at least one day in advance.

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante
Geneva, Ohio
Entertainment schedule:

07-23-10 Friday Legacy
07-24-10 Saturday Afternoon Mile Woytila
07-24-10 Saturday Evening Uncharted Course
07-25-10 Sunday 4-Kings

Messina Hof Winery & Resort

July 23rd – Murder of the Mateys Murder Mystery Dinner at 6:30pm
July 24th – Harvest Texas Luau Dinner at 6:00pm
July 24th – 25th – Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail – Harvest Trail
July 24th – 25th – Harvest Weekend #2 at 8:00am
July 25th – Wine Appreciation Class at 3:00pm

Pearmund Cellars
Broad Run, Virginia
July 23rd; 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Relax and Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) – Thank Goodness its Friday! Relax on the patio and enjoy the sunset, fireflies and a great glass of wine. Pearmund Cellars will be open until 8PM. Bring your own picnic, enjoy our snacks, or ask us about catering — 24 hours notice for catering please.

Barrel Oak Winery
Delaplane, Virginia
July 23rd; 11:00 am
Tour’ga Franc/Tour de France weekend extravaganza! We Will Be Releasing Our Signature 2008 Tour’ga Franc For The Last Saturday And Sunday Of The Tour De France! This Will Be The Only Weekend For You To Taste And Purchase The Awaited TgF. After Sunday It Will Be Returned To The Caves To Await Wineter Release. For This Weekend Only, 20% Of Every TGF Bottle Sold Will Go To The Lance Armstrong Livestrong Cancer Research Foundation.

DelFossse Vineyards and Winery
Faber, Virginia
July 25; 1:00 pm
Wine and Food Pairing Come join us for an elegantly prepared Wine and Food Pairing prepared by Chef Genevieve. The menu includes 4 elegantly prepared dishes, paired with 4 generous samplings of our award winning wines. Reservations are required. Cost: $35 Reservation

Tarara Winery
Leesburg, Virginia
July 24th
Toast to the Tunes Summer Concert Series: Marcus Johnson

Winery at LaGrange
Haymarket, Virginia

July 25th; 11:00 am
In Vino Veritas Spiritus The translation to this new spin on the well known oenological phrase is: “in wine is spiritual truth”. Now in its third season, In Vino Veritas Spiritus is a somewhat outside the box of Christian ministry set in the splendor of the Virginia Wine Country. On Sunday mornings at 11AM throughout the growing season, itinerant vineyard preachers Kim J. Ciftci (formerly of McLean Bible Church) delivers a scriptual message at one of several local wineries, the sermons from the vineyards. The message all draw their truth from the many biblical references to wine, grapes, the vineyard, or the processes involved in winemaking. For information or comment on In Vino Veritas Spiritus, you can contact Kim direct at: kciftci@hotmail.com

Enjoy! Kathy

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

Dedication Four – A Cougar Crest Estate Wine

July 21, 2010 – 11:07 am

Yesterday, we enjoyed a wine called, Dedication Four 2007 produced by Cougar Crest Estate Winery in Walla Walla, Washington. Dedication Four was a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The aroma had nuances of fruit with hints of plum. The fruity finish was crisp with mild tannins. Suggested pairings included grilled chicken, grilled salmon and pizza.

Cougar Crest Estate Winery donates a portion of the sale of each bottle of the Dedication Four to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Cougar Crest is a family owned estate winery that produces Viognier, Grenache Rose, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cougar Crest wines are available in the tasting room, numerous states and online.

Enjoy a Cougar Crest  Estate wine when you have the opportunity.

Cheers! Kathy

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Travel to a Wine Festival this Summer

July 20, 2010 – 11:35 am

If you will be traveling to Ohio, Connecticut, New Jersey or Colorado check out one of these festivals scheduled for the last weekend of July.

Cheers, Kathy

Columbus Wine Festival
July 30 and 31
Franklin Park Conservatory
Columbus, Ohio
Website: http://www.columbuswinefestival.com/

Connecticut Wine Festival
July 31 and August 1
Goshen Fairgrounds, CT
Website: http://www.ctwine.com/index.php?events

38th Annual Crested Butte Arts Festival
(includes a Beer & Wine Pavilion)
July 31 and August 1
Website: http://www.crestedbutteartfestival.com/

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival
July 29 – August 1
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Website: http://store.gourmetshows.com/

Cheers! Kathy

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Bridgeport Brew Pub

July 19, 2010 – 9:45 am

While visiting family, that recently moved to Portland, Oregon, we took a break from wine to visit a brew pub for a tasting and pizza. It seemed fitting for a wine writer to visit a pub that just happened to be started by a couple in the wine industry. Richard and Nancy Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards founded Bridgeport Brew Pub. They teamed up with brewer Karl Ockert in 1984. Today, Bridgeport produces over 100,000 barrels of beer a year and is know throughout Oregon. They also distribute to several other states.

Our tasting included eight small glasses of beer. By the way, one gets more beer in a beer tasting than wine in a wine tasting. The flight comes on a tray with the names, description and alcohol content listed on a placemat below each beer. One can easily taste and switch around in any order they choose. I liked several of the beers. The one that I thought came closest to wine-like, although this isn’t what I was looking for, was the India Pale Ale. It was a dark gold to amber color and had citrus especially grapefruit on the aroma and taste. The crisp finish became bitter on the aftertaste. I also liked the Blue Heron Pale Ale. It too had an amber color with a very creamy mouth feel with a light crisp finish. Our party had a couple of flights and these were the first two beers finished on the flights. The only beer not finished was the Porter, although the men in the group did drink most of it. The dark brown to black color had molasses nuances and this full-bodied beer did go well with the meat pizza.

When visiting Portland, stop by the Bridgeport Brew Pub and try a beer flight.

Read about Nancy Ponzi’s cookbook.

Cheers,

Terry

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

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