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New Commemorative Design for Charles Krug Winery’s 150th

July 19, 2010 – 1:05 am

The Charles Krug Winery is looking forward to celebrating its 150th Anniversary, which will occur in 2011. The winery has been in the  Mondavi family for three generation.  Today Peter Mondavi Sr. and his sons Marc and Peter, Jr own the Charles Krug Winery.

In anticipation of this 150th important event, the Mondavis chose Michael Schwab, a graphic artist, to create a commemorative image for the Charles Krug Winery.

Michael’s sources of inspiration were the original buildings on the winery site. These two buildings have been restored and are registered as National and California Historic landmarks. The final building to use for the design was the Carriage House.

The commemorative design will be used on the 150th anniversary for creating posters, merchandise and collectibles. The design features the tall Carriage House with a red roof. Six cypress trees along the front of the design enhance the color scheme. Information included on the design is “Napa Valley’s First Winery” and the year the winery was started at 1861.

Travelers may wish to plan a visit to the Charles Krug Winery during 2011 to help celebrate the winery’s 150th Anniversary.

Cheers! Kathy

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

Eyrie Vineyards’ Pinot Gris

July 18, 2010 – 4:48 pm

Last night we enjoyed an Oregon Pinot Gris 2007  from The Eyrie Vineyards in Oregon. We ate at an outside cafe and had an eclectic mix of dinner selections. The wine went well with the variety of items ordered including an artichoke quiche. The weather was pleasant with a light breeze.

The Pinot Gris was produced from estate grown grapes in the Dundee Hills. The wine label indicated that this was suitable for casual or formal situations, although I believe it would be most suitable for casual, outdoor occasions. The color of the wine was a beautiful gold. The aroma was light although being outside the aroma may have been affected by the breeze.  The taste had summer fruit nuances to it. This would be a good summer time beverage to enjoy casually.

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

An Easy Summertime Mimosa Recipe

July 17, 2010 – 9:56 am

Have you seen the summer edition of the Wine Trail Traveler Quarterly? It is available as a PDF at http://www.winetrailtraveler.com/newsletter/magsummer10.pdf.

Beside the four recipes that are usually included in the Quarterly editions, Erin Sullivan’s article, “Chill Out in the Summer Heat,” includes directions for making Summertime Mimosa. According to Erin, “This is perfect for summer.”

Summertime Mimosa

Ingredients

1/3 c orange juice
1/3 c cranberry juice
1/3 c any Muscat sparkling wine
splash of peach schnapps

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in pitcher.
2. Pour into champagne flutes.
3. Garnish with fruit of your choice.

Other recipes available in the Summer Quarterly include two that use wine as an ingredient and two with a wine pairing. These are

  • Penne with Sausage, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • Demi-Sec Scented Pear Tartlets with Vanilla Cream
  • Marinade for Chicken
  • Ursula’s Onion Tart (Zwiebel Kuchen)

All recipes are included in the Wine Trail Traveler Summer Quarterly.
Enjoy food and wine together this weekend!

Cheers, Kathy

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

Official Wines for Wanderlust Festival –Yoga, Music and Nature

July 16, 2010 – 9:46 am

A Yoga, Music and Nature festival will be held at the end of July. Known as the Wanderlust Festival, it will take place in Squaw Valley, California from July 29 to August 1.

Wanderlust Festival is an event at a Californian ski resort, where one can forget the skis and snow and delve into yoga, nature and music at one of the largest festivals of this type.

This is your chance to relax, unwind and contemplate. Professionals will provide yoga classes and music events will fill the evenings.

Ukiah Cellars 2008 Chardonnay was chosen to be the official white wine for the Wanderlust Festival. Ukiah Cellars is part of the Magnanimus family wine group. The official red wine will be from Red Rock Winery.

Cheers! Kathy

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

A Few Winery Events to Visit this Weekend

July 15, 2010 – 9:53 pm

What winery event are you attending this weekend?

Below is a sampling of a few winery events. Of course, check out the local wineries in your own backyard to discover what is happening this weekend. Have fun planning your weekend and enjoy summer with friends, family and a glass of wine.

Cheers! Kathy

Lorimar Winery in Temecula, California has specials ongoing through the month of July. These include

  • Summer Wine & Art Series – David Musser
  • Now –  July 31 – Wine Promotion – “Red, White & Blue” Wines.  Purchase Promotional wines, receive 30% Discount/40% Wine Club

Chateau Chantal in Michigan offers Tapas Tours everyday from 12:30 to 2:20pm.

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante in Ohio offers music entertainment every weekend. Hours are Friday and Saturday evenings 6pm-9:30pm; Saturday and Sunday afternoons 1:30pm-5pm.

Fri, July 16

Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: Moonlit Harvest Dinner
Reservations: Required
Web Info

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Demitrios & Curtis on Guitar
Web Info

Sat, July 17

Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: 2010 Harvest Festival
Web Info

Chateau Chantal, Michigan
Event: Wine Dinner at Chateau Chantal
Reservations are required one day in advance
Cost: $50 per person plus tax and gratuity
Web Info

Lorimar Winery, Temcula, CA
Diego Mondragon: Acoustical Violin
No cover charge.

Lorimar Winery, Temecula, CA
Wine Club Appreciation Party

Messina Hof Winery & Resort
Event: Celebrity Celebrations Murder Mystery Dinner
Reservations: Required
Web Info

Tesoro Winery, Temecula, CA
Event: Live Music @ Old Town Tasting Room Patrick McKeone
Cost: “No cover charge; one drink minimum per person”
“Web Info

Sun, July 18

Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: 2010 Harvest Festival
Web Info

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: “Winemaker Walkabout” Vineyard & Winery Tour
Web Info

Time: 4PM-6PM
Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Texas
Event: Messina Hof Havest Vip Reception
Web Info

Vezér Family Vineyard, CA
Event Summer Concert Series: Mojo Jelly
Cost $17.50
Web Info

-end-

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

Do Americans Expect to See Vineyards at Wineries?

July 15, 2010 – 8:36 am

I recall being told that South American investors suggested that Brotherhood, America’s Oldest Winery, should plant a vineyard on the property. The vineyard will give them credibility.  Recently a LinkedIn discussion asked the question: Why don’t vineyardists also make wine? Is there a perception out there that if you have a winery that you should have a vineyard and if you have a vineyard you need to make wine?

Perhaps a vineyard and winery together is more of a romantic notion than the perception of the American public. In touring wineries and tasting rooms in the Seattle area of Washington, we observed tasting rooms that did not have vineyards. That did not appear to stop consumers from visiting to taste and purchase wines. The wineries point out where the fruit is sourced, often indicating the vineyard name on the label. We didn’t observe that consumers were at all concerned that there wasn’t a vineyard on the property. It seems that most consumers are more interested in whether they like a particular wine, which is the way it should be. Some consumers may be interested in terroir and want to know about a particular vineyard where the grapes were sourced. However this is a small group and so far the Washington wineries visited do a good job of discussing the vineyards where they acquire their fruit.

I don’t believe a winery needs a vineyard on the property to be credible. On the other hand there isn’t anything wrong with a romantic scene, which can also be very photo friendly.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Rhone Rangers Showcase Syrah

July 14, 2010 – 9:28 am

Syrah may be one of the most know of the wine grapes grown in the Rhone Valley of France. It is also the predominant wine poured at the Rhone Rangers tasting in Seattle, Washington. Some Syrahs of not included Maison Bleue’s Liberté. This syrah was a ruby color and offered violets and dark fruit on the aroma and taste. There were tannins on the crisp fruity finish. Maison Bleue Winery is located in Prosser, Washington. Searching for a Syrah with bold tannins I found Pride Mountain Vineyards’ 2008 Syrah, Sonoma. This Syrah had spices, cherries and dark fruit on the aroma and taste and along with bold tannins and fruit on the finish. Pride Mountain Vineyards hails from St. Helena, California. Snoqualmie, also from Prosser had a 2006 Syrah, Reserve. This dark purple Syrah had dark fruit and spice on the aroma and taste with smoke nuances. The finish had tannins and was fruity.

Tasting the Syrahs reminded me of summer barbeques and grilled meats. A perfect summer day would end with a chilled Viognier or Marsanne followed by any meat grilled and a Syrah.

What do you like to drink during the summer?

Cheers,
Terry

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

The Rhone Rangers Seattle Wine Tasting

July 14, 2010 – 9:13 am

We attended our first Rhone Rangers Wine Tasting.  Jon Martinez, the winemaker at Maison Bleue Winery, invited us to this event. This particular wine tasting held in Seattle, Washington July 13 & 14 was for media and winemakers. The Rhone Rangers also hold wine tastings throughout the country that are open to the public.

The purpose of the Rhone Rangers is to focus on the Rhone varieties. Twenty-two grape varieties are included in this group. Some of the better know grapes are Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Viognier and Roussanne. Other more unusual grapes include Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir, Picardin and Ugni Blanc.

The Rhone Rangers organization is nationwide with wineries from California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington to Virginia belonging to it. Represented at the Seattle tasting were five Washington wineries, one Idaho winery,  twenty-two California wineries and two Oregon wineries.

We enjoyed talking with many of the winemakers who were enthusiastic about the Rhone varietal wines they are producing. Our only wish is that more of the unusual Rhone varietals would have been showcased but maybe we’ll come across them one day.

To learn more about the Rhone Rangers, visit their website at http://www.rhonerangers.org/.

Terry also wrote an article about the Rhone Rangers for the Wine Trail Traveler site. This article can be viewed at http://winetrailtraveler.com/opinion/columnists/rhonerangers.php

Cheers! Kathy

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

Focus on Making Wine at Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Maryland

July 13, 2010 – 1:05 am

We have been making wine at home, at a winery in Virginia (LaGrange) and Tin Lizzie Wineworks in Laurel, Maryland.  Yesterday we learned that Tin Lizzie, an educational winery, is already looking for anyone interested in learning about winemaking and making a barrel of wine this fall.

According to the email, we received, Tin Lizzie expects to receive grapes from Stagecoach vineyards in California. For those who are interested in the drink local wine movement, the winery will also be sourcing grapes from Maryland.

Tin Lizzie has kept their prices the same since opening. Costs to operate have risen including rapes, bottles, corks, barrels etc. Until the end of July 2010, the prices to participate in producing a barrel of wine will remain the same. However, after that they expect the price to up about five percent. If you are thinking about making wine at Tin Lizzie, contact Tin Lizzie before July 31. Tin Lizzie website: http://www.tinlizziewineworks.com/

Cheers, Kathy

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

Maryland’s Newest Winery

July 12, 2010 – 9:56 am

Costa Ventosa Winery, Maryland’s newest winery, is having its Grand Opening this weekend beginning July 16. This is the first winery to open in Worcester County and is located in Whaleyville, Maryland.

The vineyards were started in 2006 and now there are four acres. These are comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Cayuga.

Visit Costa Ventosa Winery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where you will discover a small, new, family-run winery and vineyard. The Costa Ventosa website is http://www.costaventosa.com/

Consider visiting Costa Ventosa Winery while traveling to or from Ocean City, Maryland.

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Tasting Rooms and Cellar Doors | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

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