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28th Annual Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival!

September 18, 2018 – 2:58 pm

Burnley Vineyards will attend the Annual Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival in October.

Like wine? Like garlic? Then the 28th Annual Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival is a festival you want to be sure to attend.

On October 13th and 14th Rebec Vineyards in Amherst, Virginia will be the location of  the Annual Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival.

Eleven Virginia wineries are participating in the festival. Look for wines from Rebec Vineyards, Peaks of Otter Winery, Lazy Days, Rockbridge Vineyard, Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery, Burnley Vineyards, Mountain Cove Vineyards, The Homeplace Vineyard, Virginia Mountain Vineyards, Cobbler Mountain Cider and AmRhein’s Wine Cellars. Check out Wine Trail Traveler if you you want to know more about what it’s like to visit some of these wineries.

This fun event includes entertainment and garlic-themed cuisine. Food options available include:

  • Asian inspired cuisine
  • Crab cakes
  • Greek & Italian-based cuisine
  • Smoked BBQ sandwiches
  • Shrimp, crab and lobster
  • Fried chicken
  • Pulled pork
  • Tacos, Fajitas
  • Garlic burgers, fries
  • BBQ-style nachos, brisket

A variety of entertainment will include: Applebutter Soul, Steve Freeman Band, Dragonfly, The Ruckus, Firecracker Jam, Tom Euler Band, Pete Turpin Band, L&H Acoustic with David Foust, The Severed Heads of Guion Pond, Bo-Zac, Randy Johnston and Sunshine the Clown.

A large number of artists and craft vendors will participate in the festival. Meander past numerous works of art and crafts. Look for handcrafted toys, furniture, scarves, hats, pottery and much more.

Festival Tickets

Several types of tickets are available online and include:

  • VIP Package – Saturday only: $60.00
  • Admission & Wine Tasting – early bird: $25.00
  • Admission Only – No Wine tasting – early bird: $15
  • Group Wine Tasting & Admission: $20

Activities for children include: a Bounce House, KidZone Fun Station, face painting, pony rides and inflatables.

Plan an exciting trip to Virginia to enjoy the Annual Wine & Garlic Festival in October.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

67th Annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival

September 17, 2018 – 8:24 am

Legends Winery participates in Niagara Wine Festival

Check out the 67th Annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival.

The Montebello Park Experience

The 67th Annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival  takes place at Montebello Park September 21-23 and 28-30. 

The Montebello Park Experience includes 100 wines and 50 hours of music. In addition, food and entertainment is available. Best of all admission is free; although food purchases must be purchased with purchased tokens. Festival tokens may be purchased at the park.

Special tickets are available for the Harvest Lounge and the Sommelier Wine Lounge. The Harvest Lounge will have specially chosen VQA wines and a charcuterie bar. The Sommelier Wine Lounge offers ticket holders an al fresco wine café experience where premium VQA wines and chef prepared food bites are available.

Montebello Park will be open:

  • Fridays: 5pm til 10:30pm
  • Saturdays: 11am til 10:30pm
  • Sundays: 12Noon til 8pm

In addition to the Montebello Park location, the festival includes a Discovery Pass program that started this past weekend. The special Discovery Pass allows the ticket holder to have eight VQA wine and culinary pairings.

Each Discovery Pass may be used on one of the next two weekends. Ticket prices are priced at $45 and the Driver’s Pass is $35. There are more than three dozen participating wineries from which to choose to visit.

Participating wineries include:

  • 13th Street Winery
  • Cave Springs
  • Creekside Estate Winery
  • Fielding Estate Winery
  • Flat Rock Cellars
  • GreenLane Estate Winery
  • Hernder Estate Wines
  • Hinterbrook Estate Winery
  • Inniskillin Wines
  • Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery
  • Kacaba Vineyards Winery
  • Konzelmann Estate Winery
  • Legends Estates Winery
  • Lundy Manor Wine Cellars
  • Magnotta Winery
  • Malivoire Wine
  • Marynissen Estates Winery
  • Megalomaniac
  • Niagara College Teaching Winery
  • Palatine Hills Estate Winery
  • Peller Estates Winery
  • Pillitteri Estates Winery
  • Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery
  • Red Stone Winery
  • Reif Estate Winery
  • Ridgepoint Wines
  • Riverview Cellars Estate Winery
  • Rockway Vineyards
  • Rosewood Estates Winery
  • Southbrook Vineyards
  • Stoney Ridge Estate Winery
  • Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery
  • Tawse Winery
  • Trius Winery
  • Vieni Estates
  • Vignoble Rancourt Winery
  • Vineland Estates Winery
  • Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery

During the festival travel to some of your old favorite wineries but be sure to try wineries that you have not visited before. It definitely adds to your wine experience!

Wine Trail Traveler has visited many of the wineries participating in the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival. Check out the articles online. We truly enjoy visiting this area of Canada with its vibrant vineyards and excellent winemaking skills.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

35th Annual Maryland Wine Festival Postponed!

September 12, 2018 – 8:05 am

Photo from an earlier Annual Maryland Wine Festival at the Carroll County Farm Museum

One of Maryland’s very well-known wine festivals is the Annual Maryland Wine Festival. Due to the strong possibility of a very rainy and maybe more difficult weather for this weekend according to the festival website, the 35th Annual Maryland Wine Festival has been postponed until October 13. 

For those who have already purchased tickets for this weekend’s festival be sure to save them for using on Saturday, October 13, which will only take place on Saturday.

The location of the Annual Maryland Wine Festival is the Carroll County Farm Museum which offers a historic farmhouse and numerous farm buildings plus animals. It is a superb museum to visit and is ideal for children, adults and families. 

Here are some of things you will miss if you decided not to visit the 35th Annual Maryland Wine Festival in October:

  • More than 25 Maryland wineries with 150 wines
  • 40 juried vendors
  • 24-plus food vendors
  • Live music with selections of folk, jazz and ’80s covers.
  • A cheese pavilion with local artisanal cheeses

In addition, the Port of Leonardtown Winery which won the Governor Cup will have a public release of their Barbera Reserve 2015. 

Tickets for the October 13th Date

As mentioned earlier, tickets from this weekend’s postponed event may be used on Saturday, October 13. If you need tickets for the October 13th event several types are available including:

  • Explorer Pass
  • Explore Pass Designated Hangout
  • General Admission
  • Designated Driver
  • Children ages 13 to 20

It should be noted that children 12 and under are admitted with a paying adult. Festival tickets are available online.

Festival Location

Carroll County Farm Museum
500 S. Center Street
Westminster, MD  21157

For directions and parking visit the online festival website.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

It’s North Carolina Wine & Grape Month!

September 11, 2018 – 9:40 am

Biltmore tasting room

The North Carolina Wine & Grape Month takes place during September. Although North Carolina wines are not frequently in the national or world news, the wineries in North Carolina are definitely worth visiting. September is a lovely month to visit the wineries where visitors can find beautiful vineyards, grape stomping activities and of course sip a variety of wines.

North Carolina vineyards

Did you know that North Carolina has five American Viticultural areas? The AVAs are: Appalachian High Country, Haw River Valley, Swan Creek, Upper Hiwassee Highlands and Yadkin Valley. 

The wineries in North Carolina are located from the Mountains to the Coast. The wineries are also divided between the Mountains, Piedmont and Coast. The wineries in the Mountains and Piedmont are growing traditional vitis vinifera grapes as well as hybrids. Visitors to the Coastal area are likely to discover Muscadine (Scuppernong, Vitis rotundifolia) wines and more. Some of the wineries on the Coast are also producing traditional wines.

Wines at A Secret Garden

Wine enthusiasts can choose from more than 185 tasting rooms to visit. Choose between small boutique wineries and large wineries such as the winery at Biltmore and Duplin Winery. One of the smallest and very interesting wineries is A Secret Garden Winery that is devoted to producing organic wines.

 

 

Divine Llama Winery pairs vineyards with alpacas & llamas

Wine Trail Traveler has visited more than 30 North Carolina wineries in all three geographic areas. Read the reviews with photos online.

During hurricane season, when planning your visit to North Carolina be sure to watch the weather forecast and as always it’s a good idea to contact the wineries prior to visiting. We hope everyone will be safe from the current possibility of Hurricane Florence  reaching the East Coast. 

Cheers!
Kathy 

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

Tzafona Cellars Vidal Icewine for Yom Kippur

September 7, 2018 – 10:32 am

Tzafona Cellars 2015 Vidal Icewine

On one of our trips to wineries in the Niagara Peninsula, we learned that if Icewine were a stringed orchestra, Riesling would be the violins and Vidal would be the cellos. We were thrilled to receive a bottle of Tzafona Cellars 2015 Vidal Icewine, and immediately thought of Yo Yo Ma. According to the back label, Tzafona is an ancient Hebrew word meaning northward. Wineries along the Niagara Peninsula are among some of the most northern wineries in North America. Tzafona Cellars’ Vidal Icewine would be a perfect sweet accompaniment to desserts on Yom Kippur.

The certified Kosher Icewine had a dark gold color with orange hue. The aroma of this 100% Vidal Icewine suggests honeysuckle and jammy peaches. The full-bodied and silky mouthfeel could best pair with a rocking chair on a porch. The taste included honey, nectarines, apricots and peach notes. Although sweet, the wine had good acidity. The wine was 11.5% alcohol and the residual sugar measured 20.2% or 202 grams of sugar per liter. 

A partnership between Toby Berkel and Avi Gislason provided the motivation to create Kosher wines in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, Canada. In addition to the Kosher Vidal Icewine, they also produce a Kosher Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine and a Kosher Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are crafted by the winemakers at Lakeview Wine Co. under the supervision of the COR and Mehadrin Toronto – Rav Shalom Hirsch Adler.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Spirits: whisky, tequila, bourbon, rye, vodka | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Kosher Dessert Wine for Yom Kippur

September 5, 2018 – 8:20 am

Try Herzog’s delicious dessert wine for Yom Kippur or anytime.

After working and almost finishing an outdoor project last week, we decided to relax with a glass of Herzog’s Late Harvest White Riesling, Monterey County, a lovely dessert wine. For anyone observing Yom Kippur, this White Riesling should be considered as a wine for dessert. The wine is labeled kosher for Passover with kosher for Passover Mevushal.

Herzog Wine Cellars Late Harvest White Riesling 2016 with 8.5% alcohol was a dark yellow color. The aroma with mineral notes also reminded us of peach pits. The taste was full-bodied with notes of ripe peaches and dried apricots. The wine was sweet but the acidity balanced the sweetness. The mouthfeel was velvety. During the aftertaste the wine dried in the mouth. This dessert wine had a residual sugar of 10.1%

About Herzog Wine Cellars

Herzog Wine Cellars is a large kosher winery located in Monterey County, California. In addition to kosher wines, Herzog also produces non-Kosher wines. The Herzog family has been able to trace their winemaking history back for more than a century. Philip Herzog made wine for the Austro-Hungarian court in Slovakia. The Emperor Franz-Josef enjoyed Philip’s wine so much that he made Philip a baron. As a baron, Philip produced non-kosher and kosher wines. After emerging from hiding from the Nazis during WWII, Eugene, Philip’s grandson reclaimed the family’s winery. A few years later the Herzog family was forced by a communist regime to leave their home. In 1948 Eugene came to America with his family. Living in New York City, Eugene discovered a kosher winery in Manhattan, where he was hired. When the winery did not do well, Eugene and his sons, decided to continue the winery renaming it Royal Wines. During the mid 1980s  the family expanded their wine business by adding a facility in California where they began making two different wine labels. 

The winery has a tasting room that is open Sunday thru Thursday from 10:30am to 9 pm. On Fridays the hours are 10:30am until 4pm. While planning your visit to the winery plan to stay awhile and enjoy the Tierra Sur dining area. The restaurant offers lunch, dinner, dessert menus and more. The focus of the menus is on locally grown foods.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Gersing Cellars in Portland Produces a Nebbiolo Wine

August 31, 2018 – 10:16 am

Gersing Cellars is an urban winery in Portland, OR

Last week we enjoyed a bottle of wine with our eldest daughter who gave us a bottle of the Gersing Cellars Bri0 Nebbiolo Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard 2016. The dark ruby color wine was opaque. The wine offered an aroma of blackberries, currants, black cherries and sour cherries.  The mouthfeel was silky. The taste of black fruits included nuances of black cherries. This full-bodied wine offered medium to bold tannins. The wine finished with smooth tannins, mulberries and white pepper. This Nebbiolo wine was 14.6% alcohol

The back label of the Nebbiolo gives some insights to the name of the wine. The label notes the pronunciation and definition of brio: “noun \ br?-( )ö \ Def: enthusiastic vigor; verve”.

Gersing Cellars is located in Portland, the city’s SE region. This is a relatively new, up and coming urban winery. Gersing Cellars was established in 2015 by Jason Gersing. Two of Jason’s passions are wine and jazz. While becoming a professional jazz musician, Jason worked at a winery during harvest. He became increasingly interested in winemaking and spent time in Europe learning more about winemaking. Later Jason moved to Portland and eventually started Gersing Cellars.

The winery focuses on wine grapes from several vineyards in the Northwest with a focus on Oregon and Washington vineyards. Vineyards where grapes are sourced from include:

  • Washington’s Yakima Valley: Willard Vineyard, Red Willow Vineyard, Dineen Vineyard
  • Washington’s Walla Walla AVA: Les Collines Vineyard
  • Washington’s Red Mountain AVA: Ciel du Cheval
  • Oregon’s Willamette valley: Domaine Margelle Vineyard
  • Oregon’s Eola Amity AVA: Methven Family Vineyard

Currently Gersing Cellars crafts Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Merlot varietal wines available for purchase. Visit the SE Wine Collective Tasting Bar or visit Mt. Tabor Fine Wines, Blackbird Wine, Division Wines, C’est si Bon and 1856 Beer Wine Cider to purchase Gersing Cellars wine.

Gersing Cellars’ wines are available online.

Cheers!
Kathy

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

Esprit Couture for our 46th

August 30, 2018 – 10:30 am

Champagne Collet Esprit Couture enjoyed on our 46th wedding anniversary.

By the end of the day we were too tired to go out for dinner. Taking family to the airport, we stopped to do a bit of shopping before returning home. Fortunately, I placed a bottle of Champagne Collet Esprit Couture in the refrigerator prior to our sojourn. I am a firm believer that sparkling wines are an everyday wine. However, when it comes to champagne, given the near $100 price, I see this wonderful sparkling wine as a celebratory wine. We spent the early evening of our 46th wedding anniversary enjoying an Esprit Couture Brut.

This 2014 disgorged champagne was crafted from a blend of of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier. The wine had 12.5% alcohol. We had two bottles of this champagne in our wine room waiting for the appropriate opportunity to open and enjoy. The dark yellow to light gold colored champagne had multiple columns of tiny bubbles forming a center and circumference mousse. The aroma offered apple, citrus and freshly baked bread. The taste had a lively mouthfeel with lasting apple, bread and citrus notes. Added this was a hint of mineral. We enjoyed the champagne paired with cocktail shrimp.

We visited Champagne Collet in early 2015. We met Sébastien Walasiak, chef de caves, who spoke of the champagne Esprit Couture. “The base wines went through malolactic fermentation and the style of winemaking is closer to a reductive style than an oxidative style.” During our visit we tasted three champagnes, toured the onsite museum and ambled through the caves. You can read our Champagne Collet article on Wine Trail Traveler.  If you are looking for a reason to celebrate with a bottle of champagne, Friday October 19th is Champagne Day. Join with wine lovers from around the world and open a champagne from the Champagne region of France.

Caves tour at Champagne Collet

Sébastien Walasiak, chef de caves, head winemaker, at Champagne Collet

Cheers,
Terry

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

A Few Labor Day Weekend Wine Events

August 29, 2018 – 2:10 pm

Estate wine at Catoctin Breeze Vineyard

With Labor Day Weekend quickly approaching, you may want to visit a winery with family or friends. Check out these upcoming events at wineries.

Saturday, September 1

Catoctin Breeze Vineyard, MD
Event: Wine, Crepes & Live Music
Website Information

Duplin Winery, NC
Event: Rose Hill Live Music
Website Information

The Winery at Perennial Vineyards, OH
Event: Live Music
Website Information

Sunday, September 2

Catoctin Breeze Vineyard, MD
Event: Wine & Live Music
Website Information

Sunday Brunch at Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery

Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery, VA
Event: Sunday Brunch
Website Information

Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards, OR
Event: September Wine Club Release
Website Information

Monday, Sept 3, LABOR DAY

Pearmund Cellars, VA
Event: Celebrate Labor Day at Pearmund Cellars
Website Information

Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery, VA
Event: Bistro Open
Website Information

Please drink responsibly.
Cheers!
Kathy

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

Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing Event in the Fall!

August 28, 2018 – 4:27 pm

Ridgewood Winery

The Berks County Wine Trail, located in Pennsylvania’s south eastern region will be a delight for many wine and cheese lovers on September 29 – 30 and October 6 -7. On those two weekends, wineries and local cheese producers are offering the Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing Event. Tickets are only $15 until September 28. Event tickets are available online. Each ticket includes two cheese and wine pairings available at each participating winery. 

The cheeses are provided by regional dairies including: Farm Fromage, Wholesome Dairy Farms, Birchrun Hills Farms, Conebella Farms, Grube’s Dairy, The Smokehaus, and Valley Milkhouse.

Pinnacle Ridge Winery

The members of the Berks County Wine Trail participating in this delightful wine and cheese event include:

Stonekeep Meadery
Manatawny Creek Winery
Stone Barn Cellars
Ridgewood Winery
Weathered Vineyards
Setter Ridge Vineyards
Calvaresi Winery
Deerfoot Winery
Stoudt’s Winery
Kog Hill Winery
Long Trout Winery
Pinnacle Ridge Winery

Wine Trail Traveler visited five of these participatingPennsylvania wineries. Articles and photos are available online.

Save the dates September 29 and 30 as well as October 6 and 7 for a fun wine and cheese event.

Cheers,
Kathy

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

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