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This weekend, plan a trip to your neighborhood winery and discover a new wine or new release. Ask questions about how the wine was made, where the grapes were sourced from, about pruning and bud break. Enjoy tasting wines and perhaps purchase a bottle to take home with you to enjoy with dinner during the week.
Messina Hof Winery & Resort, Bryan, Texas is offering a Wine Appreciation class, “Wines and Chocolates” on February 28 at 3pm. Reservations are necessary and the cost is $19.95 per person. Classes last an hour & a half and include light cheeses. Most classes have five to eight wines so Messina Hof suggests lunch at the Vintage House. Make reservations for lunch.
On February 28, Three Fox Vineyards in Virginia is having a Three Fox Piano Lounge and Burger BBQ between 2 and 5 pm. Music and grilled burgers are a great combination. Burger plus potato chips are $5 and with the purchase of wine, half-price.
Want to enjoy wine and dinner, then go to Foti’s Restaurant in Culpeper, Virginia. On February 28, Chris Pearmund of Pearmund Cellars, Winery at La Grange and Vint Hill Craft Winery will be hosting the dinner at 6pm. Cost is $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 540-829-8400 for reservations.
Barrel Oak Winery offers a variety of events almost every week. Check out their events for February 27 and 28th. This weekend’s events include A Paws For The Cause: Charitable Chili Over A Dog At Bow, Haitian Relief on Saturday (10% of every bottle sold goes to Haiti relief). Other activities at the winery include a watercolor exhibit, music and the opportunity to purchase jewelry. Be sure to check the days and times.
Check with wineries for details of their events. Enjoy a relaxing visit to a winery this weekend!
Cheers! Kathy
Oak Barrels for Wine
How do you prefer your wine oaked or unoaked? If you like a wine with oak nuances, are you concerned with where the oak was grown?
For wine aged in oak, do you prefer French oak, Hungarian oak or American oak? As we visit numerous wineries, we ask what type of oak is used and normally the response is French, Hungarian and/or American.
There are many species of oak and oak grows in many areas. Climate and varieties cause a difference in the oak. This affects the oak nuances and winemakers must choose between the many choices of oak available. While some may prefer French oak, French oak barrels are significantly more expensive than Hungarian or American oak.
American oak is quite popular at wineries but it is not an easy choice for winemakers to decide from what area of the US they would like the oak sourced. American oak barrels can be produced from oak growing in areas including Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia and Arkansas. Variations in the oak occur depending upon where the oak is growing. It’s similar to the same varietal grape growing in a different climate; it will have different characteristics.
For those with limited funds or space, there are alternatives to expensive, space consuming oak barrels. Small oak pieces in the shape of cubes, beads, blocks or spirals can be purchased. These can be added to a carboy or stainless steel tank and provide oak nuances. These oak pieces are available in different toasts just as oak barrels. This is especially ideal for home winemakers and small startup wineries.
Is there a difference between using an oak barrel and oak pieces? I imagine the purist would say there is a difference but I’m not so sure the public would notice. However during a winery tour, the lack of oak barrels would be noticeable. Somehow oak barrels whether French, Hungarian or American add to the delightful experience of visiting wineries.
Cheers! Kathy