September 29, 2009 – 3:09 pm
There are wine events scheduled for October 10th weekend. If you have time, check out the following events.
On the east coast, consider attending the New York City Wine & Food Festival with events scheduled from October 8-11, 2009.
In California consider one of these festivals to attend.
Auburn Wine and Food Festival October 10, 2009
La Jolla Art and Wine Festival October 10 and 11, 2009
If you attend a festival, write and let others know about it.
Cheers!
Kathy
September 28, 2009 – 10:45 am
Last Friday Joseph and Dorinda Wynimko opened a winery in Bloomer, Wisconsin. Joseph began winemaking as a hobby from a kit. He went on to making wines that are a bit on the unusual side, as he prefers making wine that does not have grapes in it.
As I read an article about the winery, it brought back memories of my husband’s uncle who made wine at home and gave it all away to friends and family. We visited Uncle’s cellar many years ago where he proudly showed us his carboys filled with a variety of fruit wines. Uncle exclaimed, “I can make wine with anything that has a seed in it.”
If you have the opportunity, check out the O’Neil Creek Winery. Wines include wines made from rhubarb, cranberry, strawberry, elderberry, strawberry-rhubarb and pumpkin. Be sure to ask about the onion wine. If you have always heard of dandelion wine then now is our chance to try it. For more information, check out the article in the Bloomer Advance.
September 27, 2009 – 9:53 am
As we drove back from visiting wineries in Kentucky, we noticed that the leaves are beginning to change. They were particularly striking in West Virginia. I imagine that the fall colors will abound in Pennsylvania in the coming weeks.
If you are looking for a day trip that may include beautiful foliage views and also wineries to visit, consider a visit to the Brandywine Valley in southeastern Pennsylvania where there are a good number of wineries. By next weekend, October 3 and 4, travelers should be able to view picturesque landscapes and taste wines along the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. The first weekend of October is also the wine trail’s Harvest Festival. Events are held at each winery and with eight wineries to choose from, there is something for everyone. When visiting Paradocx Vineyard, be sure to ask about the unique wine bottle – a plastic gallon paint can of red or white wine!
Cheers! Kathy
September 25, 2009 – 10:23 am
Weather can make a big difference in the quality of wine produced each particular year. For the wineries around Lexington, Kentucky, the 2008 harvest was excellent. The summer of 2008 was hot and perhaps too dry but the resulting grapes have produced quality wines.
The summer of 2009 has been cooler than usual and this week when the vineyards are waiting for the grapes to reach ripeness, it has been raining on and off. Out of visiting eight wineries, except for one, all were determined not to harvest yet. These determined Kentuckians are waiting on Mother Nature to continue the ripening process before cold weather sets in.
May Kentucky wineries have a successful harvest in 2009!
Cheers! Kathy
September 23, 2009 – 8:49 am
Visiting wineries around Lexington, Kentucky is a great experience. Visualize driving through the countryside with luscious green fields and beautiful blue skies. Enjoy meeting people where a handshake is a word of honor and as powerful as a contract. Last but not least meet the winemakers who want to create their wines from Kentucky fruit. Yes, Kentucky does have enough vineyards to meet the needs of the 55 licensed wineries, according to one winemaker we met.
Wine enthusiasts will discover a large variety of wines from vinifera, Native American, French hybrid and fruit wines. After visiting several wineries in the Lexington area, we have been pleased with quality of many of the wines we have tasted. Kentucky winemakers and wine growers are doing their part in adding to the quality of the wine industry and in keeping with the terroir of their area.
When you have the opportunity, taste Kentucky wines and discover what these wineries have to offer.
Cheers! Kathy
September 22, 2009 – 9:08 am
Terry wrote a great article about terroir in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. The article, “In search of terroir: Finger Lakes Riesling” can be viewed on the Examiner website. Check it out before you visit the wineries in the Finger Lakes region.
Below are a couple of links to festivals for the weekend of October 3 and/or 4, 2009. Both festivals sound like a lot of fun to participate in. Always check the event website for more updated information.
Great Grapes Wine, Arts and Food Festival
North Carolina
October 3, 2009 11am – 7pm
http://www.uncorkthefun.com/charlotte-north-carolina/site-info
27th American Wine & Food Festival
California
http://www.awff.org/
Cheers! Kathy
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Should You Drink Local Wine?
I am a proponent of the eat and drink local philosophy. Anyone who tries to follow that ideal has to first determine for his or her self what “local” means. Whether it’s 30 miles, a hundred miles or perhaps within your state, there is no definition of “local.” Individuals need to make the decision of what “local” means to them. While drinking local wines is a great concept and benefits communities in many ways, does this mean ruling out wines that are outside of your local area? Of course not!
For me drinking local means discovering the terroir of the wines where I am. It certainly doesn’t stop me from ordering a wine from a renowned wine region area, especially if I’m looking for a certain grape variety or taste. However, I love discovering what affect the soil, climate and elevation have on grapes in the vineyards. It makes the world of wine exciting.
While visiting in Lake County, California, which is north of Napa, I was surprised to hear someone say that they want people to discover local wine within 30 miles. Have you heard of Lake County or Suisun Valley both areas in California? Yes there are wineries outside of Napa and there are also little known wineries and well known wineries in Napa that deserve a chance to showcase their terroir in their wines.
Discover new wines! Wine is exciting!
Cheers! Kathy