September 2, 2009 – 9:16 am
A visit to Michigan brought us to Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant that has a wine created from Kerner. This grape varietal was a Riesling hybrid produced from a cross between Trollinger and Riesling. The cross was accomplished by August Herold in 1929. It was in 1969 that it was available for general cultivation.
Tabor Hill has produced a wine from Kerner labeled Lake Michigan Shore Kerner. This wine with a 12 percent alcohol offered nuances of summer fruit including peach, pear and melon. The wine won a silver medal at the 2009 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition.
If you belong to the Wine Century Club or are anticipating joining, and have the opportunity to taste Tabor Hill’s Lake Michigan Shore Kerner. Be sure to add it to your Wine Century varietal list if you haven’t already tasted the Kerner varietal.
While at a winery, restaurant or wine shop, enjoy discovering grape varietals that you may never have tasted before.
Cheers, Kathy
September 1, 2009 – 6:34 am
September is a busy month for many wineries with harvest and winemaking work to be done. In addition many wineries host events. Don’t forget wine festivals that sometimes emphasize music or food too. I have discovered several food and wine festivals to consider visiting for the weekend of September 12 and 13. Also check out some of your favorite wineries to see what they are offering. The Wine Trail Traveler website calendar lists numerous winery events that our partners will host. Before leaving for any event, be sure to check with the winery to verify that information has not changed.
Below is a list of wine festivals for Sept. 12 -13, check their website for more details.
Palmdale Jazz and Wine Festival, Palmdale, California (Sept. 12)
Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest, Rhinebeck, New York
Aurora WineFest 2009, Aurora, Ohio (Sept. 12)
Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival, Dripping Springs, Texas (Sept. 12)
The Commonwealth Polo & Wine Event at the Plains, The Plains, Virginia
What festivals do you enjoy?
Cheers, Kathy
August 30, 2009 – 9:45 am
Michigan is home to over 110 wineries with 64 wineries using Michigan grapes. If you are not able visit individual wineries, check out some of the festivals.
This weekend (Aug 29 & 30) is the 9th Annual Wine and Food Festival in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills. Kroger, a large grocery store chain, is sponsoring this event. A large tent with foods prepared by chefs from the International Culinary School at the Art Institutes of Michigan features Michigan locally grown foods. Small paper plates were available with a different sample on each. After walking through the food tent visitors will find that wineries and distributors set up small tents for showcasing wines. Black Star Farms from Leelanau Peninsula and Chateau Chantal from Old Mission Peninsula were offering samples. Fenn Valley also offered a great tasting. I really enjoy the Riesling from Fenn Valley.
More Michigan wine festivals are taking place this fall. Michigan Wines website has an easy to use calendar website of wine events. In September look for Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival, Wine & Food Celebration on Old Mission Peninsula, and Harvest Stompede. In November, consider visiting the annual Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival.
Enjoy visiting a festival with friends and family while meeting other wine enthusiasts.
Cheers! Kathy
August 29, 2009 – 9:38 am
Save September 19 or 20, 2009 to visit the Maryland Wine Festival in Westminster, Maryland. This annual event is a popular with many Maryland wineries attending. In addition the festival offers food vendors, crafts vendors, wine education seminars and an amateur wine competition. For ticket information, visit the Maryland Wine Festival website. To read reviews of Maryland wineries, visit the Wine Trail Traveler website.
Cheers! Kathy
August 26, 2009 – 5:50 am
Join with other wine enthusiasts and support Habitat for Humanity by attending a fundraiser at Chateau O’Brien in Markham, Virginia. This is the 3rd Annual Chili at the Chateau. Proceeds will support the construction of a home built this fall.
This two-day event on Saturday and Sunday, August 29th and 30th , includes all-you-can- eat chili with three types to choose from, condiments, logo glass and beads. Live music and a raffle are all part of the fun. Cost is $15 per person and no reservations are required. This event is for those 21 years of age and older. Check out the event on the winery’s website. Read a review of Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint.
Cheers! Kathy
August 24, 2009 – 7:59 pm
Last night for dinner we enjoyed rice with saffron, a green salad with fresh cucumbers and pepper. The fish was Mahi-Mahi and was delicately seasoned.
Dinner was enhanced with a wine from Lost Creek Vineyard in Texas. White Swan Blanc Du Bois 2005 offered a citrus and floral aroma with a fruity taste. The fruit lingered on the finish. If you haven’t tried a Blanc du Bois wine yet, this is a wonderful grape variety. If you enjoy Riesling wine and other white wines, you may want to add Blanc du Bois to your wine list.
Earlier in the year we visited Lost Creek and this is one winery we will never forget. In 2007 the LBJ Lake flooded and much of the winery was carried away. When we visited in early 2009, the owner, also the winemaker, had not only restored the winery but added a popular elegant restaurant and sushi bar.
Enjoy a local wine and discover what all the talk is about in Texas wine country!
Cheers! Kathy
August 24, 2009 – 6:38 am
Every now and then I want a sparkling wine with a meal. Given that yesterday was our thirty-seventh anniversary, a sparkling wine seemed appropriate. Thornton Winery’s Brut Reserve 1999 California Champagne was a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. The result was an aroma and taste of apple and pear. The wine was dry and palate cleansing with citrus nuances. Tiny bubbles remained in the flute for a long time. The bottle, autographed by Don Reha, the winemaker made our celebration special as we recounted our visit to Thornton Winery.
I was careful when opening the bottle. Although using a sword is quite an entertaining way to open a bottle, when it comes to a sparkling wine, I remember a lesson taught at Schramsburg. “The more you hear, the less flavor you’ll have,” resonated in my mind. Holding the bottle still, I slowly twisted the enclosure and only a small hiss was heard. The aroma and taste were quite noticeable as this method certainly preserves them. The sparkling wine paired nicely with our chicken wrapped in bacon with mashed potatoes. Actually, I enjoy a sparkling wine with any meal. I like a brut since it is so food friendly and is a good choice for lunch and dinner. I’ve had some California sparkling Muscats that could replace orange juice for breakfast and you don’t need to make a mimosa.
August 23, 2009 – 8:46 am
Recently we had dinner with the extended family and the wine was flowing. There were definite opinions of several of the wines we drank. We tasted four reds before dinner and had several whites during dinner. We had local wines and world wines. Two wines caught my attention. One was a Viognier from Brennan Vineyards in Comanche, Texas. It offered a citrus and peach aroma and taste. The crisp finish was citrusy yielding to peaches. The wine paired well with the fish dinner.
Before dessert, we opened a Graystone Vineyards Port II. Of the ten wines tasted, this clearly was the biggest hit. Graystone is located in Clifton, Colorado and specializes in making ports. The Port II was simply delicious. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it had a black color with a ruby red rim. There was an aroma and taste of dried fruit especially prunes. The taste was velvety and the finish was fruity and crisp. The 19 percent alcohol port had no heat on the finish. The bottle was empty before the dessert made it to the table. The Graystone Port II was a group favorite.
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Are Winery and Vineyard Tasting Rooms Intimidating?
At a recent visit to a Pennsylvanian winery, I noticed a customer who cautiously entered the tasting room. He appeared uncertain. The wineologist asked if he would like to do a tasting, how it worked and the cost. He replied that he only wanted to buy a bottle of sweet wine. She offered him a free tasting of their popular red sweet wine. He took just a sip and asked if he could purchase a bottle of that. He then quickly exited.
I have some comments about the observances. Many people enjoy sweet wines. So many that unless a winery is located in an area where there is a large population of dry wine drinkers, a business plan must contain a portfolio of sweet wines. Many wineries throughout the country have indicated that their sweet wines out sell their dry wines. People shouldn’t apologize for drinking sweet. If you like sweet wines, buy sweet wines.
If you walk into a tasting room and see people swirling and smelling their wine, don’t freak out. Just ignore them, or if you are interested ask them what they are doing. I have had many people ask what I was doing. Of course I usually launch into teacher mode but they seem pleased with their newfound knowledge.
Don’t be afraid to taste a wine. It is proper to taste and spit. If there isn’t a bucket ask for one. If spitting is too embarrassing ask for a paper cup. One of the many advantages of visiting winery tasting rooms is to taste wines. If you like sweet, taste several sweet wines before you decide which one to buy. To some, a tasting room can be intimidating. It can also offer wonderful learning experiences and a chance to meet people.
Cheers,
Terry