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Red, White and Drunk All Over review

June 4, 2008 – 8:53 pm

If you haven’t heard about or read Natalie MacLean’s book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, it is a delightful book. This is a non-fiction book that reads as easily as fiction. Throughout the book Natalie MacLean brings her passion for tasting wine and learning about wine from the inside out. The author takes the reader from wineries in Burgundy to California, from Robert Parker to Janis Robinson, to a discussion of wine glasses and the final chapter on matching difficult foods. Each chapter is as informative as it is entertaining. MacLean definitely has a way with words. Her descriptions, quotes and passion bring the book alive. She takes the reader with her in her exploration of the world of wine. I continually felt as if I was with Natalie while she talked with winemakers and wine enthusiasts. With just over 300 pages and available in paperback, this is a great book to read on your lunch break or on the beach.

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Wine Trail Traveler June newsletter

June 3, 2008 – 8:17 pm

 

The June edition of the Wine Trail Traveler Newsletter is available for viewing online as a webpage or a pdf. This month’s articles include: Wine Trail Traveler Visits Niagara Peninsula, the Annual Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, Icewine as or with Dessert, Truffle Cake Recipe, and Wine Cruise 2009 News. For more information about wineries, itineraries, recipes, forum, wine blog and more go to www.winetrailtraveler.com. We had such a delightful time in Niagara-on-the-Lake that we just had to write about the experience. Every where we turned there were more and more vineyards. While we had appointments at most wineries, we had to stop at a new winery when we saw an incredibly long blue wall. Architecturally speaking, it is definitely a conversation piece. Southbrook is officially opening this June.


 

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

Virginia Wine Festival/Make-A-Wish Foundation

June 2, 2008 – 4:45 pm

The 27th Annual Vintage Virginia Wine Festival was held over the past weekend. When I visited on June 1, there was plenty of parking. Everything appeared to be well organized. With more than 60 wineries, numerous arts and crafts tents – many qualifying as art, food tents offering everything from Kettle Corn to Asian food, an event tent for families, live music and more, there was something for everyone. One of the keys to the organization were the volunteers. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc. “donated” volunteers time to the festival. The Virginia Wineries Association donated to Make-A-Wish for those volunteers at the festival. Congratulations to Virginia Wineries Association for helping a worthy cause!

For more information about Make-A-Wish, go to www.midatlantic.wish.org.

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

Will Consumers Continue to Lose?

May 28, 2008 – 8:52 pm

I just read an interesting editorial in the Erie Times-News. The editor quoted the owner of Massa Vineyards in Pennsylvania in regard to shipping laws for wine.  “What is best for consumers? That should be everyone’s concern here.” The winetrailtravler.com team had the opportunity to visit wineries in North Carolina and they make a muscadine wine that is considered to have more antioxidants than a typical red wine. Although the wineries can’t post that information in the winery, studies have verified that information. I believe it should be my right to order that wine or any other wine online from inside or outside my state. By the way, I live in Maryland which has a very strict law. At least it’s not confusing: no wineries- in state or out of state can ship wine to consumers living in the state. Let’s try working together and then everyone can benefit.

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

Internet Sales

May 27, 2008 – 9:07 pm

Congratulations to the state of Georgia, where consumers will be able to order wine online. I wish all states would understand the importance of consumers being able to purchase wine online. For those who are afraid teenagers will abuse this availability, I don’t believe that’s true. For wine stores who are afraid that it will take business away from them, again I’m not convinced. What’s important for teenagers to learn is that it is important to drink wine or any alcohol responsibly such as with dinner. Wine shops will most likely have an increase in sales as the result of consumers learning about the various types of wine available. Surely not everyone is going to buy wine online. State governments should realize that if they allow internet sales the wineries in the state will be providing more tax dollars.

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Comments (1)

Pillitteri Estates takes Gold for Shiraz Icewine

May 26, 2008 – 8:03 pm

 

Recently Pillitteri Estates Winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada received a Gold Medal from “Syrah du Monde,” for their 2006 Shiraz Icewine. This competition is devoted to Syrah or Shiraz wines. Quality and stiff requirements make this competition highly competitive. The competition itself takes place over two days with wines from 23 countries. This year 128 medals were awarded.

 

This month I had the opportunity to taste icewines produced from red wines and really enjoyed them. For me there seemed to be more fruit flavors compared to white icewines.

If you enjoy icewines, which would you rather drink?

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

Friday, May 23 Grand Opening

May 23, 2008 – 3:07 pm

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia is celebrating its Grand Opening today! Congratulations to Sharon and Brian Roeder on their pursuit and obtaining their goal of starting a vineyard, building a winery and opening a tasting room. We met Sharon and Brian in January 2007 at Pearmund Cellars and were impressed with their desire to begin their own winery. After many months of hard work and planning, Barrel Oak Winery is opening today. When you plan your visit to Barrel Oak Winery, you will find a state of the art winery and friendly owners. Go to http://winetrailtraveler.com/listings/virginia/barreloak.php for a coupon for a basic wine tasting for two. Location: 3623 Grove Lane, Delaplane, VA 20144

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Tasting Rooms and Cellar Doors | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Canadian Wineries

May 22, 2008 – 2:16 am

I have just returned from a delightful trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Vineyard after vineyard were along the roads. Large, majestic winetasting rooms are frequently seen as well as smaller wineries creating fine wine. As we discovered while having dinner with friends and family, enjoying wine is all about the wine, food and friends. Several of the articles about Canadian winery experiences are online at www.winetrailtraveler.com and more are coming soon. Canadian wineries are definitely competitive with other new world wineries. Technorati Profile

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

A Tribute to Robert Mondavi

May 19, 2008 – 12:12 pm

Robert Mondavi, a national and world leader of the wine, passed away on May 16, 2008 leaving a legacy behind him that will forever have an influence on wine produced in California. It was Robert Mondavi who believed that California wine could compete on an international level. So convinced was he of this that Mondavi started the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley, in 1966. By 1976 when the Judgment of Paris took place with a blind tasting, California came through with flying colors. Mondavi sought to continually improve the technology behind winemaking while maintaining a wine’s quality. Over the years, Mondavi received many awards including “Man of the Year,” from Decanter Magazine, Winemaker of the Year from American Wine Society, and honored as the first “pioneer” inductee by the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintners Hall of Fame. Thank you Robert Mondavi for all of your contributions towards producing quality wine. 

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

Icewine or Iced Wine

May 14, 2008 – 1:54 am

Icewine was first produced in Germany. Today Canada is the major producer of a true icewine. Other areas that do not have cold enough temperatures to create icewine use intervention methods to create a wine that mimics icewine. For the consumer, this wine may be identified as “iced wine.” Grapes for icewine must be picked while the grapes are frozen on the vine at a certain temperature or lower and then pressed while still frozen. To make an “iced wine” the grapes are frozen in a deep freeze and processed. What is the difference? According to one winemaker, the difference is in the nuances of the icewine. The icewine will have flavors that are achieved from the grapes hanging on the vine. For the consumer if you are only looking for a very sweet wine then the iced wine will do but if you are seeking a wine with more nuances you will want an icewine.

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

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