Able Grape: One stop information shopping

This post comes from someone I hope to meet someday, a woman named Deb Harkness who lives out on the West Coast and dispenses as much info and advice on wine as anyone I've been able to find on the Web. Her Good Wine Under $20 blog is one of the few I've linked onto my blog, and it features enough links to a variety of wine and food sites to fill the biggest barrel in Tuscany. Sigh. Mine's not one of them, but I'll kow I've made it when I do.

She filed this post last Thursday:

Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:30 AM CDT

The web is a big place. No matter how good you are at concocting perfect search strings on Google or whatever search engine you're using, when it comes to finding information on wine it can be damn hard to locate something useful. Enter Able Grape. They say they're in Beta, but they look like they're all set to become the Alpha Wine Information Search Engine. With over 13 million pages of online wine information indexed and searchable, this is like a one-stop online reference library. And because it's dedicated to wine, just a word or two in the search box will usually yield results -- the kind of results you're looking for, not the stuff you have no interest in when you type in Cabernet Sauvignon (as in, Cabernet Sauvignon bath products).What kind of information is gathered on Able Grape? Reference works, producer Web sites, blogs, scientific articles, event information, tasting notes are all included in the database, and then they're just a click away.Check out the site next time you have a wine question, like what does Pineau d'Aunis taste like, or what kind of soil Pinot Noir likes. It's probably faster than driving to your local library to try to find the answer on Able Grape.

Kreutz Creek East thriving 'downstream'

Carole and Jim Fitzpatrick remember living in York and heading out to the few wineries in the area back in the 1980s, such as Naylor and Fox Ridge. Then Carole bought her husband a wine-making kit and “he started winning amateur competitions.” They bought a three-acre plot across the Susquehanna River in Wrightsville, and began their passion. Years later Jim was "being transferred to a job in New Jersey and this [West Grove, Pa.] was central to where we were going, so that’s how we kind of picked it.”

The desire to open a winery weren’t the only thing they brought with them. They also carried along the name of a creek running close to their home in Wrightsville that they took as the name for their winery. A member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, the Kirkpatricks planted grapes at their present site in 1998. Today, they sell out of their winery and at a satellite site in West Chester, Pa. And it’s obvious from the sales that both draw their own distinct clienetele.

“We’re known for a couple of wines,” Carole said recently from their West Chester tasting room. “One is our ice wine. But it’s funny, our popular wines are different in both locations. Up here in West Chester our Cabernet Franc is the most popular, and then in West Grove it’s more the sweeter things. So like our rose, [called] Steuben; we even had a fruit wine for awhile, a red raspberry, that was popular. Our port is very popular.”

Why the difference? “I wish I knew,” she said. “We actually pride ourselves in having something for everyone so we have always had a range, from sweeter wines to dry wines. We’ve always had a variety and we want to keep the variety.”

Their list currently features 16 wines, including what they call a Kordeaux, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Carole said they have eight acres of grapes planted and sell about half of what they harvest. Her husband still works his day job; the winery and tasting room remain in the basement of their home. One of their plans for later this fall is to remodel that room, but not move anything out of there. “Actually, people like to see everything when they come down there,” she said.

Outside of that, the only other item on their “to do” list is tear out some of their Niagara grapes and plant Pinot Grgio or Sauvignon Blanc grapes. “We’ll have to talk to a couple people . . . and see what grows well in the area.”

Asked what advice she gives to people who ask about going into the business, she said, “don’t do it, don’t do it” before breaking into a laugh. “I actually do. People will come into the winery and the husband will look around and say, ’Oh, this will be good. This will be fun.’ I’m like, don’t do it.’

“It really consumes your every minute, but owning [any] business does.” Suggestions? “I would just say to research grapes that grow well in the area, and have your soil checked before you purchase the property; make sure it’s going to be conducive to good grape growing. And use the resources that are out there.”

At Mt. Felix, more to do than pace

Photo taken off the winery Web site, with a peek at the new label (far right).

Peter Ianello talked earlier this afternoon about the first grapes that he and his wife Mary planted back in 2005, just the beginning of the path that has led Mt. Felix Winery in Havre de Grace, Md., to the doorstep of opening for business. It’s a long process, he said, so contrary to the impatience that accompanies most endeavors in this country. Those folks couldn’t appreciate the satisfaction of “watching something develop.” He told the story of taking a picture of his 3-year-old son, one of the couple’s three children, when they started turning over the earth. “We were just talking about that a couple weeks ago, sitting with family, looking at the pictures. We’re saying, ‘wow, you’re 7 years old now.' "

He talked about the “five or six aspects of the project” that they are managing in these final couple of weeks before opening, everything from completing the patio that serve as the perch for wine tasters to absorb the expansive view that includes the Chesapeake Bay to getting the labels returned and placed on their models. It is, he said, like waiting through his wife’s pregnancy. "You’ve got that nine months of building toward [something], and then your life changes. Well,” continuing the metaphor, “the water’s definitely broken here and we’re experiencing contractions.”

Those labels will pay homage to one of the first masters of grapevines in this country, John Adlum, who was born in York, Pa., and long after the Revolutionary War settled in Havre de Grace and along with his brother Joseph began experimenting with domestic grape production. That eventually would make him a confidante and friend of presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the subject of growing grapes and making wine.

Once the winery opens, they expect to be selling seven wines -- three reds and four whites – including chambourcin, what will amount to being their signature product. But let’s not get ahead of things. Based on several e-mails from Peter, here’s some history on the mansion and the wines to get you acquainted with the place before, well, we hear that wail of the infant:

Mount Felix overlooks the confluence of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay. In 1840, these views so inspired the original builder he named the estate Mount Felix after the mountain in Greek Mythology where Gods would go to restore their spirits. The views are some of the most beautiful along the Eastern Seaboard. Mount Felix terroir is unique as the fertile soils are well drained as they were fractured from an ancient meteor.

Mount Felix Vineyard was established in 2005 while the boutique winery, and event center are just starting retail operations. Mount Felix is strategically located on the i95 corridor equidistant between Philadelphia and Washington DC. Mount Felix has impressive vistas that expand over 20 miles overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in growing Harford County, Maryland. Mount Felix offers unique blends from varietals grown on our estate as well our region. Mount Felix Vineyard: is a 3,000 vine high density planting of Chambourcin. The vineyard resides upon fertile well drained soils with southern exposed slopes facing the Chesapeake Bay. Chambourcin is a late-ripening grape that produces a highly rated red wine when the fruit fully matures. The large, moderately loose bunches set medium-sized blue berries. Wines from this grape are high in tannins.

The Villas at Mount Felix Manor: provide overnight accommodations in 2 separate wings of the mansion each with own kitchen.

Mount Felix is a venue for weddings, parties, dinners, and festivals.

Mount Felix Winery promotes the City of Havre de Grace's heritage. For example, the City was named by the great French General Lafayette. French wines of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions are not promoted based upon a particular varietal (Cabernet, Merlots, etc). Rather, the great wines of these regions come from great chateau's (or estates) of these regions. Specifically, the "Bordeaux branding style" promotes the "chateau", "estate" or "house" where the grapes are grown and/or vinified into wine. Mount Felix estate winery is a "destination" for those seeking to enjoy a premier wine-agri-tourist experience. Each Mt. Felix wine serves to tell a very local story of important local historical people, places, or events.

Adlum's First: Named in honor of John Adlum, the first author on the subject of creating wine from American rootstock, Adlum was a Havre de Grace resident and friend of Thomas Jefferson. This wine is a dry full bodied red produced from our estate's Chambourcin blend vinified like a Cabernet with bold cherry fruit and spicy oak characters.

Lafayette's Reserve: Named in honor of Marquis de Lafeyette, the French Revolutionary War general who exclaimed C'est Le Havre!" thereby giving our city its name "Havre de Grace" because of its beauty. This wine utilizes the estate's Chambourcin vinified to produce a dry medium-blend with a spice like a Pinot Noir but with cherry flavors complementing many dishes including pan-fried quail, venison, and cheeses.

O'Neill's Bravado: Named in honor of John O'Neill, a local famous war of 1812 hero that defended the city against the British. O'Neill is a sweet red wine with violet aromas, firm tannins and excellent blending qualities that will add enjoyment to lamb dishes, steaks and other flavorful foods.

Matilda's Devotion: Named in honor of John O'Neill's daughter, Matilda saved her father from the Brittish hang man's noose. This is a dry full-bodied white wine similar to chardonnay with crisp acids and pear and apple fruit flavors that go well with chicken, veggies and fresh baked bread.

C'est Le Havre: Named in honor of the city, a slightly sweet (off-dry) white wine with some spiciness, honey and mineral notes, rich tropical fruit that is best paired with grilled bratwurst, German dishes, oriental dishes and spicy foods.

Mitchell's Manor: Named in honor of the 19th century agriculturist and Mount Felix builder. More to come later.

Cornelia's Blush: Named in honor of Mount Felix resident and famed children's authoress of her time, Cornelia's Blush is a semi-sweet blush with and a crisp backbone to balance the sugar, making it perfect as an aperitif or after dinner sipper.

Luna di Miele: a honey mead. Mead is man's oldest fermented drink. Traditionally, the word "honeymoon" derives from drinking "honey wine" for one lunar cycle after wedlock.

Italy going to the boxed punch

I hadn't found the time the past few days to post this story from The New York Times about Italy's recent decision to permit some of its fine wines to be sold in boxes. The responses are as entertaining as the story is enlightening.

Call the Zafferano Va La's spice of life

There’s a long list of foods associated with the region of Abruzzo in central Italy, situated between the Adriatic Sea to the east and to just beyond the farthest reach of Rome (about 50 miles) at its closest point to the west. One of those is Zafferano, better known as the spice saffron. It’s the name that winemaker and owner Anthony Vietri and his family adopted for one of the wines at Va La in Avon Grove, Pa.

That will be one of the wines to be bottled at the Chester County winery in the next couple weeks. No surprise it won’t last long; the winery’s Web site says about 600 bottles are filled. As Vietri said recently, “It goes really quickly because we have a loyal client base on that particular wine. Usually we have a signup list for it and people come in and get it.”

Zafferano, he said, is 100 percent pinot grigio wrung out of what he admitted are low-yielding vines in his vineyard.

“I’ve gotten very close in the past to ripping out the pinot grigio because it’s very difficult to farm,” he said, “but I’ve just had to throw up my hands as far as what fruit consistently comes off those vines. I’ve just had to accept the fact that, you know, it really does well there despite what I think. So it has saved its skin, so to speak, and we’ve just learned to live with each other. We make this little batch of it every year and it’s an interesting wine. I think it’s quite different than most pinot grigios than you taste out there, and I really don’t know the style that we [should] call it. We call it pinot grigio because it doesn’t go in oak. However, it’s somewhere between the gris style and the grigio style.”

The juice is essentially cold fermented, then bottled and served. A sip, according to Va La’s Web site, yields some hints of butterscotch and crème brulee notes. I’ve not tried it yet, although there are elements of two whites I’ve certainly tasted: pinot grigeo and vihno verde.

“Ours is a bit bigger than most vihno verdes,” Vietri explained, “which you know are on the lean side purposely. That’s a good example of a wine that has good acidity for fatty foods; that’s the point of that wine, that’s a great example, as a matter of fact. Ours is actually more round and fat; higher alcohol; it’s even got a bit of structure to it. It’s gold in color. They’re very ripe grapes that come off that site.”

Celebrating a life and a gift

Wanted to make a final toast to my dear mother-in-law, who died last Saturday after a lengthy illness. No matter how bad she felt, she still requested her glass of wine and whatever dessert was on the menu that day; small pleasures that helped keep her spirits up. She was one of those who loved her white zin, a small part of the lovely tapestry that made up her life.

Except for the first year I drank wine, my tastes are almost entirely dry red. Still, much to my astonishment, I night-capped this August evening with a glass of Habersham Vineyards & Winery Southern Harvest Peach Treat. Can't believe how good that was; definitely laid more fruit on the palate than the shot of sweetness I expected. A number of wineries in this region make the peach wine, and if this is typical of the final product, I can understand why they sell out so quickly. Habersham is a north Georgia winery, a gift from my Daily News buddy Mike Kern, who picked up a bottle on the way back from the Masters this past spring. He returned the favor for my bringing him a bottle of Vin Santo dessert wine from Italy in February.

Finally, this blog obviously leans toward regional wines and wineries, but once in awhile I pick up one from the state store worth praising. Looking for a bargain red ($5.99) that would satisfy your needs for a meal or gift, pick up Little Odisseia Douro and open it right up. Just save me a few. I'm running back out later this week to grab some more to get me through to September.

At Strasburg, wines hits the rails

There are the traditional sites for wine tasting and then there’s the Strasburg Rail Road, where the light bulb went on in JoAnn O’Connell’s head more than a year ago and the result was an idea that should be seeing the light of day for many years to come.

A year after creating the Wine & Cheese Trains, O’Connell developed an intriguing concept that combines the 45-minute ride through the Lancaster County countryside with an education in the basics of wine tasting. It’s not the only place in the country this is being done – certainly the Napa Valley Wine Train and its 36-mile round trip through wine country in northern California has earned plenty of deserved publicity since it made its debut. But the Strasburg wine tasting has built its own momentum since the idea first left the station.

“I was just looking for something a little different,” O’Connell said. “I started out online just going through [various wineries that offer tastings]. There’s quite a few; like the Wine School of Philadelphia and actually called them, and they would come out too if we wanted them to. But I wanted to try and stay with a little bit of the local wines. And they were offering more like even imported wines for their tasting. But that might be something we’ll do later on.”

The cost is $50 per person and there is a limit of 30 seats for each of the wine tasting trains. Boarding begins at 6:30, with the train departing at 7. Since Strasburg Township is dry, they don’t begin serving the wines until the train starts moving. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get settled into your seat in the first-class car and start noshing on the cheese and fruits that are passed around on trays. Chaddsford was the presenting winery for the two trips held last year; not only offering five wines (a mix of red and white, dry and sweeter) but also the winemaker to direct the tasting and complimentary glasses to send home with everyone. Twin Brook Winery in the Gap, 10 or so miles west of Strasburg, did last month’s and will do the next one, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15. A few tickets remain for that; they can be purchased at the Strasburg Web site.

A fourth straight sellout could mean a few more of the tasting trains when 2009 rolls around.

“I would like to maybe consider doing it four times next year,” O’Connell said. “You don’t want to over due something like that. We found that out with the wine and cheese train. We added a Thursday and, what happened was, I think we really hurt ourselves because people didn’t feel like they had to hurry and get their tickets. I think you can kind of overdue a good thing, and this way, people feel like they are in a hurry to get their tickets as soon as they go on sale. So we cut back to Friday and Saturday.”

O’Connell said she has used the two wineries because “sometimes the same people come, so it makes it a little more interesting that way.” It sounds like she’ll continue switching, at least in part, next year.

Passengers on the wine tasting train are poured about an ounce of wine per variety and whatever background the winemaker cares to impart.

That’s in contrast to the Wine & Cheese Train, where you get a little more wine but none of the instruction. The cost is $30 per person and includes complimentary wine, cheese and crackers. Beer, mixed drinks, premium wines, nonalcoholic hot and cold beverages also are available for purchase. Again, tickets can be purchased at the Web site. With the limit on those rides capped at 44 people, O’Connell said they use two parlor cars for the trip.

Trains leave at 7 on Friday and Saturday nights through Aug. 30, then the schedule is cut back to Saturday night only through November. After a winter break, they resume in April.

O’Connell’s primary job is manager of the first-class cars on the landmark railroad. That includes managing The President’s Car, built in 1916 for the head of the Reading Railroad. It can be chartered during July and August.

Spreading the word for both wine trains hasn’t been a problem, O’Connell said. Area newspapers, for one, have written about them. And word of mouth has played as big a role in filling seats.

“All in all, it really has been a fun experience, she said. “I don’t have any trouble finding people to work it. Everybody kind of likes doing it. And, basically, a lot of people are repeats. They come and bring friends with them. As long as everybody keeps having a good time, we’ll be fine.”