Saturday, October 11, 2008
NY Wine director plugs Regional Wine Week
This item appeared among the entries in the New York Wine & Grape Foundation's weekly e-letter, which is written by longtime director Jim Trezise (whom I owe a debt of gratitude for his time on the phone a couple of weeks ago):
"New York Wine and Grape Foundation's REGIONAL WINE WEEK is a great new concept among many wine writers like Sandra Silfven of the Detroit News (who urged readers to visit Michigan and Ohio wineries) and Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post (Maryland and Virginia), along with many others who are encouraging consumers to discover the great wines right from their own backyard. Wine is now produced in all 50 states, and in most cases the industries are growing rapidly and increasing in quality.
A great example is North Carolina, where I judged this week, which still produces some wonderfully floral muscadine wines but also some other stunners like the Governor’s Cup winner (Cabernet Franc from Childress, where former Long Islander Mark Friszlowski is winemaker), a Riesling from Shelton, and a Nebbiolo Rosé from Iron Gate that amazingly had over 4% residual sugar but tasted dry because of the acid balance. Margo Metzger does a great job running the competition and the overall North Carolina program, and it’s inspiring to see the progress. Despite recent growth in consumption, the U.S. is still a long way from being a serious wine consuming country, so having good local products is vitally important to the industry’s future everywhere."
Friday, October 10, 2008
Birthday party all set at Crossing Vineyards
Since I'll be posting on Crossing Vineyards in a bit, figured I'd get tis up in case folks are looking for a destination this weekend.
Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa. has a lot to celebrate when it marks its fifth birthday tomorrow and Sunday with an open house, live music and a chance to win a private wine tasting for eight and a VIP tour.
The celebration, which will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. (live music 1-5 p.m.), both days at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road, will cap five years of achievement and growth for Crossing, which opened two new ventures this summer and, in the past year, expanded its summer concert series, added 18 medals to its trophy case, was listed in an international wine guide, featured in US Airways Magazine, and installed a solar energy system.
In June, Crossing opened a second retail location at the Marketplace at East Falls in Philadelphia and the following month launched “Crossing Vineyards Wine and Cheese Shop,” one of only six retail outlets selected for “Project Sunrise,” a $208 million, 300,000 square-foot gaming and entertainment complex at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Also this summer, the winery expanded its “Summer Under the Stars” outdoor concert series to 13 performances, adding newcomers like Opera New Jersey to old favorites which brought jazz, pop, classical music and Irish dance to the 200-year-old estate.
Awards in national and international wine competitions this past year brought Crossing’s five-year total to 68, including “Best of Class – Top Gold” in the 2006 Starwine International Wine Competition for its ’05 Chardonnay. The reputation of Crossing’s award-winning wines and its setting on 20 acres situated less than a mile from where Washington crossed the Delaware, earned the winery a spot on The Style Network’s popular destination wedding series “Married Away” and in US Airways Magazine’s September edition as a “must see” attraction in Bucks County. Tom Stevenson's 2008 Annual Wine Report, a well-respected international guide to the wines of the world, ranked Crossing Vineyards and Winery number five on its top 10 list of new, up-and-coming East Coast producers.
The decision of winery owners Tom and Christine Carroll and their son, Tom Jr. to “Go Green” marked another milestone in Crossing’s brief history. Wanting to protect the environment by reducing fossil fuel consumption, the family installed phase one of a state-of-the-art solar energy system and hopes eventually to use solar power to supply 100 percent of the vineyard’s energy needs.
Crossing continues to expand the offerings of its “Wine Institute,” which presents educational programs and workshops. In conjunction with a new series on “French Wine for Beginners,” the Carrolls in May hosted a private tour of The Rhône Valley and Provence. This fall, Philadelphia wine writer and blogger Collin Flatt joins the Wine Institute faculty, which includes Crossing’s French sommelier Eric Cavatore, and Marika Vida Arnold, sommelier at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.
For more, visit www.crossingvineyards.com or call 215.493.6500, ext. 19.
Regional Wine Week, Day 6: Pinnacle Ridge
Photos courtesy of winetrailtraveler.com
Before we forge ahead, let’s step back a moment. Regional Wine Week is an idea created by a couple of wine writers to acknowledge that winemaking exists in this country outside the West Coast and to bring exposure to a few of those great wines being produced.
I’m one of almost 20 writers and bloggers across the country who are producing original content this week. You can find the collection of stories at www.Drinklocalwine.com.
Meanwhile, the tack I’ve taken with my contribution is to focus on at least one winery from the five wine trails in Pennsylvania that I cover. I can do the ol’ kill two birds with one store by recognizing Pinnacle Ridge Winery outside Kutztown, about 95 minutes or so northwest of Philly and west of the Lehigh Valley. Its location makes it perfect to sit along two wine trails: the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. Indeed, the winery will be particularly busy these next two weekends because of its commitments to both wine trails. This weekend is an Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing event that the Berks County wineries have planned; next week is the Lehigh Valley trail’s Chambourcin Weekend.
Brad Knapp and wife Christy Allen run the show here. As documented at Wine Trail Traveler.com, who was kind enough to send me the photos that accompany this posting, Knapp “bought this land in 1990 and planted the vineyards in 1993. In 1995, he opened the winery to the public. He currently produces between nine and ten thousand gallons of wine (about 4,000) cases). Rather than increasing the quantity of wine, Brad wants to put his emphasis in the quality of his wine. Although Brad’s background is in chemistry, he approaches wine as an art. He believes that a winemakeer’s most important tool is his palette. His wife . . . designs the colorful, eye-catching wine labels.”
Knapp told me the other night that his winery is a cross between ‘doing what I want to do and doing what needs to be done. There’s certain things that I like to drink, wines that I enjoy . . . and they’re a passion and really a focal point. I’m also a person who has a business and has to run a business and I try to make every person who walks through our door happy. It’s just good business to do that..
“In my opinion,” he added, “where we are here in our location, you know, the reality is that we’re a destination but there are enough people that live in this area that we get all kinds of people who walk through this door who otherwise might not walk through a winery door in the middle of Washington state, for instance, or Oregon. Those wineries the people who go there make a real effort to go there. People that are touring in those areas are all about wine, where as in this are we’re more populated, so we get a pretty different demographic walking through our door, much broader. There’s a need to have wines on our portfolio that anybody who walks in off the street will find something they like. So we feel the need to have a wide range of products, but then there are those that are my passion, and those are very traditional in general.
Should you poke your head in, here are two wines you need to sample.
2005 BRUT ROSE
Winemaker’s notes: Double gold at 2008 Finger Lakes International, gold medal at 2008 PA Wine Association competition. This dry rose sparkling is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir via traditional Methode Champenoise. Shows beautiful bubbles and pink color; perfect with appetizers.
Brad Knapp: “I love sparkling wine, and it’s definitely one thing that sets us apart. This is kind of a prime example of business vs. what I want. I wish it was the only sparkling that I felt I need to make, frankly, but that’s not the way it works out. I don’t sell a lot of it, in reality. It’s gotten good critical reviews, does well in competition. It’s just a nice wine.”
2007 PINOT NOIR
Winemaker’s notes: This barrel-aged, dry red is soft and velvety and displays beautiful cherry fruit. We think Pinot Noir is one of the most fruit-friendly reds.
Brad Knapp: “We’re more attuned to Pinot Noir, getting behind it more. And, nationally, it’s getting there. You’re right, the movie [Sideways] certainly changed things for Pinot Noir. It increased the attention dramatically. We’ve been learning how to make it better and better. We’re getting to release our ’07 at the end of this month.”
Before we forge ahead, let’s step back a moment. Regional Wine Week is an idea created by a couple of wine writers to acknowledge that winemaking exists in this country outside the West Coast and to bring exposure to a few of those great wines being produced.
I’m one of almost 20 writers and bloggers across the country who are producing original content this week. You can find the collection of stories at www.Drinklocalwine.com.
Meanwhile, the tack I’ve taken with my contribution is to focus on at least one winery from the five wine trails in Pennsylvania that I cover. I can do the ol’ kill two birds with one store by recognizing Pinnacle Ridge Winery outside Kutztown, about 95 minutes or so northwest of Philly and west of the Lehigh Valley. Its location makes it perfect to sit along two wine trails: the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. Indeed, the winery will be particularly busy these next two weekends because of its commitments to both wine trails. This weekend is an Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing event that the Berks County wineries have planned; next week is the Lehigh Valley trail’s Chambourcin Weekend.
Brad Knapp and wife Christy Allen run the show here. As documented at Wine Trail Traveler.com, who was kind enough to send me the photos that accompany this posting, Knapp “bought this land in 1990 and planted the vineyards in 1993. In 1995, he opened the winery to the public. He currently produces between nine and ten thousand gallons of wine (about 4,000) cases). Rather than increasing the quantity of wine, Brad wants to put his emphasis in the quality of his wine. Although Brad’s background is in chemistry, he approaches wine as an art. He believes that a winemakeer’s most important tool is his palette. His wife . . . designs the colorful, eye-catching wine labels.”
Knapp told me the other night that his winery is a cross between ‘doing what I want to do and doing what needs to be done. There’s certain things that I like to drink, wines that I enjoy . . . and they’re a passion and really a focal point. I’m also a person who has a business and has to run a business and I try to make every person who walks through our door happy. It’s just good business to do that..
“In my opinion,” he added, “where we are here in our location, you know, the reality is that we’re a destination but there are enough people that live in this area that we get all kinds of people who walk through this door who otherwise might not walk through a winery door in the middle of Washington state, for instance, or Oregon. Those wineries the people who go there make a real effort to go there. People that are touring in those areas are all about wine, where as in this are we’re more populated, so we get a pretty different demographic walking through our door, much broader. There’s a need to have wines on our portfolio that anybody who walks in off the street will find something they like. So we feel the need to have a wide range of products, but then there are those that are my passion, and those are very traditional in general.
Should you poke your head in, here are two wines you need to sample.
2005 BRUT ROSE
Winemaker’s notes: Double gold at 2008 Finger Lakes International, gold medal at 2008 PA Wine Association competition. This dry rose sparkling is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir via traditional Methode Champenoise. Shows beautiful bubbles and pink color; perfect with appetizers.
Brad Knapp: “I love sparkling wine, and it’s definitely one thing that sets us apart. This is kind of a prime example of business vs. what I want. I wish it was the only sparkling that I felt I need to make, frankly, but that’s not the way it works out. I don’t sell a lot of it, in reality. It’s gotten good critical reviews, does well in competition. It’s just a nice wine.”
2007 PINOT NOIR
Winemaker’s notes: This barrel-aged, dry red is soft and velvety and displays beautiful cherry fruit. We think Pinot Noir is one of the most fruit-friendly reds.
Brad Knapp: “We’re more attuned to Pinot Noir, getting behind it more. And, nationally, it’s getting there. You’re right, the movie [Sideways] certainly changed things for Pinot Noir. It increased the attention dramatically. We’ve been learning how to make it better and better. We’re getting to release our ’07 at the end of this month.”
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Regional Wine Week, Day 4: Event Grapevine
Oct. 10-19
Just about any weekend from March into December you’ll find activities through the region connected with wine. So the Grapevine seemed a natural addition to this blog. The featured event listed on here actually is for next weekend, when Sugarloaf Mountain Winery in Maryland holds its second Grape Stomp. They are planning it over two days, Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 9th, from noon til 5.
There will be food, tours of the vineyard and winery, wine tastings and a grape-stomping contest. Part of the tour will include the new tasting room and garden patio. Admission for ages 21 and older is $10 and includes a wine glass and five tastings. Anyone under 21 will be admitted free.
The winery is seeking volunteers to assist at the event. For that, you will receive free admission and a complimentary bottle of Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard wine. What will be doing there? Mostly, pouring wine samples. Training is provided. Contact Kathy O'Donoghue at ksodonoghue@aol.com or 301.365.5044 or call the winery at 301.605.0130.
As for what else is on the docket the next couple of weeks, take a look:
PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES
Adams County Winery, Ortanna: Saturday, the 18th, home winemaking class with John, the vintner; 1 to 3 p.m., tuition is $25 and reservations are required. You’ll learn tricks of the trade and how to get the best product from a kit, http://www.adamscountywinery.com/
Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, Oct. 12 and 19, 2 to 5 p.m.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.bluemountainwine.com
Buckingham Valley Winery, Buckingham: Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Live music, Saturday, Oct. 11, 5 to 8 p.m., http://cardinalhollowwinery.com/
Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., Spiced Apple Sundays ($$), Oct. 11, 18 and 25, noon to 5 p.m., picnic on the grounds, music from 2 to 5 p.m., tours and tastings, fee is for hot mulled wine tastings, http://www.chaddsford.com
Clover Hill, Breinigsville: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.cloverhillwinery.com
Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery, Chester Springs: Open again, Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., http://www.clovermillfarm.com/
Country Creek Winery, Telford: Country Creek Winery in the Barn, Saturday, Oct. 18, 6 to 9 p.m., http://www.countrycreekwinery.com/
Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Fifth birthday party, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 6 p.m.; Harvest Celebration, Bucks County Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12; sixth class in Wine 101 series ($$), Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., food and wine pairing; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.; http://www.crossingvineyards.com
Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.hauserestate.com/
Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Octoberfest Tours of the Vineyard & Cellars, Sunday, Oct. 12, tractor and wagon tours depart at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.galenglen.com
Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music Friday (6 to 9 p.m.) and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; third annual Harvest/Bluegrass Festival Pig Roast and Grape Stomping ($$), Saturday, Oct. 11, 2 to 8 p.m., http://www.moondancerwinery.com
New Hope Winery, New Hope: Bucks County Wine Trail Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.peacevalleywinery.com
Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Harvest Festival ($$), Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., Saturday night concert, 5 to 9 p.m., Rory, http://www.paradocx.com
Peace Valley Winery, Chalfont: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.pinridge.com
Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.ROSEBANKWINERY.COM
Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.rushlandridge.com/
Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.SANDCASTLEWINERY.COM
Wycombe Vineyard & Winery, Furlong: Public picking, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, RSVP required, http://www.wycombevineyards.com/harvest.html, Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.wycombevineyards.com
Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville: Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.vynecrest.com
MARYLAND WINERIES
Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; hours: Wednesday - Friday: 1noon to 5 p.m., Saturday: 1noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.blackankle.com/
Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link
FESTIVALS
44th annual Apple Harvest, 10 miles northwest of Gettysburg at South Mountain Fairgrounds on Route 234 near Arendtsville, Pa., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, information at this link
Autumn Wine Festival, Pemberton Historical Park, Salisbury, Md., Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, 12:30 to 6 p.m., information at this link
$$ – Admission charge
Just about any weekend from March into December you’ll find activities through the region connected with wine. So the Grapevine seemed a natural addition to this blog. The featured event listed on here actually is for next weekend, when Sugarloaf Mountain Winery in Maryland holds its second Grape Stomp. They are planning it over two days, Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 9th, from noon til 5.
There will be food, tours of the vineyard and winery, wine tastings and a grape-stomping contest. Part of the tour will include the new tasting room and garden patio. Admission for ages 21 and older is $10 and includes a wine glass and five tastings. Anyone under 21 will be admitted free.
The winery is seeking volunteers to assist at the event. For that, you will receive free admission and a complimentary bottle of Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard wine. What will be doing there? Mostly, pouring wine samples. Training is provided. Contact Kathy O'Donoghue at ksodonoghue@aol.com or 301.365.5044 or call the winery at 301.605.0130.
As for what else is on the docket the next couple of weeks, take a look:
PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES
Adams County Winery, Ortanna: Saturday, the 18th, home winemaking class with John, the vintner; 1 to 3 p.m., tuition is $25 and reservations are required. You’ll learn tricks of the trade and how to get the best product from a kit, http://www.adamscountywinery.com/
Blue Mountain Vineyards, New Tripoli: Fall Foliage Tasting ($$), Sunday, Oct. 12 and 19, 2 to 5 p.m.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.bluemountainwine.com
Buckingham Valley Winery, Buckingham: Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Live music, Saturday, Oct. 11, 5 to 8 p.m., http://cardinalhollowwinery.com/
Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Reserve tastings ($$), Saturday, sittings at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., Spiced Apple Sundays ($$), Oct. 11, 18 and 25, noon to 5 p.m., picnic on the grounds, music from 2 to 5 p.m., tours and tastings, fee is for hot mulled wine tastings, http://www.chaddsford.com
Clover Hill, Breinigsville: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.cloverhillwinery.com
Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery, Chester Springs: Open again, Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., http://www.clovermillfarm.com/
Country Creek Winery, Telford: Country Creek Winery in the Barn, Saturday, Oct. 18, 6 to 9 p.m., http://www.countrycreekwinery.com/
Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Fifth birthday party, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 6 p.m.; Harvest Celebration, Bucks County Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12; sixth class in Wine 101 series ($$), Monday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., food and wine pairing; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.; http://www.crossingvineyards.com
Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.hauserestate.com/
Galen Glen Vineyard & Winery, Andreas: Octoberfest Tours of the Vineyard & Cellars, Sunday, Oct. 12, tractor and wagon tours depart at 1, 2, 3 and 4 pm.; Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.galenglen.com
Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music Friday (6 to 9 p.m.) and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; third annual Harvest/Bluegrass Festival Pig Roast and Grape Stomping ($$), Saturday, Oct. 11, 2 to 8 p.m., http://www.moondancerwinery.com
New Hope Winery, New Hope: Bucks County Wine Trail Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.peacevalleywinery.com
Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Harvest Festival ($$), Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., Saturday night concert, 5 to 9 p.m., Rory, http://www.paradocx.com
Peace Valley Winery, Chalfont: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.pawine.com/
Pinnacle Ridge, Kutztown: Artisan Cheese and Wine Pairing ($$), Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, noon to 5 p.m., Berks County Wine Trail wineries, Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, www.pinridge.com
Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.ROSEBANKWINERY.COM
Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, http://www.rushlandridge.com/
Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.SANDCASTLEWINERY.COM
Wycombe Vineyard & Winery, Furlong: Public picking, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, RSVP required, http://www.wycombevineyards.com/harvest.html, Bucks County Harvest Celebration, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, www.wycombevineyards.com
Vynecrest Winery, Breinigsville: Chambourcin Weekend on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, http://www.vynecrest.com
MARYLAND WINERIES
Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; hours: Wednesday - Friday: 1noon to 5 p.m., Saturday: 1noon to 6 p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., http://www.blackankle.com/
Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link
FESTIVALS
44th annual Apple Harvest, 10 miles northwest of Gettysburg at South Mountain Fairgrounds on Route 234 near Arendtsville, Pa., Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, information at this link
Autumn Wine Festival, Pemberton Historical Park, Salisbury, Md., Saturday, Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 19, 12:30 to 6 p.m., information at this link
$$ – Admission charge
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Regional Wine Week, Day 3: Vynecrest Winery
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The winery and the Landis family: John, Jan and Sam.
The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail spreads out over a big chunk of hilly terrain, fanning out north and west of Allentown and Bethlehem and northeast of Reading. All told, there are nine family-owned wineries that make up the trail, as a group largely sitting north of Route 78 and on either side of the Northeast Extension and Route 33.
It’s a trail that has made some significant noise the past five years, celebrating over the fact that a different member of the “trail family” (Cherry Valley, Clover Hill, Pinnacle Ridge, Galen Glen and Vynecrest) has won the Governor’s Cup for best wine in the state and then reveling in the official designation as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) earlier this year.
Among the southernmost wineries that make up the Lehigh Valley trail is Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, owned and operated by the Landis family. It’s always fun to read about how folks got into the business; John and Jan credit a job editing a book called “Homesteading” in 1972 for getting them thinking about making wine. A year later, they bought a five-acre farm. Since then, they’ve added 79 acres to the dimensions of the farm and had 16 of those planted with grapes. They produce 12,000 gallons annually, and are expecting that to increase to 20,000 gallons as they continue to add more stock to their vineyard. Son Sam has returned from a stint working for E&J Gallo in California to take over more of the business, and mom and dad have been active in both trail activities and the Pennsylvania Wine Association.
What isn’t new is how John feels after a full day of harvesting, “sore” as he described it by phone earlier tonight. But, after today, they’re seeing the end of the harvest in sight; he had no complaint about that. Hey, all that work today means one thing: He can squeeze out some time sitting in front of his TV and watching the Phillies play the Dodgers in Game 1 of the baseball playoffs tomorrow night.
While an outsider talks to various people connected with the wine trail and gets the feeling that there’s genuine harmony among the group, there’s no question differences exist. Vynecrest, for instance, is the only member of the trail and one of only two or three wineries in the state that produces Lemberger, a full-bodied dry red wine that’s far better known out in the Great Northwest. One other distinctive quality of Vynecrest is its Web site; each wine on the list ins numbers according to its sweetness (dry, semi-sweet, sweet).
So what else sets his winery apart? “I think I would say 2 things,” John said. “One is we are not afraid to experiment with new varieties of grapes. I made a quote in Vines & Wines which basically said the best grape has yet to be invented, and I believe that that’s true. What we know about genetics is going to make a difference in the future; there’s going to be new varieties. Traminette is one of the ones that I talked about. It’s only 20 years old, but it’s a fantastic grape, makes great wine, and we have another hybrid in our vineyard that we’re making our first wine this year from, and so far it’s fantastic.
“So I think, one thing that distinguishes us is that we’re not afraid to try new varieties. And the thing we focus on is getting the best grape for our location. Not on name, but best grape, best location. And I think the other thing is, I have very strong background in chemical engineering and I know about fermentation and I think we do a great job; we make 19 wines, we use 10 different yeasts and so I think the other thing that sets us apart is that we know what we’re doing in the wine cellar and we also use 90 percent of our own grapes. So we control the whole process, from March when we start pruning to August when we harvest; the grapes, fermentation, the whole process, is under our control, and I think that’s important to making a quality wines.”
As for two you should taste when you stop in.
2007 TRAMINETTE
Winemaker’s notes: Dry, Alsace-style Gewürztraminer varietal, this wine is flowery with a hint of spice. (750ml)
John Landis: “We do grow some of the name varieties -- Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Cabernet Franc -- a lot of the vinifera we do grow. But I do think, the Traminette, it’s about a 20-year-old grape. It’s a hybrid of Gewurztraminer and it makes a great white wine. We’re known for that; we’ve won awards all over the United States for that. {When we planted it] in 1991 it had a number and not a name. And we’ve learned when to pick it, what yeast to use, and so we’ve been experimenting with different yeasts. We try a little something different every year. It’s just a great grape. Got a great sugar-acid balance, it’s got no disease problems and it makes an outstanding wine.”
2007 CHARBOURCIN
Winemaker’s notes: The jewel of the Lehigh Valley, this grape has found a home in our climate. Hints of cherry and blackberry, its has soft velvety finish (750ml)
John Landis: “This one is very prominent in our AVA . . . because it grows very well here and makes an excellent wine. And it’s used in almost anything, from classic red table, to blush, to nouveau, to sparkling. It’s all over the map in terms of what oyu can do with that. Our tends to be … we don’t have a Merlot or something that I would call a light red, and [so] that’s our Chambourcin. It’s light red, it’s got a lot of fruit. It’s not a real heavy red, it’s medium tannin. Residual maybe point-4, point-5 percent, so it’s right in that middle category. You can almost have it with any kind of food. So that’s our focus, a Merlot kind of category.”
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Regional Wine Week, Day 2: Va La Vineyards
Perhaps this snippet of information taken off the site of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail says all you need to know about Anthony and Karen Vietri, who tend a small parcel of land in Avondale, Pa., oh, maybe a 10- to 15-minute drive west and then south from Chaddsford. This is the schedule posted for the recently completed Harvest Fest.
-- Actual tastings of beverages made from Avondale grapes and served in authentic glass containers
-- Live Jazz in the backyard with Mr. Glenn E. Williams, the pants‐less Trio, and special guest Mr. Miles Davis
-- Juicy grilled sandwiches by the one and only Fat Cat Bar B Q & his special animal friends
-- Art show in the Galleria featuring actual living artists Eileen Slifer (watercolors), and Ella Morris (watercolors, acrylic, oils, photography, corrective eye surgery )
-- Special nude interpretive dance salute to the 2008 Summer Olympics by the Olsen Twins – CANCELLED
-- Speaking in tongues, snake‐handling, raising of the dead, sting ray petting zoo, on-site pant alterations, etc.
All activities real and imagined are dependent on the stupid weather. Due to our frighteningly tiny size, parking may be limited or nonexistent; unfortunately that means no buses or ocean liners, but we can accommodate a limited number of groups of six or more before 1 PM by prior reservation.
You can find more comprehensive Web sites for wineries in eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, although you can count those on one hand. But what you won’t find is one that exhibits more of a sense of humor nor a sharper reflection of the personalities of the individuals involved in this family venture.
It’s land that dates back to 1928, when Anthony’s grandparents became the owners and, in addition to making wine that was placed on the kitchen table, set a farm in motion that produced cheese, mushrooms, vegetables, poultry, eggs and fruits. The name? That comes from a small village in Italy called Guisvalla, where Anthony’s family used to live. Translated, Va La means to “go there.”
Or, in the case of the couple, go back there after living in California and Italy. He and Karen became the owners in 1998 and began refurbishing the place; what they call the Home Vineyard was planted in 1999. They’ll never forget the date the winery’s floor was poured: 9/11/2001. Today you can taste wine with local cheese and mushrooms downstairs or wander up to the loft to admire the work of local artists.
Among the things that make Va La distinctive is the winery’s vocabulary. Cabernet and Chardonnay and pretty much any other traditional grape name aren’t spoken here. Instead, the wine family runs from Silk to Cedar to Fioretti to Seed.
“The [wine’s] names, it’s just, um, I don’t know where they come from,” Anthony said a couple months ago during a previous interview, then breaking out into a laugh. “They just come out of the sky.”
As distinctive as the names are grapes used: Sarbono, Sagrantino, Nebbiolo, Carmine and Corvina, to name a few. Those produce anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 cases a year, small compared to others in the region but a comfortable output for the lifestyle that Anthony and his family want.
“What we do is focus on trying to express just simply our lives on this piece of property,” he said yesterday. “That’s the way we look at the wines. That’s all we look to do, which is the reason behind our having wines that are unconventional blends or rare varieties mixed together or that sort of thing. That’s because we just kind of listen to what the grapes tell us here and we just do that and just go with it and just have faith in that and, you now, don’t ask questions and move on. That’s simply it.”
One wine definitely worth trying if you wander into the tasting room is La Prima Donna, which they have been making there since 2001.
Winemaker’s notes: The intent of La Prima Donna was to create a dry white wine of quality made from grapes grown in this region. Malvasia bianco, tocai fruiliano, viognier, pinot grigio, petit manseng, & others. 2,400 to 3,800 bottles are normally made available.
Anthony Vietri: “It is an aromatic white. It was inspired by the fact that I lived in a fishing village in Italy and I wanted to have a white wine that would go with fish. And that was where the idea came from; the grapes came out of what the vineyard pretty much said ‘this works here and this doesn’t.’ It whittled it down and that’s how we got there. We wanted to have a white wine that would be something completely original and something complex at the same time without any oak. It’s never had oak. We wanted it to be just the pure grapes you taste in there. A wine with good ability to age and we wanted this wine to go well with a variety of dishes, but starting with fish, and going into things like chicken and fowl, things like that, and cheeses that we have locally and mushrooms that we have locally, all those kind of things that I grew up on here. Just kind of wanted to go through that whole region of food and match to that the best we could. [It would be] something that would be the signature of just this 7 acres of ground here in Avondale.”
Prefer a red? Well, try Mahogany, which they first made in 2005 and recently released. The 2006 vintage is expected to be bottled in March 2009.
Winemaker’s notes: Our goal with Mahogany was to create a red wine of quality from grapes grown in this region. Barbera, petit verdot, carmineand other (Italian reds). Nine total barrels are produced. Available by sign up list. Pleasecontact us if you are interested.
Anthony Vietri: “We wanted to take this vineyard and if we could put it into one bottle and bring all the separate pieces together and layer them out and have this be an East Coast red that would have very good ability to age in the cellar, that would have good structure, and yet at the same time not be something that would be undrinkable in its youth. It would have good fruit and that sort of thing and be something unique to this spot also. That was important to us. And whatever those grapes turned out to be, that was not of any consequence to us. It was just what would work best for this vineyard.”
-- Art show in the Galleria featuring actual living artists Eileen Slifer (watercolors), and Ella Morris (watercolors, acrylic, oils, photography, corrective eye surgery )
-- Special nude interpretive dance salute to the 2008 Summer Olympics by the Olsen Twins – CANCELLED
-- Speaking in tongues, snake‐handling, raising of the dead, sting ray petting zoo, on-site pant alterations, etc.
All activities real and imagined are dependent on the stupid weather. Due to our frighteningly tiny size, parking may be limited or nonexistent; unfortunately that means no buses or ocean liners, but we can accommodate a limited number of groups of six or more before 1 PM by prior reservation.
You can find more comprehensive Web sites for wineries in eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, although you can count those on one hand. But what you won’t find is one that exhibits more of a sense of humor nor a sharper reflection of the personalities of the individuals involved in this family venture.
It’s land that dates back to 1928, when Anthony’s grandparents became the owners and, in addition to making wine that was placed on the kitchen table, set a farm in motion that produced cheese, mushrooms, vegetables, poultry, eggs and fruits. The name? That comes from a small village in Italy called Guisvalla, where Anthony’s family used to live. Translated, Va La means to “go there.”
Or, in the case of the couple, go back there after living in California and Italy. He and Karen became the owners in 1998 and began refurbishing the place; what they call the Home Vineyard was planted in 1999. They’ll never forget the date the winery’s floor was poured: 9/11/2001. Today you can taste wine with local cheese and mushrooms downstairs or wander up to the loft to admire the work of local artists.
Among the things that make Va La distinctive is the winery’s vocabulary. Cabernet and Chardonnay and pretty much any other traditional grape name aren’t spoken here. Instead, the wine family runs from Silk to Cedar to Fioretti to Seed.
“The [wine’s] names, it’s just, um, I don’t know where they come from,” Anthony said a couple months ago during a previous interview, then breaking out into a laugh. “They just come out of the sky.”
As distinctive as the names are grapes used: Sarbono, Sagrantino, Nebbiolo, Carmine and Corvina, to name a few. Those produce anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 cases a year, small compared to others in the region but a comfortable output for the lifestyle that Anthony and his family want.
“What we do is focus on trying to express just simply our lives on this piece of property,” he said yesterday. “That’s the way we look at the wines. That’s all we look to do, which is the reason behind our having wines that are unconventional blends or rare varieties mixed together or that sort of thing. That’s because we just kind of listen to what the grapes tell us here and we just do that and just go with it and just have faith in that and, you now, don’t ask questions and move on. That’s simply it.”
One wine definitely worth trying if you wander into the tasting room is La Prima Donna, which they have been making there since 2001.
Winemaker’s notes: The intent of La Prima Donna was to create a dry white wine of quality made from grapes grown in this region. Malvasia bianco, tocai fruiliano, viognier, pinot grigio, petit manseng, & others. 2,400 to 3,800 bottles are normally made available.
Anthony Vietri: “It is an aromatic white. It was inspired by the fact that I lived in a fishing village in Italy and I wanted to have a white wine that would go with fish. And that was where the idea came from; the grapes came out of what the vineyard pretty much said ‘this works here and this doesn’t.’ It whittled it down and that’s how we got there. We wanted to have a white wine that would be something completely original and something complex at the same time without any oak. It’s never had oak. We wanted it to be just the pure grapes you taste in there. A wine with good ability to age and we wanted this wine to go well with a variety of dishes, but starting with fish, and going into things like chicken and fowl, things like that, and cheeses that we have locally and mushrooms that we have locally, all those kind of things that I grew up on here. Just kind of wanted to go through that whole region of food and match to that the best we could. [It would be] something that would be the signature of just this 7 acres of ground here in Avondale.”
Prefer a red? Well, try Mahogany, which they first made in 2005 and recently released. The 2006 vintage is expected to be bottled in March 2009.
Winemaker’s notes: Our goal with Mahogany was to create a red wine of quality from grapes grown in this region. Barbera, petit verdot, carmineand other (Italian reds). Nine total barrels are produced. Available by sign up list. Pleasecontact us if you are interested.
Anthony Vietri: “We wanted to take this vineyard and if we could put it into one bottle and bring all the separate pieces together and layer them out and have this be an East Coast red that would have very good ability to age in the cellar, that would have good structure, and yet at the same time not be something that would be undrinkable in its youth. It would have good fruit and that sort of thing and be something unique to this spot also. That was important to us. And whatever those grapes turned out to be, that was not of any consequence to us. It was just what would work best for this vineyard.”
Monday, October 6, 2008
Regional Wine Week, Day 1: Chaddsford
Eric and Lee Miller, top right, and some scenes takes at Chaddsford during the just completed Brandywine Valley Wine Trail's Harvest Fest Celebration.
If there’s one recognizable winery outside Pennsylvania, chances are it’s Chaddsford. Located around 20 miles west of Philadelphia, it’s a member of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. That encompasses six working wineries and one that should have its doors open in the next month or two.
You’ll find them along the Route 1 corridor that runs west to east from the farm country of Chester County toward the western suburbs of Philly. It’s along that four-lane highway that Chaddsford Winery suddenly appears, a few miles west of the well-known Longwood Gardens. You can visit all of them in a weekend, if you’re really pushed. No more than 30 miles on the road will allow you to enter them all, and that number is probably on the high side.
When winemaking took root on this side of the state, in the shadow of the Philly skyline, the first seeds fell at Chaddsford. Co-owner Lee Miller said she remembers that there weren’t any nearby models to follow when they began making wine in 1982. “When we came here,” she said by phone on Friday, “we didn’t have any vineyards. Our goal was to develop winemaking in a region that really didn’t have any background or wasn’t known for anything. We’re talking 26 years ago in Pennsylvania, we were one of the first 10 [in the state]. I would say most of the wineries were up in the Erie region and they were doing Concord grapes. There was very little history of anybody really trying to try to do high quality vinifera.”
In that time she and husband Eric have won their share of awards, planted an estate vineyard a stone’s throw (OK, only if an NFL quarterback is doing the throwing) away, and developed an extraordinary Web site that provides as much personality as it does information. Take a few minutes and, if you do nothing else on there, check out the archived winemaker’s notes. Those offer a revealing peek at their thinking during this long journey.
As for two wines to introduce you to, there’s the 2006 Pinot Noir and the 2005 Due Rossi. They also sell a high-end Pinot, vintage 2005.
PINOT NOIR
Notes
Vintage: 2006
Size of Lot: 2655 cases
Components: 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chambourcin
from Southeastern Pennsylvania
Date Picked, Processed: September 11- October 19, 2006
Characteristics of Vintage: 2006 had a split personality.
On one hand the extremely dry spring caused very small
berries and chlorosis in vine leaves. On the other hand,
mid-season inundated us with ten days of rain that saturated
the ground 100%. During the early harvest, except in a
couple of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards, flavors
were diluted and picking was a long slow process. So we
decided to wait it out. Until the ground was dry, berries
tasted lush and ripe, and seeds went from green to brown.
We were paid off by an outstanding end-of-the-season
comeback that delivered Merlot, Cabernet Franc,
Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon we thought we
might have to die for.
Fermentation Temperature: 85° F peak, 68° F at finish
Residual Sugar: 0.4%
Total Acidity: 0.57
Alcohol: 13.8%
pH: 3.73
Finishing: In contact with toasted French oak chips in primary
fermentors and briefly during stainless tank storage.
Winemaker Notes: Light varietal nose showing brown sugar,
smoke, vanilla and a hint of cherry. A light delicate red.
Lee Miller: “Pinot Noir has just been incredibly good to us . . . . we are just absolutely delighted with it. It just has been kind of universally accepted across the board. People react to it, because even as a young wine it’s just got a big, lush fullness to it for a delicate wine. We just love the flavor, the softness.” Calling it accessible and user-friendly, she said that “a lot of time people think when they get into wines they have to drink Cabernet and some of the bigger wines; they just think that’s what they should drink, and when you then kind of take that next step and start exploring you find out that all wines don’t have to be big and tough and hard and flavorful as Cabernet. You can have these lighter, more delicate wines, but they can still be rich.”
DUE ROSSI
Notes
Vintage: 2005
Size of Lot: 688 cases
Components: 63% Barbera from the Miller Estate Vineyard
and Flowing Springs and 37% Sangiovese from Rohrer.
Date Picked, Processed: October 6-October 19, 2005
Characteristics of Vintage: Simply put, the 2005 season
was superb. We started the spring with a modest crop and
very invigorated vines, then things got dry and we had to
watch the vines suffer a bit. But as leaves began to wilt all
the energy went into the fruit. In the final month we had
perfect warm sunny days and cool dry nights (which
allowed for extended hang-time), translating into intense
flavors - something we have not seen for a couple of years.
I am very very excited about the 2005s!
Fermentation Temperature: 85° F, and finish at 68° F
Residual Sugar: 0.060%
Total Acidity: .62
Alcohol: 14.1%
pH: 3.53
Finishing: 10 months in French Oak, 100 malolactic
fermentation.
Winemaker Notes: In the nose there is slight smoke, violets,
blackberry, licorice and some red candy. This medium-full body
wine is laden with uncountable flavors and just bursts in the
mouth with sweet vanillans, a big bouquet of flowers, ripe
jammy fruit and licorice.
Lee Miller: She calls it their Italian blend, a mix of Barbera and Sangiovese. “They are the other grapes; Eric’s just in love with them right now. He has said that he thinks that [2005] wine is the best he has ever made. We’ve made interesting Cabernets and Merlots, and we like them, but there’s a lot out there . . . but the Due Rossi is so unique. There’s nothing quite like it, because people don’t typically blend those two grapes and nobody’s ever had them from this region. It’s really unique; it’s a powerhouse. People love it, fruity flavors, but not as over the top as a Zinfandel, not that kick-ass kind of high alcohol.”
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