Maryland wineries await fate of proposed law

The Web site for the Maryland Wine Association identifies the wineries, lists events, contains feature stories on the state’s winery proprietors and winemakers, and has one other important component. It updates readers on any upcoming legislation that will affect the industry in Maryland, and does it with a clarity and perspective that is important for issues that often can be complex.

One of those issues will be debated beginning Feb. 18, when the Maryland Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee will hear what’s being referred to as the shipping bill.

According to the Web site, this legislation submitted in the 2009 session is based on the model wine shipping language adopted by the National Conference of State Legislatures' Task Force, which is supported by the Wine Institute, WineAmerica and citizen groups Free The Grapes and Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws.

It would create a direct shipper's license which a winery or retailer can obtain for $100. This license allows the licensee (winery or retailer) to ship up to two cases of wine per month to a Maryland consumer. The licensee must label the box with the phrase “CONTAINS ALCOHOL; SIGNATURE OF PERSON AT LEAST AGE 21 YEARS OLD REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY” and pay sales and excise tax to the state annually.

This is a bill that the association supports but isn’t sponsoring, apparently an important distinction that gives it a chance to pass. Instead, it is being sponsored by a consumer group. The primary opponent to bills like these is called the Maryland State License Beverage Association, which is headquartered in Westminster and, among other roles, initiates and supports laws that preserve and protect the rights of responsible alcohol beverage retailers to operate legitimate and lawful businesses. As one person connected with a Maryland wineries said earlier today, “if it were a winery bill it would be defeated by the MSLBA. They’re extremely strong. We’ve had one significant victory over them and that’s the distribution bill of three years ago. If we put our stamp on it, MSLBA is sure to kill it. So from a strategic point of view we are not taking a formal position.”

Al Copp and several partners founded Woodhall Wine Cellars in Parkton, Md., in 1983 and has been active in supporting this measure and others that have come through the state legislature over the past several decades. This one, he said, will benefit his winery and others by allowing them to ship directly to consumer rather than through a system where the wine would have to be picked up by the customers at a retail outlet. “To [the MSLBA], this [bill] cuts out the middle man, and actually, it does.”

While Kevin Atticks, the executive director for the winery association, wasn’t available for comment, his views and those of wineries around the state were spelled out clearly on the Web site. In says, in part, the “the ability to ship wine to a consumer is one of many methods provided by law in other states to encourage the growth and prosperity of small wineries by giving them an affordable way to reach new markets The Maryland wineries support our state adopting those methods, including the authority proposed by the model shipping bill.
In 2004, the Governor’s Wine & Grape Advisory Committee studied the growth of wine industries in neighboring states, and issued its report, “Maryland Wine: The Next Vintage.” The report contained 52 recommendations for creating a favorable winery business environment in Maryland. The shipping legislation implements recommendation #23 of that report, which reads:

“RECOMMENDATION 23: Enable wineries to ship wine directly to consumers within the State and remove the obstacles to Maryland becoming a reciprocal state, which would allow Maryland wineries to ship to out-of-state customers.’”

In case you were curious, Pennsylvania wineries currently are permitted to ship to customers who reside within the state. Many of the same stipulations, including a signature by someone at least 21 years of age when the package is received, match what’s proposed in this bill. Wineries also have to use a specific carrier, such as UPS, rather than the Postal Service. This remains intact thanks to an injunction filed several years ago by the state’s wineries preventing the Liquor Control Board from forcing them to deliver through the state store system.

Blue Mountain additions pleasing to the eye

Vickie Greff paused in the middle of the conversation. “Now where am I?” she asked out loud. “I was so busy talking to you I went right past my turn.”

Greff, co-owner with husband Joe of Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars in New Tripoli, Pa., finally found an alternate route and doubled back to her destination – their shop at Reading Terminal Market in Philly – the other day and took care of business.

But en route we volleyed a few topics back and forth, starting with the two shops that the winery has opened in Giant Food stores in South Hanover Township, in Hummelstown, and in the Philly suburb of Willow Grove. Both have been opened a couple of months and Greff said that she has been gratified by the feedback, the repeat business and the compliments.

“Our stores came out absolutely gorgeous,” she said. “People are just absolutely amazed at the kind of caliber of store we’ve put in. I used all Tuscan themea; I’m don’t know if you were ever in our Reading Terminal store, but it’s kind of our look. It’s kind of a terra cotta color with a lot of earth tones in it and very dark mahogany type cabinetry, and it’s all new, so the bar is absolutely beautiful. You walk in and you feel like you’re in a bar, not a wine shop. Yet the wine is all wrapped on the racks. It came out gorgeous, it really did.”

Enter any of Blue Mountain’s satellite’s shop and you’ll find many of the same color schemes; in fact, Greff said she’s planning at some point this year to do a face-lifting at the winery to capture the look of the other shops. “All of my stores have that look, that continuity,” she said.

At this point there are two regional wineries that have worked with Giant to open these shops. Carl Helrich, with Allegro Vineyards in the Brogue, Pa., was the first one to open a shop in a Giant, putting one in the Enola store late last fall. He said business has been brisk, and that it has been distinguished by how much dry red wine he was selling, at least compared to how much leaves his winery in southern York County. Greff said the Willow Grove shop has sold a lot of dry reds but, overall, no more so than at the winery. “As far as the winery, we sell a lot of dry reds,” she said. “We stress that. We’ve developed our business on that, on dry reds. Do we sell sweet wines? Absolutely. Do we sell tons of Victoria’s Passion? Absolutely. I do think we sell a ton of dry reds in Willow Grove, but we also sell a lot of dry reds at our Reading Terminal stores and also at our winery. Definitely, we sell a lot of dry reds at our winery. But is that our most popular? No. We still sell a lot of blush, a lot of Victoria’s Passion, a lot of Sangria. We just came out with our Sangria again. Things like that, we sell tons of. Those are our biggest sellers.”

Any of their wines is fair game for something that Giant sells. Greff said she recently made a braised beef dish at one of their shops and paired it with their Chambourcin, then provided customers with the ingredients that they could purchase in the grocery store. “The store loves it,” she said. “I’m planning on doing something with the bakery for Valentine’s Day. You want to show Giant that you are promoting their business as well as your own. It’s not all one way or one-sided. That’s what they’re seeing . . . I’m trying to do things and help us both have a partnership, and that’s how I approach it, to have a partnership.”

On some other fronts:

* A timetable for those renovations at her winery? “I don’t know,” she said. “I had hoped to get it done in time for March Madness, but I don’t think it’s going to happen now.”
* Valentine’s weekend celebration at the winery? “We always get a very good turnout for our music on Valentine’s Day weekend. And we doing brownies with raspberry topping and we have a dollar off on our Victoria’s Passion for the whole month of February, and that goes with the chocolate.” Music at the winery is every Sunday afternoon, from 2 to 5 p.m.
* Greff is president of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail, which is made up of nine wineries. Planning to add any new ones? “We haven’t yet. There are some people who have their feelers out asking us, but we haven’t decided to do it.”

E-letters, Web sites, vary in style, substance

Perhaps nothing shows the wide disparity in how serious regional wineries take communication than their Web sites and e-letters.

It could take hours just reading through all the info contained on the Chaddsford and BlackAnkle Web site, and few organize their events page as well as CrossingVineyards. Several, such as Terrapin Station, have an altruistic endeavor as part of their mission statement and include a link to that. Perhaps none are more fun than Va La, as distinctive for its humor as it is for the information it carries. Some recently have freshened up their sites, such as Paradocx and the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's Big Creek Vineyards in Kresgeville.

On the other end of the scale, a few wineries don't have active Web sites right now. Some haven't updated the news or events on their site in months or, in a couple case, more than a year. This difference also extends to the vigor they put into their communication, and it runs the gamut from returning calls or e-mails within 24 hours to some that have never responded. Ever. Even to questions about their wines or winery, and they exist on every trail in every part of eastern and central Pennsylvania and Maryland. It just seems that the way it is. Head-scratching, to say the least, for businesses that are in the public eye.

All of this prefaces the bevy of e-letters that landed in my mailbox in the past 24 hours, each one unique and carrying bits of news. Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, Pa., puts out a one-page sheet that lists upcoming events (see Thursday's Event Grapevine for what's on their schedule), a little news from the vineyard ("Pruning continues in the Riesling. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon are the last ones to be done. If anyone would like to have the cuttings for their private vineyard, please contact the winery.") and a few impressions of the latest vintage ("2008 young wines are performing beyond our expectations. Last bottling of Pinot Noir 2005 has been done and any lovers of this vintage should know there are only 200 cases in stock.")

Joanne Levengood at Manatawny Creek includes news on their February sale ("our 2006 Cabernet Franc Port at 10% off."), their holiday hours ("We will be open on Monday, 2/16 from 10-6 for the President’s Day holiday.") and a wine update ("The Blue Bear Ease will hopefully be back on the list in a few weeks. I will send out another email to announce its release.") After filling in readers on next weekend's Berks County Wine Trail's wine and chocolate festival, she finishes with a segment that answers a question. And it's far from a one-sentence answer. The question? What exactly is Port?

"Port is a sweet, fortified wine that is typically served after a meal. The process to make port differs from the typical winemaking process for table wines in that the fermentation is stopped about halfway by the addition of grape neutral spirits. This results in a wine with an alcohol content between 18% and 20% with a lot of the natural sweetness from the grape remaining. Port originated in Portugal’s Douro Valley and the name comes from the fact that historically, these wines were shipped out of the city of Oporto.

"There are three basic categories of port made with red grapes – vintage, ruby and tawny (white port is made with white grapes but is much less common). Vintage ports, the expensive type, are made from grapes of a single vintage and are typically bottled with only a little more than a year of aging in barrel. They are only made in declared years in Portugal and the consumer is expected to do most of the aging since Vintage port gets better with age and often needs many years to become drinkable. Ruby port can be made from grapes of different vintages and is aged for about 2 years before release. It is typically ready to drink when released and is simpler and less expensive than Vintage port. Tawny ports are made from grapes of different vintages and aged in barrels to purposely undergo slow oxidation; this turns the color of the red wine to a tawny color and gives it a unique character. The label of a Tawny port will often show the average number of years of aging - typically 10, 20, 30 or over 40 years.

"The grape varieties used in port in Portugal are numerous and varied and do not include anything that we grow in Pennsylvania. At Manatawny Creek, we make our port from Cabernet Franc, one of the red varieties that grows very well in our area. We produce it in the vintage port style, using grapes from a single vintage and bottling the wine after 1 year of aging in neutral oak. Our port definitely benefits from several years of aging and, just like true Portuguese Port, is the ideal beverage to pair with chocolate!"

Carol and Jim Kirkpatrick at the Brandywine Valley trail's Kreutz Creek Winery adds some folksiness to their e-letter with several photos of their 7-year-old dog, Fetzer, plus a schedule of their entertainment schedule at their West Chester tasting room, and their own winermarker's notes.

"Winter is the time for pruning, yes even during these frigid temperatures we're outside prunning. We're about 60% completed so we're right on schedule. If you're feeling crafty and want some of the prunnings, let me know soon and I'll save some. They make beautiful wreaths and the price is right...free! Last week I pumped over the 2007 Kordeaux and WOW!!!!, it was fabulous. Needless to say, I'm very excited about it and hope to bottle it in 2 weeks. It should be ready for Barrels on the Brandywine in March where we'll be doing the popular vertical Kordeaux tasting. This year it's 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Kordeaux. I think this is the best yet and I hope you agree!!! The 2008's are coming along nicely. We really had a great season and I can't wait to get some of these wines in the bottle. Stay tuned for more information next month! See you in the tasting room!"

Pinnacle/Jeffries pairing draws Sunday crowd

One regional restaurant that includes local wineries as part of its Buy Fresh, Buy Local theme is John J. Jeffries, located in the Lancaster Arts Hotel. So the recent wine and food pairing held in conjunction with winemaker Brad Knapp and Pinnacle Ridge Winery was not an aberration; they hold these generally once a month (on the last Sunday of the month) with regional wineries and breweries from the spring into the late fall. The winemaker or brewmaster, as you'd figure, is an integral part of the program.

Bartender Michael Grove said by phone yesterday that around 40 people attended the Sunday evening, Jan. 25, event at the restaurant. There was a one-hour Happy Hour, then guests headed to their tables for a four-course wine and food pairing that included Knapp’s commentary. In all, the combo cost only $52 per person, including tax and gratuity.

“It probably lasted about two hours,” Grove said. “The food was paired up very well with the wine, and the wine went very well with the food obviously. And a few people hung around at the bar later on and they were talking about it. And from what I heard they enjoyed it.”

The restaurant is named for a local tobacco inspector of the late 19th century. It seats approximately 60 in its main dining area and smoke-free bar. Dinners only are served there, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Sundays. Half-price local beer, wine by the glass, and Organic Martinis are offered daily from 4 to 6 p.m.

The next one will be the last Sunday in March, the 25th, and will features foods paired with Swashbuckler beer. Troegs, Victory and Stoudts are other beers that have been featured in that all-expenses-included pairing. Generally, the restaurant rotates between featuring a beer and a wine, and also includes some or all of those products on their regular beer and wine list. Grove said that Chaddsford Winery has joined Pinnacle Ridge not only on those Sunday night events, but also as regular “house” wines.

“We always have at least one by the glass of both red and white,” he said, "and normally more than that. Right now we’re carrying a Chambourcin from Pinnacle, a Chardonnary from Pinnacle and a Pinot Grigio from Chaddsford.” They also carry Manatawny Creek's honey wine and a late harvest Vidal Blanc from Pinnacle.

That they drew 40 people is a testament to the power of the Buy Local network, which sends out e-mail blasts promoting this and other events around the region. Grove said the restaurant also will place a slip of paper into the folder containing the check advertising the next wine/beer and food pairing.

Told it’s refreshing to see a local restaurant carry local wines, Grove said a lot of it is a matter of realizing just what's out there.

“I think mainly because people don't know there are very drinkable local wines out there,” he said, “and, you know, it's just a perception of local wines that they have. Before I worked here, I sort of had the same philosophy on local wines. But I've actually had a chance to try quite a few of them now since I've ccme here and am definitely impressed with them.”

The Event Grapevine: Feb. 6-8

Glenda and Alex Torres of Princeton, N.J. enjoy a glass of wine at Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa., which is offering two Valentine’s Day dinners, a wine and chocolate-pairing course for couples and 'Champagne For Lovers.'

Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa. is offering some alternatives to the standard Valentine’s Day celebration: two opportunities for a five-course, candlelit dinner at the winery; a class on the world’s most romantic wine – champagne (how does it get those bubbles?) – and a wine and chocolate-pairing course for lovers.

“Champagne For Lovers” will be presented Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the winery, 1853 Wrightstown Road. Crossing’s French sommelier, Eric Cavatore, will explain the "methode champenoise" - or how champagne gets its bubbles - in an exploration of wines from the Champagne region of France. Attendees will learn what champagne is, from which grapes it comes, and how, exactly, it’s made. They’ll also sample the bubbly and some companion desserts. Cost is $45 per person.

A lavish, five-course gourmet dinner will be offered on both Feb. 13 and 14, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Guests will be treated to a glass of champagne and a bottle of wine per couple.
Dinner will feature an amuse bouche of Foie Gras on Petit Toast with Wild Berry Reduction Drizzle, paired with Crossing’s Blanc de Blancs (NV); entrée - French Onion Soup with Parmesan Tuiles; plat du jour - Filet Mignon with Truffled Mushroom Ragout,
Rosemary Whipped Potatoes with Au Jus Gravy and Roasted Asparagus; cheese course -
Assorted Cheese with Dried Fruit and Walnuts; dessert - Chocolate Pots de Crème, served with coffee or tea. The plat du jour may be substituted with advanced notice.

Cost of the evening is $100 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Crossing is teaming up with Lindt Chocolate of Princeton, N.J. at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 for “Wine and Chocolate For Lovers,” a Valentine’s version of the winery’s wine and chocolate-pairing workshop.

Discussing the finer points of making premium chocolate and wine, and what creates the variety of flavors of both, will be Cavatore and Stacey Glynn-Brady, a confectionary aficionado and Lindt’s store manager.

Guests will sample Crossing’s award-winning wines, assorted chocolates, and will take home a Lindt chocolate bar of their choice.

Cost of the workshop is $35 per person and includes learning materials.

Reservations for the candlelit dinner, “Champagne For Lovers” or “Wine and Chocolate For Lovers” may be made by calling the winery at 215.493.6500, ext. 19 or on-line at www.crossingvineyards.com.

As for what’s going on elsewhere, both this weekend and beyond, take a look:

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Wine appreciation class ($$), Saturday, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Cooking With Wine Class ($$), Friday, Feb. 13, 6 to 8:30 p.m., at Gettysburg Wine Shop location, reservations required at 717.334.4631; wine and chocolate pairing, Saturday, Feb. 14, at Gettysburg Wine Shop, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; home wine-making ($$), Sunday, Feb. 22, 1 to 3 p.m., link to winery

Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars, New Tripoli: Sunday Blues Wine Tastings, music every Sunday ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., through April, link to winery

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Wine and Chocolate Reserve Tastings ($$), every weekend in February, sitting at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), every weekend in March at any of the members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail; reserve tastings ($$) begin in March, 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. every Saturday; winemaker dinner ($$) at Caffe Gelato, Newark, Del., Sunday, March 22, 6 p.m., link to winery

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Wine and Chocolate Weekend, Feb. 14-15, a Berks County Wine Trail event; beginner tasting class ($$), Saturday, Feb. 21, 3 p.m., annual wine rack sale ($$), all Clover Hill location, Feb. 19 through March 8; March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event, link to winery

Country Creek Winery, Telford: Wine and Chocolate Tasting, Friday, 6 p.m., Harleysville Books, 672 Main St., reservations requested, link to winery

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, 2 p.m.; Champagne for Lovers ($$), Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m.; candlelit Valentine’s dinners ($$), Friday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 14, both start at 7:30 p.m.; Wine & Chocolate for Lovers ($$), Sunday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Singles ($$), Friday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., link to winery

Galen Glen Winery, Andreas: St. Valentine’s Day Weekend, Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 15, noon to 5 p.m.; President Day Weekend, Feb. 21-22, pizza and wine pairing, link to winery

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: New winery open, Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; Candle Light Friday/Happy Hour, the last Friday of every month, 5 to 8 p.m.; satellite shop opened at 17 Lincoln Square, Gettysburg; Valentine’s Day at Hauser Estate, Saturday, Feb. 14, 5 to 8 p.m., warm food and live music, link to winery

Kreutz Creek Vineyards, West Grove: Music at West Chester tasting room, 44 E. Gay St., Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; Valentine’s Day Celebration, Feb. 14-15; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), every weekend in March at any of the members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, link to winery

Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglasville: Chocolate & Wine Weekend, Feb. 14-15, a Berks County Wine Trail event; hours have changed to Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m., link to winery

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music every Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (2 to 5 p.m.); will close Fridays at 5 p.m. at least through February; vineyard hike and mulled wine ($$), Saturday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., link to winery

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: Lovers Weekend Dinner White Wine Tasting ($$), Saturday, Feb. 14, 3 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 15, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Valentine’s Day at the Vineyard, Saturday, Feb. 14; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), every weekend in March at any of the members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, link to winery

Penns Woods Winery, Eddystone: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), every weekend in March at any of the members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, link to winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: Chocolate & Wine Weekend, weekend of Feb. 14-15, a Berks County Wine Trail event; March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event, Saturday, the 14th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, the 15th, noon to 5 p.m., will be pairing Chocolate Sacher Torte, a famous Viennese desert served in many a cozy café in Austria and throughout Europe, with the winery’s 2007 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, link to winery

Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Winter Wine Concert Series, Sundays through March 8, 1 to 4 p.m., at Shady Brook Farm, link to winery

Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Closed January and February; will reopen March 5, link to winery

Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: 9 Days of Valentine’s, Saturday, Feb. 7, through Sunday, Feb. 15; Sweetheart Festival, Saturday, Feb. 14; grourmet wine dinner at Villa Capri Ristorante, Doylestown, featuring Sand Castle Johannisberg Dry Riesling, link to winery

Tamanend Winery, Lancaster: New winery open, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m., classically styled premium wines in their bottled wine group, and premium sweeter styled wines in their Bag in Box group of wines, link to winery

Twin Brook Winery, Gap: Meet the Artist wine and cheese reception, Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m., Karen O’Lone-Hahn; Valentine’s Concert in the Vineyard ($$), Saturday Feb. 14; Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Weekend, Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 15, noon to 5 p.m.; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), every weekend in March at any of the members of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, link to winery

Va La Vineyards, Avondale: New holiday hours starting Dec. 1, weekdays, 12:01 to 5:27 p.m., Saturday and Sundays, 12:02 to 5:48 p.m., link to winery

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Valentine’s Day weekend event, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14-15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Mardi Grad Saturday, Feb. 28, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.; March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event, link to winery


MARYLAND WINERIES

Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: Open for business, winner of Maryland Governor’s Cup in 2008; winter hours start Dec. 1, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., other times by appointment; wine and chocolate flight ($$), Saturday, Feb. 14, five wines and five matching chocolates, advance reservations recommended by calling Sarah at 240.464.3280 or e-mailing Tracy at the winery, link to winery

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: Fond of You Fondue ($$), Saturdays in February, 1 to 5 p.m.; Stew in Our Juices ($$), homemade stews and wine pairing, with musical entertainment, every Sunday in March, 1 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Happy Hour, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every weekday, glasses are half-price; Frederick’s Fire in Ice celebration, Saturday, Bo Weevil to play from 6:30 to 9 p.m.; Valentine’s Day dinner ($$), Saturday, Feb. 14, reservations required at 301.668.0311; President’s Day sale, 25 percent off some wines, Feb. 14-17; Mardi Grad party, Saturday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.; music in the Cellar, Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m., link to winery

Fridays Creek Winery, Owings: Winemaker’s Dinner ($$), Saturday, Feb. 14, reservations only, link to winery

Linganore Winecellars at Berrywine Plantations, Mt. Airy: Cask to Kisses ($$), wine and chocolates pairing, every day in February; Southern Rock performer Dean Crawford concert ($$), Saturday, Feb. 22, 1 to 4 p.m., all natural soups from Chesapeake Gourmet available for sale, link to winery

Sugarloaf Mountain, Dickerson: White wine sensory training seminar ($$), Saturday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m., reservations required at 301.605.0130; Forget Your Troubles party, Friday, Feb. 13; Valentine’s Day couple package ($$), wine and food sampler; Saturday, Feb. 14; President’s Day sale on Merlot, Feb. 15-16; Valentine’s/Presidents Day, Feb. 13-16, chocolate and wine pairing; barrel tasting ($$/nonmembers), Saturday, Feb. 21, 1 p.m.; red wine sensory tasting seminar ($$), Saturday, March 7, 1 p.m.; soup will be served in the tasting room on Saturdays and Sundays throughout February; Friday Flights ($$) is every Friday from 2 to 4 p.m., which consist of 3 half glasses of SMV wine, each paired with an appropriate cheese, fruit or chocolate, reservations at 301.605.0130, link to winery

Woodhall Wine Cellars, Parkton: Annual barrel sale, futures sale and chocolate tasting ($$), beginning Feb. 14 and extending on weekends through March 29, 2 to 4 p.m., call 410.357.8644 or send an e-mail to reserve your spots; Patricia Della Casual Fine Dining will be serving lunch and dinner from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. each weekend by reservation (410.357.5078), link to winery

Other MARYLAND winery events can be found at this link, VIRGINIA events at this link and New York events at this link

PASSPORT WEEKENDS

Tour de Tanks, starting Feb. 28 and continuing every weekend in March, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, cost is $15 per person, pick up tickets at any participating winery or order online here, wineries include Adams County, Allegro, Cullari, Four Springs, Fox Ridge, Hauser Estate, Moondancer, Naylor, Nissley, Reid’s Orchard, Seven Valleys and West Hanover; information on Meet the Winemaker dinners here.

Barrels on the Brandywine, starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March, noon to 5 p.m., cost is $25 per person, pick up tickets at any participating winery or order online here, wineries include Black Walnut, Chaddsford, Kreutz Creek, Paradocx, Penns Woods, Stargazers and Twin Brook.

FESTIVALS

Washington D.C. International Wine and Food Festival ($$$), 10th annual, Feb. 14-15, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, click here for information

$$ – Admission charge

City winery warms to Frederick's Fire in Ice

This is the time of the year when many of the regional wineries jump headfirst into their calendar of events. That includes Frederick (Md.) Cellars, where the city will hold its annual Fire in Ice celebration this weekend as part of its First Saturday program. There will be ice sculptures located throughout downtown, an ice carving demonstration, an ice playground, marshmallow roasting stations, and free hot cocoa. The event itself will take place from 5 to 9 p.m., although the winery will open at noon that day. Bo Weevil will play in the Cellar from 6:30 to 9.

As part of President's Weekend, the winery will honor former prez Thomas Jefferson, an avid wine drinker. Flights and glasses of Frederick's vintage Cabernets and Merlot will be offered in the tasting room, and 25 percent discounts on several wines will be available in the wine shop. The event will give visitors a rare chance to taste the vintage wines; well, at least without having to buy a bottle or two.

What makes Frederick Cellars unique is its location; rather than out in the middle of nowhere, as is the case for so many wineries in this region, this one is located downtown among the shops and restaurants of Shab Row and Everedy Square. Perhaps this almost one-of-a-kind arrangement will change over time; certainly you can find cities with working breweries located along one of the main streets. The idea of converting grapes into wine amid other businesses on a main thoroughfare or side street remains fairly foreign in this country. Still, that's changing a bit, as New York Times writer Eric Asimov noted in a Jan. 27 story and in this blog post a day later on the new City Winery in New York. It's a combo music venue and wine bar that also gives customers a chance to at least get their hands dirty in winemaking.

Asimov noted in his story that "City Winery is one of several custom winemaking facilities that have opened around the country in the last decade. Crushpad in San Francisco and Portland Wine Project in Portland, Ore., both offer similar hands-on participation, while, compared with those economy-class operations, Napa Valley Reserve in Saint Helena, Calif., offers a piece of a corporate jet, allowing members to help tend the vines and make the wines, for fees beginning around $150,000."

With cities seeking more urban commerce, and with new winemakers able to fill one of a growing number of open spaces or convertable buildings, it's not far-fetched to assume that others could follow.

Couple find it difficult to bottle up excitement

One of the wineries that I can’t wait to try is actually fairly close to my house, not always the case for someone handling a beat that spans from Bangor to Orrtanna, Pa., and south to Dickerson, Md. Sometime between now and the middle of the month, Jan and Kimberly Waltz officially will open the doors on Waltz Vineyards,

As was obvious by my last post, the couple have earned a reputation as one of the best grape growers in this region, supplying the yummiest fruit to a number of vineyards in Pennsylvania. That part of their business isn’t about to end, but now visitors will be able to head to Kim and Jan’s tasting room at 1599 Old Line Road, about 2 miles outside Manheim and around 10 miles north of Lancaster City. The phone number there will be 717.664.WINE.

Jan said in a phone interview the middle of last week (sorry, Jan, for not being more vigilant about getting this post up) that they were content for the eight or so previous years just serving as the supplier. At some point, they chose to do more than that and start selling at least some of their grapes in a bottle with their own label slapped onto it.

“Over the past eight years of making wine, we were researching and working on methods and equipment,” he said, talking about how the transition began to unfold. “We did meet some key people, finally we took some trips to some other countries and found equipment that we wanted to work with. We started construction in July of last year, and now we’re . . . fully licensed to sell wine, so it’s just a matter of opening a tasting room. As soon as we have our occupancy complete in about two weeks, we’ll be open for business, at least by appointment to start and probably have hours later on this year. We just want to kind of see the clientele that comes in and come up with the best days [to serve them].”

That they’ve pretty much sailed through the process says something about how prepared they are; perhaps you could look at it as a sign that this is indeed the right time and place to start selling Waltz Vineyards wines. “We had a good experience with all the municipalities,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, but we got through it on our own in a rather quick manner. My wife did all of that work and got that accomplished [quickly] . . . got label approval within nine days, and that doesn’t happen too often.”

They plan to sell six wines, including Merlot (“our largest varity planted, so we will make quite a bit of Merlot”), Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. “We’re working on bottling,” he continued. We don’t have a lot of wine bottled yet because obviously, the reds are not bottled. We’re waiting to bottle some of that wine. But we will have limited product here to sell and hopefully as the year goes on we’ll bottle more as it’s ready.”

Some of that wine also will be served soon at several area restaurants, although Jan didn’t disclose which ones those would be. All in all, Jan said they’re eager to get through this final week or two and welcome visitors to their winery. For years, the primary visitors have been other winemakers and proprietors, along with the crowd that has stopped by for a clinic or two that statewide wine grape educator Mark Chien has put together and held there. Soon it will be cxustomers filling in, sitting and tasting the wine from the grapes that so many winemakers have lauded throughout this decade.

“It’s exciting,” he admitted. “Like I said, we’ve been thinking over it, trying to come up with different scenarios over the years of how we would open up and where we’d do it, and finally all came together in the last two years plan-wise, so it was worth putting the time and through into it. Being in the business for a dozen years now, we’ve seen a lot of people who have never grown grapes and never made wine just jump into everything at one shot. I think that can compromise the quality of your product going out the door.

“It’s a stressful enough business because it’s an ag commodity. When you’re also at the mercy of the weather and you have no idea what your site is going to produce, I think that would even make it no fun at all,” he said, laughing. “But we’ve taken this over a decade to figure out what our site produces well with, and messing with the wine in the garage we figured out that hey, this stuff turns out pretty good without even having a whole lot of knowledge initially when we started. And then the more that we applied and the more help we brought in, the more we can fine tune things. We figured out that it’s definitely worth pursuing.”