Next up: Port in a box and a 'roadside' tent

Sometimes the longer the interview the longer it takes to post. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it, for why part of this Presidents Day chat with Morris Zwick of (yeah, we can call them funky) Terrapin Station Winery that's located just north of Elkton, Md., in Cecil County has taken so long to transcribe and give it some eyes beyond mine.

The word “fun” jumps out at you on his site, and that sense of humor shines through in any interview with this second-generation Italian who notes on his Web site that he was a rare bird among his peers at the University of Maryland, where wine was his drink of choice. Starting with kits, his move toward winemaking now includes a product that is the only one in the Pennsylvania/Maryland region that packages it in a bag and box. It's sold in more than 40 stores, including now in Beltway Fine Wine & Spirits in Towson. “That's actually a big deal for us,” he said. “It's a large store, they move a lot of volume, and there's a lot of people go there to shop.”

As of now there's nowhere to buy his wines on his property, but Zwick said that will change soon. He figures to put up a festival tent by the wine building and open on weekends and maybe a couple of weekdays from June through mid-August. There they can allow visitors to taste and purchase the wines. “It's just to get people to stop by, see the place and sell some retail. We have some longer-term plans to put up some permanent structures, but those are on hold until several things happen “ he said, stopping to laugh, “including the improvement of the economy.”

Not only would the weather prohibit them from doing that now, but so would the inventory. Zwick said they're down to two Vidals and the Syrah, but that they plan to package five in the next few weeks. “We're just waiting for the guy who makes our cardboard to finish, and once he’s done with that we’ll start getting em knocked out one by one.”

Those include a Cecil Red, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Shiraz, their reserve Traminette, Vidal, Cayuga and what he called Five Rivers Rose. “And then, when those five wines are done, we have last year’s reds in the tank. We also have a Port we’re playing with and, with the port, we’ve come to an agreement to do a little marketing with it that people should find entertaining and useful. So we’ll see how that works out. I think it will be the world’s first Port in a box. We’ll see. It’s a matter of convenience for us. You know, we’ve got our form factory, we might as well keep it.”

He can only hope all of these sell with the same zest as his Traminette, which has been overwhelmingly popular.

“Last year we sold it out in five weeks. Now, we didn’t have a huge amount, but I was actually pleasantly surprised and I think part of it is. We don't don't it horribly sweet, but it does have some residual sugar. And its parent Gewurtztraminer is definitely a love or hate wine because [it] has definitely a very, strong, unique characteristics, a spiciness to it. Some people like it, some people hate it. The Traminette, being a cross of it, it has those characterictics but it’s not so overwhelming and I actually think it makes a more pleasant wine to drink. So I think part of it is that Traminette such an approachable white wine and it’s unique. It’s not just another Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc or something like this. And it was really popular, so we're hoping to keep with it.”

He said they handled the approach on this current vintage a little differently; for instance, doing an extended cold soak on it for 48 hours. “We definitely got something even more flavorful than last year, so we’re pretty excited about it. One thing you should always talk to a winemaker about, I think, is what kind of wines are you drinking. Because if you’re only drinking your own wines, drinking the same things all the time, then you’re not learning. And we definitely started to, and it’s hard to find, it’s not like every store [sells] a Traminette. But we definitely have been going around trying Traminettes and getting ideas from people and I think that will be reflected in what comes out here.”

Perhaps one other significant change at the winery will be some new packaging to differentiate their product line. Zwick said the higher-end wines will have a variation on the existing box and the newer wines will have a slightly different box style. It's one of our goals to be able to have somebody to look at the wines,” and recognize the gradations of value and price points. “Everything right now is priced the same. Our quote-unquote suggested retail is 20 bucks; that’s what we sell at festivals and stuff. When we’re done this little phase we’ll probably be anywhere from $18 to $30. The Traminette will probably be around 30 bucks . Now part of this is the mission work of explaining to people before they take a step back and say 'Wow, that’s a lot of money,' is remember the boxes containing the equivalent of two bottles of wine in it.”

Chien offer view of other coast's assets

I've been lucky enough to make acquaintance with Mark Chien, Pennsylvania's wine grape educator, and receive his monthly updates. This month's, as usual, had a variety of information that would make more sense to people in the industry. Still, there's always something in his e-mails that's worth sharing with everyone, and that's the case this month, too.

Chien wrote that "in the East, wine growers are often so busy battling the elements that they do not have time to be serious viticulture innovators. I have always found it helpful to go to other wine regions, in particular Europe and California, to find information and practices that might help us to be better wine growers. These areas simply have the critical mass to support research and innovation that we lack. I recently traveled to California to attend the Unified Symposium, a National Grape and Wine Initiative board meeting and visit vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Barbara County. The trip was enlightening for me and I’ll share some of the highlights."

Those highlights include this edited assessment of growing grapes in Santa Barbara County:

"After visiting Santa Barbara County (SBC) and its vineyards it is necessary to wonder why anyone who wants to grow wine would do it anywhere else. This is as close to wine paradise as I have experienced. The region has just emerged during the past decade and one of its greatest proponents is Jeff Newton. I have known Jeff since we were grad students studying viticulture at UC-Davis. We followed different career paths – he went on to become one of the best viticulturists in California, well, most of you know what happened to me. I am not being frivolous with this accolade. In the preface of his most recent wine tome, Robert Parker, Jr. mentioned just two viticulturists in his broad view of the wine world, David Abreu and Jeff. His name is now popping up everywhere.

Jeff started Coastal Vineyard Care (CVCA) as a one-man consulting business 25 years ago and now it is a multi-million dollar company managing over 2500 acres in Santa Barbara County. The business itself is remarkable to behold, a lean and mean planting and management machine that farms medium to ultra-premium wine grapes that have achieved 95+ Parker scores. I have to keep reminding myself that this is the guy who used to grow broccoli in the central valley.

Jeff no longer works alone. He has three partners in the business who help to oversee the 30 or so ranches they farm. Below them is an incredibly integrated and efficient hierarchy of managers and foremen who monitor every last minute detail of work. They manage 2500 acres as well as any five acre vineyard in Pennsylvania. The company has its own accounting department, pest control advisor, and farm safety officer. CVCA draws talent from the excellent program at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and many of those working at CVCA have diverse and very accomplished backgrounds in other fields. There are viticulturists to look after the detail work such a irrigation scheduling. CVCA also relies on expert consultants to help them do a better job of farming, including Tom Prentice of Crop Care. It is truly a team approach to wine growing.

I got to ride shotgun with Jeff for two days as he made the rounds around his ranches. It was an amazing experience. First of all… the weather. It was perfect. The temperature in Lancaster hasn’t crept much out of the 30s all winter and here we were, 60 degrees, blue sky, shimmering sunlight. Amazing. Maybe too amazing as a drought lingers and an early bud break brings the threat of frost.

Vineyard development: Clients usually approach CVCA with a property and ask them to evaluate it. It then goes through the suite of testing, primarily soil and water testing. Soils can be very high in magnesium which affects structure and nutrient availability. Salinity in the water can be a major problem. The initial walk over is important to determine the quality of the site and how vineyard blocks, varieties and rootstocks will be assigned. The soil work and determination of total available water will guide decisions, particularly rootstocks.
Depending on the AVA location relative to the ocean, varieties are selected. In the cool Santa Rita AVA it is mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Further east into the Los Alamos AVA Syrah, Sangiovese, Grenache excel. The furthest east region is Happy Canyon where Cabernet Sauvignon has taken hold. Jeff has a good sense in each area what varieties will do best. The topography is highly variable, from some flat land on the valley floors to Mosel-steep hillsides but almost always with rolling hills defining the vineyards and adding complex slope, aspect and elevation qualities to the wines.

The vibrating winged plow has been used to rip in soil preparation. This is a wing on the end of a shank that glides through the ground at a depth of 2-3’ and lifts the soil and gently lays it back down. They rip on each vine row adding uniformity to the soil structure. There is an applicator that can drill soil amendments deep directly behind the winged plow shank. Gypsum is often used to help improve soil structure and to neutralize active aluminum. Gypsum is much more soluble than lime so it can move deeper into the soil.

Row direction in warmer areas is established more by terrain contour than a strict N-S or NE-SW preference, although they try to achieve optimal orientation. In cooler Santa Rita, N-S becomes more important.

Development costs can be high, upwards of $40,000 an acre for the ultra-premium, high density vineyards. Farming costs can also be steep, pushing $10,000 per acre for the best vineyards but most are in the $6-8K range and as low as $3500. Labor is the major expense.

Soils: Mostly clay loams with some sandy soils. They care about soils but not to the extent that Europeans value the soil for wine quality. Here soil is a medium to irrigate and hold water long enough to get the vine to the next irrigation set. But one premium vineyard was on very sandy soils and the expectation may have been for lighter, fruitier wines but the strength of viticulture applied to the vineyard allows it to produce big, juicy Parker wines. It demonstrates the Thunevin method of taking a medium site and raising it to a top site through maniacal viticulture."

Waltz to open winery next Saturday

You've read much about the grapes from Waltz Vineyards in Manheim, Pa., on this blog. Those who had contracted to buy Kim and Jan's grapes through the years have raved about the quality of the fruit. Starting next Saturday, Feb. 28, you'll get a chance to see for yourself what all the fuss is about. The couple has put the finishing touches on its tasting room and will swing open its doors for business from noon to 5 p.m next Saturday.

Kim said the couple plan, are least through the end of March, to be open on Saturdays only, and also by appointment. Those hours that the winery will be open for visitors figure to increase as the weather warms.

Shipping debate resumes in Maryland

All of what has appeared on this blog regarding the legislation in Maryland to create a shipping bill that got under way Wednesday in Annapolis has been from the side of the state's wineries. While the wineries association hasn't introduced the measure, it certainly supports it.

Maryland wineries are not allowed to ship wines directly to consumer; rather, there's a three-tier system set up that forces the delivered goods to be sent through a wholesaler and retailer, where the consumer would then pick up their wine.

Kevin Atticks, executive director of the winery association, said by phone last week that the current setup is broken. "There’s never been an example of that actually working," he said of the three-tier system. "If somebody wants a hard-to-come by wine, we found that wholesalers and retailers who have to agree to that system don’t, so the wine never actually makes it anyway. That was set up as a compromise years ago . . ."

Still, while the bill to change the system comes back up for discussion every year, it remains enforced. "That’s a bill that’s vehemently opposed by the liquor interests and, my god, if we even see them on the street they start yelling at us about it," Atticks said. "It’s not our legislation. I mean we support it but we’re not behind it. It’s a consumer group, but the liquor interests are so upset about it and that can only tell me that it’s getting closer to passage. Usually, they don’t even respond to it, but now they’l really upset about it and it’s the same bill that has been in for 20 years . . . so the only thing that's diferent is it's chances."

So how does the Wholesale, Retails Associations of Maryland articulate it's resistence to the legislation, called State Bill 338 and House Bill 1262? Click on this above letter sent Monday to the Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller, president of the state Senate.

The Event Grapevine: Feb. 19-22

We’re in tweener mode for a couple of weeks, between a hectic Valentine’s weekend where just about every winery was putting out chocolates and wine and the start of passport season on a couple of trails. As unique as anything this weekend is a Presidential Food and Wine Pairing at Galen Glen Winery on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, the winery will match up its wines with our new president’s favorite food: pizza. Only these pies will be tossed and baked in Pottsville, Pa., rather than Chicago.

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

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Wine Appreciation class ($$), Saturday, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; home wine-making ($$), Sunday, 1 to 3 p.m.; Tour de Tanks, starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Allegro Vineyards, Brogue: Fridays’ Weekly Winedown ($$), 4 to 7 p.m.; Sweet & Spicy Saturdays ($$), 2 to 5 p.m.; Sip & Savor Sundays ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., all require reservations at 741.3072, all events at the Wine Gallery in Olde Tollgate Village EXCEPT for Tour de Tanks ($$), which starts Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Black Walnut Winery, Sadsburyville: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, 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 ($$), every weekend in February, sitting at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries; 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: Beginner tasting class ($$), Saturday, 3 p.m., annual wine rack sale ($$), all Clover Hill locations, Feb. 19 through March 8; March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event, link to winery

Country Creek Winery, Salford Township: Mike Greer and Friends, Saturday, March 21, 6 to 9 p.m.; wine dinner at Brazzo Downtown ($$), Thursday, March 26, link to winery

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine Tasting for Singles ($$), Friday, 7 p.m.; wine and food pairing ($$), Saturday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, March 15, 2 p.m.; St. Patrick’s Day celebration ($$), Tuesday, March 17, 7:30 p.m., link to winery

Cullari Vineyards & Winery, Hershey: Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Four Springs Winery, Seven Valleys: Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor: Free winery tour, Wednesdays at noon, link to winery

Galen Glen Winery, Andreas: President Day Weekend, Feb. 21-22, pizza and wine pairing, link to winery

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: Candle Light Friday/Happy Hour, Friday, Feb.27, 5 to 8 p.m., warm food and live music Ray Owens will perform and Crossroads will cater; Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, 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.; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglasville: 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. through February; vineyard hike and mulled wine ($$), Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Nissley Vineyards & Winery Estate, Bainbridge: Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Wine, chocolate and cheese tasting ($$), Saturday, 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m., extended from last weekend, e-mail kellie@paradocx.com or call 610.505.1511 to make your advance reservation; Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Penns Woods Winery, Eddystone: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event, link to winery

Reid’s Ochards & Winery, Ortanna: Opening March 7; Tour de Tanks ($$), at all Uncork York wineries, link to information

Rose Bank Winery, Newtown: Winter Wine Concert Series, Sundays through March 29, 1 to 4 p.m., at Shady Brook Farm; spring art fest, March 20-22, link to winery

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

Sand Castle Winery, Erwinna: Gourmet wine dinner ($$) at Villa Capri Ristorante, Doylestown, Thursday, featuring Sand Castle Johannisberg Dry Riesling, link to winery

Seven Valleys Vineyard & Winery, Glen Rock: Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, 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: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), starting March 1 and continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, 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., http://www.valavineyards.com/

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: Album release party, Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m.; Mardi Gras Saturday, Feb. 28, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.; March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event, link to winery

West Hanover Winery, Harrisburg: Tour de Tanks ($$), starting Feb. 28 at all Uncork York wineries, 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 cheese pairing class ($$), Sunday, March 1, 2 to 4 p.m., to book your spot, visit The Wine Coach or call Barb at 410-428-6693, 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., winery link

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Happy Hour, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every weekday, glasses are half-price; Mardi Grad party, Saturday, 7 p.m.; music in the Cellar, Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m., 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, 1 to 4 p.m., all natural soups from Chesapeake Gourmet available for sale, http://www.linganorewines.com

Sugarloaf Mountain, Dickerson: Barrel tasting ($$/nonmembers), Saturday, 1 p.m.; red wine sensory tasting seminar ($$), 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 ($$), extending every weekend 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.

$$ – Admission charge

Next Md. winery could open in Hampstead

The next winery to open in Maryland? Even wineries association executive director Kevin Atticks wasn't completely sure. Too many obstacles in the process can delay scheduled openings for months. That's not a Maryland phenomenon; obviously proprietors planning wineries across the border in Pennsylvania have found there's always another surprise waiting around the corner as they do all the things necessary to open a winery's doors.

Atticks would only conjecture that it could be Galloping Goose, perhaps about a 15-minute to 20-minute drive from Woodhall Wine Cellars, one of our favorite wineries located in Parkton, Md. Located in Hampstead, it will be run by Diane Hale. "She's a wonderful lady who had a horse name goose and is opening Galloping Goose Vineyards, and she is one of the state's largest grape growers and plans to still have that be her primary business," Atticks said. "But she's going to make two wines a year from her best grapes. So she's going to cherry-pick her fruit, whatever she thinks is best that year and the rest she's going to continue to sell. And even her quote-unquote not best fruit is still wonderful fruit. Woodhall buys some, a couple of wineries buy it. But she's going to cherry-pick very small amounts; she's looking at maybe 30, 40 cases of each wine. No more than two wines per year. She's literally going to be picking clusters and figuring out which ones are the best."

Atticks said Hale's business is fully licensed as a winery and there's wine in the barrel. "The game has been trying to figure out when she's opening," he said. Indeed, a story in the Community Times ways back in November 2005 suggested the the winery would be open by the following year. But that just shows how much time can pass sometimes before the plans become a reality. Atticks said that now might be just a matter of weeks or several months. "There's still work to be done," he said, "but she's pretty close."

3RD Idea gives Hauser Web site a fresh look

Received an e-mail yesterday from Mak McKeehan of 3RD idea, an agency in Gettysburg, Pa., that has become the primary marketing voice for Hauser Estate Winery. The winery opened late last July on a site that offers a sweeping panorama of the surrounding countryside and parts of the Gettysburg battlefield; it opened a shop in downtown Gettysburg a few months later. Run by the Hauser family (Jonathon Patrono is the company president), it features the winemaking skills of Seattle-bred and Cornell-educated Michelle Oakes. Looking forward to trying her wines next week when I'm out that way for a conference.

McKeehan and his staff have given the Hauser Estate Web site a new look, which launched last Friday, featuring multiple layers that include info and prices on the wines, a new photo gallery (of which I swiped one of the view from the tasting room to add to this post), a tasting room blog, company history and the chance for people to sign up for the newly created “Cork Club.” That's a monthly e-mail newsletter from the winery about events, wine news, tips and sneak previews.

In addition, Hauser Estate has started a Facebook page and are looking for fans. The page can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=35103779&ref=frmf#/pages/Biglerville-PA/Hauser-Estate-Winery/50884969935?sid=9e56123ebcc4259d83509d1299c03e20&ref=s

McKeenhan noted in his note that starting in June and due to the huge success of the Candlelight Fridays, Hauser Estate will be hosting Live Music and Food twice a month. You'll be able to find a complete schedule on the Web site and, of course, amid the weekly listings that are part of this blog under the heading The Event Grapevine.

Hauser Estate is part of what is for now a singular event wine trail. Tour de Tanks will take place starting Feb. 28 and every weekend in March at the 12 wineries that make up Uncork York. In addition to being able to sample wines at each of the participating wineries and share in whatever goodies they also put out, all for the cost of a $15 passport, the York County Convention & Tourism Bureau has announced a series of Friday night winemaker dinners at five York restaurants. Space is limited and advance reservations are required for these events. An all-inclusive ticket includes a full-course meal and selected wines, as well as tax and gratuity.

Wine writer and blogger Roger Morris tackled the Uncork York trail at some point last fall and wrote about his visit in a piece that appears in the Winter 2009 edition of the Wine & Spirits Quarterly. In that story Morris quotes Ralph Papalia, a state store employee in York who for my money provides more insight on his product than anyone else I've encountered in the biz. Want the lowdown on those dazzling bargains hidden on the shelves? Just track down Ralph.