Ravenswood prez to speak at Vintners' dinner

My thanks to Karen Cline -- who kicks out news you can use for the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail -- for the kind words (and a gentle kick in the butt) earlier this evening. Sometimes it's just nice to hear from folks who read this thing. Still in its early stages, getting the word out about its existence remains one of my more vexing problems. But, nothing that is insurmountable.

Anyway, Cline reports that Ravenswood Winery (Sonoma, Callif.) winemaker and president Joel Peterson has accepted an invitiation to speak at the trail's Vintners' Dinner Celebration at Longwood Gardens near Kennett Square, Pa. The evening event (6:30 to midnight) will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, in the East Conservatory and Ballroom. In addition to a wine reception and a dinner that will pair up with many of the wines from wineries on the trail, there will be dancing to the Brass Ensemble of the Kennet Symphony of Chester County and a silent auction that will raise money for The Little Rock Foundation.

Most of the proprietors of the seven wineries that make up the trail (the seventh, Black Walnut, is scheduled to open later this fall or after the holidays) will be attending. The cost is $135 per person. You can register online at the trail's Web site or call 866.390.4367.

Black Ankle wins Maryland's Best of Show

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Black Ankle Winery is building up quite a resume. Now all it has to do is open its doors.

The winery in Mt. Airy, Md., that already has received a ton of press earned some more yesterday when it received the Governor’s Cup Award for “Best in Show.” This 19th annual competition was sponsored by the Maryland Wineries Association What drew top price for Black Ankle was its 2006 Crumbling Rock, a Bordeaux blend that includes Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon and Merlot as the major players along with a touch of Petit Verdot. According to the specs, the wines “spent 16 months in barrel, where they were topped and stirred weekly for 6 months, then topped bi-weekly until they were blended, fined, and lightly-filtered in preparation for bottling. The 2006 Crumbling Rock was bottled on April 2nd, 2008.”

It’s one of 10 wines that Ed Boyce and Sarah O’Herron are producing, and it’s a unique list; there are no sweet wines among the group. Six are white, including an Albarino that’s usually seen coming out of Spain rather than the Maryland Piedmont.

Association president Kevin Atticks wrote in an e-mail that there’s plenty of significance to a “rookie winery” taking the top price.

“The fact that a new winery — with wine from its very first vintage — has won the Governor's Cup is an incredible nod to the winegrowing prowess of our growing industry,” he wrote. “With Black Ankle Vineyards' win in the Governor's Cup, and also in the Winemasters Choice Awards, they have shown that locally-grown Maryland wine is of the highest quality and that sound viticulture and winemaking practices rule.”

Those who have watched the pair pour significant money and time into this new winery can’t be too surprised at the early success. They purchased a 146-acre farm in Frederick County in 2002 and began planting in 2003. What has delayed the opening of their tasting room, originally scheduled for July, has been this desire to erect a building that “uses as many materials from our farm as possible, including wood, straw, soil, rain and sun,” according to their site. Those who want to try their wines can head down to the 25th annual Maryland Wine Festival this weekend at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster. In fact, most of Maryland’s 34 wineries are expected to be pouring samples. And, if you can’t make that to try Black Ankle’s wines, that tasting room will probably open the following weekend, although nothing official has been announced.

"Thanks for the congrats on the Crumbling Rock - we are really proud of it," Boyce wrote in an e-mail. "We think our reds will be the backbone of our reputation, so the fact that it is garnering some acclaim is a good thing."

In addition to Black Ankle's best of the best, six other “Best of Class” awards were given out, including two each to Elk Run Vineyards and Boordy Vineyards. “In all, the awards included 25 gold medals, 46 silver medals, and 47 bronze medals.

At Chaddsford, it's Roman wine 401

Want to taste wine at a winery in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania and Maryland? Sure, no problem. Happy to uncork a bottle.

Want to attend a concert? Almost all have something to offer; most that do have just wrapped up their own version of a summer concert series.

Want to come in and learn something about wine? You can, on the right day with the right person helping you. But there are a couple of exceptions where the vineyard has been turned into Wine U; Chaddsford Winery is one of those places and Crossing Vineyards & Winery in Washington Crossing, Pa., would be another.

And if you look at Wine for Dummies as an intro course for “freshmen,” then the Wine in Roman Times that educator Frank Patterson will be teaching at Chaddsford starting at 7 on Thursday night could be considered more geared toward upperclassmen. It’s the first time that Patterson will offer the course at the winery, where he contributes his time not only as an instructor but also on Wednesdays and Fridays as a guide to the wine and winery, but the fourth or fifth time he’s given the presentation originally researched and assembled for Penn’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology a decade ago.

In a sense, the more than two-hour slide show and presentation is a history lesson: the origins of wine, its journey to Greece and Italy and specifically Rome, where it flourished until Vesuvius blew its top in 79 AD and put the proverbial cork back in the bottle for a long while.

“I give them a historical approach [about the] significance of Rome in developing the wine industry,” he said earlier tonight, “and it was very, very critical what they did, very significant what they did in terms of manufacturing, in terms of agriculture, in terms of grape selection. It was quite an interesting history.”

That timeline eventually leads to Mastroberardino, a winemaker whose family has been making wine since the 1700s. He’s the one who persuaded the Italian government to fund his research on Vesuvius and the wines that were being made around that time. And that led to his putting in vineyards around the famous peak in Italy’s Campania region with grapes used in Roman times. Except, said Patterson, these new wines “were done in a very contemporary style, nothing like they were done in Rome.”

In fact, you can purchase these wines from the Mastroberardino vineyard, assuming you’re bound for Europe or have your own method of getting them shipped to you from overseas. Or, you can attend the program and, at the end of the night, taste of some of these wines. The cost, by the way, is $30 and only a few seats remain.

This is one of a number of classes that Patterson teaches in the region, from wines of the world to a chemistry of wine lecture that draws on his background as a chemist with DuPont. It’s his former company that he credits for this wine passion; it sent he and his family to live in Italy for three years and (not surprisingly) he came home with a second career and an appreciation of the how wine has rooted itself into the global culture.

“I decided once I retired to teach wine courses, and that’s what I do,” he said. “I try to limit it because I am retired [and] I want to have fun in life.” He paused just briefly, then continued, “But this is fun for me though.”

Snapshots of The Vineyards at Mt. Felix

Peter Ianniello sent along a couple of photos from his new tasting patio that just opened, along with the winery on Thursday in Havre de Grace, Md. The Vineyards at Mt. Felix Manor will be open Wednesday though Sunday from noon to 8 p.m, and Monday and Tuesday by appointment. I'm still trying to find out the wine list they settled on; will post that information when I receive it.

Amazon.com juices skids to start shipping

This note comes form the New York Wine & Grape Foundation e-letter:

AMAZON.COM has announced its intention to start selling U.S.-produced wine within the country by early October, giving a huge boost to the concept of direct shipment of wine to consumers and the potential that the U.S. may eventually become a serious wine-consuming country. Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer, so customers who may be shopping for something else will now be able to purchase wine just as easily if they live in the 45 states where this is legal (including New York). Traditionally, wine had to be sold through a “three-tier” system of supplier (winery), distributor (wholesaler) and retailer (wine store or restaurant) which was economically infeasible for small wineries and the many consumers who wanted to buy their products. In 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling which liberalized the ability for wine producers and authorized businesses to ship directly to consumers. While most states have amended their laws to facilitate this, a few still do not allow it—reflecting the economically counterproductive states rights’ philosophy of the Repeal of Prohibition that has created 50 different systems within the United States. Direct shipment has given consumers many more choices than they had before.

Good (picking) time had by all at Basignani

It was time to pick the Seyval at Basignani Winery in Sparks, Md. What turned out to be the first public harvest of the seasoin drew a big crowd, many people coming back for a second and third time. Part of the attraction is spending the morning outside in the vineyard, picking grapes. But if we were all honest, we come for Lynne Basignani's food -- today it was lasagna and platter of fresh vegetables, etc. -- plus, oh, a couple bottles of wine and beer. Always enjoy the Zinfandel, and finally got a chance to taste the 2006 Chardonnary, the only Maryland wine that Bin 604 in Baltimore carries. Lynne and Bert, thanks. See you again soon.

They will pick again on Saturday in two week, and then at least the first Saturday in October. You can call to RSVP.

New winestand opens in NYC

This courtesy of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation:

LAKE EFFECT mist is a sure sign that harvest is approaching, and this week brought a spectacular example at Tuesday morning’s sunrise. With the air temperature at 53 degrees, the 80-degree Keuka Lake water created delicate vertical ribbons of mist that rose against a backdrop of deep red-orange blanketing the opposite hillside. It was a vivid reminder of how beautiful nature can be, and how fortunate we are to inhabit this earth. As fall progresses and the air temperature drops, the thin ribbons will morph into a layer of thick fog hovering above the lakes before it rises and spreads over the hillsides before evaporating into the heat of the day. Lake effect weather, both from Lake Ontario and the individual Finger Lakes, is vital to winegrowing in the Finger Lakes region, especially for the delicate European (Vinifera) grape varieties like Pinot Noir and Riesling. Similar benefits of temperature moderation accrue to vineyards in New York’s other major regions—Lake Erie in that region, Lake Ontario in the Niagara Escarpment, the Hudson River, and on Long Island the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and Great Peconic Bay. The emerging Thousands Islands Seaway region also benefits from the broad St. Lawrence Seaway, though the winter temperatures get so low that growers there are wisely planting cold-hardy Minnesota varieties like Edelweiss and Frontenac.

VERAISON TO HARVEST is another sure sign of harvest season, and the first edition of the weekly newsletter appeared this week. With funding from our “Total Quality Focus” program, the Cornell Cooperative Extension Enology and Viticulture program specialists keep a watchful eye on how the crop progresses from veraison (when the grapes turn color, about now) all the way through to harvest. The information is gleaned from 55 vineyards across the state, and is supplemented by practical advice on how to maximize quality under whatever conditions exist in a particular year. Regional Cooperative Extension professionals provide details from their area, leading to an overall view like this beginning of the season’s first newsletter: “Last year at this time, we were talking about drought stress and reduced berry weight across NY—and the prospect of a compressed, early harvest season. This year, growers have had ample soil moisture, and have been coping with excess vigor instead of drought stress.” It’s a good reminder that wine is farming, first and foremost, and weather matters. This newsletter is just one of many examples of how Cornell has been a key player to the dramatic improvement in the quality of New York wines. For more information on the newsletter, contact Tim Martinson at tem2@cornell.edu or 315-787-2448.

NEW YORK STATE FAIR wraps up tomorrow, with this year’s Fair having at least three major improvements. The main entrance leads right into a new Pride of New York pavilion which sells hundreds of products from New York agricultural entrepreneurs, replacing the New York Lottery (what does that have to do with farming, other than common risk?). Pride of New York is a terrific program created by the Department of Agriculture & Markets to help consumers identify products produced by their New York neighbors—a great example of the “locavore” trend before it even existed. The Fair also a Witter Agricultural Museum, where this year we created a comprehensive display on the grape, grape juice and wine industry highlighting its history, diversity, growth and opportunities for entrepreneurs and employment. A new Wine Village was a major highlight, thanks to Assembly Agriculture Committee Chairman Bill Magee, the Department, and State Fair Director Dan O’Hara. Responding to concerns from wineries about last year’s Fair, Assemblyman Magee convened a meeting in December which ultimately led to the change. He also secured legislation allowing fairgoers to walk around the grounds with a (plastic) glass of wine, as they have always been able to do with beer; last year they had to stay in a small confined area when consuming wine, causing congestion and dissatisfaction. The new Wine Village in a spacious tent was supplemented by another prime location where wineries sold their products to consumers on the way to the grandstand for concerts or other activities; and a separate concessionaire who purchased and sold their wine as well. One winery owner with years of experience at the State Fair said their sales doubled this year. Commissioner Patrick Hooker and First Deputy Commissioner Bob Haggerty of Ag & Markets, which oversees the Fair, also deserve a lot of credit for their commitment to making things better.

NEW YORK WINESTAND at Union Square Greenmarket in New York City is Pride of New York’s latest venture, and yet another benefit to our wine industry. Situated in lower Manhattan, Union Square Greenmarket was the brainchild of Barry Benape and Bob Lewis, now Director of Marketing for Ag & Markets. It has transformed a previously run down and dangerous park into a bustling farmer’s market and friendly social network. While a few New York wineries (Anthony Road, Barrington, Chateau Renaissance) have been selling their wines at Manhattan greenmarkets for years, the New York Winestand is a new concept, bringing together New York wineries and Manhattan restaurants like Back Forty, Republic, and Parlor Steakhouse. A New York magazine blog dubbed it “locapour”. Last Friday, marking the Winestand’s debut, Anthony Road Winery sold all its wines. It will be open each Friday, and just look for the big green banner that says, “Buy Local. Buy Pride of New York.”

SILVER MEDALS are a solid achievement in any wine competition, and even more so in the tough international Decanter World Wine Awards. So congratulations to Casa Larga Vineyards (2005 Fiori Vidal Ice Wine), Glenora Wine Cellars (2006 Dry Riesling), and Sheldrake Point Vineyards (2005 Cabernet Franc) for their strong showing.

WINE CONSUMPTION among Americans is up, while beer consumption is down, spirits is about flat, and overall alcohol consumption is down, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine. The lead researcher was Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, who appeared twice on 60 Minutes to explain the “French Paradox”, founded the Institute on Lifestyle and Health at Boston University School of Medicine, and frequently speaks at our conferences. Middle-aged people are consuming about a third less alcohol than 50 years ago, due to a combination of more people who don’t drink and more moderate consumption among those who do. Average alcohol consumption among men has gone from about two and a half to one and a half drinks per day. While the precise reasons for these trends aren’t clear, it’s reasonable to suggest that the public has heard about the health benefits of moderate wine consumption, the dangers of binge drinking, and the importance of integrating wine into a healthy lifestyle. If so, that’s good news all around.