Sugarloaf celebrating tasting room, inauguration

A lot of folks will be toasting Brack Obama and his new administration over the coming days, including several wineries in Maryland. Saw an e-letter come out from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in southern Maryland yesterday promoting its planned activities around the event.

Next weekend, Jan. 17-20, it's planning a tasting room grand-opening dedication and presidential inauguration from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. During that celebration, they’ll feature wine tastings and tours of the winery, sales on selected wines, hot soup, cheese platters, hors d'oeuvres, bottle engraving and entertainment.

Visitors are invited Tuesday, Jan. 20, to watch the presidential inauguration on the winery's big-screen TV while enjoying a glass of wine. Commemorative inauguration flags will be available for sale.

Here's a scoop: Md. wine ice cream out by spring

One event that got lost in the holiday and my job change was a press invitation to sample Maryland wine ice cream. Hey, if they had held the event on sundae ... ha ha, I would have been there, too. Samples were given out on Monday, Dec. 15, at the Maryland Department of Agriculture building in Annapolis.

Winery association executive director Kevin Atticks said yesterday that the event drew a big crowd, mostly from those curious what this wine ice cream was all about.

Kilby Cream, located in Cecil County, has developed a line of Maryland wine ice cream to be available this spring. This innovation is a culmination of Maryland's diverse forms of agriculture, as both the dairy products as well as the grapes are exclusively from Maryland, according to a mid-December release.

"We've developed four flavors, all made from our ice cream and Maryland wines," said Phyllis Kilby of Kilby Cream. "We think they're delicious!" Kilby Cream is using Traminette, Vidal Blanc, as well as Chambourcin, in addition to other flavors.

Karen Fedor, agricultural marketing specialist at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, added, "It's exciting to see two of our state's value-added agricultures joining together to develop a new product."

'Down time' for winemaker is short-lived

Sent a note to winemaker Jason Price at Twin Brook Winery in Gap, Pa., asking how he'll spend the next month to month and a half and whether it's too soon to get out into the vineyard. I also asked the importance of getting any type of a snow cover.

Price: Yes, too soon for the vineyard as far as pruning is concerned. Weather depending, we will start concentrating on the vineyard in late Feb/March. Until then, I’m in the cellar doing everything from QCs to blending as well as other wine processing steps. It is true that winter months offer a “down time,” but aside from allowing the winemaker a much needed 2 week vacation away from the farm there is no extended time off. Winemaking and viticulture are as much a full time all year around job here in Pennsylvania as in other grape growing regions. As far as snow … bring it. If [there is going to be precipitation], it might as well be now when the vineyard is dormant . . . Putting Chard and Grigio in bottle this month as well as Vignoles."

Clover Mill Farm closes until May

One quick note regarding Clover Mill Farm Vineyards & Winery in Chester Springs, Pa., one of a number of family-owned operations that exist across the region. This one has gone into its annual hibernation and will remained closed until May.

Once called Fox Meadow Farm, the winery has been operated by the Denny family since 1998. It grows, produces and bottles all the grapes for the eight wines that it sells when the winery is open, which is Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. begnning in May and ending in December.

Thought I'd copy and paste what appears on the winery Web site about Gay Denny, the Mom of the Mom & Pop business, who died last year.

"She was the co-owner and was in charge of the Wine Cottage tastings and sales. Always interested in decorating, she made a career of creating bright and cheerful spaces for family and friends in her home and for customers in the various gift shops where she worked and managed. She was also an avid gardener and helped with all the vineyard and winery chores. She is dearly missed by her family."

She is survived by husband William and daughters Ellen, Nancy, Linda and their families. Ellen dropped me a note in response to my e-mail about why they close for several months, saying that they've always shut down during the winter and early spring. It was a way, she said, for her folks "to get a bit of a vacation from having to be tied to the house every weekend."

Fridays Creek dipping its toe into blog world

Saw where Fridays Creek Winery in Owings, Md., added a blog component in early December to its Web site. As regional wineries go, that's still rare.

In the month since it was added, winemaker Richard Cleary has put together a couple of entries including this one:

Hi all. Rich Cleary here, I am the winemaker for Fridays Creek Winery and I thought, maybe, a blog would be fun. So I will try to keep you, the fans, up to date with the happenings here at the winery. Since I am the winemaker, cellar rat, and marketer, my blog should be quite diverse. Everything from what I accomplished today or this week to what color bottles and capsules we will be using. I by far spend most of my time ratting away in the cellar, that is taking care of barrels and the wine in them, or racking wines from tank to tank. The more time I have for writing the more detailed I will get. For example, today I organized the storage area, (now to be known as the cellar). I racked 550 gallons of Cab 07 into barrels, 9 of them, New American White Oak from Keystone. I then racked 6 barrels of the new Patio White components into the clean tank. But first I transfered the 07 Gewurtraminer from a 505 gallon tank to the 550. It may sound boring but believe me it was uneventful. So long for now the oven bell just rang meaning my three loaves of bread are done.

I asked the winery by e-mail how the blog was going, and received this response earlier today from Frank Cleary Jr., who handles public relations among his other roles there:

Cleary: "The jury is still out on the blog component to our content management system; we have used it less than a month. We chose it because it is integrated in terms of user permissions to the rest of the site. Once we use it a bit we might go to a dedicated data base that requires a separate log-on to post items. I set it up to be easy for him to post. We decided not to allow comments by others yet till we get a feel for if, so the system has more capacity than we use."

The Event Grapevine: Jan. 2-4

-
One of my favorite regional events, the Soups of the World, takes place this month at Woodhall Wine Cellars in Parkton, Md., just off I-83. Woodhall serves a month’s worth of soups prepared by Patricia Della Casual Fine Dining, the restaurant that’s next door. Some are old classics (like Cream of Crab and Gumbo), and others are new (say Tom Yum Gai from Thailand).

All are served with bread from Stone Mill Bakery and Woodhall wine pairing recommendations.

The event starts next weekend, Jan. 10 and 11, and continues through the month, from noon to 3 p.m. Those who attend are served a bowl of each of three different soups. And to honor their anti-recession kick, they are holding last year’s price of $15 per person. Reservations are requested at 410.357.8644 or responding to this newsletter.

The menu for the month includes the following:

Jan. 10-11
Soups of ITALY
Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Bisque
Italian Wedding Soup
Tortellini in Brodo

Jan. 17-18
Soups of FRANCE
Vichyssoise
Butternut Squash Soup
Bouillabaise

Jan. 24-25
Soups of the ORIENT
Miso Soup (Japan)
Wonton(China)
Tom Yum Gai (Thailand)

Jan. 31-Feb. 1
Soups of AMERICA
Cream of Crab
Gumbo
Manhattan Clam Chowder

Otherwise, here’s what’s happening this weekend and beyond.

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Wine appreciation class ($$), Saturday, Jan. 10, 6 to 10 p.m.; home wine-making ($$), Sunday, Jan. 11, 1 to 3 p.m., link to winery site

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Academy Awards of Pennsylvania Wines ($$), Harrisburg Hilton, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2:55 p.m., tickets through the Wine Society of Pennsylvania; Taste of the Brandywine benefit at Hilton Garden Inn ($$), Friday, Jan. 23, 6 to 10 p.m., members of the wine trail will showcase its newest releases along with hors d’oeuvres provided by the Hilton; Eric Miller wine and food pairing dinner at The Kitchen Shoppe in Carlisle ($$), Friday, Jan. 23, 6 to 9 p.m.; Wine and Chocolate Reserve Tastings ($$), every weekend in February, link to winery site

Clover Hill, Breinigsville: Beginning wine-tasting class ($$), Saturday, Jan. 17, 3 to 4:30 p.m., reservations required, link to winery site

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: How Sweet It Is: wine & chocolate pairing ($$), Sunday, 2 p.m.; food and wine pairing ($$), Sunday, Jan. 11, 5:30 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Singles ($$), Friday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.; Insider’s Guide to Vintage 2008 ($$), five-course gourmet meal, Saturday, Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m.; Wine Tasting for Dummies ($$), Sunday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m.; link to winery site

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, link to winery site

Kreutz Creek Vineyards, West Grove: Music at West Chester tasting room, 44 E. Gay St., Fridays and Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m., link to winery site

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, link to winery site

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 site

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: Chocolate & Wine Weekend, weekend of Feb. 14-15, Berks County Wine Trail event, link to winery site

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 site

Twin Brook Winery, Gap: Tickets go on sale today for Valentine’s Concert in the Vineyard (44), 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., link to winery site

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 site

MARYLAND WINERIES

Basignani Winery, Sparks: Souper Saturday ($$), two soups and wine pairing, noon to 5 p.m. every Saturday in January, bring home a souvenir glass, link to winery site

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, link to winery site

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: Chili Winter Days ($$), Jan. 17-18, 24-25 and 31, 1 to 5 p.m.; Fond of You Fondue ($$), Saturdays in February, 1 to 5 p.m., link to winery site

Frederick Cellars, Frederick: Frederick Gives Back, fund-raiser for county Humane Society, Saturday; Inaugural celebration, stop by to toast the new president, Saturday, Jan. 17, and Sunday, Jan. 18, music at 7 p.m. on the 17th, and meet the new winemaker from 3 to 5 p.m. on the 18th link to winery site

Fridays Creek Winery, Owings: Wine & Chocolate Tasting United Way Fund-raiser ($$), Saturday, Jan. 24, link to winery site


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

$$ – Admission charge

Marburg Winery's home retail store closes

When news came out about the lineup for the 2009 Uncork York tour, Marburg Estate Winery was missing from among the group that took part in it the past couple years.

Now I understand why. A note on the winery's Web site indicates that the retail store that had been open at the home of Andy and Joan Smith permanently closed yesterday. The store and home, with a Spring Grove mailing address, took a few lefts and right off the main road to find, but the time I was there to taste yielded a couple of wines I liked (admittedly, my palate really leans toward dry) and a spread of munchies and desserts to die for.

The note on the site indicates that private tasting will be available in the near future and that its stand at the Hanover Market will cotinue to be open on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to noon at 210 East Chestnut St. Wine orders also can be placed by calling 717.633.7760.