Chien: One view of SE PA wines

I don't remember previously sharing this entire December 2008 report by statewide viticulture extension educator Mark Chien, but this seems like an approprite time as I post some information on Saturday's tour of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. Chien has been a good friend to this blog, both in answering questions and helping me contact a few others who have served as sources. I know some of the winery proprietors in Maryland have mentioned to me how they wish they had someone in a similar role down there.

Here is Chien's assessment of the vineyards, wineries and wines of Southertern Pennsylvania:

It is amazing what can happen right under your nose and until you stop to smell you have no idea. The last time this happened, Daniel Roberts from Integrated Winegrowing came to look at soil pits in Lancaster County and told me what a dummy I was for not realizing that the Bedington soils here are ideal for growing wine grapes because of their high and deep rock content. In this case, you had to dig deep to get the whole picture and find someone smart enough to recognize it. It’s easier to survey the wine landscape by just going around with my own palate taste and eyes to see the vines. I spent some time in vineyards and wineries around Chester County last week and it turned out to be a bit of a revelation for me.

The Brandywine Wine Trail has become very successful. Its proximity to the big cities certainly offers advantages. Chaddsford Winery, our biggest and consistently one of the best producers has always anchored the wine industry in the area but now lots of new players are popping up like mushrooms around Kennett Square.

Now is actually a good time to look at vines. A naked vine without leaves reveals its architecture starkly and completely. Cane length and diameter, internode length, shoot positioning, canopy width, and many other canopy qualities are all exposed. It is pretty easy, even for an unskilled eye, to judge the balance of a vine right now. As I explored vineyards from Oxford west into Montgomery County it became quite apparent that the level of sophistication of viticulture is improving dramatically in Pennsylvania, even to the point of rivaling our west coast colleagues. I am constantly astonished at the accomplishment of viticulture by self-taught growers who figured out what works best on their site and then implement best practices. We are just neophytes at exploring and exploiting our terroir but we are definitely moving in the right direction. The wines are still in need of certain refinement but that will come with time. I’m past being surprised when I encounter a really nice Pennsylvania, now it is more matter of nuance or degree of quality. And the wines can only get better as we continue to refine viticulture (see Terroir article) and improve our vineyard site selection process.

Not that there is absolute agreement on how to grow fine wine between these producers. There are different philosophies and practices from wide to close spacing, divided and single canopies, training and trellis systems and practices vary widely and just about every other aspect of viticulture. What is common is the total commitment to quality. This is becoming more commonplace in our vineyards and the results are showing up in the bottle.

Maybe what caught my attention most on this circuit were the prices being commanded by some of the best wines in tasting rooms. That Pennsylvania wines have risen past the $50 mark for our best red wines represents significant milestone. The customer is the ultimate arbiter of quality and value and while there is a lot that goes into the price of the wine, the bottom line is always if someone will walk out of the door with it. If that is happening with $50 wines, we have come a very, very long way.

The $50 level is an important benchmark for wine prices, especially because it is, in the case of our small wineries, full retail price and every one of those dollars goes back to the producer. The trickle-down economics of the wine business means that the bottle price determines what can happen upstream from the cash register in terms of viticulture and enology, i.e. the quality of viticulture that can be applied to grow a great wine and the equipment and skills necessary to make it into one in the cellar. At $50 retail, the wine grower has a lot of options. And isn’t that what wine growing or running any business is really all about, having options? This is a capital intensive business and having investment capital translates into choices that can make even better wines.

If the wine consumer is the final arbiter of quality and value, the wine pundits, retailers and restaurateurs are the purveyors of the good news of Pennsylvania wines to the larger public. Unfortunately, the retail system in Pennsylvania, for the most part, is not a partner to the industry and can be discounted from any positive, functional form for promotions and sales with a few exceptions. It is my belief that getting our wines into the better restaurants, mainly in the city and suburbs but also country dining establishments, and poured by the glass, is the path to popularity and acceptance. I’m pretty sure this is how Oregon Pinot Noir entered into the wine consumer consciousness. Wine critics and the press always drag along behind consumer preference while restaurateurs are the most adventurous experimenters and adopters of new food trends. The realities of the “new economy” only help to position any locally grown food or drink products for wide-scale local acceptance. Why shouldn’t a customer in a fancy Philly restaurant chose a local red wine over one from France or California because of the carbon footprint and the relative value and quality of the wine choices they have?

The following is a list of some of the vineyards and wineries I visited recently. They are fine examples of the growth and potential of wine in Pennsylvania, and they represent a small slice of one region in the state. I have no doubt that there are exciting examples in every corner of the state.

Many of you are familiar with the vineyard of Jan and Kim Waltz in Manheim, either having attended a viticulture workshop there or purchasing their outstanding grapes. Jan has always dabbled in wine making and he is one of those persons whose amateur wines are often better than many commercial wines. There is no surprise here since the vineyard is one of the most meticulously maintained anywhere. It is easy to connect the quality dots in this case… great fruit can yield great wines. There is a reason I use it as my default teaching vineyards so growers, especially new ones, can soak in the vision of what a fine vineyard looks like and get exposed to Jan’s knowledge. It was inevitable but Jan and Kim have built a beautiful winery and tasting room on the property. It’s not quite done yet but wine was made there this vintage. I had a chance to taste the 2007 and 2008 wines and they are remarkable. Jan had a vision of Sauvignon Blanc growing were Merlot also excelled and has planted it along with Semillon. The sauvy is a shining example of the versatility of what this variety can do, from the absolute fruit forward New Zealand version to the more restrained, creamier, nutty, barrel fermented white Bordeaux or California style. While I’m not a big chard fan in general I think we can do very fine Chardonnay in SE PA and I might have to change my tune. Jan’s blend of three Dijon clones, stainless steel and barrel fermented versions were both incredibly fruit-driven wines with pure flavors of honey, apple, citrus, full and rich in the mouth, these are truly reminiscent of Pouilly-Fuisse, especially the barrel wine with its toast and smoke. Sauvy and Chard both appear to be well suited for our region but they are both rot prone so they need great viticulture to succeed consistently. I guess we are just a white wine region. That is, until I taste his reds. The 2007 estate Merlot is deep in color and full in body with layers of dark fruit flavors, great structure and balance. Merlot is a fruity red that, I believe, needs blending to add complexity. That is a practice that I think we can improve upon, maybe by getting some help from outside. Jan’s could easily stand alone as a varietal but I think it could be even better with some Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, Cab Franc for that herbal note and Petit Verdot for rusticity but I don’t know how to do it. His Cabernet Sauvignon is a surprise and delight. This block took it hard in the shins during the ‘04 freeze but they have brought it back and the 2008 is nice and ripe but with that savory quality that Jim Law describes in his reds and a character of Bordeaux. No one will mistake it for a cult Napa cab but who would want to anyway? This is a foodie’s wine and it had me thinking of what to pair it with. Okay, well, by now you know I wear my palate on my sleeve when it comes to the Waltzes. These wines couldn’t happen to a nicer and more deserving family.

Further south Tony and Karen Mangus are doing a magnificent job with their 12-acre all-vinifera Historic Hopewell Vineyard in Oxford. The vineyard is exceptionally well-developed and managed, trained to VSP and Scott Henry. They currently sell their grapes but are planning to build a winery. This is a vineyard to watch.

Tony and Karen Vietri are making exceptional, mostly Italian varietals and blended wines at Va La Vineyards in Avondale. They renovated a beautiful old stone barn into one of the coziest tasting rooms in the region. The viticulture here is meticulous on the unusually spaced 5 x 7 (5’ between rows) vineyard, VSP, with severe crop management. On a weekend there is hardly anything in the world more enjoyable than the smell of garlic and tomato sauce wafting down from the art/café into the tasting room where they also sell local artisan cheeses and chocolates. It is the full sensory overload experience.

Paradocx Vineyard is one of our biggest, mostly vinifera vineyards in Landenberg, owned and operated by the four “docx” it has hit its stride and is making delicious wines in a new winery built into a hillside. Here, too, canopy management is beautifully executed by vineyard manager Ana Castillo. The tasting room is on Rt 1. I tasted two delicious Chardonnays from local vineyards – the old vines at Haywagon Vineyard and Old Stone Farm.

I wrote about Penns Wood Winery earlier in the year and my opinion of Gino Razzi’s wines is still in force after visiting his new tasting room in an old house on the former Smithbridge Vineyard property (the winery is in Eddystone). Gino has taken one of the oldest vinifera vineyards in the state and breathed new life into it and, along with purchased grapes from the outstanding Waltz Vineyard, is making some truly delicious wines with depth and character. I’ll say again that his winery is now a standard for small wineries in the region and I continue to wonder about the value, importance and practicality of rotary fermenters for red wines in our region. The Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe and delicious, the ultimate test for wine in our region.

Chaddsford Winery still is the standard measure for wines in Pennsylvania. Brett Mihalsik manages the daylights out of their vinifera and hybrid vineyard in northern Chester County so regardless of vintage variation, great grapes always appear on the crush pad. The wines include an eclectic mix of Bordeaux and Italian varieties and blends, along with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay along with delicious hybrids, including vineyard designated Chambourcins. I recently participated in a reserve tasting and also tasted a flight of Pinot Noirs and found all the wines to be full and flavorful – the Merican and Due Rossi are standouts.

Further to the east Karamoor Estate near Fort Washington has 17 acres of various clones of Bordeaux red varieties and Dijon clones of Chardonnay managed by Nelson Stewart. I have always been skeptical of the ability of Cabernet Franc as a stand-alone variety in Pennsylvania. The Karamoor ’08 has changed my mind about that. It is deep, layered, complex, and elegant. I would love to see Michel Rolland construct a Bordeaux blend from these materials. Wow! This is currently the most immaculate vineyard that I have seen in the state. If viticulture matters to the quality of a wine, then this is the acid test for that theory. With the help of Lucie Morton, this is modern viticultural methodology put into practice with quite stunning results. Wines are not yet available and no visitors are permitted but if you ever have a chance to talk with Nelson he is a viticultural encyclopedia.

Rich Blair’s home vineyard is in Mertztown but his new vineyard north of Kutztown takes your breath away. On the PVSAS scale it’s probably a 9+ out of 10 (the home vineyard is a 7+). It was one of our first vineyard sites selected for its viticultural potential and, more specifically, the ability to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Beautiful exposure on rolling hills with gentle to steep slopes and rocky soils this site seems to have it all. Rich will prove the point in the coming years and the early results from young vines are full of promise. Gewürztraminer and Chardonnays from a blend of Dijon clones are vibrant and delicious. The Pinot Noirs are softer and reminiscent of Volnay. Some new methods and winery equipment will help to bolster these wines. This is a very exciting new project and Rich, who is also the current president of PAW, is full dedicated to quality.

There are many other wineries and vineyards in the region and it seems like more vineyards and wineries appear each week. This is a great day trip for anyone living in the SE PA area. My favorite BYO is chef-owner Nick Farrell’s Sovana Bistro in Unionville.

I think, in the end, what these wine producers represent is the basic formula for making a fine wine… taking a good to outstanding site and applying terrific viticulture to it then handing off to a talented wine maker and letting the cellar do its work. On both sides of the equation good equipment and facilities are necessary. The key in the vineyard is that the fruit get fully mature. In most cases this mean combining meticulous canopy management with yield regulation. There is definitely vintage variation and it is easy to taste between some of the wines in 2007 and 2008 but some ‘07’s are better than ‘08s and vice versa. Vintage variation will always be a part of Eastern wine growing but it should never be an excuse for mediocre wines. As in Europe, we have the knowledge and tools to mitigate the effects of a poor vintage. Vintage should add character and variety to our wines.

We can really do very nice white wines in the different regions of Pennsylvania, like those in the Endless Mountains, around Erie and across the Lehigh Valley. Black Ankle Vineyard’s Albarino and Gruner Veltliner and Elk Run’s Gewurztraminer in central Maryland are two other examples of the region’s white wine prowess. I know there are countless other Pennsylvania examples that I have not mentioned. Whites are generally more forgiving and malleable in the vineyard and cellar. As we continue to work on and refine the reds, they will certainly get much better. We can make “food friendly” reds which used to be a pejorative term for a wine but now refers to a wine with balance, restraint and class, one that doesn’t blow the food off of the table. But this is very exciting news for our industry and most of all for wine consumers.

I’ll clearly have to come down here more often to check out what’s going on since the wine scene changes every day. All of the above is just my humble opinion and few will agree with everything I say. I am hoping that it may make you curious enough to get out there and try survey the wine landscape around the state and region. I think it is pretty important that people involved in the wine industry along with wine consumers and critics explore these vineyards, wineries and wines because they appear to represent the vanguard of quality in the state. It is good for all of us to calibrate our progress against those who appear to be most aggressively pursuing it.

A good place to start looking for information is the web site for the Brandywine Wine Trail at http://www.bvwinetrail.com/

Spending Saturday hitting the Barrels trail

Winemaker Eric Miller, at Chaddford, and an outside and inside look of the Penns Woods tasting room on Beaver Valley Road.

Just a couple of notes from one day on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. First, my thanks to everyone for their hospitality on Saturday. There were a fair number of folks at every stop, and those my wife and I talked to were planning to hit at least three or four wineries on the cloudy and damp afternoon. A couple of proprietors said that while the numbers have been good this March for visitors, that the sales haven't corresponded. But there was no shortage of fun; a few pulled up in limos and it was obvious that there was no shortage of beverage or food in the vehicle.

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We started at Chaddsford Winery, for no other reason than it's the perfect spot to begin the journey when you're driving over from King of Prussia AND you know that every one will be good to excellent. They offered a 2007 Naked Chardonnay and 2007 Proprietors Reserve White at the first stop, then had winemaker and co-owner Eric Miller, see above, pulling duty at the second tasting station, where he offered a sample of the 2006 bottled Cabernet Sauvignon and some of the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon out of the barrel. Want big red? Wait for that '08 to age some more and be bottled. Great stuff. At tasting station No. 2 was a 2006 Pinot Noir and a 2005 Chambourcin, the grapes grown her in York County by Seven Valleys Vineyard. That's the one that has been for sale, the asking price the last we heard at $2.3 million. Then it was upstairs for the fourth station, where Chaddsford offered a 2007 Sunset Blush and Hot Mulled Spiced Apple that, frankly, was perfect for the chilly afternoon.

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We were among a handful who drove back up U.S. 1 and south on Route 202 to Beaver Valley Road, site of the Penns Woods Winery, where we walked into the tasting room that resides in an old house on the former Smithbridge Vineyard property. Four wines were offered to sample: a no-name blush that the winery is asking for suggestions for a name, a Traminette, a Chambourcin and also a Merlot. The sampling was done in the back room; the front room where the tasting bar was located was filled with what seemed to be those who were not not part of Barrels. Winemaker Gino Razzi's list includes 24 wines and they range from five selling at $18.50 to three ranging over $50: an 2004 Ameritage Reserve for $52, a 2005 Ameritage Reserve for $55, and a 2002 Ameritage Reserve for $78. Those who have tasted the Reserves, including longtime Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan, rave about them.

Naylor offer futures opportunity at '10 wines

Couple of notes out of the Naylor Wine Cellars in Stewartstown, from owner Dick Naylor. He wrote in the latest newsletter that "2008 was the best year since 2001. Early spring, perfect fruit set with ample spring rains got the vineyard off to a good start. A fairly dry September with warm days and cool nights contributed to a large crop with great quality. Again, more than ever before we performed major crop thinning. Particularly on Chardonnay, Chambourcin, Vignoles and Shiraz. This effort allowed the quality of the grapes remaining to sruge to levels we have had before, which is producing many spectacular wines.

"More home winemakers than ever came to the vineyard for juice, grapes and winemaking supplies, and the amount of customers who came to "pick their own' for pie making and jelly was larger than ever. Give us a call in August and we can let you know the availability of the grapes and juice."

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I've gone to barrel tastings at Woodhall Wine Cellars in Parkton, Md., and put money down on wine I like that I'll pick up later in the spring or summer once it has been bottled. Naylor is taking oney for wine that won't be bottles until next March. He wrote: "On March 1, 2010, we will be releasing a Shirz and a Chardonnay Reserve which we are taking orders to now. Future wines are sold by subscriptions. Customers can taste the Chardonnary Reserve and the Shiraz which will sell for $18.95 when released, but the advanced price will be discounted by 25 percent ($14.71 per bottle) to Futures' buyers. At the time of your order, a 25 percent deposit is required, 50 percent will be due at bottling (about Nov. 1, 2009), and the remaining 25 percent due when the wine is ready for release (around March 1, 2010). There is a three bottle minimum and we are excited to offer you a tasting of these wines at the wineryin Stewartstown."

More thoughts from the NY Wine boss

Followers of this blog have frequently read the weekly thoughts and opinions of executive director Jim Trezise of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. Sharing a couple other that seem to me to have some relevency no matter what state you live in.

FLOWER SHOPS may sell wine in Iowa for an annual license of only $25, and Iowa wineries report brisk sales along with the bouquets. This is one of many ways in which that supposedly conservative midwestern state is far more liberal than the “Empire State,” and as far as we know Iowa doesn’t have major problems with underage purchase, drunken driving or related issues. At this week’s WineAmerica meeting in Washington, North Carolina’s Margo Metzger made the great suggestion that a summary of all states’ laws and regulations be compiled for the sake of comparison so enlightened public policy could be proposed. This will take some time, but it will happen.

POLITICS is a fascinating game, as I was reminded last week shuttling between Albany (final budget negotiations) and Washington (federal issues) and meeting with the game’s “players”—politicians who for some reason subject themselves to hard decisions, media scrutiny, and voter outrage. For most people, “March Madness” means basketball, but in Albany it’s the annual drama of negotiating a State budget by the April 1 deadline, a process commonly known as “three men in a room”—the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, and Speaker of the Assembly—shaping roughly a $126 billion budget, this year in the face of a $16 billion deficit. To his credit, Governor David Paterson raised a red flag about the impending fiscal crisis last August and presented his budget proposal a month early in mid-December to get the process going, yet has received widespread criticism in the months since then. Among the issues affecting the grape and wine industry are his proposals to allow the sales of wine in grocery stores, a tripling of the wine excise tax, and funding for the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. The first issue has been particularly nasty—World War III, as I predicted in the Wine Press last December—with the liquor lobby and wholesalers pitted against the grocery store lobby, while New York wineries are caught uncomfortably in the middle. On the federal level, immigration reform (AgJobs) has long been an equally inflammatory issue rarely mentioned during the Presidential campaign and still treated like a hot potato because of the “A” word (Amnesty), a red herring. These are not simple issues, nor are they fun for our elected officials to tackle. But fortunately they do, and to the best of their ability in shaping policies for the greatest good, for which we should be grateful. Over the years, I have come to know many public officials on many levels and on both sides of the aisle, and most are truly fine human beings doing a tough job under a microscope. Yes, there are exceptions, and the occasional scandal, but “public servant” describes well who they are. This was reinforced for me on Thursday when I flew on the same plane home from Washington with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who sponsored the New York Wine & Grape Foundation legislation 25 years ago and now chairs the powerful House Rules Committee. She is one of the most dedicated, intelligent, and hard-working people I’ve ever known, and even when technically off the job was asking people how they felt about key issues and what she could do to help them. It wasn’t about her, it was about them. She wasn’t looking for votes, she was looking to help. These are tough times, and politicians get bashed a lot. Maybe we should consider saying “Thank you” instead.

Winemaking finding itself in more homes

If more people are inquiring about what it takes to start a winery, as was discussed at the Pennsylvania Wine Association conference in Penn State on Tuesday, then is the same increase in interest being shown in home-winemaking?

Or, is there any juice to the feeling that this passion for winemaking is getting legs? The answer, apparently, is yes. At least that's what John Kramb has seen at Adams County Winery in Orrtanna, Pa., since they began selling the equipment and kits and offering classes a year ago.

"We did the home winemaking classes to get people over the fear of flying sort of thing," he said by phone on Thursday. "We've had anywhere from 10 to 20 people in a class." The next one is scheduled for May 10. The cost is $25. "I take them step by step with our kit wines; here's how you do this, here's how you do this, here's how you do this, and there's a little bit of hands-on to that. And then they say, 'This isn't so scary after all.'"

The response has been high enough to convince Kramb to find a supplier who can help the winery expand its collection of equipment and kits. That equipment, Kramb said, is hardware that only needs to be purchased once as long as people take care of it. In the kits are the grape concentrate and other additive needed to make wine, generally around 5 gallons. Together they equipment and kits cost around $200.

Kramb said he sells higher-end kits, but generally steers newcomers away from those until they complete a class and try some of the basic ones. Students, he said, are attentive in these classes, which last more than an hour and less than two. "They ask good questions," Kramb said. "I change my instruction a little based on if i start seeing the same questions repeated. Our goal is to get people to where they're comfortable making their own wine."

It should be noted that this is the final weekend for Tour de Tanks, and by all indications this fourth annual event that allows passport holders to visit nine wineries has been by far the most successful.

"It has been incredible," Kramb said, then switching to his typical dry humor, "I attribute that to two things. Evidently there's some sort of economic downtown going on. We are not participating personally, but people are more motivated to do things locally. The other reason for us is that [before this year] we were the only winery this far west. Now there are three, and people are more inclined to take the trip out here."

Kramb couldn't provide specific numbers, only an anecdote. "I can tell you this, and this is just coming from memory. The second Saturday of the Tour de Tanks is usually the busiest day of the whole thing, and we had 100 more people than we did the previous year, and that's significant. And the other days have reflected that."

MBBWL trying to rally support at O's opener

Adam Borden, executive director of Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, sent out an e-mail that spent more time looking ahead than behind. Disappointed but undaunted, work already is under way to move Maryland among the states that allow for direct shipping. But that battle will run over the next 11 months. In the meantime, here's what Borden sent out.

1, Well, it is official: the House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee officially killed HB1262, the direct wine shipping bill, last night. Though you could look at this as another defeat, I am really optimistic about the progress we made this year towards gaining passage in 2010. The Committee engaged this issue like they have not before, and we are very appreciative of all of our supporters in the House and Senate for this initiative. Please be sure to thank your elected officials who co-sponsored the bills (here’s a link to find yours: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MarylandersforBetter/ddf7d79abb/5160fd4178/162ec6be3a) this year and make sure they know you expect them to do the same next year too.

2, What better sign of spring than a new Baltimore Orioles season, and we’d like to send you and a friend to opening day Monday, April 6th. We were just approved to hand out 50,000 flyers to the stadium-goers, and we need 50 volunteers to cover the crowd. The game starts at 4:05 p.m., so the time commitment would be 1 to 4:30 p.m. Once the game starts and the crowds entering Oriole Park start to subside, we will hold a raffle among our volunteers to win two tickets to go inside the gates. Please let me know via e-mail (aborden at mbbwl.org) as soon as possible if you are able to help out, and please pray for good weather!

3, To get ready for 2010, WE NEED YOUR MONEY AND TIME! We have so far raised almost $3,000 from many of you, and we thank those who have already contributed. To be able to get out the word to more Marylanders, we unfortunately need more money. Even $10 or $20 helps us to print up more flyers and send out more emails. Please click here to donate: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MarylandersforBetter/ddf7d79abb/5160fd4178/268ce3c2a9/cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2184279. We are also in need of more volunteers to do simple things like calling members to update their contact information or coordinating volunteer wine tastings. Drop me a line if you have a couple of hours or more, and we will definitely be able to put you to good work.

4, We held our first critical wine tasting a couple of weeks ago and want to report back. Thanks to the following wineries for generously donating their wines for critical evaluation. Remember: Though some of these wines may be available in Maryland retailers or restaurants, none of them can legally be directly shipped to you in Maryland due to current restrictions.

St. Michael’s Winery 2007 Maryland Merlot
Though rooting for the home team, many found this wine to be a little “too light” in many respects. The color was “light red” to “reddish brown” with a “slight fruit” or “light spice” nose. The wine’s “light body” and “dryness” in texture and taste left some reviewers wondering “where did it go?” Perhaps the wine “possibly needs time?”

Wente Vineyards 2006 Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvignon
This “dark” and “garnet” red wine was “very good” and made people “happy to drink it.” Its fruity aroma – “red fruit in my face” – and full body were good initial signs. The taste was “dry” and “spicy” with “slight fruit” like currant. The wine’s “medium to long finish” led some to say it was “approachable” and “I’d buy a case.”

Bridgeview Blue Moon 2005 Cabernet Merlot Blend
The tasting’s most popular selection – “nice balance” – was “garnet” with an “orange/brown” undertone in color. The “musty coffee” with a hint of “cassis” bouquet complemented the “velvety smooth” texture of the wine. “Lots of red fruit” and “sweetness on the back of the tongue” stayed with our panel for a “medium” length finish. Perfect for “late night sipping.”

Please get in touch if you too would like to help critically evaluate wines for MBBWL. Hope to see you at the game!

The Event Grapevine: March 26-29

OK, it’s not a wine event. But our friends over at John J Jeffries Restaurant, 300 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, Pa., alternate pairings that involve regional wines or beers. This Sunday, they will match a four course meal with beers from Swashbuckler Brewing Company in Manheim, Pa.

Happy Hour will start at 5:30 p.m., with the dinner to commence at 6. Tickets are $52 per person, include tax and gratuity. You can call 717.431.3307 to make reservations. As for what’s planned?

First Course: Spring Onion Bisque with Swashbuckler's Gold
Second Course: Spring Beet Carpacciowith Red Sea Amber
Third Course: Bistro Steak and Farmer Tom's Watercress Saladwith Porter


Fourth Course: Spring Maple Cheesecakewith Belgium Sasion

The folks at John J Jeffries also team up with Pinnacle Ridge and Chaddsford wineries for these monthly Sunday night events. We’ll publicize those, and the rest, as they send us the information.

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

PENNSYLVANIA WINERIES

Adams County Winery, Orrtanna: Wine Appreciation class ($$), Saturday, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; home wine-making class ($$), Sunday, May 10, 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 ($$), 2 to 5 p.m., all require reservations at 741.3072, all events at the Wine Gallery in Olde Tollgate Village EXCEPT for Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; music of Ravensun ($$), Saturday, April 11, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Black Walnut Winery, Sadsburyville: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), 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, although closed on Easter Sunday, link to winery

Boyd’s Cardinal Hollow Winery, North Wales: Nina singing live, Saturday, April 11, 5 to 8 p.m., link to winery

Chaddsford Winery, Chaddsford: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries; reserve tastings ($$) begin in April, 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. every Saturday; Wine 101 ($$), Thursday, April 9, 6 to 8 p.m. with Eric Miller, the first of a series of classes that run through May; Pierre Noir release party, Friday, April 3; Crazy Eric sale at the winery, Saturday, April 11, starting at 8 a.m.; technical tour program, free, starting April 1, on Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., reservations accepted, link to winery

Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event; beginner tasting class ($$), Saturday, April 25, 3 p.m.; A Taste of Spring, a Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Country Creek Winery, Salford Township: Dinner at Brazzo Downtown ($$), Thursday; Liquid Fridge will perform, Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m., link to winery

Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Washington Crossing: Wine 101, Mondays at the Wine Institute ($$), 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., topic on March 30 is Types of Wine; Pairing Wine and Cheese ($$), Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m., link to winery

Cullari Vineyards & Winery, Hershey: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Four Springs Winery, Seven Valleys: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

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

Hauser Estate Winery, Biglerville: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; winemaker’s dinner ($$), Friday, Restaurant Sydney in East Berlin; Candlelight Friday, last Friday of every month, 5 to 8 p.m., wine tasting, music and warm food; Fire and Wine, burning of the grape vine trimmings, Saturday, April 4, 3 to 6 p.m., 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 ($$), 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.; Taste of Spring, Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery, Wrightsville: Music every Friday (6 to 9 p.m.), Saturday (2 to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (2 to 5 p.m.); Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; champagne brunch ($$), Sunday, April 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., call 717.252.9463 for reservations, link to winery

Naylor Wine Cellars, Stewartstown: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries; Forget The Taxes and red Wine Dinner ($$), Saturday, April 18, 3 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, 2 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Nissley Vineyards & Winery Estate, Bainbridge: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Paradocx Vineyard, Landenberg: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery


Penns Woods Winery, Eddystone: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, all events will be at the tasting room location, 124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610.459.0808, link to winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery, Kutztown: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event; Taste of Spring, Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, link to winery

Reid’s Ochards & Winery, Ortanna: New winery; Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March 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, link to winery

Rushland Ridge, Rushland: Reopened, link to winery

Seven Valleys Vineyard & Winery, Glen Rock: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend through March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

Stargazers Vineyard & Winery, Coatesville: Barrels on the Brandywine ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail 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 ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Brandywine Valley Wine Trail wineries, link to winery

Va La Vineyards, Avondale: Open Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.; a proud participant this year in the 2009 Avondale League of Octogenarians Spring Swimsuit Festival, link to winery

Vynecrest Vineyards & Winery, Breinigsville: March Madness ($$), passport required, a Lehigh Valley Wine Trail event; Championship Phillies Saturday, April 4, link to winery

Waltz Vineyards, Manheim: New winery, open Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. at least through the end of March, and by appointment, link to winery

West Hanover Winery, Harrisburg: Tour de Tanks ($$), continuing every weekend in March at all Uncork York wineries, link to winery

MARYLAND WINERIES

Basignani Winery, Sparks: Pizza and herbs ($$), April 18-19, noon to 5 p.m., link to winery

Black Ankle Winery, Mt. Airy: 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; Crumbling Rock vs. the World ($$), Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.; seven-course wine dinner at Buds of Silver Run ($$), Monday, March 30, 6:30; pasta making and wine pairing with Michael & Laurie Forster ($$), Sunday, April 5, noon to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m., link to winery

Boordy Vineyards, Hydes: 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; Music in the Cellar, Saturdays, 6:30 or 7 p.m., link to winery

Sugarloaf Mountain, Dickerson: 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; “April in Paris,” April 18-29, noon to 5 p.m., come taste Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard's Bordeaux style red wines as well as its Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio along with light French fare, music and ambiance. Take a tour of our state of the art winery and its 200 French oak barrels used for aging SMV wines. Further details will be posted at www.smvwinery.com in the near future, 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

WINE TRAIL EVENTS

Tour de Tanks, 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, 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.

March Madness, Lehigh Valley Wine Trail passport event, continuing on weekends through the end of March; sold out, you can find information on the event here.

Trail of Spring, third annual Berks County Wine Trail event, April 25-26, with wine and food pairings.

$$ – Admission charge

CLASSES

Wine School of Philadelphia: Wine 101: Intro to Wine ($$), Thursday, April 16, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., 2006 Fairmount Ave., Philly; Core Wine Certification ($$), classes for spring semester will begin April 23, contact Keith at 215.965.1514 x55, link to Web site