"Cheers" from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultants

So far, our Wine Tips of the Week have been recommendations about wines that we have liked. This week we are changing things a bit and providing one tip about wine and one tip about a wine-related book we think is outstanding. Periodically, we'll provide some tips about wine-related books, wine trails, and other topics that we think will be interesting to wine lovers.


This Week’s Wine Tips!

St. Supery Moscato 2008

Made from 100% muscat blanc grapes, St. Supery's Moscato is a still wine from the Napa Valley. It is “deliciously floral, yet delicate with wonderful stone fruit aromas and flavors." The acidity balances its slight sweetness and makes it light and crisp with a long lasting floral finish. Great as an aperitif or with desserts. Serve slightly chilled. It is not a "dessert wine" but is a great accompaniment to dessert. We've had it several times and especially liked it with yellow cupcakes this weekend and look forward to having a refreshing glass on the patio this summer.

Currently, St. Supery’s 2008 Moscato and their Virtu 2006 Meritage are Chairman Selects. The Moscato is selling for $11.99 and its PLCB product code 18314. The Meritage is selling for $15.99 and its PLCB product code 17972.

St. Supery Winery and Vineyard is owned and operated by the Skalli family, originally from France. Known mostly for its cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and its Elu and Virtu blends.

The Moscato is more widely available than the Meritage, sometimes in large quantities at some Specialty Stores. But, not all specialty stores have either so check the PLCB Product Search webpage, and maybe call, before making a special trip.


What to Drink with What you Eat
by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page

Our friend, Frank, loaned this book to us at a recent AWS wine tasting event. He thought we would find it interesting. Interesting? We fell in love and immediately ordered it for ourselves.

This is a great reference book for any kind of dinner or entertaining. For the novice to the expert, it has all sorts of information on what to drink with what you eat and what to eat with what you drink. We had a great time looking up what to drink with what we were having for dinner that night, and then deciding what cheese to have with the wines we were planning to share with some friends on the weekend. It’s not just wines and cheeses. There is an alphabetical listing of all sorts of beverages from tea to vodka, and foods from cheese to rabbit and beyond. It is fun and educational to just sit and read besides being a “must have” reference volume.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page are a husband and wife team. Andrew is a former restaurant chef and Karen a Master Sommelier. They have used their expertise to create an invaluable book. What to Drink with What you Eat is the winner of the “Georges Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year” award.


Up-coming Events

March Madness

This extremely popular event at the Lehigh Valley wine trail wineries takes place during the month of March and at most of the wineries is truly madness. “Discover wine’s East Coast valley! The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is home to nine family-owned vineyards and wineries that have brought home the Governor’s Cup for eight out of the last nine years and won countless regional, state, national and international awards, including more than 50 for wines made from Chambourcin, its signature grape.

Designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2008, the Lehigh Valley is Pennsylvania’s fastest growing wine region. The fertile farmlands of the area provide an ideal growing environment, and the area’s close proximity to Philadelphia and New York City make the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail a beautiful and easy escape for wine lovers across the Mid-Atlantic region.”(excerpted from the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail http://www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com/

Each participant must purchase a March Madness passport for $30. This gains you admission to each of the wineries on the trail where they will have special wine and food pairings on each weekend during the month of March.

Many wineries have sold out of passports, so check the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail website for more information and to see if tickets are still available on-line. Just so you know, this event gets extremely busy at all the wineries and you may need to wait for space at the tasting bar.

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail website is http://www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com/


We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on about the Wine Tips of the Week.
Did you try them, like them, not like them? What are YOU drinking?


Additional Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Wednesday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina at the Gallery School of Pottstown.
Begins promptly at 6:30 PM. Cost TBD.

Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner. Location, Time and Cost TBD.

Many other events are TBD. Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

Thanks to those of you who participated in Wine after Five with Chocolate on Saturday night. Special thanks to Cathy, Erika, and Julie at the Gallery School, to Chef Steve O'Donnell for the wonderful chocolate desserts, and to Betsy Chapman for her romantic interludes on her harp. It seems like everyone had a wonderful time.

This Week’s Wine Tips!

Clos Reissier Pouilly-Fuisse` - From the village of Chaintre`, France. 100% Chardonnay - "the" white wine of Burgundy. Wine in France is named after the region in which it is grown and made, not the grape variety. Since this chardonnay is grown and made in Pouilly-Fuisse` rather than Burgundy, it's a Pouilly-Fuisse` not a Burgundy.

This Chardonnay is rich and full-flavored. Lovely straw-colored, it has a pleasant fruity flavor, is lightly oaked and has a pleasantly long finish. Clos Reissier Vineyard is one of the most famous vineyards in the Pouilly-Fuisse` region. We’ve had other Chardonnays from the Pouilly-Fuisse` region, but this was the best wine so far, in our opinion. Alcohol is 13% by volume. PLCB code 22292. At the time of this writing, it was available at PA Wine and Spirits stores in Lionville Shopping Center, Collegeville and Limerick at $17.99 per bottle. Check the PLCB website for availability near you, or ask your local store to order it for you.

Vynecrest Lemberger – This is a full-bodied dry red, also known as Blaufrankisch in Austria and Kekfrankos in Hungary. It is a German varietal and is deep red in color. It's distinctive flavor makes this wine an interesting alternative to the usual red table wine. Lemberger can be either very bold or gently light. The Vynecrest Lemberger tends to be more boldly flavored. It has good tannins so that it can be cellared for a few years, but is also great to drink now. It has a long finish. Alcohol is 13% by volume and is available at the winery for $14.99.

For more information about Vynecrest, go to our blog at http://vintageconnectionswineinfo.blogspot.com/

or to Vynecrest's website at http://vynecrest.com/index.htm

Upcoming Events

March Madness

This extremely popular event at the Lehigh Valley wine trail wineries takes place during the month of March and at most of the wineries is truly madness. “Discover wine’s East Coast valley! The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail is home to nine family-owned vineyards and wineries that have brought home the Governor’s Cup for eight out of the last nine years and won countless regional, state, national and international awards, including more than 50 for wines made from Chambourcin, its signature grape.

For more information about the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail and March Madness, go to our blog at

http://vintageconnectionswineinfo.blogspot.com/

or to the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail website at http://www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com/

Thanks to those of you who have posted comments on our blogs. Please take a look and post some comments of your own. We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on about the Wine Tips of the Week. Did you try them, like them, not like them? What are YOU drinking?

Additional Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Wednesday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina at the Gallery School of Pottstown.
Begins promptly at 6:30 PM. Cost TBD.

Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner. Location, Time and Cost TBD.

Many other events are TBD. Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster

"Cheers" from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultants

Last chance to register for Wine after Five with Chocolate at the Gallery School of Pottstown this Saturday, Feburary 13 at 6:30 PM.
Go to the Gallery’s link for more information and to register for this Valentine Day’s treat.  http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

View the video of our last Wine after Five tasting at the Gallery.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNxdudt7SSI

This Week’s Wine Tips!

House Wine 2006

From The Magnificent Wine Co. in the Columbia Valley, WA.  This was a pleasant surprise.  Don’t let the rustic label fool you into thinking you will be tasting someone’s first try at homemade wine.  A blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Syrah, 5% Sangiovese, 2% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc, this wine has great flavor at a great price.  Rich deep red in color, the flavor is bold and complex with soft tannins.  It has flavors of dark berries.  Alcohol is 13.9% by volume.  On sale at many PA Wine and Spirits stores for $10.99 (regularly $12.99).  PLCB product code 5656.  Always check your local store's inventory for availability at the PLCB Product Search page at

http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/Product_Management/psi_ProductDefault_inter.asp
Just enter House Wine in the top line and hit "search" at the bottom of the page.  You can then sort by county.

Calvaresi Riesling 2008 - From Calvaresi Winery in Bernville, PA. 

This is one of our favorite Rieslings.  It is full of fresh floral aromas, citrus flavors and well-balanced acidity.  Even though it has 2% residual sugar, the acidity balances it so well that it doesn’t taste sweet, just wonderfully floral and citrusy.  As Tom Calvaresi says himself “Rieslings are one of my pets” and year after year he makes an exceptional Riesling.  Available only at the winery for $12.95.  Alcohol 12% by volume.  Great with spicy Asian food or all by itself.  It won a silver medal at the PA Wine Competition. Check out Tom's other wines and hours of operation at his website

http://www.calvaresiwinery.com/

Up-coming Valentines Events

Wine after Five with Chocolate!  Wine and food pairing seminar. Five wines paired with five chocolate desserts prepared by Chef Steve O'Donnell.
At the Gallery School of Pottstown
Saturday, February 13, beginning promptly at 6:30 PM

(snow date, Saturday February 20)

Begin with Manatawny Creek Winery's Sparkling Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse.
End with Bogle's Phantom, a wonderful rich red blend, and decadent dark chocolate dessert.
$120 per couple, $65 single, $55 per person for Gallery members.

For more information and to register, go to the Gallery's website at

http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

Berks County Wine Trail, Wine and Chocolate Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14

For more information, go to the Berks County Wine Trail website at
http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/

Cookies and Wine for Valentine's Day at Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery

Saturday, February 13.  For more information, go to  http://www.galenglen.com/

Pottstown Mercury Blog Site
The Pottstown Mercury has started publishing our weekly wine recommendations on-line in The Grapevine, a blog you can access through the Mercury's on-line edition at http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs/pottstown/grapevine/blog.html

Thanks to those of you who have posted comments on both sites.  Please take a look and post some comments of your own.  We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on these two blogs.


Additional Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Wednesday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina at the Gallery School of Pottstown.
Begins promptly at 6:30 PM.  Cost TBD.

Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner.  Location, Time and Cost TBD.

Many other events are TBD.  Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide  

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster

"Cheers" from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultants

This Week’s Wine Tips!

This week we describe two more of the wines we will be serving and pairing with chocolate desserts at Wine after Five with Chocolate at the Gallery School of Pottstown on Saturday, Feburary 13.  Go to the Gallery’s link for more information and to register for this Valentine Day’s treat.  http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

Villa Giada Moscato d’Asti

  

 

This lightly effervescent, gently sweet wine is made from the white muscat grape from the heart of the Piedmont area of Italy.  It has a fresh fruity and floral aroma and tastes like spring in a glass.  It tastes and smells of fresh pear, peach, mango fruits and has a pleasantly long finish.  Not over powering or syrupy.  Drink now, well chilled.  We are serving the 2005 vintage during the Wine and Chocolate tasting at the Gallery.  Only the 2006 vintage is currently available in PA Wine and Spirits stores and is in very limited supply (at the time of this writing a few bottles were available at the stores in Wayne, Media, Flourtown, Narberth) and lists for $14.99.  We usually recommend wines that are readily available in PA, but this one is an exception.  A friend recommended it to us, we found a few bottles, and couldn’t resist.  Hopefully, a new vintage will be more easily available soon.  PLCB code is 25210.  Alcohol is 7% by volume. 

Dona Paula Estate Malbec

This deep ruby wine with violet tones is made from 100% Malbec grapes.  It is grown, produced and bottled on the estate in Mendoza, Argentina.  It is “elegant and complex” with aromas of licorice, plum and black cherries and flavors of blackberries and peppery spice.  It has a long and lingering finish.   We are serving the 2008 vintage during the Wine and Chocolate tasting at the Gallery and have to admit, the wine is young and the tannins are noticeable.  The 2007 vintage is currently available in PA as a Special Liquor Order (SLO) and lists for $18.19 with a minimum of 6 bottles.  PLCB code is 54945.  The tannins in the 2007 vintage should have softened a bit by now, but the wine is best laid down for 2-3 more years.  Alcohol is 14% by volume, which is typical for a Malbec, especially from Argentina. 

Wine Video - Go to the link below for a 3-minute video of our Wine after Five with Art on the Side wine tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown.    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNxdudt7SSI


Up-coming Valentines Events

Wine after Five with Chocolate!  Wine and food pairing seminar. Five wines paired with five chocolate desserts prepared by Chef Steve O'Donnell.
At the Gallery School of Pottstown
Saturday, February 13, beginning promptly at 6:30 PM

(snow date, Saturday February 20)

Begin with a Sparkling Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse.
End with Bogle's Phantom, a wonderful rich red blend and decadent dark chocolate dessert.
$120 per couple, $65 single, $55 per person for Gallery members.

For more information and to register, go to the Gallery's website at

http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

Berks County Wine Trail, Wine and Chocolate Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14

For more information, go to the Berks County Wine Trail website at
http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/

Cookies and Wine for Valentine's Day at Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery

Saturday, February 13.  For more information, go to 

http://sz0051.wc.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/mail#8

Please take a look and post some comments on our wine blogs.  We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on these two blogs.


Additional Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Wednesday, May 5, Cinqo de Mayo, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina at the Gallery School of Pottstown.
Begins promptly at 6:30 PM.  Cost TBD.

Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner.  Location, Time and Cost TBD.

Many other events are TBD.  Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide  

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster

"Cheers" from Vintage Connections

"Cheers" from Vintage Connections

Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultants

This Week’s Wine Tips!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and that has us thinking (and planning) about wine and chocolate.

In many of our wine appreciation classes and pairing seminars, we've paired dark chocolate with our final, boldest red wine.
Many wineries also bring out dark chocolate to pair with their final red, which often retains a bit of sweetness, but not always.

Many people are surprised at how wonderful dark chocolate and a deep, dark, red wine taste together. 
For Valentine's Day, whether you are staying at home, going to a restaurant, getting together with friends, or just looking for something interesting and delicious to do, we suggest pairing wine and chocolate. 

Lighter, slightly sweeter white wines are best paired with lighter, even white, chocolate.  Darker reds, especially those with some retained sweetness, pair well with deep, dark chocolate.  Try to match lighter wines with lighter chocolates and darker wines with darker chocolates.  Experiment.  If one combination doesn't work, try another (and another and another).  What fun the mistakes can be!  How fantastic the right pairings can be!

Manatawny Creek Winery's Raspberry Sparkling

This week we recommend Manatawny's Sparkling Raspberry as a Valentine's wine to match with white chocolate.  This wonderful sparkling wine is refreshingly semi-sweet and delicious and is made from fresh raspberries.  Its festive pink color and tiny bubbles make celebrating Valentine’s Day a truly romantic experience.   Try it with a white chocolate cheesecake or a white chocolate mousse, or both!  Joanne Levengood, the winemaker, says this wine is a "pleasing pink semi-sweet bubbly made from raspberries and is a very special treat."  She suggests it with Sunday Brunch, and we agree but also think it will be fantastic paired with white chocolate desserts.  Although we don't usually like (or recommend) sweeter wines, this one has its place and is a wonderful treat.  Manatawny's Sparkling Raspberry is available at the winery for $15.95.  Their website address is http://www.manatawnycreekwinery.com/

For our Wine after Five with Chocolate tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown, on Saturday, February 13, we are pairing this wonderful Sparkling Raspberry with a White Chocolate Mousse, prepared by Chef Steve O'Donnell.  For more information and tickets, go to the Gallery School's website at http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html


Pinnacle Ridge Winery's Veritas 2007

In good years, winemaker Brad Knapp blends several "Bordeaux" grapes to make his vintage Veritas.  We have bottles from several previous vintages, and truly miss the years the grapes are not good enough for Brad to blend this premier red wine.  2007 was a fine year and Brad has produced an outstanding Veritas 2007.  This classic Bordeaux blend is made with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.   It is deep, rich red in color with aromas of “toasty oak, vanilla and black fruits”.  It was aged for 16 months in American oak barrels and is extremely well balanced with flavors of blackberries and other dark fruits and has a long pleasing finish.  

Initially, Veritas, like other high quality red wines, has lots of tannins, which come from the skin of the red grape and the oak barrels in which it is fermented and aged.  So even though we are tempted to drink Veritas young, and we do, it is best when stored on its side in a cool, dark place for at least 5 years.  This is a wine that you can drink now if you enjoy some tannin (it's not bitter, but has a "bite" which we enjoy).  Over time, the tannins mellow, the different wines mature together in the blend, the wine changes, and an outstanding, well balanced, elegant wine results.  Usually, you'll want to pair this hearty red with steak, lamb, or other red meats.  However, as a treat for Valentine's Day, we are suggesting you give it a try with a semi-sweet or slightly dark chocolate.  Let us know what you think! 

Alcohol is about 12%  by volume.  The 2007 Veritas is $20 per bottle at the winery near Kutztown.  Pinnacle Ridge's website is http://www.pinridge.com/

For our Wine after Five with Chocolate tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown, on Saturday, February 13, we are pairing Pinnacle Ridge's 2005 Veritas with incredible chocolate chip cookies.  The tannins have softened, the blend has mellowed, and although it will still benefit from more years in the bottle, it is very drinkable now.  The cookies with semi-sweet chocolate chips, toasted brown cookie dough, crisp edges and soft centers, are mouth-watering all by themselves.  But the pairing of these chocolate chip cookies with Pinnacle Ridge's 2005 Veritas is fun and delicious.

Wine Video - Go to the link below for a 3-minute video of our Wine after Five with Art on the Side wine tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNxdudt7SSI