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Wine recommendations and comments from Dean and Lisa Foster, Vintage Connections Wine Educators and Consultants. Most wines are available in Southeastern Pennsylvania and are priced between $10 and $20. Up-coming "wine events" available in the Pottstown Tri-county area are listed.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Wines of the Finger Lakes Trip Summary

This posting is a short summary of our week of winery visits and wine tasting in the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.  We will be using some of these wines in our Wines of the Finger Lakes class this Thursday, October 28 at MCCC in Pottstown (6:30-8:30 PM).  Registrations can still be made for this class by calling MCCC's Continuing Education office at the Pottstown Campus at 610.718.1861 until 4 PM Thursday.            
From Sunday night through Friday afternoon, we visited 44 wineries, not even half of the total in the Finger Lakes.  We averaged about 8 tastes per winery, so we estimate that we tasted about 350 wines.  Most wineries limit customers to tasting 6 wines, usually for a $1-5 fee but often they'll allow an extra taste or two if they are not busy and if you are genuinely interested in wine and seem like you are going to buy. Often, we were offered several additional tastes.  Sometimes, we each tasted different wines and shared with each other when the pours were large enough to do so.


We bought several good examples of affordable Finger Lakes wines, some of which we thought would be interesting in our Wines of the Finger Lakes class.  However, we found that most wineries were serving and selling their 2008 vintage, which was a wet year in the Finger Lakes, often leading to lighter, thinner wines, especially reds.  We found many good examples of Riesling, the wine the Finger Lakes are famous for, as well as some good Gewertztraminers and Traminettes, and a few good Chardonnays and Sevals.  Some wineries were still serving and selling 2005, 2006, and 2007 vintages.  The 2005 and 2007 wines were good and we found a few examples of excellent reds from those vintages, especially 2007.  We also found a few unique blends.

Riesling is the signature wine of the Finger Lakes.  A few years ago, most Rieslings were made to be semi-sweet and sweet, but as wine drinkers have matured and drier wines have become more marketable, many wineries are producing a range of Rieslings. The Rieslings ranged from very dry (almost no residual sugar) to Late Harvest and Ice Wine, which are semi-sweet and sweet (high in residual sugar).  Many were unimpressive as many wineries were serving and selling the 2008 vintage.  However, some wineries made excellent 2008 Rieslings and some were still serving and selling the 2007 vintage.


Good red wines were harder to find, but we found a few very good Cabernet Francs, some good Baco Noirs, and some good red blends, often from the 2007 and even the 2005 vintages.  Good red wines were more expensive (often $25 or more) than the good whites ($15-20).  We found a few bargains, including some blends that were unique, interesting, and tasty.

We had some extraordinarily good experiences wine tasting, and many just so-so experiences.  So many people travel to and taste wine in the Finger Lakes, sometimes the servers seem disinterested and are obviously just doing their jobs.  Other times, the servers are very interested in wine, in the people they are serving, and help create a wonderful, educational wine-tasting experience.  We would never visit most of these wineries on a weekend as they get hundreds, sometimes thousands, of visitors each day and have to move people through the tastings as quickly as they can.  On weekdays, however, staff are less harried and sometimes we were the only people in the tasting room, especially earlier in the day (most open at 10 AM and close at 5 PM on weekdays).
A few of our favorite wineries this trip, those where we found good wines at reasonable prices and friendly, knowledgeable staff, included Lakewood, Hermann Wiemer, Heron Hill, Prejean, Red Tail  Ridge, Fox Run,  Billsboro and White Springs on the West side of Seneca; Leidenfrost on the East Shore of Seneca;  Goose Watch and Sheldrake Point on the West side of Cayuga, and Heron Hill, Hunt Country, and Keuka Spring on Keuka.  Many other wineries were fine as well, but the stars were especially well-aligned this trip when we visited these wineries.  We had many other good experiences and found some good and affordable wines at other wineries, but in retrospect, these are the most memorable and where we bought the most or some of the best wine.

For our Wines of the Finger Lakes class this coming Thursday, we have narrowed down our examples to Red Tail Ridge Semi-dry Riesling or Heron Hill Single Vineyard Riesling, Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cuvee Rouge, Fox Run Arctic Fox, Bellhurst Golden Pheasant, White Springs Gewurtztraminer and Lucas Cabernet Franc.  Registrations can still be made for this class by calling MCCC's Continuing Education office at the Pottstown Campus at 610.718.1861 until 4 PM Thursday.

We have some other good examples as well, so plan to offer an Finger Lakes II class sometime soon.

All in all we had a good trip, a great time, and look forward to returning to the Finger Lakes in a couple of years when the 2010 vintage is released.  Like Eastern Pennsylvania, 2010 was a dry year in the Finger Lakes so most of the 2010 vintage wines should be much more concentrated, intense, and tasty than most of those we found this year.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

To the Finger Lakes!

To the Finger Lakes!

This week we're headed to the Finger Lakes to visit 40 or more wineries and taste 250 or so wines.  While we are away, we'll update our Vintage Connections Wine Blog as often as we can, hopefully every day after finishing the day's "work."  We'll include information about the Finger Lakes wines, wineries, and wine region in those posts.

We're posting just this one entry in The Grapevine this week while we are on the road, so if you want to read about our daily experiences and wine recommendations, check out our Vintage Connections Wine blog throughout this week.

When we return, we'll use 6 of our favorite Finger Lakes wines in our Wineries of the Finger Lakes class on Thursday, October 28.  You can still register by calling MCCC at 610.718.1846.

Enjoy Responsibly!
UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

 

MCCC Classes
See page 11 of the flier.
Call 610.718.1861 to register.

Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

 
Saturday, October 23
Five course dinner, each course paired with a different wine.  Kimberton Arts Center  6:30 PM, $75 per person or $525 for a table of 8.

Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization. 

Fun Fact
The Finger Lakes, located in upstate New York, actually consist of 11 long narrow lakes that run north to south.  Only three of the lakes actually boast multiple wineries.  These three lakes are Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga, though Canandaigua, Conesus and Hemlock lakes also have wineries. 

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz.  They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.

There will be another quiz someday!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Wine Tips - Blair Vineyard's Pinot Noir

 For more detailed information about Blair Vineyards go to our other blog, Vintage Connections Wine Info.

Blair Vineyards

Blair recently opened their new facility at 99 Dietrich Valley Road, near Kutztown, and is now open seven days a week.  

The beautiful new building houses not only a large, beautiful tasting room, but the complete winery as well. 


Blair Vineyards Lower Block Pinot Noir
 


Blair produces several different Pinot Noirs, along with several chardonnays, a Bordeaux-type blend called Wedding Cuveee, and several other excellent wines.

We chose their Bordeaux-type blend, Wedding Cuvee, for
our Pennsylvania Wines class on October 14 at Montgomery County Community College in Pottstown.  We will be using Blair Vineyard's Lower Block Pinot Noir at the benefit wine dinner for Mom's House on October 23.
  This excellent Pinot Noir is brilliant garnet in color with earthy aromas and flavors of black cherry. 

Wines of Pennsylvania class

Thursday, October 14, at Montgomery County Community College's Pottstown Campus.

We got so excited about these wines, we bought extra so you can still register until 4 PM the day of the class, this Thursday, October 14.  Class begins at 6:30 PM and will last until about 9 PM.

We have chosen 6 wonderful wines from 6 local wineries. There are over 100 commercial wineries in PA and these are six of the best.  More information on these wines is available at our other blog, Vintage Connections Wine Info.

Knarly VIneGalen Glen Winery 2009 Gewutztraminer - This German style wine won a gold medal at the recent 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine competition. 

Calvaresi Winery 2009 Riesling - Typically a German wine, this delicious Pennsylvania Riesling has become the signature wine of Calvaresi Winery.  


Manatawny Creek Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc - Aged primarily in Pennsylvania oak barrels, this richly-colored, aromatic red wine contains hints of tobacco, cherry and herbal notes. 


Pinnacle Ridge Winery 2008 Chambourcin -  Chambourcin is the signature wine of the Lehigh Valley and does well throughout most of the East Coast.  This wine won a silver medal at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Wine Competition.  It is aged 10 months in Pennsylvania oak barrels and displays an intense fruit aroma. It is full-bodied and has dark fruit flavors with toasty oak overtones.  


Blair Vineyards 2005 Wedding Cuvee - This rich full-bodied dry red wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was aged for 20 months in oak barrels.  It has aromas of coffee, licorice and blackberries with dark fruit flavors.  It has a medium finish. 


Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery 2009 Lemberger -  This deep, dark red dry wine is Vynecrest Winery's "Flagship" wine. It received a bronze medal at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Wine Competition.  With aromas of black cherries, it has rich bold flavors with hints of raspberries and blackberries. 



UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

 

MCCC Classes
See page 11 of the flier.
Call 610.718.1861 to register.

Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

 
Saturday, October 23
Five course dinner, each course paired with a different wine.  Kimberton Arts Center  6:30 PM, $75 per person or $525 for a table of 8.

Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.  
Fun Fact

The Pinot Noir grape cluster is a tightly packed cluster looking vaguely pine cone shaped.  The grapes themselves are very dark purple.  The French, therefore, called the grape Pinot (pine) Noir (black).

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz.  They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Wine Tips - Brandywine Valley Wine Trail


We were so excited about the wines we found at six PA wineries, we bought extra.
So, you can still register for the Wines of PA class until 4 PM, Thursday October 14.
The class is 6:30 - 9:30 PM on the October 14th at MCCC in Pottstown.
Call 310.718.1861 by 4 PM  THURSDAY to register. 

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail
(click this link)

The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail consists of eight wineries, only 7 of which are open regularly.  They are Black Walnut Winery, Chadds Ford Winery, Kreutz Creek Vineyards, Paradocx Vineyard, Patone Cellars, Penns Woods Winery, Stargazer Vineyards, and Twin Brook Winery.  I would guess that nearly everyone has heard about Chadds Ford Winery, but there are other excellent wineries on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail well worth visiting.

Patone Cellars was only open for the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail Harvest Festival which is now over.

One of our favorite stops along the trail is Kreutz Creek Vineyards. 

Located in southern Chester County outside of West Grove, PA.  Kreutz Creek Vineyards is owned and operated by Jim and Carole Kirkpatrick.  They have been making wine since 1989.  Their fairly new and very attractive tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays 11-6.  They also have a tasting room in West Chester, PA (this tasting room is pet friendly!)which is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 AM to 8 PM, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 AM to 9 PM.  They make a variety of wines from chardonnay, both oaked and unoaked, to a virtually unheard of Cabernet Franc Ice wine.  Stop in and try some of their excellent wines!

Another nice stop along the wine trail is the newest winery in the group, Black Walnut Winery.  

 

Black Walnut is located in a newly renovated 200 year old bank barn in Sadsburyville, PA. 

Owners Lance, Valerie, Jack and Karen began making wine in 2001.  Their lovely and inviting tasting room is open Thursdays and Fridays 2 PM till 8 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM till 6 PM.  There is a $6 tasting fee to taste 7 wines.  They, too, have a second tasting room.  It opened just a month ago in Phoenixville, PA.  The Phoenixville tasting room is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 PM until 9 PM, Fridays 4 till 10, Saturdays 11 AM till 10 PM, and Sundays 1 PM till 8 PM.   Stop in and taste some wine soon!




USA vs France Wine Tasting Report

Thanks to the 70 people who participated in the USA vs France, aka Bottle Shock Revisited Wine Tasting and Silent Auction on September 18th.  The event was themed after the movie Bottle Shock and the book Judgment of Paris, both of which portrayed the true story of the French versus USA Blind Tasting in Paris in 1976 where a USA (California) Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena outscored excellent French White Burgundies and a USA Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap outscored excellent French Red Bordeaux.

We tasted 8 wines, 6 of them for the blind tasting and rating. Including income from the Silent Auction we netted over $3,500 for the AWS Educational Foundation. 


For a full report on this event, go to our Vintage Connections Wine Info blog.



UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

Berks County Wine Trail
Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing Event Weekend!" Saturday October 9th & Sunday October 10th

Schuylkill River Festival
Saturday, October 9 
11 AM - 4 PM
Pottstown's Riverfront Park
THIS IS NOT A WINE EVENT but an event we support and sponsor each year. See you there!

MCCC Classes
Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

Saturday, October 23
Five course dinner, each course paired with a different wine.  Kimberton Arts Center  6:30 PM, $75 per person or $525 for a table of 8.


Fun Fact
Meritage wines must blend at least two of the Bordeaux wine varieites.  No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend. (from Professor's House).

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz.  They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.


There will be another quiz someday! 

Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.