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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.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Wine Tips of the Week, Quiz Answers, and Change to our other Blog

Cheers from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultant

Please tell your friends and family about this blog and our other blog, Vintage Connections Wine Info.  


Changes to our Other Wine Blog!!

We are changing our other blog, Vintage Connections Wine Info, to include different information than what we include in our weekly wine e-newsletter and
this blog, the Grapevine.
Our weekly e-newsletter and the Grapevine are staying the same and often include identical information.

Vintage Connections Wine Info will now include details about our up-coming classes and events, and "What We've Been Drinking," a more complete list of wines we have recently sampled and what we think of them (the good, the bad, and the in-between).  

So, for more information about our up-coming classes (Blending Wine Bordeaux Style, Wines of the Finger Lakes Part II, Good Wines under $15, and "Gems from our Cellar) go to Vintage Connections Wine Info.

We may also rant on about wine books and other musings about wine that are too long for our newsletter or the Grapevine.  We'll also post Vintage Connections Wine Info on an irregular basis, sometimes several times in one week, and sometimes not for a couple of weeks.   

So, the good news is, there is more "Wine News" on the way, but the bad news is that you'll have to check the blog (or set-up a RSS or other feed) to know when we've posted new information in that blog (not this one).  
 


Wine Tips of the Week

Prejean Gewurtztraminer 2008    
 
This delicious semi-dry white wine comes from the Prejean Winery just outside of PenYan on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  It is light yellow in color and has fresh aromas of flowers and spices with flavors of peaches and apricots with just a hint of vanilla.  It has a pleasant finish that encourages "just another sip". 

The grapes are 100% estate grown. The juice was allowed to sit on the skins for 24 hours giving the wine its rich distinctive flavor.  It was then fermented in stainless steel tanks.

The winery was started by Elizabeth and Jim Prejean.  Elizabeth now runs the winery with the help of her son Tom and his wife Amy.  The winemaker is Jim Zimar.  Be sure to stop in and visit the winery if ever you make it to the Finger Lakes.  You will find a friendly and knowledgeable staff ready to introduce you to their wonderful wines.

Alcohol is 13% by volume and is available at the winery for $16.99 a bottle.  It is great when paired with spicy Asian food, or just to sit and sip on a sunny summer afternoon.  

Keuka Spring Pinot Noir 2008

This excellent  Pinot Noir comes from Keuka Spring Winery on Keuka Lake also just outside of Pen Yan in the Finger Lakes region of New York.  It is  rich garnet red in color and has aromas of fresh red berries.  It has a surprisingly rich flavor with hints of strawberries and cherries and just a touch of spice.  It has a medium pleasant finish.  It is surprising because of the short growing season in the Finger Lakes, pinot noirs aren't usually this rich in color and flavor.   
Keuka Spring Pinot Noir received 87 points from Wine Spectator,  "This is juicy and fresh, with ripe red and black cherry fruit layered with subtle spice notes. Shows more depth and polish than most Finger Lakes Pinots."
Alcohol is 12.3% by volume and is available at the winery for $18.99 a bottle.  Great when paired with roasted pork, chicken and ham.

QUIZ ANSWERS!!   
And the winners are Maureen and Joe Freed.  They chose the $20 Gift Certificate from Pinnacle Ridge Winery.  Congratulations to Maureen and Joe!

Remember, "correct" answers are those included in our Fun Facts from the past few months.  Even if we're wrong, we're right!      

1. Name at least three of the grapes used in red Bordeaux. 
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere.      

2. What is the licensed name for Bordeaux-type blends produced in the USA?  Meritage

3. What are the "parent grapes" of Cabernet Sauvignon?
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc

4. What is the Syrah grape called (named) in AustraliaShiraz

5. Lemberger is also known as what grape or wine in Austria?  Blaufrankisch

6. Champagne or other sparkling wines go well with breakfast (according to some, including us) because the effervescence complements the soft texture of egg dishes.

7. The corkscrew was adapted from a French artillery device.

8.  Technically, only sparkling wines meeting strict criteria and from the Champagne district of France should be named "Champagne."  What is the "correct name" of sparkling wine from other regions of France?   (There are two other names in France, but we only mentioned one in our Fun Facts. That is the "correct" answer.)  Cremant

The other name is Mousseaux.  We don't think we mentioned this in our Fun Facts, but if we did and you gave this answer instead of Cremant, LET US KNOW the date of the Fun Fact when we mentioned Mousseaux.

9.Gewurtztraminer is a white wine, however the grapes themselves are what color?  (Remember, the "correct" answer is from our Fun Facts.)  pale rosy pink

10. The Pinot Noir grape cluster is a tightly packed cluster and very dark in color.  What (according to our Fun Facts) is the English translation of the name Pinot Noir?
Pine (Pinot) Black (Noir)
 
Thanks AGAIN to our Quiz Sponsors!!


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