Wine Tips - Montepulciano (reprise) and Lake James (NC) Gewurtz

Greetings from Vintage Connections! 
This week's wine tips.

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo -  Reprise

We reviewed this wine over a year ago and after discussing this wine with some friends last evening, we thought it would be good to re-review this excellent Montepulciano for those of you didn’t  read it then and as a reminder to those who did.

 We have used Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Italy for several events and find it to be an excellent, medium-bodied dry red wine. It has the distinctive fruity flavor of a good Montepulciano.  It has a nose of strawberries and ripe plums, with a hint of leather and flavors of cherries, peaches and plums and a hint of tobacco. It has soft tannins and is good to drink now.  Great with rich, flavorful cheeses, lasagne and other pastas with red sauce.  Each bottle is decorated with a small cutting from the vine. It sells for $13.99 at most PA Wine and Spirits stores. It's PLCB code is 4560.

Montepulciano is both a wine grape variety and a wine region in Italy, which can cause confusion when purchasing wine.

The Montepulciano wine grape (also known as "Montepulciano d'Abruzzo) is found in numerous regions in Italy and is grown in some areas of the US. The Montepulciano wine grape makes a medium-bodied red wine, rich deep red in color, with purple shades that evolve to a rich garnet color as it ages.  The juice actually spends some fermenting time in stainless steel allowing the distinctive fruit flavor of the montepulciano grape to evolve.  It is then finished in oak barrels from Slovenia for 4 months. 

The Montepulciano region of Italy is known for its sangiovese grapes, the main ingredient in Chianti. It is located north of Chianti, Italy (yes, there's a region named Chianti, too) in Siena in Tuscany. The region is known for its "Vino Nobile, the wine of the noblemen" often made of a blend of sangiovese with caniaolo, malvasia or trebbiano to add structure and complexity. It is a beautiful area of Italy with rolling hills, some 2500 vines, beautiful churches and "wonderful art and architecture.

Lake James Cellars Gewurztraminer NV
This excellent Gewurztraminer from Glen Alpine, NC just outside of the Yadkin Valley is a full, rich-bodied gewurztraminer.  It is a beautiful golden color with rich honeysuckle aromas.  The flavor of apricots was the first thing that came to mind at the first sip of this delicious white wine.  It has a wonderful long finish, making it a great summer sipper.  It is available not only at the winery, but at many retail stores in North Carolina.

Lake James Cellars is located in an old restored textile mill in Glen Alpine.  Nearby is the beautiful Lake James.  They charge $4 for a tasting and you may choose 6 wines to taste.  Most often some member of the family is at the tasting bar and they are happy to talk about their wines. 

Up-coming Events

Private Tasting of 6 USA Red Meritages (or similar red blends)
Sunday, July 11, 4-6 PM, we are hosting a private (blind) tasting of six USA Red Meritages.  Two seats are available at $25 each.  As we prepare for Bottle Shock Revisited on September 18, we are tasting wines that we may use for that event.  Join us and help determine what wines we will use as the finalists on 
September 18.

Please email us at VintageConnections@Comcast.net if you have questions or want to reserve these two remaining seats.


The Great PA WIne Toast
August 14
Across the Commonwealth
Let's Toast!
More Info Coming Soon

Bottle Shock Revisited!
USA vs. France blind wine tasting
Saturday
September 18
6:30 - 9:30 PM

Benefits the American Wine Society Educational Foundation

Wine and Appetizer pairing and
"blind tasting" 
of USA vs French wines.

Taste and vote for your favorites!

Perkiomen Valley Library, Schwenksville
$49 per person
$90 per couple
$350 per group of eight.
More details coming soon!
Visit the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of AWS.

Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner 

Saturday, October 23 
Five course dinner, each course paired with a different wine.  
Kimberton Arts Center  6:30 PM
For more information about Mom's House, click HERE

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

Blind Tasting this Sunday and Mud House Sauvignon Blanc

Greetings from Vintage Connections! 
This week's wine tips.


Private Tasting of 6 French Red Burgundies
This Sunday, June 27, 4-6 PM, we are hosting a private (blind) tasting of six Red Burgundies.  Two seats are available at $25 each.  As we prepare for Bottle Shock Revisited on September 18, we are tasting wines that we may use for that event.  Join us and help determine what wines we will use as the finalists on 
September 18.

Please email us at VintageConnections@Comcast.net if you have questions or want to reserve these two remaining seats.


Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2009 
This great summer wine is from Marlborough, New Zealand. 

Yes, another Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.  Since we like sipping Sauvignon Blancs during the hot summer months, we like to try new and different ones all the time.  We most enjoy the Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand.  It won’t be long till we do a blind tasting of American Sauvignon Blancs, so watch for those reviews. 

The Mud House Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of passion fruit and sweet flowers, with flavor of tropical fruits and citrus. It is pale straw in color.  The wines from the grapes from various regions were fermented separately and then blended and balanced.   It has good balanced acidity making it food friendly as well as easy sipping.  It has a medium finish.  It also is currently a Chairman’s Select.  Alcohol content is 13% by volume.  PLCB product code is 18385 and sells for $8.99 at most PA Wine and Spirit stores.  

This is an unbelievable bargain! 


Up-coming Events

The Great PA WIne Toast
August 14
Across the Commonwealth
Let's Toast!
More Info Coming Soon

Bottle Shock Revisited!
USA vs. France blind wine tasting
Saturday
September 18
6:30 - 9:30 PM

Benefits the American Wine Society Educational Foundation

Wine and Appetizer pairing and
"blind tasting" 
of USA vs French wines.

Taste and vote for your favorites!

Perkiomen Valley Library, Schwenksville
$49 per person
$90 per couple
$350 per group of eight.
More details coming soon!
Visit the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of AWS.

Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner 

Saturday, October 23 
Five course dinner, each course paired with a different wine.  
Kimberton Arts Center  6:30 PM
For more information about Mom's House, click HERE

 

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

 

Artesa Cabernet and Clover Hill Riesling

Greetings from Vintage Connections! 
This week's wine tips.

Artesa Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 

This rich, deep red wine comes from two counties in California.  Sixty-three percent of the juices came from Napa County and thirty-seven percent came from Sonoma County.   It is not a pure 100% cabernet sauvignon, but is a blend of 85% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 4.5 % cabernet franc, 4.5% syrah, and 1% malbec.  You really could call a Bordeaux style blend, but because it is 85% cabernet sauvignon, Artesa is able to call it Cabernet Sauvignon.  

The grapes were hand-picked and only free run juices were used.  It was immediately put into 30% new and 70% used French oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation and aged for 25 months.

The aroma is full of dark red fruits with flavors of spice, leather, cassis and cherries.  Tannins are still noticeably present, but not overpowering.  The finish is long and satisfying.  Alcohol is 14.2% by volume.  PLCB product code is 15925 and is currently a Chairman’s Select.  It sells for $12.99 a bottle and is available at many PA Wine and Spirit stores.


Clover Hill Vineyards Riesling

This semi-sweet Riesling from Clover Hill Vineyards in Breinigsville, PA has a unique aroma and flavor not usually associated with most other Rieslings.

It is very light yellow in color with floral and mineral aromas.  The flavor was definitely floral, but not what you would expect.  The flavor had some fruit flavors like peaches and apricots.
It has 3% residual sugar, but is not syrupy.  It would be good with spicy Thai or Indian food.   It   is available at the winery and numerous tasting rooms around the area.  It sells for $10.99 a bottle.
Clover Hill Vineyards has a lovely California style tasting room.  The tasting room staff is very knowledgeable about their wines.  You can find other tasting rooms at the King of Prussia and Lehigh Valley malls, Allentown and Boscov’s Fairgrounds Farmers Markets, and their lovely country tasting room in Robesonia.

Up-coming Events

If you know of an up-coming local wine event, let us know and we will add it to our calendar.

Blues in the Barn at Pinnacle Ridge
June 19 and 20

Summer Solstice Festival at Manatawny Creek Winery  
June 19

The Great PA Wine Toast
Saturday, August 14

Bottle Shock Revisited!

Saturday September 18, 6:30 - 9:30 PM 
Seen the movie? Read the book?  
Now try it yourself!

Blind tasting of USA vs. French wines. Appetizers included.
Benefits the American Wine Society Educational Foundation

$49 per person, $90 per couple, $350 per group of eight.

Perkiomen Valley Library, Schwenksville
See more about the Perkiomen Chapter of AWS.


Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner

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.  

For more information about Mom's House, click HERE

This Week's Fun Fact!
 

The largest cork tree in the world (on record) is in Portugal.  It averages over 1 ton of raw cork per harvest, enough to cork 100,000 bottles of wine. (From the Amazing Book of Useless Information).

There will be a quiz someday.

Wine Tips - Pinnacle Ridge Naked Chardonnay and Saintsbury Pinot Noir

Greetings from Vintage Connections! 
This week's wine tips.

Pinnacle Ridge Naked Chardonnay
As summer gets into full swing, we’re looking more and more towards those wines that are cool and refreshing.  This crisp, delicious un-oaked chardonnay is a perfect example.  

From Pinnacle Ridge Winery just north of Kutztown, this chardonnay was fermented and aged in stainless steel allowing the wonderful fruit aromas and flavors of the chardonnay grape to shine through.  If you’re not a fan of oaky chardonnays, this wine is a must try. The Naked Chardonnay “shows aromas of apple and pineapple” and “fills the mouth with fresh fruit interlaced with mineral tones.”.

We love a glass of it with grilled chicken or a cool shrimp cocktail.

Available only at the winery it sells for $10 a bottle.  Alcohol is approximately 12% by volume.  

Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir 

Carneros (Napa), Stanly Ranch, CA  This 2006 100% pinot noir is made from grapes from multiple vineyards in the Carneros region of California, mostly from the Napa Valley vineyards.  The wine goes through malolactic fermentation and then is moved into French oak barrels for aging.  Much time and thought is given to this Carneros bottling of Pinot Noir from Saintsbury.  “Our Carneros bottling delivers distinctive Pinot Noir character in a wine of power, grace and elegance.”  

We found this pinot noir to be a good, if not excellent, example of pinot noir at a recent blind tasting of seven Pinot Noirs.  The Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir came in 3rd out of seven US Pinot Noirs.  It has flavors of dark cherries and a “spicy oakiness”, with balanced acidity and slightly elevated levels of tannins.   

Alcohol is 14% by volume.  PLCB product code is 13655 and is currently a Chairman’s Select for $27.99.  This is selling out fast and may be hard to find in PA Wine and Spirit stores. 

Up-coming Events

If you know of an up-coming local wine event, let us know and we will add it to our calendar.

Blues in the Barn at Pinnacle Ridge
June 19 and 20

Summer Solstice Festival at Manatawny Creek Winery  
June 19

The Great PA Wine Toast
Saturday, August 14

Bottle Shock Revisited!

Saturday September 18, 6:30 - 9:30 PM 
Seen the movie? Read the book?  
Now try it yourself!

Blind tasting of USA vs. French wines. Appetizers included.
Benefits the American Wine Society Educational Foundation

$49 per person, $90 per couple, $350 per group of eight.

Perkiomen Valley Library, Schwenksville
See more about the Perkiomen Chapter of AWS.


Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner

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.  

For more information about Mom's House, click HERE

This Week's Fun Fact!
 

What is Claret?  Claret is another name (usually) for a red Bordeaux Blend.  In the 14th century, when France began exporting red Bordeaux to England, the English called it Claret because it was lighter and more clear than the deep, dark red Spanish wines they were used to.  At that time, the red grape skins were removed quickly when making Bordeaux, leaving a much lighter, clearer rose color than we are used to today (from Judgment of Paris, 2005).

There will be a quiz someday.

Manatawny Creek Winery and J. Lohr Fog's Reach Pinot Noir

Greetings from Vintage Connections!

This week's wine tips.
This blog was scheduled to post on June 1 but something went amiss with the automatic posting function in Blogspot.  We apologize.

Manatawny Creek Winery Riesling

We just learned that the 2008 Riesling sold out over the weekend.  We've heard that the 2009 is "not as fruity as the 2008," so some will like it more than the 2008, some less.  

This softly sweet white wine is an excellent summer sipper.  With bright floral aromas that puts you in mind of a warm summer field of wildflowers, it has flavors of peaches and apples.  Cool and refreshing, it has low residual sugar that makes it a wonderful accompaniment to spicy Thai or Indian food.  Great all by itself while you sit on the deck or patio and enjoy a warm summer evening.

Available only at the winery, but why not take a short road trip and visit!?  It sells for $11.95 a bottle.

We’ve talked before of the wonderful hospitality we receive in the tasting room.  Did you know Manatawny winery has a display vineyard?  There you can see how many of their varietals grow, mature and ripen.  See bud break in early spring and watch the clusters  grow into colorful grapes ready for harvest.

Manatawny also offers many festivals during the summer season where you can sit on the lawn, listen to great music and picnic with a bottle of your favorite Manatawny wine.  They also have many local artisans and crafters with items for sale.  Make a visit sometime this summer and see all they have to offer.



J. Lohr Fog's Reach Pinot Noir 2007

Deep red-purple with youthful hues and moderate density, aromas of strawberry, cherry and rhubarb jam, with a bouquet of toasted oak and vanilla.  The flavors are reminiscent of stewed strawberry and cherry with oak spiciness. A wisp of fresh herbs with a velvety structure, and a long, lingering finish. Perfect accompaniment to grilled lamb or duck.

Alcohol 14.9% (15.1% per vintner).   PLCB code 30861, is currently a Chairman’s Select (Luxury category) available at many PA Wine and Spirit Specialty stores for $19.99 while supplies last.

More info from their website.

The 2007 vintage of J. Lohr’s Fog’s Reach Pinot Noir marks our second release of this noble varietal.  Grown on cobbly, sandy loam soils in the cool, windy Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey, Pinot here seems to thrive, producing tiny, deeply-colored and flavorful clusters. Comprised of Dijon clones 115, 667, 777 and Pommard 4 grown on two different rootstocks, the Pinot Noir grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed and sorted into six or twelve ton, open-top fermentation tanks in our newly created small lot winery in Paso Robles.  The grapes were cold-soaked for an average of five days prior to warming and inoculation with yeast.  Twice per day the Pinot Noir was punched down to optimize extraction of the delicate varietal character until the completion of alcoholic fermentation.  Once pressed, the wines were settled overnight and racked to new and second fill Burgundian-coopered French oak for eight months of barrel aging prior to racking, final blending and bottling.

Up-coming Events

If you know of an up-coming local wine event, let us know and we will add it to our calendar.

Summer Solstice Festival at Manatawny Creek Winery  on June 19.

Bottle Shock Revisited!

Saturday September 18, 6:30 - 9:30 PM 
Seen the movie? Read the book?  
Now try it yourself!

Blind tasting of USA vs. French wines. Appetizers included.
Benefits the American Wine Society Educational Foundation

$49 per person, $90 per couple, $350 per group of eight.

Perkiomen Valley Library, Schwenksville
See more about the Perkiomen Chapter of AWS.


Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner

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.  

For more information about Mom's House, click HERE

This Week's Fun Fact!

Like that Pinot Noir?  Like that Cabernet?  Guess what.  Many countries and appellations, including most in the USA, allow up to 25% of a different wine to be blended into a varietal without indicating so on the label.  Often, you can find this information in a specific wine's technical data on the winery's website, but not always.

There will be a quiz someday.