Le Bois Martin Touraine Sauvignon Blanc and Hob Nob Chardonnay

Greetings from Vintage Connections!  

This week's wine tips!

Le Bois Martin Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2008

This wine from the Loire Valley in France is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  Pale straw in color, it is medium-bodied with mineral aromas and flavors of grapefruit and new-mown grass.  Most of its aromas and flavors were not enhanced by chilling, but opened up more when the wine was allowed to warm up slightly from refrigerator temperatures. 

The grapes used to make this wine are organically grown. 

Great when paired with shrimp and chevre.

Alcohol is 13% by volume.  PLCB product code is 20602 and sells for $14.99 at a limited number of PA Wine and Spirit stores. 


Hob Nob Chardonnay 2007 

This 100% chardonnay comes from France.  Not what you would expect to look at the bottle.  It is light amber in color and is medium-bodied.  It has aromas of butterscotch and hazelnuts and is fruit-forward and only lightly oaky.

Good when paired with creamy sauces.

It was very difficult to get much information about this wine.  The Hob Nob website seems to be mostly about games and music and very, very little about the winery or the wines.
We were pleasantly surprised by this 2007 Chardonnay and suggest giving it a try.

Alcohol is 13.5% by volume.  PLCB product code is 7794 and sells for $11.99 at most PA Wine and Spirit stores.



Up-coming Events

 

The Great PA Wine Toast
August 14
Across the Commonwealth at PA Wineries
Let's Toast!
Check out your favorite PA Winery's website to see if they are participating.

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

This Week's Fun Fact 
The wreck of the Titanic holds the oldest wine cellar in the world and despite the depth and wreckage, the bottles are still intact.  From “Wine Fun Facts”.
There will be a quiz SOON!

Contact us at 610-469-6164 or at Vintageconnections@Comcast.net to discuss a wine seminar, tasting, or other event for your business, organization, or at your home.

Preston Vale Chardonnay and Summer Wines

Greetings from Vintage Connections!  

This week's wine tips!

Preston Vale Chardonnay 2008 

From Preston Vale Vineyards in the Geographe Wine Region near Donnybrook in Western Australia.  This is a great unoaked chardonnay.  Great floral and grassy aromas very reminiscent of sauvignon blanc, with wonderful fruit flavors and a long finish.  “depicts youthfulness and zest.  The flavours and aromas encapture fresh citrus, melon with refreshing acidity.” 

Preston Vale Vineyards was established in 1999.  They mostly grow grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, shiraz, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, semillion, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and merlot) for other wineries in Western Australia.  The only wines they make themselves and sell under their label of “Preston Vale” are merlot and chardonnay.  They use water from a nearby hillside lake. 

If you aren’t a fan of oaked chardonnays this is a great full-bodied flavorful wine.  Great as an accompaniment to fish, especially salmon or just to sit and sip.

Alcohol is 13% by volume.  PLCB product code is 22308 and sells for $9.99 a bottle at many PA Wine and Spirit Stores.


Summer Wines  

Now that we are fully into summer, hot temperatures, and lots of sun, it is time to think of what wines go best with all that summer heat.  White wines can be cooling and refreshing and tend to go with lighter foods.  Red wines tend to be heavier and darker and go better with heavier foods, not so good during the hot summer months.

You may have noticed over the past few weeks whenever we review a white wine we often include the phrase “great summer sipper”.  We thought now would be a good time to give you a comprehensive list of those “great summer sippers” so you are ready for your next summer get-together.  Here is a list of wines we would recommend for summer sipping and some food pairing ideas.  Not necessarily in any particular order.

Manatawny Creek Winery Riesling (spicy foods)
Pinnacle Ridge Winery Naked Chardonnay (fresh seafood, salmon)
Chateau Ste Michelle Gewurtztraminer (spicy foods)
Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc (chicken, asparagus, oysters)
Galen Glen Riesling (spicy foods)
Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc (goat cheese, grilled pork)
Brancott Reserve Sauvignon Blanc (fresh tomatoes)
Manatawny Creek Winery Soleils Jumeaux (summer salads)
St. Supery Moscato d’Asti (fruit desserts)


Up-coming Events

Private Tasting of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume
(Sauvignon Blanc from Loire Valley, France)

Two Seats Available
Sunday, July 25, 4 PM.
"Singles Welcome"
$25 per person
Email or call Vintage Connections at 610.469.6164  

Manatawny Creek Winery Wine Festival
Saturday, July 24

Wine, Food, Music, Winery Tours, Craft Vendors, Great Times!

Bring a blanket, chairs, a picnic lunch, and friends (buy your wine at the Festival)

 

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

This Week's Fun Fact 
“Ninety-eight percent of all commercially produced wine is consumed within one week of purchase.”  Wine Trivia by Paula Laurita
There will be a quiz SOON!

Contact us at 610-469-6164 or at Vintageconnections@Comcast.net to discuss a wine seminar, tasting, or other event for your business, organization, or at your home.

Wine Tips - Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurtztraminer and Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon

Greetings from Vintage Connections! 

This week's wine tips!


Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurtztraminer 2008

This semi-dry gewurtztraminer is from the Columbia Valley in Washington state.  If you haven’t tried a gewurtztraminer before, this is one that you should try.  It is light, almost invisible yellow in color with aromas of summer flowers, lychees and citrus.  It has a spicy flavor with hints of grapefruit and other citrus and a lingering, refreshing finish. 

This wine is good with spicy foods as well as drinking by itself.  It is clean and simple, with balanced acidity.  Very floral and good for folks that lean toward the slightly sweet wines.

Chateau Ste Michelle Winery is one of Washington state’s founding wineries.  Established on the lands of lumber baron Frederick Stimson in 1912 shortly after prohibition was repealed as Pommerelle Wine Company and National Wine Company.  It became Chateau Ste Michelle in 1976 when the French style Chateau was built.

Alcohol is 12% by volume.  PLCB product code is 8065 and sells for $10.99 a bottle at most PA Wine and Spirit Stores.

Souverain Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

This excellent deep ruby-colored, dry red wine is actually a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Syrah, 1.5% each of petit sirah and cabernet franc made by Chateau Souverain.  It has aromas of coffee and black fruits with flavors of plum, blackberries and black currants.  It has a long satisfying finish.

The grapes for this wine came exclusively from the 120 year old estate vineyards in the Alexander Valley.  It was aged in 100% new oak barrels, 60% French, 20% Hungarian and 20% American for 24 months.

The name Souverain was chosen by the original owner J. Leland Stewart’s young daughter.  The word comes from the French word for “sovereign” or “supreme”.  Souverain started in the Napa Valley and shortly before Stewart’s retirement was moved to the Alexander Valley where Beringer’s bought it.

Alcohol is 14.1% by volume.  PLCB product code is 4723 and sells for $19.99 at most PA Wine and Spirit stores.


Up-coming Events

Jazz Jam at Pinnacle Ridge

Sunday, July 18

Manatawny Creek Wine Festival 
Saturday, July 24

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

This Week's Fun Fact 
Gewurtztraminer grapes are actually light pink to slightly red in color.  
Someday, there will be a quiz!

Contact us at 610-469-6164 or at Vintageconnections@Comcast.net to discuss a wine seminar, tasting, or other event for your business, organization, or at your home.S

Wine Tips - Pinnacle Ridge Cabernet Franc and Manatawny Soleils Jumeaux

Greetings from Vintage Connections! 



 This week's wine tips.

Pinnacle Ridge Cabernet Franc 2008  

This excellent example of a cabernet franc is deep ruby red in color.  It has a very fruity nose with hints of pepper.  It has herbal flavors and a smooth mouthfeel.  It is aged in Pennsylvania oak barrels which gives the wine a “subtle toastiness”.  They feel this is their best cabernet franc yet.   Excellent when paired with hearty foods.  Available only at the winery for $16 a bottle. 

Cabernet Franc is used often as a blending grape with partners like merlot and cabernet sauvignon to make “Bordeaux” style blends.  It is such a treat to find it standing alone and so delicious. 

Pinnacle Ridge Winery is owned and operated by Brad Knapp and Christy Allen.  The winery was established in 1993 by Brad who believes in minimal intervention using traditional methods of wine making.  Many of their wines have won state, regional, national and international awards. 

The winery is located in a beautifully restored barn north of Kutztown just off of Route 22 near Krumsville.  Christy keeps a close eye on the tasting room and everyone is pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable.  They are open seven days a week, Sunday through Friday from 12 until 6 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM until 6 PM.  Take a beautiful ride out to the country and visit this excellent winery, you won’t be disappointed. 



Manatawny Creek Winery Soleils Jumeaux  

This tasty, cooling white wine is an excellent summer sipper.  It is a slightly sweet blend of Cayuga white and Seyval Blanc wines.  It is pale yellow in color with aromas of citrus and stone fruits.   Its flavor is crsip and clean and easy to drink with hints of peach and apricot. 

Soleils Jumeaux means twin suns or in Manatawny’s definition, twin sons of which Joann the wine maker has a pair.  With the addition of being two white wines being blended to make one wonderful summer wine, this name seems entirely appropriate.  Great with summer salads, shrimp cocktail and mild cheeses. 

The winery is located in Amity PA on the family farm along the Manatawny Creek.  Ten acres of that farm are planted with grapes for making their wines.  They are open 7 days a week, Monday through Satruday 10 AM until 6 PM and Sundays 12 until 6 PM. 

Soleils Jumeaux is available only at the winery and sells for $10.95 a bottle. 

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 or call us at 610-469-6164 to reserve these two remaining seats.

Jazz Jam at Pinnacle Ridge

Sunday, July 18



Manatawny Creek Wine Festival 
Saturday, July 24

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

This Week's Fun Fact 
Cabernet Franc is one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, having been bred with Sauvignon Blanc to create Cabernet Sauvignon.  Someday, there will be a quiz!

Contact us at 610-469-6164 to discuss a wine seminar, tasting, or other event for your business, organization, or at your home.