Wine Tips - Pinnacle Ridge Blanc de Blanc and Simonnet-Febvre Cremant de Bourgogone Brut Rose'

Cheers from Vintage Connections

Go to last week's blog to Take the Quiz by Friday, September 3 at 5 PM, get 100% correct and enter a drawing to win a free seat at one of two upcoming events.

Go to this link for more information about the USA vs France Wine Blind Tasting and list of Silent Auction items (September 18 in Schwenksville).  Click here for a registration form.

This Week's Wine Tips

Pinnacle Ridge Blanc de Blanc  

This is a very excellent, slightly sweet sparkling wine from Kutztown, PA, USA.  It is made from Cayuga grapes.  The color is very pale yellow, almost colorless.  It has a fresh, slightly yeasty aroma with great flavor and bursting with tiny bubbles.  It has 2.5% residual sugar. 

The winery was established in 1993 and has become what we feel is one of the best wineries in PA.  If you haven’t visited them yet, take some time to stop in the tasting room, there you will be treated to excellent wines served by friendly, and helpful, staff.

Only locally grown grapes are used in making Pinnacle Ridge wines, most on the estate itself. 

Available only at the winery, it sells for $14 a bottle.

This sparkling wine will be used as an aperitif at the upcoming AWS USA vs. France “Bottle Shock Revisited” blind wine tasting.

Simonnet-Febvre Cremant de Bourgogone Brut Rose'

This is an excellent dry sparkling wine from Chablis, France.  Made primarily from Pinot Noir, a small amount of gamay was added for color and complexity.  The color is very pale pink with many tiny bubbles.  It has aromas of red raspberrys and currents.

The winery was established in 1840 and after being nearly wiped out by phylloxera, they have rebuilt and replanted.  Many vines are now nearly 20 years old, and the vineyard is again regaining its prestige.

Alcohol is 12% by volume.  Great when used as an aperitif.  PLCB product code is 20863 and sells for $14.99 at many PA Wine and Spirit stores.

This sparkling wine will be used as an aperitif at the upcoming AWS USA vs. France “Bottle Shock Revisited” blind wine tasting.


Fun Fact
The longest recorded champagne cork flight was done by Heinrich Medicus at Woodbury Vineyard in New York in 1988.  The cork flew 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from the ground.

Someday there will be another quiz!

Quiz Time - Submit Answers by 5 PM, Friday September 3, 2010

to Vintageconnections@comcast.net

Correctly answer 10 of 10 questions and we'll enter your name into a drawing for ONE FREE SEAT at either

USA vs France Wine Tasting (Bottle Shock Revisited) on September 18
or
Mom's House Wine Dinner on October 23.
(details available soon)

Vintage Connections' judgments and determinations are final.

"Correct" answers are those included in our Fun Facts. Some of these facts may be debatable but these "facts" are the source of the correct answers for this quiz.

This is an "Open Blog" quiz.
To easily review past Fun Facts in our blogs, browse through past posts in this blog or go to our wine blog
Grapevine  in the Pottstown Mercury.


Please support our work to benefit the
American Wine Society Educational Foundation (click here for more info)
by attending the

USA vs. France Blind Tasting and Silent Auction (Bottle Shock Revisited)
Click here for more information and registration form.
September 18, 6:30 - 10 PM
at the Perkiomen Valley Library
290 Second Street, Schwenksville, PA


See the list of  Silent Auction Items donated to this event in our previous blog posting.
Additional items are expected.

Please support Mom's House's work with single moms and their kids.
Click here for more information about Mom's House. Additional information about the Wine Dinner will be provided soon.


The Quiz!!

1. The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is about ____ pounds per square inch.

2. It takes an average of _____ grapes to make one bottle of wine (this varies depending on decisions made by the wine maker and other factors).

3. __________ is one of the most planted grapes in the world with over 400,000 acres world-wide. It is also planted in more wine regions than any other grape.

4. Pennsylvania did not break the "Guinness Book of World Records" record for number of people simultaneously doing a wine toast. That record is still held by the UK where __________ people toasted at over 400 pubs.

5. There are an estimated _______ million bubbles in a bottle of champagne. Bubbles were viewed by early winemakers as an undesirable defect.

6. _________ and ________ are the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon.

7. 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 ____________ bottles of wine.

8. Claret is another name (usually) for a (red) _____________.

9. Many countries and appellations, including most in the USA, allow up to ___% 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. (The allowed percentages vary by region and sometimes by grape. The "correct" answer is based on information we provided in our Fun Facts.)

10. The corkscrew was invented when wine was just starting to be stored in bottles rather than terra cotta amphoras and then oak barrels. Once a narrow-necked bottle was created, wine could finally be safely stored for longer periods with the help of a cork. The earliest known patent for the corkscrew was in England in ______.  



That's it.  Email your answers to Vintageconnections@comcast.net by 5 PM, Friday September 3.
You can also request that we add you to our weekly email Wine Info Newsletter.

USA vs. France Wine Tasting with UPDATED Silent Auction Items

The USA vs. France Wine Tasting (Bottle Shock Revisited) and Silent Auction is taking shape.  We've chosen the wines, hors d'oeuvres are planned, and we're receiving some exciting and valuable silent auction items.

Now all we need is YOU!

Saturday, September 18, beginning at 6:30 PM at the Perkiomen Valley Library in Schwenksville.
$49 per person, $90 per couple (or any two registering together), $350 for a table of eight.
Recruit your friends, family, and co-workers.

Register by printing the form at this link and sending the completed form and check to the AWS Perkiomen Valley treasurer, Vern Hunsberger.  His mailing address is on the form.  Sorry, we are not equipped to accept credit cards.

The Wines

As you arrive, you'll begin the evening with a sparkling wine that is NOT part of the competition. Mix and mingle, bid on the Silent Auction Items, nibble on appetizers.

We can't tell you exactly what wines will be competing because this is a blind tasting. We can tell you we'll "blind taste" and rate the following competitors.

French Red Bordeaux vs. USA Red Meritage (or similar blend)
French Red Burgundy vs. USA Pinot Noir
French Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume vs. USA Sauvignon Blanc
 

Over the past month we have hosted preliminary blind tastings of over 30 wines and have chosen the "best of the best" of these French and American wines priced $25 or less.

The "best of the best" will meet head-to-head (glass-to-glass) and YOU will determine which wines are the final winners.

The Food
Our AWS "amateur chefs" are creating an appetizer menu to complement the evening's wines. The wrong wine and food pairings can ruin the taste of both the wine and the food. Learn a little about wine and food pairing as we WINE our way through the evening.  Taste how food can change the taste of the wine.  Your favorite wine may change, depending on whether you pair it with food or taste it by itself.  It is AMAZING how just a little food can affect the taste of the wine.  Wine and food together, the perfect combination.

The Silent Auction
Browse and Bid for Bargains
at the Silent Auction.

Donated Items so far include those listed below.
Additional Items will be added and this list updated weekly.

Some date restrictions may apply to some items.
Some values are estimated.
A few items will  have minimum bids.
Not responsible for typos.
More details upon request and at the event.

Click on highlighted links for information on the donors.



EVEN NEWER ITEMS


"Rose: Solo Harp Music for Reflection and Relaxation" CD by Betsy Chapman
Betsy will be playing at the event. Click on the link to her website above.
Value - $10
Donated by Betsy Chapman

Red Wine Blend, great homemade wine by Frank Johnson.
Estimated Value - $20
Donated by Frank Johnson

3 Month Membership, Lady of America Fitness Center (Royersford)
Value - TBD
Donated by Lady of America Fitness Center

NEW ITEMS!

Napa Valley Wine Basket 

including

2002 Vincent Arroyo Winery, Petite Sirah

2002 Summers Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Ledson Winery, Chardonnay

2006 Raymond Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc

Value - $129 (minimum bid $50)
Donated by Lori Law

Brasserie 73 (Roadhouse) Gift Certificate (Skippack)

Value - $25

Donated by Brasserie 73

Gift Certificate 1/2 hour Massage at Touch Message Therapy (Schwenksville)

Value - $35

Donated by In Touch Massage

Items Previously Posted


Manatawny Creek Winery Basket of Wine, etc.
Value - $50
Donated by the Winery

Pinnacle Ridge Winery Basket of Wine and Goodies
Value - $50
Donated by the Winery

Vynecrest Winery Basket of Wine, etc.
Value - $50
Donated by the Winery

Wine Gift Basket
Value - $100
Donated by Vintage Connections (Dean and Lisa Foster)

"Getaway Weekend" in Wine Country.  A weekend at a beautiful cottage in the Hudson Valley near the Shawangunk Wine Trail.
Date restrictions apply and winner must provide own transportation.We suggest choosing a weekend during the Wreath Fineries at the Wineries (winners must purchase own tickets)
Value - $450 (minimum bid $100)
Donated by Kim and Drew Wallace

Three Wine Books
Value - $100
"What to Drink with What you Eat"
"Cheese and Wine Book"
"Wine, Food & Friends"
Donated by John and Carol Conboy

One Week Condo Rental, Perdido Key FLA
Date restrictions apply and winner must provide own transportation.
Value - $600 (minimum bid $100)
Donated by Joe and Cecelia Sapira

One Week Condo Rental, Vermont
Date restrictions apply and winner must provide own transportation.
Value - $700 (minimum bid $100)
Donated by Vern and Jacki Hunsberger

Gift Certificate for 4 people for a 2-hour baking or cake decorating class at Churchill's Baker and Chocolatier (Pottstown)
Value - $400
Donated by Churchill's Baker and Chocolatier

Schuylkill River Heritage Area Basket of Books, Maps, Mug, etc.
Value - $200
Donated by the Heritage Area

Two, one-hour clinical massages at Academy of Massage and Body Works (Pottstown)
Value $60 ($30 per hour)
Donated by Academy of Massage and Body Works

Original Photograph
Value - $100
Donated by Fairyland Photography (Lisa Foster)

"Bottle Shock" Movie Night Gift Basket
Value - $50
Donated by John and Denise Nase

Framed and matted sailing print, Balangier item # 411778
Value - $250
Donated by Chris and Frank Giesa

Wine Bottle cheese dish (melted wine bottle) and cheese knife
Value - $25
Donated by Walt and Mary Koser

Gift Certificate for art class at Gallery School of Pottstown
Value - $180
Donated by the Gallery School of Pottstown

Gift Certificate (maximum $25) towards a non-credit course at Montgomery County Community College
Value - $25
Donated by Montgomery County Community College Lifelong and Continuing Education

Awesome MCCC logo Sports Bag including mugs, poster, etc.
Value - $50
Donated by Montgomery County Community College Foundation

Gift Basket including MCCC logo gifts, bird feeders, gardening trinkets, and more
Value - $100
Donated by Montgomery County Community College Admissions

Two tickets to "Wait Until Dark" on Thursday, September 30, 7:30 PM at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center (Pottstown)
(note date restriction)
Value - $34
Donated by Tri-County Performing Arts Center

Gift Certificate to Positively Pasta Plus (Pottstown)
Value - $20
Donated by Positively Pasta Plus

Three piece Hurricane Tea light set
Value - TBD
Donated by Carol and John Conboy

Neoprene Double Wine Tote
Value - $20
Donated by Carol and John Conboy

Gift Certificate to Piazza Presto (Limerick)
Value - $40
Donated by Piazzo Presto

Glass Vase
Value TBD
Donated by Bob Carman

More to COME!!!

To Register click on this link, print and complete the form and mail it to our AWS Perkiomen Valley treasurer, Vern Hunsberger. Mailing address is on the form. Checks only. Sorry, we are not equipped to accept credit cards.


We need you to help make this event a success. 

For more information, questions, or to donate silent auction items, emails us at vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us at 610-469-6164.

Wine Tips - Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay and Wine Glasses

Cheers from Vintage Connections!

The Great PA Wine Toast (click this link)

See last week's post.  This was a hugely successful and fun event.  We went to Manatawny with some friends and Dean served as the official "witness," filling out an official form to document the wineries participation and number of participants in the event for the Guiness World Record.  We should know in a few days if the PA count exceeded the current record of 17,429.   382 people toasted at Manatawny, so if the other 57 participating wineries averaged this number, we should have made it!\

Wine Tips of the Week! 

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay

While out looking for donations to the Silent Auction which will be part of the USA vs. France Wine Tasting event on September 18, Lisa, Lori and Cecelia stopped for a bottle of wine to share over lunch. 

This rich, buttery chardonnay comes from vineyards all over Sonoma County in California.  It has aromas of creamy lemon and mango with flavors of Asian pear and golden delicious apples.  It has good balanced acidity and a lasting finish.  Alcohol is 13.4% by volume.  PLCB product code is 5524 and is available at most PA Wine and Spirit stores for $14.99 a bottle.


Wine Glasses

We're often asked if the difference in wine glasses really makes a difference in the taste of the wine.

What’s all the mystery about what glass to use for that glass of wine you’re having with dinner?  Don’t you just need something to hold the wine? 

There are many shapes and sizes to a wine glass, many different manufacturers and quality of glass.  They can even come stemless!  Wine glass shapes and sizes were created to allow the wine to be better appreciated according to its type.

A red wine glass usually has a broader bowl with a wider mouth than most white wine glasses, which allows more aeration to occur allowing the aromas and flavors to “open up”. 

White wine glasses come in many shapes and sizes also, though they are usually smaller bowled and the mouth is also smaller than red wine glasses. Their smaller size exposes the wine to less surface area, keeping it cooler than a larger glass with more surface area exposed to warmer air.

Champagne flutes are tall and narrow with a long stem allowing you to hold the glass by the stem keeping the champagne colder than if your hand held the glass bowl. It allows all those tiny bubbles to travel from the bottom of the glass to the top adding to the visual enjoyment. 

Most wine glasses are clear and colorless allowing us to enjoy the variety of colors in all the different wines.  Better wine glasses also often have thin-lips.  We’ve found that the thicker-lipped glasses don’t allow as much air into the mouth when you sip as the more expensive thin-lipped glasses.  The more air that enters the mouth with the wine when you sip allows the molecules to move around more letting you get more of the flavor of the wine on your tongue. 

Up-coming Events

NOW is the time to register!  (click here) We need your support.

Bottle Shock Revisited!
USA vs. France Wine - Blind Tasting
and
Silent Auction 
Silent Auction Item List to be published soon.
Total Value so far estimated at $3,500.


Saturday
September 18
6:30 - 10:00 PM
Perkiomen Valley Library, 

290 Second Street, Schwenksville
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!


$49 per person
$90 per couple
$350 per group of eight or more.
Bring a group of family, friends, and co-workers!

Visit the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of AWS website for more information and a registration form.
Please register by September 4th.  Late registrations available on a space-available basis.

Saturday, October 23

Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner

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

Fun Fact

Chardonnay is one of the most planted grapes in the world with over 400,000 acres world-wide.  It is also planted in more wine regions than any other grape. (wikipedia)

Someday (soon) there will be a quiz!

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

The Great PA Wine Toast and Fiore Vidal Blanc

Wine Tips of the Week! 

Cheers from Vintage Connections!

The Great PA Wine Toast (click this link)

In an attempt to break the “Guiness Book of World Records” record toast, Pennsylvania wineries will be gathering their customers and friends on Saturday, August 14 to toast Pennsylvania’s record setting year.  The current record toast is held by the UK when over 400 pubs with 17,429 people toasted.

As of this writing there are 57 wineries in Pennsylvania that will be joining together to toast Pennsylvania wines.  The actual toast will be held at 4 PM at the wineries, though many of them are celebrating earlier and continuing later with events of their own.  Check with your favorite winery to see when their event is starting.  Some of our local favorites are Manatawny, Pinnacle Ridge, Blair, Vynecrest and Galen Glen.  Maybe we'll see you there!



The toast will be lead by Mario Andretti via video sent out to all the participating wineries.  The toast itself was chosen in an on-line contest.

So, on Saturday, August 14, head out to one of these great wineries and help all of us to celebrate Pennsylvania wines!


Fiore Winery Vidal Blanc  (click this link) 

“The Maryland wine with an Italian accent”.  This dry white wine from Maryland is another great summer sipper.  It is pale yellow in color and is a full-bodied white wine.  This Vidal Blanc has aromas of fresh peaches.  With flavors of citrus it has a balanced acidity and a crisp finish with just a touch of sweetness.

The Vidal Blanc grape is a French hybrid grape.  Created in France in the 1930’s, it was hoped to be used as a grape to make cognac.  It is extremely well suited to colder climates and is grown in Canada and the northeast US.  Because of its tough outer skin it is often used to make ice wines.

Fiore has created a pleasant dry wine from their Vidal Blanc grapes.

Available at the winery for $15 a bottle.  Alcohol is 12% by volume. 

Up-coming Events

Saturday
August 14

The Great PA Wine Toast

Across the Commonwealth at PA Wineries.
Let's Toast!
Check your favorite PA Winery's website to see if they are participating.  Our local favorites including Manatawny, Pinnacle Ridge, Vynecrest, Galen Glen, and Blair are participating!

Blair Vineyards
Grand Opening
of their new tasting room.  Participate in the Great PA Wine Toast and celebrate their grand opening at Blair.

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

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 or more.
More details coming soon!Visit the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of AWS.

Saturday, October 23

Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner

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

Fun Fact

The current "Guiness Book of World Records" record wine toast is held by the UK where 17,429 people toasted at over 400 pubs.

Someday (soon) there will be a quiz!

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

Wine Tips - Manatawny Cabernet Franc and Bogle Sauvignon Blanc

Wine Tips of the Week!

Cheers from Vintage Connections!

Manatawny Creek Winery Cabernet Franc 2007  

This delicious Cabernet Franc is one of our favorites.  It has been consistently good year after year.  We have used it in many of our classes and benefit tastings and haven’t been disappointed yet.  It has won numerous awards at many wine competitions. 

It is rich, deep red in color with wonderful fruit aromas and flavors of ripe cherries and a hint of tobacco.  It is aged primarily in Pennsylvania oak barrels.  Available only at the winery, it sells for $14.95 a bottle.  Try it a grilled steak!  Great with a hamburger, too.

Joanne, the winemaker at Manatawny, also uses the Cabernet Franc to make her port.  Delicious!


Bogle Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2009  

Another excellent sauvignon blanc, this one from California!  It is very pale yellow, almost colorless.  It has aromas of citrus and lychee nuts, grass and a slight minerality.  The flavor is crisp and refreshing with hints of citrus and pineapple.

Aged exclusively in stainless steel.  It has a crisp acidity and a pleasantly long lasting finish.  It is everything you would hope a sauvignon blanc would be.

PLCB product code is 3472 and sells for $10.99 at most PA Wine and Spirit stores.  Alcohol is 12.9% by volume.  Great when paired with roasted chicken or fresh green salads or all by itself as a “summer sipper”.

Up-coming Events

August 7 and 8
Cool Wine & Cool Art
on the
Berks County Wine Trail

August 14

The Great PA Wine Toast
Across the Commonwealth at PA Wineries.
Let's Toast!
Check your favorite PA Winery's website to see if they are participating.  Our local favorites including Manatawny, Pinnacle Ridge, and Blair are participating!
Blair Vineyards
Grand Opening
of their new tasting room.  Participate in the Great PA Wine Toast and celebrate their grand opening at Blair.

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

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 or more.
More details coming soon!Visit the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of AWS.

Saturday, October 23

Mom's House
Benefit Wine Dinner

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

Fun Fact

There are an estimated 49 million bubbles in a bottle of champagne.  Bubbles were viewed by early winemakers as an undesirable defect.

 

Someday (soon) there will be a quiz!

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