More of What We've Been Drinking, Wine Blending Bordeaux-Style and Wines of the Finger Lakes

Cheers!
from Vintage Connections

Last Chance to Register for  
Wine Blending Bordeaux-Style

Thursday, March 24, 6:30-9 PM in Pottstown.  Email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net, call us at 610.469.6164, or follow this link for more information or to register.

Wines of the Finger Lakes 

Thursday, March 31, 6:30-9 PM in Pottstown.   On-line registration will open on Monday, March 21.  To register by phone, call us at 610.469.6164.

New!! Wine Classes at Pinnacle Ridge Winery

Red and White: Wine Appreciation Basics

Thursday May 12, 6:30-9 PM or Friday, May 13, 1:30-4 PM 

What's In a Name? Wine Appreciation Basics

Thursday May 26, 6:30-9 PM or Friday, May 27, 1:30-4 PM
All classes are $35 per person.

Email or call us at 610.469.6164 for more information or to register by phone.

What We've Been Drinking  
(this week - OK, over the past 8 days)

We didn't expect to taste much wine this past week, but were we wrong about that!  

It all started innocently enough when we went to visit two of our favorite wineries, Pinnacle Ridge and Manatawny, last Friday.  It was a beautiful afternoon and we wanted to go for a drive, enjoy the ambiance of their tasting rooms, their good company, and maybe, just maybe, taste a wine or two or three.

At Pinnacle Ridge we spent most of our time talking with Brad and Christy, the owners.  Brad is one of the best wine-makers in the world - don't take our word for it, see Opus Vino,  who cited Pinnacle Ridge as one of the world's 1000 greatest wineries and Brad as one of the 100 rising star winemakers in the WORLD!  Not just in PA, not just in the USA, but in the WORLD!  

Anyway, after talking for a while we had to taste a couple of wines.  We know Brad's wines well and have cases in our wine closet, including his massive award winner, the 2007 Veritas. But, we wanted to refresh our memories of his Syrah and Merlot and wanted to try his new, dry rose, Oasis, featured to celebrate Mediterranean Month at the winery.  

Then we stopped by Manatawny.  We featured their Chardonnay in our e-newsletter and Grapevine blog this week, so if you want more detail about it, go the the Grapevine.  We also sampled and bought a few bottles of their sparkling, Merlot, and Syrah.  Of course, we tasted a few more as well.

After tasting at Manatawny, we were in a "Manatawny mood" and so pulled Joanne's 2007 Pinot Noir and 2006 Cabernet Franc from our wine closet and enjoyed those with dinner (storing the leftovers in the refrig and finishing them Saturday night).  


Early in the week we returned to whites and had our last bottles of Giesen Sauvignon Blanc (detail available in the Grapevine last week) and Errazuriz Wild Fermented Chardonnay (detailed a few weeks ago in the Grapevine).  

Thursday night we attended the Indian Valley American Wine Society tasting where the hosts organized a blind tasting of six Sauvignon Blancs, each from a different country.  Each was distinctively different from the others, some with a more earthy aroma and flavor, others with a more fruity aroma and flavor.  The Chaulk Hill from California was easy to identify because of the high alcohol content, characteristic of most California wines. It was not well-balanced (and over $25).  Skip it.  The Cloudy Bay from New Zealand was the overwhelming favorite and, like most NZ Sauvignon Blancs, showed equal measures of earthiness and fruit.  You just can't beat NZ Sauvignon Blancs, even the reasonably priced ones.  Cloudy Bay is overpriced, we think, at $20.  There are many more reasonably priced and excellent NZ Sauvignon Blancs available even in PA.

Sauvignon Blanc is about the only wine with high enough acid to pair with salads (especially with vinaigrette dressing) and other high acid foods.  Los Vascos from Chile was ranked third but was priced under $10, an amazing value.  Sauvion Sancerre (French) was the biggest disappointment and was the highest priced (about $30).  The South African Muldersbosch was also (we think) overpriced at $24.  Another bargain and good value was Four Sisters from Australia at $12 (and 12.5% alcohol, low for an Australian wine but just about right for a Sauvignon Blanc).


Friday night we attended the Positively Pottstown mixer at the Tri-PAC theater, where we found Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, a wine we reviewed about a year ago.  If you are looking for a very inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc, you can give it a try.  Taste it against the least expensive NZ Sauvignon Blanc you can find and tell us what you think!  We also sampled Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon and Il Bastardo, a Sangiovese from Italy.  Both (very inexpensive wines) were too tannic and a bit bitter for us. It is very difficult to find a well-balanced red for under $10.  We don't recommend either and switched back to the Cupcake after sampling both of them.


Saturday we attended a members' event at the Gallery School of Pottstown, taking a bottle of the Manatawny Syrah and a Traminette from Aracadian Estate, one of the wineries we visited in the Finger Lakes in October (now closed for the winter season).  It's a light, slightly sweet white, probably one step sweeter than most Gewurztraminers.  


Enough already.  More next time.
Dean and Lisa
Vintage Connections: Wine Educators and Consultants
 

What We (and Others) Have Been Drinking

Cheers!
from Vintage Connections and PointerPack, our Guest Blogger (PointerPack is their geocaching handle, but that's another story)!

What We've Been Drinking - with Friends

OK, we admit it.  Sometimes we drink with friends.  But only sometimes, and only with very good friends.  We never know if ALL of the wines we're going to sample will be goodies, and we never know what we might say (or do) after sampling 5-6 wines.  We certainly wouldn't want to subject strangers to unknown wines (or unexpected outbursts about what we're really thinking).  And, when really good friends invite us to a tasting, who's to say "no" to wine and good friends?  

So last Saturday night, we went wine tasting (Ok, wine drinking), eating, and playing (Guitar Hero, Beatles edition) with our good friends, PointerPack.   So, THANKS to PointerPack for the wine, the food, the friendship, and this week's wine blog  (go ahead, ask us about geocaching).

All of the comments below are PointerPack's - and we absolutely agree.  

The first wine was an aperitif (we drank it first and didn't compare it to the others).  

Then, we blind tasted four other wines including three Malbecs from Mendoza, Argentina, plus one "ringer" we brought to see if any of us could tell a Malbec from a completely different wine.  So, here's what we tasted, and what we thought along the way.

The Aperitif

Hunt Country Semi-Dry Reisling, 2009, Penn Yang, New York 

PLCB 506305 (special order) $17.89 ($13.99 at the winery plus 8% tax, plus gas, motel, meals, etc.  But it's a great trip).   Hunt Country is at least a two-case visit!

The Blind Tasting - The Great Malbec Sip-off

PointerPack wrapped the bottles in beautiful, used PLCB brown bags, and numbered each with the infamous thick black magic marker.

In order of preference - The four of us were not quite unanimous, but the first two were almost a toss-up.

Our first choice was the #1 labeled wine, a Bodega Tamari Reserva Malbec 2009, Argentina (Mendoza) PLCB 7055,  $10.99 (on sale)

Our second choice was the #3 labeled wine, the "ringer," not a Malbec but instead a wine grape we never tried before, Monastrell from Spain -  Tarima Monastrell, NV, Jumilla Spain, 

PLCB 3507,  $9.99 (on sale).  SO, no, we all couldn't distinquish this Monastrell from the three Malbecs.  We'll do some research on Monastrell.

Our third choice was the #2 labeled wine, Bodega Septima, Malbec 2009, Argentina (Mendoza) PLCB 6895, $12.95

Our fourth choice was the #4 labeled wine, Red Rock Winery Reserve Malbec, 2009 from California.  After we got past the soapy taste, it rivaled the first choice.  Soapy, yes.  The glasses we used for this wine had not been rinsed as well as the others and so the wine had a faint soapy aroma and flavor.  After rinsing the glasses, we tasted this wine again and think it would have moved up in the ratings.  So, we still recommend it, especially at the price.  PLCB 3406, $10.99

Later in the week, PointerPack sampled other wines without us!  The nerve.  Other wines sampled by by PointerPack, with their comments were:

Red Rock Merlot (same vintner as the Malbec above).  Not as good as the Malbec.  They gave it a C to C-. Not too bad, but a little too sweet, lacking finish, and a shade too light for our tastes. Will not be purchased again.

Murphy Good, 2007 Merlot was better than the Red Rock, a solid B and a good purchase at $12.49, PLCB 15899.  A wine to buy again.

Lastly, and in PointerPack's hands (and mouth) as they wrote to us, was Hunt Country Chardonnay.  This wine is solidly oaked and was quite tasty with the chicken they paired with it.  PointerPack didn't remember the cost (how much wine were you drinking?), but we checked on-line and this Chard lists for $12.99 (plus 8% NY tax) at the winery.  And, there was a note that Hunt Country ships its wines to PLCB stores by special order  We didn't check the extra cost for shipping and the PLCB mark-up, but it's worth checking!!

OK, enough wines for this post.

PLEASE scroll down to the previous post and check-out our up-coming wine classes, a suggestion about a wine book, and more!

Tell us What are You Drinking and be our next Guest Blogger.
If the email link to us is awkward for your mail server, copy and paste our address into your own email service.

Happy (and responsible) drinking! 

Wine Books, What We've Been Drinking, and Info on our Up-coming Wine Appreciation Classes

Welcome to the FIRST blog written under our new scheme to provide different information in this Vintage Connections Wine Info blog than in our Grapevine wine blog or Vintage Connections Wine Info E-Newsletter.  If you want this week's Wine Tips of the Week, or Up-Coming Events, or even this week's Fun Fact (about wine), please go to the Grapevine, or subscribe to our E-Newsletter by emailing us at Vintageconnections@Comcast.net.


Wine Books
This past week we recommended a couple of wine books to some new wine friends and they recommended one to us, Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking, by Michael J. Gelb.  Sounds like a book we should buy, but we'll pretend that we'll see if it's in our local library for a couple of weeks, and then resort to buying yet another wine book on Amazon.  Oh, by the way, we recommended the Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil and What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page to these new friends, and recommend them to you as well.

What We've Been Drinking

During the past couple of weeks, we've tasted the following wines.  Our fancy rating system speaks for itself.  These wines are NOT in any particular order (well, maybe they are).  We don't usually list prices or check current availability but do mention a few prices we had on hand.  Google the wineries (or the PLCB product search site) for prices, availability, and sometimes more information.  We think all were under $20 (or we wouldn't have bought them).  Bold-faced winery names are linked to their websites.


Manatawny Creek Syrah - A rather bold red.  We tasted the 2007 that we'd been saving. We hear the 2008 is excellent as well and plan to sample it soon.  We'll buy this one again (this was not our first bottle and won't be our last).  Available at the winery near Douglassville, PA.

Galen Glen Stone Cellar Gruner Veltliner - A medium-bodied white in the Austrian style (dry).  Similar to, but distinctly different from, Sauvignon Blanc.  We'll buy this one again (this was not our first bottle and won't be our last).  Available at the winery near Andreas, PA.

Rockbridge Tuscarora Red - A medium-bodied red blend.  We forgot how good it was and wish we had bought more and will buy it again.  Available at the winery near Raphine, VA.


Goose Watch Villard Blanc - A light-bodied white.  We forgot how good this was and wish we'd bought more.  Similar to, but still different from, Sauvignon Blanc. We wish we'd bought more and will buy it again.  Available at the winery near Romulus, NY (in the Finger Lakes).


Hosmer Sparkling - A white sparkling, made using the methode champenoise.  We wish we bought more and will buy it again.  Available at the winery near Ovid, NY (Finger Lakes).


Veramar Rooster Red - We bought it for the name and label (yes, even we do that).  A nice, dry red blend.  We're not sure if we'd buy this again, but think it's worth a try. Available at the winery near Berryville, VA.


Bernardus Marinus Carmel Valley (CA) Red - A Bordeaux-type blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.  Definitely worth at try if it is still available, IF you like hearty dry reds.  This Chairman's Select is $20 (plus tax). PLCB code 12868.  Splurge on this one.


Chemin des Rouvieres, Perfection du Rhone, appellation Vacqueyras - Yes, this one is from France.  Rhones are blends, usually of Grenache and Syrah.  This one is Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.  It's an excellent blend and we may try again.  This was a gift and we think it is the same as the PLCB Chairman's Select, product code 30879.  If so, it's a bargain ($13) and we recommend you give it a try if you like dry, bold reds.  A nice and affordable alternative to Bordeaux.


Barton & Guestier Chateauneuf-du-Pape - Another red from France.  B&G export big time to the USA and their wines are widely available, a bit pricey, and for our tastes, not worth the cost (this one, not worth buying at any price).  Yep, for us this is a loser and we won't buy it again and don't recommend you do either.  There are so many other, better, more affordable bold reds.

Up-coming Wine Appreciation Classes

Yes, we taste wines in class.  What a silly question!

Thursday, March 24, 6:30-9 PM, 139 East High Street, Pottstown (PDIDA office)
Wine Blending Bordeaux Style

Red Bordeaux (the real stuff) is always a blend, usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and often with a little Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and even rarely Carmenere. 

In class, we'll taste a little Cab Sauv, a little Merlot, and a little Cab Franc, and then you can try blending these in different combinations and TASTE the difference. Adding a little of one (or two or three) to the other changes the taste, like adding salt, pepper, or other spices to food. 

Thursday, March 31, 6:30-9 PM, 139 East High Street, Pottstown (PDIDA office)

Wines of the Finger Lakes

Our wine students had a good time tasting and learning about Wines of the Finger Lakes in this class last fall, right after we returned from our week-long tasting trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.  This time, we'll taste a few more wines from the Finger Lakes.  If you enjoyed this class in the Fall, we're sure you'll enjoy this one too.  If you missed this class in the fall, now's your chance!

Thursday, April 7, 6:30-9 PM, 139 East High Street, Pottstown (PDIDA office) 

Surprising Wines under $15

Often it's hard to find decent wines priced under $15, but that's what most of us are looking for.  

Sample some of our favorites in this price range.

Gems from our Cellar - Date TBA
Yes, we're going to open 5 or 6 of those bottles we've been saving.  The vintages we'll be tasting are probably not available any longer, but current vintages should be excellent too.  Originally, we scheduled this class for April 14, but need to be change the date.  More information, including the date of this class, will be posted as soon as possible. 

Cost for each class is $35 per person and reservations are required in advance. 

Make your reservations by emailing us at Vintageconnections@Comcast.net

or call us at 610.649.6164 or 610.310.9942.  Leave a message if we can't answer the phone right away (we're probably out tasting wine).

If you don't already receive our weekly Wine Info e-newsletter with Wine Tips of the Week, Up-coming (wine) Events, and our weekly Fun Fact (about wine), email us and we'll add you to the mailing list. 

We wish you Happy (and responsible) Wine-ing.

Changes to this Blog

"Hello" to all of our Vintage Connections Wine Info readers

If you are looking for the answers to last week's Quiz, go to our blog, the Grapevine, in the Pottstown Mercury.

Congratulations to Maureen and Joe Freed, the winners of this quiz.   They chose the $20 Gift Certificate from Pinnacle Ridge Winery. 

As many of our readers know, there is usually no difference between (among?) this blog, our Grapevine blog in the Mercury, and our weekly newsletter.  Well, to quote a philosopher-poet many of us know and love,  times they are a changin' (and hopefully for the better).

We are not changing the Grapevine blog or our Weekly Wine Info E-Newsletter.  Each will have essentially the same info as they do now (identical to each other).  That usually includes reviews of two wines we've recently enjoyed, a short calendar of Up-coming Events, and a Fun Fact.  If you want that information automatically emailed to you each week, be sure to sign-up for the newsletter.  If you'd rather go looking for that new information when you want it, use the Grapevine.

The revised Vintage Connection Wine Info blog will have different material than the Grapevine and newsletter.  As we have open enrollment wine classes and events approaching as we do now, we'll provide more detailed information about the class content, approach, the wines we'll be tasting, and other information related to our classes, events, and the wines we'll be using. 

Also, we're adding a new section to this blog entitled What We've Been Drinking where we'll list and rate the wines we've tasted during the past week or two, letting you know which ones we'd buy again and which ones we'll skip in the future.  This section may be difficult for us to maintain, since sometimes we drink (or at least taste) a dozen or more wines each week.  We'd also like to implore our readers to blog back about what you've been drinking and what you think of the wines you've recently sampled.  In this section we'll also write about Where We've Been Drinking and sometimes What We've Been Reading,  (about wine).

Lastly, we may not post the revised Vintage Connections Wine Info blog every week.  Sometimes we won't have time to write about our classes or what we've been drinking, or the wineries we may have visited, or the wine book we read recently. But, we hope what we write is interesting and may motivate you to read this blog and the Grapevine, or our newsletter.
 
One of the wonderful characteristics of blogs is that writers can easily change them.  So, let us know what you think of this revised blog, and also of our Grapevine blog and newsletter. We are willing and able to make changes to make these publications more interesting and useful to our readers and friends.

Later this week, maybe next week, or sometime soon, check back for our new, revised, (and we hope improved) Vintage Connections Wine Info blog (maybe it's time to set-up a RSS feed or other of those technological exercises we don't really understand).

Happy and Responsible Wine Drinking!!

Dean and Lisa Foster