Vintage Connections Wine Info

New - Wine Classes at Pinnacle Ridge Winery near Kutztown

2011-04-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

Those of you who know us well or read our newsletter or the Grapevine blog in the Pottstown Mercury already know that we canceled our March wine classes scheduled in Pottstown. We need a minimum of 8 people to run a class, and just didn't attract enough people for any of these classes to run.

The GOOD NEWS is that Brad and Christy at Pinnacle Ridge Winery invited us to offer Wine Appreciation classes at the winery starting in May. They are helping us market these classes through their winery newsletter and by providing information and the option to register for classes at the winery. In turn, we'll be helping better educate their customers about wine tasting and the "world of wine." Classes are still just $35 per person.

We are offering each class on a Thursday night and a Friday afternoon, trying to accommodate people's different schedules. If you'd prefer a different day or night, let us know before we schedule our next set of classes in July and we'll try to schedule classes at the most popular times. We still offer Home Schoolin' classes for groups of 8 or more at your home, business, or organization. Email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net for more information on Home Schoolin' or classes at Pinnacle Ridge.

Classes at Pinnacle Ridge Winery are limited to 18 people, so contact us soon to register!

Below is an excerpt from Pinnacle Ridge's April Newsletter.


  NEW AT PINNACLE RIDGE:
WINE EDUCATION CLASSES!!

Wine educators Dean and Lisa Foster team up with
  Pinnacle Ridge. The seminars will be held at Pinnacle
Ridge in a newly renovated space designed for special
  wine tastings. Seminars run 2 and ½ hours and cost
$35.00 per person.


Red and White: Wine Appreciation Basics
Thursday, May 12, 6:30-9 PM or
Friday, May 13, 1:30-4 PM
Learn more about wine, wine tasting, wine and food
pairing, and the world of wine. In this seminar, you’ll
learn by tasting, discussing, and comparing three of the
world’s most popular red wine types and three of the
world’s most popular white wine types. Taste, Learn,
Enjoy!

What’s in a Name?: Wine Appreciation Basics
Thursday, May 26, 6:30-9 PM or
Friday ,May 27, 1:30-4 PM
Wine names and labels can be confusing. In this
seminar, you’ll learn how wines get their names so you
can more intelligently shop for and enjoy different kinds
  of wine. You’ll learn by tasting, discussing, and
comparing six wines that get their names in several
different ways. Taste, Learn, Enjoy!
For more information contact: Dean and Lisa Foster
Wine Educators and Consultants
610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942
vintageconnections@comcast.net

Wine Mystery Novels
By accident a few years ago, we discovered a series of "Wine County Mysteries" by Ellen Crosby (click here for more info). We've read (OK, Dean has read) the first four and we are ordering the remaining two on this list.

The Merlot Murders, 2006
The Chardonnay Charade, 2007
The Bordeaux Betrayal, 2008
The Riesling Retribution, 2009
The Viognier Vendetta, 2010
The Sauvignon Secret, 2011

We've also enjoyed several wine-themed books by Peter Mayle including The Vintage Caper and The Cottage with Too Many Keys (set in the Finger Lakes) by Robert W. Gregg.
Sit back with a glass (or bottle) of wine and enjoy!

What We've Been Drinking
It's been two weeks since we published this blog, so the list is longer than we can remember. Here are a few highlights. Also, remember to go to our other blog, The Grapevine, in the Pottstown Mercury for weekly wine recommendations and detail about (usually) two wines.
To celebrate our partnership with Pinnacle Ridge, we opened two of Brad's best wines. His Veritas always wins awards, and we've been hoarding a few bottles of his 2005 vintage, along with some 2004 Chambourcin Reserve. Wonderfully rich, deep, and smooth.

To lighten things up a bit (not the same night), we enjoyed a bottle of Manatawny's Blanc de Blancs. Joanne makes a great, just off-dry sparkling from a combination of grapes (hence the Blanc de Blancs with an "s" rather than Blanc de Blanc without an "s").
Good friends came for dinner one night. They came for wine, actually. Dinner is just a necessary side-effect when staying 6-7 hours and enjoying a few good wines. They surprised us with CHAMPAGNE, you know, the real stuff from Champagne, France. This time is was Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Wow! Yummy. Need we say more?

We countered with a White Springs Fume Blanc (sauvignon blanc aged on oak), an Allegro Vineyards and Winery (south-central PA) Chardonnay, the Trapiche Oak Cask Pinot Noir that we reviewed in our newsletter and Grapevine blog last week, and our favorite semi-dry Rieslings, a Hermann Wiemer (2006).

Somewhere along the way, during the week somewhere between dinner and watching some TV, we (Lisa mostly) enjoyed a Hunt Country Seyvl Blanc and a Sheldrake Point Pinot Gris. We had to cancel our Wines of the Finger Lakes class, so compensated by drinking these two Finger Lakes wines we earmarked for that class. (We weren't going to share the Hermann Wiemer Riesling, sorry).

Over the past couple of weeks we also attended two American Wine Society tastings, one with the Perkiomen Valley Chapter where we sampled and learned about four Oregon wines: a chardonnay, a pinot gris, and two pinot noirs. We didn't write down the names because we'll get detail in the group's next newsletter. We'll recap those next time.

Enough for now?
ENJOY RESPONSIBLY!!
Dean and Lisa Foster
Vintage Connections: Wine Educators and Consultants

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

2011-03-20T10:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-12T09:10:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-03T07:30:00.003-05:00

"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

Finally, Another Quiz - with an additional (an 8th) sponsor and prize!

2011-02-24T09:00:00.013-05:00

"Thanks" to the Quiz Sponsors who are providing the PRIZE for this week's winner and who are listed below. Be sure to email your answers by 5 PM, Wednesday, March 2 to us at vintageconnections@comcast.net

"Correct" answers are those included in our Fun Facts from the past few months.

Even if we're wrong, we're right!

If multiple readers score the same number of correct answers, we'll put their names in a hat and draw one name who will be the winner of this quiz. The winner will have a choice of one prize donated from any of our sponsors (see below).

1. Name at least three of the grapes used in red Bordeaux.

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

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

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

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

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

7. The _________ 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.)

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

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?

Email your answers to Vintageconnections@comcast.net by 5 PM, Wednesday, March 2.

THANK YOU to our Quiz Sponsors!

The winner from our Fun Facts Quiz may chose one of the following prizes offered by our Quiz Sponsors. Sponsors are listed alphabetically. Prizes can not be exchanged for cash or other considerations. Some prizes may be mailed to the winners, but some may need to be picked up at the sponsor's business location.

Gallery School of Pottstown (Pottstown, PA) - $20 Gift Certificate toward the cost of any class. Does not include Gallery merchandise.

Manatawny Creek Winery (Douglassville, PA) - Basket Box with a bottle of wine, valued at $20.

Pinnacle Ridge Winery (Kutztown, PA) - $20 Gift Certificate

Schuylkill River Heritage Area (5 county service area, entire Schuylkill River Watershed) - Choice of either the reprinted book, "The Schuylkill" recounting the history of the river, or the new PBS video, "Our National Heritage Episode One: The Revolutionary River" also depicting the history of the Schuylkill River, each retailing for $20.

Tri-county Performing Arts Center (Pottstown, PA) - $20 Gift Certificate toward one show, class, or private lesson.

Vintage Connections (Pottstown, PA) - One seat in the class, Blending Wine Bordeaux Style, Wednesday March 24, 6:30-9 PM, in Pottstown, valued at $35.

Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery (Breinigsville, PA) - Cherry DiVyne with Chocolate, gift wrapped, valued at $20.

Wine Down Cafe and Winebar (West Reading, PA) - $20 Gift Card

Spring 2011 Wine Classes

PLEASE REGISTER SOON or let us know of your intent to register.

Contacting us SOON about the March 24 class, "Blending Wine Bordeaux Style," is especially important because we need to buy the wines SOON!

To register for classes, to tell us of your intent to register, or for more information, email us at vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean and Lisa) at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

NOTE: WE ARE
NO LONGER TEACHING the WINE CLASSES at MCCC West Campus.
We have moved to a new location so we could reduce the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010

$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of information about wine, and wine tasting.

All classes are Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM.

New Location - These classes will be held at the PDIDA Office,
139 East High Street, in downtown Pottstown.
Plenty of on-street parking.

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style - Learn about and taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc individually, then blend them and experience how they complement each other and how blending produces a more complex aroma and (we think, a better) flavor.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

Date TBD (was April 14 but we need to change it)
Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

Wine for Beginners      Basic Red and White       Wines of the World
                 Wines of the USA            Wines of the Finger Lakes
          Wines of Pennsylvania                       What's in a Name
Blending Wine Bordeaux Style             Surprising Wines under $15

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

For more information or to register for classes, email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) us at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks (payable to Vintage Connections) and cash only.

Wine Tips - Framingham Sauvignon Blanc and Gemtree Shiraz

2011-02-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

Cheers from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultant
Please tell your friends and family who may enjoy reading and learning about wine about this blog. We also publish an e-newsletter each week with essentially the same information as this blog. Email us if you want to be added to our e-newsletter distribution list. You can always un-subscribe.

Framingham Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2009

From Marlborough, New Zealand, our favorite source of Sauvignon Blanc, this wine displays traditional grassy/vegetal aromas and refreshing crisp citrus flavors on the palate. It is aromatic, but not overwhelming. It has flavors of grapefruit and passion fruit. Its color is pale straw with green highlights.

This vintage is made from seven different "base wines" from eight different areas of Marlborough. It was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. It was cellared two years before being released. It is an excellent wine to serve with a green salad and especially asparagus, or just to sit and sip. We served this wine at a recent Valentine's Day dinner at our friends Sylvia and Carl's home.

This wine is currently a PLCB Chairman's Select, product code 30871 and lists for $11.99 although it is valued at about twice that price (as are most Chairman's Selects). 13% APV (alcohol by volume).

Gemtree Vineyards McLaren Vale Tadpole Shiraz 2008

From the McLaren Vale in southern Australia, this is a surprising wine for the cost. Deep dark red in color, it has aromas of blueberries and mulberries and just the right touch of oak. It is medium to full-bodied with lots of juicy red fruit flavors, balanced acidity and a long lingering finish.

This wine was aged for 14 months in American oak, and is bottled without fining or filtration.The grapes were grown organically.

Gemtree Vineyards is owned by the Buttery family. They purchased an old dairy farm where they have planted native plants and trees and built an interlocking network of ponds and waterways making a wetlands for "Greening Australia".

Excellent when paired with grilled barbecue ribs. Alcohol is 14.5% by volume. This wine is available at many PA Wine and Spirit stores at $13.99 a bottle. PLCB product code is 22914.

Spring 2011 Wine Classes

PLEASE REGISTER SOON or let us know of your intent to register.

To register for classes or for more information, email us at vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean and Lisa) at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

NOTE: WE ARE NO LONGER TEACHING the WINE CLASSES at MCCC West Campus.
We have moved to a new location so we could reduce the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010

$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of information about wine, and wine tasting.

All classes are Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM.

New Location - These classes will be held at the PDIDA Office,
139 East High Street, in downtown Pottstown.
Plenty of on-street parking.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

March Madness on the Lehigh Valley

Wine Trail

(linked to website)

Buy a passport and visit any Lehigh Valley winery on any weekend in March.

Fun Fact!

Cabernet Franc, one of the Bordeaux blending wines, is "the red wine" of the Loire Valley in France. It grows extremely well in the Eastern USA, and especially well in Pennsylvania.

There will be another quiz someday!

Honorable Mention Wines of 2010

2011-02-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

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

Please tell your friends and family who may enjoy reading and learning about wine about this blog. We also provide the same information in a weekly e-newsletter sent automatically to about 300 readers. If you'd like the convenience of the automatic newsletter, email us and we'll add you to our email list. You can always unsubscribe to our newsletter.

Honorable Mentions of 2010

The following wines came close as we picked our Top 10 Wines of 2010.

These wines are in no particular order. Some may no longer be available or in limited supply, and prices may have changed.

Spice Route Pinotage 2007 (South Africa), PLCB code 30919, $12.99

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo (Italy), PLCB code 4560, $13.99

Pinnacle Ridge Blanc de Blanc (Lehigh Valley, PA)

$16 at the winery (Gold Medal and Best Sparkling Wine, 2010 PA Farm Show)

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel (California), PLCB code 5043, $11.99 on sale (a GREAT buy, this should have been in our Top 10!)

Calveresi Reisling (Berks County, PA). The price is not listed and this wine is out of stock until March 1.

Blair Wedding Cuvee (Berks County, PA). $19.99 at the winery. Blair also makes wonderful Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in the classic Burgundian style.

Re-Cap of our Top 10 Wines of 2010

Again, these are NOT in any particular order.
Some may no longer be available or in limited supply and prices may have changed.

Trapiche Sparkling Extra Brut, PLCB code 7224, $13.99
(was on sale for $11.99)

Sebastiani Pinot Noir, PLCB code 4985, $15.99

Bogle Vineyards Phantom, PLCB code 13432, $17.99

Manatawny Creek Cabernet Franc, $14.95 at the winery.
The 2007 may no longer be available. We recommend tasting the current vintage at the winery. The 2010 should be excellent but will not be released for a while.)

Errazuriz Chardonnay (Wild Yeast), PLCB code 22502, $14.99

J. Lohr South Ridge Paso Robles Syrah, PLCB code 6311, $15.99

Pinnacle Ridge Veritas 2007 (PA Farm Show Gold Medal Winner), $20 at the winery

Brancott Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, PLCB code 9326, $17.99

Vynecrest Lemberger (PA Farm Show Silver Medal), $14.99 at the winery

St. Supery Moscato, PLCB code 18314, $11.99

Spring 2011 Wine Classes

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE
NO LONGER TEACHING the WINE CLASSES at MCCC West Campus.

We have moved to a new location so we could reduce the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

To register for classes or for more information,

email us at vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean and Lisa) at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of good information about wine.

All classes are Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM.

New Location - These classes will be held at the PDIDA Office,
139 East High Street, in downtown Pottstown.
Plenty of on-street parking.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

Fun Fact!

French Red Bordeaux is always a blend including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, sometimes with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere.

Meritage is a licensed name for blends made from the same grapes.

Many wineries make similar blends using whatever name they desire (e.g. Veritas at Pinnacle Ridge).

There will be another quiz someday!

Blog Delayed until February 10

2011-02-02T15:05:00.003-05:00

Hi Folks!
Due to unavoidable circumstances, we won't be able to publish our next blog with 2010 Honorable Mentions until February 10.
Sorry for the delay.

See previous blogs for Upcoming Events and our Schedule of Spring Wine Classes!

Vintage Connections

Part 5 - The Last of our Top 10 Wine Recommendations of 2010

2011-01-18T09:30:00.003-05:00

UPDATE on one of our Top 10!

Pinnacle Ridge's 2007 Veritas won "Best Vinifera" and "Double Gold" at the 2011 PA Farm Show!! Congratulations Brad!

Below are our last two Top 10 Wines of 2010. Next week, we'll list a few "honorable mentions."
If you did not read about the previous 8 of our"Top 10," read the archive of this blog.

The top 10 are NOT in any particular order, are all different varieties, are from different wineries, and are from the USA and around the world.

These are all wines we've written about during 2010. We've updated information about availability in Pennsylvania and costs for those that are still available.

Give us feedback, telling us which (if any) of these were your favorites and if we left any of your favorites off of our list.

Vynecrest Lemberger (Silver Medal at the 2011 PA Farm Show)

This is a full-bodied dry red. It is a German varietal and is deep red in color. It's distinctive flavor makes this wine an interesting alternative to the usual red table wine. Lemberger can be either very bold or gently light. The Vynecrest Lemberger tends to be more boldly flavored. It has good tannins so that it can be cellared for a few years, but is also great to drink now. It has a long finish. Alcohol is 13% by volume and is available at the winery for $14.99.

Vynecrest Winery is located in Breinigsville, PA. Vynecrest makes a large variety of excellent wines, from luscious whites like Dry Riesling and Pinot Gris to wonderful reds like Lemberger and Chambourcin to the ever popular sweet wines. After tasting, relax in the Vyneskeller where you can sit and enjoy a glass of their wine, have a small snack and maybe hear some live music. Their website is http://www.vynecrest.com/

St. Supery Moscato 2008 (only a few bottles remain at a few PLCB stores)

Made from 100% muscat blanc grapes, St. Supery's Moscato is a still wine from the Napa Valley. It is “deliciously floral, yet delicate with wonderful stone fruit aromas and flavors." The acidity balances its slight sweetness and makes it light and crisp with a long lasting floral finish. Great as an aperitif or with desserts. Serve slightly chilled. It is not a "dessert wine" but is a great accompaniment to dessert. We've had it several times and especially liked it with yellow cupcakes.

St. Supery’s 2008 Moscato is a Chairman Select, but only a few remaining bottles are listed and in only a few PLCB stores. If you can find it, it's selling for $6.99 (originally, it was still a great buy at $11.99). It's PLCB product code 18314.

Spring 2011 Wine Classes

We are reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of good information about wine.

New Location - These classes will be held at the PDIDA Office, 139 East High Street, right in downtown Pottstown. Plenty of on-street parking.
Additional detail about these classes is available in our previous January blogs.

All on Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM
March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style
March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II
April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15
April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Checks and cash only.

For more information or to discuss a customized class, email us or call us at 610.469.6164.

Fun Fact!

Lemberger is also known as Blaufrankisch in Austria and Kekfrankos in Hungary.
There will be another quiz someday!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Beer Class at Weak Knee Home Brew (linked to website)
January 25
Wild Game and Beer Pairing Dinner

Berks County Wine Trail (linked to website)

Wine and Chocolate Weekend (linked to website)

February 12-13, Noon-5 PM both days.

March Madness on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail (linked to website)

Buy a passport and visit any Lehigh Valley winery on any weekend in March.

Vintage Connections Spring Wine Classes
See previous January blog entries.

Part 4 of our Top 10 Wines of 2010

2011-01-11T07:00:00.006-05:00

This week and next we'll continue to list our Top 10 Wines of 2010. After that, we'll list some "honorable mentions." If you did not read the last three weeks' wine recommendations, you can review them through the archive at on our blog at http://vintageconnectionswineinfo.blogspot.com/

The top 10 are NOT in any particular order.

The top 10 are all different varieties, are from different wineries, and are from the USA and around the world.

These are all wines we've written about during 2010. We've updated information about availability in Pennsylvania and costs for those that are still available.

Give us feedback, telling us which (if any) of these were your favorites and if we left any of your favorites off of our list.

Pinnacle Ridge Winery's Veritas 2007

In good years, winemaker Brad Knapp blends several "Bordeaux" grapes to make his vintage Veritas. We have bottles from several previous vintages, and truly miss the years the grapes are not good enough for Brad to blend this premier red wine. 2007 was a fine year and Brad has produced an outstanding Veritas 2007.

This classic Bordeaux-type blend is made with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is deep, rich red in color with aromas of "toasty oak, vanilla and black fruits". It was aged for 16 months in American oak barrels and is extremely well balanced with flavors of blackberries and other dark fruits and has a long pleasing finish. Alcohol is about 12% by volume.

The 2007 Veritas is $20 per bottle at the winery near Kutztown. Pinnacle Ridge's website is http://www.pinridge.com/

Brancott Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2008
From Marlborough, New Zealand. We are constantly looking for good Sauvignon Blancs and those from Marlborough seem to be consistently good. The Brancott Reserve is no exception. In addition to this reserve, Brancott produces several other Sauvignon Blancs available in PLCB stores. We recommend buying several, having some friends over and doing a little taste comparison. Summer on the deck would be best, but why wait?
As the chief wine maker Jeff Clarke states about the 2008 vintage "the flavors are bold, ripe and zesty, exactly what you'd expect from a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc". Light straw color with slightly green highlights, the aroma is full of tropical fruits and grapefruit. The flavor is full of fruit and has well-balanced acidity for a long and lingering finish. Brancott feels that this wine could be cellared for 2 to 3 years to develop its complexity. Alcohol is 13.2% by volume.

The juice was allowed to stay on the skins for a few hours to extract as much of the distinctive flavors as possible, then gently bagged pressed to maintain "the fresh, clear, elegant juice". The juice was then allowed to ferment slowly at low temperatures.

PLCB product code is 9326 and is currently $17.99. Available a most PA Wine and Spirit Stores.

Spring 2011 Wine Classes and Gift Certificates

Wine Classes

We are reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of good information about wine.
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM

New Location - These classes will be held at the *PDIDA Office, 139 East High Street, right in downtown Pottstown. Plenty of on-street parking. *Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority. Sounds like a Quiz question.

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style - Learn about and taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc individually, then blend them and experience how they complement each other and how blending produces a more complicated aroma and flavor.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

Gift Certificates for Spring 2011 Wine Classes

What a unique and fun gift! Give the gift of a wine class.

$35 for a seat in any of our open enrollment Vintage Connections Wine Classes listed above.

$250 for a Home Schoolin' Wine Class as described above, for up to 8 people, provided in your home, business or other appropriate location (within 15 miles of Pottstown - other locations may require a travel charge).

For more information or to purchase a gift certificate, email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) us at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks and cash only.

Fun Fact!

Bordeaux (red) is always a blend, usually predominated by either Cab Sauvignon or Merlot, often with Cabernet Franc and sometimes Petite Verdot and Malbec. Carmenere is technically another allowable Bordeaux grape, but is seldom (if every) used in the blend today.

There will be another quiz someday!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Vintage Connections Spring Wine Classes
See feature article in this issue.

Wine and Beer Classes at Weak Knee Home Brew
January 11
Wine Making Class

January 18
Beer Making Class

January 25
Wild Game and Beer Pairing Dinner
Contact us to register for classes, to schedule a wine class or wine event in your home, at your business, or for your organization, or to buy a gift certificate.

Top 10 Wines of 2010 - Part 3

2011-01-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is Part 3 of our top 10 wines of the year. We'll continue to highlight two wines a week for the next 3 weeks and then list some "honorable mentions." If you did not read the last two weeks' wine recommendations, you can review them through the archive at on our blog at http://vintageconnectionswineinfo.blogspot.com/

The top 10 are NOT in any particular order.

The top 10 are all different varieties, are from different wineries, and are from the USA and around the world.

These are all wines we've written about during 2010. We've updated information about availability in Pennsylvania and costs for those that are still available.

Give us feedback, telling us which (if any) of these were your favorites and if we left any of your favorites off of our list.

Errazuriz Chardonnay 2007

This Chardonnay is from the Escultura Estate in Casablanca Valley in Chile, this Chardonnay was made from wild yeasts that are naturally present on the grape skins and in the air. Grapes are hand-picked, the juice fermented at low temperatures and then allowed to sit for 10 months in French oak barrels. It has tropical fruit aromas with toasty, nutty flavors and a long finish.

La Escultura Estate is located just twenty miles from the Pacific Ocean, so it benefits from the moderate temperatures of the Pacific breezes during the ripening period. In 2007 when the grapes were ripening the weather was unusually cool allowing the grapes to mature slowly which benefited the final product by allowing the grapes to "maintain their natural fruit flavor and acidity".

Allowing the juice to ferment with wild, native yeasts "produces different concentrations and proportions of by products, adding distinctive flavors - and therefore more complexity - to the wine". Seventy percent of the wine also went through malolactic fermentation.

Errazuriz Chardonnay is light yellow straw colored and is medium bodied.

We were a little concerned with what this wine was going to taste like having been made using the wild, native yeasts rather than the tamer yeast additives usually used. But we wanted to try it anyway. "Nothing ventured...." We were very happily surprised and thoroughly enjoyed the wine. So much so that we have decided to use it paired with plantain chips at the upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Gallery School in Pottstown.

Alcohol is 13.5% by volume. PLCB product code is 22502 and is sold for $14.99 a bottle but only a few PA Wine and Spirit stores have any left. Search the PLCB website using the product code for availability, or ask your local store if they can ship any to their location for you.

J. Lohr South Ridge Paso Robles Syrah

We've enjoyed this wine several times and recommended it to friends who have enjoyed it as well.

This remarkably well-balanced Syrah is made from 2 clones: French Chapoutier and Australian Shiraz #2 grown in the Estrella Hills area of Paso Robles, CA. With aromas of black cherry and blackberry, it is rich, dark and fruity with a light toasted oak flavor. It underwent primary fermentation in stainless steel, then malolactic fermentation in French and American oak barrels for 14 months. A great wine with grilled meats. The J. Lohr Syrah is still available at a few local PA Wine and Spirit stores for $15.99. PLCB product code is 6311. Alcohol is13.5% by volume.

Spring 2011 Wine Classes and Gift Certificates
We are reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of good information about wine.
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM

New Location - These classes will be held at the *PDIDA Office, 139 East High Street, right in downtown Pottstown. Plenty of on-street parking. *Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority. Sounds like a Quiz question.

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style
March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II
April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15
April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available
Wine for Beginners      Basic Red and White        Wines of the World
                  Wines of the USA             Wines of the Finger Lakes
          Wines of Pennsylvania                       What's in a Name
Blending Wine Bordeaux Style             Surprising Wines under $15

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)
Gift Certificates for Spring 2011 Wine Classes

What a unique and fun gift! Give the gift of a wine class.

For more information about classes, see last week's blog.

Questions or to purchase a gift certificate, email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) us at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks and cash only.

Fun Fact!
Syrah is the same grape as Shiraz (Australia just has to be so DIFFERENT).
There will be another quiz someday!

Top 10 Wine Picks of 2010 Part 2

2010-12-28T07:00:00.003-05:00

Top 10 Wine Picks of 2010

Last week we started revealing our top 10 wines of the year.
We'll continue to highlight two wines a week for the next 4 weeks, and then list some "honorable mentions." If you did not read last week's two wines, you can review them through the archive at on our blog at http://vintageconnectionswineinfo.blogspot.com/

The top 10 are NOT in any particular order.

The top 10 are all different varieties, are from different wineries, and are from the USA and around the world.

These are all wines we've written about during 2010. We've updated information about availability in Pennsylvania and costs for those that are still available.

Give us feedback, telling us which (if any) of these were your favorites and if we left any of your favorites off of our list.

Bogle Vineyard Phantom

This excellent dark ruby red dry wine is a blend of 53% petite sirah, 44% old vine zinfandel and 3% old vine mourvedre. It has rich aromas of black pepper, dark red berries and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon with aromas of blackberries and blueberries. It was aged in 1, 2 and 3 year old American oak barrels. Alcohol content is 14% by volume.

Located along the Sacarmento River in Clarksburg, California, Bogle Vineyards is owned and operated by members of the Bogle family who established the vineyards in 1968.

Richly complex, it will only get better with age, but wonderful to drink now. Great when paired with hearty foods like beef and lamb.

Phantom is still available in PA for $17.99, product code is 13432 but only at a few PLCB stores, and in limited quantities. Search the PLCB Product Search Website, use keyword Phantom, and check locations near you.

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.

BUY THIS WINE SOON. 2007 was a very good year (weather, etc.) so this is the best vintage you'll be able to buy until the 2010 is released. NOT that 2008 and 2009 will be bad, but 2007 was a very good year. 2010 should be better yet, but in the meantime, we've stocked up on 2007 (and 2005).

Joanne, the winemaker at Manatawny, also uses the Cabernet Franc to make her port. At 18.95 for a 750 ml bottle, this is a bargain IF you like a slightly sweet port. Delicious!

Spring 2011 Wine Classesnand Gift Certificates

Wine Classes

We are reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers and LOTS of good information about wine.
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM

New Location - These classes will be held at the *PDIDA Office, 139 East High Street, right in downtown Pottstown. Plenty of on-street parking. *Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority.

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style - Learn about and taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc individually, then blend them and experience how they complement each other and how blending produces a more complicated aroma and flavor.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

Wine for Beginners      Basic Red and White        Wines of the World
                  Wines of the USA             Wines of the Finger Lakes
          Wines of Pennsylvania                       What's in a Name
Blending Wine Bordeaux Style             Surprising Wines under $15

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

Gift Certificates for Spring 2011 Wine Classes

What a unique and fun gift! Give the gift of a wine class.

$35 for a seat in any of our open enrollment Vintage Connections Wine Classes listed above.

$250 for a Home Schoolin' Wine Class as described above, for up to 8 people, provided in your home, business or other appropriate location (within 15 miles of Pottstown - other locations may require a travel charge).

For more information or to purchase a gift certificate, email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) us at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks and cash only.

Fun Fact!

Cabernet Franc is one of the five grapes used in Bordeaux Blends.

There will be another quiz someday!

Top 10 Wine Picks of 2010 Part 1 and Weak Knee Home Brew

2010-12-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Over the next six weeks we'll be revealing our top 10 wines of the year. We'll highlight two wines a week over the next 5 weeks, and then list some "honorable mentions."

Originally, we were going to rank our top 10 (from # 1 to #10), but after reviewing our list almost all of them tied for first place. So, the top 10 are NOT in any particular order.

The top 10 are all different varieties, are from different wineries, and are from the USA and around the world.

These are all wines we've written about during 2010. We've updated information about availability in Pennsylvania and costs for those that are still available.

Give us feedback, telling us which (if any) of these were your favorites and if we left any of your favorites off of our list.

Trapiche Sparkling Extra Brut

We only mentioned this wine in passing in our November 10 newsletter and blogs but used it several times at wine tastings and dinners. It has become our favorite dry sparkling wine in 2010.

This sparkler is a blend of Chardonnay (70%), Semillon (20%) and Malbec (10%) and is from Mendoza, Argentina. It rested "on the lees" for 120 days so picked up that yeasty, toasted bread aroma and taste that is characteristic of much more expensive sparkling wines.

Amazingly, this wine is widely available at PLCB stores but usually only in small quantities so buy it soon. We suspect it will disappear by New Year's Eve.

The product code is 7724 and is on sale now for only $11.99.   This wine was a bargain at the list price of $13.99. Wow!


Sebastiani Pinot Noir

Our favorite Pinot Noirs this year is by Sebastiani. Many Pinot Noirs cost more than our usual price range but this Pinot from the Sonoma Coast is affordable and excellent. The 2007 vintage was the top wine in our Bottle Shock Blind Wine Tasting event this past September.
This wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir and is a multi-vineyard blend which creates fruit-forward wines "with richness and complexity". It has fresh cherry flavors with hints of maraschino cherries and "hints of oriental spice, vanilla and mocha". The color is rich crimson. The grapes were cold-soaked before crushing to prevent tearing, keeping the tannins low for early drinkability. It was aged in Hungarian and French oak barrels for 5 months giving it hints of toasty oak flavors. Alcohol is 13.5% by volume.

The current PLCB sale price is $15.99, up from $12.99 earlier in the year. Only the 2008 vintage may be available now, but because they blend this wine from Pinot Noir grapes from a wide geographic area of California, this wine changes very little year to year. The PLCB product code is 4985.

Spring 2011 Wine Classes and Gift Certificates

Wine Classes

We are changing locations and reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM - Location to-be-determined

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style - Learn about and taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc individually, then blend them and experience how they complement each other and how blending produces a more complicated aroma and flavor.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.
Sample classes - Many other options are available.
Wine for Beginners      Basic Red and White        Wines of the World
                  Wines of the USA             Wines of the Finger Lakes
          Wines of Pennsylvania                       What's in a Name
Blending Wine Bordeaux Style             Surprising Wines under $15

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may var

Gift Certificates for Spring 2011 Wine Classes

What a unique and fun gift! Give the gift of a wine class.

$35 for a seat in any of our open enrollment Vintage Connections Wine Classes listed above.

$250 for a Home Schoolin' Wine Class as described above, for up to 8 people, provided in your home, business or other appropriate location (within 15 miles of Pottstown - other locations may require a travel charge).

For more information or to purchase a gift certificate, email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) us at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks and cash only.

Weak Knee Home Brew

We've heard of this new beer and wine-making supply store in Pottstown for several months, but only recently visited and talked with Bill and Karen, two of the owners.

Wow! We are impressed with their stock of beer and WINE-making supplies, kits, and books. Sample a few of the beers and wines, talk with the owners, even take a class about beer-making or wine-making. Visit their website, visit their shop, make and drink home brew, and have fun!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Vintage Connections Spring Wine Classes
See feature article in this issue.

Wine and Beer Classes at Weak Knee Home Brew
January 11
Wine Making Class

January 18
Beer Making Class

January 25
Wild Game and Beer Pairing Dinner

Contact us to register for classes, to schedule a wine class or wine event in your home, at your business, or for your organization, or to buy a gift certificate.

Fun Fact!

Why a "Champagne Breakfast?"

Because the effervescence of sparkling wine complements the soft texture of egg dishes.

We even think it pairs well with hot dogs!

There will be another quiz someday!

Wine Tips of the Week - Galen Glen Traminette and Spice Route Pinotage

2010-12-15T13:05:00.000-05:00

Cheers and Happy Holidays from Vintage Connections

Galen Glen Winery Traminette NV
(click the link above for the winery's website)

This delicious white wine is made 100% traminette grapes. It is lightly sweet with a rich floral aroma. The bright fruit flavors with light floral hints makes this wine delicious with spicy foods. It is very pale yellow in color. Alcohol content is approximately 12% by volume.

The traminette grape is a hybrid grape made from a cross of the French American hybrid grape Joannes Seyve 23.416 and the German grape Gewurtztraminer. The grape itself is actually lightly pink. It was first released in Geneva, New York in 1996. This grape does well in the Eastern US.

Fall Colors at Galen Glen

We recently purchased Indian "take-out" for dinner and forgot to ask for "mild". Drinking the traminette with the very spicy Indian dish was a treat! It cooled the mouth while retaining it's excellent flavor.

Galen Glen Traminette is available only at the winery for $10 a bottle, we feel this one's definitely well worth the trip to the winery.

Spice Route Winery Pinotage 2007

This medium to full-bodied, dry red wine comes from Swartland, South Africa. It has rich aromas of plums with hints of spice. The spice aroma carries over into the flavor added to dark red berries. It's tannins and fruit flavors are beautifully balanced giving a long and lingering finish. The wine was aged in new and used American oak barrels for 14 months.

The pinotage grape is a hybrid cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault.

Great with barbecue! Alcohol is 14.65% by volume. It is currently a Chairman's Selection, though may be hard to find. We feel this wine is well worth looking for. PLCB product code is 30919.

Spring 2011 Wine Classes and Gift Certificates

Wine Classes

We are changing locations and reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM - Location to-be-determined

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style - Learn about and taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc individually, then blend them and experience how they complement each other and how blending produces a more complicated aroma and flavor.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

Wine for Beginners      Basic Red and White        Wines of the World
                  Wines of the USA             Wines of the Finger Lakes
          Wines of Pennsylvania                       What's in a Name
Blending Wine Bordeaux Style             Surprising Wines under $15

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

Gift Certificates for Spring 2011 Wine Classes

What a unique and fun gift! Give the gift of a wine class.

$35 for a seat in any of our open enrollment Vintage Connections Wine Classes listed above.

$250 for a Home Schoolin' Wine Class as described above, for up to 8 people, provided in your home, business or other appropriate location (within 15 miles of Pottstown - other locations may require a travel charge).

For more information or to purchase a gift certificate, email us at Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) us at 610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks and cash only.

Fun Facts

"Body" refers to the mixture of fruit and alcohol and the "feel" of the wine in your mouth. A full-bodied wine is alcoholic and fruity, a light bodied wine is crisp and low in alcohol.

There will be another quiz someday!

Spring Wine Classes, Gift Certificates

2010-12-12T13:57:00.000-05:00

We are changing locations and reducing the cost of our Wine Classes to $35 per person for the classes below.

Open Enrollment Classes Spring 2010
$35 per person, includes wine, cheese, crackers
Thursdays, 6:30-9:00 PM - Location to-be-determined

March 24 - Wine Blending Bordeaux Style - Learn about and taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc individually, then blend them and experience how they complement each other and how blending produces a more complicated aroma and flavor.

March 31 - Wines of the Finger Lakes II - Learn about and taste wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. Famous for Reisling, the Finger Lakes region also produces other excellent whites and in good years, excellent bold reds.

April 7 - Surprising Wines under $15 - It's often difficult to find a good wine priced under $15, but some are very good and reliable in this price range. Learn about very affordable wines and taste a few of our favorites.

April 14 - Wine Gems from Our Cellar - "Someday we're going to drink this!"    Tonight's the night! We'll pull some of our favorites from our cellar, taste them and talk about wines that should be aged or not, and the effects of time in the bottle.

Home Schoolin'
Wine Classes and Educational Tastings
·    In your home, at your business (within 15 miles of Pottstown**)
·    $250 for up to 8 people. Includes wine, cheese, and crackers.
·    Add $200 for an additional 8 people*.
* Additional discounts available for more than 16 people.
** Additional distance may require a travel charge.

Sample classes - Many other options are available.

Wine for Beginners      Basic Red and White        Wines of the World
                  Wines of the USA             Wines of the Finger Lakes
          Wines of Pennsylvania                       What's in a Name
Blending Wine Bordeaux Style             Surprising Wines under $15

OR - We'll design a CUSTOMIZED CLASS FOR YOU (costs may vary)

Gift Certificates for Spring 2011 Wine Classes

What a unique and fun gift! Give the gift of a wine class.

$35 for a seat in any of our open enrollment Vintage Connections Wine Classes listed above.

$250 for a Home Schoolin' Wine Class as described above, for up to 8 people, provided in your home, business or other appropriate location (within 15 miles of Pottstown - other locations may require a travel charge).

For more information about classes, to register, or to purchase a gift certificate, email us at
Vintageconnections@comcast.net or call us (Dean or Lisa) at   610-469-6164 or 610-310-9942.

Checks and cash only.

Fun Fact

Corked wine. Sometimes the cork can become contaminated allowing the wine to spoil. A musty, woody or vinegar taste is evident when a wine is "corked".

Wine Tips of the Week - Ehrhart Cremant d'Alsace and Trapiche Broquel Malbec

2010-12-06T17:35:00.002-05:00

Cheers from Vintage Connections!

Ehrhart Cremant d'Alsace, NV

This wonderfully dry sparkling wine, made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, comes from the Alsace region of France. It is clear, light yellow in color with numerous mid-sized bubbles. With yeasty aromas of citrus, it boasts flavors of fruit with toasty overtones.

A Cremant is the term the French use for any sparkling made outside of the Champagne region. Cremants from Alsace tend to be excellent and affordable. We will be using this Cremant for the upcoming Wines of the World tasting, part of Pottstown's Holiday Celebration series of events.

This wine is excellent when paired with any appetizer.

An excellent, affordable sparkling for the holidays. It is available at many PA Wine and Spirit stores for $14.99 a bottle and is currently a Chairman's Selection. The PLCB product code is 30929.

Trapiche Broquel Malbec

Made from 100% malbec grapes from around the area of Mendoza, Argentina, this medium to full bodied dry red wine is rich, dark red in color with hints of purple and ruby. The aroma is richly satisfying with hints of black currents, black cherries and smoke. Flavors echo the aromas with a long satisfying finish. Not at all tanniny or hot.

We'll be using the 2005 Trapiche Broquel Malbec at the upcoming Wines of the World tasting as part of the Pottstown Holiday Celebration series.

Excellent when paired with red meats and chocolate! Available at many PA Wine and Spirit stores for $14.99. PLCB product code is 7179.

Wines of the World

A hometown holiday wine tasting. This fun event is sponsored by PDIDA (Pottstown Development Improvement District Authority). It will be held on Friday, December 10, 2010 from 6 PM until 8 PM at the PDIDA office in Pottstown at 139 E. High Street and is part of Pottstown's "Hometown Holiday Celebration".

We will be taking you on a tour of five different countries known for their wines. We will start in France with Ehrhart Crement d'Alsace, a sparkling wine, then "travel" to Marlborough, New Zealand to taste their Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Our next stop will be in South Africa where we will taste their signature wine Pinotage from Spice Route Vineyards. Then on to Italy to sample Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, ending in Argentina to taste their signature wine Malbec from Trapiche Broquel.

These wines will be paired with food prepared especially for the event by "Panevino" and music will accompany your tasting by "Zach and Dan".

Tickets are available for $45 per person. Contact Leighton Wildrick at 610-323-5400 for more information and to purchase your tickets.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click here to link to the beautiful poster which includes more information.

Fun Facts are Back

Allowing a young tannic wine to "breathe" for a short time either in the open bottle or in a decanter lets the flavors open up and soften. Allow approximately 1/2 hour "breathing" time.

There will be another quiz someday!

Wine Tips - Wines of the World Tasting and Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan 2007 Riesling

2010-11-30T16:36:00.000-05:00

"Cheers" from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultants

Please forward the link to this blog to friends and family who may enjoy reading and learning about wine. If you have not signed up for our weekly wine newsletter, email us at vintageconnections@comcast.net and receive this same information in our weekly newsletter.

Wines of the World

Click here to link to the beautiful poster which includes more information.

A hometown holiday wine tasting. This fun event is sponsored by PDIDA (Pottstown Development Improvement District Authority). It will be held on Friday, December 10, 2010 from 6 PM until 8 PM at the PDIDA office in Pottstown at 139 E. High Street and is part of Pottstown's "Hometown Holiday Celebration".

We will be taking you on a tour of five different countries known for their wines. We will start in France with Ehrhart Crement d'Alsace, a sparkling wine, then "travel" to Marlborough, New Zealand to taste their Brancott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Our next stop will be in South Africa where we will taste their signature wine Pinotage from Spice Route Vineyards. Then on to Italy to sample Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, ending in Argentina to taste their signature wine Malbec from Trapiche Broquel.

These wines will be paired with food prepared especially for the event by "Panevino" and music will accompany your tasting by "Zach and Dan".

Tickets are available for $45 per person. Contact Leighton Wildrick at 610-323-5400 for more information and to purchase your tickets.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan 2007 Riesling trocken

This excellent dry Riesling comes from Pfalz Germany. The vines are planted on the hillside of the Haardt Mountains on the western rim of the Rhine Valley. Winemaker Ullrich Mell is one of the most respected wine makers in Germany.

It is a refreshingly dry wine with aromas of minerals and light flowers with flavors of green apple and citrus. It has good balanced acidity which makes it very food friendly. Alcohol is 12.5% by volume, so is a little hotter than most German Rieslings. Great when paired with spicy Asian food and seafood.

We first tried this wine this past weekend at a friends after Thanksgiving Indian food feast. It was great with all of his wonderful Indian dishes. Also delicious and well-balanced for drinking by itself.

PLCB product code is 20801 and is available at many PA Wine and Spirit Stores for $19.99.

Fun Facts are Back

Let's make up for lost time. Both of these Fun Facts were provided by our winemaker friend Joe.

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

2. Cremant is sparkling wine originating anywhere in France except the Champagne district, the triangle around Reims. Technically, no other sparkling wine should be called "Champagne."

More Thanksgiving Wine Tips

2010-11-23T17:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Vintage Connections!

If you have not read our Thanksgiving Wine Tips from last week, be sure to read that post as well (scroll down).

We tried the Nouveau Beaujolais and liked it. No tannins, easy to drink. We bought more. Not as dry as we usually drink, but not too sweet. We think it is best just a little chilled because of the slight sweetness.

The 750 ml bottle is $12.99 in PA, but only $8.99 in Delaware. (That's a tax rate of almost 50%. Why do Pennsylvanians drive to Delaware to buy wine and other spirits?)

The 1.5 L bottle in PA is $23.99, saving you only $1 a bottle so we don't recommend the larger bottle until after you try it and make sure you like it. We bought two because we think all of our friends, including those who don't usually like our dry wine choices, will like it.

More on Sparklings

If you like a little sweeter sparkling and don't have time to go to Pinnacle Ridge for their Blanc de Blancs, try Domaine St. Michelle Brut or Extra Dry.

PLCB codes for Domaine St. Michelle Brut are 4550 and 6480 for St. Michelle's Extra Dry. Both are $11.99 and usually easy to find. Korbell offers a wide selection and even half bottles of a few. They are widely available and start at $15.

Sparkling wine is categorized on a "dryness to sweetness" scale. Naturel and Extra Brut are the driest with only a trace of residual sugar (RS) that you will NOT notice, Brut is not quite as dry and is a popular level of dryness. The RS is not noticeable, but takes the edge of the dryness. With Extra Dry, you'll probably taste some sweet. This is a good choice if you don't like dry wine. Demi Sec is the sweetest.

Even more about Sparkling
Blanc de Blanc is made with all white grapes, usually with a lot of Chardonnay, but not always as you read in our last newsletter about Pinnacle Ridge.

Blanc de Noir is usually all Pinot Noir, a red grape. But since the juice is removed from the skins with a minimum of time to absorb color, Blanc de Noir is sometimes still a white wine, but often is pink like Pinnacle Ridge's Brut Rose.

Of course, sparkling wine can be made from any grape and we have had sparkling Syrah, even thought we thought it was a bit heavy for a sparkling and won't buy it again. When modeled after Champagne, sparklings are made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or some combination of them. Adding some juice from other grapes, like in Trapiche, provides an interesting variety of sparklings to be enjoyed.

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

Pottstown Hometown Holiday Celebration
including our
Wine Tasting
Saturday, December 10
6-8 PM,
$45 per person
Click here for more details.

Wine Tip of the Week - Wine for Thanksgiving Dinner Redux

2010-11-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Vintage Connections!

Last November, we posted Wine Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner to our Wine Friends through our Vintage Connections Wine Info newsletter last week and Vintage Connections Wine Info blog.
Since we have many new readers since November 2009, we are repeating that information below, with a few updates, including some updated wine recommendations.

Recommended for Thanksgiving - "affordable" sparklings. Sparklings add a touch of class to any Holiday. The clean acidity, bright fruit and yeasty aromas pair well with just about everything on the Thanksgiving table. The only hold out will be the cranberry sauce and dessert. But as long as you don’t take a big bite of cranberry sauce and wash it down with a hearty swig of sparkling, things should turn out all right.

If you like your sparklings with a touch of sweetness, we recommend Blanc de Blanc from Pinnacle Ridge Winery. This wine is made from 100% Cayuga grapes, has 2.5% residual sugar, and is $14. This sparkling won a Gold Medal and was judged the Best Sparkling at the 2010 PA Farm Show.

If you like your sparkling on the drier side, Pinnacle Ridge produces Brut Reserve, made from 100% Pinot Noir and is $18. This sparkling won a Gold Medal at the 2010 PA Wine Competition and a Silver Medal at the 2010 PA Farm Show.

Both wines, plus many more wonderful wines, are available at the winery just north of Kutztown, PA.

If you want the convenience of your local Wine and Spirits store, we've started drinking and had great feedback from others about Trapiche Sparkling Extra Brut from Mendoza, Argentina. It is widely available in PLCB stores, produce code 7724, and is only $13.99.

We've also recently tried and like Ehrhart Cremant D'Alsace (from the Alsace region of France). This sparkling is available at some PLCB specialty stores, so do a product search for item number 30929 and see if a local store has a few bottles. It's a Chairman's Select and is only $14.99. Both wine are well worth their price.

Not a big fan of sparklings? Then go with whites in general, especially those with higher acidity and no oak. Sauvignon Blanc or white Bordeaux/Meritage (blends usually including Sauvignon Blanc) go really well with butternut squash soup and lends a pleasant flavor to salad, turkey, stuffing (not spicy) and vegetables. If you are having a creamy vegetable try “naked” (un-oaked) chardonnay. Excellent choices also include Gerwurtztraminer and Riesling which pair well with all parts of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner except the cranberry sauce and pumpkin or butternut squash soups.

Really a fan of reds? Then you have two good choices: Pinot Noir or Beaujolais (made from the gamay grape, which is a cousin to Pinot Noir). Pinot Noir usually has more body and tannins than Beaujolais, so if you like bolder reds it may be the better choice. If you want a very light red this Thanksgiving, try Beaujolais.

The smooth fruit and low tannins of Pinot Noir and Beaujolais work well with most of the holiday servings.

Note: Nouveau Beaujolais is a variation of Beaujolais and is a freshly pressed and fermented, low tannic wine. The Wine and Spirits stores have a new supply, released on November 18th. Georges Deboeuf's is widely available in PLCB stores for $12.99 (produce code 5877). We are buying a bottle today and will let you know what we think early next week, in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

If you buy the French Nouveau Beaujolais, drink it soon. Without tannins or aging like other red wines, it could easily go bad by New Year's.

All for now.

Wine Tips - Joseph Drouhin Red Burgundy and Manatawny Creek Winter Warmth

2010-11-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Vintage Connections Wine Info Blog and this week's Wine Tips!

Joseph Drouhin Cote de Beaune-Villages 2007

From Beaune, France, this excellent example of a French Burgundy is a medium-bodied light red wine. It has aromas of fresh cherries and strawberries and flavors of cherries, blueberries and a light earthiness typical of a good Pinot Noir.

At first sip, we didn't like this wine, maybe because we are used to more fruit-forward, bolder US (and other) Pinot Noirs. But it grew on us and we think it is a good and very affordable example of a red Burgundy. There are surely better, more typical examples of red Burgundy available in PA, but this one is so affordable at $15 in PLCB stores that it is worth a try, even if only to taste the difference between this lighter, less fruity Pinot and what you may be used to. PLCB code 16005. It is certainly much better than other French Red Burgundies in this price range.

Manatawny Creek Winery Winter Warmth, NV

From Berks County, PA, near Douglassville. This slightly sweet red wine is gently spiced and has aromas of cloves and cherries with flavors of spice, cherries and red jams. Great chilled or warm, but we prefer it warm. We hesitated serving a sweeter wine but thought it would pair well with lighter desserts.

Our guests and we were happily surprised. Only available at the winery and for a short period of time, and only $10.95.

Fun Fact

So here's a twist. Submit a Fun Fact of your own and we will pick one or more to use in the following few weeks! There will be another quiz someday!

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

Nouveau Weekend
November 20-21 on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail.

Visit Lehigh Valley wineries including Pinnacle Ridge, recently listed in Opus One, a compendium of the BEST 4,000 wineries in the world! Brad Knapp and Pinnacle Ridge were listed as a RISING STAR, and outstanding honor! Congratulations Brad!!

PLCB stores will release Nouveau Beajolais on November 18. Read about Nouveau Beajolais here soon.

Pottstown Hometown Holiday Celebration
Wine Tasting, Saturday, December 10. Time and cost TBD.

Wine Tips - Galen Glen Gewertztraminer and Bogle Phantom

2010-11-03T09:11:00.000-04:00

"Cheers" from Vintage Connections
Dean and Lisa Foster, Wine Educators and Consultants

Please send a link to this blog to your friends and family who may enjoy reading and learning about wine.

Galen Glen Winery Gewurtztraminer 2009

This crisp, refreshing gewurtztraminer has aromas of honeysuckle and spice with delicious flavors of fresh fruits. It is pale yellow in color and has a long and pleasant finish. Grown in the shale soil of Galen Glen's vineyards, this wine displays a slight pleasant minerality with good balanced acidity. There is a hint of sweet roses in the aroma. Great when paired with spicy foods.

Located in the beautiful rolling hills near Andreas, PA, Galen Glen Winery has consistently created some excellent German style wines. From Gruner Veltliner, a dry white wine, to their Stone Cellar Zweigelt, a dry red, there is something for everyone with the chance of trying something very different and new.

We will be serving this excellent wine at an upcoming event in Pottstown. It will be paired with chicken satay with peanut sauce.


A beautiful fall day at the vineyards of Galen Glen

Bogle Vineyard Phantom 2007

This excellent dark ruby red dry wine is a blend of 53% petite sirah, 44% old vine zinfandel and 3% old vine mourvedre. It has rich aromas of black pepper, dark red berries and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon with aromas of blackberries and blueberries. It was aged in 1, 2 and 3 year old American oak barrels. Alcohol content is 14% by volume.
Located along the Sacarmento River in Clarksburg, California, Bogle Vineyards is owned and operated by members of the Bogle family who established the vineyards in 1968.

Richly complex, it will only get better with age, but wonderful to drink now. Great when paired with hearty foods like beef and lamb.

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

Annual soup day at Manatawny Creek Winery
Saturday, November 6th.

Apple onion soup made and paired with Vidal Blanc, on the deck from 12-5.

Bob Sica, a wonderful guitarist and singer, will be performing 2-5 that day.

Nouveau Weekend
November 20-21 on the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail.

Visit Lehigh Valley wineries including Pinnacle Ridge, recently listed in Opus One, a compendium of the BEST 4,000 wineries in the world! Brad Knapp and Pinnacle Ridge were listed as a RISING STAR, and outstanding honor! Congratulations Brad!!

Pottstown Hometown Holiday Celebration
Wine Tasting, Saturday, December 10. Time and cost TBD.

Fun Fact

Though Gewurtztraminer is a white wine the grapes themselves are pale rosy pink in color.

There will be another quiz someday!

Wine of the Finger Lakes - Summary

2010-10-26T08:43:00.002-04:00

This posting is a short summary of our week of winery visits and wine tasting in the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

We visited 44 wineries, not even half of the total in the Finger Lakes, averaging about 8 tastes per winery, so we estimate that we tasted about 350 wines. Most wineries limit customers to tasting 6 wines, usually for a $1-5 fee. But often they'll allow an extra taste or two if they are not busy and if you are genuinely interested in wine and seem like you are going to buy. Often, we were offered several additional tastes. Sometimes, we each tasted different wines and shared with each other when the pours were large enough to do so.

We bought several good examples of affordable Finger Lakes wines, some of which we thought would be interesting in our Wines of the Finger Lakes class. However, we found that most wineries were serving and selling their 2008 vintage, which was a wet year in the Finger Lakes, often leading to lighter, thinner wines, especially reds. We found many good examples of Riesling, the wine the Finger Lakes are famous for, as well as some good Gewertztraminers and Traminettes, and a few good Chardonnays and Sevals. Some wineries were still serving and selling 2005, 2006, and 2007 vintages. The 2005 and 2007 wines were good and we found a few examples of excellent reds from those vintages, especially 2007. We also found a few unique blends.

Riesling is the signature wine of the Finger Lakes. A few years ago, most Rieslings were made to be semi-sweet and sweet, but as wine drinkers have matured and drier wines have become more marketable, many wineries are producing a range of Rieslings. The Rieslings ranged from very dry (almost no residual sugar) to Late Harvest and Ice Wine, which are semi-sweet and sweet (high in residual sugar). Many were unimpressive as many wineries were serving and selling the 2008 vintage. However, some wineries made excellent 2008 Rieslings and some were still serving and selling the 2007 vintage.

Good red wines were harder to find, but we found a few very good Cabernet Francs, some good Baco Noirs, and some good red blends, often from the 2007 and even the 2005 vintages. Good red wines were more expensive (often $25 or more) than the good whites ($15-20). We found a few bargains, including some blends that were unique, interesting, and tasty.

We had some extraordinarily good experiences wine tasting, and many just so-so experiences. So many people travel to and taste wine in the Finger Lakes, sometimes the servers seem disinterested and are obviously just doing their jobs. Other times, the servers are very interested in wine, in the people they are serving, and help create a wonderful, educational wine-tasting experience. We would never visit most of these wineries on a weekend as they get hundreds, sometimes thousands, of visitors each day and have to move people through the tastings as quickly as they can. On weekdays, however, staff are less harried and sometimes we were the only people in the tasting room, especially earlier in the day (most open at 10 AM and close at 5 PM on weekdays).

A few of our favorite wineries this trip, those where we found good wines at reasonable prices and friendly, knowledgeable staff, included Lakewood, Hermann Wiemer, Heron Hill, Prejean, Red Tail Ridge, Fox Run, Billsboro and White Springs on the West side of Seneca; Leidenfrost on the East Shore of Seneca; Goose Watch and Sheldrake Point on the West side of Cayuga, and Heron Hill, Hunt Country, and Keuka Spring on Keuka. Many other wineries were fine as well, but the stars were especially well-aligned this trip when we visited these wineries. We had many other good experiences and found some good and affordable wines at other wineries, but in retrospect, these are the most memorable and where we bought the most or some of the best wine.

For our Wines of the Finger Lakes class this coming Thursday, we have narrowed down our examples to Red Tail Ridge Semi-dry Riesling or Heron Hill Single Vineyard Riesling, Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cuvee Rouge, Fox Run Arctic Fox, Bellhurst Golden Pheasant, White Springs Gewurtztraminer and Lucas Cabernet Franc. Registrations can still be made for this class by calling MCCC's Continuing Education office at the Pottstown Campus at 610.718.1861 until 4 PM Thursday.

We have some other good examples as well, so plan to offer an Finger Lakes II class sometime soon.

All in all we had a good trip, a great time, and look forward to returning to the Finger Lakes in a couple of years when the 2010 vintage is released. Like Eastern Pennsylvania, 2010 was a dry year in the Finger Lakes so most of the 2010 vintage wines should be much more concentrated, intense, and tasty than most of those we found this year.

Friday in the Finger Lakes

2010-10-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

Day 6 in the Finger Lakes.

We had not planned our day the night before. It is hard to believe, but we were tired of wine tasting and considered just driving home. But after a few cups of coffee and a little brighter attitude (the weather was looking good), we decided to stop at a couple of nearby wineries before we headed home. We intentionally "saved" visiting the wineries closest to our motel for Friday, so we could visit them on our way home without going out of our way and adding driving time to our trip home.

Despite a warning from some friends, we visited Chateau Renaissance. They serve their tastings in plastic cups and their better wines are their sweet ones. The serving staff were friendly, there was no tasting fee, but we did not find any wines we liked.

Our next stop was Heron Hill, one of our favorites from many years ago. We were afraid we'd be disappointed because we had high hopes, but Karyn who served us at the tasting bar, and the wines, far exceeded any expectations.


Heron Hill

We spent over an hour talking with her and tasting wine, including a Riesling that received a 97 rating from Wine Spectator. Even though it was a bit sweet for our tastes, it will pair well with a spicy dinner. And how could we NOT buy a wine rated 97 when it cost only $15! We bought a couple of bottles and may use one bottle in our Wines of the Finger Lakes class.

We almost skipped Dr. Konstantine Frank's because they are a large winery that distributes in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, but decided to try it anyway. Signs directed us to an enclosed porch, where we had to wait for a staff member to open the door and direct a group of 20 who had gathered on the porch to a long tasting bar. If we had happened to arrive when the porch was already crowded, we would have left, thinking there would be a long wait for the tasting. They do have a notice on the porch explaining why you are waiting, but it is at the door into the tasting room and the people at the back of the line don't know that there is a reason for the wait - so a staff member can properly take care of a whole group at once. Luckily, we arrived when only a few others were waiting on the porch, and decided to wait a few minutes and see when the next tasting would begin. We only had to wait a few minutes, then were directed to the tasting bar. This was a more directed or structured tasting than most, with the server offering everyone a choice of one of two wines (one dry, one less dry) during each of 5 flights. She was very friendly, answered questions, and made fun of her Austrailian accent. We had a good time, there was no tasting fee, but we didn't buy any wine. The problem with this tasting method is that the wines we were most interested in were not offered for tastings, so we could not taste, so would not buy.

We skipped Pleasant Valley and Bully Hill. They are large, commercial wineries with wines you can buy at the PA Wine and Spirits stores. Mostly, they feature semi-sweet and sweet wines. Pleasant Valley produces Great Western Sparkling wines. We had fun at these wineries years ago when we were still drinking (and enjoying) sweeter wines.


A vineyard at Six Mile Creek

After Dr. Frank's we headed home, stopping at a cheese dairy (there is also a cheese trail in the Finger Lakes), and then at a final winery, Six Mile Creek, just South of Ithaca.

We did a quick tasting and headed home.

Tomorrow we'll post one more blog summarizing our trip along with some of our favorite wineries and wines.

Thursday in the Finger Lakes

2010-10-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

Writing this post took a while because we were getting really tired. Thursday another full day, although we combined winery visiting and wine tasting with some sight-seeing. Friday was a long day because we were visiting wineries, doing some geo-caching, and driving home. Saturday we had to prep and then do the wine presentation at Mom's House Wine Dinner Celebration, and Sunday we were organizing our wine purchases, deciding what wines to use for our Wines of the Finger Lakes class this Thursday, and then going to an AWS wine tasting in the afternoon.

Days 5 (Thursday) in the Finger Lakes

We started Thursday by driving to the Western Shore of Cayuga and South to Taughannock Falls State Park where we walked the dogs and enjoyed the dramatic scenery of the falls, the cliffs, the gorge, and the trail that follows the stream that flows from the base of the falls. This photo is from the top. The falls drop over 200 feet to the pool below.

We also found two geo-caches nearby, including one that took us on the old Black Diamond railroad bed and to another dramatic view of another smaller waterfalls and gorge. Then, around noon we headed North to wineries and lunch. We began wine tasting at Lucas, then went on to Sheldrake Point, and then back to Americana for lunch.

The view from Lamoreaux Landing

We had a very nice lunch along with a bottle of wine, bought some wonderful fudge, and then headed back to the Eastern shore of Seneca where we visited Lamoreaux Landing, Wagner, and finally Hazlitt. Wagner produces wine and beer, and at that point we were tiring of wine (hard to believe) so we did a beer tasting instead of a wine tasting. On our way out one of the staff talked with us and after learning we were fans of dry red wines, offered us tastes of their Cabernet Franc. It was one of the best reds we tasted so far, so we bought a bottle.

We ended another long day with dinner in our room and a bottle of Merlot from Fox Run (falling asleep off and on watching the Phillies).

Wednesday in the Finger Lakes

2010-10-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

Day 4 of wine-tasting in the Finger Lakes

Today we headed to Seneca Lake, Eastern shore to begin another long day of wine-tasting. We began at Atwater, and headed North to Chateau Layfayette Reneau where we had a fun tasting, then to Red Newt where we found a geo-cache (another of our hobbies).


Leidenfrost Tasting Room

We hadn't planned to stop at Red Newt as the prices looked a little high for us and the winery was a little off the beaten path, but since there was a geo-cache on the property, we gave it a try and were glad we did. The really good red wines (rare in the Finger Lakes) were worth the trip, even though we only bought one bottle of Red Eft, a lower cost (but still very good) red blend. Eft is a young newt, so they picked this name for their red blend that is meant to be enjoyed young.

Next we headed to Leidenfrost, one of our favorite stops of the day because they are very dog-friendly. As usual, we left the dogs in the car. Susie, who was working the tasting room, noticed the dogs through the window and invited them into the tasting room, had treats for them, and didn't mind us letting Rohan off her lease to wander around.

Of course Rohan headed behind the bar to look for more treats, then came and sat with us hoping for peanuts. We think this is one of the only wineries we have visited that served peanuts instead of crackers at the tasting bar. They worked really well. We then sat on the deck overlooking Seneca while we enjoyed a picnic lunch. We bought a few bottles of wine and headed on our way East to the West shore of Cayuga where we stopped at Hosmer.
We visited Hosmer 15 years ago on one of our first trips to the Finger Lakes. Hosmer's winery and tasting room is one of the few that has not changed in 15 years.

This was another delightful experience and again, we bought a few bottles of wine. Next, headed North on Cayuga, we stopped at the Thirsty Owl, then Goose Watch, Knapp, Lakeshore.

Goose Watch is another one of our favorites from the past and we liked it even more this trip than we had before.

The three of us at Goose Watch

At Knapp, we really enjoyed talking with Alexandera (Alex) at the tasting bar, and with one of the cellar workers about their barrels which are stacked high in a barrel room adjacent to the tasting room. Unlike many wineries, they continue to use their barrels for about 10 years just for wine storage, long after they have lost their oakiness that adds to the complexity and character of the wine. Most wineries only use their barrels for 3-5 years then sell them or use them for decorations.

Our final stop for the day was Lakeshore.

This was one of our favorite wineries from many years ago because the customers relax in rocking chairs and on benches facing the tasting bar and fireplace. This year John, the owner and winemaker, was doing the tasting and so we could ask lots of questions and learn a few new facts about wine-making. We stayed past the 5 PM closing time talking with John, letting the dogs run a bit in the yard, and taking a few photos.

That was nine wineries on Wednesday, not quite the 10 we expected to visit each day, but the great time and lunch on the deck at Leidenfrost, and very enjoyable tastings and visits at Goose Watch, Knapp, and Lakeshore which were well worth the extra time we spent at each of them.

Tuesday in the Finger Lakes

2010-10-21T19:41:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday we began our day at Ravines on the Eastern side of Keuka, went to McGregor's which does their tasting sitting down, with a snack plate. The tasting was $5 per person, which is on the high side for the Finger Lakes, but we had the tasting room to ourselves and enjoyed tasting their very unique selection of wines. We continued up Keuka to Rooster Hill and Keuka Springs, then headed East to Seneca Lake, turned South to Prejean, Hermann Wiemer, Fulkerson's, Arcadian Estate, and Glenora.

Our favorite on Tuesday was Hermann Wiemer's despite their higher than average prices. We met Hermann, one of the legends and icons of vinifera wines in the Finger Lakes and has always made excellent Riesling. We found that Hermann retired a few years ago and sold the winery to some long term staff. We were lucky enough to talk with Fred, one of the owners and winemakers. He said the new owners have improved the quality of the already excellent wines made by Hermann Wiemer by hand-sorting grapes, along with other improvements. Harvest is still underway and they have been working until 3 AM to bring in, sort, and process the harvest. Their Rieslings are excellent, probably the best we have tasted and will taste during our week in the Finger Lakes.

We also enjoyed the visit, tasting, and wine at Keuka Springs, buying several wines including a Seval we may use in class. We asked if the barrels stacked behind the winery were actually used for aging and storing their wine, and they were not.

Monday in the Finger Lakes

2010-10-20T08:52:00.000-04:00

We are staying near Bath, NY, about 20 minutes from the bottom of Keuka Lake, the smallest of the three lakes known for their wineries and wine trails. Even with five days of winery hopping, we won't be able to visit all of the wineries in the Finger Lakes, probably not even half of them so we had to make decisions about which wineries to visit, and which ones to skip. We like to visit smaller wineries, wineries that we have not visited before, and wineries that have a good selection of drier wines. Almost all Finger Lakes wineries produce dry and semi dry white wines made from Riesling, Gerwertztraminer, Traminette, and Chardonnay and most also produce sweeter and semi-sweet wines made from Cayuga and Concord grapes. Many produce white blends, creating many different flavor profiles and sweetness levels. Most also produce vinifera red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, although these reds produced in the Finger Lakes are usually lighter in color and flavor than those produced or grown from grapes in warmer climates with longer growing seasons.

The Finger Lakes are best known for Riesling. Even Wine Spectator included a major review of the Finger Lakes and rated many Rieslings (mid-to-high 80's, with a few in the low 90's. They reviewed a few reds, but only a few and none received better than an 89 rating.

We planned our Monday, skipping the larger, more commercial wineries like Pleasant Valley (used to be Taylor, still produces Great Western sparkling wines) and Bully Hill. We worked our way up the Western side of Keuka, beginning with Keuka Lake winery and visiting 3 other wineries on Keuka including Stevers Hill, Hunt Country, and Yates. We then crossed over to the Western shore of Seneca and visited Anthony Road, Seneca Shores, Red Tail Ridge, Fox Run, Billsboro, White Springs and ending with Bellhurst (a major hotel, restaurant, winery and gift shop) at near Geneva that was open until 8 PM.

We tasted an average of 6 wines per winery, with a few extras at those that were willing to go beyond their publicized limit of 5 or 6 samples, so probably tasted 65 or more wines on Monday. Most had good to excellent Rieslings, and we found a few other very good and interesting wines.

One of our favorites on Monday, and a winery we had not visited before, was Billsboro. We found several good enough for our Wines of the Finger Lakes class including a lightly oaked Chardonnay, a Cabernet-Syrah blend, and a semi-dry Riesling. At White Springs we found a Gerwertztraminer and Fume Blanc that we might use, and at Red Tail Ridge we found and purchases their "sans oak" Chardonnay which had lots of flavor without any oak influence, which can sometimes overpower white wines.

We'll head out again on Tuesday and continue to sample wines and build a collection to choose from for class next Thursday.

Lisa and Dean

Sunday in the Finger Lakes

2010-10-19T08:08:00.003-04:00

Finger Lakes Wine Trails, Wineries, and Wines

The Finger Lakes in upstate New York are glacier lakes and are so deep, they do not freeze solid during the winter. The lakes moderate the air temperature nearby and give this wine region its unique weather, great for growing northern latitude grapes, much like the Alsace region of France and Germany.
Each lake has its own wine trail with most of the wineries belonging to the wine trails, though some have not joined the wine trails. Maps are available that include only the wine trail members as well as non-members. Some wineries are upscale, large facilities such as Pleasant Valley (used to be Taylor, still produces the Great Western sparkling wines) and Bully Hill. Others are still small, family-owned wineries operating out of an old barn (some remodeled, some not). The variety of wineries and wine-tasting experiences is part of the attraction of the Finger Lakes.

The Finger Lakes region is best known for the cool weather climate grapes Riesling and Gewurtztraminer. Though other cool climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc and Seyval blanc all do well along the Finger Lakes.

Sunday in the Finger Lakes!
We left home on Sunday morning and headed North. It's about a 4 hour drive from Pottstown to the southern end of either Cayuga Lake near Ithaca or Seneca Lake near Watkins Glen. We managed to visit three wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail before closing time on Sunday: Castel Grisch, The Professor's Place at Cascata, and Lakewood.

These were quick visits late in the afternoon. We bought wine at two of the three and may go back to these two again later in the week if time allows.

Lakewood was worth repeating for sure. Liz took great care of us and others at the tasting bar and there was no tasting fee! Most wineries, including the other two we visited on Sunday, charge small tasting fees, sometimes just a dollar, other times up to $5. Sometimes credit the fee toward a purchase.

After working through the official tasting list of the day, Liz invited us to taste anything else they had open. We started with their sparkling, a traditional blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A bit expensive (maybe) at $25, but we bought it because it was soooo good.

We also enjoyed several wines at The Professor's Place. John took good care of us, even if he told a few jokes that may have been better left untold. The Riesling and Gewertztraminer were especially good.

More later!
Dean and Lisa

To the Finger Lakes!

2010-10-19T07:36:00.000-04:00

To the Finger Lakes!

This week we're headed to the Finger Lakes to visit 40 or more wineries and taste 250 or so wines. While we are away, we'll update our this blog as often as we can, hopefully every day after finishing the day's "work." We'll include information about the Finger Lakes wines, wineries, and wine region in those posts.

If you want to read about our daily experiences and wine recommendations, check out our Vintage Connections Wine this blog throughout this week.

When we return, we'll use 6 of our favorite Finger Lakes wines in our Wineries of the Finger Lakes class on Thursday, October 28. You can still register by calling MCCC at 610.718.1846.

Enjoy Responsibly!

Fun Fact

The Finger Lakes, located in upstate New York, actually consist of 11 long narrow lakes that run north to south. Only three of the lakes actually boast multiple wineries. These three lakes are Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga, though Canandaigua, Conesus and Hemlock lakes also have wineries.

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz. They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.

There will be another quiz someday!

Wine Tips - Blair Vineyards Lower Block Pinot Noir

2010-10-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

Blair Vineyards

Owned and operated by Richard and Carol Blair and their five children, Blair Vineyards is a delightful mixture of modern technology and traditional wine making. Their new facility at 99 Dietrich Valley Road, near Kutztown, is filled with some of the latest wine making equipment including a "SK Punch Down Station" which gently punches down Pinot Noir grapes to produce the the highest quality juice possible. Rich is the only winemaker in the USA that uses this advanced piece of equipment.

The beautiful building houses not only a large, beautiful tasting room, but the complete winery as well. The crush pad is at ground level while the tank and barrel rooms are 18 feet below ground, allowing the juice to flow freely by gravity without the use of pumps. The building is surrounded by breathing-taking views of the vineyards and countryside. Here, Rich and his staff create delicious wines in the time-honored European, mostly Burgundian, style.

Rich and Carol's daughter Missy expertly handles the tasting room. You will often find her there with her two beautiful daughters. Missy keeps her tasting room staff up to date not only on Blair Vineyards' wines but also about the world of wine in general, insuring each visitor with an exceptional wine tasting experience.

Blair Vineyards Lower Block Pinot Noir
Blair produces several different Pinot Noirs, along with several chardonnays, a Bordeaux-type blend called Wedding Cuveee, and several other excellent wines.

We chose their Bordeaux-type blend, Wedding Cuvee, for our Pennsylvania Wines class on October 14 at Montgomery County Community College in Pottstown. We will be using Blair Vineyard's Lower Block Pinot Noir at the benefit wine dinner for Mom's House on October 23. This excellent Pinot Noir is brilliant garnet in color with earthy aromas and flavors of black cherry.

Wines of Pennsylvania class

Thursday, October 14, at Montgomery County Community College's Pottstown Campus.

We got so excited about these wines, we bought extra so you can still register until 4 PM the day of the class, this Thursday, October 14. Class begins at 6:30 PM and will last until about 9 PM.

We have chosen 6 wonderful wines from 6 local wineries. There are over 100 commercial wineries in PA and these are six of the best.

Galen Glen Winery 2009 Gewutztraminer - This German style wine won a gold medal at the recent 2010 Finger Lakes International Wine competition.

Calvaresi Winery 2009 Riesling - Typically a German wine, this delicious Pennsylvania Riesling has become the signature wine of Calvaresi Winery. Made in the Germanic style, it is fermented slowly in stainless steel tanks. It has a fresh tropical fruit aroma with sweet floral scents, but is not sweet on the palate. Beautifully balanced acidity makes this a great pairing with spicy Asian food.

Manatawny Creek Winery 2007 Cabernet Franc - Aged primarily in Pennsylvania oak barrels, this richly-colored, aromatic red wine contains hints of tobacco, cherry and herbal notes. The perfect accompaniment to Filet Mignon!

Pinnacle Ridge Winery 2008 Chambourcin - This signature Pennsylvania Wine won a silver medal at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Wine Competition, and a bronze medal at the Pennsylvania Wine Competition. It is aged 10 months in Pennsylvania oak barrels and displays an intense fruit aroma. It is full-bodied and has dark fruit flavors with toasty oak overtones. Great with savory foods and pasta.

Blair Vineyards 2005 Wedding Cuvee - This rich full-bodied dry red wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 20 months in oak barrels. It has aromas of coffee, licorice and blackberries with dark fruit flavors. It has a medium finish and is great when paired with grilled steaks.

Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery 2009 Lemberger - This deep, dark red dry wine is Vynecrest Winery's "Flagship" wine. Originally it was grown primarily in Austria where it is also known as Blaufrankisch. It received a bronze medal at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Wine Competition. With aromas of black cherries, it has rich bold flavors with hints of raspberries and blackberries. Great with hearty winter foods like pot roast.

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

MCCC Classes
See page 11 of the flier.
Call 610.718.1861 to register.

Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

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.

Fun Fact

The Pinot Noir grape cluster is a tightly packed cluster looking vaguely pine cone shaped. The grapes themselves are very dark purple. The French, therefore, called the grape Pinot (pine) Noir (black).

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz. They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.

Wine Tips - Brandywine Valley Wine Trail

2010-10-05T20:19:00.001-04:00

We were so excited about the wines we found at six PA wineries, we bought extra.

So, you can still register for the Wines of PA class until 4 PM, Thursday October 14.
The class is 6:30 - 9:30 PM on the October 14th at MCCC in Pottstown.
Call 310.718.1861 by 4 PM THURSDAY to register.

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail
(click this link)

The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail consists of eight wineries, only 7 of which are open regularly. They are Black Walnut Winery, Chadds Ford Winery, Kreutz Creek Vineyards, Paradocx Vineyard, Patone Cellars, Penns Woods Winery, Stargazer Vineyards, and Twin Brook Winery. I would guess that nearly everyone has heard about Chadds Ford Winery, but there are other excellent wineries on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail well worth visiting.

Patone Cellars was only open for the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail Harvest Festival which is now over.

One of our favorite stops along the trail is Kreutz Creek Vineyards.

Located in southern Chester County outside of West Grove, PA. Kreutz Creek Vineyards is owned and operated by Jim and Carole Kirkpatrick. They have been making wine since 1989. Their fairly new and very attractive tasting room is open Saturdays and Sundays 11-6. They also have a tasting room in West Chester, PA (this tasting room is pet friendly!)which is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 AM to 8 PM, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 AM to 9 PM. They make a variety of wines from chardonnay, both oaked and unoaked, to a virtually unheard of Cabernet Franc Ice wine. Stop in and try some of their excellent wines!

Another nice stop along the wine trail is the newest winery in the group, Black Walnut Winery.

Black Walnut is located in a newly renovated 200 year old bank barn in Sadsburyville, PA.

Owners Lance, Valerie, Jack and Karen began making wine in 2001. Their lovely and inviting tasting room is open Thursdays and Fridays 2 PM till 8 PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM till 6 PM. There is a $6 tasting fee to taste 7 wines. They, too, have a second tasting room. It opened just a month ago in Phoenixville, PA. The Phoenixville tasting room is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 PM until 9 PM, Fridays 4 till 10, Saturdays 11 AM till 10 PM, and Sundays 1 PM till 8 PM. Stop in and taste some wine soon!

USA vs France Wine Tasting Report

Thanks to the 70 people who participated in the USA vs France, aka Bottle Shock Revisited Wine Tasting and Silent Auction on September 18th. The event was themed after the movie Bottle Shock and the book Judgment of Paris, both of which portrayed the true story of the French versus USA Blind Tasting in Paris in 1976 where a USA (California) Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena outscored excellent French White Burgundies and a USA Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap outscored excellent French Red Bordeaux.

We tasted 8 wines, 6 of them for the blind tasting and rating. Including income from the Silent Auction we netted over $3,500 for the AWS Educational Foundation.

Participants began the evening with a choice of aperitif, either Blanc de Blanc from Pinnacle Ridge Winery near Kutztown, PA (made from 100% Cayuga grapes with 2.5% RS) or the dry Simonnet-Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose from Chablis, made from Pinot Noir with a hint of Gamay.

The blind tasting was conducted using three matched pairs of USA and French wines including

1) Sancerre 2009 by Christian Salmon versus Sauvignon Blanc 2009 by Bogle (California).

2) Red Burgundy 2006, Mercurey, Premier Crus, Champ Martin by Albert Bichot versus Pinot Noir 2007 by Sebastiani, Sonoma Coast, California.

3) Grand Vin de Bordeaux 2004, Appellation Fronsac Controllee, Chateau Les Trois Croix versus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 by Souverain, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California.

Participants were guided through the blind tastings and scoring of each pair of wines using the AWS scoring sheet and criteria. After scoring, before revealing the wines which were concealed in mylar bags and coded by colorful ribbons, participants indicated by a "show of hands" which wine they believed to by French and which wine they believed to be from the USA. About two-thirds of the group was incorrect when guessing the origins of the Sauvignon Blanc pair, while two-thirds or more were correct when guessing which red wines were French and which were from the USA.

Also before revealing each pair of wine, participants voted for their favorite from each pair. After all scoring and voting was complete, wines and prices were revealed.

Results do not always total 70 participants as a few had no preference and did not vote.

Results were
Sancerre by Christian Salmon - 46 votes ($20); Sauvignon Blanc by Bogle - 24 votes ($11)

Red Burgundy by Albert Bichot - 11 votes ($25); Pinot Noir by Sebastiani - 58 votes ($16)

Red Bordeaux by Les Triox Croix - 30 votes ($25); Cabernet Sauvignon by Souverain - 40 votes ($18)

Individual scoring sheets (70 of them) were totaled and averaged to determine the overall "Best of Evening."
Those average scores were

1. Sebastiani Pinot Noir = 15.5 ("Best of Evening")
2. Salmon Sancerre = 14.9
3. Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon = 14.7
4. Les Trois Croix Bordeaux = 14.2
5. Bogle Sauvignon Blanc = 13.0
6. Albert Bichot Mercurey Burgundy = 12.4

The silent auction included over 40 items including many wine baskets and wine-related items, but also two weekly condo rentals, one in Florida and one in Vermont, and a "Get-a-Way" week-end at a cottage in the Hudson Valley near the Shawangunk Wine Trail. All items were donated free of charge by AWS members, guests, and area businesses and organizations. Although the final bookkeeping has not been completed, it is estimated that OVER $3.500 was raised for the AWS Educational Foundation.

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

Berks County Wine Trail
Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing Event Weekend!" Saturday October 9th & Sunday October 10th

Schuylkill River Festival
Saturday, October 9
11 AM - 4 PM
Pottstown's Riverfront Park
THIS IS NOT A WINE EVENT but an event we support and sponsor each year. See you there!

MCCC Classes
Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

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.

Fun Fact

Meritage wines must blend at least two of the Bordeaux wine varieites. No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend. (from Professor's House).

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz. They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.
There will be another quiz someday!

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

Wine Tip - Berks County Wine Trail

2010-09-29T11:37:00.001-04:00

Berks County Wine Trail

The Berks County Wine Trail is the home of eight diverse wineries with everything from award winning sparkling wines to award winning fruit wines. There is something for everyone along the Berks County Wine Trail.

The eight wineries which comprise the Berks County Wine Trail are Bayshore and Stoudt Winery(specializing in fruit wines), Blair Vineyards and Winery, Calvaresi Winery, Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery, Kog Hill Winery, Long Trout Winery, Manatawny Creek Winery and Pinnacle Ridge Winery (also part of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail).

These eight wineries are spread wide across Berks County, so it will probably take you a couple of days to hit them all, but it is well worth the trip. We enjoy and recommend most of these wineries.

One of our favorite stops along the wine trail is Blair Vineyards and Winery. They recently opened a new tasting room outside of Kutztown, PA in the beautiful countryside. They are now open Monday through Sunday 11-5 (before harvest, they were only open Saturday and Sunday. We still suggest you call ahead at 610-683-8463).

Another favorite stop is, of course, Manatawny Creek Winery located outside of Douglassville, PA. They are open Monday through Saturday 10-6 and Sunday from 12-6.

A fun stop, and one everyone should try at least once, is Long Trout Winery. It is located outside of Auburn, PA and though a long ride out into the countryside, it is well worth the trip. They are open Wednesday 6-9 PM, Saturday 1-7 and Sunday 11-5.

Owned and operated by a pair of self-proclaimed hippies, their tasting room is full of 60's and 70's memorabilia, psychedelic lighting, and odd and unusual wines-everything from unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon to Blackberry Merlot, from Seyval to Chocolate Cherry and other chocolate fruit wines, to veggie wines including hot pepper wine with a hint of garlic. It's odd, it's different, but it's fun!

There are plenty of other interesting stops along the Berks County Wine Trail where you can sample plenty of delicious wines. Take a ride today and check it out!

(see page 11 of brochure)
Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

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.

Fun Fact

Benjamin Franklin said "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winners of the first quiz. They choose a free ticket to Mom's House "Wine Tasting Celebration" on October 23.

There will be another quiz someday!

2010-09-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

The Lehigh Valley Wine Trail

This wine trail offers a wide variety of excellent wineries, from the south- Clover Hill in Breinigsville, to the north - Big Valley in Kunkletown, from the east - Franklin Hill Vineyards in Bangor, to the west - Galen Glen Vineyards and Winery in Andreas, there is much to choose from and some wonderful scenery along the way.

The Lehigh Valley was designated as an AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 2008. An AVA designation denotes a unique wine growing region. For more information, to the the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail link.

The wineries that are part of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail are: Franklin Hill, Vynecrest, Clover Hill, Pinnacle Ridge, Big Valley, Blue Mountain, Galen Glen, Cherry Valley, and Amore. At some point in our winery travels we have visited all these wineries and have enjoyed a great many wines.

One of our favorite and frequent stops is Pinnacle Ridge Winery. We have written about many of winemaker Brad Knapp's wines, so please look back through our blogs if you are curious. Below is a picture of a barn near the winery and tasting room. You can see some vineyard in the background.

Today we will highlight Pinnacle Ridge Chambourcin. This 2008 vintage is a full-bodied rich dry red wine with bright fruit aromas, flavors of ripe red raspberries and a long, satisfying finish. It is aged for 10 months in Pennsylvania oak barrels. Good to drink now, it will only get better as it bottle ages. Great with rich, savory foods. Available only at the winery for $14 a bottle.

Another favorite stop in the Lehigh Valley is Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery. We have highlighted a few of Vynecrest's wines in past blogs. Please look back through the archives it you are curious. This one view of their vineyards.

This time we are highlighting Vynecrest's Pinot Noir. This 2009 vintage is a pleasant surprise after last year's very wet season. Bright ruby red in color it displays fresh fruit aromas with a flavors of red fruits and earthy overtones. Available only at the winery for $14.99 a bottle. Great with grilled portabella mushrooms.

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the links)

TODAY
(Saturday September 18)
Manatawny Creek's Last Festival of the Summer

Berks County Wine Trail
Artisan Cheese & Wine Pairing Event Weekend!" Saturday October 9th & Sunday October 10th

Schuylkill River Festival
Saturday, October 9
Pottstown's Riverfront Park
THIS IS NOT A WINE EVENT but an event we support and sponsor each year. See you there!

MCCC Classes
Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28 6:30-9 PM

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.

Fun Fact

The chambourcin grape has become known as the “Lehigh Valley wine grape”.

Wine Tips - Wineries of North Georgia

2010-09-08T10:48:00.000-04:00

Georgia Wine Highway "There's Wine in them thar Hills"

We have family in the Atlanta area, so once every few years we take an alternate way home and visit some North Georgia wineries. There are some surprisingly excellent wines, including dry reds and dry whites, hidden in these mountains. Many of the wineries are new and hold spectacular views.

When we made our first trip to wineries in North Georgia, we were not expecting to find much except sweet southern wine. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety of wines and vineyards available in this unlikely place.

The mountains of North Georgia are well suited to growing many grape varieties, and the wineries there are making some really good wines.

The Dahlonega and Helen areas are also well-known and worthy tourist areas.

The mountains of North Georgia are well suited to growing many grape varieties, and the wineries there are making some really good wines. We only have space to write about a couple. Visit the Winegrowers' Association of Georgia website for great information and map, then visit winery websites and plan a visit the next time you head South.

Listed here are just two of our favorites and what wine we liked best from each.

Yonah Mountain Vineyards
Located near Sautee, GA. We arrived just 15 minutes before closing. The woman at the wine bar was more than happy to stay open longer than closing time for us and gave us a very nice leisurely tasting. We liked the chardonnay the best. This rich buttery chardonnay was a pleasant surprise. Full of fruit and very smooth despite the 14.6% alcohol by volume. It was aged for 9 months in oak giving it a rich buttery, toasty flavor with hints of lime and tangerine.   Available at the winery for $32. They provide an on-line order form but we doubt they can ship to Pennsylvania.

Three Sisters Vineyard
Located outside of Dahlonega, GA. This is a beautiful spot. We were treated to an excellent tasting at their beautiful tasting bar. We brought home their 2006 Cynthiana. This delicious deep red wine is also known as Norton. It was Georgia’s premier grape back during Thomas Jefferson’s time. Once again, vineyards are growing this grape. It has flavors of butterscotch and black cherries. Available only at the winery for $28.

Other wineries of note are:
    Blackstock Vineyards
    Frogtown Cellars
    Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Winery

UPCOMING EVENTS
(click on the highlighted links)

Blues in the Barn
at Pinnacle Ridge
Saturday and Sunday September 11 and 12

Vynecrest Vineyards and Winery

Harvest Weekend

Saturday and Sunday September 11 and 12
Other events almost every Saturday

Calvaresi Winery
Fall Festival
Saturday, September 11
7-11 PM

Manatawny Creek's Last Festival of the Summer
Saturday, September 18

MCCC Classes
Wines of PA
Thursday October 14
6:30-9 PM

Wines of the Finger Lakes
Thursday, October 28
6:30-9 PM

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.

Fun Fact
As of this writing, all 50 states have at least 1 winery. The USA is the 4th largest wine producer in the world.

Congratulations to Bob and Jacki Folwell, winner of the first quiz drawing.

They have chosen one free seat at Mom's House Wine Celebration on October 23.

There will be another quiz someday!

QUIZ Answers and Winner, Updated Silent Auction List for USA vs France Blind Tasting

2010-09-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Everyone who submitted answers to our
Quiz of Fun Facts.

Congratulations to the winner, Bob and Jacki Folwell.

As we said as we published the quiz, some answers are debatable (different sources cite different information) but the “correct” answers for this quiz are those provided in the Fun Facts of our blog. Numbers 3 and 4 are two answers that vary based on the source. The answers below are directly from the Fun Facts of our blog. Notations about different answers (but not those in our Fun Facts) are provided in italics. These "answers" were not considered as "correct" for the quiz.

1. The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is about 90 pounds per square inch. That’s about three times the pressure in car tires.

2. It takes an average of 600 grapes to make one bottle of wine.

3. 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).

Another cite in Wikipedia says that Airen is the most widely planted wine grape (mostly in Spain) based on number of hectares or acres planted. It cites 760,000 acres being planted of Airen (as of 2006), although it also said many vines were being pulled and replaced with other grapes such as Tempranillo. Since Airen is not planted as densely as Chardonnay and many other wine grapes, it probably does not hold the record for the most vines in the world. Today, it is generally acknowledged that Chardonnay is the most “widely” planted grape in the world when you consider the number of vines and different locations where it is grown. Cabernet Sauvignon comes close too, but Chardonnay grows better than Cabernet in a wider variety of climates and geographies, that is in “more wine regions” than any other wine grape.

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

We found this number in an article published in PA Wine News on August 6th. On August 14th, PA Wine News published another article citing 17,450 as the record. A search today of Guinness records indicates that this record was broken on January 5, 2010 with 26,564 people simultaneously toasting at a concert in Albufeira, Portugal.

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

6. Cabernet Franc is one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, having been bred with Sauvignon Blanc to create 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 100,000 bottles of wine.

8. 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

9. 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.

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 1795. (From “History of the Corkscrew” by Mary Bellis).

UPDATED List of Silent Auction Items for the USA vs France Blind Wine Tasting, September 18.

NOTE: We can only accept cash or checks for silent auction items and for registration.

For information about this event, see our previous blogs.
To check on availability of seats, call us at 610.469.6164 or email us at vintageconnections@comcast.net

EVEN NEWER SILENT AUCTION 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

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 (minimum bid may apply)
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 (minimum bid may apply)
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 (minimum bid TBD)
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 (minimum bid TBD)
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

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

2010-08-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-28T10:57:00.015-04:00

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

2010-08-24T09:07:00.060-04:00

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.

Vintage Connections Wine Info

New - Wine Classes at Pinnacle Ridge Winery near Kutztown

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

What We (and Others) Have Been Drinking

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

Changes to this Blog

Finally, Another Quiz - with an additional (an 8th) sponsor and prize!

Wine Tips - Framingham Sauvignon Blanc and Gemtree Shiraz

Honorable Mention Wines of 2010

Blog Delayed until February 10

Part 5 - The Last of our Top 10 Wine Recommendations of 2010

UPDATE on one of our Top 10!

Part 4 of our Top 10 Wines of 2010

Top 10 Wines of 2010 - Part 3

Top 10 Wine Picks of 2010 Part 2

Top 10 Wine Picks of 2010 Part 1 and Weak Knee Home Brew

Wine Tips of the Week - Galen Glen Traminette and Spice Route Pinotage

Spring Wine Classes, Gift Certificates

Wine Tips of the Week - Ehrhart Cremant d'Alsace and Trapiche Broquel Malbec

Wine Tips - Wines of the World Tasting and Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan 2007 Riesling

More Thanksgiving Wine Tips

If you have not read our Thanksgiving Wine Tips from last week, be sure to read that post as well (scroll down).

More on Nouveau Beaujolais

We tried the Nouveau Beaujolais and liked it. No tannins, easy to drink. We bought more. Not as dry as we usually drink, but not too sweet. We think it is best just a little chilled because of the slight sweetness.

The 750 ml bottle is $12.99 in PA, but only $8.99 in Delaware. (That's a tax rate of almost 50%. Why do Pennsylvanians drive to Delaware to buy wine and other spirits?)

The 1.5 L bottle in PA is $23.99, saving you only $1 a bottle so we don't recommend the larger bottle until after you try it and make sure you like it. We bought two because we think all of our friends, including those who don't usually like our dry wine choices, will like it.

If you like a little sweeter sparkling and don't have time to go to Pinnacle Ridge for their Blanc de Blancs, try Domaine St. Michelle Brut or Extra Dry.

PLCB codes for Domaine St. Michelle Brut are 4550 and 6480 for St. Michelle's Extra Dry. Both are $11.99 and usually easy to find. Korbell offers a wide selection and even half bottles of a few. They are widely available and start at $15.

Wine Tip of the Week - Wine for Thanksgiving Dinner Redux

Happy Thanksgiving from Vintage Connections!

Wine Tips - Joseph Drouhin Red Burgundy and Manatawny Creek Winter Warmth

Wine Tips - Galen Glen Gewertztraminer and Bogle Phantom

Wine of the Finger Lakes - Summary

Friday in the Finger Lakes

Thursday in the Finger Lakes

Wednesday in the Finger Lakes

Tuesday in the Finger Lakes

Monday in the Finger Lakes

Sunday in the Finger Lakes

To the Finger Lakes!

Wine Tips - Blair Vineyards Lower Block Pinot Noir

Wine Tips - Brandywine Valley Wine Trail

Wine Tip - Berks County Wine Trail

Wine Tips - Wineries of North Georgia

QUIZ Answers and Winner, Updated Silent Auction List for USA vs France Blind Tasting

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

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

USA vs. France Wine Tasting with UPDATED Silent Auction Items