Wine Tips of the Week # 10 - Villa Giada Moscato d’Asti and Dona Paula Estate Malbec

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

This Week’s Wine Tips!

This week we describe two more of the wines we will be serving and pairing with chocolate desserts at Wine after Five with Chocolate at the Gallery School of Pottstown on Saturday, Feburary 13.  Go to the Gallery’s link for more information and to register for this Valentine Day’s treat.  http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

Villa Giada Moscato d’Asti

This lightly effervescent, gently sweet wine is made from the white muscat grape from the heart of the Piedmont area of Italy.  It has a fresh fruity and floral aroma and tastes like spring in a glass.  It tastes and smells of fresh pear, peach, mango fruits and has a pleasantly long finish.  Not over powering or syrupy.  Drink now, well chilled.  We are serving the 2005 vintage during the Wine and Chocolate tasting at the Gallery.  Only the 2006 vintage is currently available in PA Wine and Spirits stores and is in very limited supply (at the time of this writing a few bottles were available at the stores in Wayne, Media, Flourtown, Narberth) and lists for $14.99.  We usually recommend wines that are readily available in PA, but this one is an exception.  A friend recommended it to us, we found a few bottles, and couldn’t resist.  Hopefully, a new vintage will be more easily available soon.

PLCB code is 25210.  Alcohol is 7% by volume. 

Dona Paula Estate Malbec

This deep ruby wine with violet tones is made from 100% Malbec grapes.  It is grown, produced and bottled on the estate in Mendoza, Argentina.  It is “elegant and complex” with aromas of licorice, plum and black cherries and flavors of blackberries and peppery spice.  It has a long and lingering finish.   We are serving the 2008 vintage during the Wine and Chocolate tasting at the Gallery and have to admit, the wine is young and the tannins are noticeable.  The 2007 vintage is currently available in PA as a Special Liquor Order (SLO) and lists for $18.19 with a minimum of 6 bottles.  PLCB code is 54945.  The tannins in the 2007 vintage should have softened a bit by now, but the wine is best laid down for 2-3 more years.  Alcohol is 14% by volume, which is typical for a Malbec, especially from Argentina.

Wine Video - Go to the link below for a 3-minute video of our Wine after Five with Art on the Side wine tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNxdudt7SSI


Up-coming Valentines Events

Wine after Five with Chocolate!  Wine and food pairing seminar. Five wines paired with five chocolate desserts prepared by Chef Steve O'Donnell.
At the Gallery School of Pottstown
Saturday, February 13, beginning promptly at 6:30 PM

(snow date, Saturday February 20)

Begin with a Sparkling Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse.
End with Bogle's Phantom, a wonderful rich red blend and decadent dark chocolate dessert.
$120 per couple, $65 single, $55 per person for Gallery members.

For more information and to register, go to the Gallery's website at

http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

Berks County Wine Trail, Wine and Chocolate Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14

For more information, go to the Berks County Wine Trail website at
http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/

Cookies and Wine for Valentine's Day at Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery

Saturday, February 13.  For more information, go to 

http://sz0051.wc.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/mail#8

NEW BLOG SITE
The Pottstown Mercury has started publishing our weekly wine recommendations on-line in The Grapevine, a blog you can access through the Mercury's on-line edition at http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs/pottstown/grapevine/blog.html

Please take a look and post some comments on our wine blogs.  We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on these two blogs.


Additional Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Wednesday, May 5, Cinqo de Mayo, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina at the Gallery School of Pottstown.
Begins promptly at 6:30 PM.  Cost TBD.

Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner.  Location, Time and Cost TBD.

Many other events are TBD.  Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide  

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

If you want your address removed from this distribution list, please let us know.

PLEASE forward this email to friends and family who may be interested.

Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster

Wine Tips of the Week # 9 - Manatawny's Sparkling Raspberry and Pinnacle Ridge's Veritas

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

This Week’s Wine Tips!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and that has us thinking (and planning) about wine and chocolate.

In many of our wine appreciation classes and pairing seminars, we've paired dark chocolate with our final, boldest red wine.
Many wineries also bring out dark chocolate to pair with their final red, which often retains a bit of sweetness, but not always.

Many people are surprised at how wonderful dark chocolate and a deep, dark, red wine taste together. 
For Valentine's Day, whether you are staying at home, going to a restaurant, getting together with friends, or just looking for something interesting and delicious to do, we suggest pairing wine and chocolate. 

Lighter, slightly sweeter white wines are best paired with lighter, even white, chocolate.  Darker reds, especially those with some retained sweetness, pair well with deep, dark chocolate.  Try to match lighter wines with lighter chocolates and darker wines with darker chocolates.  Experiment.  If one combination doesn't work, try another (and another and another).  What fun the mistakes can be!  How fantastic the right pairings can be!

Manatawny Creek Winery's Raspberry Sparkling

This week we recommend Manatawny's Sparkling Raspberry as a Valentine's wine to match with white chocolate. 
This wonderful sparkling wine is refreshingly semi-sweet and delicious and is made from fresh raspberries.  Its festive pink color and tiny bubbles make celebrating Valentine’s Day a truly romantic experience.   Try it with a white chocolate cheesecake or a white chocolate mousse, or both!  Joanne Levengood, the winemaker, says this wine is a "pleasing pink semi-sweet bubbly made from raspberries and is a very special treat."  She suggests it with Sunday Brunch, and we agree but also think it will be fantastic paired with white chocolate desserts.  Although we don't usually like (or recommend) sweeter wines, this one has its place and is a wonderful treat.  Manatawny's Sparkling Raspberry is available at the winery for $15.95.  Their website address is http://www.manatawnycreekwinery.com/

For our Wine after Five with Chocolate tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown, on Saturday, February 13, we are pairing this wonderful Sparkling Raspberry with a White Chocolate Mousse, prepared by Chef Steve O'Donnell.  For more information and tickets, go to the Gallery School's website at http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html


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 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.  

Initially, Veritas, like other high quality red wines, has lots of tannins, which come from the skin of the red grape and the oak barrels in which it is fermented and aged.  So even though we are tempted to drink Veritas young, and we do, it is best when stored on its side in a cool, dark place for at least 5 years.  This is a wine that you can drink now if you enjoy some tannin (it's not bitter, but has a "bite" which we enjoy).  Over time, the tannins mellow, the different wines mature together in the blend, the wine changes, and an outstanding, well balanced, elegant wine results.  Usually, you'll want to pair this hearty red with steak, lamb, or other red meats.  However, as a treat for Valentine's Day, we are suggesting you give it a try with a semi-sweet or slightly dark chocolate.  Let us know what you think! 

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/

For our Wine after Five with Chocolate tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown, on Saturday, February 13, we are pairing Pinnacle Ridge's 2005 Veritas with incredible chocolate chip cookies.  The tannins have softened, the blend has mellowed, and although it will still benefit from more years in the bottle, it is very drinkable now.  The cookies with semi-sweet chocolate chips, toasted brown cookie dough, crisp edges and soft centers, are mouth-watering all by themselves.  But the pairing of these chocolate chip cookies with Pinnacle Ridge's 2005 Veritas is fun and delicious.

Wine Video - Go to the link below for a 3-minute video of our Wine after Five with Art on the Side wine tasting seminar at the Gallery School of Pottstown.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNxdudt7SSI


Up-coming Valentines Events

Wine after Five with Chocolate! Wine and food pairing seminar. Five wines paired with five chocolate desserts prepared by Chef Steve O'Donnell.
At the Gallery School of Pottstown
Saturday, February 13, beginning promptly at 6:30 PM (snow date, Saturday February 20)

Begin with a Sparkling Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse.
End with a Wonderful Rich Red Blend and Decadent dark chocolate dessert.
$120 per couple, $65 single, $55 per person for Gallery members.

For more information and to register, go to the Gallery's website at

http://www.galleryonhigh.com/wineafter5.html

Berks County Wine Trail, Wine and Chocolate Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14

For more information, go to the Berks County Wine Trail website at
http://www.berkscountywinetrail.com/

NEW BLOG SITE
The Pottstown Mercury has started publishing our weekly wine recommendations on-line in The Grapevine, a blog you can access through the Mercury's on-line edition at http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs/pottstown/grapevine/blog.html

The Grapevine is a short version of our Vintage Connections Wine Info blog and includes information on one or two wines each week.  We are having some difficulties linking our blog to these Comcast emails and Comcast, so far, has not been able to resolve the problem.  So, to access our wine blog, go the the Pottstown Mercury's site, enter our blog there and then click the link to our own Vintage Connections Wine Info blog.

Please take a look and post some comments on our wine blogs.  We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on these two blogs.


Additional Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Note change of date and cost:
Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Note change of date and cost:
Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

NEW - Wednesday, May 5, Cinqo de Mayo, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina at the Gallery School of Pottstown.
Begins promptly at 6:30 PM.  Cost TBD.

Tentative - Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner.  Location, Time and Cost TBD.

Many other events are TBD.  Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide  

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

If you want your address removed from this distribution list, please let us know.

PLEASE forward this email to friends and family who may be interested.

Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster

Wine Tips of the Week # 8 - Old Vine Zin by Bogle

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

We hope everyone had a Happy New Year!  

This Week’s Wine Tips!

Mid-winter is a great time for hearty reds. 
One of our favorites is Old Vine Zinfandel from Bogle.  In fact, a wine-maker friend of ours told us that he's "never met a Bogle he didn't like" so during our New Year's celebrations with friends and family we tried several red Bogle's we had not tasted before.  We like ALL of them. 

Bogle's Old Vine Zinfandel is outstanding, is available in almost every PCLB Wine and Spirits store and is a REGULAR purchase for $12.99.  Product code is 5043.  You should be able to find this wine and purchase it regularly but we suggest you check availability with your local store before making the trip.

We agree with the winemaker's notes as provided below.

Head-trained, dry farmed old vines are again the source for Bogle’s Old Vine Zinfandel. These gnarly old vines produce concentrated fruit of unsurpassed quality and intensity.  This supple and mouth-filling vintage leads with juicy blueberry and ripe blackberry fruit. Black pepper and hints of chocolate notes integrate well with this soft, plush body. Subtle hints of spicy oak and pipe tobacco create structure, allowing this wine to stand up to a variety of fare.This is the perfect wine to pair with everything from rich sauces and unique dishes, to your favorite weeknight take-out.

Bogle's Petite Syrah is also a regular selection, lists for $13.09, and its product code is 9257. 

A few weeks ago we recommended some Pinot Noirs but had not tasted Bogle's so did not mention it.  We tasted it last week and highly recommend it too.  However, the 2006 is a "Luxury" selection, is scarce but is a bargain at $16.99 if you can find it.   The product code is 13399.  ("Luxury" is the new name for Specialty Wines available only at Specialty Stores).  You can order the 2007 as a SLO (Special Liquor Order) for $19.49 a bottle with a minumum order of 12 bottles, maybe with some shipping charges.  Product code is 50546.

Another excellent red Bogle, but also hard to find, is their Phantom, a blend of Petite Syrah, Old Vine Zin,  and Old Vine Mouvedre.  We tasted the 2005 and 2006 vintages.  We slightly preferred the 2005 but that may be only because it had a year longer in the bottle.  The 2005 is only available as a SLO, with a 12 bottle minimum at $24.69 per bottle (code 63527).  The 2006 is a "Luxury" wine available but scarce (the Wayne store in the Shopping Center had 8 bottles and Collegeville had 12, at the time of this writing).  It lists for $20.49 per bottle and product code is15536.

We tried Bogle's Sauvignon Blanc this past fall and liked it as well but didn't see it listed on the PLCB site. 

We have not tried Bogle's Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Port, Chardonnay, or Riesling.  Given our experience wtih their other wines, we think they'd be worth the risk and will try them in the future.

All in all, because of their unique and bold taste, availability and price, we highly recommend Bogle's Old Vine Zin and Petite Syrah.  If you can find the others or want to risk a case of the 2006 Phantom, give them a try.


NEW BLOG SITE
The Pottstown Mercury has started publishing our weekly wine recommendations on-line in The Grapevine, a blog you can access through the Mercury's on-line edition at http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs/pottstown/grapevine/blog.html


We'll post one or two wine recommendations in Grapevine each week but will provide more detail and often more wine recommendations through our newsletter and what we post on this blog.  Please take a look and write some comments on our wine blogs.  We'd really like to get some wine discussion going on these two blogs.

If you do not receive our weekly newsletter, email us at
vintageconnections@comcast.net


Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Saturday, February 13, Wine and Chocolate Tasting Seminar (Valentine's Day event) at Gallery on High in Pottstown, Time and Cost TBD

Note change of date and cost:
Thursday, April 22, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Note change of date and cost:
Thursday, April 29, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $52.

Tentative - Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner.  Location, Time and Cost TBA.

Many other events are TBD.  Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Vintage Connections provide  

* Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars

* Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business

* Wine Consulting

* Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations

If you want your address removed from this distribution list, please let us know.

PLEASE forward this email to friends and family who may be interested.

Happy New Year!

Vintage Connections
Lisa and Dean Foster

Wine Tip of the Week # 7 - Pinot Noir

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

This Week’s Wine Tips!

In anticipation of New Year's Day, we're recommending Pinot Noir to pair with New Year's Day pork roast.  Pinot Noir’s light tannins and berry flavors pair well with roasted pork.

There are many Pinot Noirs (and French Red Burgundies, made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes) for under $20, even many under $10.  But, finding a Pinot Noir that is representative of the variety for under $20 can be a challenge. 

One of our favorite and affordable Pinot Noirs is by Sebastiani.  From the Sonoma Coast, their 2007 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 $12,99, but supplies are running low so check the PLCB website or call your local store to check availability.  When you find it, ask them to hold it for you and go now!  The PLCB product code is 004985.

Another favorite is Dovetail Pinot Noir (2006) from the Russian River Valley.  We found this to be one of  the best we’ve tasted but it is a Chairman's Select, is priced at $21.99 and supplies are very limited.  This vintage was created by blending various pinot noir wines from various sites in the Russian River Valley.  It is very fruit forward with lots of berry flavors and a pleasantly long finish.  It was aged in both French and American oak.  Even with alcohol at 14.2%, it wasn’t too hot and was great with pork paprikash. 

Always check the PLCB Product Search page and then call ahead to be sure of availability at
http://www.lcbapps.lcb.state.pa.us/webapp/Product_Management/psi_ProductDefault_inter.asp?plcbNav=|32369|

If you would prefer trying a PA winery Pinot Noir as we often do, Pinnacle Ridge Winery north of Kutztown, Manatawny Creek Winery outside of Douglassville, Vynecrest Winery near Breinigsville and Blair Vineyards outside of Mertztown all carry excellent Pinot Noirs at or under $20.  And, you can taste and make sure they suit your tastes before purchasing them.

Other lighter reds will also pair well with roasted pork.  See our previous Wine Tips of the Week for some recommendations for Beaujolais,
archived on our blog at

http://vintageconnectionswineinfo.blogspot.com/2009/11/wine-tip-of-week-3-beaujolais.html

Our past Wine Tips of the Week are available on this blog site.  See the archive in the right-hand column.


Upcoming Wine Events in the Pottstown Tri-County Area

Friday February 13, Wine and Chocolate Tasting Seminar (Valentine's Day event) at Gallery on High in Pottstown, Time and Cost TBD

Thursday, April 2, Wines of the World, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $50.

Thursday, April 9, Wines of the USA, one night wine seminar at Montgomery County Community College's West Campus in Pottstown, 6:30 - 9:30 PM, $50.

Tentative - Saturday, October 23, Mom's House Benefit Wine Tasting Dinner.  Location, Time and Cost TBA.

Many other events are TBD.  Contact us to schedule an event in your home, at your business, or for your organization.

Your suggestions on improving the blog site, just as your recommendations and comments about wine, are welcome on the blog.  As we learn more about blogging, we'll improve the site and make it even more useful and enjoyable. 

Coming Soon - Wine Blog in the Pottstown Mercury.  This blog will feature short versions of our Wine Tips of the Week.

About Us!

Vintage Connections provide   Wine Appreciation Classes and Seminars; Customized Educational Wine Tastings in your home or at your business;  Wine Consulting, and Benefit Educational Wine Tastings for non-profit organizations.

If you want your address removed from this distribution list, please let us know.

PLEASE forward this email to friends and family who may be interested.

Thanks

Vintage Connections

Lisa and Dean Foster

Wine Tips of the Week # 6 Tariquet Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon and Galen Glen Riesling

 

Tariquet 2008 - Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon Blend

Sauvignon Blanc often stands on its own and when it does, has distinctive aromas of freshly cut grass and minerals.  When blended with Semillon, the sharpness of Sauvignon Blanc is softened, the aroma of the wine is a bit more floral, and the wine may have a touch of sweetness that, for many people, makes it easy to drink and more appealing than 100% Sauvignon Blanc.  French White Bordeaux is a well-known blend that includes Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.  However, these two grapes are blended throughout the world in many different proportions, and is marketed under many different labels.

Tariquet 2008 is a good, affordable example of the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend. 

Domaine du Tariquet is located in the Gascony area of France.  The vineyards and winery have been owned and operated by the Grassa family since 1912.  Known mostly for their Armagnac, a distinctive brandy made only in the Armagnac region of Gascony, they have recently begun growing white grapes such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. 

The 2008 vintage of Sauvignon & Semillon is made from 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon.  This blend is a good example of how Semillon can create a more complex wine than Sauvignon Blanc alone.  It is an easy drinking wine with very floral aromas and a slight mineral scent.  It has a light taste of grassiness and grapefruit typical of sauvignon blancs, made more complex and fuller bodied by the additional 15% Semillon.  This is a good wine to have with fish, poultry, and a variety of cheeses. 

This wine is a current a Chairman's Selection and is widely available at Pennsylvania Specialty Wine and Spirits stores.  Check the PLCB website at   http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/   After linking to this page, click on the Product Search icon in the upper right-hand corner and then enter the product code 18312 and check for your local store for availability.  We suggest you then call your local store to be 100% sure of its availability.  

This is one of the five wines we'll feature at the "Wine after Five with Art on the Side" Wine Tasting Seminar this Friday, December 18 at Gallery on High in Pottstown.

Galen Glen Stone Cellar Riesling 2008

Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery is family owned and operated and is located outside of Andreas, PA.  The vineyard started out as the family farm and had been active for two centuries.  Galen and Sarah purchased the family farm and began growing grapes in 1995.

Their 2008 Stone Cellar Riesling is made in the German style.  Called "halbtrocken," which is German for half-dry, this lightly sweet Riesling is bursting with floral aromas.  It has a pleasant minerality with grapefruit notes and hints of peaches and apricots.  This riesling is easy to drink on its own and is even better when paired with cheesecake or with a glazed pork entrée.

We were curious about the “crooked stick” seen on their labels and on their patio.  It came from the use of a cherry sapling branch they used to measure the spacing of the vines when they didn’t have enough measuring tapes during planting.  Their "Stone Cellar" label depicts the original stone cellar on the property near the winery, where many of their wines are stored and aged.

You will often find owners Sarah and Galen Troxell, along with their very helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable tasting room helpers, in their beautiful tasting room.  You'll get an amazing view of the glen, which inspired the winery's name.  The wine, the view, the friendly staff and wine-tasting atmosphere is well worth the drive to Galen Glen.  Add a couple of other Pennsylvania wineries to your itinerary and spend an afternoon wine tasting and enjoying the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside along the way.  Galen Glen and most PA wineries are open 7 days a week around the Holidays, but check their websites or call to check on seasonal hours.

Galen Glen's website is http://www.galenglen.com/index.html

Links to all PA winery websites are available at http://www.pennsylvaniawine.com/

Galen Glen's Stone Cellar Riesling 2008 is one of the five wines we'll feature at the "Wine after Five with Art on the Side" Wine Tasting Seminar this Friday, December 18 at Gallery on High in Pottstown.

Wine Tips of the Week # 5 - Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Villages 2007 and a Wonderful Port from Manatawny Creek Winery

Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais Villages 2007 - This excellent Beaujolais from Beaune, France in the heart of Burgundy is made of 100% Gamay grapes.  The grapes are picked at the various villages around Beaune, so this wine qualifies for the "villages" classification within the French wine classification system. 

This Beaujolais has a refreshing fruit flavor reminiscent of cherries and raspberries with “earthy hints of violets and spice“.  It has low tannins and a bright acidity making it an excellent food wine.  Maison Joseph Drouhin has been a family run winery for over 130 years.  They create exceptional wines from all the terroirs of Burgundy.   Drink this Beaujolais now.  Though not as tender as Nouveau, Beaujolais Villages’ low tannins suggest that long storing will not improve this wine.  Best served slightly chilled-20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 

This wine is widely available at PLCB Wine and Spirits stores.  Check the PLCB website or call your local store for availability.
http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/    After linking to this page, click on the Product Search icon in the upper right-hand corner.  The PLCB product code is 5878.

This is one of the six wines we featured at the Wine after Five, Wine and Dine Seminar at Churchill's on Friday, December 11.  At $9.99, this is a great value.


Manatawny Creek Winery Port - We don't usually like port, but this one has become a favorite.  It is lighter than many ports and although it is sweet and high in alcohol (for a wine), it is not too sweet and the 18-20% alcohol content is easy to swallow.  This port is made from Cabernet Franc, one of the traditional Bordeaux varietals and one of Manatawny's consistently excellent grapes.  Great for sipping alone, this wine is at its best paried with dark chocolate.   Yummy!

Manatawny's Port is one of the five wines we'll feature at the Wine after Five with Art on the Side Wine Seminar and Networking event at the Gallery on High, Friday, December 18.  We'll pair it with wonderful brownies from Company Cakes, a favorite bakery located in Pottstown.

The Manatawny Creek Winery is owned and operated by the Levengood Family and is located just outside of Douglasville, PA in Amity Twp.  Mary (mom) is often in the tasting room to guide you through a tasting of their wines.  Joanne (the winemaker) and Darvin (dad) are often in the vineyards or winery keeping track of things.  Dave (Joanne’s brother) roams the entire farm, helping out where he’s needed the most. 

This is one of the several local PA Wineries we highly recommend not just for their wines, but for a wonderful wine tasting experience in their tasting room.  They are open seven days a week and do not charge a tasting fee.  The staff is friendly, helpful, and they have a wide selection of wine, from bold dry reds to ligher, sweeter whites, to even a sparkling raspberry.  A great variety of wine-related gifts are available in the tasting room.  See their website for more information at  http://www.manatawnycreekwinery.com/

Wine Tips of the Week # 4 – Blair Vineyard Chardonnay and Marchesi di Barolo, Maraia 2007 Barbera Monferrato

We will be discussing and tasting both of these wines as two of the six wines featured at the "Wine after Five, Wine and Dine Tasting Seminar" at Churchill’s in Pottstown on December 11.  Call Churchill's at 484-941-5100 for reservations.

Churchill’s Website is located at http://churchillinc.net/

Blair Vineyard Chardonnay
Blair Vineyards is a family-owned and operated vineyard and winery near Mertztown, PA.   Blair makes a variety of wines, mostly dry reds and whites.  They have been making Chardonnay in several styles using French and American oak.  These different styles and vintages of Chardonnay, as well as many other excellent wines, are available at their tasting room near Mertztown.  The tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday, 12-5 PM or by appointment (610-682-0075).  However, many Blair wines are available at Frecon Farms near Boyertown.  Call Frecon for their seasonal hours (610-367-6200). 

Blair Vineyard Website is located at http://www.blairvineyards.com/whitewines.htm

Frecon Farms Website is located at http://www.freconfarms.com/

We tasted all of Blair’s chardonnays, fermented and aged in oak in the Burgundian style.  The 2005 was fermented and aged in both French and American oak.  In 2005 they also made a Chardonnay Reserve from the free run juice.  For 2006, Blair aged half of his chardonnay in American oak and half in French oak.  We could really taste the differences among the different styles and vintages, and truly liked them all.  We especially like the 2005 Chardonnay fermented and aged in both French and American oak.  It is very fruit-forward with hints of melon and vanilla, with light toast flavors and a long finish.  It has 12.5% alcohol so is not hot or harsh like some chardonnays from California or Australia.


Marchesi di Barolo, Maraia 2007 Barbera Monferrato
Marchesi de Barolo is an historic vineyard located in the Piedmont area of Italy.  Maraia means “little rascal” in Italian and is a fitting name for this easy-drinking red 100% Barbera wine.  This is a medium-bodied red wine with plenty of fruit and a pleasant dryness that unfolds to an attractively robust flavor and a long finish.  It is splendid with red meats, but also goes well with pork, veal and even turkey.  It has 13.5% alcohol by volume.  The Marchesi di Barolo, Maraia 2007 Barbera Monferrato is available at most PA Wine and Spirit stores.

The PLCB website is http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/