My timing is terrible these days.  Almost a month has passed since I had the opportunity to participate in the TasteNY event with Hudson-Chatham Winery.  I’ll blame it on the abundance of great local wine I’ve had of late that has managed to divert my attention from writing this recap.  In one sentence, TasteNY is a virtual wine tasting hosted by the New York Cork Report, with the primary goal of highlighting a New York winery, wine or region. This happened to be my fourth TasteNY event (be sure to check out the Finger Lakes Pinot Noir and Riesling events) and first to highlight a hybrid, Baco Noir.

Established in 2007 and located in Ghent, NY, Hudson-Chatham Winery is the dream of Carlo and Dominque DeVito (Carlo authors the excellent East Coast Wineries blog). Specializing in small hand-made batches of wine, the Hudson River Valley winery produces an assortment of wines from Cabernet Franc to their award-winning Baco Noirs, a variety that grows surprisingly well in the region.

Hudson-Chatham Baco Noirs

The tasting kicked off with the Hudson-Chatham 2009 Baco Noir Reserve.  The fruit comes from Casscles Vineyard in Athens, NY and retails for a reasonable $19.  Ruby color in glass, an initial nose of red plum, cherry and cranberry with a hint of spice at the end.  Plummy, jammy finish.  Great acidity with just enough tannin for balance.  Overall, an approachable, fruity wine that surprises.  70 cases produced.

The second wine featured the Hudson-Chatham 2009 Baco Noir Old Vines. Also available for $19 in the tasting room, 150 cases were produced.  The Baco Noir Old Vine comes from 60 year old vines from the Masson Place Vineyard.  Layers of dark fruit and spice on the nose. Flavors of black cherry, raspberry and a touch of earth.  A food-friendly wine that drank well over several days.

The tasting and especially Hudson-Chatham Winery opened several eyes to Baco Noir and the Hudson River Valley region.  I’ll raise a glass to that.  Cheers!

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When I received the invite for the “Discover Monticello” wine tasting event, I thought it would be an opportune time to invite a few wine newbies.  Not only would I take the opportunity to introduce everyone to Virginia wine, but also educate my friends about the different varieties and styles of wine helping put Virginia on the global wine map.  I started this site with the sole purpose to educate and raise awareness to local wine.  So without further adieu, I introduce you to my first guest blogger, Michele Carroll.  A blogger, small business owner, and good friend, Michele has a passion for writing and a growing interest in local wine.

Michele Carroll (EugeniaEssentials.com)

Hello, my name is Michele Carroll and I originally hail from the Hudson Valley area of New York State. While I have often enjoyed wine from New York, Washington and California, I have never had the opportunity to try Virginia wines, so when my friends Brian and Jessica invited me to the Discover VA Wines live Twitter Tasting hosted by My Vine Spot this past Monday, I was very enthusiastic!

That being said, I by no means consider myself an expert on wines…in fact I’d call myself a newbie. When Brian asked me to guest blog about the event, I tried to argue my way out of it. I thought I could never write intelligently about wines, but he insisted, “You’re exactly the kind of person I’m looking for…someone who is a newcomer, especially to Virginia wines. I’m looking for unbiased opinion.” So here I am.

When I arrived at their house, Brian had all the glasses out and polished. His wife Jessica served the most fantastic spread of delicious cheeses, organic fruits and crusty crackers, breads and olives. The lineup included six bottles from the Monticello Wine Trail. I was excited as I have visited Monticello and love the Charlottesville area.

First up on the list was a 2007 sparkling SP Brut Rose from Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard in Albemarle County. I loved this wine! The color of it was like the final moments of a sunset sky…a gorgeous rosy, peach hue. The clarity was superb. The aromas were fruity…strawberries, cherries and a slight floral note. The finish was crisp, neither too sweet nor too dry. As I sipped I could totally envision this wine being served at a celebratory event like a wedding or an anniversary party.

The second pour was a 2009 Viognier from Keswick Vineyards.  As I inhaled this wine in the glass, pictures of a grassy meadow came immediately to mind; indeed I picked up grassy notes, along with melon and lemon. The color was a clear pale straw color. This wine has a full body with a round finish. It was my favorite pick of the whites.

Number three was a 2009 Chardonnay Reserve from Jefferson Vineyards.  I also loved this wine; it was light and slightly sweet, not too heavy like some Chardonnays. The aromas were of apples, cinnamon and vanilla. I had a tough time deciding between this and the Keswick.

Fourth on the list was a 2009 Gewurztraminer from Afton Mountain Vineyards. This wine boasted a full body with pear, oak and earthy overtones. This wine was the favorite of my other newbie panel taster friend, Iris.

Now it was time for the reds. Fifth on the list was an excellent 2009 Seven Oaks Merlot from Blenheim Vineyards. I absolutely loved everything about this wine and it was my favorite of the reds. I was mesmerized by the color, like liquid rubies in the glass. This wine possessed beautiful clarity with notes of tobacco, pine and black cherry.  I could totally imagine folks enjoying this wine by a cozy, crackling fire on Christmas Eve.

The final pour of the evening was the Mountfair Vineyards Wooloomooloo, a 2008 blend of 60% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.  The wine is deep and dark with tannins. It was not my favorite at the first sip, but as the wine sat in the glass, it opened up. The aromas reminded me of a dark loamy forest, with apple and moss notes. I think a more sophisticated palate would appreciate this wine. I can imagine it served with a hearty savory stew or roasted beef or pork loin with herbed potatoes and root vegetables and crusty bread. After a couple of glasses of this wine, you may even see the mythical spirit of the forest that the wine is named for!

My number one favorite pick of the night was the Keswick Viognier, followed by the Merlot, but all the wines in the lineup were top notch. It was hard to choose just one. Virginia wines have found a new fan in me. Thank you to The Other 46 for inviting me and hats off to My Vine Spot for choosing a great selection. Can’t wait until the next Twitter tasting!

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Mountfair Vineyards 2008 Wooloomooloo

Wooloomooloo [wu' lu mu' lu] noun – a mythical spirit that roams the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The wine, a Bordeaux-style red blend from Mountfair Vineyards, was recently featured in a Twitter virtual release event last month, coordinated and hosted by fellow blogger and friend Frank Morgan, from Drink What You Like.  Not only was this my first time trying a Mountfair Vineyards release, it was also the first time a Virginia wine was featured in a Twitter event (outside of the DrinkLocalWine.com Twitter Taste-Off).  Located on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville, Virginia, Mountfair produces a lineup of red blends using exclusively Bordeaux varieties.

The wine retails for $25 and is a blend of 60% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc.  Deep purple in glass, black fruit, berries, cherry cola, touch of tobacco and earthiness on the nose and palate.  A medium-bodied wine with good balance.  The finish fell a tad short, but considering my bottle traveled from Virginia to Florida (and arrived hours before the event), I’m going to attribute the mixed results to travel shock.

The wine proved to a be a big hit amongst the participants and helped showcase the quality of wines being produced in the state.  Kudos to Mountfair Vineyards for embracing social media and introducing Virginia wines to a larger audience.  I look forward to tasting their full lineup and visiting in the near future.  Cheers!

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On Wednesday, September 15th at 8PM EST, bloggers, writers, and wine enthusiasts across the country will have the chance to participate in a Twitter-based event to sample one of New York’s premier wineries, Shinn Estate Vineyards.  Participants will taste three wines:

• Shinn Estate Vineyards 2009 “First Fruit” Sauvignon Blanc
• Shinn Estate Vineyards NV Red
• Shinn Estate Vineyards 2007 Nine Barrels Reserve Merlot

If that lineup isn’t reason enough to participate, Shinn is offering participants 20% off the wines!  $64.80 for all three wines.  I urge all my readers, friends and family to hurry up and purchase online and join in the fun and a taste of New York.  Cheers!

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I wasn’t able to participate in the full tasting which included 4 wines, I was however able to sample 2 of their Italian varieties, Sangiovese and Dolcetto.  First up included the 2008 Mandola Estate Sangiovese.  I’m a big fan of the variety and love the fact Mandola is giving it a go in Texas.  Retailing for $24, red fruit dominates both the nose and palate.  Cherries, strawberries and plum abound with a touch of cinnamon.  Light to medium-bodied.

The second pour and my wine of the night featured the 2008 Mandola Estate Dolcetto.  Retailing for $26, this is an easy drinking, everyday wine.  The medium-bodied wine displayed notes of dark fruit, black licorice, blueberries and sweet tobacco.  Price was the only negative on my tasting sheet.  Kudos to Ben and Mandola Estate for an evening of great wine and great conversation.  Cheers!

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Last month I had the opportunity to participate in my second TasteLive event coordinated and hosted by friend and fellow wine blogger Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association.  I had a great time tasting through the Finger Lakes Pinot Noirs a few weeks earlier (read more here) and was excited to learn more about the Finger Lakes Gewurztraminers.

Armed with a glass and my laptop, I pulled the cork on wine number one, the 2007 Gewurz from Lakewood Vineyards.  Retailing for $16.99 and coming in at 14% alcohol, the wine showed floral and tropical fruits including pineapple and grapefruit.  On the palate, more of the same with a touch of honey.  Good acidity and mouth feel.  A perfect food wine.

The second pour was the 2008 Sheldrake Point Vineyard Gewurz.  Pale yellow in color, citrus fruit and lemon dominate the nose.  A great QPR at $15, flavors of peach and pear play nicely on the palate.  A dry, full-bodied wine.  I’m thinking Thai for dinner with this wine.

TasteLive Finger Lakes Gewurztraminers

My runner-up of the night, the 2008 Gewurz from Keuka Spring Vineyards impressed and showed even better on day 2.  Peaches dominate on the nose and palate with secondary notes of floral, apricot, and rose.  Another value at $17, I’d love to have a case of this wine on hand to pair with Asian dishes.

Last, but certainly not least, was the Red Newt Cellars 2007 Sawmill Creek Vineyards Gewurztraminer.  Easily the most complex of the bunch, and also the most expensive at $36.  I loved everything about this wine, minus the price.  A floral nose with spicy notes of tangerine and green apple that develop into a deliciously crisp and balanced wine.  My wine of the night.

Another impressive showing for the Finger Lakes.  Cheers!

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A few weeks prior to the DrinkLocalWine.com conference, a few of us tossed around the idea of a Twitter Tweet-Up in Virginia.  Jennifer Breaux Blosser, Director of Sales and Hospitality at Breaux Vineyards, jumped on board and rolled out the red carpet for our small group this past Saturday.  Anyone who follows my blog, knows I’m a big fan of Breaux Vineyards (read more here) and I always plan a visit when I’m in Virginia.  The 404 acre estate has over 100 acres planted in 18 different grape varieties, making it one of the largest growers in the region, and a popular venue for events and gatherings.

Breaux Vineyards DLW10 Tweet-Up

Our group was treated to a behind the scenes tour of the bottling room and barrel tastings courtesy of the winemaker, Dave Collins.  The 2007 Malbec and Petit Verdot blend impressed (a future Cellar Club release), with it’s balance of tannin and fruit.  We then made our way to the tasting counter to sample the current selections of white wines.  The 2008 Viognier and Barrel Select Chardonnay scored high on my tasting sheet along with the Syrah Rosé with it’s strawberry and cranberry notes.

After our tasting, we headed back to the barrel room for a tasting of Breaux reds paired alongside a fabulous lunch prepared by Grandale Farm Restaurant.  And if that wasn’t enough, we were joined by Paul Breaux, President and CEO of Breaux Vineyards.  We chatted about the history of the vineyard and winery along with his vision for the future.  Easily the highlight of my visit.  And what about those reds?  My favorite Virginia wine, the 2002 Reserve Merlot, took first place followed by the earthy, 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Elegant and reserved, a beauty drinking fabulously well.  The surprise of the tasting, the 2001 Nebbiolo, was a favorite around the table (I regret not reserving a spot for the Nebbiolo vertical tasting that same day).

What makes Breaux so special, aside from the great wine, is the people. From top to bottom, the team welcomed us and made our Twitter Tweet-Up an event to remember.  Bravo Breaux!

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The DrinkLocalWine.com conference festivities kicked off with an informal gathering of wine writers at Lansdowne Resort to enjoy a tasting of wines from the other 47 states.  Hosted by Dezel Quillen at On The Potomac, we each brought an assortment of wines from New York, Texas, Colorado, Maryland, Hawaii, Utah, North Carolina, and Virginia, the focus of the weekend.  An impressive lineup of 25 plus wines were poured throughout the night paired alongside an assortment of local cheeses and charcuterie including house-made Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras and Chorizo Sausage and Creamy Polenta.

There were 4 standouts on my tasting sheet amongst a solid lineup.  Highlights included the Lenz 2001 Estate Merlot with its earthiness, leather, and black cherry notes, followed by the herbaceous, varietal correct Windham 2004 Cabernet Franc (winery is now named Doukénie Winery).  The New York Cork Report White Wine of the Year, the Billsboro 2008 Riesling impressed all, while the Glen Manor 2008 Sauvignon Blanc displayed the potential of the variety in the state.  Honorable mentions included the Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay, Brennan Vineyards Viognier, and the Benmarl Baco Noir.  New York and Virginia definitely represented!

The tasting proved to be a great start to the conference and helped promote the other 47 states.  I also had the privilege to meet a few other great wine bloggers including DrinkLocalWine.com co-founder Jeff Siegel (The Wine Curmudgeon), Allan Liska (CellarBlog), Sean Sullivan (Washington Wine Report), Tammy Colson (Southern Wine Trails), and Raelinn Schmitt (Wine Ophelia).  An evening to remember…

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I participated in my first TasteLive event this past week with a small group of friends in downtown Orlando.  The event, a tasting of Finger Lakes Pinot Noirs was coordinated and hosted by Lenn Thompson, founder and chief editor of the popular New York Cork Report, in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association. I received an invite to participate from Lenn and immediately jumped at the opportunity.  Although I focus on the other 46 states, New York wines are a personal favorite of mine, and unfortunately do not receive the due attention they deserve (sound familiar).  That said, events like TasteLive and websites like the New York Cork Report are helping to bridge this gap.

TasteLive Finger Lakes Pinot Noirs

Before I announce the group results, I thought I’d share a few thoughts and tips from my first TasteLive event.  Tweeting, entertaining, and tasting wine is not as easy as it sounds.  Between the tweets and dealing with technology issues (more on that in a minute), entertaining friends can be a challenge.  Thank goodness I had my wife to play that part.  Ensure you have a nice cheese and fruit spread.  Always fun to see how a wine changes when paired with the right foods.  Although I kept my cool, I missed a large number of tweets, even though I had multiple hash tags (#FLXwine, #TTL) and groups set up in TweetDeck.  I assume these problems were attributed to TweetDeck, so any recommendations for a new Twitter client are welcome.  Last but certainly not least, save a pour for day 2.

Although the real winner of the night was the Finger Lakes wine region, the group did come to a unanimous decision.  From the nose to the finish, the Ravines Wine Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir displayed beautiful balance, structure and complexities that seemed to resonate among the group.  Coming in second was the varietal-correct Damiani Wine Cellars 2008 Pinot Noir.  The Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir, the promising Heart & Hands Wine Company 2008 Pinot Noir, and the young Atwater Estate Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir were mixed on tasting sheets for positions 3 through 5.

In summary, the event was a big success and helped open my eyes to the Finger Lakes.  A special thanks to Lenn Thompson and Morgen McLaughlin for introducing a new and exciting Pinot Noir region.  Cheers!

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In similar fashion to the prior nights tasting, all wines were placed in brown bags, numbered, and then poured.  The lineup included the following wines:

1. 2006 Rappahannock Cellars Cabernet Franc (Virginia) $20
2. 2006 Tiger Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Georgia) $23
3. 2004 Chamard Vineyards Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc (Connecticut) $23
4. 2006 Owen Sullivan Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc (Washington State) $29

I must admit, going into the tasting, I was very confident that I would at least identify the correct origin and price point.  Good thing I didn’t bet the house, but then again in this housing market, it might not have been a bad deal.  I failed miserably.

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, drum roll please…  In an upset, the 2006 Tiger Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc from Georgia takes first place by a slim margin over Washington State.

Congratulations to Tiger Mountain Vineyards (be sure to read my earlier reviews) on their win, and a big thanks to all that came out for the event!

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