Michigan Wine Celebrated on SE Michigan's Pioneer Wine Trail April 9-10



Photo by Angelo Cesare

 Wine lovers will be celebrating Michigan Wine Month in April and you can join the fun during the Michigan Wine Celebration on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10. The event is sponsored by the wineries of Southeastern Michigan’s Pioneer Wine Trail. Tickets are $25 per person for this self-driven winery tour.

 

Each winery along the trail will feature an appetizer or dessert prepared by a local chef and paired with their featured wine. The ticket price also includes one tasting glass. A recipe card with the featured recipe will be given out to ticket holders at each winery. The food ranges from roasted sweet Italian Sausage simmered with Michigan apples at Burgdorf’s Winery to dark chocolate filled crepes with raspberry sauce at Lone Oak Vineyard Estates.Tickets, which include eight delicious food and wine pairings are $25.

 

The wineries included in this event are:  

• Burgdorf's Winery (Haslett)
• Chateau Aeronautique Winery (Jackson)
• Cherry Creek Cellars Old Schoolhouse Winery (Brooklyn)
• J. Trees Cellars (Blissfield)
• Lone Oak Vineyard Estate (Grass Lake)
• Pentamere Winery (Tecumseh)
• Sandhill Crane Vineyards (Jackson)
• Sleeping Bear Winery (Parma)

 

Ticket holders are welcome to visit each location over the two-day event, or they may choose to limit their visits (as time permits). The Wine Trail encourages ticket holders to bring a designated driver. Hours of the event are Saturday, April 9, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday, April 10, from noon to 6:00 PM. There are a limited number of tickets available. Tickets will not be available the day of the event.

 

For more information call (517) 531-3080. Ticket holders are welcome to visit each location over the two-day event, or they may choose to limit their visits (as time permits).

Technorati Tags: wine,Michigan wine

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Niagara-on-the-Lake Winery Visit: Lailey Vineyard

Continuing our series on Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, winery visits.
Lailey is a small Niagara-on-the-Lake winery that is a welcome change of pace from giants such as Inniskillin, Peller Estates or Jackson-Triggs. In fact the tasting room is about the size of the coat room in these other wineries.Without the expansive grounds and the hype, this little winery can focus on producing some amazingly good wines.
Lailey Vineyards got its start back in the 1970s when David Lailey and his wife Donna converted the family fruit tree farm to growing vinifera grapes. After selling grapes to wineries for years, they obtained a winery license in 2000 and were joined by former customer Derek Barnett who took over the role of winemaker. Today Lailey is considered in the top tier of Niagara wineries and regularly wines prizes in prestigious wine competitions for their Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

The tasting room is a blockish, modern looking structure with enormous windows and a high ceiling. However, there just isn’t much room. A long bar runs the length of the room and there is just a small swath of standing room between the counter and the window. While the larger NOTL wineries can handle hundreds of visitors at a time, 20 visitors at Lailey is quite a crowd.

It reminded me a bit of standing in line for concessions at Yankee Stadium. However, once you make your way to the counter, get get something much better than warm beer and an overpriced hotdog.

We started off with the 2008 Counterpoint, an interesting white blend of Gewürztraminer (37%), Sauvignon Blanc(34%), Un-oaked Chardonnay (13%), Semillon (11%), and Riesling (5%). This was pleasant, but not a show-stopper. It had citrus flavors with a touch of peach. The bottle retails for $25.

Reds were on our minds and I started with the 2007 Gamay-Zweitgelt Niagara Peninsula. This is an off-beat wine that combines the fruity Gamay with the spicy Zweigelt. This is a fun and playful wine that would be right at home on the patio for a backyard barbecue. It only costs $14 and is a nice value. A check of the Lailey website shows that it is currently sold out.

The next glass was the 2008 Syrah. I have to give props to my server. When he was asked to describe the flavor of the wine he said, “salami, pastrami and toffee.” What a combination! The wine was indeed delightfully complex with earthiness and flavors of smoked meat. You could take time unraveling the many layers of this wine. It has sufficient tannins to lay down for several years.

The grand finale was the 2008 Pinot Noir Brickyard Vineyard. The Brickyard is a tiny 3.2 acre vineyard growing Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. In 1800 settler John McFarland, a boat builder to King George III, used the clay from this site to build his brick home. This is a beautifully balanced wine. It has flavor notes of jasmine and ripe red fruit. This was the standout wine of our visit.

Donna Lailey was the only female founding member of the Vintner’s Quality Alliance (VQA), which is now the standard for quality Canadian wine. Lailey is small, but packs a powerful and tasty punch.

Technorati Tags: wine,Niagara-on-the-Lake

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Champagne Bureau: More Than Half Of US Sparkling Wine Is Mislabeled

Image via Wikipedia

The production of Champagne is a pain-staking process. Two fermentations are required. The bottle must be frozen and the sediment (lees) quickly removed. The traditional method and blending of many vintages of grapes results in an elixir that is the pride of France.


And they don’t appreciate other countries horning in on their prized product.

More than 40 renowned chefs, sommeliers and wine educators called for truth-in-labeling for wines on the fifth anniversary of the Wine Accords by sending a joint letter to members of Congress. The letter calls on Congress to address “misleading wine labels that do not correctly represent the wine’s place of origin.”

There are a number of “American Champagne” winemakers that were exempted under a grandfather clause including Korbel and Cook. Cook, for example, has been making “Champagne” for more than a century.

On March 10, 2006, the United States and the European Union signed an agreement to end “mislabeling of wines” in the U.S. by prohibiting new labels with misleading names such as Champagne or Port. However, existing labels were “grandfathered in,” so today, more than five years later, more than 50 percent of the sparkling wine sold in the U.S. is still incorrectly labeled as Champagne, according to the Champagne Bureau.

“There are many fine American sparkling wines, but they’re only Champagne if they come from Champagne, France,” said Sonia Smith, director of the Champagne Bureau. “We’re encouraged that some of the country’s most famous chefs and sommeliers understand how important label accuracy is for consumers.”

In the five years since the Wine Accords, other countries have taken steps to tighten usage of the term Champagne, often in exchange for concessions from the EU. In 2010, Australia began a one year phase-out of such wine labels, and it plans to eliminate all “false Champagne and Port” by September 2011. The European Union has led the way in defending wine region place names and granted Napa Valley protection in Europe starting in May 2007. Yet in the United States, the Champagne Bureau contends that consumers are still regularly deceived by inaccurately labeled wine.

What’s my take on it? Is anyone really deceived into thinking a $6 bottle of Cook’s Champagne is similar to a fine Krug Champagne that costs more than $200? The claim that millions of Americans are being hoodwinked by charlatans trading on the Champagne name doesn’t ring true to me. Buyers of $6 wine aren’t really customers of true Champagne in the first place.

However, the high road for producers outside Champagne, France, certainly is to label the product as a special Cuvee or sparkling wine. A number of French Champagne houses have opened up shop in California, Domaine Carneros and Domaine Chandon are two examples. They produce outstanding sparkling wine in the traditional style without a misleading label and they do quite well.

Technorati Tags: wine,Champagne

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Wine Tastings & Events: March 16-19, 2011

Image of Carol Shelton Wines via Snooth

Wednesday, March 16

The Andersons, Sylvania, Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Employee Picks, Part II. 1. Uvaggio Rosso Vecchio Barbera, 2. Thief Syrah, 3. Rosemount McLaren Vale Shiraz, 4. Piece of Cake Chocolate Cake Liqueur. Nominal fee per sample or $7 flight.

  
Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Meet the Wine Maker: Carol Shelton, award-winning Zin Specialist. Carol Shelton Wines. $10.

Thursday, March 17

The Andersons, Maumee, Wine Tasting. 5-7 PM. Shades of Green: 1. Green Eyes – Love over Money – Gruner Veltliner – Austria, 2. Anne Amie – Cuvee’ A – Muller-Thurgau – Willamette Valley, Oregon, 3. Duck Pond – Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, Oregon, 4. Coppola – Syrah-Shiraz – Napa Valley, California. $6.50 per flight or nominal fee per sample.    

The Andersons, Talmadge Road. Wine Tasting. 6-8 PM. Affordable Argentine Malbec: 1. Massimo, 2. Trivento, 3. Budini, 4. Odfjell Orzada, 5. Catena, 6. Suzanna Balbo, 7. Norton Cosecha Tardia Late Harvest Chardonnay, 8. Hahn Piesporter Riesling. Nominal fee per sample.

Beer and Wine Cave, 4400 Heatherdowns, (419) 382-6221. 6-9 PM. Carol Shelton Wines. $10.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Join us the entire month of March for The Madness. Every Thursday and Friday we'll feature a bracket of four competing wines from the world's classic winemaking regions. Every night is a different region. California & Pacific Northwest. Nominal fee per sample.

Friday, March 18

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m.  South American Tasting: 1. Crios Rose, 2. Armador Carmenere, 3. Trivento Select Cabernet Sauvignon, 4. Emiliana "Coyam" Red Blend. $15 tasting.

Corks Wine and Liquor, Promenade Plaza, 27250 Crossroads Pkwy., Rossford – (419) 872-6800. 6-9 PM. Join us the entire month of March for The Madness. Every Thursday and Friday we'll feature a bracket of four competing wines from the world's classic winemaking regions. Every night is a different region. California & Pacific Northwest. Nominal fee per sample.

 

* Special Event * Wine by the Glass Pavilion, Toledo Museum of Art. 7:00 – 9:30 PM. Drop-in wine tasting: Vino Italiano. Enjoy four wines, light snacks and a view of the Glass Pavilion Hot Shop. $15 members, $20 non-members.

Saturday, March 19

Aficionado Wine and Cigars, The Shoppes at RiverPlace, 26567 N. Dixie Highway, Suite 135, Perrysburg, (419-873-4444). 5:00 – 8:30 p.m.  South American Tasting: 1. Crios Rose, 2. Armador Carmenere, 3. Trivento Select Cabernet Sauvignon, 4. Emiliana "Coyam" Red Blend. $15 tasting.

The Andersons, Woodville Mall. 1-3 PM. Wine tasting: 1. Layer Cake Shiraz, South Australia, 2. Darke Red from the Winery at Versailles, 3. Mi Terruno Sweet Torrontes, Argentina, 4.Ca’Tullio Prosecco Italy. Flight $2.50 or nominal fee per sample.

* Special Event * Vineyard Adventure at the Toledo Zoo, 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Features a selection of wines that help you go green, appetizers and entertainment. At the aquarium. Call 419-385-5721, ext. 3092 or visit www.toledozoo.org. The cost is $40 for non-members and $35 for members.

Walt Churchill’s Market, 3320 Briarfield. Maumee, (419) 794-4000. Noon to 5:00 PM. Elite Boutique Wines of Washington State with special guest Dave Pirwitz of DJP Selections. Ultra-small production wines from Washington State. Something for everyone from crisp-refreshing Sauvignon Blancs to lush Merlot and powerful Syrah. This is a chance to discover this exciting wine region through some of its finest wines. Premium tasting. Nominal fee per sample.

Walt Churchill's Market, 26625 Dixie Hwy, Perrysburg, (419) 872-6900. 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Nominal fee per sample or by the flight.

Technorati Tags: wine

[Information on tastings can be sent to TWAV@ATT.NET.]

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“Go Green!” Vineyard Adventure Wine Tasting Scheduled March 19 at the Toledo Zoo

  The next Vineyard Adventure at the Toledo Zoo will take place Saturday, March 19, 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Sample a world of fine wines, graze on delectable edibles and enjoy sophisticated live entertainment in the zoo's aquarium.

 

This Vineyard Adventure features a selection of wines that help you go green. You must be 21 or older to attend; call 419-385-5721, ext. 3092 or visit www.toledozoo.org to reserve your place today.

 

The cost is $40 for non-members and $35 for members.

 

Flickr photo by Michelle again

Technorati Tags: wine,Toledo,Ohio

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Stonehedge Winery 2007 Reserve Napa Valley Merlot

This lush Merlot was the choice during a recent dinner party. Stonehedge is a Napa Valley winery that aims to produce “exciting, delicious and multi-dimensional wines” at a price point that makes them available to most people.

Their Reserve Napa Valley Wines are produced from specifically selected blocs of famous vineyards embodying the best a grape variety has to offer.

The 2007 Stonehedge Napa Valley Merlot is produced exclusively from grapes grown in mountain top hillsides of Napa Valley. The desolate rocky soil in high altitudes causes the vines to be stressed. As a result they yield a very limited amount of grapes with intense flavor concentration.

We decanted this bottle and were rewarded with an elegant and smooth wine. It seems that often Merlot plays second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon, but this Merlot shows the beauty of the grape without the harsh tannins that can accompany some Cabs.

The wine had layers of ripe cherry, berry and plum flavors. The finish was long and strong. The wine retails for about $25 and lives up to the multi-dimensional, inter-galactic claims of the winemaker.

Technorati Tags: wine,Napa Valley,Merlot

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