In a Pinch…

chateaubc — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:57:37 +0000

Pretty cool! I’ll bet if you’re a Boy Scout in Napa Valley you can earn a “Wine” badge. I’d argue that it’s a skill every bit as important as being able to start a fire without matches. Must try this the next time I open an inexpensive bottle!

Maryland Grape Growers Report 2010 Best Harvest in Years – The BayNet.com

chateaubc — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:34:00 +0000

We have more than warm weather to look forward to this spring! The first releases of the 2010 vintage — wines with quality that should surpass even the amazing 2007 vintage!

Despite extreme weather throughout the growing season, 2010 is proving to have been one of the best harvests on record. Reports from around the state indicate that that 2010 vintage will be stellar—perhaps the best in a decade.

Read the full article at thebaynet.com

Tasting with Riedel Glasses

chateaubc — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:14:36 +0000

OK, I’ve been a stemware skeptic for many years. The glass was always just a means of getting the wine from the bottle to my mouth without causing people to shake their heads in pity and quickly distance themselves.

I knew that a wine glass was better than a paper cup. I also knew that a bigger bowl was better than a smaller one because the larger space and surface area allowed more effective swirling and helped the wine release more of its aromatics.

But just a few months ago I finally had the chance to go through a formal tasting of several wines each poured into four different Riedel glasses. Now I’m a believer. No question about it. And the difference is prounounced, not subtle, especially in the aromatics. But unless you try the wines side by side you may not even realize what you’re missing. As the article below says, the glass can’t take anything away from the wine but it can hide things. If you’re like me you find yourself drinking from a festival glass more often than not. And that’s fine until your realize there is a lot going on that you’re missing out on. I liken it to watching a tube TV and then getting your first HD flat panel. Whoa! Nice!!

It’s true that some glasses have more impact on a wine, either positive and negative, than others. The difference between putting the wine in the best possible glass vs. the worst possible glass is striking.

That said, I, for one, am not currently planning to make an investment in six different sets of glasses. Even if I could afford it I simply don’t have the storage space. But I am going to try to get the right glasses for the wines I drink most frequently. The holidays are coming and you can buy reasonably priced Riedel in Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond now. So you might consider putting a few different styles on your wish list this year. Or get with a friend or your wine club and split up some four-packs.

I really do encourage you to try playing this game yourself. And please report back. I’d love to hear what you discover!

Glassmaker Georg Riedel explains how the shape of the Burgundy glass enhances Pinot Noir flavors.

2010 New World Wine Experience: Riedel Glass Tasting

What’s the one thing that can make a wine taste better? The right stemware

Alison Napjus
Posted: November 1, 2010

At the first seminar of the New World Wine Experience, the very first sip of wine everyone took was from a plain plastic cup, at the direction of a self-described “crazy Austrian glassmaker.” Georg Riedel—whose family has a centuries-long history of producing fine glass—used the cup to prove a point as he and his son Maximilian demonstrated the impact that proper stemware can have on wine’s taste. “Nothing can add or take away from wine, but we can alter the perception,” said Georg.

See the full article at WineSpectator.com

New Year-round Farmers Market Now Open in Brunswick

chateaubc — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:55:55 +0000

Nice! Maryland surely needs more of these!
Read the full story at: mddailyrecord.com

So far, 15 vendors have signed up and Johnson is hoping for more. The vendors offer goat and dairy cheeses, honey, beeswax and other candles, baked goods, organic eggs and beef, quilts and stitched items, apple butter, herbal tinctures, maple syrup, herbs, household plants and soaps and creams.

A Better Choice Bakery and Market
16 W. Potomac St.
Brunswick
HOURS:
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

Read the full story at: mddailyrecord.com

Will Maryland wine drinkers get a break? – The Washington Post

chateaubc — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:22:24 +0000

Next year is the year, advocates have promised, that Maryland residents will be given permission to order wine from wineries and have it shipped directly to their homes. This is legislation that has been long stymied in the state Assembly by wholesalers.

But now attention is also focusing on Maryland’s ban on corkage.

Click through to read the full story in the Washington Post.

via voices.washingtonpost.com

This Thanksgiving, Drink Local – Bethesda, MD Patch

chateaubc — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:37:44 +0000

This excerpt from today’s BethesdaPatch includes local wine recommendations for your Thanksgiving table. Follow the link for the full article. Enjoy!!

Cork 57 has increased their selection of local wines due to growing customer interest in ‘drinking local.’ “People have been asking so we’ve stepped it up for local wines,” Brian explains.

For local wines that go well with Thanksgiving turkey, Brian suggests a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Circe, a Bordeaux blend, from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Comus, on the border of Montgomery and Frederick counties. The Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon from Elk Run Vineyards, in nearby Mount Airy, are other good choices. While local wineries produce both red and white wines, Brian especially praises Maryland’s white wines. “The Maryland whites are great right now,” says Brian. St. Michael’s Winery, located on the Chesapeake Bay in St. Michael’s has an excellent white wine that is a blend of Seyval and Chardonnay, as well as a Merlot that would also be great to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, according to Brian.

via bethesda.patch.com

Sustainability playing a role in restaurants | Nation’s Restaurant News

chateaubc — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:15:07 +0000

Wine is food too, right? (Well OK, maybe not a breakfast food.) But the next time you eat in a sit-down restaurant in Maryland check their wine list. If Maryland wines aren’t offered, ask the management “Why?” Tell them that “local” matters to you and then ask them to start carrying your favorites!

Flavor trumps all when choosing what to put on restaurant menus, but chefs across the country said they have modified their practices over the past year with sustainability in mind, according to a new survey by the James Beard Foundation.

The New York-based foundation’s “Sustainability and the Foodservice Industry” survey is based on responses from 173 member chefs.

When asked what their top sustainability concern was, 73 percent of respondents said they were “highly concerned” about food sourcing; 62 percent pointed to profitability; and 62 percent said…

See the full article at Nation’s Restaurant News

How Sweet it is: Wine Industry Owes Sweet Wine Drinkers HUGE Apology!

chateaubc — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:15:33 +0000

Prefer off-dry and/or sweeter wines? Well it turns out that you may just have a more discriminating palate than others who prefer those drier alternatives.

via winedustry.com

Sweet Wine – Yum!

NAPA, Calif., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A consumer study released today shows that physiology plays a major role in determining wine preferences and that White Zinfandel drinkers are often the most sensitive tasters shattering the myth about sweet wine consumers.

The study was conducted in conjunction with the Consumer Wine Awards at Lodi. Tim Hanni, Master of Wine and originator of the study, says, “We have uncovered a glaring error and misunderstandings by the wine industry that has led to the disenfranchisement of millions of consumers and a significant loss of market share to other beverages.”

The study reveals a major disparity between expert and industry opinions about wine quality and wine consumers. According to Dr. Virginia Utermohlen, M.D., Associate Professor at Cornell University, individual differences in taste and smell sensitivity relate to a number of different aspects of personality, personal preferences and behaviors – including wine choices. Utermohlen teamed up with Hanni and they developed a means of segmenting the wine market into four basic phenotypes based on physiological and behavioral criteria.

“My passion is…

See the full article at Winedustry.com

16 farms participating in Frederick County’s ‘Family Festival @ the Farm’ this weekend

chateaubc — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:15:40 +0000

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Family Festival at the Farm

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development and the Agriculture Business Council’s Public Relations Committee would like to invite the general public to participate in the 2010 Family Festival @ the Farm. This free weekend event, scheduled for October 16th and 17th, will provide the general public in Frederick County and around the region an opportunity to learn about Frederick County’s diverse agriculture industry. Rain dates have been set for October 23rd and 24th.

The Family Festival@ the Farm will provide hands-on activities for families that would like to spend a day of fun on the farm. The public will have an opportunity to visit any of 16 participating farms. Find out more about the participating farms and download a printable map and directions to the farms by going to the Family Festival @ the Farm website at www.discoverfrederickmd.com/funfarm. The 2010 Farm Guide (a printed guide that includes a map and description of what participants will experience at each farm) is available as well.

There will be a host of activities that people of all ages will be able to experience during this fun filled weekend. People will have an opportunity to pick pumpkins out of the field, pet an alpaca, take hayrides around the farm, take beautiful photos of the fall landscape and vineyards and enjoy all the different amenities on the farm.

The 16 farms included in this weekend event are: Black Ankle Vineyards, Brookfield Pumpkins, Carrollton Manor Farm, Catoctin Mountain Orchard, Gaver Tree Farm, Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch, Lawyer’s Moonlight Maze, Lilypons Water Gardens, M & W Nursery, Mayne’s Tree Farm, Nick’s Organic Farm, Scenic View Orchards, South Mountain Creamery, Sycamore Spring Farm, Thanksgiving Farms and Whispering Meadows Alpaca.

For more information, contact the Frederick County Office of Economic Development at 301-600-1058, or visit the website at: www.discoverfrederickmd.com/funfarm

via discoverfrederickmd.blogspot.com

Lucie Morton, a vineyard expert worth her salt – The Washington Post – 10/13/2010

chateaubc — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:20:04 +0000

Lucie Morton is one more reason why Maryland wines just keep getting better year after year. Here’s a quick bio and a little info on what she’s been up to lately in neighborhood. Cool lady!

via washingtonpost.com

Lots of people would be dismayed to find a fungus growing in their refrigerator. Lucie Morton actually likes having them in hers.

“These are my experiments,” she said recently, grabbing three plastic bags filled with grapevine cuttings from the crisper drawer of the fridge in her Charlottesville home. “I like to practice my fungal identification skills.”

And there’s always a chance she will discover something new: “I’m quite sure some of these little dudes are causing problems,” she said, scrutinizing a sample inside a bag.

Talk with Morton, 59, about her work as an ampelographer, and you will quickly learn that not only does she call fungi “dudes” but she has a fungus named for her.

Phaeoacremonium Mortoniae was christened in 2001 after she helped identify another fungus responsible for “black goo,” her name for a disease that afflicts American grapevine rootstocks and causes young vines to wither and die. Morton was instrumental in establishing that nurseries were selling vines infected with the fungus.

While that established her fame among fungus enthusiasts, Morton’s influence skyrocketed in recent years with the initial success of three high-profile Washington area clients: Black Ankle Vineyards and Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Maryland, and Boxwood Winery in Northern Virginia. She also consults for…

Read the full article at washingtonpost.com

In a Pinch…

Maryland Grape Growers Report 2010 Best Harvest in Years – The BayNet.com

Tasting with Riedel Glasses

2010 New World Wine Experience: Riedel Glass Tasting

What’s the one thing that can make a wine taste better? The right stemware

Alison Napjus Posted: November 1, 2010