Autumn Spirits: 5 Wineries To Visit

Harry DalianAs the season of apple and pumpkin picking is upon us, the smell of fall is in the air, and it’s the perfect weather for wine tasting too. Head to Virginia and Maryland for some of the best wines for autumn this year. According to The Washington Post, here are 5 wineries you can’t miss:

Old Westminster Winery
The past five years, Old Westminster Winery has impressed with its hand-crafted wines. This season (starting Nov. 7th), they will be opening a new tasting room to add to the experience. Recommendations include: any of the 2014 whites, but especially, the Greenstone (a blend of sauvignon and viognier) or the albariño. Keep a lookout for co-owners and siblings Drew Baker and Ashli Baker Johnson, who manage the vineyards and tasting room, respectively.
Paradise Springs Winery
Located in the corner of the southwestern region of Fairfax County, Paradise Spring keeps gaining in popularity. October 3rd, co-founder Kirk Wiles and his winemaker partner Rob Cox are releasing their 50/50 blend of petit verdot and tannat. The grapes are homegrown from the Williams Gap VIneyard in Fauquier County. Continuing to grow his business, Wiles has been traveling out to Santa Barbara, CA, creating yet another wine.
Casanel Vineyards & Winery
Family-owned and run, Casanel Vineyards & Winery was created by Casey Nelson and her husband Nelson in 2006. Two years ago, they decided to change directions and hired two winemaker consultants: Katell Griaud and Lucie Morton. Morton is the product of famed winemaker Michel Rolland. Together with the Nelson’s daughter Katie, they have released new reds including petit verdot, cabernet, and sauvignon. New whites include: a pinot gris and a chardonnay.
Big Cork Vineyards
Situated on rolling hills in Maryland, Big Cork Vineyards is picturesque and serene. The decor is quirky with cork-themed bar stools and a motif of Big Cork’s new labels throughout. Their food from their kitchen is also delicious so plan to stay for a late lunch.
Granite Heights Winery
Being right off of U.S. Route 29, Granite Heights Winery provides easy access to its perfected red wines. The 2011 reds are certainly something to try, but the soon to be released 2012’s and 2013’s are the real showstoppers. There are other goodies to find here too including homemade jams and homegrown fruits.

White & Red Wine Chiller

Perfect for those nearly Summer, not yet Fall days. Enjoy responsibly!

 

Basque Wine Tasting in NYC

Check out this great video about a Basque wine tasting in NYC! It’s great to get out and explore new foods, cultures, tastes, and experiences – all available in this oyster we call New York. Enjoy!

The Expert Way to Host a Summer Party

Harry Dalian Wine

Martha’s Vineyard is a place that many think of fondly in terms of summer and vacations. It’s a beautiful place that offers great wine from gorgeous vineyards, and is where many people go to get away from the bustle of every day life in primarily New York or Boston.

Summer is synonymous with Martha’s Vineyard. If you haven’t ventured out there, it is definitely worth the trip. It’s surprising how such a beautiful place with great positivity can be so close to the place you live and work in every day. The Vineyard at Martha’s Vineyard is a great place to host parties, events, or even weddings.

Creating, curating, and cultivating a beautiful summer event means understanding and imagining the scene, the vibe, and the people. Most importantly, we want to create an environment that is comfortable, memorable, and stunning. However, invoking the feeling of summer can be tough if some people are especially bogged down by this past years’ brutal winter, or by crazy work schedules. To get your guests to feel this feeling, It’s important to think of details; little things for people to focus on – such as candles, pillows, table settings, really immerse the summer culture into your environment.

A great idea that never fails: Make the best lemonade anyone has ever tried. Try sprucing it u p with fresh strawberries and high quality, chilled vodka. Have this on tap for guests to help themselves. Most importantly, it is important to have a great selection of different types of wine within each color, but make sure to have plenty of Rosé! Summer is almost over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time to throw a great summer-themed party. It’s important to try to create these moments that later become good memories!

Newton Vineyard

The Conception of Wine

The Natural Wine Movement

natural wine movement harry dalian

The major difference between regular wine and natural wine is that natural wine are made with the least amount of interferences and interventions. Natural wines are all different from each other and can sometimes be quite quirky.

Some unique natural wine tastes and flavors include smoky leather, smoked meat, licorice, and tobacco. This strays far away from the usually berries and pepper that we’re all used to. Natural wine has it’s own character and the difference has created a large following for the alternative wine.

The natural wine movement started in France when a few vintners were unimpressed with their modern wines and wanted to bring it back to the basics of taste and quality. The idea is to stay faithful to the fruit of the vine without much intervention to create an unnatural taste or color.

Lee Campbell, the beverage director and reynard in Williamsburg says, “We are changing the concept of what yummy is.”

These innovative vintners are producing this untamed, unrefined, down-to-earth wines that are attracting a large crowd of eco-friendly, organic, and sustainable living advocates.

“There’s been this explosion of interest in our wines from people who are tired of homogenized wine styles that erase individuality,” says Jenny Lefcourt, a co-owner of Jenny & Francois, a Tribeca-based wine importer specializing in Natural wines.

Natural wine is a completely new take on the taste of wine. The funny thing is – this is what wine should taste like. Wine making is unnatural in itself, however, keeping the interventions as limited as possible is key to preserving the natural flavor of the wine.

Natural wine has taken off in NYC within the past few years, being featured in many popular wine bars and restaurants, as well as the best wine shops. Williamsburg has a huge selection of individual natural wines at The Natural Wine Company. gradually, this trendy alternative to wine is increasing in Brooklyn and Downtown Manhattan.

Napa Valley Viticulture

Situation on the northern end of the San Francisco Bay, 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean, is the most famous wine district int he United States. This small area valley has produced some of North America’s finest wine since the 1850s. Today, Napa Valley contains approximately 45,500 acres of vineyard property along the alley floor, int he foothills and in the mountains surrounding the main valley.

The unique aspects of the Napa Valley vineyard landscape has been determined mostly by the great richness and variety of its geology, soil types, topography, and microclimates. All of these factors greatly affect viticulture and are very sought-after conditions for grape farming. Napa Vally was recognized as an American viticultural establishment in 1981 and the subsequent establishments of 13 sub-appellations within Napa Valley are evidence of such diversity.

What’s remarkable about Napa Valley is that the area has survived and maintained a remarkable continuity int he face of market forces, vine pests, diseases, and American Prohibition. These cycles and challenges have provided opportunities for innovation and improvement within the American viticulture, particularly in Napa Valley.

The extreme diversity of the 33 district soil sections which have evolved from bedrock components as attributable to the complex interplay of the Valley’s varied topography, biological resources, and climate. The inherent small size of the Valley accentuates effects of its topography in relationship to the climate changes.

Due to the wide range of viticultural conditions and lack of governmental controls over grape varietal selection, Napa Valley is home to a wide range of grape varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The Napa Valley wine industry strictly adheres and engages in sustainable and environmentally sound practices for their farming and wine production. The Code of Sustainable wine growing Workbook offers plenty of sustainable practices as well provides a slef-assessment tool that allows the farmers to review their practices and identify areas in which they can improve.

Napa Valley is a very interesting modern-day viticulture site with different variables affecting the conditions under which grapes are grown and processed. With the combination of Mediterranean climate and gvpography as well as the geology of the region, great tasting and great quality wine grapes are harvested to produce gorgeous wines.

The Grade Cellars – Journey Through Wine Country

Sparkling Red Wine

Sparkling wine is differentiated from others by the amount of carbon dioxide that is present in the wine. The method of infusing carbon dioxide into the wine is something that can be achieved by injection or by natural occurrence during fermentation. There are a few sparkling red wines that are available in certain areas, however, the market of sparkling wines is mostly populated by white wines.

The process of adding the bubbles to the bubbly is something that occurs in two stages. Firstly, fermentation follows the normal path and process of wine-making, but then is fermented a second round in order to add the carbon dioxide. The traditional method of creating sparking wine is called Methode Champenoise and is carried out in the bottle itself.

Famous Sparkling Wine

Being that there are many types of sparking wines that are created around the world, the taste will differ based on where the grapes are grown as well as the fermentation process used to make the wine sparking. Champagne is widely considered the best in the world and is created in the Champagne wine region of France. Here are a few more popular brands that are worth trying:

  • Andre
  • Bacchus
  • Ca’ del Bosco
  • Deutz
  • Espumante

All of these wines are made by different companies around the world. Different countries have their own best sellers. The most well known Italian brands are Franciacorta and Prosecco. The sweetness of all these differ from each other, however, this is something that is heavily dependent on the nature and length of the fermentation process.

Sparkling wines come with a rather extensive and interesting history as well as many variances. If you are a lover of sparking wines, it is beneficial to do some research and find out why you like a certain type of wine over the other.