Author wpawinepirate

Western Pa Winery & Brewery Website Debut

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Ripepi Vineyards

Ripepi Vineyards

I would like to invite you to view a website I started to promote the wineries and breweries of Western Pennsylvania.  The site has lists of wineries and breweries with their addresses and contact information.  I have also included event schedules for the next two months.  Other content includes pages dedicated to Finger Lake Wineries, wine & beer related news and galleries of local photos.  Please take a minute to look at this site and see what it has to offer.  If you find it helpful please mention it in your social media with a “Like” or a “Tweet”. Thanks!  Here is a link to the site  http://wpawinepirate.wix.com/wpawinepirateevents/#

L.C.B. Discontinues Tableleaf Wines

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     The Liquor Control Board of Pennsylvania announced Wednesday, February 19, 2014 that Tableleaf, their in-house brand of wine, will be discontinued.  The remaining stock will be sold at discounts of $2 to $3 per bottle.  Vinestone, another in-house brand was discontinued last year.  The L.C.B. developed seven other in-house brands but the fate of those labels has yet to be determined.

Martha Macinski: Winemaker, Standing Stone Winery

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Tom and Marti Macinski Photo Courtesy: Standing Stone Vineyards

Tom and Marti Macinski Photo Courtesy: Standing Stone Vineyards

     I would like to congratulate the entire Standing Stone Winery family for being chosen to have their 2012 Riesling served at the 2014 Super Bowl Media Party.  Standing Stone Winery was also mentioned by James Molesworth in Wine Spectator Magazine this month as a Finger Lakes winery that should be sought out for their excellent Riesling.  Martha (Marti) Macinski has again provided me with a candid glimpse inside the winery from her unique perspective as both owner and winemaker.

     The winery is relatively calm this time of year but some structural work is being done in the vineyards on the posts and wires so there will be no delay when the time comes to prune and tie the vines.  Jess, the assistant winemaker, is planning the upcoming bottling runs along with monitoring the fermentation of the dessert wines.  The pressing of the frozen grapes is close to completion with only a small amount left unfinished.  Marti is excited about the 2013 vintage calling it “Truly spectacular with lovely ripe and rich flavors, near perfect fruit chemistry to make the winemaking work go smoothly.”  Her only problem was figuring out where to put this very abundant crop.  Assessment of the vines will be made next week when they will prune as needed to balance out any damage caused by the severe weather.  She isn’t expecting to find much of an issue because when the temperature dropped below zero the wind blew hard off the unfrozen lake circulating the “warm” air around the vineyards buffering them from the extreme cold. 

     I would like to thank Marti for taking the time and effort to keep me informed of the activities at Standing Stone Winery.  When you are in the Finger Lakes Region plan a stop at Standing Stone to taste their superb wines and say “Hello” to Marti.  www.standingstonewines.com

Sunset Cafe Wine Tasting Dinner

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Graphics Courtesy: Sunset Cafe

Noviello’s Sunset Café is at 302 South Urania Ave Greensburg, Pa 15601. 724-834-9903 www.sunsetcafe.com

 

 

 

 

Greenhouse Winery Expansion Planned

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Best of Show-Hybrid 2014 PA Farm Show Photo Courtesy:GWLLC

Best of Show-Hybrid 2014 PA Farm Show Photo Courtesy:GWLLC

Greenhouse Winery L.L.C. of Rillton, Pennsylvania has announced plans for a $1 million expansion project.  At the heart of the plan is the construction of a 72’x76′ building that will house a tasting room along with retail space for their wines.  The structure will also house a 30’x72′ banquet facility for hosting weddings and other gatherings.  The winemaking operations will occupy the remaining 3200 sq.ft. and will allow production to rise to 14,000 gallons this year from the current level of 11,000 gallons in 2013.  Greenhouse Winery uses 15 varieties of grapes sourced from a vineyard in North East, Pa to make the 35 wines they sell.  The plan calls for construction to start in April 2014 and be completed by August of the same year.  www.greenhousewinery.com 

Great Egg-spectations

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GlenoraWineCellars's avatarSips of Glenora

Expectation. This feeling has been with us since we first acquired the concrete egg-shaped tank now sitting in our cellar. When Gene Pierce, our co-owner, came across concrete eggs on a trip to the Rhone Valley, the intrigue was instant and thoughts began to race surrounding the unique opportunity for a tank like this at our winery in the Finger Lakes.

Concrete as a medium for fermentation has steadily gained popularity and continues to do so as it has virtues and benefits of both oak and stainless steel sans drawbacks.  Whether desirable or not, oak will give a bit of itself to the wine, and stainless steel has potential to remain flat without the ability to breathe and evolve the way an oaked wine can, but concrete combats these deficiencies.

Concrete tanks have been used successfully in winemaking for centuries, yet it wasn’t until the early 2000’s that the idea…

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Pittsburgh Penguins Wine Gala

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IMG_2129     The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation Third Annual Wine Tasting Gala will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2014 at the Consol Energy Center Pittsburgh, Pa.  Enjoy wines that have earned 90+ratings from around the world while sampling hor d’ oeuvres, mingling with Pittsburgh personalities and bidding on exclusive auction items.  The $250 event ticket also includes a Penguins-ectched sampling glass and a special parting gift. For more information and to purchase tickets call 412-255-1952 or visit http://www.Pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org/shop/?wpsc-product=wine-testing-gala-tickets 

Swedish Hill Glogg

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Swedish Hill Glogg

Swedish Hill Glogg

      Winter has arrived in Western Pennsylvania and if its “Opening Act” is any indication of what is to come we can expect a long, cold and snowy season.  When I think of a summer wine I naturally think of Rosé and when I think of a winter wine my attention turns to Glögg.  Swedish Hill Winery, in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Region, makes an outstanding spicy and aromatic Glögg ($10.99) flavored with extracts of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger imported from Sweden.  Glögg is served warm and for a traditional Swedish touch Swedish Hill Winery provides this recipe on their website: 1 bottle of Glögg, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup maraschino cherries, 1/4 cup slivered almonds and 1 sliced orange.  Heat-do not boil-do not use aluminum pot-can use crockpot on low setting to heat wine. If you want to make your Glögg from scratch there are lots of recipes available online.

Happy Thanksgiving

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thanksgiving     Wishing you a Thanksgiving that is filled with family and friends making great memories together that will last a lifetime.  Thank You to all my readers for your support and encouragement, it is truly appreciated.  Happy Thanksgiving

Cruz Andina Malbec Mendoza 2007

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Cruz Andina Malbec Mendoza 2007

Cruz Andina Malbec Mendoza 2007

     Cruz Andina Malbec Mendoza 2007  $19.99  Wine Spectator 90 points.  Cruz Andina Malbec 2007 is a huge full-bodied red with flavors of black fruit and ripe cherries with tannins to spare.  I ran it through an aerator and it opened up allowing its complexity to shine.