When Anatoli Levine invited me to write a guest post about Saperavi for his blog talk-a-vino.com I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce this fascinating red grape to wine lovers that probably never have of it. With that in mind I happily accepted Anatoli’s generous offer and started organizing years of information that I had acquired from the winemakers and vintners that are the vanguard for this grapes accent in the wine community. The finished product was published two days ago and I have been very pleased on how well it has been received. I invite you to read the article and have included a link to the http://talk-a-vino.com/2016/11/02/desperately-seeking-saperavi blog where it is being featured. While you are on the site please take advantage of the opportunity to browse the other posts that you will find there. I think you will be glad you did. Thanks!
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Saperavi Vertical Tasting
Standing Stone Vineyards in Lodi, NY will be holding their annual Saperavi Vertical Tasting the weekend of October 29-30, 2016. This event is a rare opportunity to experience the evolution of a wine that is rare in the United States. Marti Macinski has developed her Saperavi vineyard and perfected her techniques for this wine over the years to the point where it has become a best seller among her excellent reds. When you see Marti make sure to tell her Rich wpawinepirate said “Hi”
Here is what Marti had to say about one her most popular events.
Saperavi and Standing Stone Vineyards are closely connected in the Finger Lakes. We planted this variety, not knowing much about how it grew, how it worked as a wine, and whether anyone would like it. Sometimes – you get lucky! Saperavi is now our most favored dry red variety – and we are just starting to learn enough about how it grows and works to shepherd it into wine. We will start with the current vintage in the barrel, and go backwards 5 vintages. Then we will pull out one of the oldest vintages from this farmstead. Do we agree with the Georgians that this wine can age for 50 years? Since this varietal did originate in the Republic of Georgia. Find out for yourself. Do not wait – this is always a sellout event. There are two Vertical Tastings scheduled for 12:30pm and 3:30pm on Saturday, October 29th and Sunday, October 30th with tickets $25 a person. Advanced reservations are required as space is limited. Please call the winery or head to our reservation page to book your seats.
http://standingstonewines.com/reservation/ Phone: 607-582-6051
email:ssvny@standingstonewines.com http://http://standingstonewines.com
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BranCliff Inn Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario, Canada
My wife and I have just returned from a trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario, Canada. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a picturesque small town on the eastern tip of the Niagara 
Peninsula where the Niagara River enters Lake Ontario after flowing over Niagara Falls several miles upstream. The Niagara Peninsula is known for its agricultural production of fruits and vegetables but it was the sprawling vineyards of wine grapes that attracted us to the region. I will be discussing my experiences at the wineries in later posts but today I would like to tell you about the fabulous bed and breakfast we stayed at during our visit.
The BranCliff Inn is a meticulously renovated school house that dates back to 1859. The inn has six rooms, one on the first floor with the other five on the second. We stayed in the spacious Cranberry suite that featured a loft bedroom. The BranCliff Inn is ideally located at 40 Platoff Street, making it a short walk to Dining/Shopping on Queen St (Downtown), Shaw Theaters, parks and the lakeshore. Owner Debbie Laufs-Tataryn will be your host and what a warm and welcoming host she is. Debbie always wanted to own a B&B so she and her husband bought the BranCliff Inn and moved to NOTL from Toronto. This B&B passes our most important test which means it is clean, clean, clean. The breakfast is buffet-style in the dining room with an offering of cold and hot choices. Everyday Debbie makes a different fruit inspired pancake that you just have to try. We enjoyed banana, peach and apple during our stay. When you stay at the BranCliff Inn you have a parking spot for your vehicle. This is a perk that is very convenient especially during high season. The inn also provides coupons for free wine tastings at local wineries and discounts for various restaurants in town.
We had a wonderful stay at the BranCliff Inn and a great time in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. If you are planning a trip there be sure to consider staying at the BranCliff Inn. I hope you enjoy these photos we took during our stay. http://brancliffinn.com
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Eat Drink S F Festival
I have become fascinated with the proliferation of food and wine festivals across the U.S. The well-known events take place in cities with a strong identity that form an immediate visual image of what you might expect to encounter there. When I say Nashville, Miami, New York or Newport your mind immediately goes to you impression of those areas. Now when I say Eat Drink San Francisco what comes to mind.
Eat Drink S F is being billed as San Francisco’s premier food and drink festival. The event will be at Fort Mason, San Francisco, California on August 25-28, 2016. The Grand tastings at EDSF can’t be described they have to be experienced. Thirty six of San Francisco’s best restaurants will be under the festival pavilion roof at Fort Mason. You will sample delicious dishes from all of them plus drinks from over 70 beer, wine and spirit makers. Demonstrations on the main and food stages, as well as, beverage classes will be lead by experts in their own field of interest. This type of gathering brings together “Like-minded” people. When I say “Like-minded” people I mean people who enjoy good food and drink. After that there is a world of new ideas and opinions to be exposed to.
Tickets are $119.00+$7.97 fee for the GA Grand Tastings and $209.00+11.80fee for the V.I.P. Grand Tastings. Click here for a list of participating restaurants http://eatdrink-sf.com/talent/restaurants Click here for the list of chefs that will be appearing http://eatdrink-sf.com/talent/chefs EDSF is a 21+ event. Your ticket is good for admission and everything you care to eat and drink at the festival so can have fun and keep your wallet in your pocket. To buy tickets go to the festival website http://eatdrink-sf.com This event is using #EDSF for social media posts about it.
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Music City Food & Wine Festival 2016
Photo courtesy of Music City Food & Wine Festival
Pull out your Tony Lama’s and pack your best pair of jeans then head on over to Nashville, Tennessee the weekend of September 17th & 18th for the 2016 Music City Food & Wine Festival. Nashville is a fabulous city to visit on any weekend with its legendary music venues and world-class attractions. When you add the 2016 Music City Food & Wine Festival into the mix this weekend will be off the charts both musically and gastronomically.
This event is packed full of appearances by celebrity chefs and personalities with the likes of Jonathan Waxman, Michael Symon, Aaron Sanchez and Ludo Lefebvre, to name a VERY few. When planning to attend Music City F&W it is essential that you visit musiccityfoodwine.com for a complete schedule of dates and times for activities being offered to maximize your festival experience.
Tickets are $150 for Saturday 9/17/2016, $150 for Sunday 9/18/2016, $275 for Harvest Night Festivities Saturday 9/17/2016 7pm-11pm and $500 for All-In-Weekend. For ticket info. visit their website or call 888-512-7469. Music City F&W is a 21+ event.
Other helpful websites: visitmusiccity.com Instagram @musiccityfw
everfest.com also for tickets.
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Ridge Runner Distillery
When I promised Sharon Klay that I would visit her son Christian’s newly opened Ridge Runner Distillery I had no idea that it would take me more than a year to keep that promise. Christian Klay built his distillery directly across the road from the Christian W. Klay Winery in Chalk Hill, Pa with the idea of not only providing the Laurel Highlands with a top-notch attraction but also to take advantage of a great synergy with the family winery.
My wife and I made our drive to Fayette County under brilliant blue Western Pennsylvania skies. As we topped the Summit on Route 40 near Uniontown I was reminded of the comments of first-time visitors to the Laurel Highland about the deep verdant color of the landscape. I was also reminded of the lyrics from a classic bluegrass song which I sang out with my best “Grand Ole Opry” twang “On the sunny side of the mountain where the ripplin waters fall.” It seemed appropriate for the time and place 🙂
Ridge Runner Distillery offers free tastings of all their products. I would suggest starting with their menu of moonshine which is composed of two flavored 50 proof spirits, Apple Pie Moonshine and Peach Pie Moonshine and the 100 proof straight corn mash Ridge Runner Moonshine. These moonshine are easy to drink and polished making them a far cry from the backwoods “Shine” of folklore that was of unknown origin and made its rounds in old plastic milk jugs. {Or so I have heard :-)} While you are there you shouldn’t pass up the chance to taste their own 80 proof Vodka and Rum.
Thanks to Ridge Runner Distillery for the quality product and the friendly and knowledgeable staff that made our trip over the mountain well worth it!
- Ridge Runner Distillery
- 417 Fayette Springs Rd
- Chalk Hill Pa http://ridgerunnerdistillery.com
Our tasting guides Tia & Melissa.
Bottles of Moonshine, Rum and Vodka for sale @ Ridge Runner Distillery
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DeChaunac Anyone?
If you have ever tasted or even heard of DeChaunac you probably have been to the Northeastern U.S., Nova Scotia or Ontario, Canada. DeChaunac is a French-American hybrid red wine grape developed by legendary French hybridizer Albert Seibel (1844-1935). This grape is also known as Seibel 9549 and is believed to be a cross between Seibel 5163 and Siebel 793. It was named after Ontario, Canada wine industry pioneer Adhemar de Chaunac, but in a strange twist of fate, may not be bottled as a varietal under Canada’s VQA system.
When you first see DeChaunac your eyes will deceive you. After seeing this wines very dark and inky color in your glass you will be surprised by the light to medium body of such a dark wine. In my opinion a well-made DeChaunac will have a solid structure to carry complex flavors of black and red cherries, blackberry and prune with a bit of a musty nose.
This wine can be blended with other wine to impart an “aged” characteristic but the blend must be kept at or below 7% or it can through the wine off according to J. Stephen Casscels, author of “Wine Grapes of the Hudson Valley and Other Cool Climate Regions of the United States and Canada”http://flintminepress.com
Now that we have explored the heritage of the DeChaunac wine grape and discussed the wines made from it you might be curious about how it tastes. DeChaunac is not produced as widely as it once was but with a little research you can still find some excellent product. Here are two examples of how a wine made from the same variety of grapes in different styles can yield wines with similar but unique characteristics. The following are two fine Pennsylvania grown and made DeChaunac.
Ripepi DeChaunac: Dry oak-aged red wine made in a Chianti-style with medium body displaying flavors of black fruit complemented by velvety tannins and a lingering finish.
Ripepi Winery 93 Van Voorhis Lane Monongahela, Pa http://ripepiwine.com
Narcisi 2015 DeChaunac: Slightly sweet medium-bodied wine with flavors of oranges, plum and cherries. Balanced acidity and a tart finish
Narcisi Winery 4578 Gibsonia Road Gibsonia, Pa http://narcisiwinery.com
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Pittsburgh Wine Festival
Heinz Field Pittsburgh Pa
The 2016 Pittsburgh Wine Festival will be held Thursday May 5th, 2016 at Heinz Field East and West Club lounges. The 14th annual Pittsburgh Wine Festival will be pouring more than 500 wines and will be hosting several celebrity wine makers. Among the celebrities appearing will be Lida Bastianich and Charles Woodson. Lida will be signing copies of her latest cookbook “Lida’s Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine”. A tasting of specialties from her restaurant Lidia’s Pittsburgh will be offered as will a tasting of wines from her family’s winery in Italy, Azienda Agricola Bastianich. Former Oakland Raider Charles Woodson will be presenting a tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from his Napa Valley boutique winery, Twenty Four Wines.
Tickets are $250 for V.I.P. Tasting and $125 for Grand Tasting. Tip! Grand Tasting tickets are available for 1/2 price for a limited time. Tickets and event details can be found at http://pittsburghwinefestival.com
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Free: New Wine Spectator App
Wine Spectator has released a new app for iPhones and iPads, but wait it gets better because it is FREE. The app is named Xvalues and claims that the user will “Never buy bad wine again.” “Period.” Xvalues is the latest release from WS and is built on the simple idea that most people are looking for a good wine at a good price when shopping for wine. This app helps the shopper find a good wine at a value price. You can search four topics to find the bottle that best suits your tastes. The four search perimeters are 1) Top Values $12 dollars & under rated 85+ 2) Reds $20 & under rated 87+ 3) Whites $20 & under rated 87+ 4) Sparklers $40 & under rated 85+.
This app has the potential to be very helpful because it uses Wine Spectator’s rating system to pair the consumer with well-priced readily available wines. Ultimately, the final decision will be based on the buyers preferences but this will assist them in the process of narrowing the field of choices.
Go to http://apps.winespectator.com or search Xvalues in the Apple App store to get your free app.
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Cool Climate Grapes
When I was in Monongahela, Pa recently I visited my friends at the Ripepi Winery & Vineyard. I couldn’t have picked a better time to visit because Rich Ripepi and Pete Abvulovic had just unpacked their new Hanna Total Acid and Ph machine for the lab and were setting it up. Rich said the vineyard had come though the winter in great shape. Today turned 
out to be my lucky day because Rich had a book he thought I would enjoy reading. Grapes of the Hudson Valley and Other Cool Climate Regions of the United States and Canada by J. Stephen Casscles. It is a comprehensive work covering every aspect of propagating cool climate wine grapes in the northern U.S. and Canada.
He approaches the subject from an expert’s point of view drawing upon his lifetime of experience in the Hudson Valley of New York. This publication can be viewed as the most in-depth account of the history of hybridization of cool climate grapevines ever published. Casscles has cataloged the genetic heritage of an amazing number of hybridized grapes by the person or organization that developed them. I think you will be surprised to learn where the genetic material of your favorite grapes came from and why they exhibit the characteristics they do. You may also be disappointed to find out that there is no such thing as a pure strain of grape. The truth is they all have genes from other strains in their genetic profile. To prove this fact Casscles uses the example of the “pure” Chardonnay grape. Chardonnay is a combination of a Pinot
Title Page Signed by J. Stephen Casscles
Noir clone and the bulk white wine/table grape Gouais Blanc.
This book is a must read for anyone growing or wanting to grow wine grapes in a cool climate region of North America. It provides the reader with an immense amount of information and has references to almost any information resource you may need. If you are looking for a handbook/field guide/reference publication for cool climate grapes this is the book for you.
Published by: Flint Mine Press http://www.flintminepress.com
