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.
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Martha Macinski: Winemaker, Standing Stone Winery
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
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Greenhouse Winery Expansion Planned
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
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Pittsburgh Penguins Wine Gala
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
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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.
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Renacer Punto Final Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2010
Renacer Punto Final Malbec
Renacer Punto Final Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2010 $16.99 Wine Spectator 90 points. Ranacer Punto Final has the classic profile of a Malbec from Argentina but it is carried in a medium-bodied wine instead of the more robust full-bodied wine that you would expect. This Malbec may have a lighter body but it packs its taste palate with all the dark fruit and plum flavor that you would expect from a Mendoza winery. Pair it with beef, either roasted or grilled.
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Urraca Malbec Mendoza Argentina Vineyards 2008
Urraca Malbec Mendoza Argentina Vineyards 2008
With the holidays fast approaching I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone, including myself, what the true belief of this blog is. The essence of what I want to relate is that many lasting memories are made when you share quality time with good friends and loving family over a glass of wine. This and the next two posts will highlight three Malbec that are highly rated and fairly priced. All three will pair well with grilled or roasted red meat or even a hamburger because it won’t only be turkey and stuffing for dinner until New Years Eve.
Urraca Malbec Mendoza Argentina Vineyards 2008 $17.99 Wine Spectator 90 points. This wine has all the traditional qualities that come to mind when you think of a Malbec from Argentina. Urraca Malbec 2008 is dark and full-bodied with intense flavors of concentrated blackberry and plum along with lots of oak to round out this classic Malbec. I would recommend using your wine aerator or swirling it in your glass to open it up.
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Vina Equia Rioja 2008
Vina Equia Rioja 2008
The beat goes on from Bodegas Equía, in the village of Elcigo in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Their Viña Equía Rioja 2008 is a good example of a well made Tempranillo at great sale price of $8.99 at P.L.C.B. stores. This Rioja has flavors of lush ripe red fruit and lightly toasted oak all contained in a rich medium-bodied wine that displays its’ silky tannins throughout the finish. Bodegas Equía produces this ruby-red colored Rioja by fermenting the Tempranillo grapes for 15 days in stainless steel vats while doing daily pumpovers to extract the greatest amount of color and flavor from the grapes. The wine then goes into stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation and then is racked twice before being aged 12 months in American oak. Wine Advocate rated this vintage at 91 points and Wine Spectator gave it an 87 rating, while not as highly rated as the 2007 vintage that I reviewed last April, this is an exceptional wine at a bargain price.
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- Wines from Rioja (thedrinksbusiness.com)
- Wines in Spain (allinspainblog.wordpress.com)
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Christian W. Klay Winery
Christian W. Klay Winery Photo Courtesy: Christian W. Klay Winery
I had the pleasure to drink several Christian W. Klay wines at a friend’s wedding reception that was held very near the Klay winery’s home in Chalk Hill,Pa. I enjoyed their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, both displayed good structure and a medium body that paired well with my steak dinner. The Chardonnay I tried didn’t impress me as much as the Cab and Merlot. When I asked my wife for her opinion on the White Zinfandel she gave me a favorable comment saying it was pleasing and easy to drink. The Christian W. Klay winery has been a mainstay of the wine industry in Western Pennsylvania since opening in Fayette county in 1997 and has always raised the quality of their wines with every vintage. These wines, as well as the wines of many other W.Pa. wineries, continue to improve every year and I look forward to the offerings that will come from the superb 2013 vintage. www.cwklaywinery.com
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Harvest Wine Weekends
Glass of wine (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As another great growing season draws to a close the 24 wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country are getting ready to celebrate Harvest Wine Weekends. The festivities will be held over two weekends with the first November 1-3 and the second on the following weekend November 8-10. This is a perfect time to visit all the wineries in Lake Erie Wine Country, which stretches between Harborcreek, Pa and Silver Creek, NY. Ticketholders will receive a set of wooden LEWC coasters as a gift as well as a wine glass, recipe booklet, extra tastings and a $5 voucher. When visiting the wineries you will be able to sample wines paired with “harvest inspired” foods. Tickets can only be purchased online at www.lakeeriewinecountry.org and range between $31-$35 with a designated driver ticket costing $20.
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