Boy, that sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Never fear, I am not hanging out with mobsters or any nationality… I am drinking wine from Don Sebastiani & Sons. This winery, an independent offshot of the Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery is terroir driven. The wine was poured by Greg Kitchen, the winemaker and Jack Meyer from their marketing department.

The wine poured was from their Crusher line of wines which are grower’s selections. We tasted the 2008 Petite Sirah from Clarksburg.

Don Sebastiani & Sons
P.O. Box 1248
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 933-1704

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The word that first comes to mind when thinking about Palaia Winery is eclectic.  There’s a kind of haphazard charm to the place that speaks more to the layering of generations of family and interests, than to deliberate design.  In the front yard, classical statuary shares garden space with flags, flowers, and a whimsical stone statue of a pig in cap and waistcoat (my personal favorite).  A variety of signs dot the drive and gardens, directing folks to the tasting room entrance and admonishing them not to make off with the glasses.

The eclecticism continues in a charming and spacious tasting room encompassing the second floor of an old barn renovated and converted into the winery.  The renovation looks to have kept the barn’s original wood walls and timbered ceilings and finished off the space into a cozy, if somewhat cluttered room.  Pictures and posters line the walls, and varied keepsakes, gifts and the knick-knacks of an interesting and slightly bohemian life can be found in all corners of the room.  This is an obviously well-loved and fun space.

As mentioned above, the Tasting Room is on the second floor; the entrance leads directly into a stairway that brings you up along the back of the bar and into the main room.  The bar extends the length of two walls in a curved L-shape, and there are several bistro tables and chairs scattered throughout the middle of the room for guests who wish to linger.  A screen door at the end of the bar leads to a large porch with additional tables and chairs, and Palaia often has live musical guests on weeknights and weekends who entertain the crowds on the patio.  There is also a large open air stage next to the vineyards behind the winery where Palaia hosts stage plays and larger performances.  Guests are obviously encouraged to purchase wine to enjoy with the show, hence the plea to return the glasses.

In addition to music and theatre, Palaia also sponsors a Lucy-Look-Alike Contest, inviting contestants to dress up like Lucille Ball and participate in a re-enactment of the legendary I Love Lucy episode in which Lucy and Ethel try their hand, er… feet, in grape stomping.  The winner receives a case of Palaia wine, and looking at the pictures on the wall behind the bar as well as on the website, it’s obvious this is a very popular and highly entertaining event.  For those interested in stopping by, or entering the contest, the next “Great Lucy Look-Alike Grape Stomp” is scheduled for September 25th.

Dating back to the 18th century, the farm was originally part of a larger farm once owned by Aaron Burr.  Today, Palaia has 10 acres of grapes and plans for more in the future.  They planted their first vines in 2001, producing their first vintage in 2005.  In 2002, they received a $15,000 grant from the State of New York to restore the barn, and after 4 years of painstaking work, opened the winery in 2006.

Palaia (pronouced pa-LIE-a) produces 14 wines: 3 whites, 2 white blends, 5 reds, 2 red blends, and 2 specialty wines, one of which is a mead.  Now that’s not something you find in most wineries.  Their tasting menu includes more than 20 of their vintages; a tasting is complimentary and includes your choice of any five of the available wines.  Tough to choose only five, but there was no way I was passing on the Mead.

Palaia is open seven days a week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm; Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm.  They feature live music Thursday through Sunday, unless they are hosting performances on the “main stage.”  All ages are welcome for outside events, but you must be 21 to enter the Tasting Room.  You can find a schedule of upcoming events on their website.

Palaia Vineyards
20 Sweet Clover Road
Highland Mills, NY 10930
845-928-5384
winemaker@palaiavineyards.com
www.palaiavineyards.com

Coming Tuesday, September 7th, The Wines of Palaia Vineyards

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Speaking of Desert Wind Vineyards, our next wine selection was from their winery. The Desert Wine 2008 Ruah was poured by Amber Fries. If you are confused by Ruah as I was, then I am pleased to tell you that Ruah means wind in Hebrew. This winery is different from the others that we have encountered at the conference in that it is a destination winery. In addition to the tours, tastings and special events that we have come to expect as part of winery, Desert Wind also has dining and accomodations. Each of the four rooms is distinctly decorated in a southwestern theme. The small restaurant, Mojave by Picazo is also southwestern in theme.

Desert Wind Winery
2258 Wine Country Rd.
Prosser, WA 99350
509.786.7277

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There were a couple surprises awaiting me during my tasting.   I opted for the Varietal Tasting, no surprise to regular readers of Vino Verve, I’m sure, as I’ve made no secret for my definite preference for drier wines.  I also will tend to select wines from local grapes before those with imported grapes, or even imported wines.  The Varietal Tasting menu included 6 wines, and our host threw in an additional seventh wine, the Merlot, because it’s so frequently requested.

The first surprise was waiting for me as I approached the tasting bar, small plastic 1oz cups.  Wine glasses were arranged at the end of the bar, but those were for people who had purchased the tour & tasting glass package.  If you just purchase the tasting, it’s served in small tasting cups.  I’ll admit, it’s practical; given the number of people they must get through there on any given day, trying to track glasses, no less wash them, would be a daunting task.  Still, I wasn’t expecting plastic.  Once the momentary flash of surprise passed, I was fine, but I know a number of people who are very particular about their wine vessels, so I warn you now – if you visit Brotherhood, order the Tasting, Tour & Glass package for $10 if you want to avoid the plastic.

The second surprise came immediately on the heels of the first, as my host for the tasting poured a sample of the Blanc de Blancs Champagne. It’s unusual to find a winery willing to include their sparkling wines on a tasting menu, and very welcome when I do find it.  The Blanc de Blancs is a 100% estate grown wine made from Chardonnay grapes grown in Brotherhood’s vineyards in Hudson, New York.  A Brut-style champagne, the wine is very dry with a nice acid bite to the finish.  There’s a pale hint of fruit in the mouth, perhaps peach, although it was tough to define from just a 1oz sip.  Overall, a nicely balanced sparkling wine which would pair well with sharp cheeses, lobster and other seafood.

First of the tables wines was the Chardonnay.  Made from wines grown in New York state, but not all estate-grown, the Chardonnay is a very nice wine with a soft nose with subtle notes of pear.  In the mouth the wine is very smooth, particularly on the front, with notes of pear and cream.  Medium-bodied, with light acid on the finish, and not heavily oaked, the wine is satisfying in the mouth.  For my palate, this wasn’t crisp enough to be a good “summer sipping wine,” but it  would pair well with lighter foods such as chicken or seafood.

The whites concluded with a back-to-back pairing of a dry and semi-dry Riesling.  The Dry Riesling is a fairly new addition to the Brotherhood lineup.  Light and delicate, the wine has a subtle nose, lightly floral with hints of pear.  In the mouth the wine is crisp yet smooth with notes of pear on the front that provide a softness to balance the acid on the finish.  There are also light grapefruit notes providing a slight tanginess that work well with the softer sweetness of the pear.  This will pair very well with food, and even non-Riesling fans should like it.

The Semi-Dry Riesling is more of a traditional Riesling.  Overall the wine is softer and sweeter with less acid on the finish.  The pear notes are stronger, both in the nose and on the palate, and the tangy grapefruit is much more subdued.   This would be a good sipping wine, and it also would pair well with a wide variety of foods, particularly spicy foods such as Thai or Indian.  I could definitely see pairing this with a really good Indian curry.    It’s also a wine of distinction, having been chosen by President Bill Clinton as the wine to represent New York state in the White House wine cellars during his administration.

The final two wines in the Varietal Tasting are both reds, the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, as our host informed us many people ask, “but what about Merlot?”  So, he started adding in the Merlot as part of the tasting to round out the reds section of the menu.

Pinot Noir With a dusky, slight jammy nose with notes of dark berries, and cherry, the Pinot was an interesting contrast to the subtler, slightly more floral noses of the whites.  Medium-bodied, the wine has lovely notes of blackberry and dark berries along with an earthiness that keeps it from being overly fruity.  There were also notes of leather and a light pepper finish that provided some heat.   According to our host, the wine ages well for another five years, and I found myself really interested in seeing how it ages.   It’s not a bad wine right now, and I imagine it will really open up and become even more interesting when paired with food, but I found myself more intrigued than captivated by it, intrigued enough to purchase a bottle that I’m going to cellar for a few years and see how it fares.

I tried that once with a couple bottles I had picked up on a trip to Napa.  Kevin, Gretchen and our friends Richard and Charles were also on that trip (it was Richard’s 40th-birthday celebration), and despite our all buying prodigious quantities of wine throughout the trip, there was one winery that everyone but me passed on the purchasing.  I remember Kevin looking at me and asking “why did you bother, they weren’t great?”  And I replied “because I want to see what they’ll be like in a few years.”  I was a true wine neophyte then, and this was a real leap of faith for me, as I didn’t have any experience on which to base my hunch that they could be really interesting.  But my hunch paid off!  I opened them about 4 years later and found them to be rich, velvety, and quite lovely – and the hit of the backyard barbecue I was hosting that evening.  Unfortunately Kevin wasn’t there that evening, so I couldn’t pour him an “I told you so” glass.  Here’s hoping the hunch pays off again.

After the Pinot Noir, we moved on to the “bonus tasting, Brotherhood’s Merlot.  A more full-bodied wine, this is one of the better Merlots I’ve found in the Northeast.  As our host described it, “it goes in smooth; it finishes smooth.”  Made from Long Island grapes, the nose is very strong and jammy with notes of plum and cherry.  In the mouth, the wine is smooth with nice tannins.  Plummy and rich in the mouth, the oaking is not as strong as in the Pinot, providing a light smokiness rather than the stronger leather I found in the Pinot.  Overall a nice wine, and Merlot fans should find this interesting.  As for me, I was still more intrigued by the Pinot.

And last, but never least, the Cabernet Sauvignon.  Like the Merlot, the Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from Long Island grapes.  Made more in a Bordeaux style, rather than the hearty, robust California style, those who prefer California Cabs may be slightly disappointed.  As for me, I found the wine surprisingly interesting, particularly given that I don’t have high expectations of Northeastern Cabernet Sauvignons.  The nose is rich, deep and dark, with notes of plum similar to the Merlot, but less jammy.  In the mouth, the wine starts out with a kick, a light peppery heat on the front which provides a bite which then later smooths out to a plummy finish.  There are subtle notes of leather from the oaking, and the opens up nicely in the mouth.

I went home that afternoon with a bottle of the Dry Riesling for the near future, a bottle of the Pinot Noir to cellar for a few years, and a mental note to come back to sample the Traditional Flight – and the winery tour.

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Somewhere a duck quacked and I was poured wine.

oops. That is a little out there, but I like the thought of wine being poured with the regularity of ducks quacking. Which brings us to Duck Pond Cellars. Greg Fries, partner and one of the winemakers poured for us their 2008 Red Blend which is a mix of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The fruit is from the Desert Wind Vineyard which is also owned by the Fries Family.

Quack. Can I have some more, please?

Duck Pond Cellars
23145 Hwy 99W
PO Box 429
Dundee, Oregon 97115
1-800-437-3213

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Whenever I hit the wine trail, I head out armed with my trusty GPS, a list of wineries, and a cooler with ice packs for the wine I know I’ll be bringing home.   I try to be judicious, don’t want to bankrupt my retirement after all, but there’s only so much you can tell about a wine from a 1oz sip – particularly when it’s tasted in the midst of a number of other 1oz sips that day.  So whenver I find a wine that catches my attention – sometimes it wows me, sometimes I can see potential, and sometimes it’s just different enough from anything else I’ve ever tried – I take a bottle home.  This provides the opportunity to sample the wine in larger portions, pair it with food, and see how it stands up after a day (unless I have guests, it’s usually 2-3 days per bottle of wine).

And though this has been my practice since I started on the wine trail, I’ve never bothered to put my new impressions to paper.  Hence the launch of a new occasional series, “Spending Time With…”, follow-up posts on my impressions of a wine after spending some time with it.  Keeping with the theme and focus of Vino Verve, these will primarily be “local” wines, wines I’ve picked up on my various travels.  That’s not to say that there might not be the occasional post about a wine I picked up in a package store, but here at Vino Verve we like to focus on celebrating local wines, rather than just a running commentary of “what I drank last night.”

I launch the series with Jerram Winery’s Marechal Foch.

I’ve had this bottle about 18 months, having picked it up during my first visit to Jerram just after Christmas 2008.  At the time I was still a newcomer to the  Marechal Foch grape and  wasn’t really sure I was a fan, finding the grape often tart and the wines “young.”  My prior encounters had not left me with an overall great impression of the grape.  However, Jerram’s Marechal Foch caught my attention; it felt more complex than some of the other wines I’d tried, and the cherry notes, while still bright and slightly sour, seemed to make more sense in Jerram’s wine than they had in previous Marechal Foch wines I had tried.  I remember liking all of Jerram’s wines and actually going home with a bottle of each, but the Marechal Foch was one that stood out for me that day.

18 months later, I continue to be impressed.  The wine held up well, smoothing out just a bit.  The fruit notes are a bit stronger than I had noted during my original tasting, but they’re richer as well.  The nose is dusky and earthy and there’s very little hint of the tangy cherry I found in the mouth.  The wine starts out dry and slightly earthy, dusty almost, and then opens up into the bright notes of slightly sour cherries that are so characteristic of Marechal Foch.  The finish is definitely smoother than my first tasting, mellower – the cherry tartness hits the roof of your mouth towards the front, and then the wine mellows as it moves back through the mouth.

I let the wine breathe for about 15 minutes before pouring the first glass, which I had on it’s own.  I then paired a second glass with a grilled steak and beefsteak tomato salad.  The wine held it’s own against the steak, but I don’t know that it was the right pairing, neither seemed to add anything to the other.

I finished the bottle on the second evening, when I paired it with a Greek casserole dish made of beef sauteed in onions, garlic, tomatoes, oregeno and basil pasta, and feta cheese.  The heartier, spicier food was a much better pairing – the cherry notes in the wine became more juicy, and while there’s still that sour tart “bite” that is one of the grape’s hallmarks, it worked really well against the salty brine of the feta cheese.

Overall, a strong Marechal Foch, one I’ll definitely be adding back to my “cellar.”

Jerram Winery is located in New Hartford, Connecticut.  They are open Thursdays through Sundays, 11:00 – 5:00 from May 1st to December 31st.  Their website has a list of locations that sell Jerram’s wines, all local to Central Connecticut.  You may also want to contact the winery to see if they will ship directly.

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Ok. Bachelor’s Buttons. Still it seemed the perfect name for a wine that was being “dated”. Denise Isenhower or Isenhower Cellars talks about the wine from her small winery. Oh, and the name? It comes from the flowers growing at their winery.. You probably guessed that because you are clever.

Isenhower Cellars
3471 Pranger Road
Walla Walla, WA 99362-7307
(509) 526-7896

Also, we here at VinoVerve would like to wish our fellow ‘Verver, Kevin Neuman a happy birthday. Feel free to stop by his Facebook page and wish him well!

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I was really quite excited to be heading over to Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, New York.   I’m fascinated by history, and that I was within an easy 2 hour drive of America’s oldest winery was too good an opportunity to pass up.  So I popped the coordinates for Brotherhood and three other Hudson Valley winery into the GPS and headed out for a fairly long day on the Win(e)ding Roads.

The winery was originally started by Frenchman Jean Jacques in 1810.  In the late 1820s/early 1830s, he moved to the current location and began digging wine cellars.  He went into partnership with the Emerson family and together they decided on the name “Brotherhood” to honor the partnership.  The Emersons, who counted among their ranks American author and transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson, were wealthy, well-connected vintners and distributors from New York with ties to Washington, D.C.   The partnership they formed with Jean Jacques proved to be of great benefit to the winery, resulting in a number of “firsts” for American wineries:  Brotherhood was the first winery to install a telegraph, and in fact the first telegraph transmission in the United States took place between New York City and Brotherhood Winery.  They were also the first winery to install steam generators, and used them to power, among other things, the first elevator used in an American winery.  The elevator was used to haul the grapes and wine into the two-story pressing and storage house built in 1860 and still part of the winery today.

After World War I, when most wineries in the United States were driven out of business due to Prohibition, Brotherhood remained open by converting their operation to the production of altar wine.  Originally they produced small amounts of altar wine for local area Episcopalian churches, but with the advent of Prohibition, they expanded their operations, supplying Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches among others.  In addition to keeping their own winery operating through Prohibition, Brotherhood was also able to keep a number of California vineyards in business supplying the grapes needed to produce the altar wines.   Today Brotherhood continues the tradition and a small percentage of their wine production remains altar wines.

Shortly after my arrival, I had the pleasure of meeting, albeit briefly, owner and winemaker, Cesar Baeza.  Baeza has been Brotherhood’s winemaker since 1987, and approximately 5 years ago, took on two additional partners, South American winemakers, the Chadwick and Castro familes.  Baeza, a charming and gracious man, continues to oversee Brotherhood’s wines, and is obviously a frequent visitor to the Tasting Room, greeting customers and stopping to chat and share stories about the rich history of the winery.

Until recently, Brotherhood did not own their own vineyards, instead establishing partnerships with vineyards throughout New York, particularly in the Finger Lakes and Long Island regions.  A few years ago, however, Brotherhood obtained 80 acres a bit further north in Hudson, New York and now grow Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes themselves, and continue to maintain partnerships with other vineyards throughout New York for the other grapes Baeza uses in his wines.

The Tasting Room is part of a larger complex that makes up the winery, both historical and modern.  Across from the Tasting Room, the original winery building is now home to the Vinum Café, which features a 140-seat restaurant, a café, a tapas bar and an outside patio.   Next door to the Café is the gift shop, which sits across from the 1860s-era pressing house.

The Tasting Room also dates to the 1860s and, like most of the other buildings in the complex has a stone exterior.  Inside, the room is one of the largest Tasting Room spaces I’ve encountered outside of Napa/Sonoma and utilizes the entire space.  The interior has the look and feel of a luxurious wine cellar: dimly lit and cool, with stone floors and walls lined with wine racks.  The wines are organized by category: whites, reds, international, etc. and free-standing wine rack kiosks supplement the wine storage available on the walls.  Spaced throughout the length of the room are a series of 6 bar areas, four of which are devoted to tastings.  Each bar could hold 12-15 people comfortably, and signs overheard as well as the very helpful staff direct people throughout the room.  When you purchase your ticket for the tasting, you are directed to a specific wine tasting bar, thus allowing for better crowd control and, I imagine, allows them to better manage the type of tastings served at each station.

Brotherhood offers you a choice of three flights:  The Traditional Flight, a selection of specialty and table wines that tend towards the semi-sweet and sweet; the Varietal Flight, a selection of New York grown grapes, which tend to be drier wines, and the World Tour Flight, a selection of wines imported from various regions throughout the world.  Each flight is $5 if purchased on it’s own.  One flight, plus a winery tour and a signature wine glass will run you $10, and a tour of the winery without a tasting is $6.  I, unfortunately, had planned a full day and so didn’t have the time for a tour, but I will definitely be heading back for another visit, and this time will make sure I plan enough time for the tour.

Tastings and winery tours are available Friday through Sunday year-round:  January-March, Friday-Sunday 11-5; April-December, Friday 11-5, Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-5.

Brotherhood Winery
100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive
Washingtonville, NY 10992
845-496-3661
www.brotherhoodwinery.net

Brotherhood’s Varietal Flight, Tuesday, August 31st…

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Speed dating a family? That sounds a bit kinky. Particularly by my Snow White standards… speed dating a vineyard? That sounds more like me. Though perhaps, I am becoming like Mae West when she said, “I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.”

Anywho…. next up on our speed dating agenda is the Ortman Family Vineyard’s O² Sangiovese. It is a second generation wine from the winery’s second generation wine maker. Enjoy!

Ortman Family Vineyards
1317 Park Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 237-9009

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We kicked off the tasting with the 2008 Rosecliff Pinot Gris. Like all Greevnale’s wines, the Pinot Gris is estate-grown and these vines are about 10 years old.  The color is a medium yellow-gold, darker and richer than many of the whites I’ve encountered here in New England.  The nose is soft with light notes of honey.  Fermented and aged in stainless steel, the result is a crisp wine that starts cleanly and finishes on subtle notes of green apple.  There’s a nice balance of acid that works well with the tangy slightly sourness of the green apple for a refreshing experience overall.

2007 Chardonnay The Chardonnay, as opposed to the Chardonnay Reserve, is produced from the younger Chardonnay vines, and aged in a combination of French Oak (52%) and Stainless Steel (48%).  The color is a medium yellow, and the nose is soft and creamy with very light floral notes and just a hint of vanilla.  In the mouth the wine is really lovely, soft, smooth and creamy on the front with a light touch of acid on the finish providing a nice balance.  Light citrus notes, primarily lemon, play with notes of creamy butter and vanilla for a rich, satisfying experience.  This will pair very well with a wide variety of foods, but also stand up on it’s own.  Definitely one of the stars of Greenvale’s current line-up.

2007 Chardonnay Select. The Chardonnay Select is made from older Chardonnay vines, planted in 1983.  It’s 100% oak aged, but in older French oak barrels to ensure a softer, more subtle oaking.  The color, while still falling within the medium yellow range, is lighter than the previous two wines, and the nose is earthy with hints of grass.  In the mouth, the wine, while still rich, is much sharper than the Chardonnay.  There are notes of cream and vanilla which indicate it’s moving toward that lushness I found in the Chardonnay, but it’s not there yet.  The citrus notes, again primarily lemon, are stronger in this one as well, although I also detected notes of grass which I didn’t pick up in the Chardonnay.   The acid is also much stronger in the Select than it was in the Chardonnay, and somewhat overpowers the finish.   Given 6-9 months, this will be a really beautiful  wine, but it’s not quite there yet.  That being said, it was educating to taste it now, particularly juxtaposed with the Chardonnay, and be able to see the potential in the wine.  If you’re looking to start a wine collection, I would definitely add this to list of wines to pick up now.

2008 Chardonnay Select.  While this wine is not yet available for sale (although I believe it will be soon), Kristen did have it available for tasting.  Like the 2007 Chardonnay Select, this is produced from the older vines and aged for 9 months in the older French Oak barrels.  Another very interesting contrast to the previous two wines.  The color is deeper and more golden.  The nose is soft, deep and fruity with light citrus notes.  In the mouth, the wine is still young; strong notes of grapefruit and a somewhat strong acid finish combine to produce just a touch of bitterness on the end.  The wine hasn’t yet developed much of the creamy vanilla butteriness I found in the other two Chardonnay’s, but there is a smoothness on the front of the wine that speaks to it’s potential.  Given another year or so in the bottle, I believe this wine will mature and soften into a lovely wine.

2008 Vidal Blanc Grown from Greenvale’s oldest vines, this is another very nice wine, and while not as strong as the Chardonnay, definitely one of the brighter stars on the current Greenvale wine list.  The color is a pale yellow;  the nose is lush and soft with rich notes of apricot.   It has a bit of the vidal lushness that you find so often in the sweeter dessert wines, but the effect isn’t as concentrated.  In the mouth, the wine is more complex than I anticipated with soft, subtle notes of pear on the front which develop into the slight tartness of green apple in the mid-back range of the tongue.  The wine has a nice balance of acid which gives it a really crisp finish, but it never completely loses the faint sweetness from the pear.  This will pair well with seafood, chicken, salads, and spicier foods such as Thai.

Some of Greenvale's vineyards; the Sakonnet River is in the background

The last of the whites was the Skipping Stone White.  A blend of 90% Cayuga and 10% Vidal, from the first encounter this wine was not anything I was expecting.  The color, while still in the yellow rather than straw category, is the lightest of all the whites.   The nose, which I anticipated to be perhaps slightly floral or have citrus notes, smelled like nothing so much as grape jelly.  Yes, you read that right – if I hadn’t been told this was a Cayuga and Vidal blend, the nose would have led me to believe there were Concord grapes here.  The Concord flavors carried over into the mouth as well.  The sweetest of all the whites (although it is still a dry wine), the wine is very juicy on the front with lush notes of grape jelly.  The finish is dry although the acid isn’t as strong in this wine as it was in several of the previous wines.  Kristen told me that this was Greenvale’s most popular wine, and I’m not surprised.  Those who like their wines a bit sweeter will really like this, and I found the Concord grape notes to be quite pleasant once I got over my initial surprise.   Don’t be put off by my Concord-grape description, this is an eminently drinkable wine and will appeal to a wide range of wine drinkers.

The one red available on the menu that afternoon was the 2005 Elms Meritage. A blend of all three of Greenvale’s estate grown red grapes, the Meritage is 60% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, and 2% Malbec.  The vines are some of their younger ones ranging between 11 and 14 years old.  In addition to the initial aging in French Oak, Greenvale also bottle ages all their reds for an additional 2-3 years.  The nose has that very distinctive New England “twang” or tanginess that I’ve come to know and love.  I mentioned it to Kristen, who agreed, and we spent a delightful few minutes trying to adequately describe it.  I likened it to the tang of salt air in the Fall; she countered with “chalky granite” which I also get.  The word that we eventually came to is flinty, that smell you get from wet rocky soil after a hard rain…

I’m still working on the description.

Back to the wine…  In the mouth the wine is a little like Alice Through the Looking Glass, everything was the opposite of what I expected.  The predominant notes I picked up were pepper and cherry, but the pepper is on the front and the cherry on the finish.  It shook things up in a rather delightful way.  The pepper, while strong, is not overpowering and hits you with a nice sharp kick of heat in the front before really opening up in the mouth.  That initial kick of heat quickly settles down to a warm glow throughout the mouth at which point the fruit starts to pull through.  The finish is smooth with notes of just-ripe cherries.  This wine would be best paired with stronger, heartier meats and cheeses, and Kristen mentioned that when paired with a strong, creamy cheese like a Blue Cheese, the pepper settles down considerably.

Greenvale is also close to releasing their 2006 Cabernet Franc.  All of their wines are produced in limited quantities and that combined with the 2-3 year bottle aging for the reds means they often sell out of their reds well before the next vintage is ready for release.  I’ll definitely be watching their website and planning a return visit once the Cab Franc is released.

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