Lady of the Grape

Grand Opening North Carolina Viticulture and Enology Center

2010-11-18T09:34:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone. I wanted to send this incredible news to all of you. I was at this grand opening of the Surry CC Viticulture and Enology Center and it is fabulous. This is in the Yadkin Valley, NC, just about 1/2 hour from me. We now have a state of the art teaching facility with a bonded winery that can actually sell the wine. In addition, they already have a tasting room in Yadkinville, NC.

This school has already won gold medals in international competitions. Obviously, they are doing something right. The school is now attracting students from other states, so, if you are interested in pursuing a career in viticulture or wine making, this is the place to be. There are two links below. The second one has a nice little video with it that shows some of the inside and ends with a picture of the outside of the facility.

Exciting news for NC, which is now, as you will read, number 7 in wine production in the United States. It is a wonderful success story.

Center Opens to Support NC Wine
http://www.surry.edu/news/2010/1109-center-opens-to-support-nc-wine.html

News 14 Carolina -- Surry Community College Opens New Wine Making Facility
http://charlotte.news14.com/content/top_stories/632417/surry-community-college-opens-new-wine-making-facility (2)

California Trip – 2010: A Restaurant Experience

2010-07-13T11:03:00.003-04:00

I wanted to share a restaurant experience or two from our recent trip to California. Here is the first. After I judged the California State Competition, my husband and I, along with two of the other judges, decided to find a nice, more upscale place for dinner one night. We were very pleased with our selection.

The name of the place is Ella Dining Room and Bar (www.elladiningroomandbar.com). It is located at 12th and K streets in Sacramento. The use of the term “Bar” threw me a little because, to me, that usually means drinks and snacks and not necessarily classy. But this bar is different. If you choose to, you can be seated at the bar where there is a special menu with chefs right there. Selections of various fresh seafood and such are displayed in cases at this bar. The menu was very elegant.
We chose the dining room, however, as it is more conducive to conversation with four people.

For appetizers, each of us chose something different. The choices were asparagus soup, mushroom soup, smelts, and, of all things, bone marrow. I personally have never seen bone marrow on a menu, but the person who ordered it said it was fabulous. The judge who ordered the asparagus soup is exceptionally knowledgeable about culinary things. He proclaimed the chef “a genius for creating such an incredible soup from the lowly asparagus”. My husband ordered the mushroom soup, which, after tasting it, I then wished I had also done. Mushroom soup is one of our favorites and this one was “to die for”. But I ordered the smelts, as I like them but have not had any in a very long time. You just don't see them on menus much, if at all. They were a bit disappointing and fishy.

The wine list is quite pricey, with many wines over $1000.00! Also, there were a few in the $2,000 and $3000 category, with the top one being over $4,000 a bottle. Incredible! But I found a wine I had tasted before that was a real bargain and went with all of our appetizers. It was the Uvaggio Vermentino from Lodi, CA, at $26.00. I had posted some comments on this wine in this blog after the American Wine Society Conference where I tasted it in a program there. This was the 2008 vintage and had great balanced, just the right amount of crispness, and a bit of melon and spice.

For our entrees, two of us ordered the duck confit with shaved asparagus and sherry vinaigrette, one, a steak, and the fourth person ordered the ricotta gnocchi with summer truffles. The duck was a very generous portion duck leg that was done to perfection, literally falling apart when you cut into it. This was one of the best duck dishes I have ever eaten. Once again, our culinary expert deemed his choice, the gnocchi, spectacular. The steak was also very good, although I am guessing this is not their expertise.

For the wine selection we decided on the Willa-Kenzie Pierre-Leon 2007 Pinot Noir from Oregon. The price was $72.00. This turned out to be a marriage made in heaven with all four entrees. We savored every taste. This rich, fruity, Pinot Noir, is everything you would want in a Pinot. There was some cherry, a bit of smokiness, and a very light hint of anise, with a long, lovely, silky finish. It was rich and aromatic. Truly a lovely wine that I would buy in a heartbeat.

In addition, the service at Ella is impeccable. One of the things I liked very much was that, if you questioned the character of a wine, they would offer a taste to help you make your choice. This is a real plus in my book. The wine and spirits menu is extensive and has something for every taste profile. If you are going to Sacramento, I highly recommend Ella.

Excellent Article on Wine and Health

2010-05-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

From one of my favorite medical information sites, WebMD, here is an article on wine and health that is giving us a new twist on such things as longevity and skin care. It is very interesting indeed.

Enjoy!

http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/news/20100427/is-drinking-wine-a-key-to-antiaging?ecd=wnl_skin_050510

NEW FUTURE WINE CONSUMER!

2010-05-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

On April 28th, 2010, at 4:35 PM, a new future wine consumer came into this world. I would like to announce the birth of my third grandson, Colin Andrew King.

There is no doubt that he will end up being a wine appreciator as he has two very wine savvy parents and, after all, his grandma is a winemaker:)

Have some fun!

2010-04-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

This was recently sent to me and I thought folks could have some fun with it. It is a wine crossword puzzle and there is a prize involved.

The link is http://www.wineislandvillage.com/jointhe club.htm

When you bring up the page, just click on the crossword puzzle and see how much you know. Enjoy!

A Very Special Wine Competition – 2010

2010-03-31T14:36:00.000-04:00

This past weekend (March 27th and 28th), the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition (www.fliwc.com) was held once again in Rochester, NY. This was the 10th year for the competition. The competition has grown each year, despite the economy, and people cutting back. It is certainly because of its outstanding reputation along with the fact that it is a fundraiser for a very special cause. This year there were a total of 3,010 entries from 666 wineries. The entries came from 15 countries, 9 Canadian Provinces, and all 50 states. It is the first time in history that a competition had entries from all 50 states. There were 56 judges from 10 countries and 10 states.

This competition is very special in that all of the proceeds from both the competition and the subsequent wine dinner and auction, go to Camp Good Days and Special Times (www.campgooddays.org). This is primarily a camp where children with terminal or life threatening cancer get to come and be with kids who have similar problems and understand what they are going through. They get to spend two weeks, at no cost to the families, doing all sorts of exciting activities that kids love. In many cases they discover that they really CAN accomplish things they never would have tried. One of the things that impressed me considerably when I was there was the swimming pool. Imagine being a child in a wheel chair and being able to ride your wheel chair right into a swimming pool and then be able to float free from it. This is just one of the many wonderful opportunities that abound.

The camp is located in Mendon, NY, next to a beautiful lake, which they also utilize for their activities.

On May 1, 2010, there will be a formal dinner and auction taking place at the Rochester Plaza Hotel (www.rochesterplaza.com) that will include a fabulous auction. This is a spin off of the competition and brings much needed funds to the camp. It is very expensive to have all the special equipment needed as well as medicines, a medical facility, and, of course, the upkeep. The whole concept here is to not add any more financial burden to the families involved. It also helps that there is a tremendous group of volunteers, including medical staff that donate their time to this camp.

This auction will not only include wine, but fabulous trips, specially set up tours of various wineries, winemaker dinners and more……….all donated for the sake of the children and their families by caring wine industry people.

Tickets may be purchased through the FLIWC site (www.fliwc.com). If you are unable to attend this event but would like to support this wonderful charity, they accept donations on the Camp Good Days Site (www.campgooddays.org), and, of course, it is tax deductible.

Yadkin Valley Wine Festival Update

2010-03-11T09:10:00.000-05:00

As I commented in my last post, May 15, 2010, is the date of the next Yadkin Valley Wine Festival. You can now access their website for all of the information.

The site address is www.ywf.com.

There is something for everyone at this festival with music, food, arts and crafts, etc. And, of course, the award winning wines of the Yadkin Valley, NC. There is a fee for a wine tasting ticket, but otherwise, the festival is free.

I hope to see you there. If you decide to attend because you read about this here, please stop by the RagApple Lassie tent and let me know.

The 9th Annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival

2010-03-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on the date of the next Yadkin Valley Wine Festival, so folks can plan ahead. This year, it will be held on Saturday, May 15th, 2010. As in the past, the location is the Elkin Municipal Park in Elkin, NC.

So mark your calendars. This is by far the best wine festival in North Carolina.

When I get further details, I will post them along with directions and other pertinent information.

California Dreaming…Lodi continued

2010-02-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

Cosentino Winery ( www.cosentinowinery.com ) now has a presence in Lodi. They have been around for awhile and well known in Napa. But they have recently bought Jewel Winery and Vineyards and are now making wine there from both Lodi grapes and other California grapes. We tasted quite a few wines there but, since I am focusing on the Lodi area right now, I am only going to comment on those wines.

2007 Pinot Grigio Kirschemann Vineyards – nice, fruity style with lime, honey and honeydew. Very pleasant and easy to sip. A little pricy for this type of wine at $22.00.

2008 Blockheadia Rose’ – this is a blend of Carignon, Mourvedre, and Cinsault that was all stainless steel fermented. It is a really nice, dry rose’ with great fruit and interesting complexity. There is strawberry, light cherry and even some melon. Only for sale at the winery and high end restaurants like Mustards. $18.00

2006 The Zin – 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah – exciting wine…lots of fruit. Raspberries and blackberries abound in the aroma as well as cinnamon and cloves. Full bodied and rich. $26.00

2006 Estate Zinfandel Ancient Vines – a really big wine with lots of spice, black cherry and currants in the aroma and flavor. Smooth and silky even though it is 15.6% alcohol. $40.00.

2006 Sangiovese IL Chiaretto(the Ch is pronounced like a K) – this is a Lodi/Napa blend of Sangiovese and is loaded with black fruits as well as raspberry and a little smokiness.

American Wine Society Conference 2010

2010-02-03T14:15:00.000-05:00

It is not too early to start thinking about and planning to attend the next American Wine Society National Conference. This will be the 43rd conference for AWS.

The location was just recently announced and the site chosen will be the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The dates of the conference this year are November 11 through 13, 2010.

As I have mentioned a few times before in this blog, this is a wine lover’s dream. This is not a bunch of dry, boring seminars. Fabulous wine tastings, semi-technical winemaking/grape growing seminars, wine and health, and food and wine seminars, are what we are all about. This is an educational organization. Our goal is to give people who love wine an opportunity to learn about it, or increase the knowledge they already have. There is always something to learn. This is a place where novices are not intimidated. Everyone shares the same desire to learn more about wine.

In addition, the opportunities to personally talk to and socialize with wine professionals, abound. You will not find a more exciting or unique experience anywhere.

Visit the American Wine Society website for more information. As the conference develops, there will be announcements giving a peek at the schedule of events and information regarding when both hotel and conference registration is opening.

To keep up on the news, visit www.americanwinesocity.org.

California Dreaming…continued - Lodi

2010-01-22T11:08:00.000-05:00

Now for our stop in Lodi, which has become another favorite location to visit. Once again, this is an area of mostly smaller, family owned wineries that have a lot of personality. The tasting room people are very enjoyable and personable and the wines are excellent. I prefer this type of atmosphere to the big commercial set-ups that tend to be more austere.

This was our first visit to Borra Vineyards (www.borrawinery.com). They have a somewhat small selection in the tasting room (more items listed on the website) compared to other places, but what they have is well made. No doubt this has to do with being able to pay attention to detail. They have a couple excellent blends that are their trademark as well as a few varietals. Here is what we tasted:

2006 White Fusion – this is a blend of 73% Viognier with the rest of the blend being Roussanne and Marsanne. For a white wine that was aged in oak, it had a surprising amount of fruit. This is a lovely food wine. This was not on the list but they let us taste it to compare to the 2007. $16.00

2007 White Fusion - with 82% Viognier and also the rest Roussanne and Marsanne, there was more tropical fruit to this wine along with tangerines and orange blossoms. We really enjoyed this blend. Very well done. $16.00

2006 Red Fusion – a 60% Syrah, 30% Petite Syrah, 5% Zinfandel, 3% Mourvedre, 2% Grenache blend. There was some plum character as well as a good bit of cherry and chocolate. Lots of finesse and very nicely married flavors. Complex. $18.00

2005 Merlot – a lovely Merlot with sweet black cherry and excellent oak integration. Very well balanced. This is what Merlot is all about. $18.00

2005 Old Vine Zinfandel – classic flavors with plum and walnut mixed in. There was a fairly intense anise character to this wine that was both unique and delicious. $20.00

2005 Barbera – some nice vanilla and cherry with a bit of chocolate and a slight mintiness to cap it off. Rich and full bodied. We did not see very much Barbera in Lodi so this was a treat. $25.00

We were able to taste a couple of wines that were for wine club members only. One had just been released and the other was being released in August of 2009. The latter really stood out for its uniqueness.

2007 Field Blend Members Reserve – this blend is 48% Barbera, 23% Carignane, 16% Alicante Bouchet, and 13% Petite Syrah. This was a very interesting wine as it was also sweet, unusual in California for a red vinifera wine. I am betting it will be a great seller as it was very easy to drink and quite complex. $19.99 regular price and $13.99 for wine club members. I must confess that I find that a bit confusing as it is supposedly only being sold to wine club members. Maybe you can talk them out of a bottle at the higher price.

California Dreaming……Paso Robles.

2010-01-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

As 2009 went screaming by and my California tasting notes were curtailed by harvest, crush, and the processing of new wine, followed by the holidays, of course, I realize that I still have some winery reports to share. Considering most of us have been in quite a deep freeze for awhile now, I thought some California Dreaming might be in order.

The last winery in the Paso Robles area that we visited was Eberle Winery (www.eberlewinery.com). As always, they had some wonderful wines plus couple new releases. While there is rarely a wine at Eberle that I don’t like, here are some of the stand-outs from our visit.

2008 Mill Road Viognier had just been released. As always, Eberle Viognier was excellent. There was honeysuckle and apricot in the classic aromas followed by luscious peach and melon. There is an incredible consistency in Eberle’s Viognier, no matter the vintage. This wine goes with everything from seafood to Thai. $20.00

2008 Estate Chardonnay – While this is a lighter style Chardonnay, it is so loaded with fruit that it bursts on the palate. Classic green apple is accompanied by pineapple, pear and a nice bit of oak and vanilla. $18.00

2008 Cotes-du-Robles Blanc – This was a new wine/release of a white Rhone blend. With 49% Roussanne, 33% Grenache Blanc, and 18% Viognier , the aromatics were wonderful. The crisp acidity gives this wine the backbone for buttery dishes and is backed up by some very nice tropical fruit. $24.00

NV Full Boar Red – apparently the name Eberle means “boar” and that is the logo/symbol used on various things at the winery, in names, and on t-shirts etc. This is a really nice every day wine. It is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a bit of Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah. There is a smoky character to it that is rather unique and quite memorable. It is only available at the winery or from the winery direct. A good buy at $15.00

2007 Barbera – what a knockout! Big wine, great fruit, with raspberry and cherry and soft tannins. This wine is a mouthful of excellence. Small production specialty. $25.00

2006 Syrah Steinbeck Vineyard – Incredible black cherry with just the right amount of white pepper and vanilla. This is classic Rhone style. This wine is expected to live for many more years and I would agree with that. I plan to hold onto mine for a few years longer to see. $20.00

Next: Finally moving on to Lodi

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

Wishing one and all a very healthy, peaceful, and joy-filled New Year!

Appetizer and Wine Matching for the Holidays - 4

2009-12-21T14:23:00.000-05:00

Here is an appetizer that can be tweaked to your taste. It has chili powder in it and you can make it milder or spicier by changing the amount. It also makes a good bit of substantial appetizers, so is very good for a larger group.

Chicken Puffs

1 package Won Ton wraps
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
8 oz. bottle of ranch dressing
1 Tbsp. chili powder (or to taste)
1-8 oz. pkg. Colby or Monterey jack cheese, shredded (reserve some for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350. Insert Won Ton wraps into mini muffin tins and bake until barely browned, to form cups. Finely chop chicken breasts. Mix chicken with chili powder, ranch dressing, and cheese, reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top of filled cups. Fill Won Ton cups with chicken mixture and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place filled cups on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until warm, about 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.

Choice of wine to go with this appetizer would depend on how spicy you make it. If it is spicy, a wine with a little residual sweetness would work well. There are a great many off dry Rieslings on the market that fit this bill. Many really good producers in the Finger Lakes region of NY offer dry to slightly sweet Rieslings. Wineries like Sheldrake Point, Swedish Hill, Lakewood Vineyards, and Fox Run are only a handful of the NY wineries that have wonderful off dry Rieslings.

If you go for the mild version of this recipe, Chardonnay always works, as well as Pinot Gris and you might want to try a milder style of Sauvignon Blanc such as Kenwood Winery. King Estate Pinot Gris is always a winner…..no relation to me, however, unfortunately.

And if you want something to cover it all………..RagApple Lassie has a wine called Kaleidoscope Gold that is a blend of Pinot Gris, Viognier, Semillon, Marsanne, and Traminette with just a tiny ½% of residual sweetness. I may be a little prejudiced, but I think it would be a perfect match.

Appetizer and Wine Matching for the Holidays - 3

2009-12-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

Another of my favorite easy recipes, watch these get snatched up in a hurry.

BLT Bites

24 cherry tomatoes
1 pound bacon, crisp-cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Cut off the top of each tomato opposite the stem end. Scoop out the inside to form a shell. Drain upside down on paper towels. Combine the bacon, green onions, and mayonnaise in a bowl. Spoon the mixture into the tomato shells. Chill until ready to serve.

These will go so fast, so you might want to double the recipe.

Wine recommendations: Any red wine with a little smokiness to it. Some I have had would be: Latcham Estate 2006 Cabernet Franc from the Sierra Foothills, Melipal Malbec from Argentina, and Sobon Estate 2006 "Cougar Hill" Zinfandel.

Enjoy!

We are in the London Times!

2009-12-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

Check it out! Reporters from the London Times came to visit the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina not long ago and were very pleased with what they discovered. They spent a good bit of time at RagApple Lassie Vineyards, checking out our guest house and tasting our wines. I was happy to see how much they enjoyed the wines as they took some back with them. Here is the link.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/usa/article6822201.ece

And if you are interested in checking out our guest house for yourself, you will find the information at www.ragapplelassie.com. You can also just click on the RagApple Lassie link on this page below, right. It is the icon with the cool cow logo:)

Appetizer and Wine Matching for the Holidays - 2

2009-12-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

I received this super easy recipe from my friend Shirley in PA. It doesn't get much easier than this. I am sure you could embellish it if you want. I am thinking sprinkling some chopped pecans on top would be nice but there are endless possibilities.

You need one small wheel of Brie. Role the whole thing in flour, beaten egg, and then bread crumbs. Brown both sides and the edges in butter or oil (but my choice would be butter), until golden brown. Serve warm with crackers.

Wine recommendations: With the richness of Brie and the buttery component, my choice would be a barrel fermented Chardonnay. Some considerations would be Jessie's Grove from Lodi, Tobin James from Paso Robles, or, of course, RagApple Lassie from the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina.

Appetizer and Wine Matching for the Holidays

2009-12-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

I recently received the following comment regarding matching some appetizers with wine for the holidays. I have a few ideas and would be happy to try to pair a wine with your favorite appetizer if you will send the information. In addition, I encourage you to send matchings that have worked for you and I will publish them here.

"Linda,
With the holidays fast approaching, will you be giving any pairings? Simple appetizers with appropriate wines to serve?

Maybe some of your readers have something that is different but easy and good. You could suggest a wine to go with it.

Thank you.
Maggie"

Here is my first offering: This appetizer is super easy and very elegant. The ingredients are: water crackers, cream cheese with chives, and caviar. It is not necessary to buy expensive caviar(unless you want to). There are small cans of caviar available at a reasonable price that will work just fine, and you only use a small amount.

Simply spread the cream cheese on the crackers and place a little caviar in the middle, maybe a half teaspoon. Don't make these too far ahead of time as they will get soggy.

The perfect wine match? Champagne! Oops, sorry. We are no longer allowed to call any wine not made in Champagne, France by the name "champagne". So let me correct that to "sparkling wine". My favorite is Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir. I like the richer flavors of a Blanc de Noir as apposed to a Blanc de Blanc. The difference between the two is that a Blanc de Blanc is a white wine made from white grapes. In this case, that would be Chardonnay. A Blanc de Noir, on the other hand is white wine made from red grapes or red and white grapes. The Gloria Ferrer is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I think the Blanc de Noir is richer and has more body.

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir is available in the $20.00 price range, making it a pretty affordable sparkling wine.

The Other Side of Lodi – White Wine Extravaganza (part 2)

2009-11-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the other half of the Lodi white wine program from the AWS Conference in Destin, FL. There are some very unique and delicious wines in the mix.

2008 Harney Lane Albarino – Very small production at only 150 cases so this was a treat to get to taste. The aroma was that of canned pears with the pear following through in the flavor. Just a really nice, well balanced wine. Very slight residual sweetness at .3% brings out the fruit beautifully. $19.00

2008 Bokisch Clements Hills Albarino – interestingly, this one smelled just like canned fruit salad. This was a luscious, fruity wine with a long finish and lots of complexity. I would buy this one and the Harney Lane in a heartbeat. 14% alcohol. $16.00

2008 Jessie’s Grove Chardonnay – my favorite Lodi Chardonnay. I was glad to see it in the lineup. This wine did not disappoint. It is barrel fermented, with ripe pineapple in the nose, as well as perfectly balanced fruit, vanilla, oak and butter in the flavors. Very complex with a long finish. 15.5% alcohol. $18.00

2007 Watts Chardonnay – this Chardonnay was a little sweet – something I am not a fan of. It had some unusual characteristics to it, as I was picking up some licorice. It seemed clean and well made but a bit off the beaten track. I need to try this again sometime. 14% alcohol. $12.00

2007 Peltier Station Viognier – lovely peachy aroma, lots of fruit, nice balance with a long finish. A little more subdued than the next one but a beautiful wine nonetheless. 14.8% alcohol. $16.00

2007 Incognito Viognier - this is one of the offerings from Michael-David winery. Lots of apricot, peach, and tropical flavors and aromas. It was obvious this was very ripe fruit. Lingering flavors just wanted you to smack your lips. $19.00. A whopping 16% alcohol. Don’t try to blow out a candle after consuming this one.

2008 – Mokelumne Glen Dreirebe – This winery specializes in German varieties grown in Lodi. Here is a late harvest wine that is a blend of some of these German varieties. It was harvested at 33.3 brix. This wine would be classified a Beerenauslase in Germany, which is one of the highest sweetness and quality levels there. At over 11% residual sugar, this was a dessert wine that was dessert all by itself. Very rich and full bodied. Lots of luscious flavors and very different from many of the dessert wines I have had. 12.4% alcohol. $20.00

The Other Side of Lodi – White Wine Extravaganza (part 1)

2009-11-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

This was the name of the presentation, and is one of the many seminars that took place at the 2009 American Wine Society Conference on November 5, 6, 7, 2009, in Destin, FL.. The presentation was given by Mark Chandler, head of the Lodi, CA, Winegrape Commission.

It is a truly impressive selection of Lodi white wines. Along with some more common varieties, this was a great opportunity to taste examples of some unique varieties that are not common in the United States, but being tried here.

It is quite a long list at 13 different wines. So I will break it down into two posts. Here is the first group.

2008 Uvaggio Vementino – 100% Vermentino. There are only 2 or 3 wineries in the United States who make Vermentino, one of which is Raffaldini Vineyards in NC(also making an excellent, award winning Vermentino). I am becoming a big fan of this grape/wine. The aroma had a lot of melon and some floral qualities followed by lots of wonderful, refreshing, grapefruit character in a very nicely balanced wine. 12.2% alcohol. $14.00

2008 Alta Mesa Cellars “Silvaspoons Vineyards” Verdelho – very aromatic with citrus and tropical fruit, very soft, nicely balance and easy to drink. Lots of character and complexity. 13.8% alcohol. $16.00

2006 Gustavo Thrace Sauvignon Blanc – This winery is actually located in Napa, but was included because the grapes were from Lodi. There was a really nice melon/grass aroma but it was a little short on the palate. 13% alcohol. $16.00

2008 Bokisch Garnacha Blanca – Light and pleasant with what seemed a little like some Labrusca aromas. Slight herbaceousnes, which is supposed to be common in this variety. Very creamy in the mouth. 14.5% alcohol. $18.00

2008 Vino Con Brio Pinot Grigio – true Grigio Italian style – sharp and a bit astringent on the palate with a bit of bitterness in the finish. Those who know me know that I am not a fan of most Pinot Grigios for this reason. I prefer the Alsatian or Oregon style Pinot Gris, which are lower acid and fuller in body. But this is probably a good food wine and many people would love this wine, particularly for that reason. $16.00

2007 Van Ruiten Pinot Grigio – despite the term Pinot Grigio, this wine is much more in the Pinot Gris style. I expect they use the Grigio term as a marketing tool, as do many wineries. This wine was soft and round with very nice pear and honeysuckle notes. Nice ripe fruit was evident. $14.00

Next: Albarino, Viognier, Chardonnay, and a very unique dessert wine.

Back from the American Wine Society Conference!

2009-11-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

We are back from the conference that took place in Sandestin, FL. Those who left immediately after the conference on Sunday morning got out before concerns about Hurricane Ida, later tropical storm Ida, came into play. We, on the other hand, had made plans to stay till the following Wednesday. As it turned out, while the weather was not nice, that area of Florida was not hit nearly as badly as Georgia and North Carolina. It was misty rain and high winds the whole time but that was it. When we got home, there was almost 5 inches of rain in our rain gauge here in NC.

The sessions at the conference were quite good. We attended both Lodi sessions, one being all zinfandels (at 9:00 a.m. in the morning...nothing like a little breakfast wine!). The other was a session on Lodi white wines. It was spectacular and I plan to post the information here soon. They are making some great wines from some of the more uncommon grape varieties. More on sessions coming up.

To those of you long time friends who could not make it this year, you were missed. For those who have never attended, you are missing something very special. There is something very unique about this group of wine lovers....they not only share the love of wine, but also love life and meeting new friends. Consider coming next year to join us. The location has not been set yet but it is rumored that it will be in the Northeast. I guarantee that, while you may come as a newbie, you will leave with a host of new friends that will last a lifetime. The educational opportunities alone are worth your attending, but the pure enjoyment is like no other. In addition, it is an opportunity to meet some very special and well known people in the wine industry that you would never have an opportunity to see face to face anywhere else.

As soon as I find out the location and dates, I will post them so you will have plenty of time to make your plans for Novmber, 2010.

It’s Harvest Time Again - 2009 continued

2009-10-18T17:04:00.000-04:00

Well, it would seem harvest is over. Most of the grapes made it into the winery and they are calling for a frost tonight......maybe another tomorrow night. Seems that would end it, wouldn't it?

But wait! There are still grapes hanging out there that look pretty good. These are what people call the Christmas berries. They are the grapes that did not get harvested with the rest because they were not ripe at the time. Occasionally, we get to pick them at a later date if they hold up and continue to ripen. We had several tons in 2005 that turned into a spectacular blend that we call Hobson's Choice at our winery.

What we did was harvest several varieties in the same bins and crushed them together and fermented them on the skins. It was aged in used French oak barrels for 30 months. The results, which we originally called "field blend", turned out to be quite excellent. A fun experiment indeed.

The term "Hobson's Choice" (and you can look this story up on the internet for more details), comes from English literature. There was indeed a man named Hobson who owned a horse stable in England. He was tired of people coming there to rent his horses and requesting different ones. Therefore, he resolved to have a horse ready at all times and, when someone came to ride, they got his choice of horse. Thus the term Hobson's Choice.

Now, given the last name of the owners of my winery are named Hobson, and no doubt have some ancestry dating back to this man, they decided to have a wine named Hobson's Choice. This is the first release and, it is expected, the wine will be different every time it is bottled....and so it will be the Hobson's choice as to what they put in the bottle. It is a bit of a radical idea in the wine world but the story is great and people love it.

Hobson's Choice is only available from the winery and is a rich, dry red wine made basically from a combination of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Gris.

Great New Website - Check it Out!

2009-10-04T17:50:00.000-04:00

I want to share a brand new website with everyone. It is www.allaboutthegrape.com. These folks came to North Carolina and interviewed winemakers from a number of the top wineries in the Yadkin Valley. There are many interesting videos discussing the wines and how they are made, as well as information about the wineries and winemakers themselves.

In the lower left hand corner there is a list of various informational pieces. One is "Chardonnay with winemaker Linda King". Why, that's me!!! If you would like to hear my spiel and see me talk (mostly with my hands) on how I make my award winning Chardonnay, our best selling wine, you need to watch the video. Never thought I would be on U-Tube, but there I am:)

I hope you will enjoy this virtual winery tour of several of the wineries of the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina and be inspired to come visit us. And please keep checking back at the site, because there will be more on RagApple Lassie Vineyards, the wineries of the Yadkin Valley and wineries from across the country as the site develops. It is a truly unique and very educational website.

It’s Harvest Time 2009 – continued

2009-09-29T14:16:00.000-04:00

Well, we are plugging along as the harvest is turning out to be a very late one for many varieties. This seems to be true all the way to New York and beyond. Mother Nature has not been very co-operative, as the grapes ripen at an incredibly slow pace.

In the meantime, the Chardonnay is done fermenting in the barrels and is going through malo-lactic fermentation. As mentioned in previous posts, malo-lactic fermentation is a bacterial fermentation that I induce that changes the malic acid into lactic acid, and creates that luscious, buttery character found in the best Chardonnays.

We are also racking the whites off the lees (sediment) into clean tanks to settle out some more. This process will be repeated a few more times, allowing the wines to clear as much as possible.

We continue to re-hydrate barrels to receive the red wines that are settling. When barrels stand empty, they dry up some and they can leak badly. So it is important to get them re-hydrated. We steam them and then fill them with water to tighten them up. So far, we have Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Zinfandel, and Malbec fermented and pressed.

There is much to be done before I leave for the American Wine Society Conference in Florida. I am counting the days!

AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY CONFERENCE

2009-09-24T07:46:00.000-04:00

NOVEMBER 5-7, 2009
DESTIN, FLORIDA

For everyone who is interested in wine, whether you know a lot or want to learn a lot, this is the conference for you. This is a conference for the wine consumer who wants to enjoy a wide range of wines, learn from the masters, and meet and make some of the best friends you will ever know.

As 30 year members of the American Wine Society, my husband and I have attended all but 4 or 5 conferences. We have the most wonderful friends ever, some going back to that first conference 30 years ago and many, many more along the way. It is like a huge extended family.

In addition, this is an opportunity to meet and personally talk to, many movers and shakers in the wine industry. You will find that hey are unlike many of the “big names” in industry as they are the most down to earth (and that sometimes translates literally in the vineyard) people you will ever meet. I have had the great pleasure of meeting both Robert Mondavi and Louis Martini at these conferences. Of course, I have been around for a long time. What delightful and personable men they were! This year we will have Peter Mondavi and Walter Schug, along with several other well known wine people, presenting sessions and rubbing elbows with us all.

So, if you have an interest and some time in November, consider joining us at the beautiful Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

All the information is on the American Wine Society web page. The address is www.americanwinesociety.org. In addition, you can e-mail John Hames, our conference director, to find out how the conference runs and what to expect. His e-mail address is john@freezeframeit.com.

Hope to see you there!

American Wine Society mission: Promoting appreciation of wine through education.