Tomorrow is Halloween and all weekend is a celebration of some kind. For some reason this is my least favorite holiday. Maybe it's because my mother always dressed us in those cheap costumes that came in a box with the plastic masks. Even as an adult, I just never became creative when it comes to Halloween.
I now find myself invited to the Brotherhood WineryHalloween Ball tonight. Do I have a costume...NO. Maybe I will go as myself - the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess? I have a hat that says identifies me. I wish I never got rid of those overalls. I am looking forward to the party in their cellars. They are kind of creepy and will create a good atmosphere for an spooky evening.
If you are going to the Ball - I am sure you will be able to spot me, the most uncreative one dressed as herself.
If you can't make it to the Halloween Ball at Brotherhood tonight, you can attend the Halloween Party at Benmarl Winery on Saturday. That event begins at 7pm.
One Halloween party is about all I can go for this weekend. I'll be home on Saturday handing out the candy to the Trick-or-Treaters and drinking a nice glass of wine in the comfort of my family room.
The holiday season will be here before you know it. It is one of those things that just creeps up on you. The Shawangunk Wine Trail has a great holiday event that usually sells out each year. As I write this, it looks like they have sold out December 5th already.
Here is a short video of what you will experience when you take part in this event. If you have any plans of participating, you better get your tickets now. Check the wine trail website for updates.
There will soon be a new winery in the Hudson Valley. The Robibero family has owned the property where the former Rivendell Winery sits since 2003 and will be opening a winery sometime early 2010. This spring they planted Vidal and Cab Franc on the property and have plans to plant additional varietals next year.
They have completely gutted the facility and put a beautiful deck on the back.
I recently sat down with Tiffany to discuss the winery and their plans. They are going to have some nice events and programs for you to look forward to. In the meantime, if you find yourself driving past the property on a Saturday, stop on by and say hi. They are giving out coupons for a complimentary bottle of wine when they open.
I wish Tiffany and the Robibero Family the best of luck and much success with their new venture.
Here is my interview with Tiffany, who is the Business Manager and Wine Maker.
How long have you owned the property that the former Rivendell Winery is located?
The property was purchased in 2003.
When you purchased the property what was your original intent?
We purchased the property as an investment knowing there was an ongoing winery on the premises, hoping that someday we would be able to run the venture ourselves.
What made you decide to open a winery on the property?
We always wanted to open a winery, we just never expected it to happen as soon as it did. The active winery gave us notice that they were vacating to a new location so we began the long process to pursue our dream.
What were your friends and family’s reaction when you decide to move forward with the vineyard and winery?
We had mixed reactions of both excitement and disbelief. As the economy started to take a down spiral some people gave us a more a cautious view point but also their blessing. As for our family, they were always enthusiastic and eager for our opening.
How did you come up with the name of the winery?
Our LLC name is our Family’s Last name, because family is our core value. Our trade name is still in the process of being decided. Some of the possible names we are thinking of are; Half Moon Winery, Moonwalk Winery, Arrow Head Winery, Seasons, Vinaio, Cantina and Milestone Winery.
What varietals of grapes have you planted in the vineyard?
We planted one row of lacrosse which is a French American hybrid in the spring of 2008 to see how well they would grow. This past spring we planted seven rows of Vidal and three rows of Cabernet Franc. In the spring of 2010 we will be planting additional rows of Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our goal is to augment our vineyards with additional varietals each planting season.
Have you given thought to the name of your first vintage?
Crazy grapes
What will you be doing differently than any of the other regional wineries?
Giving people the opportunity to make their own vintage.
List family members and their involvement in the winery?
Harry- Owner. Wine Maker
Tiffany- (Harry’s daughter)- Business manager. Wine Maker
Ryan- (Tiffany’s Fiancé)- Business Manager, Wine Maker
Carole- (Harrys wife)- Event planner and Tasting room manager
What did you do before starting this business?
Harry owns and runs a construction company is Westchester. He has been spending most of his time this past year renovating both the inside and outside of the winery. After everything is complete he will continue to run his contracting business while his daughter and fiancé will be running the winery. He plans on helping with the grape growing and wine making end of the business as well. Carole works in an elementary school and will work at the winery on weekends. Tiffany currently works for a lawyer but will be leaving her job soon to run the winery full- time along with Ryan who has been working with Harry on the winery construction.
How have you been learning about the wine industry and making wine?
Consulting with other wine makers, wine courses, books, industry magazines, frequent trips to other wineries, and hands on wine making.
Will you be hiring a winemaker? If yes, name. If no, who will be making your wine?
Ultimately we want to be the wine makers but to reach that goal we are looking into hiring a wine maker to work with us in the beginning to expand our knowledge and guide us.
On Saturday I was suppose to go to Applewood Winery and participate in the pressing the some grapes. But because of the impending weather forcast (never listen to the weather person, they haven't been correct in a while)Jonathan told me to stay home. Jonathan is the owner/winemaker and was nice enough to share his video with me. (I think he told me to day home on purpose. That way there would only be one video of his pressing on the web.)
Every winery does their tasks differently and has different equipment, as you will see in this video.
Back in June we celebrated Hudson Valley Wines with a dinner at Terrapin Catering. The wines served at dinner were the winning wines from the Hudson Valley Wine Competition. At this dinner the awards from the Hudson Valley Wine Competition were presented.
The videographer finally finished the video from the dinner. I hope you enjoy it.
Please note, since this dinner the Hudson Valley Wine community has lost Ben Feder. Ben was honored at this dinner. To see his smiling face as he accepted his award will bring a smile to your face too.
Saturday was suppose to be a nasty day, so I took out a roast for dinner. I didn't plan on going anywhere. My two kids however, thought differently. They announced at 6pm they were going out with friends and wouldn't be home to eat with us. The roast was to much for two people so Paul and I decided to go out to dinner. Paul picked the restaurant..De La Vergne in Amenia.
We arrived shortly after 7pm with no reservation. We weren't thinking as it was a spur of the moment decision, and the restaurant had quite the crowd. The hostess was very polite and said that it was okay and sat us by the fireplace. (That was fine for me, because I am always cold)
De La Vergne had a decent wine list and they served Millbrook wines! Our first wine of the evening was from South Africa. I had the 2008 Indaba Sauvignon Blanc and Paul had the Lyric Nederburg Stellenbosch which was 1/3 each Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. The Sauvignon Blanc I had,was nice in balance and the citrus flavors were soft. Both wines went well with the Mussels.
For dinner we both ordered the Delmonico steak. Wine we paired with the steaks was the Millbrook 2006 Cab Franc. The server came back because they didn't have the 06 but had the 07. That was fine for us. Always accept the upgrade! It was a great choice as the steak paired very well with the wine.
The prices at De La Vergne we found reasonable. The food was good, the wine list was nice and so were the people.
It's been a very tough year for the grape growers. Here is what has been going on in the Hudson Valley the past two weeks.
Hudson-Chatham Winery: In the last two weeks they have pulled from four local vineyards. After a very tough year in the Hudson Valley, which suffered a heavy frost (27 degrees) on May 19th, thecrops recovered just in time for harvest. Their first batch was from our Kinderhoot Vineyards - Elvira, Dutchess and Seyval, all of which were about 20 brix, which we make a field blend out of for our Bannerman's Castle Amber Cream. Secound harvesting took place at the Hudson-Chatham Winery's front block. They pulled a ton of estate Seyval Blanc also around 20 to 21 brix. The fourth vineyard was from Doug Glorie's vineyard in Marlborough, NY. Doug's fruit was beautiful! One half-ton of DeChaunac and one half-ton of Seyval Blanc. Around 19 - 20 brix each. Very nice color and flavor. Final pick was their Baco Noir, approximately one ton from Cassleces Family Vineyard in Athens, NY. Baco was at 21 brix. Dark, dark berries
Whitecliff Vineyards: A few weeks ago they harvested their Estate Seyval and it came in at 19 Brix and they picked 4 tons. This week they processed Seyval they sourced from Glorie Farm Winery. This Seyval came in at 17.5 brix with acid at 6 grams per liter and ph of 3.2.
Brotherhood Winery This week they harvested and pressed Chardonnay from their Hudson Vineyards to use in their sparkling wines. Total tonnage pick for this first Chardonnay picking was 6.9 tons. Brix came in at 18.4, TA was 0.75g% and pH was 3.38. They will be picking more Chardonnay this weekend.
Tucked away on a hilltop in Millbrook, NY is Oak Summit Vineyard. I first met John Bruno a few years ago when I had to pick up wine for the Hudson Valley Wine Competition. That year his Pinot Noir won a Gold Medal. This bottle of 2007 Oak Summit Pinot Noir was a left over bottle from the 2009 Hudson Valley Wine Competition, which it received a Silver Medal. I finally got around to opening it.
I have always found John's wines very good, and this is no exception. This Pinot had a nice ruby color with an earthy nose that had a hint of spice. The texture was smooth and lightly silky. There were hints of dark fruit and black raspberry.It seemed the more the wine opened, the less earthy it became. This was not a fruit forward Pinot Noir. If that is what you like, I am not quite sure if you will enjoy this bottle.
Oak Summit is only open by appointment and he they produce Pinot Noir.
This week is Regional Wine Week. There are some really outstanding Hudson Valley Wines.
How lucky are we, the people in the Hudson Valley, to be able to go to the tasting rooms of the 20+ wineries in the area and taste before we buy. It is most likely a 20 minute drive for you to stop by and taste at any of the local wineries.
You will find regional wines thatwill match any palate. In the Hudson Valley we have an abundance of red, white and sparkling wines from many different grape varieties to choose from. Imagine...you'll be able to impress your friends and family when they find out you brought them a regional wine for the occasion.
During this week...Regional Wine Week....I urge you to either go to a tasting room of the closest local winery or purchase some local wine at your liquor or wine store. If you don't see any, ask the store to carry local wines.
Friday, October 9th was my 21st wedding anniversary. Yup..Paul and I have been married for 21 years. Where does the time go? It feels like it was just yesterday! What we uncorked to celebrate were some wonderful wines.
We decided to open a bottle of wine before heading out to dinner to celebrate. Paul went rummaging through the wine cellar and came up with a bottle of 2000 Chappellet Cab Franc. He poured each of us a glass and the rest in the decanter. The first sip of this wine was WOW...alcohol, we should have decanted this an hour age. As this wine opened it was a beautiful. Very well balanced, loaded with black cherry and a very long finish of spice.
After some wine and cheese we headed out to dinner with our daughter, a product of our marriage. We went to Charlotte's in Millbrook. The last time we ate there was years ago when it was Allen's and the only 5 star restaurant in the area. (Boy, time has changed that)
When we pulled into the parking lot, it was very crowded. Good thing we made reservations. We entered what we thought was the restaurant and were greeted with a wonderful HELLO from Brad's mother. I liked Brad's mother, she was very non judgmental, considering Paul and Melanie had jeans on and everyone else around was dressed in evening wear. However, it was the two other women there giving us the look. Brad's mother welcomed us into her party without even looking at what we were wearing, most likely thinking we were the brides part of the family. We could have crashed this party, as Brad's mother was very welcoming, but we questioned where we were. We chose the wrong door and had to go around the building. No problem. We wished Brad well, he was getting married on Saturday. Never did meet Brad or his bride.
We entered door #2 and were greeted with a hostess with no personality. Deciding what to eat and drink, oh the choices. It was going to be the Millbrook Pinot Noir until we spotted the 1998 Kings Estate Pinot Noir. We decided to go with Oregon (sorry Millbrook). The 1998 Kings Estate Pinot Noir was a beautiful ruby color. The nose was complex with hints of cherry and strawberry. Thewine was very well balanced with bright cherry dominating and spice on the end. The wine had a nice creamy texture.
We picked the wine before we picked our meal. I had Osso Bucco alle Verdure Veal Shank and Paul and Melanie had Rib Eye. I probably would have gone with a heavier red, but Paul was going to get fish before changing his mind to beef. The wine was wonderful, and so was the evening.
When a winemaker tells you he receives comments that one of his wines gets customer reviews as a light Cabernet Sauvignon, and it's made with hybrids, what would you pair it with?
Adair Vineyards 2008 Barrel Aged Mountain Red I paired with pulled pork. The result was a good match. I felt the wine was a bit thin but had a nice plum color. Then again, a light Cab wouldn't be complex and this wine wasn't. It had hints of strawberry with a smoky finish. Perfect with the pulled pork.
The Mountain Red is comprised of 50% Frontenac, 25% Leon Millot, 25% Marechal Foch and aged in older oak (French and American) for 11 months.
Last weekend I went to Boston to visit a good friend and attend Wine Riot. Wine Riot was held at the J.J. Moakley Courthouse and was presented by The Second Glass.
I didn't realize this was Sharon's first wine tasting. I was glad to introduce her to wines of the world at this event. She even got a special thrill when I ran into Randall Graham from Bonny Doon I had met Randall at the Wine Bloggers Convection in July and it was a real treat to see him in Boston. Another treat was Joseph Carr wines were at the Riot. I had met Joseph at the NY Wine Expo and again at the Culinary Institute of America Dinner featuring his wines. His daughter was there pouring for him.
We attended the wine and chocolate pairing that was presented by Bin Ends. My friend Craig who is a partner in Bin Ends unfortunately wasn't the one doing the presenting. It would have been nice to see him. The white chocolate and muscat sparkling pairing was wonderful! There were two local Massachusetts wineries attending. Wesport Rivers which from what I understand is one of the largest in MA and Travessia Winery. I got talking with the guys (pictured above) from Travessia Winery about the different grape varieties and wine. They had a Vidal that was sweet. I was trying to talk them into making a dry Vidal. We'll have to see if it worked next year.
We had a great time and tasted some good wines. Wines that stood out at this tasting
2007 Sequana Winery Sarmento Vineyard Pinot Noir
NV Mionetto Prosecco Brut
2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
2007 Evodia Garnacha
2006 Stuhlmuller Vineyards Cab Sauvignon
2008 Villa Wolf Riesling Dry
After a long afternoon of winetasting, even the Hudson Valley Wine Goddess needs a beer along with some nachos and wings.
Last weekend I went to Boston to visit a good friend and attend Wine Riot. Wine Riot was held at the J.J. Moakley Courthouse and was presented by The Second Glass.
