Catching up with Kimberly Peacock at Tousey Winery

A few weeks ago I caught up with Kimberly Peacock of Tousey Winery. We had a great time catching up with life, kids and wine. I think we covered just about everything in the hour I was at the winery.

One of the main items I wanted to cover when I met with her is their Scarlet Tiger brand. I was always curious about it, as I know Scarlet and Tiger are the names of two of her children.

There is a story and only her husband Ben knows how it is fully played out, as he wrote it.  The story is about a missing tiger and only The Queen of Clermont knows where the tiger is. The story begins in their first vintage. After each vintage is sold out a new chapter is born.  The trick is you need to save the wine bottles to get the entire story.

There are 4 wines in the Scarlet Tiger label. The notes in the wine are reflected in the characters they play.  You have The Queen of Clermont who is beautiful, elegant and positive.  She is a semi dry wine, a blend of Riesling, Cayuga and Traminette and compliments most food. She is a best seller.  Everyone takes the side with the Queen.

Then you have Riot who is a Cabernet Franc, Merlot blend. He's dominating and has a plan.  He's also a troublemaker.

Then you have the Killer Red who is full bodied, dark, smooth and sexy.

Last but not least you have the mentor, Tawney style Port. He is shown giving advice.

Start collecting and get in on the story!

Kimberly also filled me in on what's new at the winery, like their private tasting room. Here you can bring a group and do a cupcake or cheese and wine pairing and the room is also good for corporate events.

You can listen to my entire conversation with Kimberly below and get all the scoop about Tousey.

Help Hudson Valley Winemaker Ben Peacock (Tousey Winery) Fight Cancer

As we begin the new year I was shocked to find out that Ben Peacock who is co-owner and winemaker at Tousey Winery in Germantown, NY is battling Burkitts Lymphoma.

Ben and his wife Kimberly are wonderful people and they have 3 beautiful young children.  I have been privileged to know Ben and Kimberly and see them make great strides (as well as a family) to make Tousey Winery one of the Hudson Valley's premier wineries.

They take great pride in their winemaking and their family. You enter their tasting room and you're family.  The last time I was up there, sadly was about a year ago and Ben was so proud of his first sparkling wine (pictured above).

I had brought my college housemate (yes we go back many years) who was visiting from Florida and Ben treated us to tank and barrel tastings. That was a real treat for Maureen. To see Ben's proud look on his face and excitement about the vintages gave me such warm fuzzies and filled me with such pride to know that I've been with them from the beginning and have seen them blossom to what they are today.

If you know, dealing with cancer SUCKS!!  I know first hand as a very close friend dealt with and lost a 3 year battle with breast cancer.  To have your friends and family support so that you can be with your spouse, hold their hand and know your children are taken care of means the world.

If you know or have visited Tousey Winery and feel a connection you can help Ben with his fight.  I hope the Hudson Valley wine community will get behind them and help them as we begin to enter another growing season.

To the Tousey family, we send you all the strength to get through this!!!

Get Ideas for Your Next Fundraiser

Tousey Winery's Rose and Riesling Release Party

A couple of Saturdays ago I drove up to Tousey Winery for their Rose & Riesling Release Party.  I had found out about the party when  I was attending an event at Cru Club Wine Bar in Rhinebeck.

On this beautiful Saturday I set forth for the ride to Germantown to do some Rose and Riesling tasting.

We began the tasting with the 2012 Rebellion Rose that was 100% Blaufrankisch. Aromas of red berry and strawberry filled my glass.  It was quite delightful! The palate was just bursting with bright red fruit.

Many of you may know that I have been trying to find a Rose that I like.  I can tell you this is up there and I've personally been quite pleased with the Rose wines that Ben has been making.

Rebellion Rose retails for $16

Now we moved on to the Riesling wines.  There were two, one dry and one semi-sweet.

The 2012 Dry Riesling had a beautiful nose of honeysuckle peach and pear.  The aromas reminded me of the smell of walking on the beach on a nice spring day.

Stone fruit filled the palate with slight minerality.  I was really enjoying the taste of this wine when I noticed it was time for the next Riesling.  This is a great summer Riesling.

This Riesling retails for $21 and is made from Estate Grown 100% Hudson Valley Riesling

The last wine tasted was the Semi-Sweet Riesling. These grapes were picked 3 weeks later than the dry Riesling grapes. They were left out there longer so that their sugar content would be a bit higher.

I didn't find the aromas in this wine quite as strong as the dry Riesling. It was almost like the sweetness in the wine took away from the aroma.  The wine had aromas of apricot and soft peach.  Flavors of apricot filled my mouth and it had a nice creamy texture and didn't show as much minerality as the dry Riesling.

I am a bit sensitive to sweetness levels in a wine and guessed the residual sugar was between 1.5% and 2%. Well I think Ben was quite surprised when I approached the subject because the residual sugar is 1.7%.

The wine isn't overly sweet and was quite enjoyable.  Would pair very well with a spicy seafood dish!

The Semi-Sweet Riesling retails for $19 and is made from Estate Grown 100% Hudson Valley Riesling.

A Visit to Tousey Winery

During the holiday my college housemate and her daughter visited from Florida.  Originally from Saratoga, NY she had the urge be cold and see some snow.  Cold it was, but sorry to disappoint, there was no snow. On Saturday of her visit, I took her out to see the wineries of the eastern side of the Hudson River.

Before we went to the wineries, one must show her the main attraction in Poughkeepsie - The Walkway over the Hudson. Now that we had some nice fresh air and a good walk it was off to Tousey Winery in Germantown.

I hate to even admit this, but I haven't been to Tousey since they opened.  I've tasted their wines at events, but for some reason I never headed north until that Saturday. We had perfect timing, when we arrived at Tousey, Ben was there and we had him all to ourselves.

We were tasting mostly whites and I was very impressed with their 2011 Riesling.  It's 100% Hudson River Region from their vines.  It did lack  acidity, but that would be the from the wonderful storms (hurricane & tropical storm, back to back) that we had in September of 2011.

In the glass, the Riesling had aromas of white peaches and a hint of honeysuckle.  The palate brought you apricot and peach.

The 2011 Cabernet Franc are from the grapes at John Bruno's who owns Oak Summit.  Beautiful site!  Aromas of cherry and a hint of spice reflect also on the palate.  The spice comes in mid palate with some oak on the finish.

Then took us where he doesn't take many women - the barrel room....

New for next year there will be a sparkling wine. If you look closely at the picture on the left, you can see the wine aging on the lees.

Then we tank sampled the whites

And Barrel sampled the reds

We had a great time.  Thank you Ben for showing us around.  You've come a long way since my first visit, keep up the good work!

Valentine's Weekend in the Hudson Valley

Looking to treat your Valentine to a special weekend.  There are many events to treat your loved one to this weekend.  Begin you planning.

Saturday February 11, Whitecliff Vineyards will be featuring truffles from Lagusta's Luscious paired with a rare sampling of their Methode Champenoise Sparkling Wine.

Saturday and Sunday February 11-12, Robibero Family Vineyards is featuring Moxie Cupcakes at their Sweet & Sinful Revenge. You will indulge in cupcakes, chocolate and wine.  What every women loves! Sample 4 wines and learn the history of grapes and the art of pairing.  This event needs reservations and cost $15 per person.  There are three seatings - 1pm, 2:30pm and 4pm.

Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12 Millbrook Winery is having a special tasting event featuring  their new wine infused chocolate truffles paired with their wine. Reservations are recommended. Special chocolate and wine tasting times are 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm and cost $20 per person.

Friday, February 10 kicks off Tousey Winery's "Art and Wine for Lovers" weekend.  Friday from 5pm-8pm their will be an art reception and showing by Rhinebeck artist Thomas Cale. The event will feature wine tastings and expert recommendations for art and wine pairing.  The art showing will continue for 6 weeks.

Hudson Valley Wineries Score Big in the February Issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine

It was nice to see in the February Issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine that there were some Hudson Valley Wineries scored, reviewed and listed in the buying guide. Congratulations!  But the list only represented the Pinot Noir scores of the region and there were many other varietals submitted and scored from the regions wineries.

Congratulations to Tousey Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Whiteciff Vineyard & Winery, Oak Summit Vineyard and Brotherhood Winery!

Here is the Hudson Valley Buying Guide via Wine Enthusiast February scores.

TOUSEY WINERY

86  Tousey Winery 2010 Pinot Noir New York $20

85 Tousey Winery 2010 Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region NY $22

84  Tousey 2010Chardonnay Hudson River Region  – 84 $16

MILLBROOK VINEYARDS & WINERY

89   Millbrook 2010 25th Anniversary Pinot Noir Hudson River Region $18.00

88   Millbrook 2010 25th Anniversary Chardonnay Hudson River Region $16.00

87   Millbrook 2007 Proprietor's Special Reserve Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region $29.00

87   Millbrook 2009 Proprietor's Special Reserve Chardonnay Hudson River Region $20.00

86   Millbrook 2008   Cabernet Franc Hudson River Region  $20.00

HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY

87   Hudson-Chatham 2010 Casscles Vineyard Reserve Baco Noir Hudson River Region $20.00

86   Hudson-Chatham 2010   Cabernet Franc New York $17.00

86   Hudson-Chatham 2010 Old Vines Baco Noir New York $22.00

86   Hudson-Chatham 2008 Empire Reserve Baco Noir New York $22.00

85   Hudson-Chatham 2009 Old Vines Masson Place Vineyard Pulteney Farm Baco Noir Hudson River Region $20.00

84   Hudson-Chatham 2010 Field Stone Baco Noir New York $30.00

OAK SUMMIT VINEYARD

88 Oak Summit Vineyard 2005 Pinot Noir Hudson River Region $35.00

85 Oak Summit Vineyard Chardonnay Hudson River Region $28.00

BROTHERHOOD WINERY

85 Brotherhood 2009 Pinot Noir New York $16.00

85 Brotherhood Grand Monarque Champagne Hudson River Region $25

84 Brotherhood Blanc de Blancs New York $11.00

WHITECLIFF VINEYARD & WINERY

88 Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Reserve Chardonnay New York $17

87 Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Cabernet Franc New York $20

86 Whitecliff Vineyard 2010 Traminette New York $16

PALAIA VINEYARDS

84 Palaia Vineyards  2008 Cabernet Franc New York  $19.00

Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail Season Kick-Off

The Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail is kicking off the season April 9th with their Pasta Trail Event.  What's unique about the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail is you have wine, beer and spirits you get to taste.  There is something for everyone.

The event cost is $15 and that gives you a passport good at Brookview Station Winery, Harvest Spirits, Chatham Brewery, Tousey Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery and Furnace Brook Winery. The event runs from noon - 5pm.

I did attend this event last year and really enjoyed it.  The wine, the beer and the spirits!  If you are a vodka drinker, Harvest Spirits makes Core Vodka, very smooth! Have a beer tasting at Chatham Brewery is a great palate cleanser before moving onto the next winery. 

Season's Greetings on the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail

Tis the season of holiday trail events.  This season marks the inaugural holiday event on the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail "Season's Greetings."

Can you say CHEERS?  CHEERS is what you are going to receive this weekend when your travel the trail that spans from Germantown, NY to Castleton, NY over into Richmond and Great Barrington, MA. Visit all the trail members this weekend and you will receive a sequined wreath bottle necklace that spells "CHEERS"

To participate in this event just purchase your trail passport at any of the locations on Saturday or Sunday for $15, $5 for your designated driver.  Each passport will entitle you to beverage samplings, snacks and a wine charm at all Trail venues.  Event hours are 12pm - 5pm Saturday and Sunday.  Remember, you must visit all members during the weekend to complete bottle necklace that spells "Cheers."

For more information visit the Hudson Berkshire Beverage Trail.  CHEERS!

Tousey Winery

I began the Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail on Saturday at Tousey Winery.  From my understanding Tousey has been doing farmers markets for the past year or so but hasn't opened a tasting room until last Saturday. A nice addition to Hudson Valley Wine Country!  Welcome!

We arrived just after they opened their doors.  Although you can tell there is still work to be done in the tasting room, Ben and his wife (didn't catch her name - along with her infant daughter) and Bruce (the winemaker) were there welcoming us with open bottles.

The first wine we tasted was their Seyval Blanc,their Hudson Heritage Wine. The grapes were purchased from Doug Glorie's Farm in Marlboro, NY.  There was 15% of Cayuga blended in.  I am not a big Cayuga fan, but this did bring a touch of fruit (grape) to the wine which was not overbearing.  It was a citrus blend with a soft grape/fruity smooth feel.

Next up was their 2008 Vidal.  These grapes came from Fino Farms in Marlboro, NY.  I right away picked up on the sugar in this wine.  When I asked for the RS, my question wasn't answered.  He told me the grapes were picked at 25 1/2 brix.  This was as semi dry wine with a nice mouth feel.  Sweet nose with hints of melon.

Now we moved along to try the Chambourcin.  The grapes here were sourced from Glorie Farm Winery in Marlboro, NY.  The wine was decanted and probably needed a little more time in the decanter.  It was a dry wine and you could taste the cherry.  It was thin and acidic.

The final two wines we tasted were their Plum Wine and Cassis.  Ray and Ben grow the fruit for the Plum Wine.   It was dry to sweet and slightly acidic.  The finish was all plum, like biting into a juicy one.  Nice.

Then the Cassis.  The cassis was made with honey from their farm.  It was sweet but had a tart finish. Would go great with cheesecake!

I wish Ray, Ben and Bruce the best of luck!  For Ben's wife (whose name I didn't catch) the best of luck with your jams (and baby).  She has produced a nice selection of homemade jams that are on sale in the tasting room.

Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail Opening this Weekend

Since I last wrote about the creation of the Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail, two wineries have joined them.  These wineries are located not in NY, but in Massachusetts, just over the New York border.  Furnace Brook Winery in Richmond, MA and Les Trois Emme in Great Barrington, MA - Welcome!  


The festivities begin on Saturday April 10 at 12-noon with Pasta and Sauce.  You can purchase a Pasta Passport for $15 from any of the members of the trail.  A Pasta Passport will entitle you to a complimentary tasting flight of wine, beer or spirits at each location on Saturday.  Along with the tasting you will receive a taste of a special pasta dish.


I am a bit confused on what time the event ends.  I have a press release that states 5pm but on their Facebook Fan Page  and website it says 4pm.  I am sure they won't close the door on us.  


I am looking forward to this event and tasting at places that are new to me, especially if I make it over the border before 5p.  If I do, can anyone make an recommendations for dinner in Great Barrington, MA.  I haven't been there since my kids learned to ski at Butternut. (which I might add is a great place to for kids to learn, their ski school is excellent!)


Hudson-Berkshire Beverage Trail Members - Hudson-Chatham Winery, Brookview Station Winery, Tousey Winery, Furnace Brook Winery, Les Trois Emme Winery, Chatham Brewery and Harvest Spirits.