New York - Seneca Lake (west) - Barnstormer

Barnstormer Winery - (August 2016) We were greeted by Art, one of the tasting room hosts. He presented the tasting menu and we were they were able to choose five wines to try. I started with the Gewürztraminer, made more in the French style, it was not as floral as others, but still retained the dry, crisp finish. Art gave me a tasting of the dry Riesling so I could compare it to the semi-dry Riesling. Both had good aromas and flavors, but the semi-dry was better overall with its finish. I moved to the reds: the pinot noir and the cabernet franc were average, but the Proprietor’s Red, a blend of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon stood out as smooth and flavorful.

My wife's tasting comprised of the Angel’s Share, made from Vignoles, Jenny White, a Niagara blend, Jenny Red, a concord blend, Mile High Red and Nosedive port, made from Lemberger; not overly fortified like other ports.

New York - Seneca Lake (West) - Lakewood Vineyards

Lakewood Vineyards - (August 2016) When we entered the building, we were greeted by the host, given a tasting sheet, and directed to the tasting bar. Amelia would be out tasting bar host. After I paid the tasting fee, we were given two tokens, which could be used to reduce our bottle purchases later.

They offer two flights: the dry and the sweet. I did the dry while my wife did the sweet. I started off with the Chardonnay, which is aged in New York oak, not a blend of American oak, giving it a soft buttery nose and taste with only a hint of oak. The dry Riesling had a hint of sweet citrus balanced with an acid finish. The Long Stem White, a blend of Cayuga and Vidal Blanc, is a classic summer porch wine; sweet start with a crisp finish. The cabernet franc was flavorful, but not one of the better ones I’ve had; maybe because it is a 2014 vintage and probably needs more aging time. I completed my flight with the Long Stem Red, a blend of deChaunac, Vincent, merlot, marechal focht and baco noir. The soft tannins and the fruity flavors made this a surprise based on the grape blend.

My wife started off with the semi-sweet Riesling. It was more pleasing to the nose and palate compared to the dry Riesling. The Valvin muscat, a Cornell hybrid, offered peach and apricot on the palate. The Abby Rose, a blend of concord, Delaware and Ives (light pink) grapes is their version of a sangria without the fruit. Their Niagara tasted like adult Welch’s white grape juice. She completed her flight with the Glaciovinum, an iced wine made from the Delaware grape.

I asked about the Lemberger and Amelia said I could have a taste. Not as smooth as the Long Stem Red, but it was good. We inquired about the Full Monty Riesling, one I read about on their website. It was the first Riesling started by the winery and it is one of the more popular wines sold. I asked if my wife could get a taste. She enjoyed it. We decided to purchase a bottle of the Full Monty Riesling and the Long Stem Red.

New York - Watkins Glen - Castel Grisch

Castel Grisch Winery - (August 2016) This was the first winery we chose, because the opened early, as part of our Finger Lakes experience. When we got out of the car, we were treated to a view of Seneca Lake with the fog lifting; it was an overcast day. It is one of the smaller wineries in the area.

I started off with the Chardonnay, with its fruit flavor and light oak finish, it was still a bit off; something was missing. I then tried the Chardonnay Riesling, a 80/20 blend of the two grape varieties. The Chardonnay still was missing something; it was the same wine. The Riesling was much better by itself, but my wife was not impressed with it. The Traminette, with a slight tart lime palate had a slightly sweet finish. I completed my tasting with the Baco Noir, not heavily oaked, but having a cherry finish.

My wife started with the Riesling but preferred the Traminette. The Cayuga White had a honeydew sweetness but it was the Seneca Dream White, a blend of Niagara and Delaware grapes that was the winner of the two; it was smooth and just the right amount of grape flavor and sweetness. She completed her tasting with the Seneca Dream Red, made from the Catawba grape.

Pennsylvania - Lewisburg - Fero Vineyards and Winery

Fero Vineyards and Winery - January 2020 - We were at the PA Farm Show and since we have not returned to the winery, we decided to taste what they brought. The Riesling had a light grapefruit aroma with a slight acidic finish while the Gruner Veltliner had lemon rind and peach aromas with a smoother acidic finish. The Estate Lemberger was earthy with a mild tannic, caramel finish. The dry Sparkling Rose was light on flavor and very brut while the Pink Bubbly was not as sweet as expected. The Chocolate wine has the bitterness of the chocolate balancing the grape sweetness and the Berry wine was like eating fresh reaspberries.

January 2018 - While attending the PA Farm Show, we stopped to taste their limited available wines. The bubbly blush, their Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris blend, was a nice change of pace, and more brut than I expected.The bubbly Riesling was slightly sweet with the effervescence taming the sweetness. Their Chocolate was a nice blend of Lemberger and Pinot Noir with the right hint of dark cocoa. The late harvest Riesling was not as sweet and was well-balanced from a sweet-acid perspective. The Saperavi had dark fruit flavors and good body.

August 2016 It was a busy day while we were here. The tasting host greeted us and started us off at the overflow tasting bar; it was the employee entrance to the tasting bar, a flip down door which made an impromptu low tasting bar. She explained the tasting policies and got us glasses. After she helped customers choose and pay for their purchases, we were the only ones left in the tasting room so they were able to move to the higher bar.

I decided to try the three Rieslings, two pinot noir, two lemberger and the saperavi. I started off with the dry Riesling, a silver medal winner which was fruity on the nose, but a crisp finish. I asked to try the other two Rieslings before going to the red wines. The semi-dry Riesling had better fruit notes and a slight sweet finish. The third one, the late harvest Riesling, was sweet, but not the syrupy sweetness you sometimes find with dessert wines. The semi-dry was the best overall of the three.

After eating a few crackers, I went onto the reds wines. The 2013 pinot noir was lightly oaked, but the 2014 reserve pinot noir had more body and flavor. Lemberger is not a grape seen too much so I enjoyed the contrast between the 1812 Lemberger, named so because the farm has been in the family name since that year and Lemberger is a grape variety that grows well in the region, and the estate Lemberger; the estate was more balanced. My last was the saperavi, which reminded me of petit verdot, dark and rich in color.

My wife started with the sweet blush, similar to a white zinfandel, but not as dry, made from apples, which at first didn’t seem like it would be good, but the finish reminds you of biting into the apple and getting the right amount of skin mixed in with your fruit. The Niagara was sweet and their sweet red, a sweetened blend of their red grapes, was also palatable. The chocolate wine was a bit different than normal as the chocolate flavor flowed like a candy bar versus infusion, but it was the cherry wine that really stood out. Although a blend of Lemberger and deChaunac with cherry flavor, it was not cherry pie flavor, but cherry off the tree flavor; just right. The berry berry, a mixture of raspberry, blackberries and strawberries, was a different type of wine, the individual flavors got lost. My wife finished with the late harvest Riesling, which she enjoyed.

Pennsylvania - Liverpool - Hunters Valley

Hunters Valley Winery - (July 2016) We were on our way to Niagara falls and were not in a hurry to get to our evening destination. When we saw the sign as we got on route 15, we decided to stop. We went into the tasting room and were allowed to taste up to five wines. They asked all patrons for identification; something we encountered in Virginia.

I started with their naked chardonnay. Aged in stainless steel, it had a smooth, crisp finish. The pinot Grigio started off floral and was soft on the palate with a crisp finish. The cabernet sauvignon has a faint blueberry taste and more tannins than the merlot, which had more tart cherry and soft oak undertones. I finished off with the semi-dry Riesling with hints of citrus at the end.

My wife started with the Wedding White, the first wine made by the original vintner for his daughter’s wedding. Made from Catawba grapes, it was not overly sweet. The Hope Whispers, a Riesling with berry juices added, was more (berry) fruit than grape. The late harvest Riesling, Freedom, was smooth, not overly sweet and like by both of us. The Schwartzbeeren, a blackberry wine, was more like a cordial than a dessert wine; not like a fortified port. She finished with Buck’s Backwoods Brew, their Chambourcin port-style wine.

Nevada - Pahrump - Pahrump Valley Winery

Pahrump Valley Winery - (May 2016)  I was interested in the vineyard tour so we decided to have lunch here and see how much more time we would kill before the tour. Joy, our server, stopped by to ask if we’d like a beverage and I said they would decide on some wine based on what they were choosing to eat. She explained that there were two additional wines not on the list, a pinot grigio and a sauvignon blanc and that we could have two tastings as part of our meal. We chose to get one taste each of the pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc; we liked the sauvignon blanc better.

Joy mentioned some of the specialties on the menu, the lobster bisque and the pasta dishes. We decided to share the baked brie appetizer. My wife got the apple pecan salad with grilled chicken and I the dilled salmon with spinach. The appetizer and both meals went well with the sauvignon blanc. We were presented the dessert menu and decided to do the banana caramel xango. It reminded us of a churro filled with banana and banana cheesecake; served with a scoop of ice cream, it was just right.

After lunch, we went to the tasting room and were able to try seven of the available wines. My wife chose from the left side – white, sweets and dessert wines, while I chose from the right - all red wines. I was especially interested in the Nevada wines, produced from grapes grown in the local area.

My wife started off with the viognier, which was slightly oaked; it was different and still enjoyable (for me). She then tried the Symphony, a blend of moscato, Grenache and pinot gris. This wine is one of their best sellers. She enjoyed it and compared it to a summer sipping wine. She tried the Sunset Rose, the vintner’s blend of several grapes to make the blush wine; its taste was similar to a jolly rancher (interesting). She followed this with the Desert Blush, another blended rose wine. She liked the Sunset Rose better. She finished her tasting with the three dessert wines. The Sweet Melody is a red wine infused with chocolate; it hits at the start and continues through to the flavor (I thought overpowering), the vinho doce, their port style wine fortified with brandy tasted like a Tootsie Roll, and the crème sherry had a nice caramel ending. She liked the crème sherry at the Sanders Family Winery better (another post).

I started my tasting with the syrah and petit syrah, from grapes grown in California. The petit syrah was the driest of the two and heavy on the tannin; notes of lavendar on the noses. I then moved to the Nevada wines. I started with the barbera, a dry, yet fruity wine with a hint of spice. Next was the primitivo, a red grape I had not had before; it too was dry but had a smooth finish. The zinfandel had hints of black raspberries. The Silver State Red, a blend of seven grape varieties – a very dry wine with heavy tannic structure, yet bold. I finished my tasting with the tempranillo, a very dry wine but flavorful.

We were in time for the tour. The tour guide took us into the vineyard and explained the history of the winery (started by the Sanders family) from its first plantings (some of the vines are over twenty years old) until present day. She explained how the winery is working with local grape growers to produce wine from within the state of Nevada. We walked back into the winery and looked at all the winning wines and were then treated to going into the wine cellar. Gretchen, the winemaker, was in the winery getting ready to filter one of the reds that she would like to bottle the next day. She had part of her operation already set up for the next day, most of which was done by hand. The tour guide took a picture of us with Gretchen.

Nevada - Pahrump - Sanders Family Winery

Sanders Family Winery - located about an hour from Las Vegas, my wife and I made the trip to try something new within the area. We got to try all their available wines as part of the tasting. It started with the whites and their unoaked Chardonnay; it was light and crisp. My wife liked it and I got a hint of citrus. Next was Serenity, a 50/50 blend of Riesling and French Calamare. This was the first wine produced by the family and is their best seller. We both enjoyed it and said it would be a good compromise wine which we could sit and have together. I got a hint of fresh-brewed tea. Last was their blush, Harmony, which is a 50/50 blend of zinfandel and pinot noir.

While we were drinking the reds, I struck up a conversation with the winemaker, Jack Sanders. I asked him how he got into wine making in Nevada due to its climate. He had been in the wine business in California and needed a change. He started Pahrump Valley winery in 1988; this is his second winery in the state.

We moved to the reds; first was their merlot, the only wine aged in oak barrels (for three months); it was young in flavor and had light tannins. The cabernet sauvignon also was a young wine too. The last red was a burgundy made from zinfandel, syrah, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. It was on the sweet side, but served chilled, it would be just as relaxing as the Serenity.

Finally, the dessert wines were served. We started with the cream sherry, which is a five year process to make using chardonnay, with golden color and nutty flavor. It was followed with the ruby port, a seven year process using petit syrah, was like eating liquid jam. As an additional treat, each of the dessert wines was made into a spritzer using ginger ale and lime. The ruby port spritzer was the better of the two.

Virginia - Williamsburg - Busch Gardens - Mistletoe Marketplace

My wife and I were wondering around Busch Gardens, Williamsburg and found the Mistletoe Marketplace. It was an outdoor marketplace off of the arcade. There were many different artisans and we found the special holiday wine tasting. There were many to choose from so we had decisions to make first. My wife started off the tasting with the Geyser Peak 2012 sauvignon blanc, the Juve y Camps cava reserve de la familia 2008 brut nature with its peach undertones and apple finish, but she really enjoyed the Rockbridge Virginia white wine, an ice wine.

I chose the Pine Ridge 2012 Forefront pinot noir over the Justin cabernet sauvignon. Another couple at the tasting bar agreed that the pinot noir would be a better choice.My wife finished off the tasting with the Chocolate Shop chocolate lovers wine. She chose that over Grahams fine ruby port. Although it is a red wine, it is infused with dark chocolate and cherries. She enjoyed it over other chocolate wines she has had in the past.

Virginia - Spotsylvania - Mattaponi Winery

Mattaponi Winery - (December 2015) This is another winery we visited while traveling home from Williamsburg. It is located on an Indian reservation. All their grapes and fruit a from local vendors. We were allowed to taste six of their available wines, but due to the limited number, we were able, between the both of us, to try all that were available.

They had two whites: the 2009 chardonnay, with a hint of orange peel, a nice citrus taste, and the oak-aged buttery finish, this wine was crisp and smooth, and the 2013 riesling, on the semi-sweet side, I enjoyed the white peach undertones; while my wife picked out apricot.

They had two reds: their 2014 cabernet sauvignon, which I felt was young and I got a hint of pepper, and the  2013 Miskwamin, translation of red berry, is made from the blue concord grape. This was not as sweet as many other concord wines; I did not find this to be typical Welch's grape juice.

Their fruit wines are plentiful. Their Kizismin, translates as sun berry, is a peach wine, which I felt had the right balance of white and yellow peaches (although they would not say both were used) and not on the syrup side of sweet. We both enjoyed this one. Their Wematin is a grapefruit and strawberry wine with the right amount of tart and sweet. The Odeimin, pure strawberry, was like picking strawberries right out of the patch; a bit sweet, but I could taste the ripe fruit. The last was the Pow Wow, a chocolate infused strawberry wine. I got the hints of the dark chocolate, but the strawberry taste seemed overripe.

As part of the tasting, they had their version of sangria available. This is made with their Wematin wine and infused with a blend of fruits and juices. Interesting combination.

Virginia - Glen Allen - James River Cellars Winery

James River Cellars - (December 2015) While we were on our way home from Williamsburg, we decided to stop here (also because we saw their trailers at Saude Creek) and try the wines. They are located next to a driving range and although there are high nets, you are warned to park at your own risk. All percentages from their tasting sheet.

We were carded here, which I'm beginning to think is a good idea (and be fair to all patrons). As part of the tasting, we were able to taste all their available 2014 white wines. We started off with their reserve chardonnay, which is aged in all three types of oak barrels; I enjoyed the oak flavor and smooth buttery finish (I could not tell all three were used, but I could pull out the American). Next was the 2014 chardonnay, aged in stainless steel, was crisp. When comparing the two side by side, I preferred the reserve. For the last of the dry whites, we had a gewurztraminer, not as floral as others we have had, its one we'd have with a meal.

The semi-dry whites started off with the petit manseng; I tasted lemon while my wife got hints of honey. The vidal blanc was released prior to the holidays; it starts off sweet but has that tart finish that we could sit on the porch and drink it. The chardonel, another new release, finished the whites; this version was similar to a Niagara.

Moving to the dry reds, we started off with their 2013 Rad Red, a blend of 43% cabernet franc, 30% petit verdot, 20% chancellor and 7% sangiovese, which honors one of their dear friends and some of the proceeds goes to cancer research. It's a good blend, has amazing color, and with hints of berries, their description of "for casual drinking . . . flavors aid relaxation as you shout at children in the cul-de-sac, from the porch" are true, especially if my wife says she could see herself  doing that with this wine in hand. Up next was the 2012 Monitor versus CSS Virginia, a blend of 47% cabernet franc, 44% merlot and 9% tannat. This was drier on the palette and had hints of spices. We then tried the 2012 meritage, which, starting in 2013 will be bottled under the Monitor label, a blend of 45% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 11% cabernet franc and 11% petit verdot. I got an aroma of orange marmalade, but a taste of lemon peel and black pepper; quite interesting. The semi-dry 2104 Hanover red, a blend of 48% chancellor, 28% pinot noir, 16% chambourcin and 8% cabernet franc, which was stainless steel aged, completed the red portion. There was a hint of sweet church wine to this one, which I found surprisingly enjoyable.

The sweet wines completed our tasting. We started off with the 2014 Montpelier, a blend of 63% pinot gris, 20% chardonel and 17% chambourcin, a blush wine. I got some tartness with hints of strawberry. The 2014 Hanover white, a blend of 45% chardonel, 45% pinot gris, 5% petit manseng and 5% muscat. I found the fruit flavor of peach and the sweetness to be similar to a diamond wine; I could drink this with my wife. The 2013 chambourcin, with berry flavors, was good, but it was the 2014 Real Santa red, a blend of 45% chambourcin, 35% cabernet franc, 10% petit verdot, 5% merlot and 5% pinot noir that stole the entire show of these wines. It's a spiced wine that hit it just right, with nutmeg and cinnamon and to compliment the wine, I see a gentle glazed gingerbread cookie.

While we were tasting, we met a couple who were also traveling home, to New Hampshire, and we enjoyed their takes on these wines too. We learned that the only grapes on this property are the ones as you come in the drive. To be called a winery in Virginia, there must be at least one acre of grapes grown on the property or they would be considered a bar. The remainder of their grape production is in Montpelier, not far from the winery; all their grapes come from Virginia. What I liked about this winery is they gave you the vintage, as long as it had one, and how many cases of it they produced. When you are in an area that you do not frequent, it helps me decide what to buy, if I'm going to do a quantity. Unfortunately, the wines are in screw capped bottles so they won't be on my shelf long.

Unfortunately, the star of the tasting did not age well. When we opened it a year later to use as a marinade and a warmed wine, the spices were too overpowering. We had to tone it down with another red wine.

Virginia - Williamsburg - Busch Gardens - France

What a better way to enjoy a theme park then to do some wine tasting. We were at Busch Gardens for their holiday events and decided to taste wine while walking through France. Since this part of the park was just opening and was crowded, we decided to stop and do the wine tasting. Since we could share the wines, I purchased one glass; it is a green-stemmed glass, designed for the holidays. We would be able to taste four wines from regions in France.

The wine bar host poured the first one, a Jean-Louis sparkling wine (not champagne because it did not come from that region), a brut, cuvee, blanc de blanc, meaning it was a dry wine, from the first press of the grapes (they were crushed without the press or minimal pressing) and it was only white grapes. This vintage is a blend of chenin blanc and viognier; apples and honey were tasted. I enjoyed this one even though I do not like sparkling wines; not too much effervescence. The next was a 2014 rose d’anjou from Caves de l’angevine. This blush wine was enjoyed by my wife. It tasted as if the strawberry was picked just one day too soon, but this did not distract from the flavor. The last white was the Louis Laurent 2011 Vouvray. It is from the Vouvray region and 100% chenin blanc; I tasted some honey.

The red wine, Joseph Droubin 2009 Beaujolais-Villages, is 100% gamay grapes. It was a new grape for us. The bar host gave us a special treat, a second red, the Grand vin de Bordeaux 2012 grand reserve la grange clinet, a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. I enjoyed this one over the first. I thanked the host for the tasting as well as the education; I learned about the French style of wines from a perspective and how they are named.

Virginia - Williamsburg - Williamsburg Winery

Williamsburg Winery - (December 2015) As we entered the winery, we noticed that some of the area had changed since they were there several years ago. The paved parking lot was full so I parked in their grass lot and went to get our tasting tickets. I had just missed the cut-off for the current tasting and we had to wait thirty minutes for the next tasting and tour. While we waited, we walked around the gift shop and read about the wines we were going to sample as part of their tour

When it was time to start our tour, we met the rest of our group and proceeded onward. The first stop was a video about the history about the Williamsburg Winery; it is the largest in Virginia. We went to the hall where they have wedding receptions and banquets. But it was the wine cellar that had me intrigued.

As we entered the wine cellar, there were rows and rows of wine barrels. All the oak aging is done in this room. There were mostly reds in the barrels. I took a photograph of the label on a few of the barrels. It tells what grape was inside, when they were picked, how long fermented, yeast used in the fermentation process and the date it was put in the barrel. That is a lot of information on one label, but it plays an important role later on.

After visiting the cellar, we were able to look in the reserve cellar as there were people doing a reserve wine tasting. As we walked along, we were told about the concrete egg-shaped aging tanks. This is a new process in America, but originated in France. I wonder if there are other wineries looking into this process. At the end of the cellar were the stainless steel aging tanks; the larger ones were out of site in another room.

We went upstairs to the tasting room. There, we were treated to the following wines: 2014 viognier, one of their estate wines; 2014 midsummer’s night white, a blend of traminette, vidal blanc and viognier; 2014 traminette. We enjoyed the midsummer's night white with its middle of the road body and taste, we both can enjoy this wine. We continued with the 2013 merlot, 2013 trianon, a blend of cabernet franc and petit verdot, and the Susan Constant red, 100% sangiovese. The reds did not excite me and I should have looked for the awards. The final wine was the petit fleur, a blend of moscato ottonel and vidal blanc, not overly sweet, but smooth.

The wines were not as impressive as before, but before leaving, we did purchase a bottle of petit fleur and midsummer’s night white.

Virginia - Barhamsville - Gauthier Vineyard

Gauthier Vineyard - (December 2015) As we entered the vineyard, we traveled a long and winding drive, which has parts under construction to allow for vehicles to pass without pulling into the grass. We entered the tasting room and were greeted by the bar host; another two couples would join us as our tasting started.

As with other Virginia wineries, the wines were already chosen for us. We started off with the chardonnay with its slight buttery taste and also had the 2014 Riesling, with a citrus taste, and 2014 traminette, which was on the sweet yet dry side. My wife liked the Riesling the best of all three, while I enjoyed the chardonnay.

We then sampled the reds. The 2012 cabernet franc was better than the 2012 chambourcin; the bar host said the cabernet franc wines in the mountains are better for body. The 2013 petit verdot, although young, was enjoyable, while the brick house red, a blend of 60% cabernet franc, 20% petit verdot and 20% Chambourcin did not excite me. I was not impressed with any of reds. The last wine we tasted was the gazebo rouge, a sweet chambourcin wine, surprisingly appealing.

We decided to purchase a riesling and a gazebo rouge. I'm happy to say, when we got home, I noticed that these wines were produced and bottled for Gauthier; I will give them another chance when back in the area.

Virginia - Lanexa - Saude Creek Winery

Saude Creek Vineyards and Winery - (December 2015) The winery was just opening as we so I  went towards the vineyard and took some pictures before going into the tasting room. As we walked to the tasting room, we went up the side ramp to the deck, which overlook the Pamunkey River. Once in the tasting room, we were greeted by the bar host. As with previous Virginia wineries, they chose the wines for you and we had to produce identification (this is not widely enforced).

We started off with the Pamunkey Fall white, a chardonnay and chardonel blend. It was dry and crisp, but with a bit of sweetness of the hybrid grape. We then tried the vidal blanc, wintertime white, a Riesling, and the tavern white, a blended white. Of the four whites, the tavern white was like by both of us.

We then moved to the reds; we started off with the merlot and the Saude Creek red, a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. The blended wine had better body and aromas. The red tasting ended with the sweet rebellion, chambourcin, and the tavern red, another blended wine. My wife liked the tavern red. We purchased the tavern white, tavern red and Saude Creek red.

While we were tasting, I had a conversation about wine and the wine industry in Virginia. There was a pork barbeque vendor, the Scottish Pig, selling lunch so we decided to have lunch here before going to the next vineyard. We purchased a bottle of traminette to go with our meal; we thought it would go nice with the spicy dishes and we did not get to try it. We purchased the BBQ sundae, which was pulled pork, topped with baked beans and cole slaw, and the McQ, which was pulled pork topped with macaroni and cheese. We went out onto the deck since the sun had come out. We enjoyed our lunch and wine; some of which went home with us.

When we were leaving, we noticed trailers with James River in the vineyard. This is a winery that I want to go to on the way home from Williamsburg. We also found the perfect resting place; yes, a cemetery just on the outskirts of the vineyard. What a place to rest!

Virginia - New Kent - New Kent Winery

New Kent Winery - (December 2015) We arrived prior to the tasting room opened so I walked around the fenced in vineyards.When the winery opened, we went in to do a tasting; we were the only one in the building other than the staff. We were able to sample all the available wines.

We started off with the 2012 chardonnay and compared that to the 2013 reserve chardonnay. Although both are aged in stainless steel, neither was extraordinary. We then sampled the meritage, made from merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot, harvested over three seasons, and the 2013 merlot. My wife didn’t like either, but I enjoyed the meritage over the merlot, it was full-bodied and smooth. While tasting, I asked about the grapes in the vineyards overlooking the tasting room; most of the grapes are estate, but not all are at this location.

The tasting concluded with the white merlot, 2014 vidal blanc and the sweet Virginia. We both enjoyed the white merlot. My wife especially liked the sweet Virginia. We decided to purchase a meritage and a white merlot.

The hosting staff was not knowledgeable in the wines, but maybe the winemaker hasn't given them enough information about the wine.

Virginia - Fredericksburg - Hartwood Winery

Hartwood Winery - (December 2015) Traffic was moving slowly south of the DC area while we were on our way to Williamsburg and we decided to take a side trip to this winery.The winery is similar in nature to one we wanted to go to in Maine; it was located in the front and back yards of a home residence; this one is situated on seven acres.

Before we could start our tasting, both of us were carded. This seems to be a new Virginia law that has not been enforced. The wines for the tasting were already chosen for the day and it started with the Hartwood Station white, a blend of rkatsiteli and chardonel; smooth, but dry. This was followed by the Rappahannock rose, made from chambourcin, Rappahannock white, a 50/50 blend of seyval blanc and vidal blanc, was crisp, and the Deweese white, a vidal blanc named after the first winery in the county. We enjoyed the Rappahannock white the best of the three. Before going to the reds, they tried the blushing hart, a blush with seyval blanc, niagara and chambourcin; my wife enjoyed this but was too sweet for me.

The red wines started with the Rappahannock red, primarily chambourcin, the 2013 cabernet franc (the 2012 was said to be the best they have ever produced), and 2012 cabernet sauvignon. I enjoyed all three, especially the cabernet franc. There was an interesting grape on the tasting, although sold out. I asked about the tannat wine, which I learned is a French varietal that has become the national grape of Uruguay. This particular grape is typically used in blending but this winery had it as a single grape wine. We decided to purchase a bottle of the Rappahannock white, cabernet franc and the petit verdot, even though we did not taste it; I'll compare to others I have in my collection.

Virginia - Stafford - Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery

Potomac Point Winery - (December 2015) While we were traveling to Williamsburg for relaxation during the holidays, we decided to stop at a few of the wineries south of the DC area. This was our first stop and after purchasing our tickets for the premiere tasting, the classic tasting with additional wines added, we went to the bar and met a man who used to live in Allentown; he knew of some of the wineries in that area very well. All percentages are from their tasting sheet.

He started us off with the 2014 viognier, with a small amount of petit manseng; it was enjoyable, but we could not agree on the flavors, I tasted pineapple, but my wife tasted banana. We then tried the 2014 reserve chardonnay, with buttery tones, the 2012 Norton, with a small amount of tannat (this grape is predominately a Virginia blending grape) did not entice us, and 2014 merlot had nice oak and tannic structure. My wife did not like these wines as they were oak-aged and dry; but I made sure they did not go to waste. It was the 2014 Abbinato, a blend of 65% sangiovese, 25% chambourcin and 10% petit verdot done in its Chianti style, that my wife thought she’d like, but it was still too much oak. We completed the reds with the 2014 cabernet franc, which was tart, the 2014 coyote cave red, a blend of 55% tempranillo, 30% petit verdot, 10% cabernet franc and 5% syrah, which had a dry smell, and 2013 custom label red, a blend of 54% sangiovese, 26% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon and 6% syrah; all of which were dry on the palate. The 2014 vintages seemed young to me and need some more aging time.

The first in the sweeter series was the 2014 la belle vie rose, a blush made from 60% merlot and 40% petit verdot; it was a close version of a white zinfandel. The whites included the 2014 custom white, a blend of 70% viognier and 30% vidal blanc, and the 2014 la belle vie white, a blend of 67% vidal, 15% muscat, 9% chardonnay, 8% viognier and 1% petit manseng, which tasted similar to a Riesling at the beginning with a sweet finish. Neither were as good as the viognier at the beginning. The tasting ended with the 2012 moscato dolce, with its effervescence and peach aromas, and the 2010 vin de paille, a blend of 65% late harvest vidal, 30% late harvest petit manseng and 5% muscat raisin. It is similar to a port - you get the taste of dried fruit, but the alcohol is not until the finish.

Virginia - Williamsburg - The Williamsburg Lodge

Williamsburg Lodge - (December 2015) As part of their New Years Eve celebrations, the lodge had a wine tasting using some of the wines from their cellar. This was presented by Michael Harper, their sommelier, the chefs of the lodge and their wine geeks (servers). This was to be a tasting as well as an educational experience.

Each of the wines could be tasted with cheeses selected to go with the wines. The cheeses were Marissa, a sheeps milk cheese, and coca Cardona, a goats milk cheese, from the Carr Valley in Wisconsin and a merlot bella Vitano, a cows milk cheese from Satori in Wisconsin. There was also a tomato confit, spiced with nutmeg, which could also be tried with the wine. I tried each cheese and the confit with each wine.

We started off with a glass of sparkling wine from Austria; one of the best spimonets available, it had apple and fig flavors. Unfortunately, we were not told of the brand. We moved to a pinot gris (the French word for the Italian grigio), a 2012 vintage from la Crema, from the Monterey region of California. I found a pear aroma followed by citrus on the palette. I found the Marissa paired well with this wine. Our final white was a 2009 chardonnay from WindRacer. This wine from the Anderson Valley of California has a slight malactic acid fermentation. It has a creamy texture with a buttery finish; I noted hints of vanilla and nutmeg. I enjoyed the coca cardona with this wine.

They went local and served the 2010 vintage of Williamsburg Winery's Adagio. The blend of 42% cabernet franc, 30% merlot and 28% petit verdot was very good and has aged well, but I'm not sure it this is the same vintage that just recently won the Governor's Cup. I liked the confit when paired with this wine.

Our final tasting was to be the 2007 vintage of Krug's Generations, but when the imperiale size bottle was opened (we learned that there are many sizes and this is not the largest available), it had gone to where it was a cooking wine and not a drinking wine. As a consolation, the signed bottle was given away to a lucky winner. They had to choose one which had enough quantity for the tasting, which was about 200 people, and they chose the 2010 reserve vintage of merlot from Waterbrook Winery in the Columbia Valley of Washington State. The merlot bella Vitano complemented this merlot well.

Once all the wines were poured, they brought out dessert. The plate consisted of bite size portions of apple cake, chocolate fudge cake and New York style cheesecake. I asked for a bit more of the two I enjoyed the best, the chardonnay and Adagio, and tried all three desserts with them. The chardonnay paired well with the apple cake and the Adagio did best with the chocolate fudge, but the cheesecake was best with both wines.

New Hampshire - Sandown - Zorvino Vineyards

Zorvino Vineyards and Winery - (July 2015) With so many wines available, it was a surprise that they had chosen the wines for the tasting. They do one thing we have not seen at other wineries and have their more popular wines in splits and/or halves.

We started off with the skinny guinea pinot grigio, semi-dry but bold in flavor, but it was the reserve chardonnay, lightly oaked, its hints of butterscotch and slight buttery finished made it seem like a dessert. We then tried the sangiovese and malbec. Both would be good with dinner, but the sangiovese was better on the palette.

For the fruit wines, we tried the cranbreez, similar to what we tasted at Ten Gallon Hat (PA) but more tart; we purchased a split to see if it lives up to the splash of lime test. The pineapple was not as sweet as tasted in Hawaii, but it was the missing sweetness that made it enjoyable.

They also blend some of their fruits with grapes. We tried the baccaZ, their blackberry, and fragoleZ, their strawberry, which are blended with white grapes. The baccaZ was better with the bold berry flavor and not as sweet.

As a treat, the owner stopped by with their mango magnifico, a combination of mango and moscato, It was good, but I found it too sweet and needed more mango; but my wife enjoyed it.

Our last wine was a surprise, it was the jumping jack's pumpkin wine. This wine, made with local pumpkins does taste like pie in a bottle. The spice is not overpowering and the pumpkin taste is evident.

Maine - Lebanon - Prospect Hill Winery

Prospect Hill Winery- (August 2015) The second of two Maine wineries we visited on vacation, this one came with weird directions when mapping it; good thing to check websites first or we would have been on a dirt road for most of the trip.

All their wines are estate and as you'll see, the varieties are not typical; all were chosen for being able to withstand the cold northern winters and the short growing season. The whites are all 2014 vintages and the reds 2013. Richard and Anita, the owners and winemakers, basically invited us into a kitchen-like setting for our tasting. Since all the varieties were new to us, we did not mind that they had the wines chosen for the tasting (their policy).

We started off with the Elvira, a crisp dry wine with the flavor of a green apple, and the Edelvira, a combination of the Elvira and Edelweiss grapes, which was also dry, with notes of apple, had a smoother finish. Of the two, the Edelvira was best, but the Edelweiss was not available for tasting comparison. Our next taste was the Prospect Hill rose, made from early pressed Saint Vincent grapes; its one of the few blush wines I have enjoyed with subtle hints of strawberry.

With the reds, we started with the chancellor, which to me is similar to a merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend. It had a fruity plum taste but a smooth finish; it was too dry for my wife. The marechal foch here was probably the best I had while in the New England region. It was bold with fruit flavors, yet  balanced. The harvest red, a blend of 40% Saint Vincent and 60% marquette grapes would be a nice summer red with its red color and berry taste. But it was the Prospect Noir, a 50/50 blend of landot noir and marquette grapes, that my wife and I knew we could sit down and enjoy with dinner. When we were finished our tasting, Anita took us out to their vineyards.

New Hampshire - Lee - Flag Hill Winery and Distillery

Flag Hill Winery and Distillery - (August 2015) One thing we are noticing is that many of the northern wineries have a distillery as part of the operation. The difference here is they are a larger operation. We were able to try six of the wines or spirits on their tasting list. Since we were there predominately for the wines, we chose ten of them and one spirit each.

My wife chose her five wines: raspberry, which had the chambord flavor and sweetness; la Crescent, a semi-sweet pinot grigio, which we felt would go good with a flavorful fish, the niagara, which I felt was not as sweet as some I have tasted before, was more refreshing than the la Crescent and their Maiden's Blush, a blend of cayuga, niagara and de chaunac, is like a moscato but with the niagara grape being the dominant of the three.

I chose their Flag Hill white, a lightly oaked chardonnay, vignoles, which was smooth and had a hint of melon, and their cayuga, which I felt was better than the niagara. For the reds, I tried the marechal foch and the Flag Hill red, a blend of 15% de chaunac and 85% marechal foch. Both were good bodied, but I liked the marechal foch best with its balanced tannins.

For the spirits, we tried Karner Blue gin and sugar maple liquer. The gin rivals good gin on the shelf, but it was the liquer that stole the show. A little bit of this with your pancakes or waffles and it is definitely a morning treat. As an added surprise, we tried the North River Port, which was a bit too fortified; definitely one (small) glass and you might be done for the evening, and the Sparkling Cayuga, which with the fizz tasted similar to a moscato.

Maine - Union - Sweetgrass Winery and Distillery

Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery - While we were on vacation this past summer, this was one of two Maine wineries we were able to visit; we went to their tasting room while we were in Portland

We were able to try the following: blueberry cabernet sauvignon, a 50/50 blend of the title; tart yet fruity with a hint of oak; cranberry gin, with and without the tonic, best for a mixed drink; black river gin, made from blueberries; cranberry smash, fortified with cranberry brandy; three crow rum, with its bourbon barrel aging would give any rum a run for its money; blueberry wine, although blueberries are not my favorite fruit, the oak aging added needed taste and apple cranberry wine, the name says it all, with its tart and crisp apple and cranberry taste.

Massachusetts - Topsfield - Alfalfa Farm Winery

Alfalfa Farm Winery - (August 2015) This was the last of three Massachusetts wineries we visited while on vacation this past summer. My wife and I enjoyed twelve of their available wines.

While I tried their 2014 seyval blanc, one of their estate wines, with its golden color and citrus finish, my wife tried the Silo white, pinot grigio fermented as a light sweet wine, which had a nice honeysuckle taste on the end. We enjoyed the seyval blanc better. While I tried the merlot, my wife had the white merlot. The merlot had an overripe raspberry aroma and was heavy on fruit taste while the white merlot was balanced and more inviting to the nose and palette.

My wife went quickly to the sweet wines tasting the Farmhouse white, a gewurztraminer with similarities of a moscato, it needed to warm a bit to get the grape aromatics, but it was not sweet like moscato, their sangria, made from cabernet franc, and the rogue red, which was better than the white merlot, although it did have an aftertaste.

I finished with the cabernet sauvignon, with no oak flavor; it was deep in color and well-balanced, the marechal foch, their other estate wine, with deep color, it delivered an interesting twist to the reds I've tried in the past, but I cannot describe it as this is a new varietal for me, and cabernet franc. I enjoyed the marechal foch best but also purchased a cabernet franc to compare to others I have.

Pennsylvania - Rome - Antler Ridge Winery

Antler Ridge Winery - Jan 2020 - The Chardonnay was very light, almost naked, with a slight hint of ceaminess and butter on the finish, but it was the hint of tangerine in the flavor that made it interesting while the Vidal was crisp with apple notes and acidity. The Fireside Classic had apple aromas with lemon and lime rind hitting the tip of the tongue before a smooth acidic finish. The Merlot was not a typical Merlot, very light and fruity with no tannins or finish.

April 2017 - I tried the Chardonnay, lightly oaked, almost naked, Fireside classic, a blend of white grapes (winemaker does not disclose), chambourcin, a young wine with mild aromas, flavor and oak, cabernet sauvignon, not as bold as expected, cabernet franc, also milder than expected, and merlot. I enjoyed the cabernet franc the best of the four, with its mild oak finish, even with the cabernet sauvignon being a vitner's reserve. I'm starting to enjoy chambourcin, but it will take some time. I was teased into tasting their Red Vixen. Although it is their most popular wine, it is a concord grape wine, but it not as sweet as church wine.

Dec 2016 - I went to their tasting room in Mertztown. Their tasting allows you to try as many wines as you'd like and Jane, the bar host, poured many. I tried the semi-dry Riesling, Vidal and White Merlot. I enjoyed the Riesling best of the three. Its tart start with the hint of sweetness on the tongue; a wine my wife and I can enjoy together. The White Merlot was also enjoyable and is a welcome difference to traditional Merlot.

Chile - Casablanca Valley - Ventisquero

Vina Ventisquero - No, I didn't go out of the country, but was out to dinner and came across their 2014 reserva pinot noir. My wife does not like dry reds, but since we were having dinner, she consented and was happy she agreed. Although in a screw cap bottle, the young wine was mellow enough for my wife, yet had enough aroma and taste for me. I got a hint of oak. It would be interesting to see if this wine were to age well.

Pennsylvania - Lehigh County - Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery

Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery - Jan 2020 - The tasting options are back to pick six, which included two of the Black Label selections I paid extra for on the previous visit. I remembered some of the wine issues we encountered on the last visit. The Chardonnay Barrel Reserve had apple and butter aromas, lemon rind on the palette, and a slight browned sugar cookie finish, which made it an interesting wine. The Cabernet Franc was light-bodied with fresh tobacco aroma, fruity flavor and high tannic finish, while the Merlot was medium-bodied, but had a wet leather, stale, aroma, plum flavor and high tannic finish. Lorenzo Forte, which seems to be there consistent staple wine, was medium-bodied, dark purple in color, with drying tobacco aroma, cherry flavor and a peppery tanninc finish. The Black Label Tannat had earthy aromas, black raspberry and cherry flavor and a vanilla bean finish.

I decided to walk back to where the winery was to be built (on the first visit) and noticed lots of work had been completed. One room, with many barrels and a few tables, look like it was for small events while the winery had many tanks set up; one row looked like it was still being installed.

July 2019 - We purposely waited to return to sample wines made from the vineyard. They have several tasting options, my wife chose the standard tasting while I chose the Black Label.

Her tasting consisted of Chardonnay, with light oaking, the Estate Label Pinot Grigio, with notes to tangerine and pink grapefruit, Riesling, which unfortunately was dumped because of the foul aromas, the Pinot Noir, light and fruity, Cabernet Sauvignon, which seemed flawed with some off-aromas, and the sangria of the month, fruity, but seemed watered down.

My tasting consisted of the Luca Forte, a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Marsienne, fruity with the Marsienne standing out at the end, the 2016 Cabernet Franc, with light cherry notes and black pepper aroma, the 2016 Lorenzo Forte, their blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, bolder that the Franc, the 2015 Barbera, which started off with an off-aroma but transitioned to dried fruit and blackberry, ending with light tannins, the 2014 Tannat, from California, with dark color, light light tea flavor and heavy tannins, and the L'Amore di Lidia, made from the Tannat grape and fortified, the tea flavor was prominent.

Jan 2016 - This winery just opened in November 2015 and is quickly developing a following. While I was there, the tasting room was not busy, but their restaurant was, and this was on a Wednesday for lunch.

Their typical tasting consists of choosing six wines from their list, but for our tasting, we were going to taste all that were available. While we were tasting, we learned that none of the current wines were produced or bottled at the winery. These opinions are based the wines available and on what I hope, will become wines produced by the winery.

The vino da tavola bianco, a chardonnay blend, had a slight black licorice aroma, but the sweet vidal blanc, tasted at the wine bar versus in the restaurant, were different. The wine in the restaurant was sweeter in taste versus the tasting bar having the sweetness on the nose; not sure if there were different vintages. Their winter sangria was a welcomed difference to the traditional red. Made using their bianco, it had the sour bite from grapefruit, the citrus aroma from blood oranges and the spice from thyme. I enjoyed it, but no my fellow tasters - too much thyme.

The merlot was mellow with earthy tones and slight oak. The cabernet franc had chocolate undertones, but appeared to be watered down (at least the grapes were not stressed as much as the merlot). The chambourcin had a nice berry taste, but had an aftertaste that I cannot describe. The cabernet sauvignon, with deep cherry taste and an oak finish was enjoyable, but it was the Lorenzo Forte, a blend of the merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, that was the best. Although I do not know the blend percentages, I enjoyed it better than the cabernet sauvignon.

While there, I enjoyed lunch. We dined on red wine polpette, meatballs infused with red wine, and served with red sauce and percorino parmesan, Arancini, risotto balls, stuffed with ham and mozzarella cheese, served with red sauce and a garlic aioli, and the funghi pizza, topped with portabella, oyster and cremini mushrooms. For dessert, we had the polenta crumb cake with lemon and rosemary. All the dishes were fresh and delicious.