Yes, I know I have personally dubbed June as Boxed Wine Month, but I figured what better way to kick off the summer wine season than with a little recap of the Great Grapes Wine Festival I had the joy of attending this past Saturday. I picked up VIP tickets as a Mother’s Day gift for none other than my mom. We had an absolute blast!

If you ever have the opportunity to spring the extra couple bucks for a VIP ticket to a wine festival, DO IT. Private, line-free flush toilets, VIP high-end wine tastings, complimentary watermelon and bottled water, complimentary grilled chicken, salmon and steak, and all you can eat cheese plates accompanied by fresh bread and an array of oils and vinegars for dipping? Worth. Every. Penny. Speaking of dipping oils, we discovered Ricchiuti Family Farms Organic Enzo Estate Grown California Extra Virgin Olive Oil infused with Garlic. If you love garlic as much as I do, then this oil is garlicky taste bud magic. Great with fresh french bread, hard cheeses and of course loads of wine.

We did our best to make note of wines that were good enough to go back and buy a bottle or three.  I know not all of our tasting sheets with notes made it back in one piece, but here are a handful of wineries/wines worth a notable mention from this past Saturday:

The St. Michaels White, a light refreshing Vidal style wine, from St. Michaels Winery made it to the “Yes” list.  I would pair this with spicy foods or Mediterranean food.

Slack Winery & Vineyards had three wines worth scrawling next to.  Those were the Slack Tide Blanc, which received an enthusiastic “Yes!!!”  The Slacker Rosé was also a notable selection.  It surprisingly had a very full palette of flavors compared to most rosés that can often have a more muted taste.  The third noted on this list was the Danny Boy Danny dessert wine.  It just has “<3” written next to it.  I don’t remember why this one was special, but I typically dislike dessert wines.  So this must not have been overpoweringly sweet.

Linganore Winecellars had a strong showing as usual.  I’ve always been fond of their White Raven, which is comparable to a nice fruity Pinot Grigio and their Terrapin White, which is good if you like a drier Riesling.  Pair these two with sharp cheeses and/or crab cakes or any type of seafood really.

Boordy Vineyards produces some of my favorite Maryland wines.  Boordy Blush, a member of the Icons of Maryland series of wines that I originally purchased because of the crab on the label, is refreshingly light and semi-sweet with hints of watermelon and strawberry aromas.  Their Riesling is spot on, especially for a Riesling snob that cringes when she sees a Riesling that isn’t produced in Germany or at least the Pacific Northwest.  The White Sangria and Viva Sangria are also excellent choices.

Elk Run Winery had a red wine that was out of this world.  This was a red that my mom, the hardcore white wine drinker who hadn’t found a drinkable red for herself all day, thought was amazing.  Sadly, this tasting sheet was one that didn’t quite make it back home with us.  After reviewing their online wine list I want to say it was the Liberty Tavern Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, which we affectionately dubbed “holy shit balls.”  Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe this one.  It was velvety smooth and peacefully guided your tongue from black currant, to chocolate and blackberry with subtle hints of cedar and tobacco.  This wine deserves its own review so I’m going to stop here on that one.

Detour Winery’s Meadow Breeze Rosé Table wine made it back home with us.  This a great wine for people who are still wine drinkers with training wheels.  Great for picnics, romantic getaways and everything in between.

Harford Vineyard & Winery won the peach wine of the day award.  They’re Peach Kissed tasted so much like freshly picked peaches that you felt like you should have peach juice running down your chin after drinking this.

Terrapin Station Winery is known for their adorable little 1.5 liter boxed wines.  I’m going to save those for a more thorough boxed wine review.  Besides, all of this typing has made me thirsty.

Prost!

I had the unique opportunity and pleasure to volunteer at Wine in the Woods and represent Terrapin Station Winery this past Saturday. I had an absolute blast. If you ever get the chance to be on the pouring side of a wine festival DO IT. You get to learn a ton about the winery, their wines and the passion of the people behind those wines. Not to mention you get into the festival for free and there is typically an opportunity for discounted/free wine for volunteers.

Being able to experience the reactions and thoughts of hundreds of people trying wines you already know and love for the first time is so much fun. Even more fun are those that are already fans of the wines you are pouring and really get into comparing different years of wines with you. The big debates were over the 2010 Shiraz vs. the 2011 Shiraz and the 2010 Reserve Traminette vs. the 2012 Reserve Traminette. 2010 won me over on both wines, but I’d love to hear your opinions!

I’m not going to go crazy in depth at the moment, but I did want to give you a summary of the wines that were available to sample during the Wine in the Woods Festival.

Chardonnay  – A dry, unoaked lighter style Chardonnay.  (Meh.  I like my chardonnays oaked.)

2012 Reserve Chardonnay – A dry, lightly oaked Chardonnay that emphasizes the fruit. (Fantastic!  Perfectly oaked.)

2012 Reserve Traminette – A slightly off dry version of the Traminette, the wine has aromas of spice and roses.  (I’m’ still partial to the 2010 Reserve Traminette.  The 2012 is still pretty good though.)

2010 Reserve Cayuga – A drier version of our popular Cayuga.  (Of the regular vs. reserve wines offered by this winery this is one of the few I prefer the regular over the reserve.)

2010 Tartaruga Bianco – Bold, aromatic semi-sweet wine with hints of apricot and honey.  (This right here is my new favorite.  This was my go to for those that sampled some of the much sweeter or much dryer wines available.  This was right smack in the middle and was light, crisp and smooth. Every person I recommended this to instantly fell in love with it.)

Traminette – A spicy wine with a floral nose and a pleasantly sweet taste.

Cayuga – The popular summer wine with tropical fruits and a pleasant acidity.  (Sweeter than I typically prefer but this wine can definitely disappear quickly on a hot summer day hanging out in the backyard.)

2010 Cabernet Franc – Bold dry wine with notes of raspberry, pepper and cassis.  (Solid choice.  I love a good peppery cabernet.)

2010 Shiraz – A heavier-bodied red crafted in a European style with dark fruit flavors and a tannic bite.  (This is much more mellow than the 2011 Shiraz.  This has a great blend of subdued, perfectly blended flavors.)

2011 Shiraz – An aromatic red with earthly, meaty tones and dark fruit flavors.

This is just about half of what Terrapin Station Winery has to offer.  These were some solid choices to bring to a wine festival.  TSW is known for having boxed wines.  The most popular varieties come in 1.5 liter cubes.  Adorable, economical and easy to store, these mini boxes equal two standard bottles of wine.  At this particular festival only 3 of the 10 varieties available to sample were in boxes.  All of their reserve wines come bottled and a selection of their reds come bottled as well.

If you get a chance definitely visit the winery.  They are super laid back and fun.  They have different on-site events just about every weekend.  And as long as they’re not at a festival you can see owners Janet and Morris Zwick hanging out and readily available to answer questions.  Fine more info at www.terrapinstationwinery.com.

How did I discover them?  Well, Terrapin Station is my favorite Grateful Dead song (ok, it’s half the album, or Side A for those of us who discovered it on vinyl.)  I love turtles and I live in Maryland, home of the Maryland Terrapins, where I did my first round of grad school.  If you haven’t already gathered, I love wine.  So the combination of all of those factors just made it easy to fall in love with a local winery (about an hour from my home) that produces some damn good boxed wines (I keep it classy) and some even better bottled wines.

I will be reviewing their wines individually.  Expect a strong showing of review of Terrapin Station wines during June, which I have decided to dedicate to boxed wines.

Until then, Prost!

So I had an emergency where I ran out of almond milk and decided to walk the block and a half to the local grocery store instead of getting in the car and heading to the giant chain grocery store that I always end up buying too much crap at because I feel the need to make the trip worth it since I had to get in the car and all… Anyway…while visiting my locally owned and operated local market I successfully located my beloved almond milk, which is conveniently located next to the beer at this particular market. What? Two of my favorite things in the same aisle?! *Note – wine and cheese are also in this aisle. So four of my favorite things in the same aisle.

As I was looking over the beer selection and talking myself out of buying a 6-pack I spotted something I had never seen before: Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale. Wait what? Beer? Made with agave nectar? Well when you put it that way…

The description on the bottle also made it sound beyond enticing:
Inspired by our brewmaster’s travels through Mexico, our Agave Nectar Ale is crafted with agave nectar and white wheat for a subtle sweetness and a smooth, crisp finish. It’s like a little shade in a bottle. 5.6% ABV

I mean, how do you say no to that? So I when I got home from my grueling trek to obtain almond milk, all 15 minutes round trip, I cracked open a perfectly chilled Agave Nectar Ale. I love wheat beers. I really love wheat beers. I’m a Hefeweizen kind of girl. Take one of my favorite beer styles and add a splash of natural agave sweetness and you have the sweet nectar of the gods. I’m typically not big on beer with anything sweet going on. I like my beer beer flavored. This though, this had the perfect hint of sweetness. I would describe this as drinking a chilly desert or beach night after a sweltering hot day. This would be ideal to drink while sitting in my backyard with a fire going and a couple of good friends.

Now that I have come up with my beer rating scale, on a scale of “I wouldn’t even serve this at a frat party” to “I would take this over a 25 year old scotch,” I would rate this as a “I could use this beer as a pick up line and never have to utter a single word. It’s just that smooth.”

Final Grade: A+

Bottle notes: Naked Angels gave me the money and support to make this wine. It’s awesome being able to spend more time in the vines, and I’m focused on making the best wine possible instead of being stuck in an office figuring out who I’m going to sell the wine to. Thanks, Angels. I couldn’t have made this wine so delicious without you. – Ray Hester

My Notes:
This wine scored a 9.2 on http://www.topcheapwine.com website. That has to count for something right?!

This wine is another selection from http://www.nakedwines.com, which is a great site to get super cheap wine from not yet well-known wine makers. It’s an interesting little wine club that can be pretty hit or miss, but it has some hidden gems. I’d consider this one of them.

I poured a glass of this very light in color Sauvignon Blanc and was greeted by a shy, but pleasant aroma of citrus and floral undertones. That first sip surprised me a bit. Much more acidic that I was expecting, but not necessarily in a bad way. I really enjoyed the floral taste of this wine, which is odd for me because typically I am not a fan of wine that tastes like I’m drinking flowers. I think the acidity plus the apricot undertone helped to balance this wine out. I also enjoyed that it is not overpowering in any particular flavor. This would be a great hot summer afternoon in the garden sipping wine.

I happened to crack this bottle open when i got home from a soccer game. We won our first playoff round match 4-0, so a celebration was in order. I’d say this wine pairs well with shin splints and frozen pizza. I was in a world of hurt after an intense Sunday morning workout and playing hard in the evening. This wine made me forget that I was icing my shins and soaking my feat in Epson salts.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “I opened this initially earlier in the week. Good thing I had a 2nd bottle on hand to finish this review! So easy to drink that you blink and suddenly the bottle is empty!” Would I buy it again? Light, crisp, clean, smooth and 13.9%? This is now my go to wine for when I order from Naked Wines and I need another bottle or two in order to meet the 12 bottle shipping requirement.

Final Grade: B+

Wine Club Notes:

Long a supporting player, Merlot is ripe for a starring role in the world of wine.

Bodega Mariposa Cellars is helping achieve that dream by making a Merlot that can be enjoyed every day and with a wide variety of dishes.  But before we get to the specifics about Bodega Mariposa, a little history…

Merlot gained popularity as a varietal wine in the early 1970s, but until then it was used primarily as a blending partner of Cabernet Sauvignon. Even though Merlot contributed significantly to the finished product, Cabernet took all the bows.  Eventually, however, consumers found that because Merlot’s tannins are softer than those found in Cabernet, the wines are drinkable at an earlier age than most Cabs.

Bodega Mariposa makes a wonderful Merlot, and its 2011 bottling could serve as a benchmark bottling for the variety in California.  It’s everything a Merlot should be: soft, immediately approachable and downright delicious – a real star.

Tasting notes:

Grape Composition: Merlot & Other Red Varieties

Grape Sources: Select Vineyards in various California Growing Regions

Aromas and Flavors: Cassis, Black Olive, Assorted Berries and a Hint of Oak

Aging Vessels: Assorted Oak Barrels

When to Drink: Now through 2015

This easy-drinking wine offers notes of cassis, black olive, assorted berries and oak.

Food pairing suggestions: homemade meatloaf, or a beef pot pie

My Thoughts:

I hate black olives, or any olives for that matter, unless they’ve been soaking in the bottom of my martini(s), and I have no idea what a cassis is, but this right here, is a mighty fine Merlot.  I would add this Merlot to the list of red wines that have brought me over to the dark side (aka – the red wine side).  I love white wines, especially Rieslings and a well-oaked Chardonnay.  I think this is the point that bridges the gap.  A nice oaky Merlot is a lovely bridge from my love of a well-oaked Chardonnay.

This Merlot surprisingly had weak legs compared to most Merlots I’ve grown accustomed to.  This did not affect this Merlot in the least.  The nose was relatively light as well.  I was unable to discern any particular scents or aromas.  This was all in all, a very nice, light tasting, well-rounded Merlot.  Again, I couldn’t pick out any specific taste traits, but I am super fond of this Merlot.  My apologies for not being more thorough, but for one, I am super tired, and two, the only thing that jumps out to me about this wine is that it is super easy to drink, mellow in flavor, and would pair well with damn near anything.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “I probably would have had a more thorough review but this bottle went way too fast.”  Would I buy it again?  Absolutely!  I have a feeling this will make it into regular rotation into my wine rack.

Final Grade: A

So I’m in Grapevine, TX for business and I decided to pack very light. I had my clothes for the next day in my cargo pants pocket and my laptop bag with me. With security I wasn’t going to chance bringing a razor with me on the plane, especially since there’s a convenience store across the parking lot from the hotel. I stopped in, spotted a cheap disposable razor and decided to kill some time browsing the liquor store portion of the convenience store…which is about 3/4 of it. I was only there for one night so I didn’t want to pick up a six pack and was contemplating a 22oz bottle of Chimay. This is when I spy a sign on the cooler door that says “wine to go.” I was intrigued, since well…it’s a liquor store. Wouldn’t all of the wine be “to go?”

That’s when I spotted them. The cutest little single glasses of wine packaged in adorable little glass shaped plastic bottles. Copa Di Vino or Cup of Wine if you want the translation came in three varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio. Perfect! Three mini glasses of wine? I think I can take care of that.

The Cabernet Sauvignon had been chilled…amateurs…so I set that one out to reach a drinkable temperature and decided to start with the White Zinfandel. I peeled back the foil seal (only the classiest of wines when I’m on the road) and was smacked in the face with a sickeningly sweet aroma. I already know this is going to be too sweet for my taste. But I will not run from a wine in fear before at least giving it a chance. Yep, I was right. It tasted like what I imagine the red liquid in hummingbird feeders to taste like. That’s about as good of a description I can come up with. Sugar water with a hint of alcohol. Strike 1.

Alright, round 2. Pinot Grigio. Same classy foil seal. This one smells like burnt plastic. Tastes like…I’m not even sure what it tastes like. But I can tell you it’s not good. Yeah…no…I got nothing. Strike 2.

Round 3. Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m fearing the outcome of this one. Please let this one be drinkable! *fingers crossed* Alright, so far this is turning out better. It actually smells like Cabernet Sauvignon! It’s not a strong aroma but I do detect a hint of black currant. I don’t know if it’s because the other two were so terrible, but this one is actually drinkable. A light grape and raspberry flavor that finishes with a hint of black currant. I might actually finish this glass! Ball 1.

Don’t let the adorable packaging fool you. Just because it’s cute doesn’t mean it’s good. This also seems to apply to my dating history… Anyway…cheers to the marketing genius that thought of putting this “wine” in cute single serve, resealable plastic glasses.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “If piss had an alcohol content I’d seriously consider it instead of this.” Would I buy it again? Hell no. Maybe as a gift for someone I didn’t like…

Final Grade: D- (Would be an F, but the Cabernet was at least worth finishing the glass.)

Wine club notes:

There was a time when California wineries sold Chardonnay under French names.

Some labeled their bottles “Chablis,” while others opted for “White Burgundy.”  This, of course, infuriated the French.  Over time, with much cajoling and no small amount of litigation, non-French wine estates abandoned the use of those words, opting for the simple grape varietal name – which still sounds French and somewhat sexy.

In those earlier years, Australian vintners also bottled their own versions of “Chablis” and “White Burgundy.”  Only in the land Down Under, those wines were made not from Chardonnay, but rather from Semillon.  In fact, for many years, Semillon was the most widely planted white grape variety in that country.

Perhaps the best expression of Aussie Semillon and Chardonnay is achieved when the two varieties are blended.  The 2011 Hilldale Rise “Sem-Chard” is a tasty example, at once rich and refreshing, in a word, one might call it delicieux.

Tasting Notes:

Grape Composition: Semillon & Chardonnay              Aging Vessels: Assorted Oak Barrels

Grape Source: Select vineyards in South Eastern Australia

Aromas and Flavors: Buttered apple, lemon, melon, vanilla and toast

When to Drink: Now through 2015

This Aussie beauty offers notes of buttered apple, lemon, melon, vanilla and toast.

Food pairing suggestions: shellfish, or creamy clam chowder.

My Thoughts:

I will admit, I’m a bit behind on reviewing this wine.  I didn’t get a chance to jot down my first impressions as I drank the first glass.  I’ve been working on a paper for class that has been driving me crazy.  Anyway…In the name of stress drinking I dub thee “Sem-Chard” worthy. Except I hate the term “Sem-Chard.”  It makes it sound like the wine had some sort of developmental disability.  You’re drinking wine here people.  Say the full name.  Or at least give the good old college try.  This isn’t a Bud or Natty Boh where it is acceptable to use pet names for cheap beers.

Name rant aside…this wine did have pleasant hints of apple, vanilla and a wonderful oaky taste.  I love a good oaky Chardonnay.  Un-oaked Chardonnays?  Rubbish.  I drink Chardonnays because they have a pleasant woodsy, hang out in the backyard feel to them.

Food pairings?  I suppose some shellfish would go well with it.  Some sea scallops seared in lemon butter would be fabulous.  What did I pair it with?  French toast.  Why yes, yes I did drink this for breakfast.  Don’t hate.  You would have too if you knew that this is the perfect Semillon-Chardonnay to pair with French toast.  You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “Yes I did drink the entire bottle with breakfast.  It was a lot of French toast!  And home fries, and scrambled eggs… Gotta wash it all down with something.”  Would I buy it again?  Definite maybe.  Australian wines are always hit or miss for me.  If I came across it at the liquor store I’d definitely remember it and if I was being indecisive would probably grab a bottle because I know it’s pretty decent.

Final Grade: B+

This is where we get into the “and sometimes beer” part.
Here is what 21st Amendment Brewery has to say:
Like Lady Liberty, we stand for independence and perseverance. In the pursuit of innovative beer, there is no obstacle too great. No journey too long. No fruit too gigantic. This American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing—summer in a can.
Hell or High Watermelon Wheat is our summer seasonal beer available from April through September in six pack cans and on draft. We start by brewing a classic American wheat beer, which undergoes a traditional secondary fermentation using fresh watermelon. A straw-colored, refreshing beer with a kiss of watermelon aroma and flavor.

Alcohol Content: 4.9% by volume Color: Pale Straw Bitterness Units (IBUS): 17
Bittering Hops: Columbus Hops: Magnum Yeast: Top Fermenting Ale Yeast
Flavor: 100% Fresh Watermelon Pure Malts: Two-Row Pale, White Wheat

My thoughts:
I discovered this on my most recent trip to The Chelsea Tavern in Wilmington, DE. My kid brother and I try to meet up once a month and do dinner and drinks and hang out. He lives in Philly, I live in Baltimore…Wilmington works. We’re big fans of Chelsea Tavern. Typically we don’t repeat restaurants when we have our monthly outing, but this one is a keeper.

Anyway, The Chelsea Tavern has a ridiculous beer selection. At the moment they have 1 cask beer, 30 draft beers, 111 bottled beers and 18 canned beers. So when the bartender asks me what I want to drink I glaze over slack-jawed for a moment and say, “I’ll have one of those,” as I randomly point to a tap on the wall. I saw it was a wheat beer. I love wheat beers. I figured I had made a decent choice.

When my beer arrived it looked like a watered down Hefeweizen. Hmm… I took a hearty sniff and there wasn’t much going on aroma wise. I hesitantly took a sip. Light, crisp, refreshing after an hour and 45 minute drive that should have taken no more than an hour. I wasn’t wowed, but I wasn’t rethinking my choice either. The watermelon flavor wasn’t overpowering. It was just a hint of an aftertaste. It was relatively pleasant to sip on while waiting for my brother and his roommate to arrive.

I was just finishing off my pint when they arrived. So I moved from the bar to a table outside with them. My next beer choice was unavailable, so they ordered me another Hell or High Watermelon since I had run to the car to grab something.

The second one? Not so much. The watermelon taste caught up with me. All I could taste was fake watermelon flavor. It seriously tasted like someone had dropped a watermelon Jolly Rancher in my Hefeweizen. (I love Hefeweizens. Hence the repeated reference. Don’t eff with my Hefeweizen!)

I haven’t yet come up with a beer tasting scale yet, so we’ll rate this one as “Tastes like the end of a summer picnic. The kind you don’t want to linger too late at because then is starts to get weird. And not the good kind of weird.” Would I buy it again on purpose? No. Would I drink it if I was at a summer picnic and I had a choice of this or Coors/Bud/Miller Light? Absolutely.

Final Grade: B-

Wine Club Notes:

A peach-like flavor shows up occasionally in certain varieties of white wine.

But Totally Random Peach takes no chances.  It’s a blend of various white varieties – some with peach flavors, some without – that is blended and infused with natural peach flavors.  You may also notice hints of citrus and tangerine, but this wine is all about…peach.

In case you didn’t know, the botanical name Prunus persica refers to Persia; the Persians introduced the fruit to the Western world, according to Wikipedia.  But peaches actually originated in Chine, where they’ve been cultivated since the early days of Chinese culture, circa 2000 B.C.  In the 10th century B.C., they were a favored fruit of kings and emperors.

Nothing can beat biting into a fresh, perfectly-ripened, juicy peach, but Totally Random Peach comes close.  For a delicious treat, try it with a peach chicken salad.  Or, for a totally decadent experience, serve Totally Random Peach with a peach cobbler.

Tasting Notes:

Grape Composition: Assorted Grape Varieties and Natural Peach Flavors

Grape Source: Select Vineyards in Various California Growing Regions

Aromas and Flavors: Tangerine, Citrus and (Of Course) Peach

Aging Vessels: Stainless Steel Tanks

When to Drink: Now through 2014

Food Pairing Suggestions: peach chicken salad, or a peach cobbler.

My Thoughts:

I decided to crack this one open in celebration of the first full day of Spring…despite the fact that we had snow showers earlier this afternoon.  I usually have low expectations for fruit wines.  Half the time they taste like Kool-Aid, which isn’t always bad, but sometimes you want something a little more out of a fruit wine.  This one has it.  Holy amazeballs.  This is as close as you can get to biting into a fresh peach without actually doing it.  Bonus points for not having peach juice run all down your chin in the process! It has the slightest bit of “spritz” making it almost taste like you’re drinking champagne with fresh peaches in it.  As long as I ignore how cold it actually is outside, this wine has turned my evening into a nice warm early summer evening.

Wait…peach chicken salad?  What is this peach chicken salad they speak of?  I must find a good recipe for this and test it out.  I will say that it did pair well with my pulled BBQ chicken and fresh steamed green beans.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “I’m pretty sure there’s a hole in the bottle because it went awfully fast!”  Would I buy it again?  Oh honey, I’ve already made note of the re-order number.

Final Grade: A