© 1997 JDM Enterprises
MORE THIS 'N' THATby Jerry D. MeadWriting columns ahead when I go on a trip (which is what I'm doing now), is always an excuse to clean off my desk and use some small items for which there never seems to be space. Oh! Thanks for asking! I'm off to Europe for nearly three weeks to research some stories for future columns, dine on very high cuisine (at least one 3-star restaurant in my future), very low cuisine (I love just bread and cheese, or sausages and kraut), taste some interesting wines, talk to some fascinating vintners, and, while in Germany and Austria, drink lots of good Pilsner beer. And why is it that even our best craft brewers can't seem to equal those great pleasantly bitter beers with the creamy two or three inch heads that take at least five minutes to draw? And if this is throwing down the gauntlet, and there's a mailbox full of reports of worthy American pilsners when I get back, I promise to check them out one and all.
SANTA CRUZ FESTIVALThis is one of those things where you drive from location to location, with different vintners being represented at each of more than 20 sites. Some of these producers are so tiny that several have banded together to show their wines at a single location. And some are so small that they offer tastings or public visits no other time of the year. For more information contact: Santa Cruz Winegrowers, Box 3000, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 (408) 479-9463. To name drop a few of the vintners you'll be able to sample: David Bruce, Byington, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Salamandre Cellars, Roudon-Smith, Kathryn Kennedy Vineyards, Devlin, Bargetto, Cinnabar, Thomas Fogarty and too many more to mention.
ON THE RIGHT COASTOne of the states with a long history of winemaking, and that has shown tremendous quality improvement in the past decade, is New York State. With every vintage, there is more emphasis on wines made from the European grape varieties with which we're all familiar, and less on the wild tasting wines from the native American varieties. And New York wine country has grown too. An entirely new industry has developed on Long Island and some of the best wines now come from there. The trade organization known as the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, will send you two really dandy brochures for $1 to cover postage & handling. Send to: NYWGF Wine Country, 350 Elm St., Penn Yan, NY 14527. One is titled "Uncork New York!...Welcome to Wine Country," with a complete list of wineries from all the many different regions, Hudson River, Finger Lakes, Lake Erie and Long Island. The second is Wine Country Calendar with a list of special events and festivals throughout the year and throughout the regions. So next time you're doing the "Big Apple," turn it into a wine trip too. ON THE LEFT COAST Meanwhile, back in the west, it's nearly time for the 15th Annual California Wine Tasting Championships at Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, in Anderson Valley, in beautiful Mendocino County. This is an event to attend whether you plan to participate in the competition or not. Folks use it as excuse for an annual visit to Mendocino County, where such famous vintners as Fetzer, Navarro, Husch and Hidden Cellars reside. At the festival itself, there's lots else to do besides watch the contestants swirl, sniff and spit. Picnic lunches can be arranged, a live blues band performs and there is also international chocolate and cheese tasting in which to indulge. And if you do want to wine taste competitively, there are divisions for novices, amateurs and professionals, singles and doubles. And don't fail to visit nearby Boonville, California, the only community in America with its very only language called "Boontling." For more information: Wine Tasting Championships, 5501 Hwy. 128, Philo, CA 95466 (707) 895-2002. BEST BUY WHITE WINE OF THE WEEKBEST BUY RED WINE OF THE WEEKWines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value.
 HOME
|
