Does your state or province produce wine?

[Gail]

Natasha's thread got me thinking about a statement I made-- here in Southern California it is virtually impossible to find wine from areas other than Washington, Oregon or California, and I know there are other wine-producing regions on the North American continent. (There are many imports from Europe, South Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand, however.)

So, if you would, please enlighten me. The more you tell me, the better. I'd like to hear from people from states other than those mentioned above, to learn what kinds of wine are being marketed elsewhere. If you've got names of regions, great. Wineries, even.

I'm all ears. (Or would that be eyes?)

BTW, I'd LOVE to hear from Canadians as well...

[Alisa]

I'm originally from Newfoundland, fondly called "the rock" because of its lack of agriculture. A few years ago an enterprizing dentist near my hometown decided to start a winery (He's nuts, they said) and has been making the most amazing dessert wines from local berries ever since. I buy it up everytime I visit home, and the best part is, the winery is in a remodelled cottage hospital - the one where my husband was born. He loves to show guests the building on the label and tell them he was born in a winery!

I guess my point is that there are so many little but excellent wineries that you're in for some heavy reading......

[funnybone]

I'm originally from Ontario, Canada, and there are many wineries there - in the Niagara region in particular.

When we lived there, sadly we did not buy much Ontario wine. Now, when we visit, I do bring back a couple of bottles (that's all we are basically allowed to bring over the border). Next visit, we are bringing back some of their "Ice Wine". It won a competition one year, but I have to do some research to find which one.

As for PA, I believe there are some wineries, but I have not tried any.

[KValley]

Great question, Gail!

No, I haven't come to promote the outstanding quality, variety, and unique character of the wines of Washington state. ;)

Rather, I wanted to share a website on wines from the great state of Illinois, from whence I most recently hailed. DH and I spent a weekend in beautiful Southern Illinois (Carbondale) and perused local wineries. Most interesting things are happening in that region- Chambourcin is the red grape varietal which has the most promise; Delaware for whites; non-grape fruit wines are the best bet, IMHO (blackberry, blueberry, apricot). Alto Vineyards was our favorite for grape wine; Pomona Winery for apple,, blueberry, peach wines. My former employer, the University of Illinois, was slated to open a center for oenological research and development, but searching around, I can't seem to find out whether or not it's gotten off the ground.

http://www.wine-il.com/

Also, Virginia is doing some great things, particularly the area around Charlottesville. I recommend Afton Vineyards.

For Canada, I fell in love with a 1998 Cabernet Franc from Sandhill (Okanagan Valley VQA) Rich, warm, herby, raspberry jam. I've been desperate to find it since- bought it at the Wine Barrel in Victoria, BC

Salud,

Julie

[misstapioca]

I love Texas wine.
My favorite is Fall Creek Vineyards Merlot.
The vineyard itself is in this tiny town called Tow. 4 years ago I visited it, it was beautiful.
The website is : www.fcv.com

[KathrynY]

We do have several wineries here in Connecticut. I've visited a couple, and tried some CT wines at wine tasting events. The ones I've had are fine, some even very nice, but the prices are on the high side. I really don't consider CT wines for everyday when I can get an excellent wine produced in another state for half the price. It is nice to serve "local" wines for a special occasion or for gift-giving. Here's a web site that will give you more information:
http://www.ctwine.com/ .

We lived in Michigan for several years, and really enjoyed the wineries there. (Where's SandyM? :) ) Aside from the usual red and white varietals (and some not-so-usual) there were some interesting fruit wines, ports and sherries, and sparkling wines to be found. Our favorite is Boskydel Vineyard, on Lake Leelanau.

[Alisa]

Funnybone,
I wonder if you're thinking of Reif Estate Winery
Vidal Icewine? It's one of the best I've ever tasted, it's from Niagara, and won a bunch of awards. I discovered it at a wine festival in Halifax a few years ago. Yum.

[lanie]

So happy to see this post Gail! Ontario - particularly the Niagara region produces some of the best and have been showcased as such. They have won many awards, 'ice wine' I believe won a world ribbon.

:eek: I, unfortunately, am (I use the term loosely) addicted to Lindeman's Bin 65 - don't even think Wolf Blass comes near........then again, I love the really oaky stuff!

[AndreaU]

Yeah! A chance to enlighten folks about NY wines. Born & raised in NY, I tend to lean towards our local products. NY has several wine regions: Finger Lakes (western/central NY), Hudson Valley (between Albany & NYC), Long Island and Southern Tier (SW corner, north of Erie, PA). I live in the Hudson Valley so I don't have to go far to enjoy local wines. A new favorite (complete with a fairly new wine master who turned the place around) is Brotherhood Winery, the oldest continuously operating winery in the US! http://www.wines.com/brotherhood/

I also lived in Rochester, near the Finger Lakes- a plethora of wineries! 4 lakes have their own Wine Trail. We just did half of one of the trails a few weeks ago & came home with 2 cases! This area is noted for Riesling & Gewurtzraminer. Though with the abundance of fruit grown locally, many intersting wines come about that are flavored with apples, berries, pears, etc. There is even a Meadery (honey wine)! Some favorites are Prejean, Anthony Road (great Pinot Gris), Torrey Ridge (awesome fruit inspired wines) and Four Chimneys (organic wine).

I'm not familiar with Long Island & Southern Tier wines but I know they're out there! I know NY is not a mega wine producing state like CA... I do think it's highly underrated (and I'm not just saying that because I live here). After doing some of the wine trails, I am really impressed with the quality of wines coming from NY. Every time I read Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast I hope for but a mere mention of a NY wine- but very rarely does it happen. Anyway, here is a comprehensive website for NY wines: http://www.nywines.org/

I hope I've turned at least one person on to NY wines. If you can find 'em, they're worth looking for! (and no, I don't work for the NY wine association :))

[SandyM]

Ahhhh Miss Gail - a subject I'm passionate about - Michigan wines. Okay, maybe not so passionate on this bb, because I don't know of its availability. But since you asked........

Last year DH and I did our own Michigan Winery Tour. We hit some and we missed some. These are our highlights:

Chateau Grand Traverse is probably the largest and most well known winery in Michigan. Located on the Old Mission Penninsula on the west side of the state, they produce a lovely Gamay Noir reserve from 1997. My consistent favorite, however, from this winery, is their semi-dry reisling. It never, ever fails to empress me. Their website is www.cgtwines.com - check it out if you get a chance.

Located in Suttons Bay, Michigan, is Black Star Farms - one of our favorite wineries to visit (we walked away with 2 cases of their wine). The 1998 Merlot and 1999 Pinot Gris are fabulous - but their Cabernet Franc is smooth, and what basically turned me onto drinking Cabernet. You can visit them at www.blackstarfarms.com to check things out. You can also read a story about them at http://www.freep.com/features/travel/black10_20010610.htm

I'm currently enjoying a glass of their 1998 Reisling as we speak :D

Madonna's father has a vineyard on the Leelenau Penninsula (Ciccone Vineyards). We didn't have a chance to go there, but I've heard good things.

Bel Lago Winery has a wonderful Reisling, Pinot Grigio and Gewurtztraminer. www.bellago.com

Sorry if I got a little wordy here, but I can't help but promote the home team!

[lindrusso]

Okay, you may be surprised to hear from me, considering I'm always complaining about how small our town is (and really, it's not THAT small), but another small town nearby, Fremont, just opened a winery - Satek Winery. However, I have yet to taste their wines. For the life of me I can't quite figure out what sorts of wines they are offering since they don't label them with easy categories for the wine-ignorant like Merlot or Cabernet. Anyway, they also have a website www.satekwinery.com . I'm very interested to go check them out!

My parents live in VA and have a nice little vineyard nearby called Rockbridge Vineyards. They have some very nice wines, especially the reserves. Their website is : www.rockbridgewine.com .

Neat question! If I didn't live in a state that doesn't allow wine to be shipped (though the wine clubs seem to ship here anyway), I'd be eager to try some different, off-the-beaten-path wines.

[Holly in KC]

Yes, we make wine Missouri...

For those of you that don't believe...

http://www.hermannmo.com/tourism/wineries.html

What was the old Mary Tyler Moore show (I think?) saying.... If [they] can make it there, they can make it anywhere.....

:)

[sneezles]

In addition to Fall Creek (and their Chardonney is excellent as well) there is Llano and St. Genevieve, and I know of a couple of others but the brain is tired...

[Beth]

I can add Messina Hof to the list of Texas wineries (a member of our super club recently brought up going to a harvest festival there).

[DMurray]

I grew up in Northern California (Sonoma Co.) so I that's where I always think of when I think of wineries. I now live in Minnesota, and actually, there are a fair number of wineries here, too. Traditional wine grapes are not hardy enought to withstand the nasty winters here, but there are some grapes that do well. I've also seen wines made from different fruits such as huckleberries (can't say I've ever tried this).
Deb

[kwormann]

Im glad to have this thread simply because I had windered about TX wines. We have previously lived in NC and TN, both which have wines, and I was never impressed with either. The ones I had were very sweet:(

[julia]

I agree with the other Canadians here, Ontario makes lovely wines - not just Niagara either. I absolutely love the Dry Reisling from Pelee Island - Cave Spring in Niagara makes a good one, but Pelee Island is definitely my favourite. I've always been a chardonnary lover, but lately I've been preferring Dry Reisling.

[Gina O]

I have not been drinking as much wine in the past few years so am not up on the latest in Missouri wines, but do have some very fond memories.

Almost all Missouri grapes are grown on the bluffs of the Missouri river, which allows for lovely scenery while doing some tasting. I would guess that the largest producer in the state is Stone Hill Winery in Herman, MO. The winery is beautiful, old and stately, in a charming little river town. They give daily tours and tastings. The wines range from kool-aid sweet to some exceptional dry whites and reds. They also have a yummy port available occassionally.

Perhaps my favorite winery, Les Bourgeois, is located on a bluff on the river near the tiny town of Rocheport, MO. The have a A-frame from which they sell their wines along with baskets of bread, fruit, sausage and cheese to enjoy in the terraced gardens overlooking the river. (I had my wedding reception here.) On the next bluff, the have a stunning Bistro with three-story windows from which you can enjoy the sunset along with fabulous food.

There are many others. Most MO wines have a German character by nature of the soil and cultural heritage. I know that vidal, norton, and seyval grapes are grown. Exceptional wines are produced with each of these and others.

If anyone might be intersted in trading a few bottles let me know. I would be happy to ship some around the country. Gina

[Chefzhat]

Here's a plug from Michigan - more than mittens here! We have two big winery areas, Fenn Valley in southern lower Michigan, and my personal addiction are the Traverse City wines that are produced in the "top of the mitten" area of our state - extremely yummy. If your local wine store can get ahold of some for you you won't regret it. Traverse City Select produces a sweet harvest Riesling that is the best dessert/cheese wine I've had in a long time.

[Gail]

This is great, guys! Boy, am I getting an education.

Up until now, I'd had New York wine, Virginia wine and Maine wine (okay, that was blueberry wine) and found them all interesting. Even found Alabama on our CL weekend (regretfully didn't try any, though, but I kept a business card.)

Now, I'm going to have so many web sites to explore. You can believe I'm going to keep this stuff as reference for future travel.

[psuahr]

Wisconsin has some really wonderful wineries. The Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac is just fabulous. I love their Chardonnay, and they have a great variety of whites, reds, and blush, plus a sparkling non-alcoholic grape juice (in 3 flavors). They also own the Cedar Creek Winery in Cedarburg, which is in a lovely quaint twon in Milwaukee. These wineries win awards all of the time for many of their wines. Both wineries are worth a visit, and if shipping is allowed in your state, you will enjoy your purchase. Their phone is 1-800-VIP-WINE. (I know this sounds like a sales pitch, but I have been visiting the winery since I moved to Wisconsin in 1991, and the wines just seem to get better every year.)

Their is another winery with great wines - Botham Vinyards, but I have only been there once and haven't heard much on them in a while. They are located in Blue Mounds, and the store area doubles as an art gallery.

There are other wineries in Wisconsin, but I have only tries a Mead from one that I can't remember the name - I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Terri-Lynn2]

I do not drink wine, I have tried very hard to aquire a taste for it but am yet to get past the first sip.

At my last employer we had a major distributor from Germany who came once a year for a visit. The owners took him to a shee shee foo foo restaurant and he had a bottle of wine from the kettle valley winery http://www.winepressnw.com/bc/

he loved the wine so much that he insisted that we ship him cases of it to Germany. So, we spent the whole day tracking down this wine and shipping it off to him. He said it was the most outstanding thing that he had ever had!!

Terri

[mightyh]

Hi Julie - I live in Southern Illinois (right outside St Louis) and was intrigued by your posting on the wineries in this region. I've traveled to Hermann, MO for the Stone Hill winery, but had no idea there were some in my very own state (of course, I've only been here for a year....). I checked out the webpage you suggested, but wondered if you remember certain wineries you especially enjoyed.

Thanks

Heidi

[KValley]

Hi, Heidi!

Head to the Carbondale area in mid-Fall, after the harvest. It is so beautiful- the rolling hills, the leaves a-changin'- we like Alto Vineyards and Pomona best. If I can find the name of the little B&B at which we stayed, I will pass that along.

Illinois! Who knew?! :D

Let me know if you go and what you think. I am so missing those fireflies and cardinals- they don't exist much west of the Mississippi!

Cheers,

Julie

[coop]

Just want to add another plug for the Michigan wines. All the wineries up in the Traverse City area are wonderful but we also have some excellent ones in the lower western end of the state. One of the largest in this area is the St. Julian varieties in Paw Paw. Every September they hold a wine fest. My favorite there is the Simply Red--another winery not too far is the Tabor Hill winery. No specific one there they are all very good. Last count, Michigan had 26 wineries in the State.

[gobluem82]

I'm from the Hudson Valley in New York, and as AndreaU had mentioned, there are a number of good wines here. My local favorite is Millbrook Vineyards--they also have a California vineyard. We just bought a case of their 1997 Reserve Chardonnay. Plus, the views from their winery are fantastic!

[Tangerine]

Originally posted by AndreaU
[B]Yeah! A chance to enlighten folks about NY wines.
I'm not familiar with Long Island & Southern Tier wines but I know they're out there!

I bought some luscious buttery chardonnay at Planes Winery near Watkins Glen, in the Southern Tier. And, Bully Hill Winery in Bath, near Elmira, is superb!

Tangerine

[Angela]

Maryland has some very nice wines! I think there is something like 18 vineyards/wineries in MD (yes I was surprised too). I've gone to a few wine festivals and mostly all the MD wines I've tried are very good. Many of the wineries are very small and their wines are only sold in state.

[TheresaM]

I was turned on to NY wines about 10 years ago. The first area we went to was the finger lakes and OMG, we were so overwhelmed with how many are out there. You guys have been talking about all of my favorites ! I am so jealous you live there. We generally try to hit one of the area every couple of years and yes come home with many cases of wine. We have not made it yet and this is suppose to be the YEAR. I am hoping to get to Long Island, soon. So glad to hear that other enjoy NY wines because I say they compare to California any day.

[Beth H]

Well, South Carolina actually has a winery but I wouldn't recommend its products -- I don't think we have the right climate here. Across the border in North Carolina, Biltimore Estates makes some nice wines. However, even in the mountains, they are unable to grow all the varietals they need. I think only one of their wines is actually produced from all NC grown grapes.

[Binny]

Each year we've joined friends for a trip to the wineries in the Lake Erie region. We have a few favorites. In Pa. Penn Shore excellent wines especially Reflections (white wine - comes in a pretty blue bottle), Red Wine, Burgundy all excellent;

In NY many favorites--

Schloss Doepken excellent spiced wine (the owner, J. Simon Watso is a character!, Cheektowaga White - excellent Niagra (sweet)

Johnson Estate - Little Love Drops - white wine - excellent (sweet)

Woodbury - Seaport White, Red and Blush--all excellent.

We've returned from these trips with 100 bottles of wine in our car . Do we qualify as winos?

:eek:

[LSB]

What a great thread! It's so interesting that so many states produce wines - ones that I never would have thought of.

I have to talk about wines from Virginia. They have been produced here since Jefferson brought the first grape cuttings over from France. There are several great wineries including the previously mentioned Afton Vineyards near Charlottesville. They are kind of hard to find especially out west with the wonderful west coast wines, but some are getting better about marketing nationwide. Ones to look for are Barboursville, Horton Cellars and Tarara. Do not bother with Prince Michel - that's the most widely known, but they are much better marketers than they are winemakers!

Louise

[venus]

I so happy to see other fans of NY State wines. I used to live smack in the middle of the Finger Lakes, and the wine there is wonderful. There are hundreds of wineries located in the hills surrounding the lakes, many of which sell very finely crafted wines. The Finger Lakes area is becoming known for producing superb Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers, since the climate so closely matches that of the German Rhineland. But it also produces excellent merlots, pinot noirs and an occasional cabernet to die for. There are four "wine trails" in the area--the two that I know well are the Cayuga Lake and the Seneca Lake. They are really fun, and the wineries are unpretentious and willing to talk about their wine. Some of them serve great food, too.

I'm trying to think of some of my favorite brands. I like Bully Hill Vineyards, especially for sipping wine. Some other excellent ones are Lucas Vineyards, Dr. Frank, Hazlitt, Trealeaven and Wagner Estates...but there are so many more! They sell wine at local farmer's markets, and I used to just pick and choose bottles, since they are inexpensive locally. If you want more, here is a good website:

http://www.fingerlakeswinetours.com/

[lorilei]

Yes, even Wisconsin produces a small share of wines, most made primarily from Wisconsin grown grapes or other fruit. Lots of sweet cherry wines from the Door County area... and a few dry wines (including Cabernet) from the Cedar Creek winery just north of Milwaukee.

White Winter Winery is located in the severe North (Iron River, WI) and they specialize in MEADS and fruity dessert wines.

IMHO, we're not even in the running when it comes to competing with other wines. But it does give people a kick to take a winery tour here in the "hinterlands" :)

[AndreaU]

Binny- I'm glad you mentioned Woodbury... they have a store along the Seneca Lake wine trail and we picked up 2 bottles of Seaport Red. WOW! We're not into red wines so much so this has helped us ease our way into the world of reds.

By the way, Gail- GREAT topic! I've learned so much about US wines (and I'm sure there is much more I still don't know)!

[kbucky]

I must add that we love living in close proximity to the beautiful Finger Lakes wine country in NY...and we sure do enjoy its bounty!

Our absolute favorite winery is Dr Konstantin Frank's, "pioneer grower of European wine grape varieties in the eastern United States. Founded in 1962, Vinifera Wine Cellars was the first Finger Lakes winery to produce truly world-class table wines. They include: Johannisberg Riesling-Dry and Semi-Dry, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Rkatsiteli, Fleur de Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and others. To this day, Vinifera Wine Cellars - now in the capable hands of Dr. Frank's son Willy and grandson Fred - is regarded as a pillar of the area's fine wine industry. " (quotes from his website!...http://www.drfrankwines.com/ )

We love the Fleur di Pinot and the Johannisberg Riesling especially...check out the press articles on his site and you'll see how extraordinary this winery and region are!

[Gail]

Originally posted by LSB
What a great thread! It's so interesting that so many states produce wines - ones that I never would have thought of.

I have to talk about wines from Virginia. They have been produced here since Jefferson brought the first grape cuttings over from France. There are several great wineries including the previously mentioned Afton Vineyards near Charlottesville. They are kind of hard to find especially out west with the wonderful west coast wines, but some are getting better about marketing nationwide. Ones to look for are Barboursville, Horton Cellars and Tarara. Do not bother with Prince Michel - that's the most widely known, but they are much better marketers than they are winemakers!

Louise

Funny you should mention Barboursville, Louise. When we were in Virginia a couple of months ago, we had an amazing merlot from Barboursville. Couldn't believe it was so finished and was a 2000 vintage! So, we hightailed it on over to the winery and tasted everything. Egads, what a group to sample. In all the wineries I've visited (and there have been many) don't think I've ever seen one offering so many choices.

[Luika]

I'm from central Michigan and right now it is cherry season in northwestern Michigan. Cherry wine is available from several local wineries. It is very good for a sweeter wine. This past week was the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Cherry wine is very abundant!

The wineries also make some good white wines including Chardonnay; but my feelings are the red grape wines produced leave a little for the wine enthusiast to be desired. Minimal amounts of Merlot and very few Cabernet. None are as dry and oaky as I desire. However, it is certainly fun visiting all the small wineries, taking tours, taste testing, etc. A few are even Bed & Breakfasts which have an added twist.
Louise

[hlao23]

We have wineries in West Virginia as well. I can think of three off the top of my head. Kirkwood and Daniels Vineyards are both in southern WV and Forks of Cheat is in northern WV. I'd say there are at least 10 in the state. I can't tell you anything about the quality of the wine - I'm pretty new to wine-tasting and haven't tried any local ones.

[SandyM]

Originally posted by Luika
The wineries also make some good white wines including Chardonnay; but my feelings are the red grape wines produced leave a little for the wine enthusiast to be desired. Minimal amounts of Merlot and very few Cabernet. None are as dry and oaky as I desire. Louise

Hi Louise,

Have you tried the wines from Black Star Farms? My husband is a red wine enthusiast (I tend to lean more toward whites, but I do like some reds) and he loves their cabernet franc and merlot. I agree that at most of the other wineries in Michigan, their best wines are the chardonnays, reislings, and pinot noirs, but in my opinion, Black Star Farms does a great cab.

[Luika]

Sandy,
Funny you should ask... we were just at Black Star Farms this past weekend (for the first time). What a beautiful place! It would be the perfect location for a wedding reception, etc. We picked up the brochure for the B&B; hopefully, some fall weekend will splurge and spend the night.

They did not have any Cabernets and very limited Merlot. So limited that they were not allowing tasting of the Merlot, and at $35 a bottle, I wasn't comfortable buying something I hadn't tasted. I ended up buying a very dry & oaky Chardonnay... I'm sure it won't last long... probably next weekend! Take care.

[SandyM]

Wow.....sold out on cab already.........glad we bought a case when we did!

I understand about the merlot. They did have it when we were there (last year), but there was something else that they were very limited on and not allowing for testing (I can't remember what it was) and we didn't buy that either.

[aggie94]

I was digging through a stack of recipes tonight and came across a photocopy (must have been my pre-CL subscription days) of Karen Mac-Neil Fife's column in an old issue (can't tell which one - the pages don't have the issue date, but I'm guessing it's in the past two years).

She mentions that although 90% of American wine is made in CA, other states shouldn't be overlooked. (She also mentions that every state except AK, ND, and WY produce wine!).

Here are the states that are featured (along with each state's "best" wineries, or at least ones that she thinks deserve mention):

NY: 136 wineries; Bedell, Dr. Konstantin Frank, Lamoreaux Landing, Lenz, Pellegrini, Pindar, Standing Stone, Wagner

TX: 28 wineries; Cap Rock, Fall Creek, Llano Estacado, Messina Hof, Pheasant Ridge, Ste. Genevieve

OR: 134 wineries; Bethel Heights, Chehalem, Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie Vineyards, Ponzi, Willakenzie, Yamhill Valley

WA: 117 wineries; Canoe Ridge, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Covey Run, DeLille, Hedges, Leonetti, Waterbrook

MO: 37 wineries; Augusta, Montelle, St. James, Stone Hill

VA: 53 wineries; Horton, Linden, Oakencroft, Prince Michel, Stonewall, The Williamsburg Winery

[LeighAnne]

(Gail, I know you asked for info from areas other than Washington, Oregon or California - but I couldn't resist!)

I moved to Portland a few years ago and am just starting to learn about Oregon wineries (and there's a lot to learn!) Here's a couple of good web sites about the area:

1) http://www.oregonwine.org/ (This web page has a pretty good overview of Oregon wine. Also you can find information about how to order the "VINTAGE 2000: Oregon Winery Guide" here)

2) http://www.winesnw.com/orhome.html

The varietals found in Oregon are principally Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot gris, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot blanc, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon blanc.

[beejayw1]

New York Wineries!

My second home (summers) is in the fingerlakes, on the lake where a good proportion of the major wineries are.

I'd choose New York state wines over most - at least the white wines (reds usually aren't as good; the soil quality makes them a little iffy).

Swedish Hill Winery makes a number of good wines, but one of their reds is truly excellent: Marshall Foch. It's made with Marshall Foch grapes, and is a little lighter than a merlot. Not a sweet wine, but not as tannin-rich as a merlot or cabernet or burgundy. It can stand up well to dessert.

Bully Hill's Verdelet is a truly good white wine, nice and dry with depth to it. Incidentally, Walter Taylor, the founder of Bully Hill after his family sold Great Western to Coca-Cola , died around Christmas time of complications to his quadraplegia. Bully Hill is off Lake Keuka, and has an excellent restaurant, run by Walter's widow, overlooking the lake.

Glenora winery has won awards for its champagnes and others of its wines. I'm not as fond of them as of others, but their winery is worth visiting for its restaurant, overlooking the lake. I don't think they serve lunch any more, so check.

Heron Hill makes excellent wines or all sorts. They, too, have a magnificent view of Lake Keuka.

People have already mentioned Dr. Konstantin Frank's wines.

The finger lakes are well worth a visit for whatever reason, but the wine and the food makes the trip doubly worthwhile.

Pennsylvania Wineries!

Well, I can't say that I've had any Pennsylvania wines, except for some truly terrible stuff that a friend of mine and her husband made in their cellar.

But I do have a word of caution: just east of Harrisburg, off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, is Mount Hope Windery, which hosts the 'Renaissance Faire', an ongoing thing that has nothing to do with the seasonal renaissance fairs held around the country. While the buildings are OK and they do have one or two good exhibits - a falconer, when I was there, this is a hokey affair, where half the people walking around are wearing black pants and loose shirts because you get $1 off admission if you wear 'period costume', and the management has decided that loose shirts are period. :rolleyes: There are also a lot of females in calico 'peasant' dresses for the same reason.

http://www3.goto.com/d/sr?xargs=00u3hs9yoahSumGpxqaqgGlCBECyOLEvNSMxKLi%2 FMTU5IS04szQVKAuumSealFqTmJmfFpeWD5CO0ty9zNTNzNTYx dDVzc3U0cIFwbtiWp5ifn5doVpBbl5lcVlObmJSZlI2qumTYN4 h4CSCBqhVbmZNqmgBqrgau5i6uli7GpGqnVAEV%2B%2Bg%3D%3 D

The winery there, in addition to the exorbitant admission price to the fair ($19 for adults) charges for you to sample their wines. And the wines themselves are not cheap if you buy them there.

I drove 2 1/2 hours to get there, expecting to enjoy the visit (beautiful day, lovely drive, great attitude) and was terribly disappointed.

[KValley]

Originally posted by aggie94
WA: 117 wineries; Canoe Ridge, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Covey Run, DeLille, Hedges, Leonetti, Waterbrook


Just had to update with shameless promotion from the Washington Wine Commission website : ...Washington has over 160 wineries, with a new one appearing every four weeks...Our wines win far more awards and competitions proportional to our production than any other wine region in the world..."

Okay, sorry, back to regularly scheduled programming ;)

[aggie94]

Just to clarify, the column that I posted about is probably close to 2 years old, so I'm sure a lot of the information in there is outdated. I'm just the messenger!

[Gail]

Wow!

You folks are giving me a treasure trove of information. Thanks so much, everyone.

[granolagirl]

I'm going to second Wollersheim in Wisconsin. Prairie Fume is excellent and the Domaine Reserve is great, too.

www.wollersheim.com

In Minnesota, the Alexis Bailly winery is good. I've only had one of the wines, and I'm not sure which one. It was red. ;)

www.abvwines.com

[MKSquared]

Hey, I didn't see this thread the first time around!

Ohio has some amazing wineries! Longfellow even wrote a poem celebrating an Ohio wine - Catawba.

Ode to Catawba Wine

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This song of mine
Is a song of the Vine
To be sung by the glowing embers
Of wayside inns,
When the rain begins
To darken the drear Novembers.

It is not a song
Of the Scuppernong,
From warm Carolinian valleys,
Nor the Isabel
And the Muscadel
That bask in our garden alleys.

Nor the red Mustang,
Whose clusters hang
O’er the waves of the Colorado,
And the fiery flood
Of whose purple blood
Has a dash of Spanish bravado.

For the richest and best
Is the wine of the West,*
That grows by the Beautiful River, +
Whose sweet perfume
Fills all the room
With a benison on the giver.

And as hollow trees
Are the haunts of bees,
Forever going and coming;
So this crystal hive
Is all alive
With a swarming and buzzing and humming.

Very good in its way
Is the Verzenay,
Or the Sillery soft and creamy;
But Catawba wine
has a taste more divine,
More dulcet, delicious and dreamy.

There grows no vine
By the haunted Rhine,
By Danube or Quadalquivir,
Nor on island or cape,
That bears such a grape
As grows by the Beautiful River.

Drugged is their juice
For foreign use,
When shipped o’er the reeling Atlantic,
To rack our brains
With the fever pains,
That have driven the Old World Frantic.

To the sewers and sinks
With all such drinks,
And after them tumble the mixer,
For a poison malign
Is such Borgia wine,
Or at best but a Devil’s elixir.

While pure as a spring
Is the wine I sing,
And to praise it, one needs but name it;
For Catawba wine
Has need of no sign,
No tavern-bush to proclaim it.

And this Song of the Vine,
This greeting of mine,
The winds and the birds shall deliver
To the Queen of the West,
In her garlands dressed,
On the banks of the Beautiful River.

*At the time this poem was written, Ohio was "the West."

+The word "Ohio" means "Beautiful River" in the language of the Indians who lived along it.

[Peggy C.]

...and for links to Ohio wines click here. (http://www.travelenvoy.com/wine/ohio.htm)

Unfortunately Ohio has some archaic laws that prohibate the sale of wines outside of the state...so you'll all have to come and visit us to try some!:D

PS very interesting thread!

[swa]

My DH and I, along with the in-laws go to Traverse City at least three times a year and come back with 5 cases each trip. It has really made us wine junkies.

Black Star Farms is also one of our favorite places. SandyM, have you tried their cheese? It is to die for!!

Ciccone has some unbelievable wines. They have wines that I do not like at any other location, but theirs is fantastic. Especially the Gertz.

We are at these locations so much that each owner at the wineries, know us by name, face and occupation. It is great to go during the slow season so you can spend more time talking to the wine makers and learning new info.

L. Mawby, Shady Lane, Pennisular Cellars, Good Harbor Vineyard.... I could go on and on.

[islandgirl]

And now for my second try (posted this on its own thread by mistake!)

New England wines rock!
I'm here to stand up for New England wines. DH and I got married at a Rhode Island vineyard (Sakonnet Vineyards) that truth be told we started going to on Sundays to get wine (you have to love Mass. blue laws) but really liked their wines. After we got married, an old potato farm in Westport Mass. (just over the line from Tiverton RI) that my husband used to sled on in the winter was turned into an award-winning vineyard. The owners picked the location because the weather conditions are the same as Burgundy, France, and their instincts have proved right. Their wines have won gold medals at wine competitions, and have been served at the White House. although Dh and I still have a bottle of Sakonnet on our anniversary

[ClaraB]

Originally posted by aggie94
I was digging through a stack of recipes tonight and came across a photocopy (must have been my pre-CL subscription days) of Karen Mac-Neil Fife's column in an old issue (can't tell which one - the pages don't have the issue date, but I'm guessing it's in the past two years).

She mentions that although 90% of American wine is made in CA, other states shouldn't be overlooked. (She also mentions that every state except AK, ND, and WY produce wine!).
I'm pleased to say that as of this past summer, North Dakota has its very own winery :cool: . Well, they're making berry wines, but wine is wine, right?

[cherylopal]

there was an article in the usa today this past summer about the wineries in the us- all 50 states now have at least one winery! i think it was one of the dakotas that had just opened a winery.

i cannot say enough how good good good the virginia wine is! i have been to almost all the vineyards within the past two years (they put out a book listing the wineries with directions and the type of wine they produce- i set a goal to try to go to all of them this year- well why not!!!) only one vineyard was a thumbs down and that was because of attitude. some of the wines have been incredible!!!! and such a wide variety too. i jsut finished a fume blanc that was to die for and have awesome oaky chardonnay for next week when my dh and i have our own romantic t-day dinner. i went to a barrel tasting at grey ghost and really enjoyed it and learned alot about cabernet sav and cab franc (love it!) check out their web site and come visit! i went down to chateau morrisette and loved every single wine i tasted. and they let my greyhound come too! in fact at wintergreen (excellent chard as well) the hostess ran back and opened a box of fish cracker just for indy!

well did i go on or what - va wines are just delish!! :D

[muriel3002]

Originally posted by julia
I agree with the other Canadians here, Ontario makes lovely wines - not just Niagara either. I absolutely love the Dry Reisling from Pelee Island - Cave Spring in Niagara makes a good one, but Pelee Island is definitely my favourite. I've always been a chardonnary lover, but lately I've been preferring Dry Reisling.

Ah! Another Pelee Island Winery fan! Me, too. When I moved here from Ontario, I had to really look to find a place that had it, and I did find one. Their Dry Riesling is excellent, we have also enjoyed their Baco Noir, and white with the Monarch butterfly on the label (name escapes me, and isn't that a terrible way to pick a wine!).

Niagara Region does produce some fabulous wine. DH's parents live in St. Catharines, so we are more than aware of that marvelous micro climate they live in!

Sandy M! Thanks for the list. It sounds like DH & I might take part of next summer and check out the wineries. We had a "Michigan Red" (Northville Wineries) that was simply AWFUL. I have been hesitant to try anything from Grand Traverse, too.

Also we LOVE LOVE LOVE Wolf Blass and Lindemann's from Australia, as well as Banrock Station Shiraz.

[Vanessa]

Hi Gail:

Heres a thread about MD & Va wineries you might enjoy reading
http://www.marylandwine.com
http://www.virginiawines.org/wineries/index.html

In stores like Bunn Penny at Columbia Mall and some local wine stores you can find local wines.
I have tasted Catoctin wines and prefer them over Deep Creek & Elk Run but thats a personal preference. We did try Linganoure wines and
they have several fruit ones Blackberry A light to medium bodied pure fruit wine. The perfect compliment to cheeses, fruit, salads and desserts. Serve chilled.
Blueberry -Pure fruit wine. Light to medium bodied. Serve with cheeses, crepes, muffins, and other desserts. Perfect when served as a wine cooler. Serve chilled.
Currant & Apple - A pure fruit wine. 50% currant, 50% apple. Serve chilled. Peach - slightly sweet pure fruit wine. Light to medium bodied. The perfect combination with desserts such as cakes, pies, ice cream. Serve chilled.Plum - slightly higher acids balanced with residual sugar yield a wine with soft fruit flavors. Serve over ice cream or fresh fruit, or as a marinade for duck or goose. Serve chilled.(did not like that one!) Raspberry - Light to medium bodied. The perfect combination with crepes, cheeses and fruit, salads and desserts. Perfect when made into a wine cooler.(interesting)Spiced Apple - Made using Maryland apples Best served warm with slices of apple and pears
By the time we finished trying these DH & I did not have time to try other wines but it was indeed an interesting experience.
I have A jefferson Wine in my wine rack I have been meaning to try. In Williamsburg we tried some and some we liked some we thought needed more time to reach a good tasting wine.

[badunnin]

I'd like to add my enthusiasm towards the Michigan wines! Of course, also the Oregon, the Washington, and the British Columbia. :-) Gail, we may have to talk one day - I've got a friend in Sutton's Bay that I need badly to go visit, and was planning on doing the winery tour with him, but he's a little... uneducated in that area. I just got back from Napa a few weeks ago, too, but I still root for the underdogs of Michigan. I think it's the fact that they are not real big on Chardonnay.

I'm delighted to see another wine discussion! Could we get a whole forum for this?

[cherylopal]

Originally posted by Vanessa


In stores like Bunn Penny at Columbia Mall and some local wine stores you can find local wines.
I have tasted Catoctin wines and prefer them over Deep Creek & Elk Run but thats a personal preference. We did try Linganoure wines

hi!
i went to elk run for the first time last dec and was impressed. they had a dickens christmas that day with carolers, bells, and opened their historic house. fun! i tried tasted their wines and really liked the ice wine (not as good as inniskillen (sp?) but still very yummy. i ended up buying two for xmas gifts. i haven't tried catoctin but will now. have you been to the winery?

cheryl

[cherylopal]

Originally posted by ClaraB
I'm pleased to say that as of this past summer, North Dakota has its very own winery :cool: . Well, they're making berry wines, but wine is wine, right?

wine is wine!!! :)

i was driving thru maine this past june on vacation and found a pamplet at the welcome station for two wineries. i thought "wineries in maine- i've got to check this out." when i got there i found out that they make their wine from fruit- pears, blueberries, apples- so i was expecting sweet syrupy stuff. no way! the dry blueberry tastes so much like a merlot. the blueberry comes out just when you lick your lips after about half a glass. the apple and pear are like a light chardonnay or chablis and very good too. they do make sweeter wines but they are good too.
have you tried the dakota wine?
cheryl

[Varaile]

In addition to Alexis Bailley Wines, there is also St. Croix Vineyards just outside of Stillwater, MN and Minnesota Wild (no the affiliation with the hockey team) outside of McGregor, MN.

St. Croix Vineyards makes the most divine Raspberry Infusion wine! You can serve it straight (in little glasses) ;), or pour it over ice cream or desserts.

Wisconsin also boasts of a couple (well, several but I've tried these) specialty wineries. There is Three Lakes Winery south of Rhinelander in Three Lakes, WI, and they specialize in all sorts of fruit wines. Quite yummy.

And there is White Winter Winery in Iron River, WI, which specializes in cyser, mead and melomel. I believe they also have fruit type wines but the cyser and mead are what I buy. They were awarded the contract to supply the wines for the MN Renaissance Fest this year.