Intimate wine tours are the best

Most of us have certain wine merchants whose personalities we like and whose recommendations we trust. A decade after a pleasant visit to a winery, we still buy its wines. And we love to ask questions of touring winemakers at tastings.

So keep this in mind if you're planning a trip to wine country here or abroad. Wine tours should be small enough that you leave feeling you know the winemakers and chefs you met along the way.

I was reminded of this at a wine tasting and dinner at the Inn Keeper's Kitchen at the Dilworthtown Inn a few nights ago. Most of the people in the room were local folks who had gone on small-group wine tours of Italy with Amy Wadman and Summer Wolff, of the tour company diVino, who were pouring the wines of a Piedmont producer not yet distributed in the U.S. Both are trained sommeliers. Wadman's family moved to Tuscany when she was a young teen, and she decided to stay. Wolff grew up on Long Island, and she still works in the wine retail trade with D. Sokolin -- "but my cubicle now is in Tuscany."

The two specialize in custom tours throughout Italy and are just getting started across the border in Slovenia. "If our customers want to go to the big places like Banfi, of course, we'll take them there," Wadman says, "but most of the wineries we visit don't do tours, but they'll do lunches for us. Most of these people become our friends, and we socialize with them. So, in a way, our customers become their friends, too." Even though it's time-consuming, Wadman, who started diVino seven years ago, says, "I never take anyone to some place I have not visited recently."

Generally, they don't recommend customers buy wine at the places they visit if it's available in the U.S. because of shipping costs and airport hassles. But Wolff can arrange shipment of anything not easily available through her retail connections. And she also specializes in helping wine lovers put together their cellar collections -- and not just with Italian wines.

Some other diVino hints: Travel with people who enjoy similar pursuits. Decide what you want to do when not eating great food and drinking wine -- castles, cathedrals, shopping, hanging out with a good book. Decide how busy you want your itinerary.

news source :-Intimate wine tours are the best

Wollersheim Winery Open House Celebrates Prairie Fume

Wollersheim Winery's annual open house is set for March 7 and 8 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Visitors can learn at their leisure about winemaking and the winery's historical setting. A unique blend of activities both days includes grapevine pruning and cooking with wine demonstrations, winemaker talks, self-guided tours, and of course wine tasting. A new wine release with a new name and new style, Prairie Sunburst Red, can be tasted along with other Wollersheim wines. Prairie Sunburst Red is an unoaked fruity red wine, which embraces a new trend of softer reds. This “new red” is bursting with berry fruit flavors reminiscent of raspberries and is a red companion to Prairie Fume.

This year marks "20 Years of Good Taste" for Wollersheim Prairie Fume wine. Winemaker Philippe will celebrate this milestone sharing history on the creation of Prairie Fume, a light and refreshing semi-dry wine known and loved throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Each day commences with a Growing Grapes in Wisconsin talk accompanied by a Grapevine Pruning Demonstration set in the vineyard. Take an excursion through some of the winery's oldest vines learning pruning techniques for home grapevines as Winemaker Philippe and Vineyard Manager Bruce share what they have learned on pruning grapes in Wisconsin. This demonstration is offered on Saturday at 10:15 am and 2:30 pm and again on Sunday at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Gain some cooking with wine tips and enjoy a taste as guest chef, Paul Short, MATC Culinary Arts Chef Instructor, features Wollersheim Prairie Fume wine during cooking demonstrations held at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm on Saturday and 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm on Sunday.

In place of regular guided tours, visitors are invited to explore behind the scenes on a self-guided tour of the winery's fermentation room and underground aging cellars, plus other wine production areas not generally open to the public. Winery staff will be on hand to answer questions, as well as provide bottling line demonstrations between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm both days. In addition, a series of interactive displays along the self-guided tour give families of all ages a chance to learn together about growing grapes.
news source :-Wollersheim Winery Open House Celebrates Prairie Fume

Millionaire wants his own winery for rosy future

The creator of an award-winning sparkling rose wants to build his own state-of-the-art winery near his home in Staplehurst, Yourmaidstone reports.

Richard Balfour-Lynn, the producer of Balfour Brut Rose, has submitted a planning application to Maidstone council for a multi-million pound winery to be built near his Hush Heath Estate.

Architects RBA have created a design for the purpose-built structure, which will now go before the council's planning committee for approval.

The sparkling wine, which has been referred to as“England's most exclusive Pink Fizz”is currently grown on the estate, near Maidstone, before the grapes are taken to Chapel Down winery in Tenterden.

The new winery is being built for operational and branding reasons to ensure the popular fizz to compete against other rose champagnes.

RBA describe the new build as:“A contemporary interpretation of traditional oak barns and Kentish oak houses.

"The layout of the building is split into three sections with two barn structures which house the winery operations.

"The building also includes a wine tasting facility which is located within the barrel vaulted section of the building, from which this affords views toward Hush Heath Manor and to the private courtyard within the centre of the buildings.”

The Hush Heath Estate is also where the millionaire makes his own Hush Heath Apple Juice.

Mr Balfour-Lynn, who owns the Hotel du Vin chain and retail store Liberty, boasts his Balfour-Lynn Rose, which is priced at £33, is good enough to challenge the French.

On his website the entrepreneur says:“My aim is to make the finest Rosé Sparkling Wine, comparable with the great Rosé Champagnes.

"The passion and enthusiasm by everyone involved with Balfour Brut Rosé has led to us winning a number of prestigious international awards.

"I set out with the vision of creating a uniquely memorable experience. Balfour is light, entertaining and fun, and more importantly, it knocks the socks off many French Champagnes."
news source :-Millionaire wants his own winery for rosy future

Lots locally at annual Ice Wine Festival

The second annual Nova Scotia Ice Wine Festival is planned for Feb. 12-22 and many local events are scheduled.
Blomidon Winery in Habitant will be open both weekends for tastings. So will Domain de Grand Pre, which is hosting an ice wine and chocolate event Saturday, Feb. 14 from 1–4 p.m.
A tasting of 2004 Borealis ice wine made by the Benjamin Bridge Winery will take place on the terrace of the Tempest Restaurant Feb. 14 from noon to 3 p.m.
Other wineries in the area, such as L’Acadie Vineyards in Gaspereau, will be open both weekends.
The Kingstec Fire and Ice gala is set for Feb. 19. It gets underway at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40.
Winemaker Gina Haverstock of Gaspereau Winery will conduct an ice winemaking demonstration Feb. 21-22 at 2 p.m.
The Festival Closing Gala, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Wolfville, takes place Feb. 21 at the Fountain Commons at Acadia University.

news source :-Lots locally at annual Ice Wine Festival

Niagara: Romance sizzles amid quaint inns, cozay wineries and a glittering falls

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ontario -- Near the park, the Shaw Festival Theatre is locked tighter than a Victorian corset. At the harbor, the petulant Niagara River is partly frozen, a white and blue montage of floating squares.

Winter here is starkly beautiful: a picture in sharp focus, a summer town gone quiet.

Good news for lovers: No one will ever look for you here.

Spend a weekend tucked away in some canopied four-poster bed in this little hamlet just four hours from Detroit, and you will return to regular life a happier couple.

A day trip to nearby Niagara Falls is hopelessly romantic, with the still-unfrozen falls wreathed in a coating of sparkling winter ice. You can even take a winter helicopter ride -- and did you know from the air, the Niagara whirlpool is in the shape of a heart?

Oh, and dozens of Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries are open year-round, which means their tasting rooms are ready to help you burn off the winter chill. And -- well, we'll get to all that. Just start packing.

news source:- Niagara: Romance sizzles amid quaint inns, cozay wineries and a glittering falls

LCBO store plans toast to Canadian icewines

One of Canada's most famous world exports will be celebrated here at home, with an icewine tasting event Saturday at the LCBO Roundhouse Centre store at 3165 Howard Ave.

The store will offer tasting-sized samples from noon to 4 p.m., along with an area chefs' competition for the best dessert match with the sweet wine and an artists' challenge, too.

Area artists will decorate icewine bottles that will be raffled off and proceeds will benefit the John Atkinson Memorial Fund in support of the Special Olympics.

The icewines include vintages from this area's vineyards.

Store customers can sample and vote on their favourite dessert as well as the artwork. Visitors can receive a grab bag with tasting tickets, ballots for voting, information on the artists and chefs and icewine information brochures. For information, contact the store at 519-972-1772.

Canada is the world's largest producer of icewine. Grapes are picked when temperatures drop below -8 C. Because the wine-making process must take place while grapes remain frozen, the actual icewine harvest often occurs in the middle of the night.

news source :-LCBO store plans toast to Canadian icewines

Sweet vino takes spotlight at ice wine festival

The state’s top ice wine producers will converge in February in Perinton for the first New York Ice Wine Festival, at Casa Larga Vineyards.

The festival is the first of its kind in the country, according to Casa Larga. New York is one of the few places in the world able to produce ice wine, a sweet dessert wine made from frozen grapes.
In recent years, New York ice wines have received international acclaim, boosting them to the heights of such regions as Germany and Canada, known around the world for their outstanding ice wine production, a news release from Casa Larga said.

Recently, Casa Larga’s Fiori Vidal ice wine received a trophy for Best Dessert Wine from the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

In an effort to shine more light on these New York-made wines, Casa Larga has teamed up with other top wineries, including Heron Hill, Hunt Country and Sheldrake Point, to create the Ice Wine Festival, which is planned as an annual event.
source :- Sweet vino takes spotlight at ice wine festival