This is not the post I had planned for this week, but…It sure was fun and I wanted to share it (even though I was unable to post until today)!
A Port-style wine tasting at Old York Cellars. I received an invitation (along with several well-known wine bloggers) to do a tasting of two newly released Port-style wines. I have written about Old York Cellars, located in Ringoes, in the past on these pages.
Pictured above from left to right: Debbie Gioquindo (CSW, Blogger); Dave Wolin (Owner), Scott Gares (Winemaker), Laurin Dorman (CSW, General Mgr.); and Lori Budd (Owner of Dracaena Wines and award-winning blogger). I was honored to be a part of this group, but I am to blame for the photograph (though I think they all look great).
Before tasting the two wonderful Port-style wines, Scott Gares shared two of his 2016 Cabernet Sauvignons (barrel samples, not yet quite ready to bottle). These were both smooth and enjoyable, with the latter of the two showing a hint of sweetness, but with a definite dry finish.
We also got to taste a What Exit Red (a label they use as a charitable fund-raiser, with $1 of every bottle sold going to a targeted local charity). I enjoyed this dry, light red blend of Petit Syrah and Merlot (not as dark or full-bodied as I expected given this blend, but a smooth and very food-friendly red).
Next we got to try a white wine, their Riesling, which was an off-dry version that had a great soft, almost creamy mouthfeel. While I generally prefer dry Rieslings, I could see this wine pleasantly cooling off a spicy Thai dish.
Wow!… We hadn’t even gotten to the stars of this show: The Port-style wines (or as they are named here, Southpaw White and Southpaw Red). Scott explained the derivation of the names. I was thinking there was a baseball pitcher reference, but they derive from a humorous take on the nautical term for port (the left side of a ship).
As you can see (even in my less than professional photo above), we were treated to some great edible pairings, including cheese and crackers, fruit, chocolate truffles, chocolate bark and Tim Tams (more about them later).
First we tried the Southpaw White. This interesting wine is 50% Ravat (a white hybrid grape, often confused with Vignoles) and 50% Riesling and fortified with aged Brandy (ABV=19.2%). Having recently tasted last year’s Southpaw White, I definitely tasted a drier version this year. I liked last year’s version, but found this one even more to my liking. Scott said last year’s version was 100% Ravat.
Then we were presented with the Southpaw Red. Again not quite as sweet as last year. It is made from Marechal Foch, Landal Noir (a red hybrid grape) and Merlot, with aged Brandy added to fortify (ABV = 19.8%). This was wonderful on its own, but augmented by the Tim Tams (an Australian chocolate biscuit, named after the 1958 Kentucky Derby winner) it will knock your socks off! The process is one better illustrated than explained. You take the Tim Tam and bite off the top left or right corner and then bite a small piece from the diagonal bottom corner (bottom right, if you chose the top left corner). Then you dunk the biscuit in the port and drink through it like a straw. Yes it actually works. Once you do this a couple of times, the Tim Tam is drenched in Port and the rest of it awaits your mouth. Finally, if there is any of the Port left, it’s as good as it gets, so drink it now. Some refer to this as the Tim Tam Slam. I love the alliterative rhyme, but to the uninitiated it may conjure up slamming down the port the way you might slam down a few shots at a bar when you have just gotten some really bad news you’d like to quickly forget. But this is an experience you want to savor, not slam.
For those of you who were completely lost by my garbled prose above, Debbie and Lori taped a brief video and will probably be posting it on their sites. I encourage you to visit their websites (shared below).
Lastly, we were given a Blueberry wine, which is a new offering for Old York Cellars. They are now producing a line of their sweeter wines for Wegmans and I believe this is one of them. This wine was surprisingly good. Surprising because I don’t usually enjoy the fruit wines that much. However, this was not super sweet and could be enjoyed after dinner on its own or embellishing a dessert (perhaps pouring a little over a dish of vanilla ice-cream).
I can see why Old York Cellars has over 1,100 club members and 20,000 yearly visitors…beautiful environs, nice people and good wine!
Finally, I want to thank all involved in this awesome tasting experience: Thanks to David Wolin, Scott Gares, and Laurin Dorman. I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to meet two bright and knowledgeable individuals with whom I had previously only shared twitter and Instagram posts, Lori Budd and Debbie Gioquindo.
Lori Budd’s Blog: http://dracaenawines.com
Debbie Gioquindo’s Blog: HudsonValleyWineGoddess.com
Finally, a book update. It seemed only fitting to me that on my 100th post I would finally get to say that I will be submitting my completed manuscript for copyright registration this week. I will be talking more about my 2+ years journey in coming weeks, with a few suggestions for any reader who may be contemplating writing a book.
Cheers!
Coming Attractions
- More South Jersey Breweries now open!
- My writing journey
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