We've been true to our word about wanting to visit more vineyards, wineries and soak up more vinification information in 2011.
Within the first couple days of 2011, we took the kids down to our favorite vineyard (Running Hare Vineyard) in Prince Frederick, MD and they loved it! I was so glad! Took a picnic lunch and just enjoyed the day with each other inside their gorgeous Tuscan style events building. Can't wait for the weather to get better so we can head down there for outdoor picnics again! It's so beautiful!
Last week, my husband and I had to venture up to New York state for family reasons and on our way back decided we HAD to stop at a New York winery/vineyard. We've had wine made from grapes up there and we hear all these things about how wonderful NY wine is (especially up near the Finger Lakes), but we'd never stopped before. Unfortunately, we were no where near their 'wine region' but there were a few places on our route where we could try to stop.
We got off the interstate (YAY) and ventured down some county roads and through some adorable tiny towns. Victorian houses sat along the snow covered streets, neighboring dilapidated barns of every shape and color. It was very picturesque.
Finally, after some misguided but scenic directions courtesy of google maps, we arrived at the winery: Warwick Valley, which we discovered was not only a winery but also a distillery!
Their tasting room was very rustic, so of course I loved it. It reminded me of the inside of a barn - tall beams, lots of wood, the bar top was copper and they had lots of wood burning stoves to heat the building. We sidled up to the bar and tried some of their wines, hard ciders and even one of their brandies! Quite tasty indeed! After our tasting, we decided to take advantage of their cafe and ordered a delicious margherita pizza. It was quickly devoured along with our bottle of hard apple cider. Very good combination.Today, we ventured across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to explore a little slice of the Eastern Shore. After living here for a year, we still haven't really explored that half of Maryland yet. We got rather excited to see that they had a Sonic Drive-In and that they allow grocery stores to carry alcohol (unlike the other part of Maryland). For those reasons alone I can say that the Eastern Shore rocks! Anyhow, we drove down highway 50 to Easton, MD and then took highway 33 east towards the Bay.
St. Michael's Winery sits in an adorable little alleyway in the town of St. Michaels, MD, surrounded by colorful old buildings and an ancient mill house. If you didn't know where you were befor
e, once you step inside their tasting room you'll know you're near the shore. A huge, peeling rudder rests against one of the walls while a creamy white sail hangs from their ceiling. I love harbor towns. :)It was super busy inside, but we were able to squeeze in at the tasting bar.
It's amazing when you can actually describe what you're tasting when you're drinking wines. Earthy, fruity, peppery finish, nutmeg, oaky, etc. I don't know if it's because my palette is changing or if I'm just getting more in tune with my taste buds (sounds kind of hippie, but you've got to trust me!) - it makes wine tasting just that more enjoyable.
St. Michael's has some great wines. I think I fell in love with their Chocolate Zin, as well as their Pinot Grigio. My husband and I both agreed on getting a bottle of the 'Long Splice', which is their driest white consisting of seyval and chardonnay grapes.
It was a wonderful, relaxing day of exploring the Eastern Shore and new wines. I love that I'm able to pick out certain flavors and scents now as I taste more and more.
It's a great start to a great 2011.
