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Author Archives: Wine Cat

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PA Wine Excellence Results

by Averill Shepps

The Pennsylvania Wine Excellence tasting and awards ceremony was attended by 90 people, There were winemakers, wine lovers, in fact everyone there was interested in or involved in the Pennsylvania wine industry and in encouraging the wineries to make great wines. Leaving you in suspense no longer, the winner was Waltz Moscato, while the top scoring red wine was the Stony Run Cabernet Franc. It was the third year in a row that Waltz won, though each year for a different wine.

As we got ready for the event on that Sunday, I looked around the room and saw all the board members and former board members, running around performing the various tasks that need to be done. I was moved by the spirit with which they got to work, each at their own job – bringing and arranging all the bottles needed for the 90 people, opening them all, pouring 10 glasses at 90 place settings.

Then there was the audio-visual to be set up, the tasting order to be distributed, and all the while our stalwart treasurers were checking the 90 attendees in at the door. We have a dedicated group of volunteers who work without compensation or recognition because they feel that what we are doing is important. A big thank you goes to all of them!

And a personal thank you as well to all those who were involved in the recognition ceremony that Frank Fritsch had organized to honor me for the 17 years I have worked on the event. I was truly stunned and even rendered speechless by the ceremony. Now I can say that while I don’t do all that work for the recognition, it is certainly lovely and meaningful to receive it. Thank you all!

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President’s Column March 2019

by Dave Williams

I particularly enjoy our PA Wine Excellence event. This year’s celebration was an entertaining and successful event judging by the comments and lingering social interactions. The wines continue to improve and we see new wineries participating each year. Waltz again captured top honors with their 2018 Moscato followed by Stony Run’s 2016 Cabernet Franc, Reserve. However, all 20 wines presented were quite worthy in their own right as were many of the 90 wines submitted. If you are skeptic of Pennsylvania wine, you really need to attend this event to re-evaluate your assessment of Pennsylvania wine and hear the story from the people who make it. They are truly “authentic” to use Terry Theise’s term having a connection to a place and family or people.

FYI. PWS is a distributor of Riedel glassware. Those that attended the tasting with Riedel can attest to the impact of proper glassware can have on the wine experience. It can be quite dramatic. As a distributor we are entitled to 40% discount off retail pricing. I would be interested to hear from those who would be interested in purchasing Riedel glassware and who would be interested in having another Riedel tasting event. If not for yourself, it makes a great gift for a fellow wine enthusiast. To quote Riedel, “Grape varietal specific stemware features finely-tuned glass bowls consisting of three variables: shape, size and rim diameter; to translate the ‘message’ of wine to the human senses.”
For info on Riedel glassware, I suggest visiting www.riedel.com.

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Wineworthy

by Dave Williams

TE, The Inn at Leola Village 38 Deborah Drive, Route 23, Leola, PA 17540 (717)656-7002 www.theinnatleolavillage.com

Originally an Amish tobacco farm slated for demolition in 1999 to make way for a convenience store and automotive service center, it was—thankfully—magnificently renovated in rustic character with a mission to create a five-star resort. The locals thought it was a foolish endeavor and claimed it would happen only when pigs flew, which explains the many images, statues and figurines of winged or flying pigs adorning the property.

Today it has two restaurants, three acres of gardens, unique accommodations, event hospitality facilities and a spa. Osteria Avanti is a noteworthy, yet more conventional Italian restaurant, servicing the property with breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. However, it is TE that makes dining a truly grand celebration. Chef Calabrese wanted to create the ultimate expression of a formal Italian restaurant. Ultimate is no exaggeration! Your experience will be a journey of refined Italian cuisine worthy of the Forbes 5-Star and AAA 5 Diamonds rating. Dining is offered Friday and Saturday only and reservations are required, as is a jacket for the gentlemen. The menu consists of two basic offerings: a five-course prix-fixe or a nine-course degustation menu. Multiple choices for each course are standard, as are the chef’s amazing intermezzos between most courses. Wine can be purchased from the list of 450+ wines or you can select the sommelier’s pick of wine for each course. TE is luxurious entertainment with impeccable service for you and your mouth and soul that takes an evening (2.5-3.5 hours). In fact, the exchanges with the engaging staff enhanced the entire evening. It comes at a price, but worth every penny. The five-course menu is $129/person and $199 with wine paring. Degustation menu is $199 and $299 with wine paring. It is a dining experience to rival the finest in the world regardless of location. Be prepared to be impressed, I most certainly was and anticipate returning.

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President’s Column February 2019

by Dave Williams

This year will be 33 years since several curious individuals came together to explore wine, armed simply with more questions than answers, but a hunger—or should I say thirst—to learn. Today we are an organization that regularly gathers to learn and explore the vast world of wine. Our future and success depend on you and others who have an interest in learning about wine. Speaking for myself, much of my wine knowledge has come from PWS events, which enhanced my appreciation of wine and significantly impacted my dining pleasure. One of the remarkable things about wine is that its pleasure accrues value when shared with someone else.

Over the years there have been a dedicated and revolving team of people who plan, prepare and execute our events. A great deal of thanks goes to those individuals. They do this out of passion, as there is no compensation other than the gratitude of smiling faces enjoying an event and the knowledge acquired.

I would invite your input on subjects and events you would like to see PWS present. Plus, I encourage you to invite your friends, family or business associates who have a curiosity about wine to attend an event. What we share is a pleasure, comradery and desire to learn. What we gain are friends and a deeper appreciation for one of life’s great pleasures.

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President’s Column January 2019

by Averill Shepps

The PWS Bylaws require a change of executive officers after serving for three years. As I have served a three-year term, we just held an election at which time Dave Williams was chosen to take over as President. He has served ably on the Board and as Vice President. I will remain on the Board as Past President. As I leave, I want to remind you all of what Peter Weygandt said about us after speaking at the Chateauneuf-du-Pape tasting three years ago. He expressed his impressions of us beautifully.

“I had a most enjoyable time—being with such genuine wine lovers, so attentive, so involved in each wine, and enthusiastic – a wonderful feeling, and so rare to find these days. As Robert Parker once said to me – it is easier to find a great wine than it is to find people who truly appreciate great wine. You have such a group.”

Let us never lose that spirit! Part of it is you; part is the Board that works diligently to put on good events for you; part of it is past Board members who continue to help us out by pouring wines when asked, by helping with our PA X judging, by keeping up our Facebook page, etc. People will leave the Board, but as they do so they tell us they will continue doing what they have been doing for us. I know our members are outgoing and welcoming to new attendees so that they will feel comfortable. After all we all share a common, consuming interest—learning about wine. We are fortunate indeed to have such a group! May I leave you with a bit of trivia. The Friday night tasting group at the Lemoyne store (I call it the Pub) had a distinguished visitor last Friday. Governor Wolf was there!

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President’s Column December 2018

by Averill Shepps

As I think about what to write this month, my memory goes back to the earlier years of PWS, back to when we were known as the Wine Society of Central Pennsylvania. Back when we started we were the only game in town. If you wanted to learn about wine, we were your answer. Now the wine specialty stores are having tastings! I recall my first wine society tasting and my surprise at hearing about events coming up. I wanted to attend all of them in order to increase my knowledge. Naturally some events were good, and some not so good, but there was never an event where I learned nothing. That is still true. In Science, a negative result in an experiment is still important as it gives you more information about what you are studying. Wine is much like that. You try wines made from a specific grape or from a certain country or wine area, even a specific vintage from a really good (or bad) year, and all those experiments blend together to increase your knowledge. In the early years of your pursuit, you are also learning about your taste buds and your nose. We are all unique so that what appeals to one person is not the same as another. When we vote for our favorite wine at the end of a tasting, most wines get at least one or two votes. Another huge plus for becoming part of PWS is that you meet people who share your passion for your favorite subject. To others, we are obsessed; to kindred souls we are a source of yet more knowledge and we can join our friends in enjoying wine more than once a month!

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BYOB Himalayan fusion

by Bill Beeson

Himalayan fusion in Patton Place off Linglestown Road – 2308 Patton Road, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Web: www.himalayanfusiononline.com Phone: 717-412-4907

Hours: Tu-Th 11A-2:30P/ 4P-9P; Fr 11A-2:30P / 4P-10P; Sa: 11:30A-3P/4P-10P Su:11:30A-3P/ 4PM-9P. Lunch buffet daily during regular hours.

A new international cuisine venue with friendly and attentive service, reasonable pricing, and great food just emerged on the East Shore! Offering Indian and Nepalese dishes, Himalayan fusion opened two weeks ago. Seeing the signs for this specialty restaurant “coming soon”, we drove by almost daily until finally, on a Tuesday, we heard from a neighbor – “It’s open, and food’s great!” The first Friday evening, we were there! We found it delightful. Vegetables were exceptionally fresh and crisp; nothing exhibited the soggy texture of food prepared and held in the kitchen. My entrée took a bit longer than others’ but these short minutes were worth the wait, as we quickly realized upon presentation, that the dumplings were being prepared to order on site, real time.

The traditional samosas (no nuts) were delicious, as were the Chili Mo-Mo (beware if you don’t well-tolerate hot peppers). The garlic naan was light, airy, and well… perfect – not over garlicky. The bhagan bharta (slow cooked eggplant) and shrimp pakora (made with chick pea flour) were favorably reviewed by their consumer. The mango chicken ordered by another was also rated thumbs up. Our spicier dishes paired well with a 2008 Allegro Cadenza (Bordeaux style blend) and the lighter dishes nicely with a 2016 Fabre Rosé from Provence. Riesling would also be a good varietal to grab on your way to dinner here. Wine glasses available if you forget to pack your Riedel.

This establishment seems VERY allergy-aware and careful – menu items are coded (V) vegan; (N) contains nuts; and (GF) gluten free – very much appreciated by our team! There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan-friendly entrees. Any dish can be prepared to your preferred level of heat as well. We plan to catch Sunday brunch there at our next opportunity!

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President’s Column October 2017

by Averill Shepps—

Those of you who frequent the Lemoyne Fine Wine and Spirits Store get Kirt’s weekly email telling you what wines will be tasted on Friday and Saturday (I call it “the pub” because it has that same feel. You meet your friends there). This week he has sent a link to information and statistics relating to the US Wine Industry in 2016 that I found very interesting. Most important is that revenues for US wine sales estimated at $39.8 billion, show a 5% increase. Total US Wine Sales Revenue including imports is estimated at $60 billion. The number of US wineries in 2017 = 9019, up 4% from 2016. The 5 largest states by number of wineries: California – 4202; Washington = 747; Oregon = 713; New York = 385; Texas = 287.

Consumer information reveals that 120 million or approximately 36%, drink wine. 57% are female and 43% are male. (You go, girls!). 38% drink wine weekly (No comment there..). The largest wine consuming generations are Millennials and Baby Boomers. The 5 most popular wine varietals are: 1) Chardonnay; 2) Cabernet Sauvignon; 3) Red Varietals; 4) Pinot Grigio; 5) Pinot Noir. Some hot varietals and trends for 2017: Sparkling Wines are continuing to show double digit growth. Consumers are expected to crave more bubbles in 2017. (I intend to do my part). Rose is still all the rage. (We will have a tasting featuring them next Spring). Sauvignon Blanc, especially from New Zealand, shows strong increases. Finally, it is expected that consumers will continue to trade up to more expensive wines. That is where PWS is important to you. We feature fine wines at our tastings so that consumers can learn what they like, and buy, knowing they will enjoy their wine purchase.

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Our Wine Tour of Tuscany by Scott Casper

Some of our favorite wines come from Tuscany so we wanted to take a wine tour of the region. The appellations we visited were: Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico. The appellation we looked forward to visiting is one of the most prestigious in the world, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Of the wineries we visited in the Brunello zone, our favorites were Altesino and Val di Suga.

We wanted to visit Altesino because we drank more of their Brunello than any other and really liked it. Altesino has a good working relationship with the PLCB that over the years has benefited the winery and Pennsylvania wine consumers. The winery staff was pleased to hear that we were from PA. We had their 2012 Brunello that was very good AND it is currently available in the state system. But the “show stopper” at the tasting was their Montesoli, their single vineyard, estate flagship wine. That was excellent! It should be. It costs over $100 a bottle!

Val di Suga produces three single vineyard, estate Brunellos. Each vineyard has a very different type of soil; therefore, the three Brunellos taste and smell completely different. That made for a very special tasting. I particularly looked forward to this winery visit because I have a 1999 Spuntali Vineyard Brunello. The Spuntali soil is very interesting because it’s ocean floor with lots of seashells. It’s not something you would expect in southcentral Tuscany but the ocean receded from this area millions of years ago.

The gracious and knowledgeable woman who conducted the cellar tour and tasting was astounded that I had a Spuntali from 1999. She asked, “where did you ever find it?” I told her I found it in a “magical place” called the West Shore Plaza Wine and Spirits Store in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania back in 2007. I said, “They even had a special name for it. They called it a Chairman’s Selection.”

The first appellation we went to in Tuscany was Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. The famous winery Poliziano was our first stop. The winery secured a reputation for consistently producing fine wines for many years. After the cellar tour, we went to their modern tasting room where the winery manager conducted the tasting. We had five of their wines. All of their wines were spectacular! Our next stop in the appellation was at Gattevecchi. Instead of having their wines in a tasting room, we had them with lunch on their small outside deck high up in the mountains. We had four of their wines with as many courses and they were all perfect pairings. The view, the wines and the food were “trifecta” winners!

The last appellation we visited in Tuscany was Chianti Classico DOCG. The Classico region is different from Chianti DOCG. Chianti Classico produces the best wines overall compared to Chianti, Chianti Rufina or Colli Senesi. You can easily identify the Classico wines with the symbol of their DOCG, a black rooster, on the upper label of every bottle produced there. We went to five wineries in the Chianti Classico zone. Our favorite was Vecchie Terre di Montefili. This is a small production winery that makes fine artisan wines. It was formerly a monastery high up in the mountains. The monks planted the vineyards and started to make the first wines here. They later sold the estate and it became a commercial winery.

Vecchie Terre di Montefili is a beautiful place. The views were breathtaking due to its elevation. It has two ponds among its vineyards with tall, full shade trees at the winery building. Both the winery and house had abundant plantings of beautiful flowers in full bloom. We had five wines including a thirteen-year old Super Tuscan. They were all stellar. Tuscany is remarkably scenic and the wines of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino (see last month’s newsletter) and Chianti Classico are among the best in Italy and the world!

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Healthy BYOB Mellow Minded Cafe

by Lynne Beeson

 

Mellow Minded Café – Living, Loving, Local  at 5943 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112  717-412-7120

Hours: M-Tu 11-4; W-Th  11-8; F-Sa 9 -9; Su 9-3

 

This is our frequent go-to when we want to avoid the Friday interstate traffic snarls, and still want a good meal!   This place is family friendly, reasonably priced, and the best we’ve found among local ‘vegetarian-or-not’ places.   It’s casual, with counter walk-up service, but food is brought piping hot to your table when ready…so you can order, then sit back, pop a cork, and settle in a bit and chat before your food arrives.

Great care is taken with allergens, food restrictions, and preferences – including gluten free, dairy free, and vegan notations on the menus – the people behind the counter know what’s in each recipe, or will check with the chef if they don’t.  There’s something for everyone from small plates (prosciutto wrapped asparagus with balsamic) to large plates (fajitas your way) and from salads (add fish, shellfish or steak) to smoothies (from a fruit cornucopia – whatever you wish), But on to the fabulous FRESH food we enjoyed last visit, and the local wines we paired!

This visit, our dining trio started with the tomato bisque, which is gluten free, thick yet creamy, and oh so good. We paired soup with Allegro Brut Rosé.   Moving on to entrees, we sampled the crab cake dinner – one humongous lump crab cake on creamy parmesan risotto with grilled asparagus; the specially marinated, then BBQ tofu sandwich on brioche with very fresh, organic mixed greens on the side; and “the burger” (no roll this time to really savor the burger) made with locally raised, grass fed beef, topped with garlic aioli, lettuce and tomato also with a side of lightly dressed organic greens. With these we paired Allegro 2014 Skin Chardonnay, and the awesome, drinking-at-its-best right now, Allegro 2002 Reserve Merlot – every weekend should start this way!   You must check out this place.   Mellow Minded also serves breakfast – we keep planning to do that – it just hasn’t yet happened – but it will as we keep coming back and have yet to be disappointed.