VINTAGE TIMES

Spring 2008

Open House    Come and help us celebrate our 26^th Anniversary on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, from 10 AM to 6 PM on both days. You can enjoy snacks made with our wines, take tours of our cellar, and enter your name for a prize. Now is the time to look forward to spring and summer by joining us to try the fine wines of the new 2007 vintage. There will be special discounts on cases of wine.

Awards    This past November at the American Wine Society Competition (International competition), we again won seven medals, coming away with two silver medals for Sadsbury Red and Allegheny Gold, and four bronze medals for Wolf Island, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Colonel Crawford, and Ice House Misty Bubbly Pink.  In January 2008, we earned four medals at the PA Farm Show with a silver medal for Cabernet Franc and bronze medals for Colonel Crawford and Ice House Misty Bubbly – Pink & White.   The PA Quality Assurance Program selected Pinot Grigio as a premium quality wine (PQA Seal) for 2008.

Cellar Report    We will be bottling the new vintage this April and should have most of your favorite white wines available at the Open House. Pub White, Allegheny Gold, and Vidal will be limited in supply.  This past December, we extended our roof over the far back pad. This summer, we are planning to buy a chilling system for last year new tanks, install two catwalks in the cellar, and partially enclose the far back pad with hemlock siding.

Tidbits   

• Researchers at the University of Bari in Italy report that one drink of an alcoholic beverage, mostly wine, a day delayed the progression of mild dementia in 85% of 121 people they studies. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer)

• Absinthe, condemned as hallucinogenic liquor in the U.S. for 95 years, is once again legal here. It wonÕt be cheap. The first brand sells for about $75 for a 750 ml. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer)

• Chief Justice John Marshall said a rainy day was a good time to have a glass of wine. If it were sunny, heÕd quip, ÒWell, it must be raining somewhere.Ó  Westmoreland (VA) News

• Stressed-out Chinese can unload pent-up emotions by smashing glasses, attacking staff and being rowdy at the Rising Sun Anger Release Bar in Nanjing. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer)

Jazz & Blues Festival     Our annual Jazz and Blues Festival will be on Saturday, June 21 from noon to 6 PM, rain or shine, behind the winery. Join hundreds of people at this annual event and listen to the sounds of two local bands.  Bring your good friends, lawn chairs, and a blanket for all. You can bring a picnic or purchase food on site from Mama Bears. Sorry, no carry-in alcohol beverages or pets allowed. Band cover charge at the gate is $7 for 21 and older, $3 for 13 to 20 years of age, and under the age of 13 is free. Free juice is provided for Designated Drivers. Relax and enjoy chilled wine and good tunes - what a way to kick-off summer and celebrate Father's Day weekend! There will be special discounts on cases of wine.  Also, Conneaut Lake area will hold its Berry JamÕn Jazz Festival around the lake, June 20 - 22.

   See You at Open House in April and Jazz & Blues Festival in June

***

VINTAGE TIMES

Winter 2007

Holiday Shopping    We have great ideas for everyone on your Gift List! Let us festively wrap your gifts of wine, create a gourmet wine basket, hand-paint a wine bottle for that someone “special,” or just stop in for some fun stocking stuffers. Why not order family or business labels and give everyone a “vintage” bottle of your own stock-cellar-favorite. To allow our elves sufficient time to complete all Christmas orders, hand-painted bottle orders need to be placed by December 14th and special label orders need to be placed by December 10th. Make sure to try a sample of hot spiced mulled wine while you’re here to warm you up on the inside!

Thanks    The Harvest Picnic this September culminated in an enjoyable day with live music, face painting, balloons, food, and Great Wine. Despite the light morning rain, the weather for the afternoon was comfortable and dry. We consider each of you our family and friends, and we were delighted you could join us. The big winner was Ziccarde of West Middlesex, PA, who won a $75 gift certificate. I appreciate the winery staff for their hard work.

Awards    At the 2007 Atlantic Seaboard Vinifera Wine Competition that was held in VA, we won a gold medal for Riesling, silver medal for Pinot Grigio, and bronze medal for Snug Harbor (Seyval and Vidal blend).

Cellar & Vineyard    The quality of the 2007 harvest had ideal weather for red grapes - hot and dry with lots of sunshine. This fall, we purchased a 250-gallon sparkling tank that can operate at pressures up to 90 pounds per square inch (psi) and has a cooling jacket to lower the wine temperature to absorb more CO2. This will replace our old 10-gallon sparkling tank that worked at 45 psi and sat in a tub of ice water. We hope to operate the new tank by December 1st, which is when we usually start our bubbly wine production.

Tidbits    No newsletter would be complete without a few “believe it or not” in the world of wine.
• Some of the longest-living French women live in southwestern area known for its fatty foie gras (livers from duck and geese) and rustic red wines. Washington Post (August 2007)
• Americans drink about 2.2 gallons of beverage alcohol per person a year. This is only slightly more than Americans consumed in 1850. Columbus Dispatch (August 2007)
• Time Magazine described Rose` as “Wine for the anti-snob.” Rose` sales were up almost 15% in the U.S. last year with a jump of 30% in trendy New York restaurants. The Clock Group (July 2007)
• Italian researchers found that moderate drinking reduces risk of death by 17% in men and 18% in women. USA Today (July 2007)
• Christie’s will hold New York’s first liquor auction since Prohibition began in 1920. State legislators recently legalized them. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, September 2007)
• An unidentifiable Middle Eastern businessman spent $218,000 during a five-hour spree at Crystal nightclub in London. Drinks ordered for his party of 17 included eight bottles of Cristal Champagne for $60,000. Reuters (June 2007)
• Harvard School of Public Health scientists report that data from 11,711 hypertensive American men indicates that drinking one to two glasses of red wine can decrease heart attack risk in this group by 30%. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, June 2007)
• Red Grapes get credit for heart-healthy compounds, but researchers at the universities of Connecticut and Milan found green grape skins also rich in similar elements. Parade (July 2007)

We wish you a very happy and safe holiday.

***

VINTAGE TIMES

Fall 2007

Tidbits    No newsletter would be complete without a few “believe it or not” in the world of wine!
• Italy has more than 800 native varietals but the vast majority of wines consumed in the U.S. are from grapes chardonnay, zinfandel, and merlot. Fredericksburg (VA) Free Lance Star
• Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. A red wine may lose some of its fruity flavor if it becomes too warm. Lynchburg, VA News & Advance
• California wines accounted for almost 63% of 2006 U.S. wine sales of 301.1 million cases. Imports represent almost 30%; domestics less than 8%. Gomberg-Fredikson Report
• Some wineries in California are using flock of hens to feast on cutworms, thus avoiding use of pesticides. The cluck crew travels in a mobile coop. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, March 2007)
• Zinfandel is primarily a California grape although DNA testing showed the grape comes from Croatia and is similar to Primitivo, an Italian grape. Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Greece convinced the European Union to give it exclusive right to the drink names of ouzo, tsipouro, and tsikoudia made from grapes or raisins. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, December 2006)
• A Penn State Study found no evidence that the beverage alcohol industry targets youth in its magazine ads. Study author Jon Nelson noted: “Policymakers would be well advised to turn their attention to other aspects of youth drinking behaviors.” Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, December 2006)
• Boston Beer Co.’s Jim Koch advises beer lovers to avoid frozen glasses. “That’s a bad idea regardless of the shape, because it suppresses the flavor.” Said Koch. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer)

Cellar Report    This fall, we are replacing eight non-jacketed stainless steel tanks with variable capacity double jacket tanks. These new tanks will allow us to control the temperature of the wine during fermentation and enables us to cold stabilize the wine for removing the cream of tartar. We look forward to using them this year. In May, we replaced our old shingled roof with a metal roof and added a covered outside area that connects the crush pad with the loading dock. We will use this new area for storage.

Awards    We continued our proud history of sweeping medals in competitions. At the 2007 Great Lakes International Wine Competition, our winery was awarded ten medals. Our sophisticated Snug Harbor took top honors with a Gold medal. Silver medals were awarded to our delicious Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Pymatuning Rose, Riesling, and Wolf Island. Bronze medal recipients were our popular Allegheny Gold, Vidal, Colonel Crawford, and Summit Red. We were also awarded four medals at the 2007 Pennsylvania Key Stone Competition. Princess Snowater took the Gold medal, while Silver medals went to Summit Red and Snug Harbor. Midway Blush won a Bronze medal. Our new motto: Small but Great!

See You at the Picnic!

***