VINTAGE TIMES
Fall 2010

Wine Tastings    The wine world "lives and breathes" with the "ratings" of the wine scribes. Although wine reviewers can encourage us to try wines we might not normally try, like movie critics, their criticisms are often snobbish, tedious and anything but exact. Winemakers are perplexed with consumers who follows a critic's gospel with "blinders on" and with no desire to step from the writer's oft-narrow path. But, tasting and enjoying wine is entirely subjective, as it should be, and you are the only critic who matters. Remember, de gustibus non est disputandum ... in matters of taste there is no dispute.

Tidbits    No newsletter would be complete without a few “believe it or not” in the world of wine!
• An arrest was made in the reported extortion attempt of Australian Yellow Tail winemaker John Casella. He allegedly paid for two years to prevent threats of violence against his family before going to police when a final demand of about $5 million was made. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus, February 2010
• Moderate wine consumption (two glasses a day for men and one glass a day for women) increases the body's level of heart healthy omega-3. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
• Most light beers contain about 100 calories per 16 ounces, regular beers are about 150 calories, red or white wine is 75 to 80 calories per drink, and a drink made from clear liquor (vodka) is 160 calories or more for mixed drinks. KCCI Des Moines, March 2010
• Chairman of the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition, Walter Willlett, said, "There is clear evidence that alcohol reduces heart-disease risk if consumed in moderation. It's substantial, a 30 to 40 percent reduction. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus, March 2010

Cellar Report    In April, we converted our standard bottle from Burgundy to Bordeaux style to better accommodate wine labels and stack better in wine racks. This fall, we bought a new high quality de-stemmer and crusher unit that can process1-5 tons per hour. This winter, we will have Late Harvest Vignoles (white dessert wine with clover honey, peach, and caramel aromas) for sale in the 375 ml bottles in limited supplies.

Grape Report    Veraison (onset of ripening and change in color) last year was two weeks behind and this year it's two weeks ahead, but even this year has been a bumpy roller coaster starting with lots of snow, early heat spikes in spring that shot the vines "out of a cannon," then very cool weather for a month followed by drought and heat. It's hard to know what post-veraison weather will bring.

Awards    We continued our proud history of sweeping medals in competitions. At the 2010 Great Lakes International Wine Competition, our winery was awarded eight medals. Our Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Summit Red were awarded Silver medals, while Bronze medals were awarded to our popular Huidekoper, Midway Blush, Cabernet Franc, Wolf Island, and Princess Snowater. We were also awarded four medals at the 2010 Pennsylvania Key Stone Competition. The Riesling won double gold medal, while Pymatuning Rose and Snug Harbor took the Silver medals, and a Bronze medal was awarded to our delicious Princess Snowater.

Fun for the Whole Family ~ Free Food ~ See You at the Picnic!

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VINTAGE TIMES
Spring 2010

Open House   Come celebrate our 28^th Anniversary on Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25, from 10 AM to 6 PM. You can enjoy snacks made with our wines, take tours of our cellar, and enter your name for prizes. Now is the time to look forward to spring and summer by joining us to try the fine wines of the 2009 vintage. There will be additional discounts on cases of wine.

Awards     This past November at the International-American Wine Society Competition, we swept four silver medals for Hazel Park Red, Gewurztraminer, Wolf Island, and Summit Red; and two bronze medals for Colonel Crawford and Sadsbury Red.  Locally, we also won seven additional medals in January 2010, at the PA Farm Show: two silver medals for Hazel Park Red and Colonel Crawford, and five bronze medals for Cabernet Franc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, and Summit Red.  To date, we have won more than 344 gold, silver, and bronze medals in international, national, and other competitions.

Mother Nature Going "green," we recently installed a new solar roof that takes advantage of natural resources to create clean energy.  Mother nature is also giving us a hand in our processing of wines.  Natural crystals of Cream of Tartar form as our wines are chilled. Some of the larger wineries remove the crystals by using chemicals.  We choose to stay "natural," but if you opt to be "crystal-free," simply stand the bottle upright for a few minutes and pour the wine off the settled crystals.

Tidbits

•  Firefighters dodged corks from exploding wine bottles as they battled fire that engulfed a semi-trailer following an I-80 crash in Wyoming.   Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, November 2009)

•  A $20,000 bottle of wine was returned unopened to a Hopkinton, MA liquor store after a theft suspect was recognized on a security video shown on local TV.  AP, October 2009

• Coffee flavored wines are seeking a niche in the market, one which promises a "burst of intense rich coffee and chocolate aromas." Independent News and Media asked, "Do you pour it in a cup?" Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, December 2009)

•  The NFL wants its teams to limit tailgating to 3 ^1/2 hours before games and restrict each fan to two 20-ounce beers, two six-ounce glasses of wine, or two half-ounce servings of liquor per transaction.  USA Today, October 2009

•  After more than a decade, Walgreen Company plans to resume selling beer and wine to boost sales. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, February 2010)

Blues Festival    Our annual Blues Festival will be on Saturday, June 19 from noon to 6 PM, rain or shine, behind the winery. Listen to the sounds of two local bands, DT'z (crunchy bluesy trip rock, noon-3 pm) and Duke Sherman Blues Band (electric Chicago blues, 3-6 pm) for only $5.  Bring your good friends, lawn chairs, a blanket, and a picnic. There is no food on site to purchase. Sorry, no carry-in alcohol beverages or pets allowed. 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.

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

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VINTAGE TIMES
Winter 2009

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 holiday orders, hand-painted bottle orders and special label orders need to be placed by December 15th. Come on out and get in the holiday spirit with tantalizing hot mulled wine to warm your insides, holiday sweets, wine tastings, and other great gifts from our elves' wine work shop.

Thanks    The Harvest Picnic this September culminated in an enjoyable sunny day with food, face painting, balloons, and great wine. We consider all of you our family and friends (over 800 in attendance) and were delighted you could join us. I appreciate the winery staff for their hard work. Also, we hope to see many of you during this festive time of year to personally thank you for your business.

Awards    At the 2009 Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition that was held in VA, we won silver medals for our Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer and a bronze medal for the Pinot Grigio. Also, the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon earned the 2009 Pennsylvania Quality Assurance seal for being a premium quality wine.

Cellar & Vineyard    We will release the Late Harvest Frontenac for sale by December. This red desert wine will be sold in 375 ml bottles and has sweet-tart currant flavor.

Tidbits    No newsletter would be complete without a few “believe it or not” in the world of wine.
• Sources told the Arab Times that during the past three years 100,000 bottles of liquor have been smuggled into Kuwait, an Islamic land where beverage alcohol is banned. The bottles were hidden inside concrete blocks. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, May 2009)
• Red wine may lower men's lung cancer risk. Smokers who drink one or two glasses of red wine a day have 60% lower rate of lung cancer, compared with smokers who abstain drinking red wine according to Chun Chao, research scientist for Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 2009
• The chairman of the Sabah Islamic Religious Council, Malaysia, said six strokes of a cane imposed on a Muslim man or women caught consuming liquor is too severe. He proposes rehabilitation instead. Potpourri by Arnold Lazarus (Observer, May 2009)
• Drinking White House Style ... Washington & Jefferson was wine, Hoover was Martinis, Grant was whiskey, FDR was scotch or brandy, Truman was Bourbon, Kennedy and Clinton was a variety of drinks, Johnson was scotch & soda (U.S wines at state dinners), Nixon was rum & coke, Ford was gin & tonic, Carter was wine for state dinners, and Obama is wine. The Observer, February 2009
• Muslims ban beverage alcohol, so some Saudis pour into the tiny Gulf island nation of Bahrain for drinks. A move is underway to shut down Bahrain's nightclubs and prohibit beverage alcohol. AP September 2009
• Risk for rheumatoid arthritis is about 40% to 50% lower among people who consume more than three alcoholic beverages a week than those who consume less or no alcohol according to Henrik Kallberg, PhD researcher for Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2009

We wish you a very happy holiday
with good wine, good food, good friends!

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