Russian wine: I’ve never quite thought about it. But Big Cork Vineyards is into big ideas — and not just with their bodacious reds. As I’ve mentioned before, Maryland’s climate is actually quite a cold one, especially when compared to the vineyards in my native California. This opens up their little wine country up to a whole host of grapes that are virtually untapped here on the west side. So, how about a taste of SK77-53, SK77-10-69, and XIV 186 my friends?
Tag: white wine
Big Cork Vineyards 2015 Vidal Blanc
Vidal Blanc is a hybrid grape — a cross between Ugni Blanc and Rayon d’Or — created in the 1930s by Jean Louis Vidal. If you’re from the sunny state of California, as I am, and have never heard of this varietal, that’s not surprising and nor are you alone. Because of the grape’s thick skin, it thrives best in cold, even downright icy regions. In fact, it is considered one of the great grapes of Canada, where it’s often used to create ice wines — wines created by picking the grapes when they’re frozen and contain more concentrated sugar levels.
Maryland does have cooler temperatures (sometimes dangerously frost-filled winters), which opens up the vineyard playing field to interesting grapes like Vidal Blanc. And, while this is no dessert wine, be warned my dry white wine lovers, that you’re in for an interesting twist ahead with the Big Cork Vineyards expression of this quirky grape.
Ammunition Wine 2016 Un-Oaked Chardonnay
The story of Ammunition Wine is the story of two friends who wanted to fight the battle against pretentious wine. Good wine, quality wine, doesn’t have to come with a high price tag, and affordable wine doesn’t have to come from a mass producer. These are the goals Andy Wahl and Bill Kerr set out for themselves when they created Ammunition. “The taste of freedom” is what it says on the back of every Ammunition bottle. So breathe a sigh of relief, your heroes have arrived, and they’ve come with their guns loaded…with wine.
Ammunition Wine 2016 Sauvignon Blanc
Speaking with Bill, Andy, and David — the trio behind Ammunition Wine — one thing became immediately clear to me: Their main goal is to produce focused, refined, small-batch wines — for the average punter. “Wine doesn’t have to be a luxury item,” says David Dees, Director of Sales for Ammunition Wine. Beyond an affordable price point, what Dees means, and what Whal (head winemaker) produces, are approachable wines of notable quality that any wine lover — whether novice or expert — will enjoy. Not just for special occasions, not only in front of your wine-snobby friends, but on any day of the week during any time of day — as long as the mood suits you.
Adobe Road 2014 Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay
What do fast cars and fine wines have in common? If you’re Kevin Buckler — owner and founder of The Racers Group (TRG), TRG-Aston Martin Racing and Adobe Road Winery — then everything. A passionate professional race car driver, Buckler created TRG in 1992, and has gone on to win multiple awards including an overall win and 4 class wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the title of 2002 Porsche World Cup Champion. But Buckler couldn’t leave his passion for wine in the dust — in 2002 he and his wife, Debra, opened Adobe Road Winery which has also gone on to score big points with big-named critics.
Like custom building the perfect race car, Buckler knows that crafting the perfect wines requires all the the right parts. This means, above all else, access to good grapes. “We work hard to make sure each bottle of Adobe Road wine showcases the best attributes of each individual vineyard,” says Buckler, “We choose the best parts of Sonoma and Napa Valley.” So far I must agree, because to me nothing says perfectly balanced Chardonnay than a handful of grapes from Bacigalupi Vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.