Vineyards are a growing trend in Maryland

An interesting story about how the desire to buy local is contributing to the establishment of new vineyards in Maryland. No need for me to say that I think highly of this trend!

The article

the article mentions kevin atticks. he is a great guy with a great palate - just the sort of person they need.

Not only is this boom being felt in Maryland, but throughout North America.
Here’s an interesting link:
http://www.winesandvines.com/head_jan07_boom.html

Salute

Paul, although I'm proud to say I work in DC, I'm even prouder to say that I live within five miles of three vineyards in MD. I hear that a fourth one is one the way! What a joy. And regarding Kevin Atticks (sp?), Pres of the MD Wineries Assoc., he is also on a brief radio show “Word on Wine” twice a week on WBJC in Baltimore MD. Look out Napa, here we come.

Not only is this boom being felt in Maryland, but throughout North America.
Here’s an interesting link:
http://www.winesandvines.com/head_jan07_boom.html

Salute

Looking at the short term future... this will probably be good for consumers because it is almost certainly there is going to be a heck of a lot more juice than people to drink it. I have seen articles about the already existing oversupply in California. The demand for wine is not growing anyway near as fast as the supply. While there never will be oversupply of the very best wine, the vast middle range is going to be flooded with juice.

Glenn

I read somewhere, that sometime in the future (possibly in 5 years) the US might surpass France in wine consumption. What type of wine would the “majority” be drinking? Your guess is as good as mine.

Salute

[James Roscoe]

I read somewhere, that sometime in the future (possibly in 5 years) the US might surpass France in wine consumption. What type of wine would the “majority” be drinking? You’re guess is as good as mine.

Salute

Is white zinfandel a wine? The average American wine drinker is not represented on this forum. I'm afraid the Australian trade board has the US palate figured out better than anyone else. Why would they be so succesful with all that Yellowtail, Little Penguin, and Jacob's Creek, et al. that they can't sell at home but can dump on the US market?

I have just received an email from a Maryland vineyard asking if I knew a US nursery where they can buy Pinotage vines.

I don't unfortunately.

I have just received an email from a Maryland vineyard asking if I knew a US nursery where they can buy Pinotage vines. I don't unfortunately.

Hmmm, pinotage? Seems like a rather ambitious undertaking for a region that's just getting going. My understanding is that pinotage doesn't tend to do very well anywhere but S. Africa, anyway. Or at least, not yet. I suppose you can't fault someone for trying, but hopefully they're not investing too much.

My understanding is that pinotage doesn't tend to do very well anywhere but S. Africa, anyway. Or at least, not yet.

Really? Which non-SA Pinotages are you baseing this on?

My understanding is that pinotage doesn't tend to do very well anywhere but S. Africa, anyway. Or at least, not yet.

Really? Which non-SA Pinotages are you baseing this on?

I'm basing it on what the instructor at my WSET course said. Last night we tore through the new world, and when we tasted a pinotage he made a point of mentioning that although quite a few regions are starting to dabble with it, he couldn't think of any that have been particularly successful. Having only ever had pinotage from SA, I'd love to prove him wrong! Any suggestions?

Here's one counter example:

Nestled in the heart of the Stags Leap District is Steltzner Vineyards. Since 1965 the family has been dedicated to growing grapes of exeptional quality. Pinotage, created in 1925 is a flower cross between Cinsault and Pinot Noir, developed for the gentle climate in the Fairest Cape of South Africa. The Steltzner Family grows a limited amount of this unique varietal, creating a rich wine with floral and berry overtones set in a velvety texture. Wow, what a unique bouquet. 250 cases produced.

Details

Winery Steltzner Vineyards
Vintage 2004
Variety Pinotage
Price: $28.99

I checked Wine Searcher Pro -- 36 pages of Pinotage -- most are from South Africa. There are a few other examples from elsewhere, for example: http://www.phoenixvineyards.com/inc/sde ... 0#|price_d[vin]

[James Roscoe]

What do they do about the high humidity and the awful summer heat in southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore? It can be ridiculous most summers. Then there are the really wet Septembers. I just don't see this as a succesful area for viniculture. Am I mistaken? I am sure Paul could point to hybrids, but for most people these are unproven. Maybe some Rhone or southern Italian varieties might take the heat and humidity, but I am a skeptical.

You know, James, I think that they are largely focusing on viniferas, and if they can make those work then I would say that planting a healthy amount of Chambourcin and maybe Villard Noir would be a good bet (Villard Noir grows well in the south of France). Chambourcin especially has garnered an opinion for itself as one of Eastern America's signature red-wine varieties - Detroit's Sandra Silfven has written in the past about Chambourcin and its identity in this respect. I tend to agree based on the examples I've tasted at various MoCools in the past. I think that Chambourcin tends to do well from Pennsylvania southwards. In Ontario, I feel that we don't do good Chambourcin - the growing season is just a tad too short. We do much better with Foch up here. Maryland, on the other hand, probably has enough heat to make outstanding Chambourcin. Heck - they've got this variety in Australia for decades now and it grows well down there.

Here's one counter example:

Nestled in the heart of the Stags Leap District is Steltzner Vineyards. Since 1965 the family has been dedicated to growing grapes of exeptional quality. Pinotage, created in 1925 is a flower cross between Cinsault and Pinot Noir, developed for the gentle climate in the Fairest Cape of South Africa. The Steltzner Family grows a limited amount of this unique varietal, creating a rich wine with floral and berry overtones set in a velvety texture. Wow, what a unique bouquet. 250 cases produced.

Details

Winery Steltzner Vineyards
Vintage 2004
Variety Pinotage
Price: $28.99

I checked Wine Searcher Pro -- 36 pages of Pinotage -- most are from South Africa. There are a few other examples from elsewhere, for example: http://www.phoenixvineyards.com/inc/sde ... 0#|price_d[vin]

Thanks, Paul. I'd be very interested to see what some of the others are like, although w/ the relatively small scale production, it might be kind of hard to get my hands on them. Shipping charges for shopping on the internet are starting to add up for me! I need to find a good merchant located in DC.

[James Roscoe]

K, there are great chambourcins being made an hour away from you in the foothills of the Blueridge. You need to get over to the Leesburg area and hit the wineries. I am not a big hybrid fan, but those that are swear by the northern Virginia Chambourcins.

[Robin Garr]

I'm basing it on what the instructor at my WSET course said. Last night we tore through the new world, and when we tasted a pinotage he made a point of mentioning that although quite a few regions are starting to dabble with it, he couldn't think of any that have been particularly successful. Having only ever had pinotage from SA, I'd love to prove him wrong! Any suggestions?

New Zealand grows a non-trivial amount of Pinotage, and the samples I've tried (Kerr Farm near Auckland comes to mind) have been <i>excellent</i>, really more to my liking than most South African Pinotages have been.

It's certainly true that Pinotage is strongly identified with South Africa, but I think you've caught your WSET instructor in a moment of either carelessness or lack of knowledge. Although South Africa is certainly responsible for way more than 90 percent of the world's Pinotage, the grape is being handled well elsewhere. And franky, with the exception of the better producers, a lot of SA Pinotage is really sorry stuff, so banged around with sulfur and volatile acidity as to prompt some people to think "rubber tire" is its natural <i>terroir</i>.

I dunno, Robin, but in my experience "bad" Pinotage is getting really hard to find from SA at all nowadays. Every estate Pinotage I buy is lacking any VA and certainly rubbery odours. In fact, I can't ever recall having a spate of bad luck with Pinotage even in the old days (i.e. the 1990s).

Well, I'm clearly going to have to do some research of my own into this Pinotage issue!

I'm basing it on what the instructor at my WSET course said. Last night we tore through the new world, and when we tasted a pinotage he made a point of mentioning that although quite a few regions are starting to dabble with it, he couldn't think of any that have been particularly successful. Having only ever had pinotage from SA, I'd love to prove him wrong! Any suggestions?

I think you should ask your tutor how many non-SA Pinotages he/she has tried. Because there are some very good ones made in California and New Zealand. They've been making it in NZ since the 1960's and when we organised the first international blind Pinotage tasting in South Africa in 2001 it was Babich Winemakers Reserve 1999 from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand that was the overall favourite. Beyers Truter, winemaker at Kanonkop at the time and President of the Pinotage Association was one of the tasting team. He revised his earlier opinion that serious Pinotage could only be made in South Africa and offered his highest praise to the Babich by saying "This is Pinotage!"

I have had excellent California Pinotages from Phoenix, (Napa), Sutter Ridge (Amador), J Winery (Sonoma) and Vino Con Brio (Lodi). I have also drunk Pinotages from Israel, Zimbabwe and Brazil. The Israeli was good, the Brazilian is grown in a very wet area and was watery. It is also grown commercially in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada and Virginia, USA

But your tutor said he couldn't think of any that were succesful. Well, the grape grows well, and its early ripening is a bonus by being able to be picked before the hottest times in hot countries and before theend of summer in colder climates -- this is what Peter Laidlaw of Fieldmouse Vineyards said about his first trial harvest in October 2006 "Based on the grape quality and early ripening I'm pretty determined to put in at least 2000 Pinotage vines now." (pictures of me helping withe harvest here )

J Winery told me they sell out their entire Pinotage production on release; they can't make enough, but Sutter Ridge (whose wine is super) said that visitors didn't recognise the variety name and were only interested in names like Merlot or Pinot Noir that they knew.

I am also reading good reviews of Fort Ross in California. Kim Pierce in Dallas Newssaid "Fort Ross 2002 Pinotage, one of only a handful produced in California, is a marvel. Deep inky purple, it gives off concentrated aromas of dark red fruit – dried strawberries, blackberries, black cherries – spiced with white pepper and infused with smoke. The fruit grows luscious, creamy and mouth-filling but not in a big-wine, jammy way. Rather, it's like dipping through layers of mousse, with dry tannins and nice acidity that roll to a chewy finish."

I think that one cannot say that one knows Pinotage if ones only experience of the variety is by tasting South Africa Pinotage. And then cheap importers brands.

Paul B. wrote

I think that they are largely focusing on viniferas

Not sure who the they are in your statement Paul. There is assistance provided for the purchase of wine grape vines but only from a list of accepted varieties. When I looked at the list before ordering my vines I seem to recal that there were more hybrids on the list than vinifera. In fact the only vinifera that was on the list as acceptable that I chose to plant was Cab Franc. I do understand that the list will be expanded this year to include more vinifera but not sure what will be added. In addition, Joe Fiola who is the Maryland viticulture "expert" [don't have his actual title on me right now] has been stating for years that Chambourcin is one of the best choices for Southern Maryland and could be a future star here.

James Roscoe wriote:

What do they do about the high humidity and the awful summer heat in southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore? It can be ridiculous most summers. Then there are the really wet Septembers. I just don't see this as a succesful area for viniculture. Am I mistaken? I am sure Paul could point to hybrids, but for most people these are unproven. Maybe some Rhone or southern Italian varieties might take the heat and humidity, but I am a skeptical.

The southern Maryland area and I believe the same goes for the eastern shore has very little history with grape growing. We have almost no experience with what will and will not work here. I have written before about all of the issues that are to be faced of which the ones you mention are only part of the story. As far as vinifera goes there are no sure bets. I am aware of some success with Barbera. Cab Franc and Petit Verdot seem to do alright also. I am putting in Aglianico this year which I have hope for but am unaware of anyone else down here looking at it. Sangio has had some problems with lots of vine kill in upper marlboro. CS has had vine kill problems also in upper marlboro while others report that it grows like a weed but yields grapes with poor color. Merlot is prone to rot. As for the rhone varieties, the reds are not very promising. The Syrah may not take the heat (but I am going to try anyway), the grenace and mourvedre do not like rains close to harvest. The Rhone whites look more promising on paper but I am unaware of any significant plantings.

The grapes that may do the best are harder to come find. Petit Manseng should grow well here but one can't find vines. I can get budwood though so may have to go that way. Tannat also seems promising and I am putting in some of that also this year. However, what would seem to make the most sense is Plavic Mali but try finding any vines or budwood.

Of course all of this is just academic looking at where else in the world they grow well, resistance to mildews and rots, skin thinkness and how tight are the bunces, etc. Until we get enough people trying to grow grapes in this area it is just guesses.

Peter - what a plethora of great info. I tend to be a rather quiet student, so I doubt I'll call him out on this in class, but I'm quite happy for the differing opinion and examples and am looking forward to experiencing some of this first hand so I can make my own informed choice. As I think we can all agree (and as so many posts on this forum will attest to), wine is such a subjective thing. And there is soooo much to know about it, and we never stop learning. Regardless of how long you've been tasting/drinking/studying, there are always new experiences and surprises waiting, and I suppose an open mind is essential if you're going to enjoy the hobby to it's fullest.

We get into Maryland wine stores once or twice a year when visiting wife's kin now in Columbia (formerly Ellicott City). The Maryland wines we have seen are mostly Merlot and Chardonnay priced in the mid twenties. Since we are not big fans of either grape, and know on many worthy ones at half the price, we haven't tried any.

We will be going back down there in a couple of months, so if anybody has some recommendations................!

The Maryland wines we have seen are mostly Merlot and Chardonnay priced in the mid twenties. Since we are not big fans of either grape, and know on many worthy ones at half the price, we haven't tried any. We will be going back down there in a couple of months, so if anybody has some recommendations................!

Carl,

I will be interested to see the response you get from Marylanders, as their info will be much more up-to-date than my take . . . my most recent Maryland wine experience was probably a year ago. I don't know if you care for hybrids, but they have accounted for some of the more positive experiences I have had with Maryland wines--and their prices are much more in tune for me with what's in the bottle than the more familiar vinifera . . . well, except for cabernet franc, with which I am really optimistic.

I don't have much of a track record to base it on (for consistency over time), but the producers I had a good impression of within the past two years have been Fiore, Elk Run, and Cygnus. But hopefully, in any case, you can find something closer to $10 than $20!

Best of luck!