A wine’s vintage is the year when the grapes were grown or the wine was produced. Most wineries release new vintages each year of their most popular varietals. Unfortunately, some years have a bad growing season and a vintage is not released. A specific year might also produce a wonderful crop and the vintage is one of the best. If you especially love a wine, you always look forward to the new release.
Recently, Chrisman Mill Vineyard and Winery released the newest vintage of their Norton Reserve, one of my favorite wines. While each vintage of the Norton Reserve has been good, they have been slightly different. Norton Reserve is made with the choicest grapes of the year, fermented separately, then aged for 12 to 16 months in French oak barrels. The wine is deep purple in color with the flavors and aromas of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The 2011 vintage is quite exceptional.
Norton wines are always big reds, so keep that in mind when you try them. Norton Reserve is a really big red, with big tannins and a smooth finish. If you enjoy Norton wine, be sure to give the Norton Reserve a try – you’ll be glad you did.
by adminFor those of you who visited Jane’s Saddlebag in Boone County last summer for their first annual wine festival and are hoping for a second one, you’re in luck. They will be hosting another festival this year, a two-day festival on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. Last year’s festival was so successful that they are expanding to two days from noon to six both days. Jane’s Saddlebag is perfect for an afternoon of relaxing and drinking wine.
If you were unable to visit Jane’s Saddlebag last summer, I recommend that you visit. Many wine lovers who attended last year have asked me whether there would be another festival this year so I’m sure they will be looking forward to it.
They will also be hosting a Fall Festival on September 20, with crafts and wines. You can check back for more information.
I’ll be there and hope to see you there.
by adminThanks to all of you who have visited my blog; 2013 was a good year. There were over 2500 visitors to the site and while most were from the United States, there were many from other countries as well. 11 visitors from Pakistan was especially surprising.
While the current weather is good for sitting by the fire with a glass of wine, the cold doesn’t exactly suggest visiting vineyards. Hopefully, we’ll begin to see an end to the cold weather and an early spring of visiting wineries and trying new wines.
by adminIf you are interested in having more information about Kentucky wine at your fingertips, go the app store and download the Kentucky wine app. The app gives you a list of the Kentucky wineries with links to their websites. You can also download a passport to the Kentucky wineries for a record of your visits and a free gift.
I’ve used the app mostly for the links to the wineries websites, but I recommend it to anyone who is interested in visiting or finding out more information about Kentucky’s wine industry.
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