South African Food & Wine Festival | Gum Spring, VA

(From contributing writer, Terry "Smitty" Ebright)

After experiencing consecutive days of relentless rain due to Tropical Storm Lee, the 6th Annual South African Food & Wine Festival hosted by Grayhaven Winery was met with a beautiful sunny weekend on September 10 and 11. Nearly 2,000 people came out to the award-winning winery located on the Central Virginia countryside to taste over thirty wines from South Africa as well as Grayhaven’s selected vintages. The event presented a truly unique opportunity for visitors to sample imported South African wines that are not readily available to the public. And as an added bonus to this year's fest, two winemakers made the trek from South Africa to be on hand to discuss their distinctive wine culture.

Accompanying the wines were several South African foods such as Peri-Peri Chicken, Biltong (awesome jerky), Boerewors sausage with train smash (stewed tomatoes & onions), chutneys, and spices along with traditional wares from the country. As the organizers of the festival note, "Eating at the South African fest is kind of like going to a restaurant that happens to be outdoors and is only open 2 days a year. Most meats, vegetables, and fruit are from local farms. The Boerewors sausage is hand-made. Mielie Pap is shipped all the way from South Africa. In a nutshell - this is NOT your typical festival food."


And what's a celebration without music and entertainment? JuxtaPower, a production company that promotes South African talent and history through performance, provided entertainment during both days. Included in the mix were tribal songs, Zulu dances, and storytelling. And appearing for the first time, special guest David Jenkins - musician, singer, songwriter – gave great performances. Discovered on the television program South Africa's Got Talent, Jenkins is often referred to as the "White Zulu" due to his mastery of traditional Zulu maskandi music. More simply put, I equate him as the young “Justin Beiber” of South Africa with a traditional folk music bent.
That said, back to the wine and to the question of how does one taste so many in one afternoon? It was not easy. There were so many and most were really good. Among my favorites , these six topped my list:

- MAN Chenin Blanc 2010. Surprisingly light with tropical fruit flavors backed with refreshing acidity and minerality.
- Grayhaven Riesling. Made in Alsatian style, this selection is very food friendly. Crisp and clean with bright fruit notes.
- MAN Pinotage 2010. Made with the South African national grape, this red offers berry notes with touches of cinnamon, smoke, spice, and soft tannins. Nice & easy.
- Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2010. This one is on the dry side. Nice color with berry and lime notes aligned with hints of nutmeg and black pepper. Perfect on a hot summer day.
- DeToren “Z” Red Blend 2008. A very balanced blend of seven different red grapes delivering intense flavors of plum, berries, spice with notes of tobacco and leather. Very enjoyable.
- Vilafonte “Series M” Red Blend 2006. Another blend of four reds. A great combination of sweet berries, nuts, and milk chocolate. Quite silky on the palate. My favorite, and very popular with the festival attendees.

It was truly a fun event. Great wines, sunny weather, beautiful Virginia countryside ... Not a bad way to spend a weekend.

Grayhaven Winery
4675 East Grey Fox Circle
Gum Spring, VA 23065
www.grayhavenwinery.com
facebook.com/grayhaven.winery

Wordless Wednesday :: V. Sattui Winery

In this photo: A picnic at V. Sattui Winery

V. Sattui Winery

1111 White Lane Street

St. Helena, CA 94574

707.963.7774

Bogle Family Vineyards | Clarksburg, CA

On a recent trip to Oregon to celebrate my uncle’s 70th birthday, my wife and I were at a loss to find the perfect gift to say thank you for all that he has done not for just his own immediate family, but for ours as well. I mean, what do you get a person who seemingly has everything and has done just about anything, including traveling to the four corners of the world?

After knocking around a few ideas, we chose to keep things simple. We decided to appeal to his love and enjoyment of good, quality wines. But rather than go with the obvious places in the Napa Valley, we elected to keep things closer to home. We turned, instead, to the Sacramento Delta and paid a visit to our friends at the Bogle Family Vineyards.

The Bogle family got their start as farmers in the region during the mid-1800s. Best known then for their seasonal harvests of various fruits and vegetables, their efforts later helped cultivate growth and development in the surrounding communities, including Clarksburg, Freeport, and Hood.

But as long as the Bogles’ have been contributing to the local agriculture, their foray in wine making is fairly recent in comparison to their rich family history. Truth be known, they didn't begin growing grapes until 1968. That was when vineyard founders, Warren and Cris Bogle, planted the family's first wine grapes over a 26 acre plot near the town of Clarksburg.

At that time, there was no guarantee that they would be successful, but given the fertile landscape, warm daylight weather, and cool evening breezes, the conditions were ideal. The father and son team had nothing to lose.

Forty years later, the family’s vineyards spread across 1200 acres, and they have become known as one of the more well-respected producers of wine in the area (if not nationally). They have also become an industry leader by incorporating new techniques into their wine making production. For example, they export fruit from other well-known vineyards in the state to create unique blends that can excite not only your palate, but also a few other senses as well.

Exclusive varietals include award-winning chardonnays, merlots, petit sirahs, and cabernets. Additionally, they produce an old vine zinfandel that features grapes taken from vineyards as old as the winery itself.

Among our favorites is the 2008 Pinot Noir, which combines all the characteristics and bold flavors from the Russian River Valley, the Central Coast, and of course, the surrounding areas of Clarksburg. We also recommend their 2008 Reisling. Harvested from the winery's estate vineyards along the delta and in Monterey County, this unique vintage starts off with a sweetness often found in ripe pears and aromatic peaches and finishes with the spiciness of cloves and cinnamon.

Now, after paying a visit to the Bogle Family Vineyards, be sure to reserve a little bit of time to open up one of those newly bought bottles of wine in your carrier. Share it with your friends at any of sitting areas along the back porch or at the picnic benches on the lawn. In other words, don't be in such a hurry to get back to "civilization.” Rather, just take in the calm serene that is the Sacramento Delta.

Oh, in case you were wondering, my uncle was all smiles when he learned of his gift from the Bogle Family Vineyards. He had never visited them, heard much about them, and was eager to begin pouring. Cheers!

The Triple Shot of the Day

In the photo: A chocolate ganache cupcake and coconut cream tart at

Mix Sweet Shop in Ashland, OR

In the photo: Our new friends at Weisingers Winery in Ashland, OR

In the photo: Tofu satay Greenleaf Restaurant in Ashland, OR

The Old Sugar Mill | Clarksburg, CA

Driving through the Sacramento Delta, the idea of wine tasting is something that would not ordinarily come to mind let alone be a suggestion. But since 2000, the region has developed not only a name for itself, but also an award-winning reputation. And the group of wineries found at the Old Sugar Mill is of no exception. Group, you ask? Yes! There are six to be exact: Todd Taylor, Three, The Solomon Wine Company, Heringer Estates, Clarksburg Wine Company, and the Carvalho Family Wines.

Located in what is known as the Clarksburg American Viticulture Area, all six wineries benefit from w chat they describe as the "same morning fog and cool breezes from the San Francisco Bay that shape the growing seasons in the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma." Except, the thing is, they are all found along the Sacramento Delta, meaning that the wines developed here have embodied the bold flavors, rich aromas, and branded sensitivities that are unique to the area. But don't take my word for it. Tastings are open Wednesday-Sunday from 11:00a-5:00p. Come on out for a visit. You'll not only be glad that you did, but you will be pleasantly surprised.