For $25 at the door, we got access to wine samples from wineries all across the state, as well as specialty food samples, entertainment, craft vendors, a wine appreciation class, and a commemorative wine glass and tote bag.
Here are some of the highlights from the day:
- Taylor Brooke Winery (Woodstock) had my favorite wine of the fair, a Summer Peach Riesling. Rieslings and Gewurztraminers are my favorite white wines because they are so fresh, light, and sweet--but not too sweet or too acidic. I can only describe this wine by saying that it tasted like summer!
- Hopkins Vineyard (Warren) was someplace Natalie and I had to visit, for obvious reasons. My favorite wine there was the Sachem's Picnic, a semi-sweet red with raspberry, blackberry, and plum flavors. The name is very apt, and I enjoyed that this wine was fruity and not as dry as red wine can often be.
- Land of Nod Winery (East Canaan) first caught my eye because of its fanciful name, but what really got my attention was their delighful 2009 Rose, which was refreshing and subtle after tasting the other stronger wines.
Of course, wine is best appreciated at the vineyards themselves, where you can enjoy stunning views, beautiful architecture (such as the entirely wood bathrooms at Cassidy Hill Vineyard in Coventry, where I also savored a sweet strawberry wine called Summer Breeze), and more personalized attention. However, the benefit of a wine festival is that you can taste a little bit of everything and determine which wineries you would like to visit.
In addition, we got a helpful lesson from wine expert Laureen Guerriero of Wine Time Uncorked in West Hartford. "Wine is art in a bottle," I remember her saying. "And your own taste is the standard." Basically, you like the wine you like and don't like the wine you don't like. It's all about you and your taste. Her motto is "Have fun and taste mindfully!" Part of tasting mindfully is knowing how to taste. Here's what I learned.
Follow the 5 "S's":
1. See: Tilt the glass at a 45 degree angle over a white sheet of paper and look for the clarity, intensity, and color of the wine.
2. Swirl to release the aroma.
3. Smell: Put your nose deep into the glass and try to discern the condition, intensity, and aroma of the wine. The aroma characteristics are fruit, floral, spice, vegetal, and oak.
Common aromas with whites: Citrus, pear, peach, tropical fruits, honeysuckle, cinnamon, and vanilla
Common aromas with reds: berry, black cherry, plum, rose petal, cloves, cedar, earth
4. Sip: The fun part! Try to determine what aromas you taste as well as smell. Also try to figure out the wine's sweetness, acidity, tannin (for reds only), and body (mouthfeel).
5. Summarize and savor: Give your opinion on the quality of the wine and think about food pairings. And, of course, enjoy it!
Finally, because this is a food blog, I have to mention a really cool food product at the fair. Peace Tree Desserts is an organic, sustainable bakery. Their vendor featured cajeta caramel, a high quality Mexican caramel sauce that came in flavors like cinnamon, apple jack, and curry. At $13-18 a jar, it's not cheap, but it is the best caramel I've ever tasted.
Next up: Taste of Hartford!
w00h00 wine fest!
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