Tierce Dry Riesling, a collaboration of three winemakers from three different Finger Lakes wineries, will be served at the Inauguration luncheon after the swearing in of President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden later this month.

This was announced yesterday by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Sure, it is exciting for any winery to have one of their wines selected to be poured at a special event such as this, but what I especially love about this choice, aside from the delicious wine, is that it is a collaboration of three excellent winemakers. What a beautiful example to be displayed in Washington.

Fox Run Vineyards, Red Newt Cellars and Anthony Road Winery could all be fierce competitors, but instead they choose to work together on joint projects such as this Tierce Riesling.

Their collaboration is a perfect example of what I have seen in the Finger Lakes region during my five visits to the area in 2012 alone, after our first visit to the Finger Lakes in 2011 where one of the winery owners invited my family (kids and all) to Thanksgiving dinner with his family. (So, in case you cannot tell, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess I’ve met two of the winemakers featured in that photo, and all but one of the Tierce collaborative team.  I have found them to be great people, as well as exceptional winemakers.)

What I have seen in the Finger Lakes region of New York is that the winemakers and winery owners truly work together for the benefit of the region. They support each other and stand up for each other and absolutely want to make the best wine they can possibly make. They experiment and take suggestions from each other and are constantly working to improve their wines and grow their businesses.

And they all seem to shy away from the limelight.

When I called Peter Bell of Fox Run to congratulate him, he wanted to be sure I knew that there were many others who were not in the press photo who had a lot to do with the winemaking and blending of Tierce. He mentioned Tricia Renshaw, who works with him at Fox Run, Kelby Russell who was at Fox Run but now who is at Red Newt, Brandon Seager, who was previously at Red Newt, Peter Becraft of Anthony Road and Sara Gummoe of Fox Run who didn’t work in this particular Tierce, but has worked on others since. The team has been collaborating on Tierce since 2004, with a Riesling created each year except for one, when they decided to release a red wine instead.

What better wine to pour to show America not only a fantastic wine, but also a collaborative spirit.

Perhaps the Republicans and Democrats and anyone else who wants to argue can take their example. When you combine the best, you only get better.

27,000 pounds of apples and pears.

That’s how much King Estate winery in Eugene, Oregon contributed to FOOD for Lane County, a food bank serving the hungry in Oregon, this fall.

 

$50,000 annually.

That’s how much Rodney Strong Vineyards has contributed to food banks across the country each of the last three years.

 

These wineries are giving back, and giving back in a big way.

I spoke with representatives of both King Estate and Rodney Strong earlier this month to find out a little more about their giving. I learned that their giving is about much more than just the numbers, and that those examples are just one part of what they do to give back.

 

“Ed King always says ‘No one should go hungry when there’s ground to grow food.’” Jessie Russell, Garden and Landscape Manager for King Estate told me. Ed King is the CEO and founder of King Estate.

And King Estate has plenty of ground to grow food. In addition to grapes, they grow apples, asian pears, beets, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and on and on, almost through the entire alphabet. What is not used in the restaurant or in other ways by the winery is donated to those in need.

When I was at the winery this summer, I saw rows and rows and rows of beautiful apple trees, yet the winery uses a very small percentage of those apples. Instead they grow most of them to give them away.

King Estate’s apples are harvested by a local gleaning group, Harrisburg Gleaners. The gleaners pick all the apples at the winery in exchange for half of the produce gathered for their own distribution.

This keeps costs low, as King Estate doesn’t have to pay for a harvesting crew and the Harrisburg Gleaners get fresh organic fruit to distribute, as well as the use of King Estate’s cider press to make cider from the apples.

A portion of the rest of the apples are used in the winery restaurant, in jams and jellies, and sold to local school districts, so they are able to get organic apples at an affordable price. And the rest, 27,000 pounds in 2012, are contributed to FOOD for Lane County. That’s a LOT of apples by my count!

Beverlee Hughes, Executive Director of FOOD for Lane County, said the 27,000 pounds of produce has a value of $37,000. But that’s not all King Estate does for FOOD for Lane County.

Beverlee told me that the winery has hosted fundraisers on site netting hundreds of thousands of dollars and also contributes in other ways.

“Ed has a fleet of trucks to deliver wine that might come back empty. When we have donations far away, his team will coordinate and bring the donations back in those trucks,” she said.

With 350,000 people in Lane County, and 1 in 3 eligible for emergency food assistance, King Estate’s contributions must be making a substantial difference. And their contributions reach more than just their local area, as Oregon is the only state in the country with a collaborative network of food banks that work together to share their resources.

Way to go, King Estate, in sharing your bounty with those in need!

 

Rodney Strong Vineyards, a winery based in California, also works to make contributions that can be felt in its local area and in other areas. Since 2010, Rodney Strong has contributed $50,000 annually to 10 food banks across the country. Rodney Strong also contributes liberally to the arts and other community service organizations in California.

To decide which food banks to support nationwide, Rodney Strong uses the United Way as a filter and encourages its employees to submit food banks in their area for consideration.

The food banks the winery supports are:

• Redwood Empire Food Bank, Santa Rosa, CA
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
• Community Food Bank of Central Alabama
• Project Bread, Boston, MA
• United Way Metro Chicago, Chicago, IL
• United Way of Rock River Valley, Rockford, IL
• Heart of Illinois United Way, Peoria, IL
• United Way Lane County, OR
• United Way Columbia-Willamette, OR
• United Way Jackson County, OR
• United Way King County, WA
• United Way Snohomish County, WA
• United Way Pierce County, WA

Heather Hanks, the Mid-South District Manager for Rodney Strong, asked that Nashville’s Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee be included the first year of the program.

“The first time we did this was after the flood and the town was so grateful. They even took out an ad in the paper to say thanks,” she said. “The need is overwhelming. It’s clear this is definitely the right choice after three years.”

 Rather than just write a check to contribute (which would in itself still be fantastic) Rodney Strong encourages its restaurants and retailers in the area to get in on the giving and promote the program. This has led to increased donations from the businesses themselves and the community, in addition to the winery’s contribution.

About 50 retail locations and 30 restaurants restaurants pouring Rodney Strong wines in the Nashville area alone have jumped on board. Many restaurants offer half-priced entrees with the purchase of a bottle or glass of Rodney Strong Wines and many retailers and restaurants encourage their visitors to donate canned goods as they shop. Some of the retailers participating include Frugal MacDoogal, Brentwood Wine and Spirits, Cool Springs Wine and Spirits, Bud’s Liquors, Grapevine and The Wine Chap. Restaurants include Tin Angel, Sperry’s, Brick’s Café, and Sunset Grill.

It seems Heather has really encouraged the community to jump on board and help the contribution grow. This year, Heather is also helping the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. After the enthusiasm she and Rodney Strong have grown in Tennessee, I can only imagine what is in store for those in Alabama!

Earlier I told you about Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity by Time magazine columnist Joel Stein and how his book tour was sponsored by Stark Raving wines, even if Joel didn’t talk much about wine in his book.

Joel enjoys wine, he just doesn’t think it is particularly manly.

“It takes too much thought. There are too many subtleties. It is manly in the knowing everything about the Civil War kind of way, though,” Joel said when we talked about it.

Okay then. I could see his point, but was still puzzled by the wine company sponsoring the book tour.

But Stark Raving isn’t your typical kind of wine company. Even if it is ultimately a part of Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines which has a vast portfolio of wines (big, bold, manly ones as well as more subtle, nuanced ones), it is still created by Rosenblum Cellars. Rosenblum Cellars founder Kent Rosenblum, who brought California Zinfandel into the spotlight, grew to fame by being manly (I hope Joel would agree on this one), bold and going against the grain… which resulted in critically acclaimed wines. Rosenblum winemaker John Kane, who developed those wines, is also the winemaker behind Stark Raving.

Stark Raving sources its grapes from Argentina, France and California in making Stark Raving White (a blend of Chardonnay and Moscato), Stark Raving Red, (a blend of Tannat, Zinfandel and other red varieties) Stark Raving Malbec, and Stark Raving Cab.

For the book tour, Stark Raving created casual parties in each city where food truck chefs were invited to pair the wines with their own creations to battle it out for not only the thrill of victory, but also the honor of a donation to Meals on Wheels to be made in the food truck’s name. Joel got to enjoy the food, wine and mingle with his fans, as well as those that came initially for the food and wine and then, I’m sure, became fans.

Although I had to miss the party in my hometown of Houston, it sounds to me like it was quite a delicious night. Here’s what was served:

• Phamily Bites - garlic noodles with clams, cooked in Stark Raving White wine
• H-Town StrEATs - Stark Raving Red wine braised flatiron steak sirloin with Stark Raving White braised local greens, foie gras mustard and deep fried foie gras
• Soul Cat (winner) – Chef DC’s Firecracker Shrimp with Stark Raving White wine and pork loin pinwheels stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes paired with Stark Raving Red

As I said in my last post about his book, Joel said these wines were to be “gulped, not sipped,” and go great with takeout and pizza. He also said that they aren’t wines you have to think about, and would be good for a casual party.

“If I was at a casual party and saw those wines, I’d go with them,” he said.

He pointed out that Stark Raving Red “Might be made from French grapes, but it tastes American.”

When I spoke with Jessica Callahan, Brand Marketing Manager – Lifestyle Brands, Diageo Chateu & Estates, she explained that the wines are meant to pair with anything and be approachable and versatile. “Wine can be fun and approachable. It doesn’t have to be stuffy and stodgy,” she said.

Since I had to miss the party, Stark Raving sent me a few samples of the wines, which I enjoyed last week with Tricia Renshaw, winemaker at Fox Run Vineyards in the Finger Lakes. Granted, neither Tricia or I are manly, but we thought we’d give the wines a try.

Both of us agreed with Joel that we would pick these wines at a casual party, too, if given the option. Each was enjoyable and any would go well with food.

Tricia, who can describe wines like no one else I know, had these observations on each wine:

• Stark Raving White–peach pie with a buttery crust vanilla, cinnamon
• Stark Raving Red–cloves, cinnamon, baking spices, not contemplative, tannic, a bit sweet, would be good with a bold food, like old Spics- familiar
• Stark Raving Malbec–dark fruit, black cherries, leather, light herbal
• Stark Raving Cab–mint, beef roast spices, a little salty, beef and carrots stew, high in tannins and acid

The suggested retail price on each of these wines is $12.

 

It seems that King Estate in Oregon is definitely getting into the holiday spirit. Check out this time lapse video of the King Estate pastry chef building a 4 foot long x 2 foot wide gingerbread repica of the winery:

And yes, that is what the winery looks like, although without all that candy… but there are plenty of delectable treats at the winery in addition to the wine. I wrote a bit about my giddy first visit to King Estate here, if you want to take a sneak peek behind the scenes.

But back to Christmas… Have you seen any other fun holiday decorations at wineries? Tell me about them in the comments so we can all enjoy them.

Calling all wine lovers and photographers! Jordan Winery is celebrating their 40 year anniversary with a Summer Photo Contest with Cash Prizes called, “What Would You Pair with Jordan Wine?” Entry details:

Take an artistic photo of a Jordan wine bottle or Jordan wine label paired with your favorite thing or place.  (Wine doesn’t only go with food, you know!) These photos can show memories from a visit to the Jordan chateau, an unforgettable travel destination, a special moment with Jordan wine (birthday, anniversary, wedding, engagement, etc.), your favorite song, an amazing meal, a beloved pet, even a pair of shoes. Be creative. Amateur and professional photographers are welcome, and you don’t need a fancy camera to win. No purchase is required to enter. You can request an empty bottle from Jordan to use in your photos.

Prizes available:

• Grand prize winner will receive $500 cash
• First runner-up will receive one (1) Wine Enthusiast Silent 32 Bottle Dual Zone Touchscreen Wine Refrigerator ($300)
• Second runner-up will receive one (1) Jordan-engraved Riedel crystal decanter ($150)

Learn more and enter the contest here.

The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. PST on September 30, 2012. (Note: official contest rules list the deadline as September 15, but it has been extended to the end of the month.)

 

Sooo…. What would YOU pair with a bottle of Jordan?

Last week at this time I was giggling with sheer joy, amazed at the beauty that surrounded me and drunk with what I can only describe as the rock star treatment. And this is before I even opened the first bottle of wine.

Let me bring you up to date.

I was in Eugene, Oregon, visiting King Estate as a guest on the property the day before the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland.

Actually, I had already been giddy for quite some time before I even arrived.

I think I started the day giddy, right when my alarm went off at 4 a.m. Sure, I felt a little guilty missing the kids’ first day of school, but I was leaving them with my very capable husband and flying off to Oregon for the very first time to be pampered for a night, and then headed to see old friends, meet new ones and try lots of new wines at the Wine Bloggers Conference. How could I not be giddy?

On the two plane rides to Eugene I did not do any work and I did not read anything serious, unless you count me doing my parental duty by reading Catching Fire, the second of the Hunger Games trilogy, to determine if it was acceptable reading for my 11 year old. (Hmmm. Some questionable stuff in there, but oh-so-suspenseful and no, the books are NOT about kids killing kids. It’s much more than just that. And I can’t wait to read book three. But I digress. )

So I land in Eugene and have this massive sense of freedom, blended in with a gorgeous, sunny, breezy and absolutely perfect day.

I claim my bags, start my rental car, roll down the windows, crank up the radio and take off for King Estate and wonder what is in store. I see gorgeous pine trees, impressive mountains and breathe in fresh air. My hair is flipping in the wind and I am not sweating. I am definitely no longer in Houston!

It’s not long at all before I fly by this beautiful sign while singing at the top of my lungs.

I Stop, park, and run back to take the photo you see there.

I try to text it to the King Estate Marketing Director, but the text wouldn’t send. And wouldn’t send. And wouldn’t send.

Oh well. I’ve got more bliss ahead of me, so I drive on and enter the King Estate gates, overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the hills, the mountains, the vibrant and perfect green vines in beautiful rows…. I stop the car at least three times to take photographs, waving the UPS truck past me and giggling at the scenery around me. I feel free, yet still wish my husband was there to marvel with me.

I pull up to the Visitors Center, park the car and am overwhelmed by this soothing, gorgeous smell typically reserved for spas.

“What is that smell?” I think to myself and wonder how in the world I could be smelling it. From my night in Cinderalla’s Castle, I know Disney pipes in fragrances of fresh cookies and popcorn after the parades to encourage spending, but how in the world could King Estate be pumping in such a strong fragrance in this beautiful, spacious outdoor setting?

I dismiss it and am taken by the glorious scenes all around me.

 

I practically glide into the building, passing plenty of small groups dining, laughing and enjoying wine at the tables around me, and am introduced to Austin, King Estate’s gracious and friendly Food & Beverage director.

He escorts me to the cottage.

 

 

And there I want to pinch myself. No, actually I don’t want to do that because if it was a dream, I knew did not want it to end!

The cottage is nestled in between lush trees, with a pond in the back yard and bushes of purple flowers leaning up against the patio and corner windows with yellow butterflies dancing between the branches. Inside, is is rustic, yet luxurious:

 

“Really?” I can’t help but say and laugh.

Austin just smiles.

“I really get to stay here?” I repeat. I am in awe.

Austin invites me to enjoy any of the King Estate wines, beers including several local ones, and organic snacks that are in the kitchen

and explains that I must enjoy the fresh eggs and bacon from the on-site charcuterie in the morning. He also points out the fresh bran muffins from the King Estate bakery,

and then asks when I’d like to begin my tour.

He must have thought I was crazy because I had to giggle some more. I was definitely not the cool celeb type. Instead I was amazed. I finally came up with a time to meet Josh, King Estates’s wine educator, up at the Visitors Center.

Austin left me and I snapped more photos of the 2 story 2 bedroom cottage where not one detail was overlooked:

Downstairs bedroom, complete with robes:

Downstairs bath, stocked with lavender toiletries:

Upstairs bedroom:

Upstairs bathroom:

and, not that I had any laundry to do, but this place even had a washer and dryer!

Plus if I wanted to fish, I was set up for that, too:

 Finally, after getting settled, I poured myself a glass of Pinot Gris and went out to relax on the patio ledge and just sat there taking in the sun, the butterflies, the greenery around me and the Pinot Gris.

Perfect.

I may not know what it is like to be a rock star, but I sure know what it is like to be pampered by King Estate. And I know I like that. A LOT!

After awhile I went back inside and tore into the chips and (organic) salsa and tried to do a bit of writing, but was just too excited to get serious. Instead I cranked up the volume on the TV (Did I mention the cottage has satellite television? And a great collection of jazz CD’s too.) and danced around to Beautiful Day by U2. (Isn’t that ironic that that particular song came on? But that is just how my day was.) I hope no one saw me dancing around like a crazy woman. But, if they did, oh well. The moment was just perfect.

Yes, I was overwhelmed by the hospitality of King Estate. And that was just the beginning…

 

There’s more to come about what I experienced on my tour and King Estate’s hospitality to the community. They don’t just reserve it for little bloggers like me or even just for their customers…

(and, yes, I’ll explain more about that fabulous fragrance I was telling you about when I arrived.)