The wine selection leans somewhat more towards reds and definitely stays in the dry territory. Roy told us his goal is to emulate the style of wines produced in Rhone and Burgundy, which typically feature blends of several grapes to bring out unique flavors in the final product. Although eastern and central France share some of Maryland’s “continental” climate type marked by warm/hot summers and cool/cold winters, our soil types are pretty different, and in recognition of that you’ll see a familiar set of ingredients in said blends – cabernets, chambourcin, petit verdot, and chardonnay. However, Royal Rabbit is also pushing forward and experimenting with some new varieties for the region, like the white wine grape marsanne.

Overall, I was really impressed by their set of wines, both in terms of the quality and the number (11 in total) for such a new winery. The winemaker does have a number of years’ experience in winemaking, coming up through the ranks of amateur winemakers – the “homebrew” club of the wine world – that give him years of experience in that department. That experience really came out strongly in the professionally-finished feel of these wines. Of course I found myself drawn to the cabernet sauvignon (“The Count”), but would recommend trying any and all of them, including a dry-style rose that sacrifices none of the complexities found in a solid table wine. The chambourcin is also a strong offering in an increasingly crowded space – I still think Knob Hall does the best chambourcin in the state, but Royal Rabbit’s take on the grape is well-balanced and goes easy on the cherry flavors that can be overwhelming in other interpretations.

Due to limited production capacity, Royal Rabbit will be very limited in terms of festival attendance during 2012, so your best bet is to make the trek up 83 to Parkton, which is just south of the MD-PA border in Baltimore County (on of the Piedmont Wine Trail, if you’re keeping score at home – although they’re considering a switch to the multi-state Mason-Dixon wine trail given the vineyard’s proximity to PA). And although the holidays delayed my writing this post by a few weeks, the timing does allow me to include a mention of their upcoming “Woodwinds and Wine” event on January 28, featuring a variety of chamber music performances. Not sure any of the Vinotrip staff will make it out to that, so please let us know in the comments if you get up there!

With that cheerful image in your minds, I present a couple new things I’ll be trying in 2012 to break myself from my rut:

Sparkling Wine from Great Shoals: The Spencerville Red Apple got rave reviews in Colesville Patch this past fall, and I tasted some really nice sparkling wines at Eat Drink Go Local in Silver Spring last November. I usually don’t care for sparkling wines, so a trip down to Great Shoals is in order.

Sparkling Cabernet from Serpent’s Ridge: Thanks to Paul Vigna for alerting me to this one. I’m not huge on sparkling wines, as I said above, but if it’s from Serpent’s Ridge, it’s worth a try.

Oaked Chambourcin from Layton’s Chance: Layton’s Chance announced this in October, but I haven’t gotten down to see them yet and taste it. I’ll admit, though, that since I do like oaked wines (!), this isn’t really taking me out of my comfort zone.

The Mason-Dixon Wine Trail: Paul Vigna detailed this in September, but I haven’t been able to get up there. While I’ve been to Boordy and Fiore, I haven’t been to many Pennsylvania wineries, and I’d like that to change.

Aliceanna Winery: One of Maryland’s newest, it’s in Baltimore City. But because regulations prevent tastings on site, this is one I’ll be looking for at festivals.

New Maryland Wineries: Detour (western Carroll County),

Richard Gorelick of the Baltimore Sun wrote at the beginning of August about Lot18 starting to ship to Marylanders. Save that link, because the discount website normally only allows membership through invitation, but provided direct registration through Gorelick’s article. The membership is free; I haven’t purchased anything, but the website will tell you if a wine (or cheese, or a wine map, which are also sold) is available to ship to your state. (Lot18 itself is not producing the wine, just arranging with wineries with Maryland permits to ship to you.) Most wines (of the, say, dozen on offer) appear to be from the West Coast or imported. The site is pretty informative, too, with reviews, tasting notes, and winery information. That alone is worth signing up, which is free. The article notes that Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws was involved, but I gather it was more of approaching Lot18 to see f they could offer wines in our state.

The wine shipping box from our trip to Oregon

CellarBlog posted about District365 Wine, which builds on the Lot18 concept by ensuring every wine they offer is available in Virginia, Maryland, and the District. Each week, one wine from one winery is featured. Much like Lot18, the sale is only available for a limited time, so you need to either check in weekly or sign up for email notifications.  They are also planning events and to work with Maryland and Virginia wineries – I’m excited to see what District365 will come up with.

(If you get a postcard from California Wine Club, just toss it in the recycling.)

And of course, wineries themselves are applying for permits, despite the steep fee. Chateau Montelena blogged on CAWineVine that its permit has been approved. I was glad to see some larger names look at shipping. Last July’s trip to Oregon wineries was much more pleasant than other out-of-state trips, now that wine pourers didn’t have to go, “Maryland? No.” MBBWL posts on its own website about how to find out which wineries have permits for Maryland. I counted 306 active permits; some of these are Maryland wineries, and some are shipping companies operating on behalf of the wineries.

And if all that wasn’t making it easy enough, MBBWL tweeted earlier today about a U.S. Postal Service initiative to consider delivering wine and beer in standard USPS vehicles. (Dr. Vino

blogged the New York Times article saying the same thing.) Quite frankly, given the battered-up (and even opened!) state in which my mail has periodically arrived, I wouldn’t trust my Chateau Montelena to the postman.

So have you had wine shipped to you yet? Have you had Maryland wine shipped to out-of-staters? What method did you use?

There’s been a fair amount of buzz about newly opened Great Shoals Winery, all of it good. Operating in Mount Vernon, Maryland (not the Virginia farm or Baltimore square, but in Somerset County), Great Shoals snagged a couple of awards for their sparkling ciders earlier this spring. They’ve been distributing in central Maryland and on the Eastern Shore.

Right now, they’re only open for tastings by appointment, and we haven’t had a chance to drive down. Has anyone been? What are your impressions?

Or drink some chilled white wine. Anecdotally, I can tell you it’s what many folks are drinking as this summer shatters heat records across the country. Matt and I have Keswick Vineyards Viognier (VA) in the fridge right now. Friends served Basignani’s Elena the other evening. Then again, we also have a bottle of Serpent Ridge Basilisk (a red blend) open on our shelf.

At one point, I thought weather affected wine in two ways: the whole growing-season thing, which obviously depends on the right amount of rain, soil, humidity, sun, clouds, cool temperatures, warm temperatures, and midnight voodoo; and the controversy over sticking to chilled whites versus indulging in reds every so often (with, possibly, a heretical ice cube). Many folks on the local wine blog  circuit mentioned the latter, saying the Wine Bloggers’ Conference last month in Charlottesville, Virginia was too hot to really enjoy the red wines available.

But it turns out weather affects oenophiles in other ways, too:

First, now that we have our beloved shipping law passed, it appears we’ll have to wait until fall to get wine shipped. It makes total sense to me now, and I wouldn’t have left wine in a hot trunk, and our wines are kept in the driest, coolest corner of our house. But I never thought about wine cooking on its way to me: from winery to shipping center, in planes or trucks, and from shipping center to my house. Dr. Vino has thoughtfully researched more about this, and even suggests a label addition to show temperature exposures.

Second, if you’re at all as pale as I am (my students once asked if I was a vampire), bottoms up! The Terroirist reports a study finding that “flavonoids in grapes can stop the chemical reactions that cause skin cells to die”.

Also, the Wine Curmudgeon suggests several ways to stay cool using wine.  I’m happy to report that I’ve tested all of them (someone had to do it!) and can recommend all but the first one. Ice your wine if you want to – I just don’t care for the dilution that comes as the wine melts; I don’t even ice my lemonade. If I don’t do it, I can’t really recommend it myself.

And another reason to detest the season’s stink bugs: they don’t just feed on grapes, but they… um… flavor the wine. The Washington Post’s Darryl Fears writes about this in the context of a search for a predator for the little… ahem… buggers (farmers and grape growers are mentioned on the second page). To do my journalistic best and present the other side of the debate, WMAZ’s Cody Rhodes paraphrases University of Maryland‘s Joe Fiola as saying stink bugs “don’t [a]ffect the taste or smell of wine”.

Have you noticed a stinky odor to wine – or had your shipped wine cooked? How are you enjoying your wine this summer?

Three cheers and a pop of the cork for Cygnus winemaker Ray Brasfield, whose Royele Rose’ de Noir Brut Rose was featured at last Thursday’s Governor’s Buy Local Cookout, according to an article in the Baltimore Sun.

Maryland has a number of vintages grown between the Potomac and the Mason-Dixon, but I’m not sure people often think of a sparkling wine. Further, as Brasfield told Sun reporter Bob Allen, the wine is made from the Chancellor grape, a French-American hybrid found on the Atlantic Seaboard but not commonly here in Maryland.

Not only does this help raise the visibility of Cygnus Wine Cellars and Maryland Wine in general, but it answers concerns about locavore movements forgetting local wine. Even more exciting, this is apparently the second year Cygnus has sent a sparkling wine to the Governor’s table, according to one of Matt’s posts last summer.

Have you had the Cygnus sparkling? How did it meet your expectations?

The 2011 Maryland Wine Festival is September 17-18 at the Carroll County Farm Museum

Well, actually, tickets to the Maryland Wine Festival have been available since July 18th, according to this Carroll County Times article from that date. It’s held every year in Westminster the third weekend of September: this year, the grounds are open 10-6 on September 17th and noon-6 on September 18th. Tickets are $27 in advance if you buy online, and $30 at the door… er… entry booth at the Carroll County Farm Museum. Of course, there are discounts for designated drivers, children, and seniors.

We’ve gone every year since we were out of college, and it’s a great time to taste wines that were released in 2011. Some winemakers may also have offerings from prior years. I personally love it for the variety and the ability to try so many offerings in one place, especially if there is a new winery or new vintage that otherwise wouldn’t make my radar. There are usually tons of vendors selling good food; cheese, olive oil, or honey to complement your wine; and wine gear – glass holders, glasses, bottle racks, and the like.

Of course, you can also buy tickets for the Premier Tent for $65 ($62 in advance). If you remember from Matt’s post about pouring in the Premier Tent last year, Premier ticket holders taste some pretty amazing Maryland wines not available to the rest of the festival goers, and can chow down on food provided by local restaurants. New this year, too, are a festival poster and a Riedel wine glass for the festival. And, of course, you get to go to the rest of the festival, too. I remember the Premier Tent being pricey, but not as crowded, and with fewer people who go to these shindigs just to get buzzed. The wines and food are good, too; if I recall correctly, the Premier Tent even had a wine or two from Black Ankle Vineyards, which hasn’t shown at the area festivals in a couple years. If you’re big on quality wine and not so much on the buzz-seeking crowds, you might find the Premier Tent worthwhile.

Another feature, and one that Matt and I haven’t really looked into before, is the wine education aspect. Some of these seminars are basic introductions to Maryland whites, Maryland reds, or how wine is made. But I notice on the site there’s an amateur wine judging, which might be cool to go to (or even participate in!).

Of course, don’t forget to take your wine bottle bag, water bottle, sunscreen, and a picnic if you’re taking it.

Have you made plans to go? Are you volunteering, or going for the Premier Tent?

The future tasting room site atop a hill at Big Cork Vineyards. Vines planted this spring are visible in the background.

About a month ago, I had the distinct pleasure to attend a preview event for what promises to be the next big thing (pun intended) on the Maryland wine scene: Washington County’s Big Cork Vineyards, a collaboration between the Thompson family (of Thompson Gas fame) and Virginia wine all-star Dave Collins (formerly of Breaux Vineyards). Vineyard owner Randy Thompson pulled off a huge coup earlier this year in luring Dave away from Breaux where, as the winemaker, he won a whole bunch of prestigious awards for the Loudon County property in northern Virginia. Now he’ll take on the challenge of a brand new venture on the other side of the Potomac.

Dave is a long-time Virginia resident, where he studied horticulture at Virginia Tech. His interest in wine propelled him to the venerable viticulture program at UC Davis before he returned to ply his trade  in the old dominion state. His efforts managing Breaux’s 100+ acres of vines lifted the winery from a startup experiment to a leader in the state’s booming wine industry.

Another view from the Big Cork Vineyards hilltop - down into the valley below.

The new 22-acre vineyard (with plans to grow to 30) just went in. They have yet to break ground on the tasting room. But the promise of a premier wine maker backed by a serious investor in the state of Maryland drew an impressive crowd for the preview, including Dave McIntyre from the Post and a number of Virginia bloggers.

However, we should start to get a taste of what’s to come sooner rather than later as the winery plans to begin production using locally-sourced grapes while the new vines mature. Personally thought I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do with some of the varieties we don’t see very often in Maryland: Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Malbec are all in the ground.

Exciting times for Maryland wine ahead – we recently reached the 50 winery milestone and direct shipping makes it easier for in-state wineries to distribute product outside of the traditional (and often uninterested) channels. The positive momentum here – and in Virginia and Pennsylvania, for that matter – can hopefully continue to attract talented winemakers to the region.

I’ll drink to that!

I’m heading over to the festival a bit later this afternoon. You may also be interested in this preview article I wrote for the local Columbia Patch. Be sure to tweet a message to @vinotrip if you have a few minutes to say hello!

Although early discussions on the tax rate proposed a gradual increase by 1% a year through 2012 – from the current 6% up to 9% – last-minute amendments this weekend scrapped that plan in favor of an all-at-once increase this year. The 50% bump puts Maryland well above neighboring Virginia (5%), Pennsylvania (6%), West Virginia (6%), D.C. (6%) and Delaware (an amazing 0%).

While the increase goes to a respectable cause full of political brownie points – school construction – I have to wonder what the effect might be on those delicate liquor stores we worked so hard to protect by barring wine shipments from out-of-state retailers when lower prices await consumers just across the borders of our (geographically) small state (can you feel the sarcasm?). Granted, consumers in the middle of the state like yours truly (Howard County) aren’t likely to drive 60+ minutes to avoid the 3% tax difference. But for residents in the DC suburbs, Frederick, or even the northern Baltimore suburbs might run across state lines to stock up for a big event. Technically that’s illegal – but I never saw that prevent those fireworks stands from hawking their business along I-70 north of Hagerstown or I-83 north of Baltimore. Consumers will follow the best deals.

Are you planning any interstate alcohol smuggling come July 1? If you do, you might want to consider hiring a vessel that can make the run in less than twelve parsecs.